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

Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, beneath the magnificent golden dome, the newly enthroned Chu Ning sat on the dragon throne, his young face radiating an inviolable majesty.

The candlelight in the hall was bright, making the pillars with nine coiled dragons shine brightly, but it could not dispel the tense atmosphere in the air.

"Your Majesty, Pei Yanzhi and the other two have been executed, and their heads have been hung at the city gate for public display."

Zhao Yu knelt on one knee, his silver armor shining coldly in the candlelight, and his voice was sonorous and powerful.

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning's lips curled up slowly, and then turned into a loud laugh. The laughter echoed in the hall, shocking several old ministers so much that they couldn't help but shrink their necks.

"Excellent! This is what happens when you try to embarrass yourself at my coronation!"

Chu Ning slammed the armrest of the dragon throne, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

He would never forget the three difficult questions raised by the three envoys from Tang, Han and Wei at his coronation ceremony three hours ago.

The arrogant look of Tang Dynasty envoy Pei Yanzhi seemed to be still before his eyes.

"Zhao Yu!"

Chu Ning's smile faded, and his voice suddenly turned cold: "You will lead the White Horse Cavalry immediately and capture all the soldiers of the Three Kingdoms' delegation!"

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhao Yu's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a soldier's unique obedience: "I obey your order!"

He clasped his fists and accepted the order, then turned and strode away. The sound of silver armor colliding echoed crisply in the hall.

Chu Ning watched Zhao Yu leave, then turned to the ministers and envoys from various countries in the hall, with a warm smile on his face:

"Well, now that these three clowns have been dealt with, it's not too late. I'm hosting a banquet for all the ministers and envoys here today."

Following his command, the maids who had been prepared came in one after another, holding all kinds of delicacies.

The musicians played melodious court music, the candlelight in the hall flickered, and people's shadows were mixed, and it soon became lively.

But careful people will find that the seats for the Tang, Han and Wei kingdoms are empty, and Chu Ning's gaze drifts outside the hall from time to time, with a calculating glint in his eyes.

At the same time, Zhao Yu had led thousands of white horse cavalry to surround the post station where the three kingdoms' delegations were stationed.

The White Horse Cavalry is an elite force formed by Chu Ning himself. Each of them rides a snow-white warhorse, wears silver armor, wears a scimitar on his waist, and carries a strong bow on his back. They are the sharpest blades of the Chu State.

"You led the troops to surround the post station, what is the meaning of this?"

Inside the posthouse, an officer from the Wei delegation shouted in a timid tone, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.

"We are an envoy. Do you want to kill the envoy?"

The Han soldiers followed suit and shouted, but their voices were clearly lacking in confidence.

The Tang Dynasty envoy even threatened directly: "Quickly withdraw your troops, otherwise this matter will spread and it will be detrimental to your Chu State!"

"Your Chu State's new emperor has just ascended the throne. Do you intend to put him in a difficult position?"

Zhao Yu rode on his warhorse, looking coldly at the panicked soldiers of the delegation, a sneer on his lips:

"Your mastermind, Pei Yanzhi and three others, created difficult questions during the coronation ceremony of our emperor. Our emperor has ordered their execution, and their heads are now hanging at the city gate!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the posthouse.

The soldiers looked at each other, their faces filled with horror and disbelief.

They originally thought it was just an ordinary diplomatic mission, at most a verbal challenge to the newly enthroned King of Chu, but they did not expect it to bring about a fatal disaster.

Zhao Yu didn't wait for them to react and continued, "What's even more hateful is that you three dynasties publicly sent an envoy here, but secretly sent troops to jointly attack our border! Such two-faced behavior is despicable!"

The faces of the soldiers in the posthouse changed drastically.

"I, under the Emperor's orders, will capture you!"

Zhao Yu said no more and waved his hand: "Kill!"

Three thousand white horse cavalrymen rushed towards the post station like a tide.

