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

Chapter 220 It's not stupidity, it's that their intentions are despicable.

Those destined by Heaven will naturally be protected by gods and Buddhas!

Emperor Qianxi was stunned upon hearing this.

When he heard the Crown Prince suggest drawing lots, he had a nagging feeling that there was some hidden secret, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

However, he quickly dismissed this speculation—because a series of impeachments followed, especially the one about "treating state affairs as a joke," which infuriated him!

Hearing the Crown Prince's explanation, he felt a sense of sudden enlightenment.

As the reincarnation of the Dharma King, he naturally has the protection of gods and Buddhas.

Those who are blessed by gods and Buddhas will surely be selected in the lottery.

If you don't even dare to draw lots, then it can only mean one thing: you are not the reincarnation of the Dharma King at all, and you have something to hide.

If you don't win the lottery, who can you blame? You can only blame yourself for not being the reincarnation of the Dharma King.

Upon reflection, Emperor Qianxi felt the gloom that had been troubling him for days vanish in an instant.

Looking at the composed Crown Prince, he truly didn't know what to say.

I had just told Chen Tingjing not to impeach the Crown Prince, but it was completely unnecessary.

Now things are fine. He's used up his own face, and the other side should have backed down, but the Crown Prince's reputation seems to have suffered as well...

"Have you explained the essence of your method to Aling'a and the others?" Emperor Qianxi suppressed his surprise and asked Shen Ye in a deep voice.

Shen Ye waved his hand, looking relaxed, and said, "Such a simple and easy-to-understand principle, how could A Ling and the others not understand it?"

"How could the Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs be unable to guess something like this?"

Emperor Qianxi was speechless after hearing the Crown Prince's two rapid-fire questions.

You say that Aling's level is poor, are you also going to say that my level is nothing more than this, a half-full bottle rattling around?

I hadn't thought of that either!

Emperor Qianxi inwardly grumbled, but said aloud, "Crown Prince, isn't drawing lots too simple?"

"I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public!"

Seeing that Emperor Qianxi's complexion had improved, Shen Ye cheerfully picked up the teapot from the imperial study and poured Emperor Qianxi a cup of tea, then poured one for herself.

After doing all that, he smiled and said, "Father, if you want something complicated and dignified, that's easy enough."

“Let’s hold a grand ceremony. First, let’s pray before the Buddha for blessings, and then we’ll replace the divination tube with a glittering, magnificent golden bottle.”

"Also, the skewer can be carefully crafted, for example, by inlaying gemstones and jade on it."

"Finally, let a renowned high-ranking monk perform a ritual on this golden vase for forty-nine days!"

After discussing some matters of ceremony, Shen Ye continued, "I am not very knowledgeable about these things, so the Ministry of Rites can handle them."

"Anyway, they are very experienced and professional in this area."

Emperor Qianxi was originally furious and planned to give the Crown Prince a good scolding, but he didn't expect that a big problem would be solved so easily, and his mood instantly improved.

He glanced at the Crown Prince and said, "Your idea is good. I will give you credit for it."

"But you must remember that when you speak in the future, you must make sure to explain things clearly to those below you."

"Not everyone can understand everything at a glance or comprehend ten things from one instance."

"There are quite a few idiots like Aling'a."

Because he was in a good mood, Emperor Qianxi made a joke about Aling'a.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Father, I think that this Aling'a may not be really stupid, but he just doesn't use his intelligence in the right way."

"People like him are someone we have to use in the future, but we shouldn't rely on them too much."

If the Crown Prince were to impeach Aling'a at this time, Emperor Qianxi might just listen and let it go, but he might not necessarily act on the Crown Prince's impeachment.

However, at this time, Shen Ye said that he was "usable but not to be reused," which changed the nature of the matter, and Emperor Qianxi kept it in mind.

Because it wasn't the crown prince who impeached them; it was the emperor and the heir apparent who judged the ministers.

Emperor Qianxi, who already had designs on Aling'a, was now even more determined and directly banished Aling'a to the sidelines.

Although he had made up his mind, he simply nodded noncommittally on the surface.

After saying a few more words about the lottery, Emperor Qianxi changed the subject and said, "Some time ago, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner Shen Guotai submitted a memorial about the fast track."

He said that although the canal transport was a bit slow, it had always supported the lifeline of the imperial court, while the fast passage was too costly and not easy to start construction.

"He also said that this was a matter of life and death for millions of grain transport workers."

"Your Highness, you've always been in charge of the fast track issue. What's your opinion on this?"

Shen Ye looked at the solemn-looking Emperor Qianxi, pondered for a moment, and said, "Father, I believe that whether it is the Grand Canal or the fast passage, the solution is to transport the wealth of Jiangnan to the capital."

Emperor Qianxi picked up his teacup and took a sip of water, agreeing with the Crown Prince's statement.

From the previous dynasty to the present, the key issue that the Grand Canal has needed to address has been the transfer of grain from the south to the north to supply the capital.

Shen Ye continued, "Your subject believes that the fundamental solution to this problem is not whether the canal transport is fast or slow, but rather to increase grain production."

