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

At the hour of Mao the next day, the light snow in Luocheng had turned into moderate snow. The fluttering snowflakes fell like goose feathers, covering the entire imperial city in a blanket of silver.

A thin layer of snow accumulated on the red walls and golden tiles of the Great Zhou Palace, shining coldly in the morning light.

Outside the palace gate, luxuriously decorated carriages rolled over the snow, making a creaking sound.

Court officials in various official uniforms got off the cars one after another. Most of them were wearing thick cloaks, their necks hunched in the cold wind, and the white breath they exhaled quickly dissipated in the cold air.

"This damn weather changes so quickly."

An elderly official stamped his feet to shake off the snow on his boots and complained to his colleagues beside him.

"It was just a light snow last night, but it's already this heavy this morning."

"Lord Li, please be careful with your words." The official beside him lowered his voice, "Today's court meeting may not be peaceful. It would be best if you said less."

Upon hearing this, the old official's cloudy eyes flashed with understanding. He said no more, but tightened his fox fur cloak and followed the crowd to the Taiji Hall.

Inside the Taiji Hall, the charcoal fire in the bronze beast furnace was burning brightly, dispelling some of the chill.

The officials who entered the hall one after another stood according to their ranks and talked to each other in low voices, and the hall was filled with a constant buzz.

Many people glanced intentionally or unintentionally at the two positions at the front of the civil service queue - where stood the current Prime Minister Di Ying and the Minister of Rites Pei Yan.

Pei Yan specially wore a dark purple official uniform today, with a dark mink fur cloak on the outside, looking particularly solemn.

He had a gaunt face and a pair of eagle eyes that were bright and sharp. At this moment, he was slightly lowering his head and saying something to Di Ying who was standing in front of him.

Di Ying was a veteran of the Three Dynasties. Although his hair and beard were all white, his back was as straight as a pine tree and he was in good spirits.

He was wearing a plain crane cloak, which made him stand out among the other officials in the court.

Hearing Pei Yan's words, he frowned slightly, but did not rush to respond. He just gently stroked the jade belt around his waist with his skinny fingers.

"Di Xiang!"

Pei Yan lowered his voice, his tone firm and unyielding: "Your Majesty wants to announce Princess Xiuning's identity. If you don't want to intervene, then just stand by and watch!"

The charcoal fire in the hall crackled. Di Ying sighed and slowly turned around.

His eyes were like two deep pools of water, calm yet shrouded in turmoil. He stared at Pei Yan sternly, "Sir Pei, do you really want to stand against His Majesty on this matter?"

Pei Yan snorted coldly, his voice low but every word sharp as a knife: "The Great Zhou Dynasty cannot fall into the hands of the Chu people!"

He took a half step forward, almost whispering in Di Ying's ear: "Prime Minister Di, I need you to tell me the truth. Even if you don't join the petition, you can't help the empress! Otherwise, once the Great Zhou falls into Chu Ning's hands, you will be an accomplice."

When Di Ying heard this, a complicated look flashed in his eyes.

He looked around and noticed that many officials were secretly observing their conversation, most of whom were from Pei Yan's party.

Di Ying pondered for a moment, and finally just sighed and said no more.

Seeing this, Pei Yan raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a smile of confidence.

He adjusted his sleeves, straightened his back, and looked towards the dragon throne with burning eyes.

"Your Majesty is here!"

As the eunuch's shrill voice rang out, the hall suddenly fell silent.

All officials quickly straightened their clothes, stood on both sides, and bowed.

Empress Wu Zetian, wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a twelve-tassel crown on her head, walked slowly out of the side hall.

She takes good care of herself and looks no more than thirty years old.

The hem of her robe was embroidered with nine five-clawed golden dragons, which appeared and disappeared with her steps, and sparkled brightly in the candlelight in the hall.

Wu Zhao walked to the dragon throne but did not sit down immediately.

Her eyes were like lightning as she slowly swept over the ministers in the hall. When she saw Pei Yan and Di Ying, she paused slightly, then nodded slightly:

"My dear friends, there is no need to be polite."

The voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty.

Only after she sat down did the officials in the hall dare to stand up.

"If you have something to report, report it early. If you don't, dismiss the court." Wu Zhao said calmly, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, making a dull sound.

Pei Yan stepped out almost immediately and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, I have something to report!"

Wu Zhao narrowed her eyes slightly and opened her red lips: "Speak."

"Regarding Princess Xiuning's identity."

Pei Yan's voice boomed, echoing throughout the hall: "After careful consideration, I and many of my colleagues in the court believe that this should not be made public."

He paused, pulled out a memorial from his sleeve, and presented it with both hands: "Once it is confirmed that Princess Xiuning is the daughter of Your Majesty and the Emperor of Chu, given the character of Emperor Chu Ning, he will definitely take the princess away by force."

"By then, our Great Zhou will have no successor. What shall we do?"

There was an uproar in the hall.

Many officials were whispering to each other.

Wu Zhao remained calm, but the rhythm of her fingers tapping the armrests increased slightly.

Seeing the Empress remain silent, Pei Yan's voice became even more heated. "What's more, Chu Ning is extremely ambitious. This move is likely intentional. He wants to cause internal strife in my dynasty so he can seize the opportunity to seize the Great Zhou! Your Majesty, please think twice!"

As soon as he finished speaking, more than ten officials in the hall immediately stepped out and knelt on the ground: "We second the motion!"

"Your Majesty, this matter concerns the foundation of the country. Please be cautious!" said an old minister with white hair and beard in a trembling voice.

"The Chu State's evil ambitions are obvious. Your Majesty must not fall into their evil schemes!" another young official said fiercely.

"If Princess Xiuning is taken away, the royal bloodline of our Great Zhou will be cut off, and the country will no longer exist!"

Voices of opposition rose one after another, and in a blink of an eye, more than 30 officials knelt on the ground to plead for mercy.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense, even the charcoal fire seemed to burn more vigorously, making people sweat on their foreheads.

Wu Zhao watched all this coldly, with a barely perceptible sneer on her lips.

She had anticipated the current situation and even knew which officials would stand up to oppose it.

She glanced at the crowd and noticed that the Minister of Revenue, who was standing in the third position among the civil servants, had a pale face and his hands were shaking slightly.

Among the military generals, the Minister of War had a blank expression on his face, but his eyes flickered and he glanced in the direction of Pei Yan from time to time.

"Present the memorial." Wu Zhao finally spoke, her voice frighteningly calm.

The chief eunuch standing by immediately trotted down the stairs, took the joint memorial from Pei Yan, then quickly returned and respectfully presented it to the empress with both hands.

Wu Zhao unfolded the memorial and her eyes moved slowly over it.

The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, with only the rustling of papers turning.

As she read further, the Empress's expression grew colder, and finally she sneered, "More than thirty officials have jointly submitted a memorial. Do you think I will compromise?"

She slammed the memorial shut, a snap that echoed throughout the hall. "There is absolutely no room for compromise on my decision! Princess Xiuning's identity must be made public!"

These decisive words were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart.

Pei Yan's expression changed. He obviously didn't expect the empress to be so tough.

He subconsciously looked at Di Ying, but found that the old prime minister was looking at his nose and his nose at his heart, as if he was turning a deaf ear to everything.