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

Chapter 23 When in doubt, postpone it.

Emperor Qianxi did not make a decision immediately!

He is genuinely enjoying the current situation.

Only when the courtiers are filled with fear can the emperor's authority be truly demonstrated.

And since the Crown Prince is the one who caused this situation, it's even more gratifying.

"Songgotu, what do you think of this matter?" Emperor Qianxi asked Songgotu calmly.

Soetu was a Grand Secretary, but he did not get the position through the imperial examination.

He was a nobleman from a family of noble lineage, and with an empress in his family, he was granted the title of Duke.

Because he did not take the imperial examination, he had no tutor.

Because he was a nobleman, he basically never served as an examiner.

This matter doesn't seem to have any negative effects on him.

But he was incredibly conflicted.

How could the Crown Prince do such a thing!
The support of the civil officials was crucial for the crown prince.

If the Crown Prince wants to investigate this tutor, wouldn't that be tantamount to severing the roots of the civil officials?

If this continues, how can the civil officials remain of one mind with the Crown Prince?

After Shen Ye spoke, he began to think about what to do. When he heard Emperor Qianxi ask, he solemnly replied, "Your Majesty, the concept of a tutor or mentor has existed since the inception of the imperial examination system."

"This is a rule that has been passed down for thousands of years."

"I believe this is also a way of respecting teachers and valuing their teachings."

"Therefore, I think it's best not to get bogged down in this matter and go through all that trouble!"

After finishing speaking, Suo'etu glanced at Shen Ye again and said, "Of course, the Crown Prince's understanding of this matter is not without reason."

"It's just a bit biased."

"We can seek out someone who is well-versed in the imperial examinations to give the Crown Prince a proper explanation."

After saying this, Songgotu silently stepped aside.

This was the first time in many years that Songgotu had opposed the Crown Prince's decision.

Although the statement was worded subtly, it was nonetheless clear that the speaker had taken a stand against the opposition.

In Suo'etu's view, this was for Shen Ye's own good.

Emperor Qianxi's gaze passed over Suo'etu and landed on Mingzhu: "Mingzhu, what do you think?"

Mingzhu's mind was a bit of a mess at this moment.

His memorial to the throne regarding the Crown Prince's alleged cheating in the imperial examinations was the result of long-term planning.

But to his surprise, things started off very quickly and veered off course.

He wanted to investigate the Crown Prince's manipulation of the provincial examination in Shuntian Prefecture, but he didn't expect the Crown Prince to be even more ruthless, directly attacking the examiners and candidates of the imperial examination.

You are also abusing public resources for private gain!

You're using the guise of selecting talent for the imperial court to take on your own disciples!
This is tantamount to ruthlessly tearing off the fig leaf covering the entire imperial examination system.

However, the crown prince was not wrong.

The talent selection ceremony is a government event, and you are just an official in charge of executing it. How did you become the teacher of those students?

Have you taught them before, or...?

Before being singled out by Emperor Qianxi, his mind raced, trying to find a safe course of action.

He knew in his heart that if he continued to oppose the Crown Prince, Emperor Qianxi would definitely have a bad opinion of him.

But if I don't oppose the Crown Prince, then...

"Your Majesty, although the Crown Prince's words are somewhat biased, they are not without reason."

"I believe that the Ministry of Rites should give this matter a long discussion."

"After all, this rule has existed since the Sui and Tang dynasties."

Things are hard to decide, so let's put them off!
This method may be old, but it is very effective.

Often, some things, no matter how difficult, will simply disappear if left unattended.

It's not that it's been resolved, but rather that nobody brings it up anymore.

Upon hearing this, Gao Shiqi, the Minister of Rites, immediately turned pale.

He knew this was a hot potato, but he also knew that the Ministry of Rites couldn't really shirk its responsibility in such a matter.

Emperor Qianxi nodded and said, "Then let the Ministry of Rites discuss it first." He then glanced at Shen Ye and said, "Crown Prince, nothing should be rushed, understand?"

Looking at Emperor Qianxi, who seemed concerned, Shen Ye felt a sense of doubt.

This concerned expression is so similar to the memory of the former crown prince.

"My son understands."

Even so, Shen Ye had no intention of backing down.

Anyway, if he doesn't get officially recognized as the crown prince, what does it matter if he offends Mingzhu and those civil officials who impeach him?
Anyway, with Emperor Qianxi around, even if these guys tried to bite him, they wouldn't dare to bite him openly.

A hidden arrow is hard to defend against, but an open arrow is easy to dodge.

This is an opportunity we shouldn't miss.

"Father, I have always admired your profound knowledge, Prime Minister Ming. Now there is a question I do not understand, and I would like to ask you to enlighten me!" Shen Ye said, bowing to Emperor Qianxi.

Looking at the smiling crown prince, Emperor Qianxi felt a sense of unease.

Why is my son being so sharp and assertive today?

His request for advice was probably a trap, waiting for someone to fall into it.

However, recently, he has become increasingly wary of the two Grand Secretaries, Mingzhu and Suo'etu.

In this situation, he was quite happy for the two of them to suffer a setback.

Moreover, since I have no legitimate reason to refuse the Crown Prince's request made at the grand court assembly without a word of protest, I cannot simply turn him down without a word.

He then said calmly, "If you don't understand, just ask. Mingxiang is a learned scholar, and I believe he will know everything he knows about your question and give you a satisfactory answer."

Mingzhu felt a chill in her heart.

He was inexplicably a little scared!
He quickly replied modestly, "Your Majesty's praise is too much for me!"

Just as Mingzhu was being modest, Shen Ye asked, "Prime Minister, I would like to ask, what is the meaning of the eight characters 'He who steals a hook is punished, he who steals a country becomes a prince'?"

At this time, the entire Hall of Supreme Harmony was filled with learned scholars.

Those present had read and used these eight characters countless times.

Everyone is perfectly clear about the meaning of these eight characters.

But at this moment, everyone seemed to have their brains rusted, and no one spoke.

Mingzhu's face twitched; he naturally understood what the Crown Prince meant.

That means you guys are blatantly cheating in the imperial examinations, turning the virtuous and talented people recruited by the court into your disciples.

I was just secretly collecting some money during the provincial examination, and you all started shouting for my life.

Aren't you bullying honest people?

Alright, let's have a proper discussion about the difference between stealing a country and stealing a hook.

Mingzhu's expression kept changing. He had anticipated that the Crown Prince's question might be tricky, but he hadn't expected the Crown Prince to directly insult most of the ministers present.

You are simply stealing the country!

No one can bear such infamy.

But no one said a word, because saying a word would be seen as guilty and inviting criticism.

However, he still had one thought in his mind: had the crown prince gone mad?

He seems to be acting a bit recklessly!
He seems even less afraid of offending people than His Majesty.

Is this how a crown prince should act?

Shouldn't the crown prince be keeping a low profile and cultivating good relations with the court officials?

If the crown prince acts like this, won't he have more and more enemies?

With that in mind, Mingzhu still made a decision.

Since you can't resist, then answer honestly.

"Your Highness, the earliest source of this saying is in the Zhuangzi, 'Opening Chests' chapter: 'He who steals a hook is punished, he who steals a state becomes a prince; and at the gates of princes, benevolence and righteousness reside.'"

After Mingzhu finished speaking, his expression returned to calm. He smiled and said, "So, what does this mean? It means that someone who steals from a hook is called a thief."

“And he who steals from a country will become a prince.”

Looking at Mingzhu speaking eloquently, Shen Ye felt even more admiration for her.

After all, not everyone has the ability to swallow insults.

However, he wasn't going to let it go so easily!
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(End of this chapter)