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

As night fell, fine snow fell, and the vermilion walls of the East Palace looked particularly solemn in the snow.

Jia Yu, holding six-year-old Wu Xiuning in one hand and three-year-old Chu Tian in the other, walked slowly on the newly accumulated thin snow on the bluestone slabs.

Wu Xiuning was wearing a scarlet jacket and skirt embroidered with golden phoenixes. The golden bells in her hair jingled as she jumped, making her look like a ball of fire leaping in the snow.

Chu Tian was wrapped in an indigo brocade robe with a black fox fur collar. His face was serious and only when he was dragged by his sister to run did he show some childish panic.

"Your Highness, slow down." Jia Yu helplessly tightened Chu Tian's hood, which was about to slip off. The palace lanterns under the eaves stretched the shadows of the three people very long.

A warm fragrance wafted into the hall. Chu Ning was reviewing memorials at his desk. He looked up when he heard the silver bell-like laughter and stood up to greet it without putting down his red pen.

The gilded Suanni incense burner on the desk emitted green smoke, which made the cloud pattern embroidered with silver thread on his black python robe flicker.

"We're back!"

Wu Xiuning rushed to the desk and stood on tiptoe to shake the half-melted snow grains onto the spread-out memorial.

"I'm afraid Your Highness the Crown Prince doesn't know yet?"

She raised her chin triumphantly, her golden hair trembling: "Those three old men with white beards have finally admitted defeat today!"

Chu Ning's fingertips were still stained with cinnabar, and he was stunned when he heard this.

Outside the window, the wind and snow suddenly rushed, hitting the red gauze curtains. His eyes passed over the jumping girl and fell on his son.

The young master was meticulously performing his formal salute, his ears red from the cold peeking out from under his fox fur collar. "Father, the great scholar of the Three Kingdoms has indeed admitted defeat."

He paused, then added, imitating Jia Yu's usual tone, "But I think that accepting defeat at this moment would make the Chu Kingdom appear narrow-minded, so I and Sister Xiuning refused."

"Good! Good!" Chu Ning suddenly laughed, causing the bronze chimes hanging on the beam to resonate slightly.

He ruffled Chu Tian's neatly combed hair and pinched Wu Xiuning's face, which looked like a frozen apple.

"To be able to make that old fox Pei Yanzhi bow his head, you must have tormented him a lot, right?"

As he spoke, he raised an eyebrow at Jia Yu, and when he saw the other party nod, his laughter became even more hearty.

Wu Xiuning suddenly stretched out her small hand, palm facing upwards, and waved it in front of Chu Ning: "We have solved a big problem for you!"

Her eyes sparkled, like a little fox begging for reward: "You don't know, Mr. Cui was so exhausted from asking us questions that he almost broke several strands of his beard!"

"What do you want? Let Lord Jia take you to the treasury to choose."

Chu Ning had anticipated this and poked her forehead with a stern face. "But let me be frank, you can't take too much, otherwise Her Majesty the Queen of the Great Zhou will give me trouble."

The girl cheered when she heard that and ran out pulling Chu Tian.

The young prince stumbled a few steps and suddenly turned back: "Father, may I have the only copy of the Classic of Mountains and Seas?"

After getting approval, the serious little face finally broke into a smile, revealing two pointed fangs.

The two children's bell-like laughter gradually faded away. Chu Ning looked at their backs disappearing at the end of the corridor, and the frost between his brows gradually melted away.

The sound of iron horses clanged under the eaves. Chu Ning turned around and looked at the memorials piled on the desk. The top one was the report on the process of the enthronement ceremony submitted by the Ministry of Rites.

"Report——"

At this moment, Zhao Yu rushed into the palace wrapped in the wind and snow: "The envoys of the three countries are outside the palace gate requesting an audience!"

Ice crystals fell from the armor, leaving dark marks on the blue brick floor tiles.

Chu Ning raised the corners of his lips slightly and chuckled, "Just say that I'm discussing this with the Crown Princess..."

He suddenly lowered his voice and laughed mischievously, "Let's discuss getting a younger sister for the prince."

