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

Chapter 138 A Crown Prince Who Doesn't Want to Be Emperor Isn't a Good Crown Prince

The post station was not a place to stay for long. After finishing his business and resting enough, Emperor Qianxi began to move back to the palace.

However, his mood fluctuated throughout the journey.

While he was pleased with the quiet handling of Suo'etu and Mingzhu, the Crown Prince's words filled him with doubt.

What the prince said was all false.

And Shen Gang's slanderous statement against Suo'etu, "Throughout history, has there ever been a crown prince who reigned for thirty years?" should also be false.

But after being the crown prince for so long, does he really not want to be the emperor anymore?
A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier; by the same token, a crown prince who doesn't want to be the emperor is not a good crown prince either!

When Emperor Qianxi thought of the phrase "the crown prince for thirty years," he couldn't help but think of his own situation.

He ascended the throne at the age of eight. Although there were many hardships along the way, he did not experience the torment of being the crown prince.

Thank you, Dad!
However, I want to live a few more years, at least until I reach the age of Emperor Taizu. If that happens, I will be the Crown Prince for more than just thirty years!
However, the Crown Prince is exceptionally intelligent and is an ideal candidate to succeed him.

Moreover, his sons are all ambitious, and if...

Emperor Qianxi was jolted awake, and involuntarily thought of the words the Crown Prince had said to him some time ago.

Fathers and sons kill each other, brothers fight each other—in such a situation, who can become a sage ruler?

With thoughts swirling in his mind, Emperor Qianxi suddenly clenched his fist.

I am still young, and everything in the world is still under my control.

No matter how much they try to cause trouble, neither Songgotu nor the Crown Prince can overturn the situation!

There's an old saying that goes, "If they say you can do it, you can, even if you can't; if they say you can't, you can't, even if you can." The gist is: You can't argue with that.

In any case, the rule that the ruler is the guide for the subject and the father is the guide for the son cannot be overstepped.

Because of the incident at the post station, everyone remained silent throughout the journey, making the trip particularly somber.

Shen Ye rode his horse on the far side, with the eldest prince beside him.

The eldest prince looked at the crown prince and felt so embarrassed that he wished he could disappear into the ground.

Although he used Mingzhu to try and seize the position of crown prince, he never revealed it in the slightest.

When he was with the Crown Prince, he was still able to present a friendly and respectful attitude towards his brother.

But now that the Crown Prince has revealed this matter in a half-truthful manner, he doesn't know how to deal with him.

Just as the Crown Prince was lost in thought, Shen Ye suddenly turned his head and said with a smile, "Brother Crown Prince, you must be tired from patrolling the river all this way!"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am merely doing what my father has arranged; it is not a difficult task."

Shen Ye smiled and said, "I just spoke carelessly and used my eldest brother as an example. Please don't take offense, eldest brother!"

The eldest prince thought to himself, "How can I not be offended? What kind of talk is this! Even if you've guessed what I'm thinking, you shouldn't expose me in public!"

The saying goes, "Seeing through things but not saying them out loud keeps you good friends." Who else would be like you, so recklessly and bluntly exposing everything!
Although I would like His Majesty to tell me that I should strive harder, it would have to be His Majesty who tells me this personally.

Now look what's happened. His Majesty didn't tell me anything, but pulled this stunt. In the future, many people will definitely remember it clearly.

He inwardly grumbled, but outwardly he smiled and said, "Your Highness, it would be better to use fewer examples like this in the future."

"I really can't take it anymore!"

Shen Ye patted the eldest prince on the shoulder and said, "What you say is absolutely right, eldest brother. I also hope that there will be fewer of these kinds of things in the future, otherwise, who knows what kind of mess it will become!"

Riding forward, the road ahead was lush and verdant.

In other words, before they knew it, the carriage had arrived at a field.

At this time, the fields are mostly planted with crops such as beans and sorghum, which are all different heights.

Seeing these crops improved Emperor Qianxi's mood.

