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

Chapter 16 The Crown Prince is Harsh and Ungracious
In fact, it wasn't just Shen Ye who thought he looked like the murderer of Zhang Xuezan; everyone present thought so too.

For example, the fifth prince Yunqi, the fourth prince Yunzhen, and the eighth prince Yunsi.

However, they all only glanced at Shen Ye quickly before falling silent.

Faced with this situation, Shen Ye felt extremely aggrieved.

However, there seems to be no way to defend this matter; doing so would only make things more obvious!
At that moment, Shen Ye gained a deeper understanding of the former Crown Prince Yunye.

This guy is truly someone you can easily dodge in the open, but hard to guard against in the dark!

"Your Majesty, Zhang Xuezan died at the Dali Temple. It's said...it's said he hanged himself." The young eunuch's voice carried a hint of fear.

Zhang Xuezan's death had nothing to do with him.

But now, being watched by Emperor Qianxi and so many princes, he felt a deep sense of fear.

He was terrified that if he gave the wrong answer, the enraged Emperor Qianxi would order his execution.

"What a fine way to die by hanging!"

"What a fine way to die by hanging in the Dali Temple prison!"

"Good death!"

Enraged, Emperor Qianxi paced back and forth a couple of times before slamming his hand heavily on the table and saying, "Did you really think you could control everything?"

"I refuse to believe that we can't find out who's behind this!"

At this point, he turned to Liang Jiugong, who was standing to the side, and said, "Liang Jiugong, convey my decree to Mingzhu: within three days, investigate this case thoroughly and get to the bottom of it."

"If anyone violates this rule, all officials from the three judicial departments below him shall be punished by me!"

Having served Emperor Qianxi for many years, Liang Jiugong was also somewhat apprehensive.

As his reputation grew, Emperor Qianxi rarely flew into a rage like he did now.

Not to mention the young eunuch who had just come to report, even he was afraid of being implicated.

So he responded and quickly went to deliver the imperial decree.

Emperor Qianxi's gaze lingered on Shen Ye's face for a moment, then looked at the eldest prince and the others before finally flicking his sleeves and turning away.

When Emperor Qianxi looked at Shen Ye, Shen Ye felt a chill run down her spine, as if a venomous snake was coiled around her neck and wriggling coldly.

The saying goes, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger," and he truly felt that way at that moment.

Although Emperor Qianxi always wanted to be a wise ruler and held the belief that he would not kill his sons.

However, who knows if Emperor Qianxi will go mad at this time?

After all, Li Longji had never killed his sons before, but in one day, he hanged his three sons!

Emperor Qianxi is gone!
However, the atmosphere at the scene was very oppressive and heavy.

At this point, no one was in the mood to drink anymore.

But no one suggested leaving.

After all, this is a wedding banquet, and it wouldn't be appropriate to leave in such a hurry.

Just as everyone hesitated, the Fourth Prince Yunzhen said to Shen Ye, "Crown Prince, what should we do next..."

Shen Ye really wanted to say, "Keep playing music and dancing, let the singing and dancing continue," but Emperor Qianxi's gaze just now was really a bit piercing.

If he said that, Emperor Qianxi would probably continue to cause him trouble.

He wasn't looking for death, he was just lying down.

So he looked around and said, "Everyone has enjoyed the banquet to the fullest today."

"Let's serve the main course next, everyone eat before you leave."

Having eaten the main course is a sign that a banquet has come to a normal end.

If the banquet ends without even serving the main course, it won't be considered a very successful event.

If it were anything else, it wouldn't matter if it didn't succeed.

However, this is the full moon celebration of the fourth prince's eldest son. If such a situation occurs, people will inevitably gossip about it.

Shen Ye's answer relieved the Fourth Prince, Yunzhen.

He naturally hoped that this dinner party would be a success.

Upon hearing Shen Ye's decision, the other princes present said nothing. Within a quarter of an hour, bowls of thin noodles and steamed buns were served. Although the variety was plentiful, no one present had any appetite. They hurriedly picked at their food, took a couple of bites, and quickly left.

No one spoke at the banquet, but when it was time to leave, the princes departed in twos and threes, according to their usual relationships.

The eldest prince, Yun, left with the eighth prince, Yunsi.

Their reason was that they wanted to go to the palace to pay their respects to Consort Hui.

Consort Hui was the biological mother of the eldest prince and the adoptive mother of the eighth prince, so the two had a very close relationship.

At the very least, to outsiders, they appear to be very close.

"Brother, what do you think of Zhang Xuezan's death?" the Eighth Prince asked the First Prince after dismissing his attendants.

The eldest prince said calmly, "That was a terrible move!"

"Zhang Xuezan has always been conscientious and dedicated since becoming a lecturer."

"If we abandon even someone like this, how can we gain the respect of the people in the future?"

At this point, he said with a touch of emotion, "Eighth Brother, you must not emulate such a mean and ungrateful person."

The smile on the Eighth Prince's handsome face grew even brighter.

He said solemnly, "Thank you for your guidance, elder brother."

"Your Highness will remember this forever."

"That person did such a thing, even though he concealed his tracks."

"But in reality, it made people see what kind of person he really is."

At this point, the Eighth Prince continued, "Brother, I heard that Zhang Xuezan is the nephew of Grand Secretary Zhang Ying?"

Upon hearing this, the eldest prince raised an eyebrow and said, "He probably can't care about these things anymore!"

"Father is watching, and he's getting anxious."

At this point, the eldest prince didn't want to continue the conversation and changed the subject, saying, "Eighth brother, you must keep a close eye on the construction of the prince's residence."

"After all, this is related to how we live our lives in the future."

The eldest prince and the eighth prince had a good relationship, while the fifth prince and the ninth prince were full brothers.

Both were born to Consort Yi, so they were naturally close.

However, the Ninth Prince had played with the Eighth Prince since childhood, so in terms of their relationship, he was not as close to the Fifth Prince.

But now, as the elder brother, the Fifth Prince has no choice but to give the Ninth Prince some pointers.

“Ninth Brother, if you don’t want that position, why bother being someone’s pawn? You are His Majesty’s son, and His Majesty will decide your future.”

The Fifth Prince's voice carried a hint of heartache as he said, "Why do you make yourself uncomfortable!"

Upon hearing the Fifth Prince's words, the Ninth Prince became somewhat impatient.

He waved his hand and said, "Fifth Brother, with the Empress Dowager looking after you, you naturally have nothing to fear about your future."

"But what about me? If that person comes to power, I'll at most be a leisurely prince."

"However, if the person is replaced, I can strive for a hereditary title that can be held forever!"

"Moreover, if he could kill Zhang Xuezan, who was loyal to him, just to protect himself, how can he treat us brothers well in the future?"

Upon hearing Zhang Xuezan's name, the Fifth Prince hesitated for a moment before saying, "Don't talk nonsense. Zhang Xuezan's death is not that simple!"

"If you're going to get involved in this, you'd better be careful."

The Ninth Prince smiled, his expression full of confidence, and said, "Fifth Brother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

The fifth prince wanted to persuade him further, but in the end he said nothing.

Just then, two palanquins were carried out from the prince's quarters, and sitting on them were none other than Shen Ye and Crown Princess Shi Jingrong.

Seeing this, the Fifth Prince quickly turned his head away.

Although he did not intend to participate in the struggle for the throne, he also did not intend to get too close to the somewhat dangerous crown prince.

A storm is brewing; I'd better go to the Cining Palace for some peace and quiet.

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(End of this chapter)