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

Inside the inn, the charcoal fire crackled in the copper stove, but it could not dispel the gloom on the faces of the three great scholars.

Sima Hui pulled Pei Yanzhi and Cui Gaoxuan into the inner hall and closed the doors and windows to ensure that no one could eavesdrop.

He lowered his voice and said solemnly, "You two, if you continue like this, we will only be dragged to death by those two kids!"

Pei Yanzhi frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table: "Give up? Bowing to two brats?"

"If this gets out, how will I, Pei Yanzhi, still have the dignity to stand among the scholars?"

Cui Gaoxuan snorted coldly, his beard trembling slightly. "Brother Sima, are you scared by Chu Ning? If we admit defeat, wouldn't that be exactly what he wants?"

Sima Hui took a deep breath, held the feather fan against his palm, and said in a deep voice: "You two, what is the purpose of our trip? To disrupt Chu Ning's coronation ceremony!"

"But what about now? We're trapped in the inn, being pestered by two children during the day and watched by the Imperial Guards at night. We can't move an inch!"

His eyes were sharp as he swept over the two of them: "Do you really think that Chu Ning would let us wait in peace until the day of the coronation ceremony?"

"If we continue to remain deadlocked, we will become a complete laughing stock!"

Pei Yanzhi was silent for a moment, a trace of struggle flashing in his eyes: "But if we admit defeat, where will our dignity be?"

Sima Hui sneered, "Respect? If the mission fails, the three emperors will be furious, and we won't even be able to save our lives. How can we even talk about face?"

Cui Gaoxuan clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "But those two brats are so despicable!"

Sima Hui interrupted him: "They are just pawns. Our real opponent is Chu Ning! Our surrender is just a temporary measure. Only by getting rid of them can we free up our hands to plan the real thing!"

Pei Yanzhi and Cui Gaoxuan looked at each other and finally nodded slowly.

The three of them straightened their clothes and returned to the main hall.

Wu Xiuning and Chu Tian were sitting on chairs, one of them was eating candied fruit while swinging his legs, and the other was drinking tea with a stern face. When they saw them come in, they looked up at the same time with cunning eyes.

Sima Hui stepped forward and forced a smile, "Princess, Prince, we've been bothering you for so long these past few days. The three of us are truly ashamed of ourselves!"

Wu Xiuning's eyes lit up: "Oh? The great scholars finally found the answer?"

Sima Hui shook his head and pretended to sigh: "No, we... admit defeat."

"Admit defeat?"

Chu Tian tilted his head, feigning surprise: "How could these three great scholars, all well-versed in ancient and modern knowledge, admit defeat?"

Pei Yanzhi's face flushed red, and he suppressed his embarrassment and said, "Your Highness, you are joking. The three of us... are indeed uneducated and cannot answer this question."

Cui Gaoxuan also said stubbornly, "Since you can't answer, we admit defeat. Princess and Prince... there's no need to come again."

Wu Xiuning blinked, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "Oh, this won't do!"

The three of them were stunned: "Why not?"

They are great scholars, they have counted all the people, what else can we do with them?

Chu Tian shook his head seriously: "You three great scholars are highly respected. If even you can't answer it, who else in the world can solve it?"

"We believe that as long as we give you some more time, you will definitely find the answer!"

Wu Xiuning added with a smile: "Yes, yes, we will come and think about it with you tomorrow!"

The three great scholars' faces turned pale in an instant.

Sima Hui was anxious: "Princess, Prince, we really can't find the answer, so you..."

Wu Xiuning interrupted him, her tone innocent but every word piercing: "Don't be so modest, three great scholars! You are the most learned men in the Three Kingdoms. If even you admit defeat, wouldn't all the scholars in the world be disappointed?"

Chu Tian nodded in agreement: "Yes, we are young and ignorant, but the great scholars are different. You can definitely do it!"

Pei Yanzhi's forehead veins bulged violently, and he almost slammed the table and stood up, but Sima Hui held him down firmly.

Cui Gaoxuan gritted his teeth: "You..."

Wu Xiuning had already jumped off the chair and took Chu Tian's hand: "Come on, brother Chu Tian, let's go build another snowman!"

