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

While Chu Ning was deciding on his next move, Emperor Chu in the Taiji Hall was feeling uneasy.

The King of Chu stayed awake all night, pacing back and forth in the palace, feeling inexplicably restless.

The sky was turning pale, reflecting on the golden bricks in the hall, but it could not dispel the uneasiness in his heart.

He always felt that something big was happening, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Your Majesty, you have been standing all night. You should take a rest." The young eunuch beside him said cautiously.

The Emperor of Chu waved his hand, his brow furrowed. "I have a feeling something is amiss. The Crown Prince left the palace last night and hasn't returned yet. Is there any news from Zhao Ming?"

The young eunuch shook his head: "Not yet."

Just then, hurried footsteps were heard outside the hall.

The eunuch chief, Zhao Ming, rushed in breathlessly, without even a moment to greet him, and fell to his knees.

"Your Majesty! Something bad is happening!"

The Emperor of Chu's heart sank: "Why are you so flustered?"

Zhao Ming's face was pale, and his voice was trembling. "Your Majesty, last night...last night, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince led his troops to surround the Grand Tutor's residence and slaughtered the entire family. The Grand Tutor and Dugu Sheng were captured alive, and they will be executed at noon today!"

"what?"

The King of Chu stood up suddenly and flicked the sleeves of his dragon robe, causing the teacup on the table to fall over with a clang, spilling tea all over the floor.

He stared at Zhao Ming in disbelief. "You said the Crown Prince massacred the Grand Tutor's mansion? Grand Tutor... Grand Tutor is the one who poisoned him?"

Zhao Ming nodded heavily. "That's right! Grand Tutor's only grandson, Dugu Yan, died at the hands of the remnants of the Zhao Kingdom, and Shen Zhengqing was the culprit who colluded with the remnants of the Zhao Kingdom."

"Although Shen Zhengqing has been executed, the Grand Tutor believes that if the Crown Prince had not promoted Shen Zhengqing, Dugu Yan would not have died, and the Dugu family would not have been extinct."

"That's why he colluded with the barbarians and poisoned the prince when he was visiting."

It turned out to be the Grand Tutor!

How can the Grand Tutor still be so confused at this age?

Poisoning the prince will bring him eternal infamy. How dare he do that?

However, Dugu Yan was the only grandson of the Taifu. If he died, the Taifu would have no descendants.

Thinking of this, the Emperor of Chu's face darkened, his fingers tightly gripping the cuffs of his dragon robe, his knuckles turning white.

"But the prince clearly survived, so can't we show some mercy?"

He tried to convince himself and find a way to plead for the tutor.

Although he knew that the Taifu's crime was unforgivable, he was his teacher after all, and he could not sit idly by.

Zhao Ming whispered, "It is said that the blood spider poison in the prince's body has not been completely eliminated. The remaining toxins and the heart-eating poison are counteracting each other. Coupled with the golden needles of the genius doctor Sun Simiao, the prince escaped."

After hearing this, a trace of pain flashed in the eyes of the King of Chu.

Taifu Dugu Xin was his teacher, who taught him how to govern a country since he was a child and assisted him in ascending the throne.

Now, he is going to die at the hands of the prince?

"no!"

The King of Chu stood up suddenly and strode out: "I can't watch the Grand Tutor being killed!"

Zhao Ming hurried forward to stop him: "Your Majesty! This matter is a foregone conclusion. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has already issued the order. If you intervene now, I'm afraid..."

If it were in the past, Your Majesty would have had the military power and could naturally have intervened.

But now he has no soldiers or power, and even no ministers in the court support him. How can he persuade the prince to release the people?

It’s better not to get involved in thankless tasks.

The Emperor of Chu glared at him and said, "I have already handed over all the military and imperial power to him. Can't he even satisfy me with this little request?"

Zhao Ming wanted to persuade him again, but the Emperor of Chu pushed him away and walked straight out of the palace: "Go away! I want to go to the East Palace!"

Since it concerns his teacher, even if he is not the emperor, he must go to Chu Ning to plead for mercy.

The grace of education is like rebirth!

In the East Palace, Chu Ning was discussing follow-up matters with several trusted ministers.

"The Grand Tutor's party has deep roots in the court. We must take this opportunity to completely eliminate them." Jia Yu said in a deep voice with a gloomy face.

Chu Ning nodded slightly. "Pass the order down. All officials who have close contact with the Grand Tutor will be thoroughly investigated. If they show any unusual behavior, they will be arrested immediately."

"Your Highness, the Grand Tutor and his son will be executed tomorrow. Should we announce it to the world?" asked the Minister of Justice.

Chu Ning sneered, "Of course I have to announce it to the world, let everyone know that anyone who plots to murder me will have their entire clan executed!"

At this moment, there was a noise outside the palace, and then the guards announced loudly: "Your Majesty has arrived——"

Chu Ning frowned, but before he could say anything, the palace door was pushed open and Emperor Chu strode in with a face as gloomy as iron.

Several ministers knelt down and saluted: "Your Majesty!"

Chu Ning stood up and bowed slightly: "Father, why are you here?"

The Emperor of Chu stared at Chu Ning with sharp eyes: "I heard that you want to kill the Grand Tutor?"

Chu Ning's expression remained unchanged: "The Grand Tutor colluded with the barbarians and intended to murder me. The evidence is conclusive and he should be executed according to the law."

The Emperor of Chu took a deep breath and suppressed his anger: "Ning'er, the Grand Tutor is my teacher. He taught me how to govern the country since I was young and assisted me in ascending the throne."

"When I was young, the Grand Tutor taught me knowledge. When I was middle-aged, the Grand Tutor taught me how to govern."

"Although he is guilty, considering his age and his dedication to the State of Chu, how about sparing his life?"

There was silence in the hall, and several ministers lowered their heads, not daring to interrupt.

Although they all wanted to kill the Grand Tutor as soon as possible and purge the people in the court who were associated with him, they dared not refuse when the emperor came in person to plead for mercy.

Even if it is to be refused, it should be done by the prince.

Now it depends on whether the prince dares to refuse the emperor!

Chu Ning was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Father, the Grand Tutor not only plotted to murder me, but also colluded with foreign enemies with the intention of overthrowing the State of Chu. This crime is unforgivable."

A trace of pain flashed in the eyes of the Emperor of Chu: "I know he is guilty, but... I have already handed everything over to you. Can't you even show me this little bit of mercy?"

Chu Ning looked at Emperor Chu, his heart slightly shaken.

The Grand Tutor had indeed made many contributions to the State of Chu, but...how could he be forgiven so easily for the crime of poisoning him?

"Father..." he spoke slowly, with a hint of struggle in his tone.

Although he had no feelings for the Emperor of Chu, he couldn't refuse outright when the Emperor begged him in front of several important ministers.

Even if you want to refuse, you should think of the reason for refusal.

Emperor Chu took a step forward and said in a low voice, "Ning'er, consider this as my plea to you to spare his life."

"Now that you have control of the military power, and most of the ministers in the court are your people, do you think the Grand Tutor can cause any trouble?"

"Besides, the Grand Tutor only has half a year to live. Even if you don't kill him now, he won't live long."

The sincere words moved Jia Yu and others.

Chu Ning closed his eyes and weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

If the Grand Tutor is let go, will the ministers in the court think he is weak and can be bullied?

But if he insisted on executing him, wouldn't it be too arbitrary, making the ministers in the court feel that he was the only one who had the final say and that even the emperor's pleas for mercy were useless?

The atmosphere in the hall was solemn, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the prince's decision.

Chu Ning slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep and complex.

"Father..."