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

Inside the Linde Hall, wisps of green smoke rose from the bronze beast furnace, and the rich aroma of sandalwood lingered in the hall.

The wind and snow were howling outside the palace, but it was warm as spring inside. Eight gilded palace lanterns illuminated the entire palace.

Chu Ning's words were still echoing in the hall. The heads of the eight great families looked at each other, with complicated lights flashing in each other's eyes.

Chu Ning was wearing a black dragon robe, standing with his hands behind his back, his eyes sweeping over the eight family heads present.

There was a faint smile on the corner of his mouth, as if he had already seen through the thoughts of these aristocratic families.

While everyone was silent, he flicked his sleeves, turned and left, leaving behind only his tall figure as he disappeared in the wind and snow outside the palace gate.

"boom!"

Li Chong slammed the table so hard that the fine celadon teacup jumped up, and the tea splashed onto the rosewood table, leaving a dark mark.

The head of the Longxi Li family, who came from a military background, had a face so gloomy that water could drip out of it, and his thick eyebrows were almost twisted into a ball.

"He thinks he can convince us with just a few words? He's dreaming!" Li Chong's voice was like a muffled thunder, exploding in the hall.

His thick fingers clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the exertion. "How dare a foreign king be so arrogant in my Great Zhou Palace!"

Cui Gaoyi frowned when he heard this, and his slender fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.

He looked around and lowered his voice, "Lord Li, be careful with your words! I don't know how many spies the Empress has in this Linde Palace. Be careful, there are ears."

Li Chong sneered, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes: "Why should I be afraid of him? This is the Great Zhou Palace, not the territory of his Chu State!"

He stood up suddenly, his burly figure casting a huge shadow in the candlelight: "Who is Chu Ning? He is just an upstart who rose to prominence by taking advantage of the chaos!"

Cui Gaoyi, the head of the Qinghe Cui family, sighed and reached out to hold Li Chong's arm.

He could feel the tension in the other person's muscles, as if he was a beast that could explode at any moment.

Cui Gaoyi glanced at the other family heads and saw that their expressions were different, some looked worried, while others had calculating glints in their eyes.

"Mr. Li, calm down."

Cui Gaoyi spoke gently, dipped his finger in the tea on the table, wrote the words "be careful with your words", and quickly erased them.

"It's not advisable to stay here for long. Let's leave the palace first and make further plans."

The wind and snow outside the hall became more and more violent. The strong wind carried snowflakes and hit the carved window frames, making a "pa pa" sound.

The eight family heads stood up one after another, and the servants hurried forward to put heavy cloaks on them.

Li Chong's cloak was made of the finest black sable fur, which shone with a glossy luster under the candlelight, complementing his gloomy expression.

Just as everyone was about to step out of the Linde Hall, a eunuch in crimson-purple official uniform appeared silently in front of the hall door and blocked their way.

The eunuch had a pale complexion, his eyebrows drooped, but his voice was remarkably clear: "The Emperor of Chu has ordered that Patriarch Wang meet alone."

This sudden summons made the seven family heads stop in their tracks at the same time, and they all looked at Wang Yan.

Wang Yan, the head of the Taiyuan Wang family, was thin and had an elegant face, but his expression changed slightly at this sudden summons.

"Do you know why His Majesty the Emperor of Chu wants to see me?" Wang Yan's voice was soft, but it carried an authority that could not be ignored.

The eunuch still lowered his eyes and simply extended his hand to make a "please" gesture: "His Majesty the Emperor of Chu only ordered that Master Wang be brought over, and he said nothing else."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became subtle.

A hint of vigilance flashed in Li Chong's eyes, while Cui Gaoyi stroked his beard thoughtfully.

The other family heads exchanged glances, obviously guessing Chu Ning's intention of summoning Wang Yan alone.

Wang Yan took a deep breath and looked around at everyone: "Don't worry, everyone. I'll go and find out what's going on. If you're worried, you can wait here for a while."

After saying this, he followed the eunuch into the wind and snow without waiting for anyone's response.

After passing through several corridors, the eunuch led Wang Yan to a secluded side hall.

Unlike the magnificent Linde Hall, this side hall is decorated very elegantly.

Dozens of red candles were lit in the hall, and the candlelight swayed in the cold wind, stretching the human shadows longer and shorter.

The bronze stove in the center was burning brightly, making popping sounds from time to time, dispelling the winter chill.

