northernbook Chapter 1773 The throne is what everyone wants!
Chapter 1773 The throne is what everyone wants!
The waning moon hung high in the sky above the battlefield littered with corpses.
Chu Ning stood with his hands behind his back, his gilded combat boots making an unpleasant sticky sound as they stepped on the blood-soaked soil.
He looked down at Liu Che's head coldly. The once noble head was now casually placed on a blood-stained shield, and the frozen expression still retained the hideousness before death.
"A great Han emperor ended up with nothing but a torn corpse." Chu Ning's voice was colder than the night wind.
He reached out and fiddled with the bun on the head. The blood-stained hair was entangled in his gilded finger guard, shining strangely in the moonlight.
The sound of armor colliding came from behind, and Ran Ming and Zhao Yu stood side by side.
Chu Ning gave the order without even turning his head: "The entire army will rest for three days and count the casualties."
"Yes, sir!" the two generals responded in unison, then turned and left.
Their footsteps gradually merged into the night, replaced by wailing sounds that rose one after another.
There was bright fire in the direction of the wounded camp, and military doctors were treating the wounded in a simple tent.
Ran Ming strode through the camp at a brisk pace, with soldiers constantly saluting him along the way.
He grabbed a quartermaster who was counting arrows and asked, "Have the bodies of the fallen soldiers been collected?"
"Replying to the General, it is being processed."
The quartermaster wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "We have already counted 23,000 of our soldiers' remains. As for the Han soldiers... there are simply too many. We are still counting."
Zhao Yu was counting the spoils with a team of personal soldiers.
Under the moonlight, the mountains of weapons and armor flashed coldly.
A clerk followed behind him holding bamboo slips, recording something from time to time.
"Three hundred and seventy-two sets of heavy armor, and two thousand one hundred and five sets of light armor."
Zhao Yu's voice was particularly clear in the night: "There are 6,800 spears, and only 4,200 are intact."
As the night deepened, the camp was still busy.
In the light of torches, the soldiers were arranging the bodies of their comrades in an orderly manner, preparing for cremation after dawn.
Occasionally, suppressed sobs could be heard, but they were quickly blown away by the night wind.
In this battle, not only was the Han army completely wiped out, but the Chu army also suffered heavy casualties.
Many soldiers burst into tears when they saw the bodies of their comrades.
At 9:00 PM the next day, the early September sunlight shone through the cracks in the tent, casting mottled shadows on Chu Ning's couch.
He frowned and slowly opened his eyes.
The smell of blood from last night seemed to still linger in his nose, making him sleep very uneasily.
"Someone come here." Chu Ning sat up, his voice still a little sleepy.
Two servants immediately came in carrying toiletries.
Chu Ning washed his face with cold water and felt a little more awake.
He changed into casual clothes, and the jade pendant on his waist made a crisp sound when he walked.
Breakfast was ready: a bowl of corn porridge, a few plates of pickled vegetables, and the game hunted last night.
Just as Chu Ning picked up his chopsticks, Ran Ming's rough voice came from outside the tent: "Your Majesty, the battle damage inventory is complete."
"Come in and talk." Chu Ning picked up a piece of venison and said without raising his head.
The curtain was lifted, and Ran Ming and Zhao Yu walked in one after another.
The two of them still had the scent of night dew on them, and it was obvious that they had been busy since early morning.
They bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty!"
"No need to be polite."
Chu Ning put down his chopsticks and wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief: "Tell me, how much damage was done?"
Ran Ming chuckled, revealing his full set of white teeth. "Your Majesty, in this battle, the 100,000 Han navy troops were completely annihilated! Among them, 60,000 navy troops, 30,000 infantry, and 10,000 cavalry."
Chu Ning nodded slightly. This result was within his expectations.
He picked up the teacup and took a sip: "What are the losses of our army?"
Zhao Yu stepped forward, his silver armor gleaming in the sunlight. "Your Majesty, in this battle our navy lost 28,000 men, our infantry 5,000, and our cavalry 2,000, for a total of 35,000."
With a "bang", the teacup in Chu Ning's hand fell heavily on the table.
His brows furrowed. "Why did the navy suffer so many losses?"
Ran Ming stroked his shiny bald head, looking a little embarrassed. "On the one hand, it was lost in the fierce battle with the Han army, and on the other hand, it was lost in Zhou Yu's sneak attack."
Chu Ning's eyes suddenly turned cold, and the temperature in the tent seemed to drop a few degrees: "I remember reminding you to be careful of the water army's sneak attack."
Ran Ming's forehead was covered with sweat, and he quickly knelt on one knee: "I admit my guilt!"
Silence spread in the tent.
After a long while, Chu Ning slowly spoke: "Get up. I believe that after this battle, you will not make the same mistake again."
He turned his gaze to Zhao Yu, "How are the funeral arrangements for the fallen soldiers going?"
Zhao Yu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I have ordered the cremation of the remains. The ashes will be transported back to their hometowns according to their places of origin."
"Yes." Chu Ning nodded: "The pension will be doubled, and for the only son in the family, an additional 30% will be added."
Ran Ming saw that the atmosphere had eased, and he couldn't help but rub his hands and asked, "Your Majesty, after we rest and recuperate, should we continue to attack the heartland of the Han Dynasty?"
His eyes flashed with bloodthirsty light: "Now that the Han Dynasty has lost its emperor, the army's morale is low!"
Chu Ning did not answer immediately.
He stood up and walked to the hanging map, and his slender fingers gently stroked the territory of the Han Dynasty.
The sunlight filtered through the tent, casting shadows of varying shades on his chiseled profile.
"Our army must naturally continue to advance."
Chu Ning suddenly turned around, a cold smile on his face: "But before that, I need to give the Han Dynasty a surprise."
He looked at Zhao Yu and said, "Notify the Imperial Guards and spread the news of Liu Che's murder to the Han territory!"
Zhao Yu's eyes flashed: "Your Majesty wants to..."
"I want all the people of the Han Dynasty to know about this."
Chu Ning's voice was as cold as ice: "Let the entire Han Dynasty fall into a struggle for the throne!"
He believed that the princes of the Han Dynasty would not miss such a good opportunity.
Ran Ming scratched his bald head, his face full of confusion: "Your Majesty, I don't understand why we have to spread the news so loudly?"
"When the Han Dynasty learned of this, wouldn't they strengthen the defenses of the cities along the way in advance?"
Chu Ning chuckled, walked to the table, picked up a black piece, and gently placed it on the location marked "Chang'an" on the map:
"The throne is what everyone wants."
He took out a few more white pieces and scattered them around: "There are so many princes in the Han Dynasty. I believe they will fight each other for the throne."
The sound of chess pieces falling is crisp and pleasant, but it contains murderous intent.
Ran Ming suddenly realized and slapped his thigh, "Great! Wait until they've almost finished killing each other, and then our army will march straight in!"
"Alright, you can go down and rest too." Chu Ning waved his hand: "From now on, we just need to watch the good show of the Han Dynasty."
The two generals bowed and retreated.
Silence returned to the tent, leaving only the sunlight moving slowly across the map.
Chu Ning stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze far-reaching. He knew that the real game had just begun.