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

Chapter 146 Ruler, Subject, Father, and Son
Emperor Qianxi carefully examined Shen Ye's memorial for a long while before asking, "Crown Prince, isn't your approach a bit too harsh for those who are truly unable to repay their debts?"

Shen Ye gained a deeper and deeper understanding of Emperor Qianxi's personality.

Knowing this old man, he was both capable and upright, truly a role model in the industry.

He wanted money, but he was also afraid of damaging his reputation and becoming a sage ruler.

Shen Ye thought to herself, "Of those who can borrow money from the Ministry of Revenue, how many can actually repay it?"
Moreover, most of the people who can't repay their debts did so because they welcomed you, which is why they incurred such a large deficit.

It's just that there are some things that those who owe money dare not say.

Emperor Qianxi may appear very generous, but if you do something that displeases him, he might hold a grudge against you for life.

Sometimes, it's better to say nothing than to say something when faced with an emperor like Qianxi.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Father, I know that some people don't want to default on their debts, they just can't come up with that much money right now."

"So, I have one more thing to add here."

As they were talking, Shen Ye took out another memorial.

The characters on the memorial were elegant and neat, giving people a pleasing feeling.

But just by looking at the characters, Emperor Qianxi knew that they were written by another woman.

The crown prince even had two different women write his memorial on his behalf. Isn't this guy a bit too much of a schemer?

Emperor Qianxi inwardly scorned the Crown Prince, then picked up the memorial and quickly began to read it.

The document prominently displayed the following: "Regulations on the Management of Installment Payments for Debts Received by the Ministry of Revenue."

This one is even simpler than the previous one, only about four or five hundred words, but it describes the installment payment situation in great detail.

For example, the installment payment period can be applied for as needed, and it even specifies how much to pay each month.

What made Emperor Qianxi take it seriously was that interest was actually written inside.

You should know that Taicang lends money without charging interest.

Now they're suddenly charging interest, and while the interest rate doesn't seem too high, over twenty years the amount you have to pay back will suddenly double.

It's supposed to be an installment plan, but it's not as easy as paying it all at once.

“Your Highness, your suggestion of installment payments is quite good. It is only right to pay back debts, and installment payments fully demonstrate the imperial court’s benevolence.”

"But isn't adding interest like this a bit stingy?" Emperor Qianxi put down the document in his hand and said solemnly.

Having handled affairs for many years, he considered himself mature and experienced. He could discern the advantages and disadvantages of a method with just a little thought.

The two methods the Crown Prince provided, once implemented, will definitely recover most of the debt.

Not to mention those indebted officials, even those troublesome nobles find them too much of a hassle.

If his own brother and younger brother stubbornly refuse to pay back the money, he doesn't need to do anything to them. He just needs to bring up the debt when his nephew or grandnephew inherits the title. Even if he doesn't strip the title directly, it's a sure-fire way to defeat them...

His only complaint was about the interest rate.

This makes the imperial court seem petty and stingy.

It makes Emperor Qianxi seem a bit too stingy.

"Father, the reason I charge interest is to encourage those who owe money to repay it as soon as possible."

"If you don't charge interest, then you'll have to wait until the very last minute to pay back the money!"

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Moreover, the interest rates for private lending are much higher than this."

"Father, the Ministry of Revenue is already being very generous by only charging such a small amount of interest!"

Emperor Qianxi pondered Shen Ye's words carefully and found them to make sense.

After all, many people won't pay back money unless they're pushed to the very end.

Once interest is accrued, many people will weigh the pros and cons of paying it off sooner rather than later. He put away the two memorials, then glanced at Shen Ye before saying, "No wonder you dared to tell Prince Yu that you wouldn't pursue the debt; you were waiting for him here!"

Looking at the Qianxi Emperor's sentimental expression, Shen Ye casually said, "Your subject believes that to solve a problem, one should not treat the symptoms rather than the root cause."

"This kind of piecemeal approach, treating the symptoms but not the root cause, is not the best way to solve the problem!"

"Throughout history, nothing can be accomplished without rules. Your subject believes that we should strengthen the system and move the checkpoints forward to achieve the desired effect of getting things back to their source. As the saying goes, people can be persuaded but not acted upon; a system can motivate people."

For Shen Ye, what he said were just some common sense about management.

However, when Emperor Qianxi heard this, his eyes lit up.

He understood what Shen Ye was saying, but he didn't understand it as profoundly as Shen Ye had.

As he looked at his son, who was speaking eloquently, Emperor Qianxi had a subconscious feeling: the waves of Honghu Lake are ever-changing, and the waves of the Yangtze River are ever stronger than the waves before them. Your father has been swept away and died on the beach.

As a father, he naturally hopes his son will be better than him.

However, as an emperor, the fact that his son was stronger than him still made him inexplicably uneasy.

"How do you plan to convey this memorial?" Emperor Qianxi put aside the trace of jealousy in his heart and asked his son in a low voice.

Shen Ye said, "Your subject plans to present a memorial to the Emperor during the morning court session tomorrow, requesting Your Majesty's permission."

Emperor Qianxi glanced at Shen Ye, pondered for a moment, and said, "Crown Prince, you are not suitable to submit this memorial."

"Let someone else present the memorial."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi seemed afraid that Shen Ye would think he was taking credit for his son's achievements, so he said in a low voice, "Once this proposal is submitted, it will affect the interests of many people and offend many people."

"Putting aside other things, just take Prince Yu and Prince Gong for example. Neither of them are easy to offend."

"You are the crown prince; you should not be standing under a dangerous wall."

"I will arrange for someone to submit a memorial."

Shen Ye believed Emperor Qianxi's words without a doubt. After all, the purpose of this method of pursuing debtors was to force certain people to repay their debts.

Under such pressure, many people are forced to repay the money, but they must harbor resentment in their hearts.

They dared not vent their resentment on Emperor Qianxi.

Then, it will be sent to the person who submitted this memorial.

Although the crown prince's status is noble, the large number of people who resent him is also a headache.

Although Shen Ye knew that Emperor Qianxi meant well, he was still very unhappy because he had just attended a treacherous banquet the day before.

He spent the whole night coming up with this idea, just to see how Prince Yu would react when he heard about it.

It's not as satisfying to bring it up yourself as it is to have someone else do it.

Besides, what can Prince Yu and others do if they resent him? Can they really remove him from his position as crown prince?

A towering cliff stands firm because it is free from desires. He has already laid himself to rest and is not even afraid of Emperor Qianxi, so why would he be afraid of Prince Yu?
“Father, I know you want to protect me, but anyone else who does this will cause a lot of trouble.”

Shen Yeyi said righteously, "Moreover, only if I bring this up can they see our determination to collect the arrears from the Ministry of Revenue."

"In order to ensure the smooth collection of the debts owed by the Ministry of Revenue, I am not afraid of being resented by others!"

"I beg Your Majesty to grant my request and allow me to submit this memorial."

Looking at the Crown Prince, who was full of passion and fearless, Emperor Qianxi felt a touch of emotion.

The Crown Prince is not bad!
Moreover, if the Crown Prince... if he makes too many enemies, then no matter how capable he is, it won't be so easy for him to rebel against himself.

This situation seems somewhat welcome...

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(End of this chapter)