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

The setting sun dyed the palace walls of Kyoto City blood red, and the footsteps of the ministers echoed with an uneasy rhythm on the bluestone slabs.

The team returning from the imperial mausoleum cast a long shadow, and the golden top of the imperial carriage in the front flickered in the afterglow, just like this unfinished conspiracy.

"I really didn't expect that!"

A minister in a purple robe wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and his official boots made a slight crackling sound as they stepped on the falling sycamore leaves.

"Old Prince Qin should have gone with Prince Fufeng when he was executed three years ago."

Before he could finish his words, his colleague beside him suddenly grabbed his jade belt, and the two imperial guards in front of him turned around while holding the hilts of their swords.

But even so, there are still officials laughing and talking:

"How could it be the old King Qin? He's almost half buried in the ground."

"Yeah, I never thought that he was the one who ordered the assassination of the retired emperor and the assassination of Your Majesty this time?"

"Alas, perhaps it's because the old Qin King's son was killed by Your Majesty, and the old Qin King holds a grudge, so he attacked the Emperor and Your Majesty."

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let others hear it."

As the ministers were talking, suppressed sobs suddenly sounded from the middle of the team.

The young official from the Ministry of Revenue was curled up in the corner of the carriage, the hem of his official uniform stained with the blood of his fellow Jinshi.

He was still haunted by the assassination attempt at the imperial mausoleum two days ago.

Zhao Yu rode his horse past the whispering officials, and the sound of armor clashing startled the crows under the eaves.

As he pulled the reins beside the imperial carriage, he found that the emperor's fingers were tapping the rhythm of an inexplicable tune on the table.

"Your Majesty, five gentlemen have died for their country, and more than a dozen have sustained varying degrees of injuries."

After two days of elimination, Zhao Yu finally calculated the losses.

"Tell the Imperial Hospital to send two kilograms of ginseng to each injured person."

Chu Ning was not surprised by this and said slowly, "As for those who died for their country, the burial objects will be prepared according to the rites for princes."

"Also, treat their families well and give them everything you can."

"Yes!" Zhao Yu responded and went downstairs to make arrangements immediately.

As the outline of Kyoto's city walls emerged in the twilight, the Minister of Justice suddenly galloped towards them on his horse.

Zhao Yu, who had already given the order, frowned upon seeing this and clenched the spear in his hand.

But at this moment, he heard the other party's tearful report: "Your Majesty, the old King of Qin... the old King of Qin bit his tongue in the prison cart!"

Chu Ning snorted coldly: "I knew he would do this, that's why I specially ordered people to keep an eye on him."

"Pass the order down, everyone come to the palace immediately. I want to personally settle this with the old King of Qin."

Half an hour later, the Taiji Hall was filled with the smell of ambergris mixed with blood.

Chu Ning took off his plain white cloak and threw it to the eunuch, revealing the Taotie pattern embroidered on the black dragon robe underneath.

The old King of Qin, chained to a wheelchair, looked like a dried-up bat, with blood clots on his gray beard peeling off with his breathing.

"Why?" Chu Ning's voice echoed under the dome.

"I consider myself to have treated you well. I even spared your life after your son attempted to collude with the Qin State to rebel and usurp the throne!"

"Why do you still want to go this far?"

The wheelchair suddenly made a harsh friction sound.

The old King of Qin pressed his broken tongue against the roof of his mouth and laughed like an owl. "You are so hypocritical! My son...died miserably!"

The incomplete words mixed with blood foam sprayed in front of the emperor.

Feng Anguo, who was standing in the first row, suddenly closed his eyes and thought of the execution ground several years ago. When Prince Fufeng was beheaded, the hot blood splattered on the street and sprayed three feet high.

Chu Ning narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, a cold expression flashing across his face. "When Chu Yang secretly mobilized his troops, did he ever consider that his actions would bring disaster to the State of Chu?"

He suddenly grabbed the jade paperweight on the table and threw it towards the steps. The beautiful Hetian jade blossomed into a bloody flower on the old King Qin's forehead.

"Colluding with the enemy to usurp the throne, according to the law, all nine generations of your clan should be executed!"

"I spared your entire family, yet you're now seeking revenge for that damned fellow. You're following in his footsteps!"

For some reason, Chu Ning felt that his temper was particularly bad today.

Perhaps because the old King Qin had once helped him, he couldn't bear to kill him.

It's a pity that the Chu royal family will lose another prince!

"The old prince is confused!"

At this moment, Liu Shouren suddenly rushed out and knelt down, his official hat rolled off, revealing his gray hair.

The veteran of three dynasties had a solemn expression on his face and said in a deep voice, "They are plotting to murder the retired emperor and also trying to assassinate Your Majesty."

"Old King Qin, you want to tear our Chu Kingdom apart and benefit other countries!"

Minister of Personnel Lü Xiuwen snorted coldly, "Old King Qin, you colluded with the people in the martial arts world to kill the retired emperor. This is a heinous crime!"

Minister of War Feng Anguo sighed deeply, then stepped forward and said, "Old King Qin, although you and I have served in the same court for decades, I cannot agree with what you have done this time."

All the ministers echoed the old King of Qin's words and disagreed with his approach.

Chu Ning's eyes swept across the civil and military officials, and similar indignation appeared on every face.

He suddenly felt very tired and didn't want to drag this matter on any longer.

"Lord Ling," Chu Ning asked coldly, "What do you think the verdict should be?"

Ling Haoran stepped out of the formation and said sternly, "Those who plotted to murder the retired emperor and assassinate His Majesty should be executed according to the law!"

"Okay." Chu Ning's voice resounded throughout the hall.

Upon hearing this, the old King of Qin suddenly jumped up, and the iron chain scraped sparks on the wheelchair: "You will be punished!"

The roar was filled with deep hatred towards Chu Ning.

His white hair was disheveled, his cloudy eyes were bloodshot, and a hoarse curse came out of his throat:

"Chu Ning! You killed my son and annihilated my clan. Although I die today, your kingdom will be punished by heaven! You will not die a good death!"

His voice was like the wailing of a ghost, echoing in the corridor outside the palace, sending chills down the spines of the ministers.

Two imperial guards held up his skinny body, and the iron chains made a harsh sound as they dragged on the ground.

The old King of Qin struggled, his skinny fingers leaving several bloody marks on the bluestone slabs, but in the end he was no match for the young and strong imperial guards.

His robe was torn, revealing his bony arms, which still bore scars from the battles of the past.

Outside the Meridian Gate, the wind was cold and the crowd was silent.

The executioner had been waiting for a long time, and the ghost-head knife in his hand shone coldly in the sunlight.

The old King of Qin was pressed on the guillotine. He looked up at the sky and suddenly let out a shrill laugh:

"Chu'er! Your father is here to accompany you!"

The knife flashed and blood splattered three feet.

The head rolled to the ground, but the eyes were still wide open, as if still cursing the emperor sitting high on the throne.

Blood flowed through the cracks in the stones and seeped into the soil, as if foreshadowing that the killing was far from over.

In the distance, a crow landed on the city wall and made a shrill cry.

Afterwards, the imperial guards came into the hall with the old King of Qin's head on a tray to report.

"Your Majesty, the old King of Qin has been executed, and his head is here!"

Chu Ning took a look at the head that was still open-eyed and snorted coldly, "Expose his body to the sun for three days!"

"Zhao Yu, lead the imperial guards and execute the entire Qin Palace!"