Chapter 267: Fighting King Ding
“You are only half right. I do want to resolve our dispute peacefully, but there is an important prerequisite, which is that you must take the initiative to abdicate and let others take over. Otherwise, I will not be merciful and will definitely use my thunderous means without hesitation!”

As Li Chengqian spoke, he slowly and steadily placed the teacup in his hand on the table in front of him.

His eyes were extremely determined, as if he had everything under his control. He was so confident that he seemed to have Li Zhi in his grasp.

Lou Shide, who was standing at the side, looked calm and steady. His strong hands tightly grasped the hilt of the knife at his waist, and his legs were slightly apart, showing a fierce posture ready to attack at any time.

As long as Li Zhi made the slightest hint, the sharp blade in his hand would be unsheathed like lightning and soar into the sky.

At this time, Li Zhi had a calm look on his face. He gently raised the teapot at hand and slowly poured the tea into Li Chengqian’s cup.

The tea flows out from the spout of the pot, forming a graceful arc, like a silver ribbon slowly falling into the cup.

The whole process seems easy and casual, but in fact it contains a kind of demeanor and style that makes light of important matters.

“Prince, are you so confident?”

Li Zhi asked softly, his tone as calm as the surface of a lake without ripples.

However, behind these seemingly ordinary words, there seems to be an unfathomable power hidden.

Facing Li Zhi’s question, Li Chengqian just nodded without comment and responded:

“Yes, I have this absolute confidence. But I still hope you don’t try it lightly, because the consequences are definitely not something you can bear.”

“Twenty years later, I will give you a satisfactory answer.”

After saying this, Li Chengqian pondered in his heart and had to admit that the Li Zhi in front of him was indeed much more difficult to deal with than he had originally imagined.

Within a short period of time, he was able to make all the civil and military officials in the court submit to him wholeheartedly.

If I were in Li Zhi’s current position, I am afraid I might not be able to do as well as he does.

“The world is so vast, is it really impossible for us brothers to have space for each other?”

Li Zhi asked back with sharp eyes and a hint of helplessness in his tone.

“You don’t need to ask me. In fact, you already know the answer deep in your heart. Otherwise, why would you come to this banquet?”

The other party looked calm, but his words revealed an unquestionable certainty.

They both knew very well that their goals were the same and they would never allow the country’s territory to be divided.

However, they may be able to maintain this situation even in the present time.

But as time goes by and after several generations, it will probably become increasingly difficult to balance the two.

In the end, only one side can survive. In this case, it is better to make a decisive decision as soon as possible.

“Even if I agree, I’m afraid the numerous civil and military officials and brave generals behind me will never agree so easily.”

Li Zhi’s words are a double entendre.

On the one hand, he himself is very capable and he asks himself why he should be inferior to others.

On the other hand, if the power group that Li Chengqian belongs to finally wins, what kind of fate will those ministers who have followed him through thick and thin face?

At this moment, he represents not only himself, but also the entire huge group of people who support him.

“After all, the strong still reigns supreme!”

Li Chengqian sighed, his words revealing his deep obsession with his current power and status.

If this is the case, how can we blame Li Zhi, who also has great ambitions?

“Prince, you were deposed by the previous emperor. No matter what the reason was, it is a fact. I am the emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the ruler of the world.”

“I will give you the power. I promise that you can continue to lead your military power and act as you see fit within the country. It is not impossible for you and I, brothers, to rule this great world together.”

Li Zhi made concessions.

“What’s the difference between this and cracking the land? Aren’t you afraid that the internal strife will become more intense?”

This is only a temporary solution and does not solve the problem at all.

Li Chengqian also represents many people.

“So, the prince must be the only one who rules the world.”

Li Zhi said coldly.

He is no longer a chick that can be easily manipulated.

“Have you ever seen two suns appear together in the sky?”

Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly, pointed to the sky above his head, and said solemnly and seriously.

He must have absolute power to ensure that those crucial plans and actions are implemented smoothly.

“That’s true. Since ancient times, there have never been two suns coexisting in the sky!”

Li Zhi slowly raised the teacup in his hand, tilted his head back and drank the fragrant tea in it.

However, the teacup he held high seemed to be under a spell and he did not put it down for a long time.

Could it be that this is a signal to smash the cup?
At this moment, Xue Rengui’s eagle-like sharp eyes were closely scanning every slight movement around him.

I saw that he held the hilt of the long sword at his waist firmly with one hand and the heavy spear with the other hand. He was like a mountain ready to strike, exuding a terrifying aura.

Li Chengqian, his handsome face always had a faint smile on it, and there was even a hint of playfulness in his eyes.

It was as if the seemingly tense situation before him was nothing more than a farce to him.

What a joke! If it comes to a one-on-one fight, who can beat Xue Rengui?
After some thought, Li Zhi raised the teacup in his hand high and then put it down gently.

It was as if nothing had happened.

After a secret rivalry, Li Zhi fell back to the lower level.

“I do have a suggestion that can avoid mobilizing a large army, distinguish the strong from the weak, and convince people.”

Li Chengqian spoke slowly. In fact, he already had a plan in mind.

Hearing this, Li Zhi raised his head and stared at Li Chengqian. Although he was already at a disadvantage in the previous contest, how could he refute it at this moment? So, he could only respond:

“Appreciate further details!”

Li Chengqian smiled and said confidently, “Why don’t we set up four competitions – fighting with commanders, fighting with generals, fighting with soldiers, and fighting with weapons. The one who wins the most matches will be the emperor!”

At this point, he paused and added:
“Of course, all this is at stake with the fate of the country.” Li Zhi frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he asked again: “Can Your Highness the Crown Prince tell me more details?”

After all, such rules sound quite reasonable and worth a try.

