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

Chapter 189 No Additional Taxes for Population Growth
Shen Ye had already written his memorial and was ready to present it, but he never expected that his kind father would reserve the first performance for him.

Looking up at Emperor Qianxi, who sat upright on the Sumeru throne, Shen Ye suddenly felt a sense of power and authority.

Of course, he was the one who was confronted with a sword drawn!

Emperor Qianxi watched all this calmly and composedly, like a general strategizing and waiting for the enemy to charge with an air of superiority.

Moreover, in this matter, he immediately made himself submit a memorial to the emperor. Besides the purpose of capturing the leader first, he also had another purpose: to gain the upper hand.

Faced with this situation, Shen Ye remained calm and composed.

Regardless of what Emperor Qianxi thought, he did not currently regard his father as his rival.

As the saying goes, "A towering cliff stands firm because it is free from desires," so there is nothing to fear.

He took a step up the imperial steps and said in a deep voice, "Father, I have prepared three memorials for today. Now, I will begin with the first one."

Emperor Qianxi looked at the unwavering Crown Prince and felt a complex mix of emotions, including both apprehension and great satisfaction.

Regardless of the circumstances, the crown prince was the heir apparent he had personally groomed.

No matter how foolish the Crown Prince's actions may have been, one thing is certain: his composure in the face of danger is absolutely impeccable.

He said calmly, "Then play it."

The father and son were speaking on the imperial platform, but the officials below were all secretly wondering what was going on.

Tong Guowei was the chief Grand Secretary and also Emperor Qianxi's maternal uncle.

When Suo'etu and Mingzhu were fighting, he did not help either of them, yet both of them were wary of him.

They even became a major force in the imperial court.

But this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

Is the Crown Prince preparing to confront His Majesty? Is this a battle of wits, a direct confrontation?

How can this be?

Who gave him the courage!

Although he has gained the support of Kong Meiyun and others, can these people combined defeat His Majesty?

Regardless of the circumstances, he didn't think highly of the crown prince.

After all, military power has always been firmly in His Majesty's hands.

As for the eldest prince and the other princes, they were both surprised and delighted.

They already knew when Emperor Qianxi was selecting the crown prince that their father would definitely give the crown prince a good talking-to at this court assembly.

They were filled with anticipation for this challenge.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince showed no fear in the face of this reprimand; instead, he intensified his efforts.

I don't just have one petition to submit, I have three!
Is this a deliberate attempt to make their moves public?

As for Wang Yan and Kong Meiyun, they were even more terrified at this moment. Their original intention in going to Shen Ye was simply to have the Crown Prince speak out and use his words to oppose the new policy of merging land tax and poll tax.

However, this did not lead to a direct confrontation between the Crown Prince and Emperor Qianxi.

As a subject of the Qianxi Emperor, I have always been filled with fear of this emperor.

They knew very well that if they were to rebel against this emperor, they would have absolutely no chance of winning.

To confront Emperor Qianxi head-on would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock; it would be suicidal.

But the Crown Prince's appearance... Could it be that we went a little too far when discussing ancestral rules, causing the Crown Prince to have other ideas?

Amid their worries, Shen Ye slowly took out his first memorial and said, "This first memorial from your son concerns the poll tax."

Upon hearing Shen Ye's words, Emperor Qianxi's expression grew even colder, and a sneer appeared on his lips.

This foolish son is being used as a tool without even realizing it!
The first of the three memorials was to merge the poll tax into the land tax.

Ha ha……

Emperor Qianxi remained silent, merely staring at Shen Ye. He didn't even seem inclined to have Shen Ye's memorial presented to him.

"Your subject's memorial is entitled 'In this prosperous age, with the addition of new male offspring, taxes will never be increased!'"

"...The population count was not fully accounted for during the compilation process. The country has enjoyed peace for a long time, and the population is growing daily. It would be inappropriate to levy additional taxes based on the current population. Although the population has increased, the land area has not expanded..."

As Shen Ye's clear voice echoed in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the vast hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

When Shen Ye presented his memorial, Emperor Qianxi looked at him with a scrutinizing attitude, ready to find fault with it.

However, upon hearing the eight characters "a new baby is born in this prosperous age, and no more taxes will be levied," he involuntarily sat up straight.

Emperor Qianxi was perfectly clear about the amount of Ding Yin (a type of silver ingots). Since he ascended the throne, Ding Yin had only increased by a little over 200,000 taels.

It can be said that the slow growth and the meager increase made him both heartbroken and angry.

Emperor Qianxi was as clear-headed as a mirror. While the constant warfare was certainly a contributing factor to this situation, the main reason was that some people were manipulating things to profit from it.

However, although he saw through everything perfectly, he was ultimately powerless to stop the law because of the sheer number of people involved.

Although he was the supreme ruler, he was powerless against the intricate web of vested interests.

There were even cases where the poll tax did not increase, but the burden on some ordinary people increased several times over.

Now, the Crown Prince's memorial not only benefits the people and bestows favors upon the world, but also cleverly alleviates some of the current conflicts.

To make life a little better for ordinary people whose taxes have been arbitrarily increased.

After all, with the amount of tax levied on the people fixed, the common people no longer had to worry about the suffering of increasing taxes year after year.

More importantly, once this policy is implemented, the Crown Prince's reputation for virtue will surely soar to new heights.

Whether they were gentry or common people, who didn't say that the crown prince was benevolent and virtuous?
After all, from any perspective, this is a beneficial policy that benefits the country and its people.

Emperor Qianxi frowned slightly, his expression becoming even more solemn. At this moment, he felt that the Crown Prince before him was far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.

He had no choice but to approve the memorial. If he rejected it, the people would say that the monarch was unrighteous.

What's more problematic is that with such a good policy precedent, it's not convenient to severely punish the Crown Prince even if his subsequent memorials are flawed—no one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. If we were to harshly criticize the kind-hearted Crown Prince for minor transgressions, it would be disrespectful.
The Crown Prince is growing stronger every day!
Emperor Qianxi sighed inwardly, while the other ministers also had their own thoughts.

Take Yu Chenglong for example. He came under pressure this time, but after hearing the Crown Prince's memorial, he felt that this trip was truly worthwhile.

The Crown Prince's memorial, every word and sentence, revealed his true feelings.

As for the fourth prince, Yunzhen, he felt a mix of emotions, both admiration and regret: could it be that he was truly inferior to his elder brother?
The Eighth Prince, Yunsi, who had just been gloating over his successful complaint, was now filled with regret. How could the Crown Prince have snatched such a golden opportunity for both fame and fortune? If he had been the one to bring it up, not only would his reputation as a "wise prince" have been even greater, but he would also have...
Since Yu is born, how can Liang be born!
Just as Yun Si was secretly regretting it, Shen Ye finished delivering his memorial.

After a moment's thought, Emperor Qianxi did not immediately express his opinion. Instead, he addressed the assembled officials below, asking, "Gentlemen, what is your opinion on the Crown Prince's request?"

No sooner had the Qianxi Emperor finished speaking than someone said, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

　The second update for today is here! Hey everyone, it's almost the end of the month, please support me with your monthly votes!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)