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

Chapter 139 Could it be that he wants to call off the engagement?
Although he didn't quite approve of the Crown Prince planting sweet potatoes, as an emperor who controlled the world and possessed wealth across the four seas, Emperor Qianxi could still disregard these hundreds of acres of ordinary farmland.

Therefore, after hearing the Crown Prince's explanation, he smiled and said, "Then I'll wait and see your bumper sweet potato harvest!"

With that, he spurred his horse toward the palace.

Shen Ye looked at Emperor Qianxi who was about to leave, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a deep voice, "Father, I believe that agriculture is the foundation of the court."

"Only when the people are well-fed can the court enjoy favorable weather and a peaceful and prosperous country."

"Currently, in this vast imperial court, there is not even a single department dedicated to the study of agricultural planting. I believe this is something that urgently needs to be improved."

"I hope that Father Emperor can find a group of experienced farmers and establish an agricultural research institute to specialize in the research of seeds and agricultural planting."

Shen Ye made this request entirely because he was deeply moved by the plight of the disaster victims he had witnessed some time ago.

He had no interest in fighting for power.

However, he is still very willing to do anything within his power to help the poor eat a little more in advance.

It's like casually planting sweet potatoes.

Emperor Qianxi was genuinely tempted to establish a government office specifically for the study of crop cultivation and improvement.

However, he has not yet returned to the palace, and the Crown Prince has only just brought up this matter, so he is not prepared to make a decision immediately.

He then cracked his whip and said, "Whether your suggestion is feasible depends on whether you can have a bumper harvest of these sweet potatoes."

As he spoke, Emperor Qianxi spurred his horse forward.

With Emperor Qianxi's return to the palace, the Southern Study began to operate efficiently, and the ministers who had originally come to Yuqing Palace to report were now going to Qianqing Palace to report on their work.

Yuqing Palace immediately fell silent.

In the past, when Emperor Qianxi returned, the Crown Prince, who was in charge of the country, would always hand over his duties. But this time, the Crown Prince only arranged for the planting of sweet potatoes. All other important matters were left to Emperor Qianxi to decide.

As for minor matters, those are handled by the various departments and Grand Secretaries themselves, and have nothing to do with Shen Ye, so there is naturally no need to hand them over.

Having had a fulfilling day, Emperor Qianxi got up early the next day and went to Cining Palace to pay his respects.

Paying respects at the Cining Palace was a regular activity for Emperor Qianxi.

This was not only because he felt grateful to his adoptive mother from the bottom of his heart, but also to show that he, as the emperor, advocated filial piety.

The Empress Dowager knew that Emperor Qianxi was coming, so she made preparations well in advance.

After exchanging greetings, the two most distinguished people in the dynasty sat down and chatted.

Emperor Qianxi recounted some amusing anecdotes from his travels and then inquired about the Empress Dowager's well-being.

When they were talking happily, the Empress Dowager said with a smile, "I've finally found something to do in the palace these days."

"The mahjong set that the Crown Prince had made for me is much better than playing cards. Not only does it not make my eyes blurry, but it also allows me to move my hands and feet."

Emperor Qianxi smiled and said, "The Crown Prince is very thoughtful. I will reward him with something later."

The Empress Dowager continued, "It's all thanks to the Emperor's excellent teaching. The Crown Princess is currently pregnant, so it's no longer appropriate for her to worry about palace affairs."

"The emperor should also make plans for this matter as soon as possible."

Emperor Qianxi had already heard reports about the Crown Princess's pregnancy, and upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, he nodded and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will make the arrangements immediately."

Because he had to attend court, Emperor Qianxi only stayed in Cining Palace for half an hour.

After leaving the Cining Palace, Emperor Qianxi had only one thought in his mind: when did the relationship between the Crown Prince and his mother become so intimate?

In the past, the Crown Prince did not visit Cining Palace very often, and because of this, he felt that the Crown Prince was somewhat unfilial.

And now, the Crown Prince is so close to the Empress Dowager. Although the Empress Dowager's words just now didn't explicitly plead for the Crown Prince, they actually conveyed a positive impression of him.

His pursuit had always been for the Crown Prince to be filial, but now, he felt no joy whatsoever.

I don't know when it started, but this rebellious son has become so shrewd and capable, and his emotional intelligence is far beyond what ordinary people can match.

From any angle, it seems impeccable. What does impeccable mean? It means flawless!

However, the unpleasantness caused by this was quickly put aside by Emperor Qianxi, as he had more important things to do as emperor.

Both Suo'etu and Mingzhu voluntarily resigned from their positions as Grand Secretaries, retaining only the honorary title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent.

Although their followers are still there, without the support of the Grand Secretary status, their power will be greatly weakened.

What Emperor Qianxi needs to do now is to increase the number of Grand Secretaries.

As a result, his uncle Tong Guowei became the chief Grand Secretary, and he also intended to promote his confidant Ma Qi to the position of Grand Secretary.

However, Ma Qi flatly rejected this decision.

Ma Qi refused because he wanted to serve the emperor for a few more years. Although Emperor Qianxi was somewhat displeased, he did not force him.

He felt that although Ma Qi was useful, the six-year term of office for a Grand Secretary was actually quite good.

The court was relatively calm and peaceful for a time due to the reshuffling of the Grand Secretaries. However, beneath this calm, undercurrents were surging.

Among these events, the most noteworthy was the Ministry of Revenue's efforts to clear its debts.

The Ministry of Revenue's debt of nearly eight million taels of silver was a thorn in the side of many people, and even the Qianxi Emperor was very concerned about it.

After all, the Ministry of Revenue is running out of money!

On this day, Shen Ye was reading leisurely books in Yuqing Palace. However, he had read these books several times before, and they were really not interesting to read anymore.

As for asking him to write, he had no such intention.

Writing a book takes too much effort. I'd rather spend that time playing chess with the Crown Princess, having a heart-to-heart talk with Nian Yue Ru, or having a long chat about life with Consort Li...

Thinking of Consort Li, Shen Ye suddenly remembered that he had another concubine who had not yet entered the palace!

Just as Shen Ye was pondering whether to ask Shi Jingrong what was going on, Zhou Baolai reported, "Your Highness, Cao Yin, the Imperial Textile Commissioner of Jiangnan, requests an audience."

Could this be the legendary "just when you're about to doze off, someone brings you a pillow"?

Just moments ago, I was thinking about Consort Cao, whom I had been longing for, and then my father-in-law, Cao Yin, showed up!

In that case, then...

Although he didn't know why Cao Yin had come, he still had to give him face. He said in a deep voice, "Please come in."

To show his respect for his future father-in-law, Shen Ye put down his book and went to the door when Cao Yin arrived.

The saying goes, "It's never wrong to be overly polite," especially when it comes to the father of one's own concubine.

"This servant Cao Yin pays his respects to Your Highness." Upon seeing Shen Ye, Cao Yin bowed respectfully.

However, before he could kneel down, Shen Ye had already pulled him up and said, "Lord Cao, there's no need for such formalities. We're not outsiders. Being too polite would be too formal!"

As they spoke, Shen Ye's gaze fell on Cao Yin. He felt that Cao Yin seemed to have aged considerably since the last time they met.

At first glance, it wasn't obvious, but upon closer inspection, Shen Ye noticed that Cao Yin's eyes were now surrounded by wrinkles.

As he offered Cao Yin his seat, he thought to himself, "Could it be that Cao Yin is reluctant to marry his daughter to me, which is why he looks so distressed?"

But this shouldn't be the case. After all, he is still the Crown Prince. Cao Yin shouldn't be so opposed to this marriage!
　The third update of the day is here! Please give me your support, everyone!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)