"The four provinces of Hebei and Shanxi have always been important grain-producing areas. If we can increase the grain production in these areas, then the capital's grain supply will not be entirely dependent on the Jiangnan region."

"The Grand Canal transport is no longer that important!"

Shen Ye's words gave Emperor Qianxi a glimmer of hope. Although the Crown Prince's method still had many problems, it was not a case of treating the symptoms rather than the root cause.

He is addressing the problem from a different perspective, at its root.

In this respect alone, he surpasses many scholars.

"It's not easy to increase grain production!" Emperor Qianxi tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Shen Ye casually said, "Although sweet potatoes cannot be a staple food like wheat, they have the advantage of being plentiful and filling, which can definitely solve the problem of food and clothing for most people."

"This will also increase the supply of food considerably."

"To be honest, I think that although the court has been saying all these years that it should attach importance to agriculture and sericulture, it has not actually put in much effort!"

"Prioritizing agriculture and sericulture should not be about praying for good weather and abundant harvests every year, but about cultivating superior varieties and finding the best planting methods..."

Without the trial planting of sweet potatoes, Emperor Qianxi would have thought the Crown Prince was just boasting. But now, with the sweet potato experience as a foundation, he truly understood the benefits of superior varieties.

Emperor Qianxi nodded slightly and said, "What you say makes sense. Write a memorial about this matter later."

It's unclear whether it was because Shen Ye's words struck a chord with Emperor Qianxi, but this time, Emperor Qianxi's attitude towards Shen Ye was unusually good.

Even as Shen Ye was taking his leave, he smiled and said, "I have already told Chen Tingjing to keep a close eye on his subordinates."

"You don't need to worry too much about this."

Looking at Emperor Qianxi, who seemed eager to claim credit, Shen Ye wanted to say, "Why should I be afraid of impeachment by censors and officials for something like this?"
However, since Emperor Qianxi was saying these things to him as if he were taking credit for his achievements, he could only smile and agree.

As the Crown Prince leisurely departed, Emperor Qianxi fell into deep thought.

His expression contained relief, joy, and a hint of hidden worry.

The Crown Prince is as wise as I am, that's wonderful!

However, I still wish to live to be seventy or eighty years old, just like Emperor Taizu!

……

Chen Tingjing was very efficient in implementing Emperor Qianxi's arrangements, and he spoke with each of his subordinates one by one.

Moreover, he received a positive response during this conversation.

Although some subordinates were still resentful, after he patiently persuaded them, they said they would give him, the Left Censor-in-Chief, face and would not impeach the Crown Prince again.

Chen Tingjing knew very well that the so-called "giving him face" was actually a way of saying that some people had backed down.

After all, it was the crown prince who was impeached!

As for Chen Tingjing's handling of this matter, a smart person should be able to guess that it might be at the behest of Emperor Qianxi.

If Emperor Qianxi doesn't agree, then this Left Censor-in-Chief won't step in to help the Crown Prince clean up the mess.

Even so, Chen Tingjing was still happy.

After all, he had completed the task assigned by Emperor Qianxi.

Emperor Qianxi would not punish him for this matter.

However, what Chen Tingjing didn't know was that although many people outwardly agreed with his arrangements, some were secretly plotting against him.

For example, Yu Changsheng, who started this incident, came to an inconspicuous little house after listening to Chen Tingjing's advice.

This small house was nominally one of his outer residences, where he kept a courtesan sent from Yangzhou.

But in reality, this was where Yu Changsheng contacted his superiors.

Just as he returned to his residence, the songstress who usually fawned over him whispered to him, "My lord, the Crown Prince has asked you to contact a few trustworthy classmates to launch another attack on the Crown Prince at tomorrow's grand court assembly."

Upon hearing this arrangement, Yu Changsheng frowned.

He knew very well that if he continued to impeach the Crown Prince at tomorrow's grand court assembly, it might not succeed, but the person who led the impeachment would definitely suffer the consequences and cause a huge problem.

"Chen Tingjing has spoken with most of us. Although he didn't say it, we all know what he meant."

"His Majesty probably doesn't want people to continue impeaching the Crown Prince."

"Moreover, I heard that all the memorials impeaching the Crown Prince are being withheld and not issued!"

"Impeaching him at this point would be far too risky."

As soon as Yu Changsheng finished speaking, the woman who had been all tenderness and affection instantly turned as cold as ice.

She said calmly, "I have already conveyed the Crown Prince's arrangements to you, sir."

"Whether you listen or not is your own business, sir."

"However, if I may be so bold as to remind you, Your Highness, if His Highness can promote someone to his current position, he can certainly kick him out of that position!"

"You yourself must have quite a few things on your mind too!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Yu Changsheng's head. Yu Changsheng's heart trembled. He knew that this woman was not exaggerating. His weakness was indeed in the hands of the First Prince.

If impeaching the Crown Prince is likely to end badly, then if the First Prince, who holds leverage over him, wants to deal with him, he can definitely ensure the Crown Prince's demise.

After a long silence, he gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "I will obey the Crown Prince's arrangements. I will go and contact my fellow graduate now!"

　The first update of the day is here! Dear readers, please support me, recommend me, and do whatever you want!
　　

(End of this chapter)