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

Inside the tent outside the city, the flame in the charcoal brazier flickered, reflecting Gongsun Yi's gloomy face.

The howling north wind outside the tent carried fine snow particles, which hit the cowhide tent and made a rustling sound.

He was drinking alone, with several unfolded sheepskin maps scattered on the table, marking the distribution of the winter bases of the Scorpion tribes.

"Report--" There were hurried footsteps outside the tent, and the personal guards lifted the heavy felt curtain, bringing in a biting chill.

Deputy Envoy Helian Tie was covered in snowflakes, his face livid as he walked in quickly, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and said:

"General, I'm back."

Gongsun Yi suddenly looked up, a glint of anticipation flashing in his eyes: "How was it? Did you meet the Emperor of Chu?"

He unconsciously clenched the bronze wine jar in his hand, and his knuckles turned white from the force.

Helian Tie lowered his head, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "I couldn't even enter the palace gate. The Crown Prince of Chu, Chu Ning, ordered that all foreign envoys must be received by him."

"The commander of the Imperial Guards led over a hundred soldiers to guard the palace gates. I... I didn't even get to see the Emperor of Chu."

"what?"

Gongsun Yi stood up suddenly, and the table was shaken by his sudden movement, and the wine spilled on the sheepskin map, leaving a dark red stain.

Veins bulged on his forehead, and he grabbed the gilded wine cup on the table and slammed it down. "How dare a mere imperial guard stop you? Didn't you reveal your identity?"

The wine glass brushed against Helian Tie's shoulder and hit the tent pillar, making a crisp "clang" sound.

Helian Tie didn't dare dodge, letting the wine splash on his armor. He hurriedly explained: "Not only did I show the Khan's gold medal, I also specially put on court robes. The commander of the imperial guards knew my identity, but deliberately made things difficult for me."

He lowered his voice a bit: "I even secretly handed over fifty taels of silver, but who knew that the other party would throw the silver on the ground in public and say... say..."

"What did you say?" Gongsun Yi overturned the table, and the map and bamboo slips scattered all over the floor.

Helian Tie's Adam's apple rolled as he repeated with difficulty, "It is said that the Chu State has an order that anyone who trades with the Scorpion Tribe will be treated as a traitor. I observed the rotation of the guards at the palace gate and found that they were all unfamiliar faces, and they all wore the Eastern Palace tokens hanging around their waists."

The tent fell into dead silence, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire.

Gongsun Yi turned his back to Helian Tie, his shoulders trembling slightly.

He recalled the humiliation of the duel at the city gate today - the general named Zhao Yu stabbed him in public, and Chu Ning was right next to him, looking at him with a half-smile.

"General!"

Helian Tie carefully broke the silence: "From my observation, Chu Ning has completely taken control of the Chu government. Today, I inquired in the teahouse in the city and heard that three days ago, the Emperor of Chu handed the imperial seal to the prince in public at court and moved to the Western Garden to recuperate."

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "If we want to buy food, I'm afraid we can only discuss it with Chu Ning."

Gongsun Yi turned abruptly, his eyes bloodshot. "Do you know how that little Chu Ning played a trick on me today? He deliberately sent Zhao Yu to challenge me, just to embarrass my clan."

"If you ask me to talk to Chu Ning about buying food now, he will definitely take the opportunity to raise the price by at least 30%!"

He punched the tent pole, causing the ceiling to rattle.

Helian Tie's expression suddenly changed: "30%? I'm afraid the budget given by the Khan is not enough."

The words came to his lips but he swallowed them back.

He knew the tribe's situation very well - the grassland suffered a white disaster that had not been seen in 30 years, the food reserves of the twelve tribes were running low, and the elderly and children had begun to reduce their food rations.

If we can’t get the food back by early next month, we might not survive this winter.

"Forget it, you go down and rest first, I will think about it first." Gongsun Yi waved his hand to signal the other party to retreat.

After Helian Tie left, Gongsun Yi sat alone in the tent, the flames on the bronze lampstand casting flickering shadows on his gloomy face.

