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

Inside the Golden Palace, Chu Ning was already sitting on the dragon throne, his face as gloomy as water.

Wu Zhao and Shen Wanying sat on both sides, one solemn and the other worried.

The ministers filed in according to their rank and knelt in obeisance.

When they looked up, they found that the emperor's face was three times gloomier than the weather outside.

The air in the hall seemed to freeze, and even breathing became cautious.

"Everyone loves you."

Chu Ning's voice was not loud, but everyone could hear it clearly: "I believe you have heard the rumors in the city."

The ministers exchanged glances, but no one dared to speak first.

Finally, Liu Shouren stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask you, the Emperor..."

Chu Ning's gaze shot out like a sharp sword: "The Emperor has indeed passed away."

He slowly stood up, the golden threads on his dragon robe flickering in the candlelight. "But he didn't die of illness. He was assassinated in the Qingshan Forest."

There was an uproar in the hall.

Some ministers were so shocked that they fell to the ground, some covered their chests, and some even fainted.

The palace maids and eunuchs hurried forward to support him.

"quiet!"

Chu Ning shouted loudly, and the hall immediately fell silent. Only a few frightened ministers were still trembling slightly.

"I have summoned you all today to investigate this matter."

Chu Ning's eyes swept over everyone: "I want to know who was so bold as to attack the retired emperor! And who spread the news throughout the city on the first day I returned to the palace!"

His voice grew colder and colder, until it was practically squeezed out from between his teeth: "This is a provocation to me and a contempt for the imperial court!"

Outside the hall, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening thunder.

Torrential rain poured down, hitting the glazed tiles of the Golden Throne Hall, as if even heaven was cheering for the coming storm.

Liu Shouren was the first to stand up and express his opinion. His old body trembled slightly, but he still stood straight and bowed:

"Your Majesty, the truth of this matter must be ascertained as soon as possible! The Emperor, of such noble status, has met with disaster outside Kyoto. This is a great shame for the nation!"

The Minister of War, Feng Anguo, who had already rushed back, stepped out next, his armor clanging. "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the Imperial Guards to conduct a thorough search of the entire area within a hundred miles of Kyoto. We will definitely bring down that daring individual!"

"Old minister seconded the proposal!"

Minister of Personnel Lü Xiuwen knelt down with a serious expression, his forehead touching the ground. "This matter concerns the national system. If it is not thoroughly investigated, I am afraid that people all over the world will be uneasy!"

Censor Zhou Zhengqing suddenly kowtowed heavily, his jade tablet clattering against the golden bricks. "Your Majesty, I request that anyone who knows of this and fails to report it be treated as an accomplice!"

Zhang Mingyuan, the Minister of Works, choked up with tears and said, "I remember the kindness of the retired emperor in building water conservancy projects. I beg Your Majesty to do justice for the retired emperor!"

Chu Ning's face was gloomy, and his fingers tapped out a dull rhythm on the armrests of the dragon throne. Suddenly, he slammed the table and stood up:

"We must investigate. I have already ordered Ling Haoran, the Minister of Justice, to look into this matter."

Everyone was shocked when they heard this, and they all looked towards the fourth row of civil servants where Ling Haoran usually stood - it was empty.

Several ministers exchanged looks of surprise and doubt, and the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice turned pale with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

At this time, Chu Ning suddenly walked down the steps. His black dragon boots stepped silently on the scarlet carpet, but made the ministers hold their breath unconsciously.

He stopped beside the bronze crane incense burner in the center of the hall. The green smoke curling from the burner made his stern face look even colder.

"Since the other party dared to kill the emperor outside Kyoto,"

Chu Ning suddenly reached out and extinguished a wisp of rising green smoke: "This shows that the other party's power has reached a level that even I am wary of, so they are so unscrupulous!"

He turned abruptly, his dragon robe billowing like a dark cloud pressing down on his head. "My Lords, if you know any clues, you'd better speak up."

His hawk-like eyes swept across the faces of the ministers one by one, lingering for a moment on a few elderly ministers.

The temperature in the hall seemed to drop suddenly.

