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

Chapter 123 His Majesty is the most wise and sagacious ruler.

No matter what was happening in the imperial court, it could not escape the eyes of the powerful prime minister, Songgotu.

Of course, Mingzhu is no exception.

The two men received the news almost simultaneously that Emperor Qianxi had instructed the Crown Prince to pursue the Ministry of Revenue for outstanding debts.

Suo'etu and Mingzhu were not surprised to hear the news.

Having served Emperor Qianxi for many years, the two men were quite familiar with his style of doing things.

The Yellow River flooded, and the Ministry of Revenue's granary contained only a mere 500,000 taels of silver.

Under these circumstances, the ministers were in debt for approximately eight million taels of silver.

As emperor, Emperor Qianxi absolutely could not allow these debts to continue.

Recovering the debt is therefore imperative.

"The Emperor is indeed the Emperor!" Soetu said with deep emotion as he sat in his duty room.

However, his words also carried a hint of sarcasm.

In Songgotu's view, Emperor Qianxi's actions were really a disservice to his son.

Yin Jishan sat to one side of Suo'etu. Just now, he had reported on his meeting with the Crown Prince.

Songgotu made no comment on the Crown Prince's request for him to rest.

He simply drank his tea in silence without saying a word.

Yin Jishan was a smart man. Suo'etu's silence while drinking tea was actually a way of expressing his disagreement with the Crown Prince's demands.

This is normal!

After all, a great man cannot be without power for a day, and a petty man cannot be without money for a day!
How could someone like Songgotu, who had become accustomed to the taste of power, possibly give up his years of power and live a leisurely life in the countryside?

If he doesn't step down, the conflict between him and the crown prince will be difficult to resolve.

Just as Yin Jishan was lost in thought, he heard Suo'etu continue, "However, this approach is really a bit..."

Suo'etu didn't say what he was about to say, but Yin Jishan understood.

He looked at Suo'etu, who had just shut his mouth, and thought to himself, "Father-in-law, thank goodness you didn't say it. Otherwise, if His Majesty the Emperor had found out, it would have been troublesome!"

Yin Jishan knew that there was a special team of spies under the command of Emperor Qianxi.

These people may not show off, but their abilities are extremely powerful.

It has even reached a terrifying level of being able to penetrate every nook and cranny.

Therefore, one must be careful in everything one says and does, lest one be overheard.

Unable to contain himself, Suo'etu said again in a low voice, "I thought His Majesty's sudden trip to inspect the river was because of Mingzhu, but I never expected that it was actually for the Ministry of Revenue's money."

"No one is wiser than His Majesty!"

This sentence was originally meant to praise Emperor Qianxi, but no matter how Yin Jishan listened to it, he felt that it didn't quite have the right meaning.

He glanced at Songgotu, then changed the subject, saying, "I heard the Crown Prince is summoning Ma Qi."

"Heh, Ma Qi is fine for mending and patching, but he's not capable of collecting these debts!"

Suo'etu held Ma Qi in utter contempt.

In his view, Ma Qi was just one of the emperor's favorite ministers who became the Minister of Revenue because of his friendship with the emperor, which stemmed from their childhood bond.

Compared to him, a Grand Scholar, I am merely a junior, insignificant and not worth mentioning.

Yin Jishan said, "My lord, the task His Majesty has given to the Crown Prince this time is actually an opportunity."

"Given your prestige in the court, I believe that as long as you raise your voice, there shouldn't be much resistance in collecting these funds."

"At that time, the Crown Prince will naturally appreciate it."

"The estrangement between you and the Crown Prince will then disappear."

Soetu's expression shifted slightly, but he quickly said calmly, "You're oversimplifying this matter."

As the saying goes, it's easy to borrow money but hard to repay it.

"What's more, it's money being repaid from Taicang!"

"Even I could manage to get some, but I would offend far too many people."

“Take those princes for example, they don’t give me face, and I can’t do anything about it.” Yin Jishan looked at Suo’etu’s solemn expression and knew that Suo’etu was not lying at this moment.

