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

Chapter 227 Brothers Engage in Dramatic Showdown
Faced with the Eighth Prince and Jin Wushan, Shen Ye ultimately decided to meet the Eighth Prince first.

After all, this rising star who had gathered a group of people at such a young age was also the Crown Prince's younger brother, so he had to give him some face.

In just two minutes, the Eighth Prince walked in with a big smile on his face.

As soon as he entered, he bowed respectfully to Shen Ye: "Your subject greets Your Highness."

According to the rules set by Emperor Qianxi, the princes should greet the crown prince in this manner.

But Emperor Qianxi himself was not one to follow the rules.

At first, he was very supportive of this custom of bowing.

However, as the Crown Prince's status rose higher and higher, he felt that it was simply unkind of the Crown Prince to accept the greetings from his own brothers so readily.

This matter eventually turned into a crime committed by the crown prince, which is truly speechless.

Shen Ye looked at the Eighth Prince bowing to him, and before he could kneel down, she pulled him up.

"Eighth brother, we're family, why are you being so polite?"

"Hurry up and sit down!"

"I've told you so many times, brothers, when you come to my place, you're not allowed to bow."

"If you keep being so distant, it means you don't consider me your brother anymore!"

Upon hearing Shen Ye's words, the Eighth Prince's respectful demeanor deepened.

“Your Highness, although we are brothers, we are also ruler and subject.”

"I will always remember your kindness."

"However, I cannot be completely ignorant of the rules," the Eighth Prince said earnestly, his expression sincere.

Shen Ye secretly admired his eighth brother, whose appearance and acting skills were both top-notch. No wonder he was the one who could bring down the former crown prince.

He then laughed and said, "Eighth Brother, you're good at everything, except you're too bound by the rules."

"If your own brothers are always talking about rules, what kind of brotherhood are you talking about?"

"Brotherhood lies in the heart, not in outward appearances!"

Shen Ye's words were purely improvised.

However, the Eighth Prince took it to heart, even though the speaker meant no harm, and his expression darkened.

What did the Crown Prince mean by those words? They sounded like they had a hidden meaning. Did he see through my thoughts, express dissatisfaction, and take this opportunity to give me a warning?
The Eighth Prince understood his own thoughts best. Although he was young, he was ambitious and determined to obtain the throne.

The reason for this, besides the disdain he had suffered over the years, was that he felt he was actually not too far from becoming the number one person in the world.

Although the Crown Prince is already the Crown Prince, he has held that title for far too long.

It's impossible for a prince who has been the crown prince for so many years not to be feared by the current emperor.

Moreover, he now has a group of very powerful people supporting him.

For example, the Tong family, and his wife's family...

He came from a poor family, and his mother was still only a concubine, constantly suffering from the contempt of others.

However, he also has his own excellent qualities.

For example, he was intelligent and studious from a young age, and was also very skilled in riding and archery. In the eyes of many people, he was a perfect prince.

Moreover, he even felt that his father, Emperor Qianxi, had secretly encouraged him to participate in the struggle for the throne.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have let him marry Prince An's niece, giving him a very powerful in-law family as a strong backer.

In his mind, although vying for the throne was not an easy task, it was not out of reach for him.

But recently, with the Crown Prince’s outstanding performances one after another, he suddenly realized that the seemingly arrogant Crown Prince was actually unfathomable.

Not only did he make significant achievements in political affairs, but he also became more popular than his brothers in his dealings with people.

What's even more amazing is that he single-handedly "sent" the two ministers whom Emperor Qianxi feared the most to retirement!

This time, they thought they had finally found a weakness in the Crown Prince, but they did not expect that the Crown Prince had been prepared for this.

That flaw is a trap.

Although he was not punished, Alinga, one of his main supporters, lost his position as Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs because of this.

Emperor Qianxi may still use Aling'a in the future, but this warning bell has made him tremble with fear.

The idea of ​​establishing an academy to train the newly appointed scholars, proposed by the Crown Prince, was truly inspiring.

He knew in his heart that once this academy was established, it would definitely be able to gather a large number of connections.

So he couldn't help himself and immediately expressed in the court that he was willing to share the burdens of Emperor Qianxi and the Crown Prince.

However, the Crown Prince refused on the spot.

This annoyed him, but also made him feel a little uneasy.

He is currently favored by the Qianxi Emperor, but if the Crown Prince takes him as an opponent, then he will be in big trouble!
So after court, he exchanged a few words with Tong Guowei and then rushed to Yuqing Palace.

"Your Highness is right to teach me a lesson." The Eighth Prince said sincerely as he sat down, "I will certainly keep your teachings in mind."

Shen Ye did not want to engage in pretense with the Eighth Prince for too long, as it would be both mentally and physically exhausting.

The only reason he wanted to see him was to give the prince face, so as not to appear to be bullying his brother. "Eighth brother, what brings you here?"

The Eighth Prince was pondering how to get to the point with Shen Ye when he heard Shen Ye ask. He immediately said in a serious tone, "Your Highness, I have come here to apologize."

