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

Inside the Linde Hall, the flickering candlelight illuminated the faces of the eight family heads, each with a different expression.

Chu Ning's words were like thunder, causing pain in everyone's eardrums.

The hall was eerily quiet for a moment; even the subtle crackling of silvery charcoal in the brazier could be heard clearly.

Cui Gaoyi's right hand unconsciously clenched the jade pendant at his waist, and blue veins bulged on the back of his hand.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and asked in a deep voice, "Your Majesty the Emperor of Chu means that I can tell you what we are going to do tonight, and you can make the decision?"

"good."

Chu Ning raised the corners of his lips slightly, and tapped the table lightly with his slender fingers: "I believe that you are all smart people, so I will speak frankly!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the crowd like a knife: "Pei Yan and more than twenty other ministers were not killed by assassins from the Tang and Han dynasties, but committed suicide in the palace, using their death to make a warning!"

"boom!"

The wine glass in the hand of Li Chong, the head of the Longxi Li family, suddenly smashed onto the table, and the amber wine splashed onto his brocade robe.

This family head, who used to guard the border for many years, exudes a powerful aura even when he is not leading the troops into battle.

His face was ashen, his eyes brimming with rage. "More than twenty important officials were forced to risk their lives to protest?"

He was very angry, but he knew that he could not vent his anger on the Emperor of Chu.

Because, on the surface, those people were not forced to death by Chu Ning.

I can only hold back this anger in my heart!

Wang Yan's fingers tapped lightly on the table, but the rhythm was a little faster than before.

The head of the Taiyuan Wang family was always known for his composure, but at this moment, a trace of horror flashed in his eyes:

"No wonder there was news in the palace that day that Lord Pei and others were assassinated..."

"The Empress is so cruel!"

Yang Yan sneered. The Hongnong Yang family has expanded its power the fastest in recent years and has interests with many ministers in the court.

He stood up suddenly, his robe cuffs gleaming coldly in the candlelight. "Your Majesty, the Emperor of Chu, are you aware that Pei Yan's daughter is the daughter-in-law of my Yang family? We, the Yang family, will take note of this!"

Chu Ning smiled indifferently and turned his gaze to Cui Gaoyi: "What do you think, Lord Cui?"

The Cui family is the leader among the eight great families. Yang Yan is just a warrior, so he doesn't take it seriously at all.

As long as Cui Gaoyi is dealt with, the others will be leaderless and naturally will not oppose him on this matter.

Cui Gaoyi forced himself to loosen the jade pendant he was holding tightly, and his palms were already clammy and cold.

He slowly stood up, the gold embroidery on his black robe gleaming dimly in the candlelight. "It seems this matter has far exceeded our expectations. Her Majesty forced so many people to death and even announced Princess Xiuning's identity. This must have been instructed by His Majesty the King of Chu, right?"

He looked directly at Chu Ning, his eyes gleaming: "Your goal is just to merge our dynasty, but this will not benefit our family."

Now that the words have been spoken, Cui Gaoyi simply tore off his disguise.

His face was gloomy, and he said in a cold voice: "My Cui family controls 70% of the salt and iron trade in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and we make a profit of 3 million taels of silver every year."

"If we merge into Chu, Chu's Hedong salt merchants will definitely erode our Cui family's foundation!"

"Mr. Cui is absolutely right!" Zheng Huan suddenly opened the folding fan in his hand and closed it with a snap.

The head of the Zheng family of Xingyang presided over Sancheng Academy, and his students and former officials were spread across the government and the country:

"For three hundred years, my Zheng family has devoted themselves to cultivating culture and education, and now controls the quota for the six major imperial examinations. If we were to merge with the State of Chu, the students of Chu would surely seize the places of my Zheng family's disciples!"

Xie An coughed lightly. The head of the Chenjun Xie family seemed gentle and refined, but his eyes flashed with a shrewd light:

"My Xie family controls the Jiangnan silk and tea trade, handling goods worth five million taels each year."

"If the Chu caravan takes this opportunity to come to our Zhou Dynasty, my Xie family's century-old foundation will be destroyed in an instant."

"Humph!"

Li Chong slammed the table and stood up, his armor clanging. "My Longxi Li family has guarded the western border for generations, commanding 30,000 border troops."

"If we merge into the State of Chu, the King of Chu will definitely send his trusted generals to take over the border, and then our Li family will lose its foothold!"

Wang Su sneered repeatedly. The Wang family of Langya controlled the horse market in the north of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the profits from the warhorse trade were astonishing:

"My Wang clan has a hundred-year alliance with the various tribes on the grasslands, and we trade 100,000 horses annually. If the Chu State wishes to get involved in the horse market, they should first ask my Wang clan's cavalry for permission!"

Xiao Hongde had remained silent until he finally spoke, his voice low and deep like thunder: "The Lanling Xiao family controls 30% of the Grand Canal's water transport, transporting 6 million dan of grain every year. If the Chu State wants a piece of the pie..."

He narrowed his eyes, slightly bent his fingers in his sleeves, and made a strangling motion.

"Enough!" Cui Gaoyi suddenly shouted, interrupting everyone's complaints.

He turned to Chu Ning and bowed deeply: "Your Majesty, it's not that we are ungrateful, but the survival of our family is related to the livelihood of millions of people."

"If His Majesty the Emperor of Chu is determined to annex the Great Zhou, he should at least provide us with a guarantee."

Chu Ning looked at everyone with interest, his fingers gently stroking the white jade wine glass: "Oh? What kind of guarantee does Mr. Cui want?"

Cui Gaoyi's eyes flashed. "First, the salt and iron monopoly must be reserved for my Cui family. Second, the Zheng family must occupy at least 40% of the imperial examination quota. Third, the border guards must be descendants of the Li family. Fourth..."

"Hahahaha!" Chu Ning suddenly laughed out loud, his laughter echoing in the hall, shaking the candlelight.

He stood up, his white brocade robe falling like water. "Mr. Cui, Mr. Cui, are you negotiating terms with me?"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

The eight family heads straightened their backs at the same time, their bodies unconsciously tensed up.

Chu Ning walked down the stairs slowly, his snow-white boots making no sound as they stepped on the scarlet carpet.

He walked up to Cui Gaoyi, the two of them only three feet apart. "Lord Cui, do you know why the noble families in Chu are so obedient to my orders?"

Cui Gaoyi's expression remained unchanged, but his Adam's apple moved slightly. "I'd like to hear more about it."

“Because they understand one thing!”

Chu Ning's voice suddenly turned cold, like an ice knife scraping across everyone's eardrums: "Those who follow me will prosper, those who oppose me will perish."

He turned and looked around at everyone: "I will give you three days to consider. After three days, you can either sign and seal your name and submit to the Great Chu."

"Or I'll just become the dust of history along with Pei Yan and the others."

After saying that, Chu Ning flicked his sleeves and strode out of the hall.

As he was about to step out of the door, he suddenly turned around, with a meaningful smile on his face:

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that most of the officials in the court support the Empress's decision. I hope you will take care of yourselves."

The palace door slammed shut, and the heads of the eight great families looked at each other, each of their faces filled with shock and anger.

Outside the window, the wind and snow became more and more violent, as if foreshadowing the coming bloody storm.