The sounds of arrows piercing the air, swords clashing, and screams instantly resounded through the sky.

Although the soldiers of the Three Kingdoms delegation fought hard, they were outnumbered and the incident happened suddenly, so they were quickly defeated.

Blood dyed the walls of the inn red and flowed into a stream along the stone steps.

An hour later, the last Wu soldier was shot to death in the corner by arrows, and none of the 3,000 soldiers in the delegation survived.

"Clean up the scene, carry all the bodies out of the city and burn them. No traces should be left behind."

Zhao Yu gave a cold order: "Seal off the posthouse and prohibit anyone from entering or leaving."

When the last body was lifted onto the cart, the sun had already set. The blood-red setting sun in the sky contrasted with the bloodstains on the ground, creating a strange and cruel picture.

When Zhao Yu returned to the palace, the banquet after the coronation ceremony had already ended.

Chu Ning was the only one left in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. He stood in front of the window, looking at the three heads swaying in the wind on the distant city wall, his back as straight as a pine tree.

"Your Majesty, as you command, kill all three thousand envoys without a single one remaining!"

Zhao Yu knelt on one knee, with blood still stained on his silver armor.

Chu Ning turned around, his eyes fell on Zhao Yu's bloodstained robe, and a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:

"well-done."

He took a few steps closer and personally helped this trusted general to his feet. "Go back and rest first. In a few days, you will lead the White Horse Cavalry and accompany me on my personal expedition!"

Zhao Yu's expression suddenly changed upon hearing this: "Your Majesty, are you planning to lead the army in person? But you have just ascended the throne, and the domestic situation is not yet stable..."

Chu Ning waved his hand to interrupt him: "Don't worry, I will take care of domestic affairs. Tang, Han, and Wei are jointly invading our borders. If I don't personally meet them head-on, they will think I am a soft persimmon that can be easily squeezed."

A fierce look flashed in his eyes: "I will let them know the consequences of provoking the Great Chu!"

Zhao Yu knew Chu Ning's character. Once he made a decision, he would never change it. He could only bow and say, "I will obey your order."

After Zhao Yu left, Chu Ning paced alone in the hall for a while, and then walked towards the harem.

It was late at night and the palace was silent, with only the occasional footsteps of patrolling guards breaking the tranquility.

The candlelight was soft in Queen Shen Wanying's bedroom.

The empress, who came from the previous dynasty, was reading memorials at her desk. When she heard that the emperor had arrived, she hurriedly stood up to greet him.

"Your Majesty, why are you here at this hour?" Shen Wanying took over the outer robe that Chu Ning took off, her eyes full of tenderness.

Chu Ning held her hand and told her about his decision to lead the army in person.

Shen Wanying initially tried to persuade him, "Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and the government is not stable. If you leave the capital now, I'm afraid all the civil and military officials will object."

"It is precisely because I have just ascended the throne that I need this victory even more."

Chu Ning interrupted her, his voice firm: "The alliance of the three countries is no small matter. If I do not personally lead the expedition, once the border is lost, there will be unrest in the country."

Shen Wanying looked at her husband's resolute profile and knew that it was useless to persuade him any further.

As a queen, she understood the needs of politics; as a wife, she could not hide her worries.

After a moment's silence, she said softly, "I only ask Your Majesty to agree to one thing."

"What's the matter?"

"Please spend more time with me and Mulan in the few days before we go to war."

A hint of shyness flashed across Shen Wanying's eyes: "I want... to have another child."

Chu Ning was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter and picked up Shen Wanying: "The Queen has ordered, how dare I disobey?"

He strode towards the inner room and whispered in Shen Wanying's ear, "This is a good opportunity to show those Three Kingdoms villains that I am not only invincible on the battlefield, but also capable of carrying on my family line!"

The flickering candlelight illuminated the overlapping figures within the gauze curtain.

Outside the window, a bright moon hangs high in the sky, but it is covered by dark clouds, as if it doesn't want to see what is going to happen next.