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

The cold wind was howling and the snow was like sand, hitting my face painfully.

Gongsun Yi galloped on his horse, his hooves breaking the thin ice on the official road and splashing up fine snow foam.

His face was gloomy, and his eyes flashed with complex emotions - Chu Ning's conditions seemed generous, but there must be deeper calculations behind them.

This Crown Prince of Chu is definitely not someone to be dealt with easily!

"Open the camp gate!"

Following the shouts of the soldiers guarding the camp, the heavy gate slowly opened.

Gongsun Yi dismounted from his horse, his iron boots making a crunching sound as they stepped on the snow.

He strode towards the central military tent. When the personal guards outside the tent saw him return, they hurriedly lifted the heavy felt curtain.

The charcoal fire was blazing in the tent, and warmth was blowing in his face, but Gongsun Yi's heart was as cold as ice.

He took off his snow-stained cloak, threw it to his guards, and said in a deep voice, "Call Helian Tie to see me immediately!"

Soon, Deputy Envoy Helian Tie hurried over.

He was a rugged grassland man with a full beard and sharp eyes. But seeing Gongsun Yi's solemn expression, he couldn't help but restrain his arrogance and said with a fist:

"General, you're back? How is everything?"

Gongsun Yi did not answer immediately, but walked to the table, poured himself a glass of strong liquor, and drank it all in one gulp.

The spicy wine rolled down his throat, calming him down a little.

"Chu Ning agreed to sell grain." He spoke slowly in a low voice.

Helian Tie's eyes flashed with joy, but before he could speak, Gongsun Yi continued, "But he has a condition—during the Lantern Festival, my Scorpion Clan must feint an attack on the Tang Dynasty border to tie down its forces."

Helian Tie frowned when he heard this: "Will the Khan agree to this?"

Gongsun Yi sneered, "You have to agree even if you don't want to! This year, the roads to our clan's mansion are blocked by heavy snow on the grasslands, and countless cattle and sheep have frozen to death. If this continues, all the tribes will starve to death!"

Helian Tie was silent for a moment, then asked tentatively, "What does the general mean by that...?"

Gongsun Yi's eyes glared fiercely, and he slammed the table. "Send a pigeon immediately to report this to the Khan! Remember, use ciphertext; the Chu people must not intercept it!"

Helian Tie nodded quickly, but then hesitated and asked, "General, are we being too cautious?"

"Although Chu Ning is powerful, our Scorpion warriors are no pushovers either. Why should we be so wary of him?"

Gongsun Yi's eyes flashed coldly when he heard this, and he stared at Helian Tie coldly: "Are you questioning my decision?"

Helian Tie's heart trembled when he was stared at by him, and he quickly lowered his head: "I dare not!"

Gongsun Yi snorted coldly, slowly stood up, walked to the door of the tent, looked at the falling snow outside, and said in a deep voice:

"Helian Tie, do you know how long it took from the outbreak of the Youzhou case to the execution of the Sixteenth Prince?"

Helian Tie was stunned, and as he thought about it carefully, his expression gradually changed.

"Less than half a month!"

Gongsun Yi's voice was icy: "Chu Ning not only found out the mastermind behind this, but also personally killed his own brother! You're going to provoke such a ruthless and decisive person? Do you think your life is too long?"

Helian Tie's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he whispered, "It's my fault for not thinking things through..."

Gongsun Yi turned around, his eyes sharp as a knife: "Remember, our mission is to buy food, not to cause trouble!"

"From today onwards, no one in the delegation is allowed to enter the city without permission, and is not allowed to participate in any disputes in the State of Chu! If anyone dares to disobey orders—"

He placed his right hand on the hilt of the knife and slowly pulled it out half an inch, a cold light reflected on Helian Tie's face.

"Kill without mercy!"

Helian Tie shuddered and clasped his fists, "I understand! I'll arrange for a carrier pigeon to deliver the letter right away!"

