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

Chapter 224 Dragons Gather in the Forbidden City, the Emperor Questions His Heart
The eldest prince, Yun, was most eager to drag the crown prince off the throne.

As the eldest son of the emperor, he was born with an advantage that his other brothers did not have.

He was His Majesty's first son to grow up!

While the saying "the eldest brother is like a father" is difficult to fulfill, it still exerts a certain invisible pressure on the other princes.

Also...

Yun had a gut feeling that his father was actually tacitly approving, or even encouraging, his father's opposition to him and the crown prince.

Although he dared not say he supported him becoming the crown prince, his father always looked pleased whenever he saw that he and the crown prince were at odds.

This is a rare opportunity.

He absolutely could not allow the Crown Prince to be so easily defeated, suffering only a minor setback.

Before attending court, Yunshi had already considered that Emperor Qianxi might ask him questions, and he and his subordinates had repeatedly deliberated and considered the matter.

Therefore, upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's question, he did not hesitate at all and sincerely replied, "Father, I believe that the Crown Prince's words were due to a momentary oversight."

"However, matters of national importance cannot be treated lightly."

"Otherwise, a moment of carelessness could easily lead to disaster."

"I implore Father Emperor to prioritize the court, the nation, and the legacy of our ancestors!"

The eldest prince didn't say how to punish the crown prince, and even tried to exonerate him at the beginning. But as he spoke, his words about prioritizing the court and the country revealed his true intentions.

He's trying to get Emperor Qianxi to replace him!
It's just that it wasn't said explicitly.

His words were clearly an accusation that the crown prince would ruin the family's legacy.

Tong Guowei stood aside, listening silently to the eldest prince's words.

Her disappointment in the eldest prince grew even stronger.

Although the eldest prince did not call for war and his words were generally quite tactful, his blatant intention to change the heir apparent was already common knowledge.

Not only is he not subtle enough, but he also lacks composure!

Does rushing forward mean it's yours?
Compared to His Majesty's meticulous thinking, they are far inferior.

Emperor Qianxi glanced expressionlessly at the eldest prince, then looked at the third prince and asked, "Yunzhi, what do you think?"

The Third Prince was also well-prepared for this scenario.

He said respectfully, "Father, I believe that the Crown Prince's words were purely unintentional."

"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to allow the Crown Prince to study more. I believe that as long as the Crown Prince studies more, he will surely not make such a mistake again."

The third prince spoke with such sincerity, appearing as if he would go to great lengths for his brother.

Emperor Qianxi still did not express his opinion, and his gaze fell on the fourth prince's face again.

The fourth prince lowered his head, his mind racing with calculations.

If the Emperor asks, should I plead for the Crown Prince or reveal Wu Sidao's startling conjecture?

If Wu Sidao's guess were revealed, then the Emperor would surely look at him in a different light.

However, once he voiced Wu Sidao's speculation, he would soon become the target of public criticism and a thorn in the side of many people.

And will the crown prince also become wary of him because of this?
Often, it's safer to keep a low profile and conceal one's talents than to be too sharp and show off one's abilities.

But if I keep quiet, wouldn't I be missing a chance to impress my father?
These two conflicting ideas left the Fourth Prince in a difficult position to decide.

Just as the fourth prince was feeling uneasy, Emperor Qianxi continued, "Yunzhen, what do you think?"

Upon hearing this voice, the Fourth Prince immediately made a decision. He respectfully said, "Father, the Crown Prince's talk of drawing lots may just be a joke."

"After all, the Court of Colonial Affairs had made various suggestions, but none of them worked."

"Your Majesty, I believe that even if Your Highness has made a slip of the tongue, it is not a big deal."

"From now on, we just need to pay a little more attention. There's no need for so many people to fuss over such a small matter."

After the fourth prince finished speaking, he sighed and finally suppressed his impulse to show off in front of Emperor Qianxi.

He knew in his heart that even if he explained the Crown Prince's meaning perfectly, at best he would only be an interpreter.

We should give the credit to the Crown Prince, who made the suggestion.

I'd rather be a good younger brother who is kind and respectful to his elders.

Only in this way can he continue to hide behind the crown prince without facing other challenges.

Emperor Qianxi nodded slightly at the Fourth Prince's words, and then looked at the Fifth Prince, Yunqi. However, the three of them, including Yunqi, said almost the same thing.

The main strategy is to avoid offending anyone.

Finally, to Shen Ye's surprise, Emperor Qianxi turned his attention to the Eighth Prince, Yunsi!

Although the elegant Yun Si was very young, he did not appear timid at all when standing among a group of princes.

When Emperor Qianxi asked him, he respectfully replied, "Father, you have taught me since I was a child that everyone makes mistakes, and then one should correct them; there is no greater good than this!"

"Although the Crown Prince has made a mistake, I believe that as long as he can correct his error, he will not make a similar mistake again."

"Your Majesty, I implore you to give the Crown Prince a chance to reform himself."

The Eighth Prince's words immediately put him on the high ground.

