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

Chapter 133 Restless and Awaiting the Right Timing
While Emperor Qianxi was reviewing memorials, the eldest prince also received a letter from home.

On the surface, the letter was meant to send some heat-relieving pills to the eldest prince and to ask him to take care of his health.

At first glance, it all seems to be Princess Zhijun's concern for the eldest prince.

However, the main content of this family letter actually focuses on the messenger.

The messenger was very careful and told the eldest prince everything that had happened in the court recently.

In addition to these, he also conveyed Mingzhu's words to the eldest prince, asking him not to plead for Mingzhu under any circumstances.

Upon hearing this, a strange look flashed across the Crown Prince's face.

He couldn't help but ask the messenger, "Did the Prime Minister really say that?"

"Your Highness, even if you gave me a hundred lives, I wouldn't dare to utter the slightest bit of nonsense on this matter!"

"Lord Mingzhu instructed that you must not plead for him under any circumstances."

A sense of unease suddenly arose in the heart of the eldest prince.

Although he is now a prince and receives preferential treatment from all sides because he is the emperor's eldest son, his most steadfast supporter is still Mingzhu.

Without Mingzhu, his influence would be greatly reduced.

"Did Prime Minister Ming give any other instructions?" The eldest prince pondered for a moment, then asked unwillingly.

The man pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Your Highness, Lady Mingzhu said that there is still plenty of time, and that you should wait patiently for the right time."

The eldest prince carefully pondered the four words: "wait for the right time."

He didn't like those four words, and even disliked them a little, but he knew that it seemed that these were all he could do now!

In many things, he can only passively stand by and watch, because he has no way to get involved at all.

For example, the recent rivalry between Mingzhu and Suo'etu; for example, the impeachment of many people belonging to Mingzhu; for example...

Wait for the right time!

It seems I should keep a lower profile in the future!

While the eldest prince was lost in thought, the fourth prince, Yunzhen, was chatting with the eighth prince.

Although there is an age difference between the two, they have a good relationship now, so they can talk freely about many things.

"Fourth Brother, many people are impeaching Prime Minister Ming and Prime Minister Suo. What do you think will happen in the end?" The Eighth Prince had delicate features and an elegant demeanor, giving people a pleasant and gentle feeling.

At this time, the fourth prince was not yet very wary of his younger brother.

He smiled and said, "I think it's up to Father Emperor to decide on this matter."

"As for the rest, we can't concern ourselves with them."

The fourth prince's words seemed to be both an answer and a no.

Seeing that the Fourth Prince only spoke a fraction of what he wanted to say, the Eighth Prince felt a little resentful in his heart, but on the surface, he solemnly said, "Fourth Brother is right, this kind of thing has nothing to do with us."

The fourth prince, Yunzhen, wanted his younger brother to follow him. He felt that his brother was quite capable and that following him would definitely enhance his own power.

It's even quite possible that the two of them formed their own distinct faction.

The seventeen-year-old Eighth Prince is a very good candidate.

"Eighth brother, everything is in flux."

"For example, in the imperial court, Suo'etu and Mingzhu used to be arrogant and domineering, controlling their own territory."

"But what about now? All sorts of memorials are pouring in."

"Who knows what the future holds! So we brothers must work together to serve our father."

The Fourth Prince Yunzhen's words contained an intention to win him over, but this intention was subtle and understated, leaving no room for criticism.

The Eighth Prince, Yunsi, was a clever man. He understood what the Fourth Prince meant after hearing his words.

As a young prince, he knew what to do in this situation.

"Fourth Brother, I am young and don't understand many things." "In the future, I will need Fourth Brother's guidance."

"So that I won't fail in my duties and disappoint Father."

The two looked at each other, smiled, and stopped talking about it.

Some things are better left unsaid; there's no need to spell them out.

Emperor Qianxi did not issue any comments on the memorials impeaching the two Grand Secretaries, but the court became even more heated because of Shen Gang's death.

An imperial censor from the Censorate believed that Shen Gang had been murdered and requested a thorough investigation.

Some people say that Shen Gang drowned because he drank too much alcohol.

There were various opinions, so for a time the court was filled with conflicting views and discussions.

Shen Ye, who had always enjoyed a leisurely time at Yuqing Palace, was now finding it difficult to have any peace.

The day after Shen Gang's death, Chen Tingjing, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, brought more than a dozen censors to Yuqing Palace and asked Shen Ye to take charge of Shen Gang's case and thoroughly investigate the matter of Shen Gang's accidental death.

To be honest, Chen Tingjing was unwilling to get involved in this matter.

However, as the head of the Censorate, he couldn't ignore the fact that his subordinates had been killed like this.

Otherwise, the team will be difficult to manage.

As for the content of Shen Gang's memorial, although he had heard a little about it, he pretended not to know.

"Your Highness, there are many suspicious points surrounding Shen Gang's death. I urge Your Highness to investigate thoroughly!" Chen Tingjing said in a businesslike manner.

Shen Ye knew that Suo'etu wasn't behind this. He felt that Suo'etu, a seasoned veteran of many years in officialdom, wouldn't act so childishly!
When Zhou Bao reported this, Suo'etu was beside him. Shen Ye asked Suo'etu about it, and Suo'etu's response was just one sentence:

I did not do it!

Shen Ye calmly said, "This matter will be handed over to the Court of Judicial Review for investigation. They must find out the truth about Censor Shen's death!"

However, just as Shen Ye finished speaking, a young censor who looked to be in his thirties stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, this matter cannot be investigated by the Court of Judicial Review."

“I am good friends with Shen Gang. Some time ago, Shen Gang was dissatisfied with Songgotu’s abuse of power, which led to the country’s downfall and the harm to the people. So he prepared to impeach Songgotu.”

“He asked me to sign the petition, but I did not because I still had some questions about the matter of the impeachment.”

"He has just submitted his memorial and has drowned in the river. I believe that this matter is probably related to Minister Suo."

"The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Zhen Mingwu, has close ties with Prime Minister Suo. I fear that if the Court of Judicial Review investigates further, it will ultimately be in vain and the matter will be dropped."

Shen Ye glanced at the young censor and said calmly, "Then, who do you think should be responsible for the investigation?"

"I believe the Ministry of Justice should be asked to thoroughly investigate this case," the young censor said, appearing upright and impartial.

Shen Ye already had a general idea of ​​what was going on.

He believed that the person who caused Shen Gang's death was the one who instructed Shen Gang to impeach Suo'etu and say that there had never been a crown prince who reigned for thirty years.

And the most likely candidate for this person is Mingzhu.

Minister of Justice Fu Lun and Mingzhu are from the same faction. If he is allowed to investigate this case, then Shen Gang's death might be linked to Suo'etu.

Shen Ye remained detached about the matter, saying calmly, "Since you put it that way, then arrange for the three judicial departments to jointly investigate this case."

"Censor-in-Chief Chen, shouldn't the Three Judicial Offices be trustworthy?"

Chen Tingjing quickly replied, "Your Highness is wise."

When Shen Ye ordered the three judicial departments to thoroughly investigate Shen Gang's death, the original draft of Shen Gang's memorial impeaching Suo'etu was somehow found by someone.

In an instant, the saying "How can there be a crown prince who reigns for thirty years?" spread throughout the entire capital.

Many people in the discussion believed that the Crown Prince had sent someone to kill Shen Gang.

　The third update of the day is here! Please support me, everyone! A couple of votes would be greatly appreciated!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)