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

Under the cover of night, Los Angeles was shrouded in a sudden snowstorm. Goose-feather-like snowflakes danced wildly in the howling north wind, dyeing the entire city silver-white.

The streets were already deserted, and even the restaurants and inns that usually stayed open all night had closed their doors early. Only a few lonely lights occasionally flickered in the wind and snow, like dying fireflies.

In the dead of night when wind and snow were raging, a purple sedan was struggling to move forward against the wind and snow.

The four sedan bearers stepped deep and shallow in the snow that was over their ankles, and the white air they exhaled was torn into pieces by the cold wind as soon as it came out of their mouths.

The curtain of the sedan chair rustled in the wind, revealing a figure sitting inside - it was Cui Gaoyi who had just come out of the Xiao family.

Inside the sedan, Cui Gaoyi wrapped himself tightly in his fox fur coat, but still felt the biting cold seeping in from all directions.

His brows were furrowed, and his fingers tapped unconsciously on the inner wall of the car, making a dull sound.

What Xiao Hongde had just said in the Xiao family study was still echoing in his mind.

"Chu Ning is just bluffing. My Xiao family has been loyal to the Great Zhou for generations. How could we be shaken by his few words?"

When Xiao Hongde said this, his hawk-like sharp eyes flickered slightly, and his fingers rubbed the edge of the teacup unnaturally.

"Is it really that simple?" Cui Gaoyi sneered in his heart.

Chu Ning is as cunning as a fox. Since he was able to summon Wang Yan and Xiao Hongde alone, he must have some plan.

Now it seems that Xiao Hongde's "angry and humiliated" look in the palace was clearly a performance for the other family heads to see.

The sedan suddenly jolted, bringing Cui Gaoyi back from his thoughts.

He lifted a corner of the sedan chair curtain and saw that the wind and snow outside were even worse, and even the road was almost unrecognizable.

In such weather, he should have stayed at home to warm himself by the fire, but because of this sudden political storm, he was forced to rush around late at night.

"What benefits did Chu Ning give to Xiao Hongde?" Cui Gaoyi narrowed his eyes.

In recent years, the Xiao family's water transport business has been repeatedly suppressed. If Chu Ning uses this as bait and promises them the benefits of trade, the old fox Xiao Hongde may be tempted.

What is even more suspicious is that Xiao Hongde was very secretive about the content of the conversation just now, which is definitely not his usual style.

The heavy breathing of the sedan bearer could be heard from outside the sedan. Cui Gaoyi withdrew his thoughts and said in a deep voice, "Faster!"

In the wind and snow, the sedan chair finally arrived at the Wang family mansion.

As Cui Gaoyi got out of the sedan chair, a biting cold wind mixed with snowflakes blew in his face, making his cheeks hurt.

He subconsciously tightened his cloak, but his eyes were attracted by the two sedan chairs parked in front of the door - one was made of blue satin embroidered with gold, and the other was made of vermilion with silver outlines, which were particularly eye-catching in the snow.

"The Xie family and the Wang family of Langya?" A trace of gloom flashed in Cui Gaoyi's eyes, and he thought to himself that something was wrong.

Xie An and Wang Su arrived before him. It seemed that he was not the only one who smelled danger tonight.

Seeing that it was Cui Gaoyi himself, the Wang family's doorman hurried forward and bowed deeply, saying, "Mr. Cui has arrived late at night. I will go and inform the head of the family right away."

Cui Gaoyi raised his hand to stop them, pointed at the two sedan chairs and asked coldly, "When did Lord Xie and Lord Wang arrive?"

The doorman's forehead was covered in cold sweat, which quickly condensed into ice crystals in the cold wind. "Replying to Lord Cui, Lord Xie arrived about half a cup of tea later. Lord Wang just arrived a short time ago, and the master is entertaining guests in the living room."

Cui Gaoyi didn't wait for the doorman to finish speaking. He snorted coldly and walked inside with big strides.

He walked with heavy steps, leaving a series of deep footprints on the snow, and anger was boiling in his heart - these old foxes were quick, and it seemed that they had noticed Xiao Hongde's abnormality.

After passing through three courtyards, Cui Gaoyi heard an argument coming from the living room from afar.

He slowed down his pace, signaled the servant leading the way to step back, and stood in the corridor to listen carefully.

"Why do you have to hide it, Your Majesty? What conditions did Chu Ning give you?" This was Xie An's unique cold voice, with a bit of aggressiveness.

"Xie Gong's words are wrong. I, Wang Yan, act openly and honestly. How could I be hiding something?"

Wang Yan's voice sounded quite unhappy, but Cui Gaoyi keenly caught a hint of guilt in it.

The timing is perfect.

