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

When Wang Yan came out of the side hall, the wind and snow had intensified.

The goose-feather-like snowflakes glowed coldly under the light of palace lanterns, like countless silver butterflies dancing wildly in the dark night.

His boots made a crunching sound as they stepped on the snow, and every step seemed to be stepping on his heart.

From a distance, he saw Cui Gaoyi and seven others standing under the eaves outside the Linde Hall waiting.

The seven figures appeared particularly solemn in the wind and snow, like an invisible wall.

"Wang Yan!"

Li Chong's loud voice pierced through the wind and snow. The head of the Li family rushed forward in two steps, his heavy mink coat fluttering in the wind.

"What did the Emperor of Chu say to you?"

Wang Yan paused slightly.

He looked up at Li Chong's face, which was red from the cold wind, and his eyes, which were as big as copper bells.

The other six family heads also gathered around, their expressions murky and unclear under the swaying palace lanterns.

Wang Yan's Adam's apple rolled.

Tell the truth? No, absolutely not.

The conditions offered by Chu Ning are too tempting!

These conditions are enough to make the Wang family the number one merchant family in the Great Zhou in the next few decades.

But once it is revealed, these seven old foxes will immediately tear the Wang family into pieces.

"Oh..." Wang Yan sighed, and the wrinkles on his face appeared deeper under the light.

He deliberately gave a bitter smile: "The Emperor of Chu thinks I am soft-hearted and wants me to persuade you to agree to his request."

He spread his hands and acted helpless: "But I refused on the spot."

The wind howled, blowing up snow particles from the ground and hitting everyone in the face.

Cui Gaoyi's eyes narrowed slightly, like two sharp knives.

The head of the Qinghe Cui family has always been known for his wisdom and strategy. At this moment, he was looking Wang Yan up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Is this true?" Li Chong's thick eyebrows were raised, and his rough big hands were already pressing on the hilt of the knife at his waist.

The shadow behind him twisted and deformed on the palace wall, like a beast ready to pounce.

Wang Yan's heart tightened, but his expression changed color: "If Lord Li doesn't believe it, you can go ask the Emperor of Chu yourself!"

He swung his sleeves suddenly, and the wide sleeves drew a sharp arc in the wind and snow.

"Although my Wang family is not as powerful as the Li family, we cannot tolerate such questioning!"

After saying this, he turned around and walked away with big strides, his cloak billowing like clouds behind him.

A series of deep footprints were left on the snow, which were soon covered by new snow.

The seven family heads stood where they were, letting the wind and snow whip at their robes.

The palace lanterns in the distance swayed in the wind, lengthening and shortening their shadows, just like their wavering minds at the moment.

"Mr. Cui!"

Li Chong turned to look at Cui Gaoyi, his beard covered in ice. "Do you believe what he said?"

Cui Gaoyi did not answer immediately.

He stretched out his slender fingers, caught a snowflake, and watched it slowly melt in his palm.

"Believe it or not," he finally spoke, his voice colder than the wind and snow, "at least we can't turn against him now."

Zheng Huan, the head of the Xingyang Zheng family, coughed lightly and said, "Chu Ning is trying to defeat them one by one. First, find the weakest one, Wang Yan, and then find the others?"

"No!"

Cui Gaoyi suddenly interrupted him, a gleam in his eyes: "He went to Wang Yan precisely because the Wang family is the most difficult bone to chew."

Seeing everyone's confusion, he sneered and said, "The Wang family of Taiyuan controls 60% of the cloth trade in the north. If we can subdue the Wang family, it will be like strangling our lifeline."

Everyone's expression changed when they heard this.

The head of the Cui family in Boling suddenly clenched the copper stove in his hand, and the stove made a creaking sound.

"Then let's do it now..." Before the head of the Fanyang Lu family finished speaking, a eunuch came walking on the snow.

The eunuch was dressed in crimson palace attire, had a pale face and no beard, and looked like a ghost in the snow.

"Lord Xiao~" The eunuch bowed and said in a shrill voice, "His Majesty the Emperor of Chu invites you to come over."

The seven people changed color at the same time.

Xiao Hongde—the head of the Lanling Xiao family, a business tycoon who made his fortune in grain transport—twitched noticeably on his face.

He subconsciously looked at Cui Gaoyi, who was looking at him with a complicated look.

"What is the Emperor of Chu planning to do?" Li Chong chuckled in anger, "Call them off one by one so we can become suspicious of each other?"

Xiao Hongde took a deep breath, and the cold air stung his lungs.

He thought of Wang Yan's abnormal behavior just now, and also thought of the Xiao family's investment in water transportation over the years. A terrible guess formed in his mind.

"Now that you know his purpose!"

Cui Gaoyi suddenly spoke, his voice frighteningly calm: "Why not take advantage of their own strategy?"

He walked up to Xiao Hongde and patted him on the shoulder gently: "Mr. Xiao, we all believe in you."

These words were like a blunt knife, slowly piercing Xiao Hongde's heart.

He understood Cui Gaoyi's subtext: If you dare to betray, the eight great families will make you live a life worse than death.

"It's natural."

Xiao Hongde straightened his back, snowflakes falling on his gray eyebrows: "The eight great families have always been of the same blood."

After saying this, he followed the eunuch to the side hall, his back looking unusually thin in the wind and snow.

In the side hall, the fire was burning brightly.

Chu Ning stood alone in front of the window, looking at the falling snow.

Hearing the footsteps, he said without turning his head: "Do you know why I am looking for you second?"

Xiao Hongde's heart trembled. He forced himself to remain calm and saluted, "I pay my respects to His Majesty the Emperor of Chu. I am an unknown person."

Chu Ning turned around, and the candlelight danced on his handsome face.

He casually picked up a memorial from the table and said, "Last year, seven of your Xiao family's grain transport fleet capsized in the Yellow River, resulting in the loss of 300,000 dan of grain, right?"

Xiao Hongde's pupils suddenly shrank.

This matter is extremely secretive, even the other seven great families don’t know the exact number!

"If the Great Zhou were to be annexed by the Chu State!"

Chu Ning's voice suddenly became extremely seductive: "I will build a new canal from the Great Zhou to the Chu State."

He walked up to Xiao Hongde and said condescendingly, "I'm looking for someone to take charge of this section of the canal!"

Xiao Hongde's hands began to tremble.

A new canal! That’s the dream of three generations of the Xiao family!

With it, the Xiao family will be able to monopolize the north-south water transportation, and their wealth will increase tenfold!

"Your Majesty the Emperor of Chu!" he asked in a dry voice. "Did you make a similar promise to Wang Yan just now?"

Chu Ning smiled but didn't answer. He just patted his shoulder gently and said, "I'll give you three days to think about it."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the inner room, leaving Xiao Hongde alone there, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

When Xiao Hongde returned to the crowd, his face was paler than snow.

Six pairs of eyes were fixed on him, like seven unsheathed swords.

"Mr. Xiao?" Cui Gaoyi asked softly, his voice frighteningly gentle.

Xiao Hongde opened his mouth and suddenly remembered Wang Yan's performance just now.

He has to do better.

"Everyone!"

He suppressed his pounding heart: "Chu Ning wants me to betray you!"

He paused deliberately, and seeing everyone's tense expressions, he suddenly raised his voice: "But I rejected it on the spot!"

The snow is falling even heavier.