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

Chapter 122 is a bit of a rip-off for the son.
Emperor Qianxi was a mature and experienced emperor. No matter how angry he was, he would not act on his whims or show his emotions on his face.

However, he wouldn't let the things that angered him slip away unnoticed without any countermeasures.

The Crown Prince's regency has completely ruined his plans.

Faced with the Crown Prince's extreme lack of cooperation, he decided to teach him a lesson.

Even if you have connections and influence, you still need to realize one thing: you still have me, your father!

This was something that Emperor Qianxi had only been planning in his mind, but had never made a firm decision on until now.

If I put you in charge of the country, you would want to slack off, stand idly by, do nothing, and do absolutely nothing. How is that possible!

"Zhang Ying, issue an imperial edict ordering the Crown Prince to take charge of collecting the arrears owed by the Ministry of Revenue. I will review the collection process after I return to the capital."

The Qianxi Emperor's voice carried an unquestionable tone.

As a Grand Secretary, Zhang Ying was extremely knowledgeable about matters of state.

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's words, his heart skipped a beat.

He was well aware of how difficult it would be to recover the debts owed by the Ministry of Revenue. He even wondered what he would do if the emperor suddenly decided to send him to collect those debts, and how he would respond in a way that would satisfy the emperor.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Qianxi assigned this task to the Crown Prince.

Although the Crown Prince is currently overseeing the state, however...

With that thought in mind, Zhang Ying ultimately remained silent.

He felt that Emperor Qianxi did this not only because of the Crown Prince's laziness, but also because of everything he had seen that day.

From this stone-paved road, Emperor Qianxi saw the praise for the Crown Prince from both the court and the public.

Although the person being praised was his own son and the successor he had personally chosen, Emperor Qianxi should have been pleased.

However, the fact that the Crown Prince was so shrewd and capable still put pressure on Emperor Qianxi.

Under such pressure, Emperor Qianxi would instinctively try to suppress the Crown Prince's prestige.

Only in this way can his heart find peace.

Collecting the outstanding debts of the Ministry of Revenue was simply an impossible task.

As Zhang Ying quickly wrote down an imperial edict, the fast horse galloped directly towards the capital.

Sitting in the small study of Yuqing Palace, Shen Ye missed Changchun Garden terribly.

If he stayed in Changchun Garden, he could sit in the cool breeze and fish, letting his mind wander freely. The feeling of being free and at ease, with the wind blowing but not being exposed to the sun, was simply wonderful!

It's a pity that I only stayed at Changchun Garden for a few days before returning.

Although the weather isn't so hot now, there's not much to do in this vast Forbidden City.

You can't really go fishing in the moat, can you?

Just as Shen Ye was pondering how to pass the boring time of regency, Emperor Qianxi's imperial edict was delivered.

Looking at the contents of Emperor Qianxi's edict, Shen Ye felt an urge to curse out loud.

You went to inspect the river works and you still made me collect debts? What kind of father are you?!
you……

Do you think it's so easy to collect those debts owed by the Ministry of Revenue?
Even with his forceful methods, the fourth brother ended up with a bloody head.

And now? I'm already acting as regent, and you still won't stop, demanding I pay you back. This isn't just pushing your luck; it's outrageous!
Although he was annoyed, Shen Ye knew very well that when the order of ruler and subject came first, and father and son came second, the Qianxi Emperor's decree had to be accepted.

If I had known this would happen to me, I would have preferred to let the fourth brother take it.

If the fourth brother takes it, what chance will I have?
Although he was filled with regret, Shen Ye knew very well that now was not the time for regret; he had to do something.

Otherwise, getting past Emperor Qianxi would be a tough hurdle!

After a moment's thought, Shen Ye had someone invite Ma Qi, the Minister of Revenue, to Yuqing Palace.

Ma Qi came from a good family; he was not only the Minister of Revenue, but also held the title of Viscount.