The wine on the table had already gone cold, but he was completely unaware of it. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the scabbard, making a dull sound.

Half an hour later, he stood up suddenly, and his armor made a clanging sound.

"Prepare the horses!" he shouted to the guards outside the tent, "Follow me into the city."

The night is as dark as ink and the wind is bitingly cold.

Gongsun Yi and four elite guards rode their horses on the streets of the Chu capital. The sound of horseshoes hitting the bluestone slabs was particularly crisp in the silent night sky.

The lights in the houses on both sides of the street had long been turned off, and only the occasional barking of dogs broke the silence of the night.

"General, where are we going?" Captain Wanyan Lie of the Royal Guard couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"Liu Shouren's residence."

Gongsun Yi's voice was colder than the night wind: "Since that kid Chu Ning wants to make things difficult, let's start with the Minister of Revenue."

The red-painted gate of the Minister of Revenue's residence was closed, and two lanterns with the word "Liu" written on them hung under the eaves, swaying in the wind.

Gongsun Yi's personal guard stepped forward and rang the copper ring. The heavy knock on the door seemed particularly abrupt in the middle of the night.

"Who is it? In the middle of the night..."

The doorman opened the door a crack with sleepy eyes, and was frightened when he saw that there were fully armed foreign warriors outside the door.

"Tell Lord Liu," Gongsun Yi dismounted, his black cloak fluttering behind him, "Scorpion Clan envoy Gongsun Yi has important matters to discuss."

A moment later, the main hall of Liu's mansion was brightly lit.

Liu Shouren came hurriedly wearing a brocade robe. There was a polite smile on his round face, but a vigilant light flashed in his eyes.

"General Gongsun visited me so late at night. What's the important matter?"

Gongsun Yi cut straight to the chase, "Sir Liu, let's be frank. My clan is in urgent need of 100,000 dan of grain. The price is 20% higher than the market price."

He clapped his hands, and his personal guard immediately brought a heavy brocade bag. "This is a small token of my appreciation. I'll give you a generous reward after the task is completed."

Liu Shouren's gaze lingered on the bulging brocade bag for a moment, then he shook his head and smiled bitterly: "General, you are trying to put me in an unjust position."

He signaled his attendants to withdraw and lowered his voice, saying, "Nowadays, no matter how big or small the affairs of the court are, no action can be taken without the Crown Prince's order. If I were to make the decision on such a major matter as grain trading..."

He made a gesture of wiping his neck and said: "That is a traitor, and his entire family should be executed."

Gongsun Yi's face darkened, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the hilt of his sword. "Lord Liu, the dignified Minister of Revenue, in charge of the nation's finances, doesn't even have this little authority?"

"The general was joking."

Liu Shouren took a sip from the teacup, his eyes gleaming. "On your grasslands, perhaps the tribal leader can make the decision on his own, but in the State of Chu..."

He put down the teacup, and the porcelain made a crisp sound when it hit the wooden table.

"Rules are rules."

Gongsun Yi stood up suddenly, his armor rustling. "Master Liu, do you really have no mercy at all?"

Liu Shouren also stood up, his smile still radiating. "If the general is truly in urgent need of food, why not go to the East Palace and pay a visit to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince tomorrow?"

He straightened his sleeves and made a gesture to see the guest off: "I really can't help you."

"good very good."

Gongsun Yi laughed in anger, a fierce look flashing in his eyes: "In that case, goodbye!"

As I walked out of the Liu Mansion’s gate, the night wind blew in my face.

The guard led the horse forward and whispered, "General, what should we do now?"

Gongsun Yi mounted his horse and looked at the outline of the imperial palace in the distance, a cold smile forming at the corner of his mouth:

"Go to the south of the city."

He shook the reins and said, "Since the right way doesn't work, don't blame me for taking the unorthodox path."

The sound of horse hooves echoed through the streets again, galloping towards the dark alleys in the south of the city.

There, he had planted secret agents in the capital of Chu earlier, as well as the residences of some frustrated officials in the Chu court.