Compared to lending money, getting money back is definitely not an easy task.

However, this is also an opportunity to ease the conflict between Songgotu and the Crown Prince.

"But what about the Crown Prince..."

Soetu waved his hand and said, "The Crown Prince has always had everything go smoothly. He should know that some things are not so easy to accomplish."

"If the Crown Prince is willing to arrange for this old minister to handle this matter for him, this old minister will naturally do his best."

"But if the Crown Prince doesn't ask me for help, why should I take on such a thankless task?"

Yin Jishan felt a sense of helplessness upon hearing this.

He felt as if he had returned to the time when the Crown Prince misappropriated funds for the river works.

At that time, Songgotu was only thinking about making the crown prince bow down.

Now, Songgotu's goal is still to make the Crown Prince bow down.

It seems that his father-in-law already treats the Crown Prince like a child, unaware that the Crown Prince is no longer the same Crown Prince he once was.

A dragon can be big or small, and a hero can bend or stretch. When it's time to bow his head, my father-in-law's back is a little too straight.

Thinking of all this, Yin Jishan couldn't help but think of Songgotu's attitude towards Emperor Qianxi.

They don't seem as respectful or cautious as before...

Having reigned for over thirty years, could Emperor Qianxi tolerate his father-in-law's actions? Would he...?

Despite a multitude of thoughts swirling in his mind, Yin Jishan ultimately remained silent.

However, the idea of ​​distancing himself from Suo'etu became increasingly clear in his mind.

If a man does not serve himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth!
Sensing that the ship was about to capsize, he needed to find a way out for himself.

Compared to Suo'etu, Mingzhu appeared more relaxed upon receiving the news.

These past few days, Mingzhu has acted no differently than usual in public, but he has a bad feeling about it.

The statistical table that the Crown Prince compiled during his interrogation of Jin Fu made him somewhat apprehensive.

As the saying goes, only you know how much shit you have under your own butt. Mingzhu was just as clear about how much money her family had.

It was precisely because she knew this that Mingzhu felt uneasy.

He was afraid that someone might take the opportunity to cause trouble!

The fact that Emperor Qianxi suddenly went to inspect the river works and appointed the crown prince to oversee the country had already made him wary.

He was afraid that Emperor Qianxi was deliberately giving Songgotu and the Crown Prince an opportunity.

After all, although the Crown Prince Regent was not the emperor, he possessed enormous authority.

Once he joins forces with Songgotu, he will be unable to withstand the attack.

Once the Crown Prince has established the evidence against him, even if Emperor Qianxi spares his life, his days will not be peaceful.

However, after the Crown Prince summoned the ministers who remained behind and told them that during the upcoming regency, they should not contact him unless necessary, and that they should consult Emperor Qianxi regarding matters of official appointment and impeachment, he felt much more at ease.

He was afraid that the Crown Prince would deal with the matter of him being impeached.

Now, Emperor Qianxi has ordered the Crown Prince to recover the outstanding silver owed to the national treasury, which has put his mind at ease.

It turns out that His Majesty left the capital to inspect the river only to have the Crown Prince collect the arrears owed by the Ministry of Revenue.

Once the Ministry of Revenue's arrears are recovered, there will be no major turmoil.

He's safe for now.

As long as he can get through this, he has a way to save himself!
Just as Mingzhu was having these thoughts, the butler came in and said, "Master, many people are asking what your plans are for your fiftieth birthday."

Mingzhu glanced at the butler, then said calmly, "Fifty is a significant birthday, so make sure to celebrate it properly."

Mingzhu had originally planned not to hold a celebration for her 50th birthday.

But now, with the news that the Crown Prince is pursuing the Ministry of Revenue for its debts, he has decided to make a big show of it.

He knew that the more critical the moment, the more calm and composed he needed to be, and not let people think that he was a brilliant sage and that the empire was about to collapse.

He is a bright pearl, a powerful minister who has held power for many years. He wants to make those who think he is incompetent see his strength!
　The second update for today is here! Please support me, everyone!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)