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

Chapter 2327: A New Face

Lu Xiuwen, however, was completely oblivious to Chu Ning's murderous gaze; his laughter grew even more maniacal and chilling.

"As for this time! This time, I'm taking a desperate gamble with Chu Yun by starting a rebellion during Han Xing's funeral!"

"Chu Xuan has lost, and I'm afraid you'll settle scores with me! I have no choice but to fight back! Only by killing you can I survive!"

"Only by helping Chu Yun ascend the throne can I continue to enjoy wealth and glory! Hahahaha!"

"But I never expected that you, Chu Ning, were prepared all along!"

"I never expected those white horse cavalry to arrive so quickly! I, Lü Xiuwen, who has been so clever all my life, have made a foolish mistake and ended up here!"

He laughed maniacally, but as he laughed, his laughter gradually turned into sobs, into whimpers, into desperate whispers:

“My son is dead, my only son is dead. I originally wanted to help Chu Yun ascend the throne and then have him send troops to avenge my son, but now everything is over!”

Chu Yun was completely stunned, as if struck by lightning, after hearing Lu Xiuwen's words.

He stared wide-eyed at Lü Xiuwen, his eyes filled with disbelief.

That face, which had been contorted with rage, now looked as if all the color had been drained from it, turning as pale as paper.

His lips trembled violently; he wanted to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

It turns out, he was a joke from the very beginning.

It turns out that Lü Xiuwen didn't come to him because he "hated Chu Ning" or "wanted to help him ascend the throne."

Lu Xiuwen was only afraid of being purged by Chu Ning, and he only regarded Chu Yun as a tool to cover for him and allow him to live!

All that so-called loyalty, all that so-called assistance, all that so-called joint creation of a great cause—it's all a lie!

It's all exploitation!

And Chu Yun, this ambitious and ruthless man who believed he had endured ten years of hardship and finally had his chance, this rebellious man who believed he was a master strategist and was determined to succeed.

It turns out she was nothing more than a pawn being manipulated!

A fool who was used as a pawn!

"How could this happen? How could this happen!"

Chu Yun muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and desperate.

He felt as if all his strength had been drained away; his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The once magnificent prince's robe was now covered in mud and blood, crumpled and wrapped around his body, making him look even more wretched and pathetic.

He sat amidst the pool of blood, among the corpses, beneath the sky filled with paper money, like an abandoned puppet, his eyes vacant, repeatedly muttering:

"How could this happen? Why is this happening?"

A cold wind blew by, scattering paper money everywhere.

Paper money fluttered and landed on Chu Yun's head, shoulders, and body.

He was completely oblivious, just sitting there blankly, like a soulless shell.

Chu Ning's gaze slowly shifted from Lü Xiuwen's crazed and distorted face to Chu Yun, who was slumped on the ground.

That gaze was as cold as an ancient, frozen pool, as sharp as a drawn sword, carrying a suffocating killing intent.

He didn't say anything, he just quietly looked at Chu Yun.

But that invisible pressure was like Mount Tai pressing down on him, making Chu Yun's blood seem to freeze.

Chu Yun collapsed into a pool of blood, trembling all over.

He looked up and met Chu Ning's icy gaze. The last shred of hope in his heart vanished instantly.

He knows Chu Ning too well.

This youngest brother was able to stand out in the bloody struggle for the throne and sweep away all obstacles with swift and decisive measures after ascending the throne.

It never relied on mercy or leniency, but on ruthlessness and decisiveness!

Those brothers who once vied with him for the throne—the eldest prince, the third prince, the seventh prince, the eleventh prince…—which one of them didn’t die under mysterious circumstances?

Which one of them wasn't personally sent to the underworld by this "good younger brother"?

Now it's his turn.

The fear of death, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed Chu Yun.

He was trembling violently, his face no longer showing any of the arrogance and smugness he had shown before, only endless fear and despair remained.

He struggled and crawled forward two steps, but was held down firmly by the cavalrymen escorting him.

He could only kneel on the ground, looking pitifully at Chu Ning with his bloodshot eyes, his voice completely distorted with fear:

"Your Majesty... Your Royal Brother! No, Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I know I was wrong! I truly know I was wrong! I beg Your Majesty for mercy! I beg Your Majesty to spare my life!"

His voice was shrill and piercing, tinged with a sob, like a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy.

"Your Majesty! Of the late Emperor's eighteen sons, only the two of us remain!"

“All my other brothers are gone! If Your Majesty kills me as well, then Your Majesty will be the only one left of the late Emperor’s bloodline!”

"Does Your Majesty really have the heart to let the late Emperor die without an heir? Does Your Majesty really have the heart to let the people of the world gossip and say that Your Majesty cannot tolerate your last brother?"

As he spoke, he kowtowed frantically, his forehead slamming against the blood-stained ground with dull thuds, bleeding profusely, yet he seemed oblivious to it all.

"Your Majesty! I am willing to renounce the throne! I am willing to shave my head and become a monk, never to leave this world again!"

"Your Majesty, I am willing to serve you like a slave, I only beg Your Majesty to spare my life!"

"Your Majesty! I beg you, for the sake of the late Emperor, and for the sake of our brotherhood, spare me!"

His groveling, fawning manner was a stark contrast to the smug, laughing madman who had just been about to kill Chu Ning.

The ministers standing at a distance, witnessing this scene, all wore expressions of disdain and disgust. Was this their Prince Yun?

Is this the traitor who has been biding his time for ten years and has his sights set on the throne?

He's nothing but a coward who's afraid of death!

Lu Xiuwen, lying on the ground, was taken aback when he heard Chu Yun's pitiful pleas for mercy.

He then abruptly raised his head, his face contorted with madness, filled with disbelief.

He stared intently at Chu Yun, at the master he had once placed high hopes on and thought could help him ascend the throne.

At this moment, however, he knelt before Chu Ning like a dog, kowtowing and begging for mercy, feeling an indescribable sense of disappointment, anger, and contempt.

"Chu Yun! You...you..."

Lu Xiuwen's voice, distorted by anger, became sharp and piercing:

"What are you doing?! You are a prince! You are the late emperor's son! How can you be so groveling and fawning? How can you make such a disgraceful spectacle of yourself?"

He struggled to get up, but due to the severity of his injuries, he fell heavily to the ground again.

He lay on the ground, staring intently at Chu Yun, his eyes filled with contempt and anger:

"Chu Yun! Didn't you just say you wanted to kill Chu Ning? Didn't you just say you wanted to take his place?"

"What, now that things have failed, this is how you behave?"

"You have utterly disgraced the late Emperor! You have utterly disgraced the Chu royal family!"