After Helian Tie left, Gongsun Yi sat alone in the tent, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"Chu Ning, Chu Ning, you are indeed amazing..."

He picked up the wine glass and raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

"But now, envoys from the three great dynasties will gather here. Will they watch you ascend the throne?"

"Heh... the show has just begun!"

At this time, inside the East Palace.

The cold wind blew fine snow particles against the vermilion palace walls, but the East Palace was warm and cozy.

Chu Ning sat upright in front of the rosewood desk, his slender fingers tapping lightly on a secret report, his eyes as deep as the abyss.

"Your Highness, Lord Deng, the Minister of Rites, has arrived." The chief eunuch Zhao Dequan bowed and reported.

"Announce." Chu Ning said calmly without raising his head.

The palace door slowly opened and the Minister of Rites Deng Hongwen stepped in.

Although he was wearing official robes, his face was still pale, and it was obvious that his injuries had not healed.

He walked to the center of the hall and bowed respectfully, "Your Highness, Deng Hongwen, pays homage to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

Chu Ning then raised his eyes, his gaze lingering on him for a moment, and said calmly, "Master Deng, how is your injury?"

Deng Hongwen felt warm in his heart and said quickly, "Your Highness, my injuries are no longer serious. Thank you for your concern."

Chu Ning nodded slightly, and without further ado, he got straight to the point: "The coronation ceremony will be in a month. The envoys from the three great dynasties should be arriving by now, right?"

Deng Hongwen's expression grew serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please understand. The envoys from the three great dynasties are indeed on their way, and..."

He paused, frowning slightly. "They seem to have already reached a tacit understanding. All three groups will arrive in the capital simultaneously in three days."

Chu Ning's eyes flickered slightly, and he tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, sneering, "You really know how to pick the right time."

Deng Hongwen nodded and continued, "The envoys sent by the three dynasties this time are all extraordinary people."

"Oh?"

Chu Ning raised his eyebrows slightly, "Tell me about it."

Deng Hongwen took a deep breath and said slowly:

"The one sent by the Tang Dynasty is Pei Yanzhi, the Imperial College's chief academic officer. He is a great scholar of the time, with disciples throughout the imperial court. He once served as the crown prince's tutor and holds a high reputation in the Tang Dynasty's literary world."

"The one from the Han Dynasty is Sima Hui, a doctor of the Imperial Academy. He is well-versed in the classics, history, and literature, and is particularly skilled in the art of diplomacy. He has served as an envoy to many foreign countries and possesses unparalleled eloquence."

"As for the State of Wei..."

Deng Hongwen's expression was slightly solemn. "The one sent here is the Chief Censor Cui Gaoxuan. Although he is a civil official, he is a ruthless person. He once led the new policies of the Wei Kingdom and is deeply trusted by the Wei Emperor."

After hearing this, Chu Ning's eyes flashed with a cold light, but a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Three great scholars? Ha, it seems that Sanchao is planning to use literature to suppress others this time."

Deng Hongwen whispered, "Your Highness, the envoys from the three dynasties are all world-renowned scholars. If they cause trouble during the coronation ceremony, I'm afraid..."

Chu Ning raised his hand to interrupt, his eyes cold: "It's okay, since they want to play with literature, I will play with them."

He stood up, hands behind his back, and spoke in a steady and stern voice, "Master Deng, this time you will personally go to greet the envoys from the three dynasties. You must find out their true intentions."

Deng Hongwen bowed solemnly: "I will definitely live up to your trust!"

Chu Ning nodded slightly, looking through the window lattice at the snowflakes falling in the distance, and said lightly:

"Go, and remember—no matter what their plans are, I will not allow anyone to disrupt my ascension to the throne."

Deng Hongwen was startled, bowed deeply, and then turned and left.

Inside the hall, the flickering candlelight illuminated Chu Ning's stern profile.

He slowly raised his hand, stroked the secret report on the table with his fingertips, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes.

"A great scholar of three dynasties? Haha... I want to see what kind of trouble you can make!"