Cui Gaoyi straightened his clothes and walked into the living room with deliberately heavier steps.

The three people in the hall turned around when they heard the voice and saw that it was Cui Gaoyi, with different expressions on their faces.

Wang Yan was the first to react. He stood up and bowed, a smile plastered on his face. "Mr. Cui, you've come here in the snow late at night. Please take a seat! Someone, bring some hot tea!"

Cui Gaoyi looked around and saw Xie An sitting on the left, wearing a dark green brocade robe, his face as calm as an ancient well.

Wang Su on the right is wearing a crimson robe and his fingers are constantly turning the jade ring on his thumb, looking like he is worried about something.

"No need to be polite."

Cui Gaoyi walked straight to the main seat and stood still. The snow on his cloak fell down and melted into water on the warm floor.

"Since all three of you are here, I will get straight to the point."

The crackling sound of the charcoal fire in the hall made the four people's faces look gloomy and uncertain.

Cui Gaoyi looked directly at Wang Yan and spoke slowly, "Prince, tell us the truth. What benefits did the Emperor of Chu offer you to get you to support him?"

The smile on Wang Yan's face froze, and his fingers unconsciously gripped the armrest.

Seeing this, Xie An coughed lightly and said in a voice as cold as ice: "In front of Lord Cui, I believe that the prince will not deceive us, right?"

Wang Su also stood up, his jade ring gleaming coldly in the firelight. "This matter concerns the rise and fall of the eight great families of our Great Zhou Dynasty. Please tell me the truth, Your Excellency!"

Beads of sweat oozed from Wang Yan's forehead, and his eyes darted back and forth between the three people's faces.

The hall was silent for a moment, with only the wind and snow howling outside the window, as if countless wronged souls were crying.

Finally, Wang Yan sighed deeply and sat back in his chair dejectedly. "Well, the Emperor of Chu did promise that if my family supports the annexation of the Great Zhou into Chu, he would preserve our existing interests and allow our family to trade freely with the major families of Chu."

"what?"

Cui Gaoyi was furious and slammed the coffee table, making the teacups clink.

"How dare Chu Ning! He dares to so blatantly divide our eight major families!"

Xie An's eyes flashed coldly, and he slowly stood up: "Prince, have you ever thought about why Chu Ning only gave such benefits to your Wang family? How should other families deal with it?"

Wang Yan's expression shifted as he argued, "Perhaps...perhaps it's because you are so determined that the Emperor of Chu feels he can't be persuaded?"

"Bullshit!" Cui Gaoyi laughed in anger, his snow-white beard trembling.

"He's trying to defeat us one by one! He'll first win over those of you who are on the fence, and then when you switch sides, he'll uproot those of us who are still resolute. "

Wang Su's face changed drastically when he heard this, and the jade ring in his hand cracked with a "snap".

He stood up suddenly, his voice trembling, "Mr. Cui is absolutely right! Chu Ning's plan is vicious, he wants us to kill each other!"

Xie An sneered, flicked his sleeves and turned away: "Since that's the case, there's no point in saying more. Your Majesty, take care of yourself."

After saying that, he strode out, his back as resolute as a knife.

Cui Gaoyi looked at Wang Yan deeply, his eyes were as sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to see through all the secrets in the other's heart.

In the end, he just snorted coldly: "The Emperor of Chu has gone too far!"

Before he finished speaking, he turned and left, his cloak billowing behind him like a dark cloud.

Wang Su hesitated for a moment, finally bowed to Wang Yan, and hurriedly chased after him.

In a blink of an eye, Wang Yan was the only one left in the hall. Facing three untouched cups of hot tea, his face was so gloomy that water seemed to drip out of it.

Outside the window, the wind and snow were blowing harder, hitting the window frame with a "pa pa" sound, like countless tiny slaps on Wang Yan's face.

He suddenly sneered, a fierce look flashing in his eyes: "Come! Prepare the sedan chair! I want to go to the palace to see Her Majesty the Empress immediately!"

When Cui Gaoyi's sedan chair was struggling to move forward in the wind and snow again, he saw through the gap in the curtain that the Wang family's sedan chair was speeding away from another road, heading towards the imperial palace.

His heart sank, knowing that after tonight, the balance of the aristocratic families that the Great Zhou Dynasty had maintained for hundreds of years would be completely broken.

"Immediately call the elders of the clan to discuss matters after returning home."

Cui Gaoyi sternly shouted to the attendants outside the sedan chair, "Send someone to keep an eye on the Xiao family, the Xie family, and Wang Su's residence. Report any unusual activity immediately!"

In the wind and snow, the sedan bearers quickened their pace, and the purple sedan quickly disappeared into the vast snowy night.