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

Chapter 187 How Terrifying It Is When the Crown Prince Gets Reckless

The alliance between the crown prince and the court officials can effectively sideline the emperor!
Emperor Qianxi had a very profound understanding of this point.

Therefore, although he established a crown prince, he caused the important ministers around the crown prince to fall from grace one by one.

For example, Songgotu, and for example...

Now that Wang Yan and Kong Meiyun had gone to see the Crown Prince, a sense of crisis rose in his heart again.

After all, Wang Yan and Kong Meiyun don't just represent themselves; they have a large number of supporters behind them. If they unite, then I need to be careful.

In a flash, he gently put down the memorial and then asked in a deep voice, "What did they talk about with the Crown Prince?"

Zhao Chang said in a deep voice, "Kong Meiyun and Wang Yan told the Crown Prince that ancestral rules are very important."

“It would not be a good thing for the Crown Prince if the ancestral rules were broken.”

"Therefore, they asked the Crown Prince to join them in submitting a petition to uphold the ancestral system."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianxi felt a chill in his heart.

Ancestral rules were actually a means for officials to deal with the emperor.

However, ancestral rules can be very useful for the crown prince, since the eldest son of the legitimate wife inherits the throne, which is one of the ancestral rules throughout history.

However, there were also those who broke this ancestral rule.

For example, Emperor Wu of Han and Emperor Taizong of Tang were both adept at breaking ancestral rules.

With that in mind, he asked Zhao Chang, "What is the Crown Prince doing right now?"

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is writing a memorial," Zhao Chang said expressionlessly. "However, given the Crown Prince's noble status, we servants must not disturb him."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianxi's face darkened.

He had already combined the Crown Prince's act of writing a memorial with the requests from Kong Meiyun and others.

It seems the Crown Prince will join forces with Wang Yan and the others to uphold ancestral rules!
With the Crown Prince and many ministers opposing the idea, Emperor Qianxi could easily find himself in a passive position.

After all, if even your son doesn't support you, how can you expect to gain more support?

"Once the Crown Prince's memorial arrives, report to me immediately." Emperor Qianxi said, waving to Zhao Chang, who was preparing to leave, "Keep a close eye on Yuqing Palace, and report to me immediately if there are any developments."

Zhao Chang's ability to become the leader of Emperor Qianxi's secret agents demonstrates his exceptional sensitivity and vigilance.

Judging from the current news and Emperor Qianxi's attitude, he knew that the current situation was no small matter.

If I make a mistake in my response, it will inevitably lead to a major disaster.

The same applies to the crown prince.

I hope the Crown Prince will not make a mistake.

The sun rose as usual, and the grand court assembly at the Taihe Palace began on time as well.

However, compared to the past, this grand court assembly gave people an extremely oppressive feeling.

There is only one reason for this: the conversion of land tax into poll tax.

Dozens of imperial censors who had been kowtowing to the emperor were persuaded to leave by Tong Guowei. The imperial students who had blocked the bridal sedan chair had not yet been released, and His Majesty had not yet given a clear answer on how to deal with Nian Xialing.

In this context, the grand assembly became a good opportunity in the eyes of some.

Although there were countless memorials to the throne, none were as effective as those presented on the spot.

So at this moment, many people are holding their breath.

They wanted to strike hard and bring down Nian Xialing and Yu Chenglong, who dared to speak up for the land tax reform, so that those who wanted to touch their interests would learn a lesson: their interests were not so easy to touch!

"To uphold the nation and safeguard ancestral traditions, the time is now!" a young censor exclaimed. "Gentlemen, it is our duty!"

Hearing the young man's words, many people became excited.

Others shouted in agreement, "We are irreconcilably opposed to the traitors! Today, either the traitors will be punished, or we will all die a martyr's death!"

Such words rang out repeatedly, causing many to tremble with fear. This was especially true of some officials who were on good terms with Nian Xialing, who were deeply worried for him.

Several Grand Secretaries also arrived outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony at this time. They all remained silent, their expressions solemn.

After hesitating for a moment, Tong Guowei said to the Eighth Prince who was standing to the side, "Go and find His Majesty and report on the scene of the court session."

"Your Majesty, please make a decision as soon as possible."

"If it is possible to cancel court sessions, it would be best to cancel them."

The Eighth Prince, Yunsi, hesitated for a moment before saying, "I heard that the Crown Prince is going to submit a memorial."

The Eighth Prince did not elaborate, but his meaning was clear: the Crown Prince was going to submit a memorial, which was a good opportunity to make Emperor Qianxi dislike the Crown Prince.

Tong Guowei glanced at the Eighth Prince indifferently, feeling a pang of sympathy for his nephew.

Not only did he have a bunch of sons, but each and every one of them was incredibly cunning.

And what they were scheming against was their father, Emperor Qianxi.

Thinking this to himself, he said with an unchanged expression, "Eighth Prince, you don't understand the Emperor."

"Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has experienced countless bloody battles. Do you think such a trivial matter can frighten His Majesty?"

"I'm sending you there just so you can show your face in front of His Majesty."

Upon hearing Tong Guowei's words, a hint of understanding appeared in the eyes of the Eighth Prince, Yunsi.

Although he was intelligent, he also felt that he was far inferior to old foxes like Tong Guowei.

Don't ask about the outcome, just follow your heart!

The Eighth Prince respectfully clasped his hands in greeting to Tong Guowei, then strode towards the back of the Hall of Supreme Harmony without saying a word.

The Eighth Prince was the youngest prince and was not particularly prominent among the princes.

His departure went unnoticed by others.

However, the arrival of Crown Prince Shen Ye attracted countless eyes, especially Kong Meiyun and Wang Yan. When they saw Shen Ye striding towards them, smiles appeared on their faces.

After exchanging glances, Kong Meiyun waved to the crowd behind her, then respectfully bowed to Shen Ye and said, "We greet Your Highness."

Many people stood behind Kong Meiyun. The moment she bowed, her respect was tinged with an indescribable majesty, giving people an overwhelming feeling.

This grand and imposing procession, resembling a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, perfectly embodies the phrase "followers as numerous as clouds."

The eldest prince and the third prince stood to one side, and their expressions immediately turned ugly when they saw this situation.

The eldest prince, in particular, has made it clear that he intends to compete with the crown prince for the throne.

Now that he sees that the Crown Prince has so many supporters, how can he not be flustered?
However, neither of them spoke, and they just watched all of this coldly.

As for the fourth prince, he frowned slightly.

The strategy he recently devised with Wu Sidao was to cultivate his own power under the wing of the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince and these civil officials are so ostentatious that he has a bad feeling about it from the bottom of his heart.

If the Crown Prince submits a memorial opposing the conversion of land tax to poll tax, what will His Majesty do? Will His Majesty still follow the Crown Prince?

He was at a loss for what to do, but he felt in his heart that the Crown Prince had probably made a mistake this time.

Just then, Shen Ye's cheerful voice rang out: "Don't worry, everyone, this time, I will definitely not let you down."

"This memorial to the emperor is absolutely necessary."

Upon hearing this, many people respectfully exclaimed, "Your Highness is wise!"

Wang Yan and Kong Meiyun, on the other hand, wore smiles.

The crown prince made the wisest choice, and their advice was not in vain.

　The third update is here on time. Thank you all for your support. It's the end of the month, so please give me two votes!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)