"In the imperial court, I heard the Crown Prince's methods for cultivating new scholars, and I was filled with admiration."

"At that time, I was filled with enthusiasm and couldn't wait to implement Your Highness's grand plan immediately."

"I completely forgot that this was a carefully planned project by the Crown Prince, and it required his personal involvement to prevent any deviations."

"As a result, on a whim, he volunteered to his father."

"I've come here today to apologize to the Crown Prince for my recklessness."

Shen Ye didn't know how sincere the Eighth Prince's apology was this time, but he believed that if given the chance again, the Eighth Prince would definitely pounce on him again.

His Yuqing Palace was filled with spies and agents, and was filled with various subordinates of Emperor Qianxi.

What he said to the Eighth Prince today, the Qianxi Emperor will know tomorrow.

Emperor Qianxi taught his sons to be successful, but at the same time he was afraid that they would rebel against him.

On the one hand, he demanded that his sons be friendly and respectful to each other, but on the other hand, he did not want his sons to unite and gang up against him.

Even if Emperor Qianxi could see that the Eighth Prince's apology was not entirely sincere, he was still happy to see it happen.

This gesture clearly showed the Eighth Prince's "respect" for the Crown Prince; he couldn't possibly disappoint Emperor Qianxi.

"Eighth brother, you're overthinking it!"

"A passionate young person should be willing to take on responsibilities."

“It’s not that I don’t want my eighth brother to help me, it’s just that you’re still too young. I’m afraid that there are some things you might not be able to handle on your own, and that you might end up being laughed at.”

“If you, Eighth Brother, have to come and apologize for even this, then it makes me seem like I haven’t done a good enough job as your elder brother.”

At this point, Shen Ye patted the Eighth Prince on the shoulder and said, "Eighth Brother, when doing things, you must be down-to-earth and start from the beginning."

"As the saying goes, 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' Only by starting with small things can you become worldly-wise!"

Shen Ye's words sounded perfectly flawless, without a single problem.

Anyone who heard this would think that the Crown Prince was a good elder brother.

Upon hearing Shen Ye's words, the Eighth Prince's expression became more excited as he said, "I will forever remember the Crown Prince's teachings."

The two brothers were very friendly and respectful, and after exchanging some intimate words, Yunsi took his leave.

However, as soon as he stepped out of Yuqing Palace, Yunsi's face darkened.

He sighed softly, but then a look of determination appeared on his face.

The crown prince was more difficult to deal with than he had thought, but so what!

He is still young, and his father is not old either.

He still has a chance!
After the Eighth Prince left, Shen Ye also suppressed his smile considerably.

Although I'm fairly satisfied with my rambling, I also feel a bit mentally exhausted.

After drinking a cup of tea, he called Jin Wushan in.

At this moment, Jin Wushan was extremely respectful to the Crown Prince.

Having spent many years navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom, Jin Wushan was accustomed to interpreting others' intentions with the utmost malice.

He felt that the Crown Prince had deliberately set a trap for Alinga after he was dismissed. Otherwise, why didn't the Crown Prince make things clear?
If the Crown Prince were to say a few more words, then Aling'a wouldn't be so presumptuous as to impeach him.

It wouldn't be so humiliating as to be dismissed.

He was only a vice minister at the moment, so he was filled with fear of Shen Ye.

"Your subject Jin Wushan greets Your Highness." Upon seeing Shen Ye, Jin Wushan immediately performed a full curtsy.

Shen Ye helped Jin Wushan up and said, "Jin Wushan, the court has just ended. What brings you here in such a hurry?"

Jin Wushan hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I have come to ask you for advice on how to conduct this lottery ceremony. I am rather dull and do not know what to do about these matters."

"I beg Your Highness to have mercy and show me the way."

Shen Ye glanced at Jin Wushan. He didn't believe that this Lord Jin had no solution. It was just that this old fox was afraid that Emperor Qianxi would not be satisfied with his solution, so he came to him to sound him out and find a backer.

However, he had already told Emperor Qianxi everything he needed to say, so he directly addressed Jin Wushan:

“Jin Wushan, I think that to handle this matter well, we need to make it solemn and dignified. For example, the bottle used for drawing lots could be a specially crafted, magnificent gold bottle…”

When Jin Wushan came out of Yuqing Palace, a huge weight was finally lifted off his shoulders.

He felt that this task was not difficult; on the contrary, he felt that a great achievement was beckoning him.

If I can handle this matter well, I will very likely become the new Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs.

However, just as he returned to the Court of Colonial Affairs, before he had even had a sip of tea, a subordinate rushed over in a panic, saying, "Lord Jin, something terrible has happened!"

Seeing his subordinate's flustered appearance, Jin Wushan's heart skipped a beat, and his heart jumped into his throat.

What's going on?
　The second update for today is here! Hey everyone, if you have any monthly tickets, please give me two! I'm begging for votes!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)