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

The destruction of Zhao State caught everyone by surprise.

And with Chu Ning's deliberate arrangement, the news was quickly spread.

Although Liu Che did not make any comment on this, he was already wary in his heart and even had the intention to kill Chu Ning.

If we let such a powerful person leave, we would be letting a tiger return to the mountains.

It would be best to get rid of it in Chang'an City.

Of course, it would be best for the Han Dynasty not to take action itself, otherwise it would trigger a dispute between the Chu State and the Han Dynasty.

Fortunately, Liu Che received news that the Wei Dynasty had sent people over, so he only had to sit back and watch the fight!

At the same time, many people in the city learned about this and suddenly had different ideas in their minds.

Two hours after Chu Ning spread the news, the villa welcomed its first guest.

Courtyard, living room.

Li Shiming, the second prince of the Tang Dynasty, stood in the hall with his hands behind his back, a pensive look on his handsome face.

At this time, footsteps were heard in the side hall, and Chu Ning's voice came: "The Second Prince is a rare guest~"

As he spoke, Chu Ning appeared in front of Li Shiming.

Li Shiming put away his pensive look, put on a smiling face, and saluted: "The King of Chu's troops destroyed the State of Zhao. I came here specially to congratulate you."

Congratulations?

Could this guy be so kind?

Chu Ning rolled his eyes, pretending to be indifferent, and said with a smile: "It's just a small matter, why congratulate me?"

"The capital of Zhao has been besieged by my troops for more than half a year. It is only a matter of time before we capture it."

He looked Li Shiming up and down and chuckled, "The Second Prince is here this time, maybe he has another purpose?"

He didn't believe that someone like Li Shiming would come to him for no reason.

What's more, he came to visit in person after learning that the State of Zhao had been destroyed.

Li Shiming was not in a hurry. He shook his head and chuckled: "Your Highness the Prince of Chu is really quick to speak. In that case, I will not waste words."

His face straightened and he said in a deep voice: "The King of Chu conquered Zhao State, so he probably didn't want your brothers to have a share, right?"

It was actually aimed at Zhao State!

Chu Ning narrowed his eyes, and a hint of coldness flashed across his face: "What does the Second Prince mean by this?"

A solemn expression appeared on Li Shiming's handsome face. "Let's not beat around the bush in front of others. I think the capture of Zhao is not a good thing for His Royal Highness the King of Chu."

"Such a vast territory, with so many cities, how can you defend it with only 100,000 soldiers and horses?"

"Besides, His Royal Highness the King of Chu has many brothers, and I'm sure they will also keep their eyes on the State of Zhao."

"There are rifts between brothers at home, and other dynasties are eyeing you covetously. And you are not in charge of the Great Chu Dynasty. How can you not be remembered by others?"

When this person appeared, Chu Ning fell silent.

Although I don't want to admit it, I have to say that what Li Shiming said is indeed the truth.

It seems that Li Shiming came prepared today.

Thinking of this, Chu Ning took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

When dealing with people like Li Shiming, don't act too hastily.

If you don't know the other person's purpose, you can't follow the other person's topic.

Chu Ning suddenly grinned: "This seems to be my business, and has nothing to do with the Second Prince, right?"

"The Second Prince cares so much about me, what are his plans?"

Showing goodwill for no reason and coming over in person to remind him was not Li Shiming's style.

Seeing that Chu Ning was not fooled, Li Shiming also realized that Chu Ning was difficult to deal with.

Li Shiming pursed his lips, narrowed his eyes, and said in a deep voice: "This matter has nothing to do with me, but it is related to the deal I will make with King Chu!"

"Oh? Deal?"

Chu Ning laughed: "I like doing business the most, but I'm sure you know my character, Second Prince. It has to be good for me."

Since it's a deal, he won't do anything without benefits.

"It's natural!"

Li Shiming's face was full of sternness, his eyes were like eagles, and he said in a deep voice: "This deal that I made with the King of Chu will definitely benefit you a lot!"

"Tell me about it!" Chu Ning became interested and gestured to Li Shiming to sit down.

"Someone, serve tea!"

After talking for a long time, he didn't even serve tea.

If Li Shiming hadn't come here for a deal, he wouldn't even have planned to serve tea to them.

Soon, the maid brought two cups of hot tea, and the aroma of tea filled the whole room.

Chu Ning was not in a hurry. He held the teacup and drank slowly.

Anyway, it was Li Shiming who came to him on his own initiative. Even if it was a transaction, it was Li Shiming who needed something from him.

Sure enough, seeing Chu Ning looking so relaxed and contented, Li Shiming could no longer sit still.

He originally wanted to wait for Chu Ning to ask so that he could raise the price.

Unexpectedly, Chu Ning was not in a hurry at all.

This is a tough guy.

With a sigh in his heart, Li Shiming had to take the initiative to speak: "This time I came here to ask His Royal Highness the King of Chu for three cities."

The first thing he asked for was three cities!

Chu Ning sneered: "Zhao State and your Tang Dynasty share a border. I just came to Zhao State, and you want to take advantage of this opportunity to seize the fruits of my victory?"

Is there such a good thing in the world?

But Li Shiming was clearly prepared: "Don't worry, Your Highness, just listen to what I have to say."

"This prince and His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu are in a similar situation. We are being held back by our brothers, and now we are at loggerheads."

"This time, the purpose of my coming to the Han Dynasty is to hide out and at the same time, I also want to ease the conflict between the two sides."

"But I received news a few days ago that they wanted to poison me at the banquet when I returned!"

Chu Ning couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when he heard this: "What does this have to do with me? And what does this have to do with you wanting three cities?"

Li Shiming explained with a gloomy face: "I cannot go back now, but I can lead the army to attack Zhao State on the grounds that Zhao State has been destroyed and Chu State has not yet established a firm foothold there."

"Once I have the military power, I will pretend to fight with the King of Chu's troops, and you will give me the three cities."

"With those three cities, I can stabilize my reputation in the court and also start seeking the throne!"

As soon as these words came out, a cold light flashed in Chu Ning's eyes.

"I never thought you would dare to tell this to me. Aren't you afraid that I will leak the news?"

Chu Ning did not agree immediately, but asked in return.

Li Shiming shook his head and said seriously: "Your Highness the King of Chu is not a talkative person, and this matter will also benefit you."

"Those three cities were just lent to me by you. When I succeed and ascend the throne, I will not only return the three cities to you, but I will also hand over the three cities on the front line to you!"

He did not want to seize the position of crown prince, but wanted to ascend the throne directly.

This refreshed Chu Ning's understanding of this person.

A quick success can save you a lot of trouble.

This person has great ambitions!

Looking at Li Shiming who looked determined, Chu Ning hesitated for a moment before slowly saying:

"I can agree to lend you three cities, but how can I ensure that you will return them after the task is completed, and even give me three cities?"

Li Shiming was not surprised by this. He took out a letter from his pocket and handed it over:

"This is my personal letter. With this letter in hand, how could the King of Chu worry that I would default on my debt?"

Chu Ning reached out and took the letter. On it was an IOU and a letter of guarantee.

Quite sincere.

Should I agree to this guy?