The two children ran out happily, leaving the three great scholars standing there frozen, as if they had fallen into an icy cave.

After a long moment, Pei Yanzhi sat down dejectedly, muttering, "We...were fooled."

Cui Gaoxuan slammed his fist on the table, knocking over the teacup. "They have no intention of letting us admit defeat!"

Sima Hui smiled bitterly: "Chu Ning's move... is really cruel."

They finally understood that Wu Xiuning and Chu Tian had no intention of accepting their surrender from the beginning.

The other party deliberately praised the three of them highly, leaving them no way to admit defeat!

If they forced themselves to admit defeat, it would spread like "the great scholar of the Three Kingdoms was stumped by a child and admitted defeat out of shame", which would be a complete loss of face.

If they continued to hold on, they would be held back by the two children and unable to move.

dilemma!

Outside the window, Wu Xiuning's laughter was clear and pleasant, accompanied by the "pa ta" sound of snowballs hitting the tree trunks.

Inside the house, the faces of the three great scholars were paler than the snow outside.

Sima Hui stared at Wu Xiuning and Chu Tian playing in the yard, and a hint of cruelty flashed in his eyes.

He turned abruptly and whispered to Pei Yanzhi and Cui Gaoxuan, "Since those two little brats won't let us admit defeat, let's go straight to Jia Yu! Have him tell Chu Ning!"

Pei Yanzhi frowned: "Will Jia Yu agree?"

Cui Gaoxuan snorted coldly: "Jia Yu is just conveying our intentions. We are messengers, he will not refuse!"

"And Chu Ning is the crown prince after all. He wouldn't act like those two brats and cause trouble!"

The three of them looked at each other and saw a glimmer of hope in each other's eyes.

Yes, no matter what, Chu Ning is the crown prince, so he should at least consider his dignity, right?

"Master Jia!"

Sima Hui called out loudly, with a smile on his face, and waved to Jia Yu who was standing at the gate of the courtyard.

"Can I have a word with you for a moment?"

Jia Yu glanced at them with a half-smile, then slowly walked over and asked, "What advice do you three great scholars have for me?"

Sima Hui took a deep breath and bowed, saying, "Master Jia, after much deliberation, the three of us are truly ashamed. Regarding those three questions... we admit defeat."

"Admit defeat?"

Jia Yu raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "You three are joking. You are world-renowned scholars. How could you admit defeat?"

Pei Yanzhi suppressed his embarrassment and said in a deep voice, "Master Jia, we are not joking. Please tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince that we...are willing to admit defeat."

Jia Yu smiled secretly in his heart. Wu Xiuning had just secretly told him that these three people would definitely use this trick.

He still pretended to be troubled. "This... isn't appropriate, is it? The princess and the prince just said they believed you three would be able to find the answer."

Cui Gaoxuan was anxious: "Master Jia! These two children are ignorant, but does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince also not understand things?"

"How about we admit defeat and let this matter be over?"

Jia Yu shook his head and sighed: "Three of you, it's not that I don't want to help, it's just..."

He deliberately dragged out his tone, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince values rules above all else. Since the Princess and the Crown Prince have already said they want to wait for the three of you to solve the problem, I'm afraid His Royal Highness won't change his mind easily."

Sima Hui's face turned pale as he grabbed Jia Yu's sleeve and said, "Master Jia! We truly admit defeat! Please be sure to tell His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

Jia Yu stumbled as he was pulled, and after barely stabilizing himself, he sighed in mock frustration, "Alright, I will report this to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but I cannot guarantee His Royal Highness's decision."

He paused, then added meaningfully, "You three should not hold out too much hope, after all..."

He glanced at Wu Xiuning and Chu Tian who were having fun in the yard, and whispered, "Your Highness loves these two children the most."

After saying this, he turned around and strode away, leaving the three great scholars standing there, their faces turning pale and blue.

Sima Hui stared at Jia Yu's back and gritted his teeth, "We... have been completely tricked."

Pei Yanzhi slumped down in his chair, muttering, "Chu Ning is determined to humiliate us!"

Cui Gaoxuan slammed his fist on the table, causing the teacup to clink. "This is too much!"

However, no matter how angry they are, it cannot change the fact: they have no way out.