The Chu Emperor, Chu Ning, was standing with his back to the palace door, warming his hands above the fire.

Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around. The candlelight cast shadows of varying shades on his angular face, making his eyes seem even more unfathomable.

"Patriarch Wang is here."

Chu Ning's voice was gentle, yet filled with irresistible authority: "Please sit down."

Wang Yan stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Greetings to His Majesty the Emperor of Chu."

He carefully chose a seat that was neither too far nor too close and sat down, his hands resting naturally on his knees, but he was secretly tense.

Chu Ning signaled the attendants to leave and personally poured a cup of hot tea for Wang Yan.

The aroma of tea is particularly refreshing on a cold winter night.

"Master Wang, I have heard of you."

Chu Ning got straight to the point: "The Taiyuan Wang family's cloth business is spread all over the Great Zhou, and even within the territory of our Chu State, you have a business."

Wang Yan's heart tightened, but he remained expressionless. "Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. My Wang family has weathered hundreds of years of hardship and only relied on this cloth business to survive."

He took a sip of tea and took the opportunity to observe Chu Ning's expression.

Chu Ning chuckled softly, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table. "If the Great Zhou Dynasty is annexed by the Chu State, I will not only allow you to continue running the cloth business here, but I will also open up the silk and satin market within the Chu State, allowing the Wang family to trade freely with Chu merchants."

He paused, a gleam in his eyes: "We can even give the Wang family exclusive operating rights within the territory of Chu."

These words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand waves in Wang Yan's heart.

As the head of a merchant family, he knew very well what exclusive operating rights meant.

That would be untold wealth and immeasurable family influence.

Wang Yan's fingers unconsciously stroked the edge of the teacup, and his mind quickly weighed the pros and cons.

Under the candlelight, beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, but it was not because of the temperature in the hall.

"Your Majesty the Emperor of Chu, are you..." Wang Yan said with difficulty, his voice a little dry: "Are you trying to divide the eight of us?"

A hint of admiration flashed in Chu Ning's eyes: "Master Wang is indeed smart."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the falling snow. "But I'm not asking you to make a choice right away. Profit and loyalty are the most difficult things to balance."

Wang Yan smiled bitterly, and when he put down the teacup, he found that his hands were shaking slightly.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance, and it is difficult for me to make the decision alone."

"It's natural."

Chu Ning turned around, and the candlelight formed a hazy halo behind him, making it impossible to see his expression.

"I'll give you three days to consider. I hope that by then, Patriarch Wang can give me a satisfactory answer."

This is clearly an ultimatum.

Wang Yan felt suffocated, as if an invisible pressure was enveloping him. He slowly stood up and bowed respectfully:

"Mr. Wang is leaving."

Just as Wang Yan turned to leave, Chu Ning suddenly spoke again: "By the way, Patriarch Wang, do you know why I approached you first and not the other patriarchs?"

Wang Yan paused, but did not turn back: "Your Majesty, please explain clearly."

"Because businessmen are best at weighing the pros and cons."

Chu Ning's voice was full of meaning: "And the Wang family is the most merchant-like of the eight great families."

Wang Yan's shoulders trembled slightly, and then he strode out of the side hall.

The wind and snow immediately hit him in the face, and the cold air made his fevered head a little clearer.

Only then did he realize that his back was soaked with cold sweat.

When Wang Yan's figure disappeared in the wind and snow, a graceful figure appeared from behind the screen in the side hall.

Empress Wu Zetian wore a plain white long dress, her features were picturesque, yet she looked a bit worried.

"Will your plan work?"

Wu Zhao walked over to Chu Ning and looked in the direction Wang Yan left. "Such an obvious divisive tactic, and he has seen through your intentions."

Chu Ning reached out and caught a snowflake that drifted into the palace, watching it quickly melt in his palm. "Your Majesty, do you know why snowflakes melt immediately when they land in your palm?"

Wu Zhao shook her head in confusion.

"Because the temperature of the palm is much higher than the snowflakes can withstand."

Chu Ning said meaningfully: "By the same token, businessmen can never remain calm in the face of sufficient interests."

He turned and stared into Wu Zhao's eyes: "In three days, you will see that the Wang family of Taiyuan will be the first to approach us."

Wu Zhao wanted to say something, but Chu Ning gently pressed her lips: "Believe me, I have seen the next ten moves in this game."

Outside the hall, the wind and snow grew stronger, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.