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

Chapter 188 Father-Son Battle, Crown Prince, You Go First
Although the Emperor had not yet arrived at the outer court, the situation outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the actions of the ministers had already reached the ears of the Qianxi Emperor.

Hearing Liang Jiugong's report, he smashed a teacup.

He was acutely aware that the situation was rapidly spiraling out of his control!

His own son, the Crown Prince, that rebellious fool, was openly defying him for the sake of ancestral rules.

An ancestral rule! What a fine ancestral rule!
A crown prince who follows ancestral rules is just a puppet and will be manipulated by others!

How can a prince like this rule the world?

Did he read all those books and forget them?
Or was it that he simply didn't take my years of careful nurturing to heart?
The Emperor Qianxi, enraged, grew increasingly furious the more he thought about it.

He was about to teach this good-for-nothing son a lesson, showing him that for an emperor, ancestral rules were meant to be broken.

“Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince requests an audience, saying he has something urgent to discuss with you,” Liang Jiugong said respectfully as he approached Emperor Qianxi.

Emperor Qianxi was very fond of his son, the Eighth Prince.

This son was not only accomplished in both literature and martial arts, but he also showed great respect for his father, the emperor.

At the very least, his son is sensible and considerate of the bigger picture; he would never collude with those court officials.

They would never renege on any ancestral rules.

"Let him in," Emperor Qianxi said calmly.

Soon, the Eighth Prince, looking breathless, jogged up to Emperor Qianxi.

"Didn't I tell you that you must remain calm in the face of important matters?" Emperor Qianxi said expressionlessly, glancing at his son.

He was showing this to his son, and also to himself. The sharpest sword amidst the raging storm is the calm and collected anchor that remains deep within the heart.

The reason why Yunsi was panting so much was actually for one purpose: he wanted his father, the emperor, to see how anxious he was.

Only in this way can my father feel my care.

"Father, I was so anxious, I was afraid I was too late!" Yun Si said in a deep voice, "I discovered that some ministers are planning to cause trouble during the court assembly."

"Therefore, your son has come to request that Your Majesty postpone this court assembly for a period of time."

"In this way, Father, you won't be fighting an unprepared battle."

Upon hearing Yunsi's words, Qianxi smiled.

Regardless, his son still cares about him.

Unlike the Crown Prince, who, for his own petty whims, actually colluded with some old-fashioned people to disrupt ancestral rules.

Ha! Am I someone who follows ancestral rules? The true art of rulership lies outside of established laws!
He gave Yun Si a loving glare, then said in a deep voice, "You don't need to worry about some things."

"Let them cause trouble if they want to."

"Do they think I'm unaware of their ulterior motives?"

"Hmph, just being clever for his own good!"

Emperor Qianxi spoke with considerable contempt in his comment, "You think you're so clever?" Looking at his father's expression, Yunsi thought of what Tong Guowei had said.

Clearly, this Grand Secretary had a thorough understanding of Emperor Qianxi's thoughts.

However, he rarely showed it. After all, trying to guess the emperor's intentions was a major taboo.

He dared not say more at this moment, but simply said honestly, "Father, I have learned a lot!"

Looking at the obedient-looking Eighth Prince, Emperor Qianxi thought to himself that he had gone too far by speaking without considering the Eighth Prince's feelings at all.

He then smiled and said, "I know of your filial piety."

"I am very pleased that you have your father in your heart. Come, come with me to court!"

Emperor Qianxi's words immediately startled the Eighth Prince.

On the surface, being able to attend court with the emperor seemed like an immense favor, but the Eighth Prince knew in his heart that in the deep palace, the more conspicuous the favor, the easier it was to become a target of everyone's envy. At this moment, his face was calm, but his heart was full of worries.

If this action arouses suspicion among the public, they will surely think he is using this opportunity to flatter others, or even secretly frame them. In this case, not only will his future be fraught with difficulties, but he will also attract countless open and covert attacks.