Li Chengqian nodded and explained calmly:
“First, select a general from each of our armies and have them conduct a simulated battle on the sand table to determine the winner. This is called a battle of generals.”

“Secondly, each of you will send out a fierce general to fight on the training ground. The winner will be the fighting general.”

“Furthermore, each of us will send a thousand soldiers to participate in the battle, and we will compare the winners through actual combat. This is called fighting.”

“Finally, the various weapons and armors owned by both sides are displayed one by one, and their advantages and disadvantages are compared. This is called fighting weapons.”

After saying this, Li Chengqian smiled and waited quietly for Li Zhi’s reply.

“Fighting with weapons? That’s not necessary! Let’s just compete with the commander’s ability, the general’s bravery, and the strength of the soldiers. It’s a best-of-three game.”

Li Zhi said calmly. In fact, he had known for a long time that Li Chengqian had already mastered a new weapon.

Therefore, at this moment, his mind was as clear as a mirror, and he would definitely not be foolish enough to be deceived. He also keenly realized that this was most likely a trap deliberately set by Li Chengqian.

“Okay, no problem! Then let’s fight the general, the generals, and the soldiers. The winner will be decided by best of three.”

Li Chengqian nodded without hesitation.

“Okay, in that case, we will have this contest here again in three days.”

After Li Zhi finished speaking, he slowly stood up, turned around and walked away in the direction he came from.

Seeing this, Li Chengqian also stood up and turned away.

There is no doubt that what is about to take place is bound to be a clash between the strongest and most elite forces of both sides.

After returning to their respective camps, the two men summoned their trusted friends to discuss the matter.

“Fighting the commander, fighting the generals, and fighting the soldiers, these three are all major national affairs, related to the safety of the country, do you have any good advice on this?”

In Zezhou City, Li Zhi sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes slowly sweeping over the ministers standing below.

His inquiry was just a formality. In fact, he had already decided on the candidates for these three matters.

At this moment, a man stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, regarding the military exercise, I would like to recommend myself. If I cannot win, I am willing to sacrifice my life!”

This person was Su Dingfang. He was dressed in armor and looked at Li Zhi with a firm look in his eyes.

In the entire court, when it comes to marching, fighting, and deploying troops, no one can compare with Su Dingfang.

Moreover, he has always been quite interested in the military campaigns of Crown Prince Li Chengqian.

Know thyself, ever-victorious.

Li Zhi nodded slightly, expressing his approval, and said, “General Su is both wise and brave, and is good at using troops. I also think that you are the best choice to be in charge of the military drill. I wonder if my dear ministers have any different opinions on this?”

The ministers present were all well aware of Su Dingfang’s great military achievements and outstanding military command ability, so naturally no one would raise any objections.

So, everyone shouted in unison: “We have no objection. We believe that General Su will be able to win the battle and return triumphantly this time!”

After receiving the unanimous support of his ministers, Li Zhi nodded with satisfaction. Then, he turned the topic to the next part – the battle of generals, and asked loudly:

“So, which general dares to give it a try?”

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard in the hall, and several generals stepped out with their chests puffed out, eager to give it a try.

“Your Majesty, I am willing to share your worries!”

The people who shouted this sentence were Zhishisili, Wang Fangyi, Lou Shide and Qibiheli.

Each of them is a fierce general in the army, brave and fearless, with superb martial arts.

It was really hard to tell who was weak and who was strong. Even Li Zhi, who was sitting on the dragon throne, found it difficult to make a decision.

Just when everyone was deadlocked, Su Dingfang stood up and said, “Your Highness, in my humble opinion, why not let a few generals compete and select the best among them to go to war. In this way, we can not only select the strongest generals, but also avoid losing the war due to misjudgment.”

Hearing this proposal, Li Zhi nodded slightly and said in agreement: “Good!”

After all, this competition concerns the fate of all of them and the rise and fall of the country, so he naturally dare not be careless in the slightest.

However, just as everyone was preparing to arrange the competition according to Su Dingfang’s words, Cen Wenben hurried to the court.

Cen Wenben looked anxious and said loudly, “Your Majesty, this is absolutely not feasible! As far as I know, this is clearly a carefully planned strategy by Li Chengqian. If we really act according to his words, I am afraid we will fall into the trap of the other party.”

After hearing what Cen Wenben said, Li Zhi couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. After a moment, he slowly said:
“I know that we should not gamble with the fate of the country. However, if a large-scale war is launched, it will not only cause great harm to the people, but will also be a disaster for the entire country. Therefore, in this dilemma, it is really helpless to decide the fate of the country in this way.”

Having said that, Li Zhi straightened up, looked at all the civil and military officials with a firm gaze, and then said:

“However, in the court of the Tang Dynasty, there are many ambitious people and brave generals. What do I have to fear?”

“Even if we lose the battle, there is no need to worry. Li Chengqian and I have made an agreement that the winner will never embarrass the other party.”

At this point, many people would not allow a large-scale battle to take place.

As long as it doesn’t harm their interests too much, it doesn’t matter much.

It’s the same no matter who is the emperor.

They are all a group of workers.

Just a change of boss.

With such assurance, most people feel relieved.

“Your Majesty puts the people and the country first, which is truly a blessing to the people. A benevolent person is invincible.”

A minister immediately complimented him.

“No need to persuade me anymore. I have made up my mind. All those who fight will be sent by the Black Armor Army.”

Li Zhi interrupted and continued to speak to Cen Wenben.

The Black Armor Army is Li Zhi’s strength. They are protected by heavy armor and are not afraid of bullets from muskets.

Li Zhi agreed to the competition only because he saw hope of winning.

How could he give up the throne that he had already obtained?
“Your Majesty, do you need to prepare a backup plan?”

Wang Fangyi is not a pushover, and he has hidden meanings behind his words.

(End of this chapter)