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

Li Bi gave the order in a deep voice through the door, his tone filled with unquestionable urgency:

"Go there immediately in person, bring my visiting card, and secretly invite Lords Wang Yu, Zhang Tao, and Zhao Ming to your residence for a chat!"

"Just tell them there's something urgent to discuss, and ask them to come immediately!"

Wang Yu, Zhang Tao, and Zhao Ming, like Li Bi, were among the former Han Dynasty officials who defected to Chu Ning early on and initially gained a certain status in the new dynasty.

They are now like grasshoppers tied to the same rope, facing the threats from the dark and the pressure from the court, and their interests are related.

When Li Fu heard the words "urgent", he was startled and did not dare to be negligent. He bowed and responded quickly:

"Yes, sir! I'll do it right away!"

After saying that, he immediately turned around and left in a hurry to make arrangements.

In the study, Li Bi sat back in his chair and waited anxiously.

Every minute and every second seems particularly long.

Sometimes he stood up and paced, sometimes he sat down in a daze. The letter he picked up and placed on the desk was like an invitation from the devil, constantly reminding him of the desperate situation he was facing.

About half an hour later, footsteps were finally heard outside the study, along with the butler's announcement:

"Master, Lord Wang, Lord Zhang, and Lord Zhao have arrived."

"Please come in!" Li Bi was cheered up and quickly stood up to greet him.

The study door was pushed open, and Wang Yu, Zhang Tao, and Zhao Ming walked in one after another.

Their faces were filled with confusion and a subtle nervousness. Obviously, Li Bi's eagerness to invite them secretly at night must mean something big has happened.

"Lord Li, what's so urgent? Could it be that His Majesty is on the eastern front..."

Wang Yu was a bit impatient and asked first, his face showing worry.

Now their lives and property depend on Chu Ning, and what they fear most is that the war on the front line will go unfavorably.

Zhang Tao and Zhao Ming also looked at Li Bi, waiting for his answer.

Li Bi did not answer immediately. He first signaled the butler to leave and strictly ordered no one to approach the study.

When the door was closed again and only the four of them were left in the room, he let out a long, heavy sigh, which was filled with endless fatigue and fear.

He walked to the desk, picked up the letter that frightened him, and with trembling fingers, handed it to Wang Yu and said in a dry voice:

"My three lords, please rest assured for now. There is no bad news on the Eastern Front, but... well, you will see for yourselves."

Inside the study, the flickering candlelight stretched and distorted the figures of the four people, casting their shadows on the wall. The atmosphere was so solemn that water could almost drip out.

Wang Yu took the letter from Li Bi and unfolded it with doubt.

When he saw the content clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted, the blood color on his face faded instantly, and the hand holding the letter began to tremble uncontrollably.

He suddenly looked up at Li Bi, his eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

"This... this is..." His voice was dry and he could hardly speak a complete sentence.

Seeing his reaction, Zhang Tao, who was standing by, became anxious. He snatched the letter away and glanced at it quickly.

The next moment, he jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on, his face flushed, his eyes wide open, and he lowered his voice and shouted:

"Asshole! Who is so bold? How dare you threaten us? You're simply courting death!"

He was a rather impulsive person, and at that moment he felt a surge of anger rushing to his head, and he wished he could immediately pull out the person who wrote the letter and tear him into pieces.

Zhao Ming was relatively calm, but after taking the letter from Zhang Tao and reading it, his face instantly became cold and his eyes became terrifyingly sinister.

He snorted coldly, his voice as cold as ice: "The ghosts are still there! A bunch of stray dogs dare to bark wildly!"

"It seems that Your Majesty was too merciful in the beginning and failed to completely eradicate these remnants of the previous dynasty!"

His words were filled with anger at his own situation and deep hatred for those hidden enemies.

Just as Zhang Tao and Zhao Ming were dominated by anger, Wang Yu had forcibly suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart.

He took a deep breath, tried to keep his voice calm, and analyzed:

"Brother Zhang, Brother Zhao, please calm down for now. The fact that this letter was delivered to Lord Li's study without anyone noticing shows that his methods are definitely extraordinary."

"Look at this seal again. Although the name is hidden, the pattern and regulations are clearly unique to the Han Dynasty royal family!"

He glanced at the other three people and said in a heavy tone, "These people must be the remnants of the Han royal family who luckily escaped the purge, or who were not originally in Chang'an City."

"Their intentions in choosing this moment to launch an attack are clear—they want to take advantage of the fact that Your Majesty is personally on the eastern front and Chang'an City is depleted of troops to stir up trouble, perhaps even plotting a restoration and retaking Chang'an!"

Li Bi sat back in his chair dejectedly, his hands weakly supporting his forehead, his voice filled with bitterness and helplessness:

"I know exactly what my brother said. They've taken advantage of Your Majesty's absence, our unstable foundation, and limited military strength, and that's why they dare to threaten us so brazenly."

"We are now in a difficult situation. I summoned the three of you here to hear your opinions. How should we respond?"

He raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and looked at the three people, waiting for their decision.

Zhang Tao heard this and slammed the table. Although he controlled the force, it still made a dull sound. He gritted his teeth and said:

"How should we respond? What's there to hesitate about? Lord Li, since we have already chosen to surrender to the Great Chu and sworn an oath before His Majesty, there is no turning back!"

"Can we still hope that these remnants of the previous dynasty will let us traitors go after they come to power? That's simply wishful thinking!"

Zhao Ming also interjected with a gloomy face. His words were even more pointed, getting straight to the heart of the matter:

"Brother Zhang is right! Even if we retreat now, according to what is said in this letter, we will pretend to obey but secretly disobey, delay the new policy, and even secretly assist them."

"But everyone, don't forget that we played an indispensable role in opening the Chang'an city gate and cooperating with the Chu army to bring about the fall of the Han Dynasty!"

"Will those Liu clan members forget such a contribution? Will they truly accept us?"

"I'm afraid that once they truly recapture Chang'an, the first thing they'll do is sacrifice our heads to set things right and vent their hatred!"

These words were like ice water poured over his head, making Li Bi shiver.

Zhao Ming pointed out the cruelest reality.

They had long been branded as Chu ministers and traitors to the Han Dynasty. In the eyes of those Han royal family members who were determined to restore the Han Dynasty, they were sworn enemies and there was no possibility of compromise.

Wang Yu took a deep breath, nodded heavily, and said in a low and firm voice:

"What Brother Zhang and Brother Zhao said is exactly the key! We have no way out."

"From the moment we opened the city gates, we completely severed ties with the old dynasty."

"Now, our only way to survive is to follow His Majesty closely and secure the throne of Great Chu."

"Any wavering or hesitation will only push ourselves and our family into an abyss of no return."