As an emperor, he was well aware that if the foundation is not solid, the earth will shake and the mountains will crumble.

Whether the whole country can maintain stability depends most importantly on whether agriculture can yield a good harvest.

A bountiful harvest is ideal, of course. But a poor harvest is a serious problem.

Although many places suffered from disasters this year, the fields near the capital are still in good condition.

As long as the capital doesn't descend into chaos, then...

Just as Emperor Qianxi was having these thoughts, he suddenly saw a patch of unfamiliar rice seedlings in front of him. Several farmers were weeding there, and the seedlings were lush and green, growing very well.

Emperor Qianxi, who considered himself quite knowledgeable about agriculture, couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"

The ministers who followed him around could not be said to be experts in agriculture, but they were not completely ignorant about it either.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be where they are today.

However, when they heard Emperor Qianxi's question, they all stared at each other blankly, unsure of how to answer.

Because they didn't know what it was either.

Upon seeing this, Tu Lishen, a first-class bodyguard who had served Emperor Qianxi for many years, hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I will go and ask a few farmers."

Emperor Qianxi waved his hand and said, "Enough, enough, don't frighten them."

At this moment, Shen Ye recognized the rice seedlings.

This is a sweet potato!

Could it be that I asked Nian Dongliang to plant such a large field of sweet potatoes?
That guy, Nian Dongliang, actually planted sweet potatoes in this kind of place!
Just as Shen Ye was making his guess, the farmer who had been brought along answered his guess.

"Your Majesty, this is a sweet potato."

"I heard... I heard from the official in charge that this was planted at the request of a nobleman from the capital."

Upon hearing the word "sweet potato," Emperor Qianxi immediately recalled that the only order issued by the Crown Prince was to have Nian Dongliang plant one hundred acres of something called sweet potatoes.

Emperor Qianxi didn't take the Crown Prince's order to plant sweet potatoes too seriously, thinking it was just something young people did for fun.

He looked at the lush green seedlings and asked, "How will you water these sweet potatoes that you've planted here?"

The farmer who was brought in was trembling all over.

He already knew that the emperor was standing in front of him, and that one wrong move could cost him his life.

So at this moment, he cautiously said, "The officer said that there are arrangements from above. Once these sweet potato seedlings survive, they don't need much watering. Just wait for the rain."

After asking a few questions, Emperor Qianxi turned to Shen Ye and said, "Your Highness, these should be the sweet potatoes you ordered Daxing County to plant. Do you know the story of how oranges taste different when grown in the north and south?"

Shen Ye thought to himself, "I am knowledgeable in astronomy and geography. How could you possibly stump me on this point?"
I knew long ago that these sweet potatoes, once they arrived in the north, would yield just as many as those in the south.

However, Shen Ye could not speak such prophetic words lightly. He immediately said, "Father, oranges grown in the north and south have different names. I know this very well."

"But I read in a book that the key to crop cultivation is whether the climate is similar or not."

"Summers here are just as hot as those in the Jiangnan region."

"Since these sweet potatoes can sprout in the capital, they might be able to survive."

"Therefore, I would like to give it a try. If it succeeds, that would be the best. If it doesn't, it won't be a big deal."

At this point, Shen Ye hesitated for a moment and said, "I have heard that these sweet potatoes are not picky about the soil and have a very high yield. They are easy to store with just a little processing."

"Although it may not be enough to eat every day, it can still save lives in years of famine."

"If it can be successfully cultivated near the capital, then the benefits will be self-evident!"

Hearing Shen Ye's explanation, Emperor Qianxi shook his head and said, "Your idea is good, but the regions are different, and the chances of success are very small."

"What you're doing is very likely a waste of Tian's strength."

Shen Ye didn't argue, but simply said, "These sweet potatoes will be ready for harvest in just over three months. Why don't we ask Father to take a look and see if these sweet potatoes can be grown well?"

　The second update for today is here! Please support me, everyone! If you have any votes, please give me one!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)