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

The biting north wind swept through the Youzhou camp with drizzle, and the black flag with the word "Chu" on it with a gold border fluttered in the wind.

Feng Mulan, wearing a black cloak, stood on the high platform of the parade ground, looking coldly at the officials who appeared one after another outside the camp gate.

"Your Highness, the Concubine, Liu Hong, the Youzhou Warehouse Officer, requests an audience!"

"Bring it up."

A middle-aged man in a green official robe stumbled to his knees, his forehead banging heavily on the frozen ground.

"I am guilty! I am willing to offer the deeds to the land that Ma Qingsheng privately granted me, and beg Concubine to show mercy!"

As he spoke, he shook out a thick stack of documents from his arms.

The personal guard took the gift and Feng Mulan flipped it open and found that there were several secret letters with some merchant caravans inside.

"Master Liu is quite sensible."

She tapped the letterhead with her fingertips: "But these documents of treasury are worth much more than land."

There was a sudden commotion in the southeast corner of the training ground.

Zhang Wenyuan, the chief officer of Youzhou, and five of his subordinates forced their way into the camp gate, but were stopped by armored cavalry.

Feng Mulan narrowed her eyes - Zhang Wenyuan was Ma Qingsheng's brother-in-law, and she thought he would resist to the end.

"Your Majesty, Concubine, will understand!"

Zhang Wenyuan suddenly ripped open his official uniform, revealing a back covered in thorns. "This humble official bears the thorns and apologizes! All the false accounts I've made for the bandits over the years are here!"

He tossed out a blood-stained account book. After examining it, the guard whispered, "It does record the number of smuggled grain and fodder transactions and the percentage of each."

As dusk fell, torches in the training ground lit up one after another.

Thirteen officials were already kneeling in front of Feng Mulan, including a military officer who had voluntarily surrendered himself, and a military officer who had been betrayed by his colleagues.

The most surprising thing is that Dian Yicheng, who is in charge of the post station, actually gave instructions to Ma Qingsheng to use the secret passage to transmit information to the Scorpion Tribe through the post station.

"Give them pen and ink."

Feng Mulan suddenly issued an order: "Anyone who reveals the accomplices will have their family members spared from exile."

As soon as these words were spoken, the sound of pens falling could be heard on the ground.

Some people cried while writing, some signed their names with trembling hands, and the ink spread out on the confession like a hideous spider web.

That night, seventeen carrier pigeons carrying confessions written in blood and ink flew to Kyoto.

Two days later, Kyoto City.

The gilded bronze clock in the East Palace of Kyoto ticked to three quarters past midnight, and Chu Ning was still reading Feng Mulan's secret letter over and over again under the lamp.

In addition to the official document, there was a magnolia flower hidden at the end of the letter - this was their secret message.

His slender fingers stroked the petals, and the prince's stern eyes revealed a rare hint of tenderness.

"Your Highness, the two adults have arrived." Zhao Yu's voice came from outside the hall.

Chu Ning quickly restrained his expression.

When the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jia Yu, and the Minister of Personnel, Lu Xiuwen, stepped into the study, they saw the ruthless and decisive crown prince again.

"Youzhou's officialdom is rotten to the core."

Chu Ning threw the confession on the table, and the parchment scroll unfolded to be more than three feet long.

"Ma Qingsheng colluded with many officials and smuggled enough military rations to feed 50,000 troops over the years!"

Lu Xiuwen picked up the scattered confession and read it carefully. The more he read, the more shocked he became. "Even the Ministry of War's Arsenal is involved? No wonder our dynasty has had good harvests in recent years, but still can't keep up with the grain supply."

"Lord Lu."

Chu Ning suddenly interrupted: "Are there any new Jinshi who can take up important posts in Youzhou?"

Lu Xiuwen hurriedly pulled out the list from his sleeve. "Xu Qian, seventh in the top three this year, his father died in a foreign war and he hates foreigners to the core. Lin Yan, first in the second class, once studied in Youzhou and is familiar with the situation there."

"not enough."

Chu Ning tapped the sandalwood table with his fingertips. "If you need someone who can calm the situation, pass on my order to transfer Jiangzhou Sima Su Heng to Youzhou Beijia. You can handle the other officials as you wish. As for the position of Governor, you need to be cautious. For now, Mulan will handle the affairs of Youzhou first."

