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

The night wind howled and the thick fog gradually dissipated.

Chu Ning stared at the person in front of him, his eyes as cold as a knife, and said word by word: "It is indeed you - the emperor!"

The man was wearing a black python robe, his face was old but still majestic. He was the retired emperor Chu Huai who had abdicated for more than a year.

He stood with his hands behind his back, a sarcastic sneer on his lips, and a sinister glint in his cloudy eyes.

"why?"

Chu Ning's voice was low, yet he suppressed his rage: "You have already abdicated, and I have already made arrangements for you. Why did you still take action?"

He took a sudden step forward, his fists clenched in his sleeves, making a creaking sound. "Assassinating Sun Simiao and obstructing the treatment of Concubine Lan, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Chu Huai sneered, his skinny fingers slowly stroking the jade pendant on his waist: "Rescue Feng Mulan? What does it have to do with me?"

He suddenly raised his head, a terrifying glint in his eyes. "If I kill you, I can regain my imperial power. Is this reason enough?"

"Just for this?"

Chu Ning laughed in anger: "You would rather stir up bloodshed again and sacrifice so many lives? Even at the cost of poisoning me?

"He pointed suddenly at the "corpses" all over the ground, his voice trembling.

"So what?"

Chu Huai flicked his sleeves and sternly said, "Those who achieve great things don't care about trivial matters! Now that Zhao Ming has fallen into your hands, do I have any way out?"

When he said this, the wrinkles on his face trembled violently, and he was obviously extremely angry.

The old eunuch who had followed him for decades must be being tortured in the Ministry of Justice prison or has died at Chu Ning's hands.

Chu Ning suddenly sneered upon hearing this: "Grand Emperor, do you really think you have a sure win?"

"Hahahaha!"

Chu Huai laughed loudly, pointing his finger like a dead branch at the night sky: "Are you waiting for the city defense camp? Waiting for the Jinyiwei?

He suddenly stopped smiling and said grimly, "I have already sent assassins to intercept you. No one can save you tonight!"

As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at the shaky Zhao Yu and said, "If it weren't for this cartilage powder, Zhao Yu's martial arts skills would have really put me through a lot of trouble."

The night wind picked up a dead leaf, which swirled and fell between the two of them.

"is it?"

Chu Ning suddenly raised the corners of his lips, and this smile made Chu Huai's heart tremble. "Then your Majesty, why don't you guess why I specifically asked Ling Haoran to take Zhao Ming to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation? Why not deal with him directly in the palace?"

Chu Huai's pupils shrank suddenly, and he subconsciously took a half step back: "You...what do you mean by that?"

"Zhao Ming is your man, how could I not know?

Chu Ning pressed on, his dragon robe rustling in the wind. "From the day he pretended to obey, I have been laying this net!"

He suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "Do you think you can conceal the truth about assassinating Sun Simiao? The first person I thought of is you!"

Chu Huai's face changed drastically, and his skinny hands trembled slightly.

"But you are the emperor!"

Chu Ning suddenly slowed down his tone, but it was even more terrifying: "To touch you, I need to convince everyone in the world, so..."

He opened his arms, his eyes gleaming with brilliance: "I will use myself as bait to lure the snake out of its hole!"

"impossible!"

Chu Huai screamed, pointing at the "corpses" scattered across the ground: "You set up this trap, and you're willing to let the imperial guards die?"

"Who said they are dead?" Chu Ning suddenly clapped his hands three times.

The crisp applause was particularly harsh in the night.

The next moment, a horrifying scene appeared - the "corpses" lying all over the ground suddenly crawled up!

The imperial guards whose chests were pierced by sharp arrows tore open their torn outer robes, revealing the soft armor underneath that gleamed coldly.

Chu Huairu was struck by lightning and stumbled back several steps. The blood on his old face instantly drained away: "Hundred... Hundred-refined steel armor?!"

He suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with shock: "Have you been prepared for this?"

"good."

Chu Ning stood with his hands behind his back, the moonlight gilding him with a silver edge: "From the moment Sun Simiao was assassinated, this has been a trap."

He suddenly approached Chu Huai and said in a terrifyingly soft voice, "Does the Supreme Emperor know why Zhao Ming would rather die than confess?"

Chu Huai's Adam's apple rolled and cold sweat soaked his back.

"because……"

Chu Ning suddenly grabbed Chu Huai's wrist and whispered in his ear: "He is also using himself as bait to lure me into action!"

"So, I will take advantage of your trick!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Yu swung his spear and a hundred imperial guards surrounded him in an instant.

The night fog dissipated, and the moonlight was bright, illuminating Chu Huai's deathly pale face.

Chu Huai stared at Chu Ning with his bloodshot eyes, his skinny fingers dug deeply into his palms, his knuckles turning bluish-white.

He was trembling all over, and a beast-like growl emanated from his throat: "This is impossible! I have calculated everything, how could I possibly lose to you!"

Chu Ning stood with his hands behind his back, the golden thread on his dragon robe gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile of confidence: "If I can beat you once, I can beat you a second time, a third time, and even countless times!"

"No!"

Chu Huai suddenly jumped up, his gray beard trembled violently, and the wrinkles on his face twisted into hideous lines.

He roared hysterically: "I can't lose! How could I lose!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter revealing madness: "You are deceiving me! Even if these people still have fighting power, they are still no match for my death squad!"

He pointed at Zhao Yu and the others, his voice hoarse, "You've been poisoned by the cartilage poison and have no fighting power at all! Even if we fight, you have no chance of winning!"

Then he pointed in the direction of the distant flames: "Your city defense battalion and the Jinyiwei have also been stopped by my men. They can't get through! With the people around you, how can you possibly defeat me!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning just shook his head slightly, with a glint of pity in his eyes: "You really won't cry until you see the coffin."

He suddenly raised his voice: "Master Ling, come out!"

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the end of the street.

Ling Haoran was seen leading a team of white horse cavalry galloping over, their iron armor shining coldly in the moonlight, and in a blink of an eye they surrounded Chu Huai and others.

Ling Haoran dismounted and knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, I am late in coming to your rescue. Please forgive me!"

"Lord Ling, there's no need to be so polite." Chu Ning raised his hand to gesture, but his eyes were always fixed on Chu Huai.

Chu Huai staggered back two steps, and the color on his face instantly faded.

He looked at the cavalry that suddenly appeared in disbelief, his lips trembling: "This... How is this possible!"

Chu Ning walked forward slowly, each step seeming to step on Chu Huaixin's heart. "Since you've taken advantage of my own trick, how could I not have a backup plan?"

His voice suddenly turned cold: "Emperor, surrender!"

Chu Huai found it hard to accept the reality before him, his face gradually became ferocious, and he knew that he had no way back.

If he surrendered now, Chu Ning would imprison him for life even if he didn't kill him, and that was the last thing he wanted to see.

So, he could only give it a try!

"If you want to defeat me, then show me your true abilities!"

Chu Huai roared: "Kill them!"