Helpless, Emperor Qianxi had already spoken, and the emperor's command was difficult to disobey. Just as he was pondering how to deal with it, the emperor seemed to see through his concerns, paused slightly, turned his head and said calmly, "You go first, and then come with me to court later."

The Eighth Prince felt relieved and immediately prostrated himself, his voice tinged with emotion: "Thank you for your understanding, Father! Your son... is not afraid of what others say, but simply does not wish to arouse suspicion for no reason."

This last sentence is very subtle; it seems plain but contains a hidden sharpness.

He transformed the word "Crown Prince" into the general term "person," cleverly concealing his true thoughts while revealing an unspeakable fear beneath his seemingly submissive words—a deep apprehension towards the Crown Prince.

Emperor Qianxi was indeed touched by this veiled accusation. His face immediately darkened, and he tapped his knuckles lightly on the armrest of his dragon throne, his voice carrying an undeniable authority: "With me here, you have nothing to fear."

He paused, then added, "Father will never let you suffer a loss!"

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince suddenly knelt heavily on the ground, "Your Majesty's grace will never be forgotten!"

When she raised her head again, there seemed to be tears glistening in her eyes, but she lowered them again in the next moment. "What I fear is... what I fear is the future!"

The word "later" was spoken lightly, yet it cut into Emperor Qianxi's heart like a dull knife. The unstated timeframe concealed too many unspeakable meanings.

Emperor Qianxi glanced deeply at the Eighth Prince kneeling on the ground, his gaze lingering on the slightly trembling shoulder for a moment, before finally saying indifferently, "Alright, I understand!"

Seeing Emperor Qianxi's calm expression, a hint of secret joy flashed in the eyes of the Eighth Prince.

Having spent a long time with his father, he knew his temperament well—the more furious he was, the calmer he appeared on the surface. Conversely, if he showed his anger, he might not actually be truly enraged.

The Eighth Prince respectfully withdrew from the hall. When he arrived in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, his gaze passed over the ministers and landed on the Crown Prince, who was surrounded by admirers. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

The crown prince was unaware of the grave taboo he had committed.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

As the whip cracked, civil and military officials quickly lined up and entered the hall in turn.

Shen Ye had just stood still when he saw Emperor Qianxi slowly emerge from the rear hall. The emperor's expression was cold and his gaze was deep. He did not look at Shen Ye once, yet he sent chills down one's spine.

As the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" gradually subsided, Emperor Qianxi slowly swept his gaze across the assembled officials in the hall.

He tapped his fingertips lightly on the imperial desk, his voice unhurried yet carrying a chilling undertone: "These past two days have been quite lively. The memorials on my desk are piled up so high that I can't even keep up with their review!"

Before the words were even finished, a young censor could no longer contain himself and stepped forward, loudly proclaiming, "Your Majesty, I have a matter to report!"

As was customary, Emperor Qianxi always allowed people to finish speaking. But today, Emperor Qianxi raised an eyebrow, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "I haven't finished speaking yet!"

Those seven short words instantly turned the censor's face deathly pale. The entire court held its breath, only to hear a cold rebuke from the throne: "Step down!"

The young censor trembled and hurriedly retreated back to the ranks. Although he was unwilling, he dared not hesitate for a moment—Emperor Qianxi had been on the throne for many years and his authority was profound, not to mention that he had just interrupted the emperor's words.

You can hear a needle drop in the hall.

Emperor Qianxi glanced at the censor, then turned to the ministers, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Today is quite strange, those who are presenting their reports are all vying to be the first to do so!"

"Tong Guowei!"

The scholar whose name was mentioned felt a pang of anxiety and quickly bowed.

“From now on, you cabinet ministers must properly instruct—” Emperor Qianxi tapped his knuckles heavily on the dragon desk, “rules and regulations.”

The two words struck Tong Guowei like thunder, causing him to break out in a cold sweat and only able to repeatedly agree.

Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Emperor Qianxi suddenly changed his tune: "Crown Prince."

This call plunged the already silent court into an icy abyss.

"I've heard that you also have a memorial to present today," Emperor Qianxi said with a half-smile. "Then you shall present the first one."

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(End of this chapter)