Lu Xiuwen nodded and said solemnly, "Your Highness is wise. Currently, only the Concubine can stabilize the situation in Youzhou."

"There is no time to lose. Go down and select a suitable official first." Chu Ning waved his hand to signal the other party to leave.

"I'll take my leave!" Lu Xiuwen didn't dare to be negligent. He bowed and turned to leave.

"Master Jia."

Chu Ning's voice was as light as falling snow: "How do you think we should deal with these criminals?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Yu narrowed his eyes, a fierce look flashing across his face. "Ma Qingsheng should be executed by slicing, and his followers should be beheaded immediately. As for those who surrender..."

He looked up and smiled cruelly: "Why not let them watch the main criminal being tortured at Caishikou before executing him."

Chu Ning suddenly smiled.

He stood up and pushed open the carved window, letting the night wind, wrapped in moonlight, pour in. "Send this order: Three days from now, a place of execution will be set up in the West Market. Let the news spread, let certain people know, and make them anxious."

Jia Yu understood and turned away.

Chu Ning stood there and thought for a while, then headed towards the West Garden.

Such a big thing happened, and he should talk to the emperor about it for both moral and legal reasons, and for both public and private reasons.

Even if the other party has completely stopped caring about state affairs.

The copper bells under the eaves of the gilded palace jingled in the cold wind. Chu Ning walked through the corridor of the West Garden in the drizzle. Before he reached the front of the palace, he heard the sound of stringed instruments mixed with the sweet laughter of women.

When the guards on both sides of the palace gate saw the prince arriving, they knelt down hurriedly to salute, but Chu Ning raised his hand to stop them.

The eunuch chief, Zhao Ming, had been dozing off against a pillar. His expression changed drastically when he saw the Crown Prince. He took two steps at a time and approached him, his voice rising sharply:

"Your Highness! Why are you here?"

This was clearly a message to the palace.

Chu Ning's lips curled slightly, but there was no smile in his eyes: "I have something important to report to my father."

Zhao Ming hunched over and smiled apologetically, "I'll go and report right away."

"No need." Chu Ning flicked his sleeves, walked past him and pushed open the door of the hall.

A warm fragrance mixed with the smell of alcohol hit me in the face.

Twelve dancers were dancing and spinning with their sleeves swinging, while the musicians were playing soft music.

The King of Chu sat on the throne with his dragon robe half-open, his left arm around a beautiful girl with half-exposed breasts, and in his right hand he held a gilded wine jug, pouring wine into his mouth with drunken eyes.

There were two beauties kneeling at the foot of the jade steps, one holding a fruit plate and the other massaging his legs.

"Everyone go down." Chu Ning's cold voice suddenly pierced through the warm mist.

The music stopped suddenly.

The dancers knelt on the ground in panic, and the musicians trembled while holding their sheng and xiao.

Meiji smiled sweetly and tried to get into Emperor Chu's arms, but Chu Ning's eyes nailed her to the spot.

"roll."

All the makeup in the hall disappeared in an instant.

The King of Chu then lazily raised his eyes, his cloudy pupils reflecting his son's tall figure: "I have handed over the State of Chu to you."

He burped, and the golden cup slammed down on the table. "You're going to abdicate during the Lantern Festival? You won't even let me enjoy this little bit of fun?"

Chu Ning stared at the wine stains on his father's dragon robe.

"Youzhou Governor Ma Qingsheng colluded with the Scorpion Clan to smuggle military rations out of the country."

His tone was as calm as if he were reporting today's menu: "Seventeen officials involved in the case will be executed in the West Market in a few days."

"Kill! Kill as much as you can!"

The King of Chu suddenly laughed, and his nails, stained with red nails, scratched Meiji's face. "I heard that Qin women have the softest waists. When you ascend the throne, send me ten of them."

Chu Ning turned and left.

The moment the palace door slammed shut, a dagger was nailed into the door frame - it was the one Meiji had been playing with just now.

The King of Chu looked like this, and he would come again and again.

Next, he has to deal with the issue of smuggling grain before he ascends the throne!