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

Chapter 209 The Struggle for the Throne: Once the Arrow Is Released, There's No Turning Back
The yield of one acre cannot represent the total yield!
Emperor Qianxi was very clear about this.

Therefore, upon hearing Shen Ye's words, he did not correct him, but instead urged people to speed up the process, as he wanted to know as soon as possible how much grain these 100 acres of sweet potatoes could produce.

Many hands make light work!
Moreover, Emperor Qianxi currently has several thousand bodyguards and imperial guards!

After Emperor Qianxi gave the order, everyone pitched in, and within an hour, all the sweet potatoes had been collected and weighed.

A large pile of sweet potatoes formed a small mountain in front of Emperor Qianxi.

"Your Majesty, the yield of these 100 mu of sweet potatoes is 357,641.5 jin!" The reporting official's voice trembled, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

For a minor official like him to appear before Emperor Qianxi twice was an honor so great that it was as if his ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke!
Emperor Qianxi already had a rough estimate of this output, and although it was not unexpected, hearing the number with his own ears still made him feel a surge of excitement.

This further proves that sweet potatoes are indeed a high-yield crop!
He immediately stood with his hands behind his back and said to Zhang Ying, who was standing to the side, "Draft an imperial decree to reward the person who planted sweet potatoes here handsomely."

As an emperor, Emperor Qianxi was always a man of his word!

If he says there will be a generous reward, then there will naturally be a generous reward.

At this moment, most of the officials appeared to be happy, except for Orondai and Yarjianga, whose faces were ashen.

Both of them lost too much!

Yarjianga lost more than a dozen villages and tens of thousands of acres of land in Xiaotangshan in one fell swoop.

Although those weren't particularly fertile or prime lands, they were still ancestral property. Losing them all this time is very painful.

As for Orondai, he suffered an even worse defeat. The Duke's mansion only had 60,000 taels of silver in cash. After this loss, the days ahead will be even more difficult.

However, he dared not renege on the bet he made with the Crown Prince!
However, Shen Ye had no time to pay attention to them at this moment. Since he had invited the Empress Dowager on this trip, Shen Ye naturally had to bring the people from the Imperial Kitchen with him.

Although it was a picnic, we brought all the necessary utensils, such as pots, pans, and bowls.

In addition to the meals prepared by the imperial kitchen, the freshly dug sweet potatoes were washed clean and then made into various delicacies according to the methods Shen Ye had described.

The carriage in which the Empress Dowager had been sitting was carried off the fast track by the guards and placed under the shade of a tree so that the Empress Dowager and the concubines, who had dug up some sweet potatoes to stretch their legs, could rest.

Even Emperor Qianxi and others, after observing the growth of the sweet potatoes, went to a prepared carriage to enjoy tea and chat.

Of course, there weren't many people who could chat casually with Emperor Qianxi; they were all ministers whom Emperor Qianxi valued most.

In high spirits, Emperor Qianxi chatted with Tong Guowei and others about the past, with bursts of hearty laughter frequently escaping his lips.

The princes who followed him all had different expressions, their moods shifting between light and dark.

During this trip away from the Qianxi Emperor, the eldest prince was in charge of the deployment of the Xishan Ruijian Battalion, so he was very busy.

However, during his inspection of the defenses, he still chatted with Yarjan A.

After galloping wildly for a while, seeing that only Yarjianga was left by his side, the eldest prince said, "Yarjianga, this is a lesson!"

"After you return, according to the bet, you will give the entire estate to the Crown Prince. You are honoring your bet."

"From now on, don't go against the Crown Prince!"

"After all, you are already a hereditary prince. Even if I inherit the throne in the future, I cannot give you any greater benefits."

Yarjianga glanced around, then said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, we've studied in the Southern Study for so many years, don't you know that once the arrow is released, there's no turning back?"

“I have been at odds with the Crown Prince since I was a child. Now that this has happened, it can be said that the old grudges have not been resolved and new hatred has been added. The Crown Prince must hate me to the bone now.”

"Even now, the Crown Prince treats me well on the surface, but once the Emperor passes away and he ascends the throne as the new Emperor, he will definitely not let me go!"

Yarjan's voice carried a hint of coldness: "The Iron-Capped Prince system is an ancestral rule and will not be abolished."

"But this does not mean that the heir cannot be changed."

"I have no way out!"

"Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back!"

"If Your Highness wishes to withdraw, I will not stop you, but I, Yarjianga, will never back down!"

After hearing what Yarjianga said, the eldest prince remained silent for a long time before stepping forward and patting Yarjianga heavily on the shoulder, saying, "Since that's what you think, then let's go all in!"

"Your Highness, His Majesty is currently in good health. Considering the longevity of the founding emperor, His Majesty can reign for another twenty years!"

"It's difficult to be the crown prince for thirty years!"

"What's more, he's the crown prince for forty or fifty years!" Yarjiang's expression turned even more ferocious. "As long as we protect His Majesty, we'll always have a chance!"

The eldest prince looked at Yarjianga at this moment and felt a little unfamiliar with him.

Yarjianga had always been seen as reckless and spoiled, but he never expected that such a playboy would have such a deep mind.

However, Yarjan's words rekindled his confidence, which had been shattered by the Crown Prince's actions.

Emperor Qianxi is in the prime of his life, only forty-five years old!
Moreover, Emperor Qianxi was also skilled in health preservation!
If Emperor Qianxi had lived to the same age as Emperor Taizu, he would have had at least another twenty years of reign!
Twenty years!

