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

The night was as dark as ink, and heavy snow fell, shrouding the entire capital of Chu in a vast expanse.

Ten miles outside the city, the Scorpion Clan’s envoy camp was sparsely lit, appearing particularly lonely in the wind and snow.

Outside the tent, the guarding scorpion soldiers were wearing heavy leather armor and holding spears. The white breath they exhaled instantly condensed into frost in the cold wind.

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from afar.

The guards immediately became alert, gripping their weapons tightly and scanning the darkness with hawk-like eyes.

Soon, three luxuriously decorated carriages slowly approached, and the curtains were lifted, revealing three elegant yet majestic faces.

"Who is coming?" the Scorpion guard asked coldly.

In the leading carriage, a middle-aged man in Tang Dynasty official uniform bowed slightly and said in a steady voice:

"Pei Yanzhi, the Imperial College Director of the Tang Dynasty, has come with Sima Hui, a doctoral student at the Imperial College of the Han Dynasty, and Cui Gaoxuan, the Chief Censor of the Wei Kingdom, to pay a special visit to General Gongsun."

The guard frowned slightly upon hearing this, but still did not dare to neglect it. He said in a deep voice, "Please wait for a moment, my lords, while I make my announcement."

Inside the big tent, the charcoal fire was blazing, driving away the chill of the winter night.

Gongsun Yi was looking at a map at his desk with a frown on his face.

He was tall and strong, with a resolute face and a murderous look between his brows.

As the general of the Scorpion Clan, he was ordered to go on a diplomatic mission to the State of Chu in order to solve the food shortage in the clan, but he did not expect to be frustrated repeatedly, and he had been holding a grudge in his heart for a long time.

"Report——!"

A personal guard walked in quickly and knelt on one knee. "General, envoys from the Tang, Han, and Wei Kingdoms are requesting an audience!"

Gongsun Yi paused with the charcoal pencil in his hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Emissaries from the three kingdoms? Why are they suddenly coming together to see me?"

He put down his pen, pondered for a moment, and sneered, "Let them in."

The personal guards took the order and left, while Gongsun Yi straightened his robe and sat upright in the main seat.

Soon, the curtain was lifted, and Pei Yanzhi, Sima Hui, and Cui Gaoxuan walked in one after another.

The wind and snow were blown into the tent with their footsteps, but were quickly blocked out by the thick curtains.

"General Gongsun, I hope you can forgive me for disturbing you so late at night." Pei Yanzhi smiled slightly and bowed.

Gongsun Yi stood up to greet them, a polite smile on his face. "You three have come from afar, and I apologize for not being able to greet you. Please take a seat."

The four of them sat down as host and guest, and Gongsun Yi ordered someone to serve hot wine.

The servant brought a pot of strong liquor unique to the Scorpion Clan. The liquor was amber in color. As soon as it was poured into the cup, the rich aroma of the liquor spread.

"This is the Red Flame Wine specially brewed by the Scorpion Clan. Please try it, my three lords." Gongsun Yi raised his glass in gesture.

Pei Yanzhi and the other two looked at each other. They all knew that the Scorpion Clan's wine was extremely strong, but it was not convenient to refuse at this moment, so they each took a small sip.

The wine burned like fire in their throats. The three men remained expressionless, but a hint of discomfort flashed in their eyes.

Gongsun Yi took in their reactions, the corners of his mouth raised slightly, and then he smiled:

"You three gentlemen have come to visit us so late at night. What is your business?"

Pei Yanzhi put down his wine glass and spoke slowly, "General Gongsun has been in Chu for nearly a month. I heard that you originally wanted to buy grain from Crown Prince Chu Ning, but were rejected. Ultimately, you had to secretly negotiate with Sixteenth Prince Chu Bin."

"Unfortunately, this matter was discovered by Chu Ning, which led to Chu Bin's murder..."

"boom!"

Gongsun Yi slammed the table, his expression suddenly darkening: "Master Pei, are you here to see me make a fool of myself?"

Pei Yanzhi quickly waved his hands: "General, you misunderstood. I'm just curious. Chu Ning killed Chu Bin, but why didn't he kill you, General?"

Gongsun Yi snorted coldly, a hint of vigilance flashing in his eyes: "I was only ordered to purchase food, and did not cause any damage to the State of Chu."