After Zhao Yu accepted the order and left, Chu Ning muttered to himself, "Cui Gaoxuan and the others value their reputation the most. They came to me late at night to admit defeat. I'm afraid they're really anxious this time."

Outside the palace, the wind and snow were howling, and there seemed to be the sound of golden swords.

Chu Ning casually fiddled with the paperweight on the table. The crouching tiger carved from Hetian jade shone coldly under the lamplight. "Let them worry. On the day of the grand ceremony, the Jinyiwei will teach them what "thunder, rain and dew are all blessings from heaven" means.

The situation inside the treasury at this moment was quite different.

Wu Xiuning stood on tiptoe to reach the gilded box on the Duobao Pavilion, while Chu Tian was directing the eunuchs to move the ladder to get the bamboo slips on the top floor.

"This is the map from King Mu of Zhou's western tour!"

The girl excitedly unfolded the yellowed parchment scroll, and suddenly turned her head as if she remembered something.

"Brother Chu Tian, do you think we should ask Mr. Pei again tomorrow about the difference between the kingly way and the hegemonic way?"

The young master nodded seriously, and the bamboo slips in his arms scattered all over the floor.

Outside the palace gate, the three great scholars had turned into snowmen in the wind and snow.

Pei Yanzhi straightened his clothes that were torn askew by Wu Xiuning for the umpteenth time. Cui Gaoxuan stared at the flickering torches on the palace wall and suddenly sneered:

"Prince Chu, you're really going to train an eagle!"

Sima Hui stared silently at the vermilion palace gate. The warm light leaking through the crack of the door was like a wound, reflecting his gloomy face.

The cold wind was howling, and the snow was flying. A thin layer of snow had accumulated on the blue brick ground in front of the palace gate.

At this time, Zhao Yu, wearing a black cloak and holding a spear, came to the palace gate with steady steps.

His eyes were stern, and he bowed slightly to Cui Gaoxuan and the other two. His tone was calm but unquestionable:

"Gentlemen, I'm truly sorry, but His Highness has retired. Please come back another day."

Sima Hui frowned, his face suddenly darkening. He stepped forward and said, "General Zhao, we have an important matter to discuss with the Crown Prince of Chu. It's a matter of great importance, and we must meet tonight!"

His voice was particularly sharp in the wind and snow, and it was obvious that he could no longer suppress his inner anxiety.

Pei Yanzhi snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and said angrily, "Since we entered the city, the Crown Prince of Chu has been avoiding us. How can this be considered hospitality?"

"As the crown prince of a country, you are so neglectful of the envoys. If this gets out, aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world?"

His beard trembled slightly with anger, and he was obviously extremely dissatisfied with Chu Ning's contempt.

Cui Gaoxuan narrowed his eyes, a cold light flashing in them, and said in a cold tone: "General Zhao, please inform us again that the three of us must see His Royal Highness the Crown Prince today, otherwise..."

He paused, his voice low and dangerous: "I'm afraid the consequences are not something you can bear."

However, Zhao Yu was not moved at all, and even a sarcastic smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

His gaze was like a knife, and he swept the three of them coldly, saying, "I have already said that His Highness is not available to see you right now."

"you!"

Cui Gaoxuan was furious, his face instantly turned red like pig liver, and he was obviously completely infuriated by Zhao Yu's attitude.

He shouted sternly, "How dare the Chu State be so arrogant and rude! Aren't you afraid that people all over the world will laugh at you for bullying the weak?"

Zhao Yu scoffed, his eyes scornful. "What a joke! You three couldn't even answer two children's questions, and now you're shamelessly admitting defeat. If word gets out, who's going to be embarrassed?"

As soon as these words came out, the three people's faces suddenly changed. Sima Hui and Pei Yanzhi were so angry that they were shaking all over, while Cui Gaoxuan laughed in anger and said with gritted teeth:

"Good, very good! We will remember the humiliation suffered by the Chu State today!"

Zhao Yu was too lazy to bother with them any more, so he turned and left, leaving behind only a cold remark: "Please go back, the three of you. If you continue to pester me, don't blame me for being rude."

In the wind and snow, the three great scholars stood frozen in place, their faces ashen, their eyes burning with anger, but in the end they were helpless.