Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

At three quarters past three in the morning, the capital city was still immersed in indigo mist, and the knuckles of Shen Zhengqing's fingers gripping the hilt of the knife turned white.

He squatted down and swept his fingertips across the blood plasma that had not yet solidified in the cracks between the blue bricks. Several pieces of dark golden armor leaves were embedded in the cracks in the wall, emitting a cold light in the morning light.

"Commander, there are seventeen at the East Street Crossing and twenty-three at the West Archway."

The deputy general's voice seemed to come from far away: "Three Tang swords broken into two pieces, five ring-handled swords, and..."

The voice stopped abruptly, and Shen Zhengqing followed his gaze and saw a half-tattered black cloak hanging between the branches of a locust tree. When it was lifted by the morning breeze, a dark dragon pattern embroidered on it was faintly visible.

He stood up suddenly, and the scabbard at his waist hit the stone slab with a crisp sound.

The tattoos on the corpse's neck became clearer in the morning light - on the left was a coiled dragon swallowing the sun, and on the right was a tiger roaring at the mountain. These were the dragon and tiger tattoos unique to the Tang envoys.

The corpse that was pierced by a spear three meters away had a jade belt around its waist that was clearly decorated with the unique double dragon pattern of the Han Palace.

"Clear the way!" Shen Zhengqing pulled off the laces of his cloak as he jumped onto the horse.

"Stop the whole street immediately, and don't let any living rats escape!"

The horse's hooves crushed the bronze arrowheads on the ground and headed straight for the East Palace.

Such a big thing must be reported to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince immediately.

The double-eaved hip roof of the East Palace was just coated with the first ray of golden sunlight, and Chu Ning was in a side hall holding a jade pendant and looking at it in the light.

When Shen Zhengqing rushed in with a bloody smell, he just raised his eyelids slightly: "Commander Shen came earlier than I expected."

"Your Highness! The Tang and Han envoys are fighting in the street. Suzaku Street has become a battlefield!"

Shen Zheng slammed his knee on the floor tile, his throat still burning with pain from galloping horse: "I request to mobilize the imperial guards..."

"Commander Shen." The jade pendant fell on the rosewood table with a clink of the button, and Chu Ning suddenly smiled.

He slowly and methodically smoothed the wrinkles on his python-patterned cuffs, and his slender fingers brushed across the pot of purple peonies on the desk. His red-choked fingertips startled a few trembling petals.

"Do you remember the pair of snow leopards that the governor of Youzhou presented as tribute last month?"

Shen Zhengqing stood there in a daze, with cold sweat on his forehead sliding into the gaps in his armor. The green smoke of ambergris rose in the hall, blurring the dim light in the prince's eyes.

"When beasts in cages fight, it is best not to intervene rashly."

Chu Ning suddenly leaned forward, and the pearl hanging from the gilded crown brushed against Shen Zhengqing's armor.

"Let them bite, let them bleed, and wait until one of them dies..."

He reached out and pinched off the most gorgeous peony, and the juice flowed down along the lines of his palm: "The one that is alive has lost its value."

Shen Zhengqing came back to his senses.

He got it.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wanted to let the envoys of the Tang and Han dynasties fight each other, and only take action after both sides were defeated.

Now is not the time.

"I understand. I'll order someone to clean up the scene right away!" Shen Zhengqing responded, bowed, turned and left.

But when they reached the entrance of the main hall, Chu Ning's voice came from behind: "Remember to say hello to Lord Ling, the Minister of Justice, and tell him that I don't want anyone to interfere in this matter."

"The last general takes command!"

Shen Zhengqing knew that the Minister of Justice Ling Haoran was an upright person, and he would definitely investigate if a homicide occurred.

But the prince doesn't want anyone else to interfere in this matter, so he must notify Ling Haoran in advance.

Chu Ning looked at Shen Zhengqing's departing back, a hint of amusement appearing on his face.

"With so many people dead, Zhang Qian and Du Ruhui will definitely not give up. If they fight to the death, one of them will definitely be wiped out."

