The struggle for the throne among nine princes—I really don't want to be the crown prince.

Chapter 105 Can You Feel at Ease Betting on the Crown Prince Separately?

Longkodo had always been completely obedient to the Qianxi Emperor.

However, he also considered what would happen after Emperor Qianxi passed away.

He was Emperor Qianxi's cousin. Emperor Qianxi's mother was from the Tong family and was his aunt, so Emperor Qianxi was very kind to the Tong family.

Moreover, he was also Emperor Qianxi's brother-in-law.

The combination of these two identities meant that as long as Emperor Qianxi was alive, the Tong family would enjoy boundless glory and constant success.

However, Longkodo has always been keeping a close eye on his relationship with the Crown Prince.

Because their family relied on Emperor Qianxi, they didn't fawn over the crown prince too much.

Moreover, the Crown Prince had Suo'etu by his side, which meant that they were not very close to the Crown Prince.

However, he never considered supporting anyone else.

After all, this risk is no ordinary one.

But his father's words stirred a sliver of ambition deep within him.

Although the crown prince is the heir apparent, he is not the emperor.

Historically, less than half of all crown princes have been able to ascend the throne through legitimate means.

Most crown princes fail in the struggle for power.

Therefore, the crown prince born to a woman from the Suo'etu family may not necessarily inherit the throne.

However, the Crown Prince is intelligent; what if…

"Whom is Father going to support?" When Longkodo asked this question, he thought of the fourth prince, who had called him uncle the moment he met him.

The fourth prince is only two years younger than the crown prince, and he was raised by his own sister.

Although she wasn't her sister's biological child, the debt of gratitude she owed her for raising her was still immense.

Who knows, this loyal and devoted nephew might treat him even better than his own uncles.

"Eighth Prince." This time, Tong Guowei didn't try to evade the question.

He glanced at Longkodo and said, "I support the Eighth Prince, that's just my stance."

"You can also have people you support."

"But you must remember that everything you have is given to you by the emperor, so you must be loyal to him."

After listening to Tong Guowei's words, Longkodo understood his father's thoughts: to distribute support so that even if some failed, others would succeed.

Successful people help those who have failed, and the Tong family will continue to enjoy boundless glory and peace.

After some thought, he solemnly said, "Father, I understand!"

At this point, he hesitated for a moment and said, "Father, shouldn't we find someone to support the Crown Prince?"

Tong Guowei had several sons, not to mention his nephews Orondai, Fahai, and others!
Since the Tong family plans to diversify their investments, they need to have someone on the Crown Prince's side.

Tong Guowei frowned and said, "The Crown Prince's beating of Orondai shows that he harbors resentment towards our family."

"It is not appropriate for others to support the Crown Prince."

"However, Fahai is now quite close to the Crown Prince."

"You just need to leave it alone."

"Our family's main strength should still be focused on the Eighth Prince."

"The Eighth Prince's ascension to the throne is the best thing for our family."

Longkodo nodded outwardly, but inwardly he was somewhat disingenuous, because he was thinking of the Fourth Prince.

Although the Eighth Prince was outwardly respectful to him, he was not as close as the Fourth Prince.

With that thought in mind, Longkodo had already made up his mind.

Although his father didn't say it explicitly at home, if he were to make the decision, the title would definitely be passed on to his eldest brother.

And once the Eighth Prince ascends the throne, he will certainly listen to his father.

However, if it were the Fourth Prince, it would be hard to say whose decision to follow. I still need to think about my own future…

At the Nalan residence, Mingzhu was reading a memorial to the throne, and standing in front of him was Gao Shiqi, a Hanlin Academician and a member of the Southern Study.

A faint smile appeared on Gao Shiqi's face.

His memorial was mainly a accusation against Zhao Yongyan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

In this memorial, he accused Zhao Yongyan of six major crimes, the most important of which was the second one.

Zhao Yongyan embezzled the money; his intentions were sinister.

Although not a single word in this impeachment mentions the Crown Prince, the words combined are all referring to him.

"Lord Gao, your writing is excellent." Mingzhu gently praised as she put down the folded document in her hand.

Gao Shiqi smiled and said, "Without the information provided by Mingxiang, I wouldn't have been able to write this."

"All of this is thanks to Prime Minister Ming."

Mingzhu smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lord Gao. After this matter, I will definitely not let you work for nothing."

"I will certainly repay you handsomely."

Gao Shiqi smiled and said, "You're too kind, Lord Ming. We're both officials in the same court, so we should support each other."

Although the two were on the same side, they were not from the same faction, so after exchanging pleasantries, Gao Shiqi took his leave.

Mingzhu smiled gently as she watched Gao Shiqi leave.

With Gao Shiqi's memorial, Zhao Yongyan will have a hard time turning things around. At that time, all the officials in the court will know that the Crown Prince is reaching out to the river works.

Although it may not necessarily shake the crown prince's position, his misdeed of taking money will certainly spread.

Without the accumulation of small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles; without the accumulation of small streams, one cannot form a river!
Just as Mingzhu was enjoying herself, Kuixu walked in.

He looked at Mingzhu, who had a relaxed expression, and said, "Father, I just received news that Suo'etu plans to put Jin Fu to death during this joint trial."

Mingzhu smiled and said, "It seems that Jin Fu has really offended Suo'etu!"

"However, His Majesty should be reluctant to execute Jin Fu."

"But changing the river governor is also a good thing."

Kui Xu looked at his father, who had a calm expression, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Father, I heard that the focus of this joint trial of Jin Fu is those silted-up fields in the riverbed."

"If Songgotu attacks us from this angle, it could be a real problem."

Upon hearing this, Mingzhu remained calm and said, "We are not the only ones who bought silted land. Many of Suo'etu's people have also purchased silted land."

"Besides, Jin Fu's silted land is all clearly priced, so we don't need to be afraid of that."

Looking at the confident Mingzhu, Kui Xu felt a little uneasy, but he didn't continue speaking.

Many nobles and royalty bought those vast tracts of silted land, but although their family bought a lot, it was still a normal purchase.

However, this time, Jin Fu may be doomed.

Zhao Yongyan, who helped the crown prince obtain money, also met a bad end.

Amidst the anticipation of countless people, the joint trial of Jin Fu finally began.

This joint trial was held in the main hall of the Ministry of Justice. However, at the request of Emperor Qianxi, not only the Grand Secretaries of the Southern Study, but also the bigwigs of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers were present.

Even the princes who were observing the government all came to the Ministry of Justice.

However, at this moment, the princes had different feelings.

Take the eldest prince for example. At this moment, he was kind and approachable, giving people a feeling of warmth and comfort.

This feeling naturally stemmed from the fact that he had no involvement in Jin Fu's matter and could simply sit back and watch the show.

The third and fourth princes, on the other hand, were much calmer, especially the fourth prince, whose face was completely still, revealing no trace of joy or anger.

As for the other princes, most of them remained calm.

However, what the ministers cared about most was the Crown Prince's feelings.

After all, this trial of Jin Fu might involve the Crown Prince!
Your Highness, you can rest assured!
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(End of this chapter)