"Besides, I am an envoy of the Scorpion Clan, representing my clan to attend the coronation ceremony of the Crown Prince of Chu. How could Chu Ning attack me at this critical moment?"

Hearing this, the three of them exchanged glances.

Cui Gaoxuan took over the conversation and sighed, "The Chu State is unwilling to sell grain to the general. This is forcing the Scorpion Tribe into a desperate situation!"

Sima Hui gently waved his feather fan and echoed in a deep voice, "The Scorpion Tribe has been plagued by natural disasters this year, and now the roads are blocked by heavy snow. Food and fodder are bound to be in short supply."

"Chu Ning's move clearly means he wants to let the Scorpion Clan fend for themselves."

Gongsun Yi's grip on the cup tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white.

He recalled Chu Ning's condescending attitude that day - not only did he refuse to sell grain, but he also took the opportunity to raise the price by 10%, and even asked the Scorpion Tribe to send troops south to pose a threat to the Tang Dynasty.

This is clearly taking advantage of someone's misfortune!

But he quickly calmed down and sneered, "If the three of you came here tonight just to talk nonsense, then please go back!"

After saying this, he pretended to stand up and was about to ask someone to see the guest off.

Pei Yanzhi saw this and quickly stood up to stop him: "General Gongsun, wait a minute!"

He lowered his voice, his eyes burning, "I believe that during this period, the general has also been suppressed by Chu Ning and can hardly move a step, right?"

"Can you really swallow this?"

Gongsun Yi narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "If you don't swallow it, do you still expect me to take action against Chu Ning in the capital of Chu?"

As soon as these words were spoken, smiles appeared on the faces of the three people.

As expected, Gongsun Yi was angry, but he did not dare to act rashly due to the situation.

Cui Gaoxuan took the opportunity to step forward and whispered, "General, calm down. Chu Ning has always been arrogant. Our Majesty of the Three Kingdoms has long been dissatisfied with him."

"Now that he has ascended the throne, our three dynasties are preparing to join forces and present him with a great gift at his coronation ceremony. I wonder if the general would be willing to join us?"

Gongsun Yi scoffed, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "Just you? And the mere 3,000 soldiers you brought with you, you think you can take on Chu Ning?"

Sima Hui waved his feather fan and said with a smile, "General, you have misunderstood. Chu Ning is an exceptional martial artist, and this is the capital of Chu. Naturally, we will not resort to violence."

He paused, a gleam in his eyes: "The one we want to move is Wen!"

"Moving text?" Gongsun Yi raised his eyebrows.

Pei Yanzhi took over the conversation in a steady voice: "Yes, on the day of the coronation ceremony, we will use literature to pressure Chu Ning and make him lose face in front of the world."

"At that time, the general only needs to provide support from the outside and does not need to take any risks himself."

"This way, you won't have to offend the State of Chu, and you can still vent your anger."

The tent was silent for a moment, with only the occasional crackling sound of the charcoal fire.

Gongsun Yi's eyes flickered as he weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

The three people in front of him are all world-renowned scholars. If they join forces to attack, even if Chu Ning is talented, he may not be able to escape unscathed.

All you have to do is watch from the sidelines and reap the benefits!

Thinking of this, he slowly sat back in his chair, a sneer on his face: "Alright! If you can really ruin Chu Ning's reputation, I will definitely support you!"

The four of them clinked their glasses together, and the wine glowed an eerie red in the firelight.

The wind and snow were still blowing outside the tent, but inside the tent, a bigger storm seemed to be brewing.

Pei Yanzhi put down his wine glass, took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his sleeve, and handed it to Gongsun Yi: "General, this is the plan we have drawn up. Please review it."

Gongsun Yi unfolded the bamboo slips, quickly scanned the contents on them, and his brows gradually relaxed.

After a moment, he closed the bamboo slips and said in a deep voice, "If this is accomplished, would the emperor of the Three Kingdoms be willing to sell food to me?"

Cui Gaoxuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, General. I can still afford to provide some food for three dynasties!"

Sima Hui gently waved his feather fan, looked out at the falling snow outside the tent, and said meaningfully, "Twenty days from now, during the Lantern Festival, the weather in Chu... will probably change."

Gongsun Yi laughed heartily and drank the whole cup in one gulp: "Then I will wait and see!"

The four of them clinked their glasses again, and the wine splashed, reflecting their thoughtful faces.

On a snowy night, a conspiracy that could shake the foundation of the Chu State took shape.