Chu Ning chuckled: "In this big drama, I want to see who will have the last laugh."

He was the one who instigated the fierce battle between the envoys of the two dynasties.

The alliance of the four countries is very disadvantageous to the State of Chu, and he will not miss any opportunity to destroy the other side's alliance.

I just don't know who will be the winner in this fight between Zhang Qian and Du Ruhui?

However, even if there is a winner, he is not worried.

Because there is only one winner in the end.

That’s Chu Ning!

But what Chu Ning didn't know was that even though he didn't want others to interfere, someone still interfered.

When Shen Zhengqing reported to him, the study room of Weiguo Inn was brightly lit with candles.

Xun Yu's hand holding the wolf-hair brush hung over the rice paper for a long time, and a drop of ink spread out on the word "蚌" in "The snipe and the clam contend."

The night watch drum outside the window struck three times, and he finally put his seal on it, threw down his pen and sighed, "I hope I can stop them!"

Two fast horses broke through the darkness before dawn.

The riders going to the east of the city carried mother-of-pearl-inlaid letter boxes in their sleeves, while those going to the west of the city carried secret letters inlaid with gold and silver.

When the first rays of morning light illuminated the stone lions in front of the Tang Envoy's Villa, the dusty messenger was kneeling in front of the desk in the study, holding up a letter:

"Prime Minister Xun has something to say. I hope Lord Du will read it quickly!"

Du Ruhui snatched the letter away, glanced at the sentence "Haven't you heard that while the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits?" and suddenly burst into laughter, so loud that the raindrops fell from the beams.

"What a good fisherman!"

He slammed the letter on the table, knocking over the luminous cup containing Western wine.

"When the blood of our Tang men was flowing in the streets of Chu, why didn't Xun Yu send troops to support us?"

"You want me to shake hands and make peace now? That's simply outrageous."

After he finished speaking, he tore the letter into pieces with his hands.

He waved his hand and said loudly: "Come here, send a letter to Zhang Qian. Let's fight to the death outside the city tonight!"

"Everyone rest during the day and leave the city in the evening. I will kill this man tonight!"

The Tang Dynasty has lost so many spies, he must make Zhang Qian pay the price.

The torn pieces of letter paper flew all over the sky and then fell to the ground.

When the scarlet wine flowed over the words "stop fighting and make peace" along the sandalwood texture, it was just like the blood flowing along the ditch last night.

At this time, in the Han Dynasty Posthouse.

At the Han envoy's residence in the west of the city, Zhang Qian's ring-handled sword was still nailed to the pillar and vibrated.

He clutched the torn piece of letter paper, and the veins on his forehead bulged like a coiled poisonous snake.

"What a noble and noble Prime Minister Xun Yu of Wei!"

The jade ring on the hilt of the knife clanged against the pillar. "The Wei Kingdom sits on the mountain and watches the tigers fight, but wants us to be the clowns on the stage?"

"Humph, he wants to be a peacemaker, but I won't let him have his way!"

Suddenly, a cold light flashed, and pieces of letter flew everywhere like snowflakes.

When the attendant raised his head tremblingly, he saw that the sword, shining with cold light, was deeply immersed in the bronze lampstand.

The flickering candlelight illuminated Zhang Qian's distorted face, casting his shadow on the screen painted with a picture of the Chu Kingdom's imperial palace, like a giant beast with bared fangs and claws.

"Go tell Xun Yu!"

He drew out his sword with his backhand, and held the last corner of the letter paper with the tip of the sword towards the candlelight:

"When I hang Du Ruhui's head on the gate of Chu's capital, I will bring Tangren's blood wine to the Prime Minister's Mansion to ask for advice - what is "profit from the fisherman's gain"!"

He didn't take Xun Yu's advice seriously at all.

This time Du Ruhui suddenly stabbed him in the back and even caused the Han Dynasty to lose many spies. There was no way he would let it go.

Du Ruhui must die!