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

As soon as the coronation ceremony was over, Cui Gaoxuan stood up to challenge.

These words brought the whole place to a state of complete silence.

The musicians unconsciously stopped playing their instruments, and the palace maids serving wine froze in their places, even their breathing slowed down.

Civil and military officials looked at each other in bewilderment. No one had expected that the Wei envoy would dare to openly challenge them on such a solemn occasion.

Minister of War Feng Anguo clenched his hands tightly, his eyes wide open.

Cabinet Minister Zhang Xuan frowned and stared at Cui Gaoxuan with murderous eyes.

Even the usually calm Minister of Rites Deng Hongwen's expression changed, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

In the dead silence, Chu Ning chuckled and slowly adjusted his dragon robe.

The twelve jade tassels on the crown swayed gently with his movements, reflecting a warm luster in the candlelight.

"Master Cui is wrong."

Chu Ning spoke calmly, "This title of 'the world's greatest talent' was won by me from that prince of your Wei Kingdom. If it weren't for Master Cui bringing it up today, I would have almost forgotten it."

A burst of suppressed laughter suddenly rang out in the hall.

The Chu officials exchanged glances with each other, and some young officials even couldn't help laughing out loud.

Cui Gaoxuan's old face turned red in an instant, and veins bulged on his forehead.

Empress Wu Zhao of the Great Zhou Dynasty gently waved her round fan and watched the scene with great interest.

The Tang envoy Pei Yanzhi and the Han envoy Sima Hui secretly exchanged glances.

"Why bother talking about the past?"

Cui Gaoxuan suppressed his anger and said in a trembling voice: "Today, I just want to see the true talent and knowledge of the new emperor of Chu!"

Chu Ning put his hands behind his back, the golden dragon pattern on his crown gleaming in the candlelight. "Poetry, song, or prose, which one would you like to see, Mr. Cui?"

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Cui Gaoxuan's eyes as he slowly pulled out a scroll from his sleeve. "When I was young, I loved painting, especially fish. I wonder if His Majesty the Emperor of Chu would be so kind as to appreciate it?"

There was an uproar in the hall.

Everyone can see that this old fox is clearly trying to use his own strengths to attack the opponent's weaknesses.

The Empress Wu Zhao of the Great Zhou Dynasty snapped the fan in her hand shut, her eyes slightly raised:

"Master Cui, you have studied painting for decades, yet now you want to compete with a young emperor in his early twenties? This is too..."

"The Empress is wrong!"

Cui Gaoxuan interrupted her before she could finish, "Your Majesty the Emperor of Chu is the most talented person in the world, so I'm sure his painting skills are also extraordinary. Even if he can't compare to me, as long as he can gain everyone's approval, I will be convinced!"

Pei Yanzhi immediately chimed in: "Master Cui is absolutely right. To be called a talented person, one must be a complete talent."

Sima Hui also smiled sinisterly and said, "Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor of Chu... doesn't dare?"

The three of them sang in unison and cooperated seamlessly.

The officials of Chu were so angry that their faces turned blue, but they could not show their anger due to diplomatic etiquette.

Queen Shen Wanying hid her hand in her sleeve and tightly grasped the handkerchief. She knew that her husband's poetry was the best in the world, but his painting skills were really not up to par.

Concubine Lan Feng Mulan had already pressed the hilt of the sword, with murderous intent in her eyes.

In the tense atmosphere, Chu Ning suddenly burst into laughter.

The laughter was so clear that the jade strings on the crown jingled.

"Drawing a fish? Great!" Chu Ning waved his sleeves and said, "Come here, prepare the pen and ink!"

Cui Gaoxuan was delighted when he saw this and quickly unfolded his painting.

On the three-foot-long rice paper, a carp leaped onto the paper, its scales clearly visible, and water seemed to splash as its tail swayed, truly lifelike.

"Great painting!"

"It's truly the work of Master Cui!"

There were bursts of praise in the hall.

Cui Gaoxuan stroked his beard proudly and looked at Chu Ning provocatively.

At this time, the guard commander Zhao Yu hurried away.

Soon, two eunuchs came in carrying a sandalwood desk, and maids presented them with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone.

What was even more surprising was that a guard was holding a jade basin filled with clear water, in which a red carp was swimming happily.

Chu Ning rolled up the wide sleeves of his dragon robe, and in the puzzled gazes of everyone, he actually picked up the live fish and placed it on the rice paper!

"What is happening, His Majesty the Emperor of Chu?" Cui Gaoxuan widened his eyes.

The fish struggled and jumped on the paper, wetting the rice paper and leaving water marks.

Chu Ning, however, was already standing with his hands behind his back, and said with a smile, "My painting is finished."

The hall was completely silent, and everyone was stunned by this unexpected scene.

Cui Gaoxuan was the first to react, his beard shaking with anger. "This...what kind of painting is this! Are you kidding me?"

Chu Ning was calm and winked at Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu walked into the hall holding a tabby cat. The cat smelled the fishy smell and immediately meowed and raised its tail.

"Master Cui, please take a look."

Chu Ning signaled the guards to place the two paintings side by side on the ground: "Let this little fellow judge."

As soon as Zhao Yu put the cat down, the cat pounced on the real fish that was still struggling without hesitation, without even looking at Cui Gaoxuan's exquisite paintings.

"Hahahaha!"

Chu Ning laughed heartily, the jade beads on his crown dancing happily with his movements. "Did you all see that? This cat has made its choice. Will it lie?"

There was silence in the hall at first, and then it erupted into deafening laughter.

The ministers of Chu State laughed so hard that they fell over, even the usually serious Minister of War Feng Anguo slapped his thigh and shouted "wonderful".

Empress Wu Zhao of the Great Zhou covered her face with a fan, her shoulders shaking constantly.

Even some foreign envoys couldn't help laughing.

Cui Gaoxuan's face turned from red to blue, and then from blue to white, just like an overturned color palette.

He pointed his trembling finger at Chu Ning: "You...you are cheating!"

"Master Cui is wrong."

Chu Ning's smile faded, his eyes suddenly sharpening: "When painting fish, we aim for a realistic resemblance. No matter how similar your painting is, it's still a dead object after all."

"Though my painting hasn't touched a single stroke, it captures the spirit of the fish—vivid and alive. Isn't this the pinnacle of painting?"

Cui Gaoxuan was speechless, staggered back a few steps and almost fell down.

Pei Yanzhi and Sima Hui hurried forward to support him. Cui Gaoxuan retreated to his seat in disgrace and dared not say another word.

The ministers of Chu State burst into laughter, and the atmosphere in the hall became lively again.

Queen Shen Wanying let out a long sigh and quietly loosened her wrinkled handkerchief.

Concubine Lan Feng Mulan also withdrew her hand from the hilt of the sword, her eyes full of pride.

Empress Wu Zhao of the Great Zhou Dynasty raised her lips slightly, stood up and said with a smile: "The Emperor of Chu is very clever, I admire him."

She glanced meaningfully at the dejected Cui Gaoxuan and said, "Some people live to a ripe old age, but are worse than cats."

Chu Ning smiled slightly: "Your Majesty the Empress is absolutely right."

"deliver an imperial order."

Chu Ning suddenly spoke, his voice was not loud but it made the whole hall quiet.

"From now on, the palace will keep one hundred civet cats to identify the authenticity of calligraphy and paintings."

The hall erupted in laughter again.

Amidst this laughter, the corners of Chu Ning's mouth rose slightly - he knew that after this incident, no one would dare to challenge his authority easily.

However, I'm afraid today's farce will not end here!

Because there are still two people who have not taken action!