The Crown Prince's prestige is growing, but can he really hold out for another twenty years?
Twenty years later...

The eldest prince felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about the next twenty years.

Twenty years is a difficult time for the crown prince, and it is equally agonizing for the two of them!

“Let’s go see His Majesty,” Yarjiang said. “As someone who lost a bet, I must be able to accept my defeat.” The eldest prince smiled and said, “Then let’s go together.”

When the two men entered the carriage, they saw Emperor Qianxi chatting with Ma Qi. Judging from his expression, Emperor Qianxi was in a very high mood.

Upon seeing the two men enter, Emperor Qianxi asked the eldest prince, "How is it outside?"

"Father, everything is normal!" Although the eldest prince thought Emperor Qianxi was just asking casually, he still answered meticulously.

Emperor Qianxi nodded, then turned his gaze to Ma Qi: "Ma Qi, the Ministry of War recently submitted a memorial stating that the nine border regions, especially several important passes in the northwest, have been in disrepair for many years."

"This year, you must allocate a sum of money to properly repair these passes."

Ma Qi said, "Your Majesty, although this year's autumn tax has brought in a considerable amount of silver, the court's expenses have also been substantial."

"Putting everything else aside, the waterway management office alone costs one million taels of silver. With the rainy season over, it is imperative to renovate the waterways. Also, the Ministry of Personnel says that officials of all ranks in the capital have not received their salaries for nearly three months."

"With the Mid-Autumn Festival just around the corner, we'd be in trouble if we didn't give out some money."

"This item alone amounts to several hundred thousand taels."

"besides……"

Listening to Ma Qi's complaints, Yarjianga and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance, both feeling that they had come at the wrong time.

They both knew very well that the imperial court's funds had never been enough.

This was a time of power struggle between the Minister of Revenue and the heads of various ministries, and Emperor Qianxi, as the ruler of the country, was not in a good mood either.

However, it wasn't the right time to go out now, so the two quickly exchanged a glance and simultaneously held their breath, pretending they didn't exist.

Emperor Qianxi snorted coldly and said, "So, the Ministry of Revenue is once again living beyond its means this year, and there's definitely no money left?"

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has only so much space, but everyone needs to ask the Ministry of Revenue for money. I don't have three heads and six arms, nor am I a benevolent spirit; I really can't conjure up money!"

Ma Qi spread his hands, looking like he had no money no matter what you said.

Emperor Qianxi also felt a headache coming on when he saw Ma Qi's appearance.

When the autumn taxes came in, he thought he could finally relax. However, when the money arrived, he discovered that there were gaps in various aspects.

This costs money, that also costs money...

For some inexplicable reason, Emperor Qianxi suddenly felt that he might have made a wrong decision.

If the Crown Prince were to be in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, wouldn't we no longer have to worry about money?

But if the Crown Prince were to be in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, then...

Just as Emperor Qianxi was pondering these thoughts, Ma Qi suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I have heard that the Yuqing Bank, established with the three million taels of silver owed by the Crown Prince's Ministry of Revenue, has already attracted more than two million taels of silver in deposits."

"If we could have given this money to the Ministry of Revenue in advance, we wouldn't be in such a tight situation today."

Ma Qi's words stirred something within Emperor Qianxi.

No wonder Ma Qi was arguing with me. It turns out he wanted the silver in the Crown Prince's hands.

It is only right that the two million taels of silver be returned to the Ministry of Revenue.

However, I had already entrusted the Crown Prince with the entire matter, and the Crown Prince had said that he would allocate funds to the Ministry of Revenue next year...

Just as Emperor Qianxi was in a dilemma, Shen Ye walked in, followed by several eunuchs.

"Father, the Imperial Kitchen just made sweet potato balls. They taste best when they're hot."

"Your Majesty, have them bring it over so that Father and all the officials can have a taste." As Shen Ye spoke, he waved his hand at the eunuchs, and several plates were placed on the table.

A sweet fragrance instantly filled the room.

Because the imperial kitchen had its own methods for testing for poison, Emperor Qianxi was confident in his safety. He picked up a spoon from the plate and scooped up a piece, finding it sweet and delicious.

Unable to resist, Emperor Qianxi scooped up another one!
While eating, he waved his hand and said, "Liang Jiugong, let all the officials try these sweet potato balls."

Ma Qi, Tong Guowei, and others naturally felt grateful for the emperor's reward.

Having grown accustomed to delicacies, they were quite surprised to suddenly taste the sweet and glutinous sweet potato balls.

After eating four or five, Emperor Qianxi put down his spoon.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and said to Shen Ye with a smile, "Your Highness, this trial planting of sweet potatoes has made you a fortune!"

"How do you plan to spend those hundreds of thousands of taels of silver?"

Shen Ye was quietly eating a sweet potato ball when he heard Emperor Qianxi's words and immediately became alert!
The fact that Emperor Qianxi asked me this probably wasn't out of concern for me.

Could it be that Prince Gong and his old foxes couldn't afford to lose and went to Emperor Qianxi to ask for a refund?
These guys have a dream come true!

However, Shen Ye hadn't really thought much about how to spend the money he earned.

　The second update for today is here, everyone! This chapter is still 3,000 words long. Please support me with your votes at the beginning of the month!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)