However, that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that he grew up alongside Emperor Qianxi. It can be said that he was a person deeply loved by the emperor.

Moreover, next year or the year after, Emperor Qianxi will betroth his daughter to the twelfth prince.

Although the twelfth prince would not inherit the throne, this alone reflects that Ma Qi held a special place in Emperor Qianxi's heart.

In a parallel universe, although he insisted on supporting the Eighth Prince, he was still a Grand Councilor when the Fourth Prince became emperor.

Just as Shen Ye was pondering Ma Qi's situation, Ma Qi, the Minister of Revenue, arrived at Yuqing Palace.

Shen Ye met Ma Qi not in the main hall of Yuqing Palace, but in a pavilion within Yuqing Palace.

Ma Qi showed great respect to the Crown Prince. After bowing, Shen Ye offered Ma Qi a seat.

As the Minister of Revenue, Ma Qi was well-informed, and besides, Emperor Qianxi had no intention of hiding anything from anyone by issuing this imperial edict.

Therefore, Ma Qi knew about the matter of recovering the debts owed by the officials before he came to Yuqing Palace.

He had been prepared for this for a long time.

Not only because the Ministry of Revenue is now facing a severe shortage of funds and provisions, but also because Emperor Qianxi had previously summoned him to give a memorial on this very issue.

"Ma Qi, the Emperor just issued an edict ordering me to be in charge of recovering the Ministry of Revenue's debts." Shen Ye didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "How much debt needs to be recovered now?"

Upon hearing Shen Ye's question, Ma Qi solemnly replied, "Your Highness, the total amount owed by officials at all levels to the national treasury is currently 7.68 million taels of silver."

Seven million six hundred and eighty thousand taels!
It's good news that it's not the twelve million taels from a parallel universe.

However, this is understandable, since the time hasn't come yet.

A thought flashed through Shen Ye's mind, and he asked directly, "These silver were lent out by the Ministry of Revenue. What are the Ministry of Revenue's regulations regarding how to recover these silver?"

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Ma Qi felt a headache coming on.

The saying "whoever lends the money should take it back" sounds perfectly reasonable.

The problem is, these debts are like throwing good money after bad—they're gone forever!

Not to mention those who truly have no money to repay, even those who do have the money to repay, he can't afford to offend them!
"Your Highness, the Ministry of Revenue's loan to officials in the capital is a favor granted by His Majesty because he saw that these officials were having a hard time."

Ma Qi forced a smile and said, "The Ministry of Revenue is responsible for lending money. As for how to collect debts, since there is no imperial edict, the Ministry of Revenue does not have any regulations yet."

Upon hearing this answer, Shen Ye couldn't help but look at Ma Qi with admiration.

This guy really dares to say things!
His meaning was very clear: we were ordered to manage lending money, but debt collection was not our responsibility at the moment.

The main theme is "passing through a sea of ​​flowers without a single petal clinging to you."

You're such a bulldozer, always shirking responsibility!

Shen Ye looked at the serious-looking Ma Qi and thought to himself that he must have a close relationship with Emperor Qianxi. If it were the fourth prince on the throne, he wouldn't dare to speak like that even if he had a hundred lives.

Shen Ye naturally couldn't let Ma Qi get away with it so easily.

He said calmly, "It's okay, if we don't have one now, we'll think of one."

"After all, the money collected goes into Taicang."

At this point, he tapped the stone table in the pavilion with his finger and said, "Lord Ma, I need to see the list of debts and the Ministry of Revenue's collection methods tomorrow."

"The Ministry of Revenue has an inescapable responsibility to collect debts."

"I hope Lord Ma will not disappoint my father, nor will he disappoint me."

Looking at the calm-looking Crown Prince, Ma Qi felt a sense of helplessness.

Although he couldn't escape what was coming, he wasn't afraid.

After all, the emperor entrusted this task to the crown prince, so if the sky were to fall, the crown prince would naturally be the first to bear the brunt.

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(End of this chapter)