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

The night was as dark as ink, and the falling snow dyed the entire palace white.

In the plum forest outside Fengyi Palace, the accumulated snow bent the branches, and occasionally a red plum blossom peeked out from the snow, looking particularly charming under the moonlight.

Chu Ning and Wu Zhao stood side by side in the corridor, with palace maids behind them holding gilded heaters, steam rising from them.

"The snow is getting heavier and heavier." Chu Ning reached out to catch a snowflake, watching it turn into water droplets in his palm.

He changed into a moon-white brocade robe today, and the jade belt around his waist shone with a warm luster under the reflection of the snow.

Wu Zhao gathered her fox fur coat in a tighter position, the white mist from her breath swirling before her eyes. "I remember it snowed just like this seven years ago..."

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly stopped, and a complex look flashed in her amber eyes.

Chu Ning understood and gently held her cold fingers: "Seven years ago, you and I were enemies."

The two smiled at each other, and the past memories floated down in their hearts like snowflakes flying all over the sky.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard in the distance.

Zhao Yu came walking on the snow, with a thin layer of snow covering his silver armor, and a secret letter engraved with wax in his hand.

"Your Majesty! The Imperial Guards have sent a pigeon with urgent military information!"

Chu Ning raised his eyebrows and took the letter.

He spread out the letter with his fingertips and read it carefully under the palace lantern. Suddenly, he laughed out loud, and the sound of his laughter made the accumulated snow in the plum forest fall down.

"Great! What a great Huo Quji!"

Chu Ning handed the letter to Wu Zhao: "My army has trapped him in Dongwu City for half a month. With no food or supplies, we have no choice but to ask for help from the Tang army."

Wu Zetian took the letter and saw that it was covered with tiny calligraphy.

She quickly glanced at it, and the corners of her lips unconsciously raised: "Li Ji really fell into the trap."

"Not bad!"

Chu Ning stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes gleaming. "I ordered Guan Yun to feign defeat and let the Tang reinforcements pass. However, he set an ambush in the Black Water Valley, causing the Tang army to lose two thousand men and retreat back to the border in disgrace."

He pointed to the end of the letter and said, "Even better, my thirteenth brother took the opportunity to raid the Han army camp in Maple Leaf City and beheaded over ten thousand people."

"Huo Quji broke through the siege overnight, and only 20,000 of the 50,000-man army escaped back to Han territory."

Wu Zhao brought the letter close to the flame, and the flames instantly engulfed the secret report.

She pondered, "Li Ji is taking this opportunity to avenge the Han army's earlier concealment of its troop strength."

"Exactly."

Chu Ning brushed off the falling snow from his shoulders and said, "After this battle, the territory of Wei will be at peace until at least after the Lantern Festival."

He turned to Zhao Yu, his expression solemn. "Pass on my order. All armies shall rest and recuperate on the spot, but they shall strengthen their scouts and keep a close eye on the Tang army's movements. I have also ordered Jia Yu to send additional Jinyiwei to monitor the movements of the two countries."

"I obey your command!" Zhao Yu clasped his fists and retreated, his iron boots leaving deep footprints on the snow.

When the footsteps faded away, Wu Zhao sighed softly, "The invitations to the eight family heads have been sent out. A banquet will be held in Linde Hall at twilight hour tomorrow."

Chu Ning played with the jade pendant on his waist, confident in his thoughts: "They will definitely come. Merchants value profit, so how could they miss the opportunity to bargain with the emperor?"

At the same time, in an unnamed valley thirty miles away from Luocheng, the north wind howled through the pine forest.

Dozens of cowhide tents are hidden among the cedars. If you don't look closely, they almost blend into the mountains and forests.

In the large tent in the middle, eight rosewood desks were arranged in a circle, and before each desk sat a person of extraordinary bearing.

Cui Gaoyi, the head of the Qinghe Cui family, sat at the head. This sixty-year-old man had white hair and beard, and a scar between his eyebrows looked particularly hideous in the candlelight.

The iron ball in his hand turned, making a dull collision sound.

"Have you all received the news?"

