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

As dusk spread over the eaves of the East Palace, Chu Ning walked into the back hall, stepping on the gold fragments on the ground.

The bronze beast furnace was filled with sandalwood, the gauze curtains were swaying slightly in the breeze, and Shen Wanying was kneeling on the green jade mat, teasing her one-year-old son with a rattle wrapped with five-colored silk ribbons.

"Xiaotian will call me mom today."

When she looked up, her golden hairpins rang softly, and her pomegranate-red wide sleeves slid down to her snow-white wrist, leaving the jade bracelet on her wrist touching the baby's pink cheek.

Chu Tian giggled and grabbed the pearl tassels on his mother's temples, looking particularly innocent.

Chu Ning paused as he was taking off his black robe. The dark red bloodstain on the collar had turned into dark brown, like an abrupt stroke in a splash-ink landscape.

He took the ice-cracked teacup handed to him by the nurse, and his eyes swept across the trembling peony silk flowers in the Crown Princess's hair:

"today..."

"Your Highness' knuckles are clenched white."

Shen Wanying handed the child to the nanny and stroked his tense arms with her bare hands.

The hanging marigold veil cast mottled shadows on her face, but it could not hide the surprise that suddenly appeared in her eyes.

"But has the Four Dynasties Alliance been taken over?"

The sound of dripping water from the copper leak in the corner of the hall suddenly became clearly audible. Chu Ning looked at the unfinished tiger-head shoes on the rosewood table, and a half-finished lotus sachet lying in the sewing basket.

This scene made it difficult for him to say the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

But he also understood that this matter must be told to Shen Wanying.

No one knows Shen Wanying better than him. If Shen Zhengqing keeps this secret, once Shen Wanying finds out, the consequences will be disastrous.

As he pondered, the atmosphere in the hall became a little weird.

Seeing this, the nanny took the opportunity to hug Chu Tian and bowed: "Your Highness, the prince may be hungry. I will take him downstairs and feed him something."

Chu Ning came back to his senses and nodded slightly.

After Nanny and Chu Tian left, only Chu Ning and Shen Wanying were left in the hall.

The air was filled with the aroma of sandalwood, but Shen Wanying seemed to realize something at this moment and took the initiative to speak with a smile:

"Your Highness, you came here today on your own initiative. I'm afraid you have something important to tell me?"

"Shen Zhengqing is colluding with the remnants of the Zhao State."

Chu Ning pulled out the secret letter from his sleeve and threw it on the table. The parchment scroll made a sound like tearing silk when it unfolded.

"The Hongyufang case was caused by him secretly cultivating the remnants of the Zhao State!"

As his Adam's apple rolled, the smell of blood filled his tongue, and he said in a deep voice: "Now that the evidence is solid, I have just arrested him personally!"

Shen Wanying staggered backward and knocked over the celadon vase, and the splashes of water from the broken porcelain wet her skirt.

She grabbed Chu Ning's sleeve, and the jade bracelet left a cool green mark on the dark brocade:

"This... Shen Zhengqing has been practicing hard for more than a year and has rarely participated in other things. Could it be that someone is secretly framing him?"

"Construction?"

Chu Ning's aura suddenly exploded, and he said in a cold voice: "Who in Chu doesn't know the relationship between Shen Zhengqing and you?"

"Besides, I intend to train him. Who dares to frame Shen Zhengqing at this time?"

"Also, in fact, from the very beginning, when he came back from Daqin, he should have been bewitched by Ying Zheng."

"So many people from the Shen family were killed last time, why was he the only one who survived?"

"In fact, he was influenced by Ying Zheng and chose to collude with Chu Yang to subvert our Chu State."

"I have suspected him for a long time, but I had no evidence at the time, and Chu Yang died too quickly, so he was not given away."

"I have no choice but to follow your idea and train him first to see if he really wants to betray you."

"If he can reform himself, I can give him a chance for your sake!"

"But unfortunately, instead of reforming, he became even worse. Not only did he kill the ministers, he even wanted to put the blame on the envoys of the three dynasties!"

"How can I let such an ambitious person live?"

Chu Ning's words were like a sharp knife, stabbing into Shen Wanying's heart.

She never dreamed that Shen Zhengqing came back for revenge from the very beginning.

"He...how could he be like this, why would he do this, why would he do this..."

Shen Wanying was in a state of dismay, sitting down among the broken porcelain on the floor.

Suddenly, there was a loud thunder outside the palace.

Accompanied by the roar of lightning, a violent storm followed.

Spring rain always comes so suddenly.

Just like the news Chu Ning brought at this moment.

Seeing Shen Wanying become like this because of Shen Zhengqing, Chu Ning couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and stepped forward to help her up.

But Shen Wanying grabbed his sleeve tightly as if she was grabbing a life-saving straw, begging:

"Your Highness, he is the only one in my Shen family. Can you please show some mercy?"

As soon as these words came out, Chu Ning's face darkened.

Although he knew that Shen Wanying would plead for mercy, he did not expect that she would plead for him after he told him about Shen Zhengqing's crimes.

But the more Shen Wanying acted like this, the more Shen Zhengqing couldn't stay.

That would only become a barrier between him and Shen Wanying, and would also become Shen Wanying's flaw.

Maybe I will be exploited by others in the future!

Therefore, Shen Zhengqing must die!

Even if the person he loved most pleaded for him, Shen Zhengqing would not be able to survive.

Chu Ning reached out to push Shen Wanying's hand away, then turned and walked out of the hall. Then, a voice came to Shen Wanying's ear:

"Tomorrow at noon..."

Chu Ning's voice mixed with the sound of rain came through like a thousand mountains and rivers: "Go and see him off for the last time."

Domineering words with an irrefutable tone.

He didn't want to dwell on this matter too much. Even though he knew Shen Wanying would be sad because of it, he had to kill Shen Zhengqing!

It's not that he didn't give Shen Zhengqing a chance, it's that the other party didn't seize it, so it's not his fault.

If this matter is not dealt with quickly, it will only get worse.

Killing Shen Zhengqing would certainly make Shen Wanying uncomfortable in the short term, but he had to do it for the future.

Shen Wanying's crying stopped abruptly.

The sound of a night watchman's drum came from the rain, and the bangs of the midnight bell seemed to be knocking on people's hearts.

As the moonlight spread over the white jade steps, Shen Wanying's tears rolled down to the ground covered with candlelight, and shattered into pieces with a clang.

Suddenly, a fire lit up in the direction of the distant Imperial Prison, as if someone had crushed the stars and scattered them on the edge of the eternal night.

She knew that once Chu Ning made a decision, there would be no room for persuasion.

What's more, the crime committed by Shen Zhengqing this time was so serious that even she had no face to continue pleading with Chu Ning.

She knew that Shen Zhengqing was dead this time.

In her heart, she had long regarded Shen Zhengqing as her own brother.

And tomorrow will be the last time the two of them will see each other.

Thinking of this, she wiped the tears from her eyes, stood up, left the hall, and headed towards the imperial kitchen.

Half an hour later, fragrance wafted from the imperial kitchen.

But what Shen Wanying didn't know was that at this moment Chu Ning was standing outside the imperial kitchen looking at her.

Chu Ning knew that Shen Wanying was preparing the last meal for Shen Zhengqing.

At this time, Zhao Yu behind him suddenly spoke: "Your Highness, the Jinyiwei found out that the remnants of Zhao State were hidden in the city defense camp by Shen Zhengqing."

Chu Ning said indifferently: "Take people to wipe them out immediately, leaving no one alive!"

"Yes!" Zhao Yu responded and went downstairs to make arrangements immediately.