The Right Vice Minister of Rites' legs went weak and he almost fell to his knees. His colleagues secretly supported him. The Chief Justice of the Dali Temple's beard trembled slightly, and even the usually calm Grand Secretary of the Cabinet quietly clenched his fists in his sleeves.

"His Majesty!"

The Minister of Works suddenly fell to his knees and banged his forehead heavily on the ground. "I am willing to guarantee with my own head that the Ministry of Works has no second thoughts!"

"This matter must be thoroughly investigated, otherwise the world will surely laugh at our dynasty!"

"Master Wang is absolutely right!"

The Left Censor-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Censorate immediately followed, waving his jade scepter in indignation. "If anyone dared to attack the retired emperor today, they will surely attack Your Majesty in the future! This trend must not be allowed to continue!"

A sneer rang out from the corner, and a general stepped forward, his sword drawn. "Such audacious individuals deserve to have their property confiscated and their clan exterminated! Your Majesty, I beg you to close the nine gates and conduct a house-to-house search!"

All the ministers knelt down to express their opinions, and the voices were louder and louder.

Chu Ning watched coldly and noticed that although several important officials also knelt down, the corners of their mouths were tense.

He suddenly raised his hand, and the noise in the hall immediately stopped.

"Since all the gentlemen agree that an investigation should be conducted."

Chu Ning slowly walked back to the dragon throne, his fingertips tracing the gilded armrests: "Then let's start investigating you all."

Before he finished speaking, the sound of armor clashing suddenly came from outside the palace - through the open palace door, it could be seen that two teams of Jinyiwei had blocked the entrance and exit of the palace.

"Starting today, the Imperial Guards will go to your homes to investigate!"

Chu Ning's voice suddenly softened, but it was as chilling as a blunt knife cutting flesh: "Please cooperate, if you don't..."

He suddenly grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it against the palace pillar, sending shards flying everywhere. "Then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Several elderly ministers began to tremble violently.

Only then did they understand that the young emperor wanted to take the opportunity to purge the court.

"Your servants...are willing to cooperate with the investigation!"

Liu Shouren was the first to fall to the ground, his voice hoarse.

The other ministers woke up as if from a dream, and they all bowed their heads to the ground. Suddenly, a dull sound of kowtows could be heard in the hall.

Chu Ning narrowed his eyes and looked at the group of bowed backs. A sneer appeared on the corner of his lips: "Very good, since all the adults agree, this matter is settled!"

The atmosphere in the hall calmed down a bit, but Chu Ning suddenly turned to the Minister of Rites, Deng Hongwen, and asked, "Sir Deng, how is the matter of the canonization of the Vice Empress and Princess Xiuning being handled?"

Deng Hongwen hurriedly stepped out, nearly dropping the jade tablet in his hand. "Your Majesty, everything has been almost completed. We are just waiting for officials from all over the country to arrive before we can hold the ceremony."

He stole a glance at the emperor's face and added, "The Ministry of Rites has even prepared the phoenix coronet and bridal robe."

"The canonization is put aside."

Chu Ning waved his hand, interrupting him: "Hold the funeral of the retired emperor first."

He glanced at the dark sky outside the palace and said, "Since officials from all over the country will be arriving soon, this will save a lot of time."

Deng Hongwen frowned slightly and asked cautiously, "When does Your Majesty plan to hold the funeral? According to ancestral customs, the remains of royal family members should remain for twenty-one days."

"Seven days later!"

Chu Ning interrupted him decisively. Seeing Deng Hongwen was still trying to argue, his eyes suddenly turned stern: "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures!"

Deng Hongwen's face straightened: "I understand! I will order people to prepare it right away!"

After saying that, he immediately turned around and left.

Chu Ning stood up and waved his sleeves: "Dismiss the court!"

Following the eunuchs' shrill chorus, all the ministers knelt down and took their leave as if they had been pardoned.

Several ministers' legs became so weak that they needed the support of their attendants as soon as they walked out of the palace, and even more people were pale and their heavy clothes were soaked with sweat.

Outside the palace, the rainstorm had just stopped, but the dark clouds were still hanging overhead.

Chu Ning stood on the high steps and watched the ministers leave in a hurry, with a cold light flashing in his eyes!