Cui Gaoyi's voice was hoarse: "Pei Yan and the others didn't die at the hands of assassins, but were killed by the Empress!"

There was dead silence in the tent.

The teacup in the hand of Wang Yan, the head of the Taiyuan Wang family, trembled slightly, and a few drops of tea splashed onto his brocade robe.

The head of the family, who was famous for his calligraphy, looked pale at this moment, and his straight back seemed to be hunched a little.

"What's even more terrifying is..."

Xiao Hongde, the head of the Lanling Xiao family, suddenly slammed the table and stood up: "The Empress wants to publicly acknowledge that Princess Xiuning is of Chu Ning's bloodline! What does this mean? It means that the Great Zhou will be incorporated into the Chu Kingdom sooner or later!"

The candlelight swayed violently, casting distorted shadows of everyone on the tent wall.

Xie An, the head of the Chenjun Xie family, had been resting with his eyes closed, but suddenly opened them: "If our dynasty is annexed by the Chu State, it will be very disadvantageous to us."

"Our salt and iron monopoly will be nationalized!" Zheng Huan, the head of the Xingyang Zheng family, gritted his teeth.

His fat fingers crushed the walnut, and the crumbs fell to the ground.

Li Chong, the head of the Zhaojun Li family, who had been silent until then, suddenly sneered: "Don't forget, everyone, a few years ago, when the Chu State reformed, all the land of the aristocratic families was confiscated!"

This sentence is like a piece of ice thrown into boiling oil.

The tent was in an uproar, and several family heads slammed the table and cursed.

Only Wang Su, the head of the Wang family of Langya, remained seated, gently waving a folding fan in his hand, as if remaining out of the matter.

"Why doesn't Lord Su say anything?" Cui Gaoyi narrowed his eyes.

Wang Su slammed his folding fan shut. "Master Cui, why don't you be frank? What is your purpose in summoning us?"

The tent became quiet again.

Cui Gaoyi slowly stood up, took out a sheepskin map from his arms and spread it on the table.

When everyone got closer to take a look, they found it was actually a defense map of Los Angeles City!

"Entering the palace tomorrow will be extremely dangerous."

Cui Gaoyi's skinny fingers traced the map. "I have ordered my assassins to lurk within the city, ready to capture the four gates at any time."

He pointed to the west gate of the imperial palace and said, "The commander here is a disciple of my Cui family. He can serve as an internal supporter."

Yang Yan, the head of the Hongnong Yang family, gasped: "Is Elder Cui planning to use military force to persuade him?"

"No."

Cui Gaoyi smiled sinisterly: "It's just to let the Queen know that the eight great families are not civil servants like Pei Yan who can be slaughtered at will!"

In the candlelight, eight old or majestic faces flickered.

In the end, seven hands pressed on the map one after another and overlapped with Cui Gaoyi's hand.

"I would like to follow Mr. Cui!"

The wind and snow outside the tent became more severe.

At this moment, on the corner tower of the imperial palace, Chu Ning leaned on the railing and looked into the distance.

In the wind and snow, his gaze seemed to penetrate a distance of thirty miles and reach the valley where the conspiracy was hidden.

Wu Zhao, standing by, suddenly smiled and said, "I just received news that Cui Cheng, the commander of the west gate, has indeed made unusual movements, and there are also signs of personnel movements within the city."

Chu Ning raised the corner of his lips slightly: "I wonder how Her Majesty the Empress plans to respond?"

Wu Zhao chuckled and said, "Continue to monitor them, especially their communication with the palace. The rest will be left to you, Your Majesty the Emperor of Chu."

In the light, the flower ornament on her forehead was glaring red.

Chu Ning laughed: "It seems that you are very confident about this operation."

After a pause, he asked again, "Is everything arranged?"

After receiving Wu Zhao's affirmative answer, Chu Ning put his arm around her slender waist and said, "Tomorrow in Linde Palace, I will let them know what the wrath of an emperor is."

Wu Zhao sighed deeply, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes: "I hope tomorrow's result will be as I expected."

The wind and snow became more severe.

In Luocheng before the Lantern Festival, undercurrents were surging beneath the snow.