Giving the Crown Prince a chance to correct his mistakes and not punishing him was an incredibly lenient statement. Emperor Qianxi had always presented himself as a tolerant and benevolent ruler to his ministers, and now, the Eighth Prince was demonstrating the same leniency.

However, this statement implies that the crown prince had made a mistake.

Moreover, this mistake was quite serious; otherwise, Emperor Qianxi wouldn't have needed to forgive it.

Looking at the Eighth Prince's earnest expression, Emperor Qianxi waved his hand dismissively and said, "You may leave!"

The Eighth Prince's heart skipped a beat. He felt that what he had just said was most in line with his status, but judging from his father's expression, he could tell that his father did not like it.

What does it mean?

Just as everyone was waiting for Emperor Qianxi's next move, he turned to Shen Ye and said, "Crown Prince, those censors just now impeached you. What do you have to say?"

Upon hearing that Emperor Qianxi had finally named the Crown Prince, the Eighth Prince breathed a sigh of relief.

But deep down, he still felt a little jealous: his father, the emperor, spoke to the crown prince so gently!

He even felt that Emperor Qianxi didn't seem to think the Crown Prince had made any mistakes at all.

The Crown Prince treats such an important matter as a joke; isn't that a mistake?

Just as the Eighth Prince was speculating, Shen Ye smiled and said, "Father, I think that although the eight-legged essay system has many advantages, these so-called pillars of society still lack sufficient life experience."

"Some people are all talk and no action in ordinary times, but when they actually take office, they know nothing."

"As a result, many people who served as officials for several years ended up being nothing more than muddle-headed fools who couldn't distinguish right from wrong."

The imperial court was eerily quiet!
Many people found it hard to believe their ears.

Did I hear that right?
His Majesty clearly instructed the Crown Prince to explain why the matter of Tibet was handled by drawing lots. What is the Crown Prince referring to?
How did this suddenly turn into the Eight-Legged Essay Examination? Has the Crown Prince lost his mind?

The dozens of censors who had stood up to impeach the crown prince, who had originally been full of enthusiasm, were now being called fools by the crown prince's words.

How could they tolerate such a thing?

In an instant, the faces of these censors turned green.

Chao Huajiao, who was the first to step forward to petition the Court of Colonial Affairs, couldn't wait to stand up and said, "Your Highness, the eight-legged essay system for selecting officials is an ancestral rule. Although we are full of enthusiasm for the court, we cannot allow Your Highness to humiliate us like this."

"Your Majesty, please grant us justice!"

Emperor Qianxi understood why Crown Prince Shen was so confident, because the Crown Prince had already explained the benefits of drawing lots to him.

However, he never expected that Shen Ye would directly attack the imperial examination system.

Emperor Qianxi wanted to use officials who came through the imperial examination system, because changing them would shake the overall situation and foundation of the court.

Therefore, he could not possibly shake the imperial court's system of selecting officials based on the eight-legged essay.

However, Emperor Qianxi also felt that some of these scholars who passed the imperial examinations through the eight-legged essay system were truly difficult to employ.

These people are very good at studying, but they are really bad at management.

In the county, many of them were sidelined by clerks and secretaries, becoming mere ornaments, like bodhisattvas.

However, Emperor Qianxi had no good solutions for these people.

He coughed and said, "Your Highness, get to the point, don't beat around the bush."

Shen Ye dared not argue with Emperor Qianxi in the imperial court.

In that case, even if Emperor Qianxi was unwilling, he would still take action against Shen Ye for the sake of his so-called imperial dignity.

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's instructions, he put on an honest demeanor and said, "Father, the reason I say this is because I don't know whether these officials who impeached me have any ulterior motives."

"But their abilities are really questionable."

"The main reason why I proposed to resolve the dispute in Tibet by drawing lots is that they have found the reincarnations of two Dharma Kings."

"But the Dharma King is no ordinary person."

"Those destined by Heaven will surely be protected by gods and Buddhas!"

“Using a lottery to determine the reincarnation of the Dharma King will not only be accurate, but the monasteries throughout Tibet will not raise any objections.”

"How could someone without the protection of gods and Buddhas be a Dharma King!"

The moment the Crown Prince uttered those words, Tong Guowei felt a jolt in his heart.

When he saw the Crown Prince propose drawing lots, he had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure it out.

He initially thought the lottery was just something the Crown Prince did on a whim, but now, the Crown Prince's words have made him realize that this so-called lottery is actually a brilliant strategy!

The two temples will not refuse!
They dared not refuse, for if they did, it would mean they had something to hide, and they would have already lost without even having to draw lots!
This method can be described as a one-time solution and extremely clever.

He couldn't help but look at Aling'a. As the Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs, Aling'a was not unintelligent, but his knowledge was insufficient.

and also……

Just as Tong Guowei's thoughts were racing, Shen Ye continued, "This method can not only be used now, but it can also be continued as a system."

“This method can be used as long as the reincarnation of the Dharma King is confirmed in the future.”

"This will help determine whether the reincarnations of those Dharma Kings who were brought in are truly real."

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(End of this chapter)