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

Chapter 232 The Harm of Contrast: You Must Make the Crown Prince Appear Weak

Looking at the heartbroken thirteenth prince, Shen Ye said in a deep voice, "Thirteenth brother, don't worry, this hatred is not just yours alone, it is all ours!"

"Jingyi is your older sister, and also my younger sister."

"I won't be able to sleep peacefully until I kill Kezang!"

Seeing Shen Ye's solemn expression, the Thirteenth Prince Yunxiang said excitedly, "Your Highness, as long as you can avenge Fifth Sister, Yunxiang's life is yours!"

"Even if it means going through fire and water, I will not hesitate."

Looking at the thirteenth prince with red, teary eyes, Shen Ye suddenly had a thought: At this moment, the thirteenth prince would definitely be a good helper.

If he could earn the man's gratitude for the rest of his life, regardless of whether he became emperor or not, one thing was certain: this loyal and righteous thirteenth prince would definitely protect him for life.

Even if I ultimately lose to Yunzhen, I won't be too destitute...

Of course, it would be even better if I could win.

Besides, now that this matter has fallen into my hands, I have no choice but to do it.

He immediately said seriously, "Thirteenth Brother, what nonsense are you spouting!"

"You are the esteemed thirteenth prince of my great dynasty, and your life is your own."

"And Jingyi's grudge is ours all!"

“It’s not that Father doesn’t want to avenge Jingyi. In fact, Father wants to tear Ke Erzang to pieces even more than we do, but right now, he can’t.”

"He is not only Jingyi's father, but also the emperor of the imperial court."

"Therefore, he must never act rashly."

"He had to think about the entire court and the people, so even though he wanted to do many things immediately, he could only wait for the right opportunity and endure them for the time being."

The thirteenth prince studied in the Imperial Study, and his studies were always of the highest caliber.

So as soon as Shen Ye said those words, he immediately understood.

His expression, which had been full of anger, instantly turned into one of dejection.

Emperor Qianxi had to prioritize the overall situation, and even if he was the most favored prince, it wouldn't change Emperor Qianxi's decision.

This reality dealt him a heavy blow.

"Your Highness, how much longer... how much longer do we have to wait?" the Thirteenth Prince asked unwillingly.

Shen Ye reassured her, "It won't be long!"

"What Father Emperor is worried about now is that the envoys from the Rakshasa Kingdom will come to provoke us. They want to break the previous agreement and make our Great Dynasty cede another 500 li of land."

"Once we can resolve this issue, everything else will be easier to handle."

The thirteenth prince's expression turned even more grim upon hearing about the Rakshasa Kingdom.

For the past two or three decades, the Rakshasa Kingdom has been a major threat to the northern border of the imperial court.

They kept provoking and invading, leaving Emperor Qianxi somewhat exhausted in dealing with them.

It wasn't until a few years ago, when Songgotu and the Russian Kingdom negotiated and demarcated their borders, that things calmed down somewhat.

Now that the Rakshasa Kingdom has returned, if the various tribes that have submitted to the north get entangled with the Rakshasa Kingdom again, it will truly be a headache for the imperial court.

In an instant, the last glimmer of hope in the thirteenth prince's heart vanished completely.

"Your Highness, how should we deal with the Rakshasa Kingdom? I've heard that their people are fierce and wild, and they are plunderers by nature. They come and go like the wind, making them very difficult to deal with."

The thirteenth prince said, "If we prepare for war against the Rakshasa Kingdom, then Father Emperor will probably not have time to avenge my sister in the short term!"

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Thirteenth brother, the Rakshasa Kingdom is not as terrible as you imagine."

"The reason you find the Rakshasa Kingdom difficult to deal with is mainly because you don't know much about it."

“If you learn more about the Rakshasa Kingdom, you will find that they are not invincible.”

"Moreover, I heard that they are currently in conflict with a country further north than themselves. If we use this situation properly, we can not only resolve the problem with the Rakshasa Kingdom, but we might even be able to gain some benefits!"

"Once the crisis in the Rakshasa Kingdom is resolved, killing Kezang will not be a difficult task."

The thirteenth prince felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at Shen Ye, who was speaking eloquently.

He couldn't help but say, "As long as it can avenge my sister, I'll do whatever the Crown Prince says!"

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Then help me find a few people so we can find out their background and then come up with a way to deal with the Rakshasa Kingdom's envoy."

The thirteenth prince naturally did not object to Shen Ye's request. He asked Shen Ye who he wanted to see and then hurriedly took his leave.

Shen Ye watched the thirteenth prince's retreating figure and sighed inwardly.

When Shen Ye left the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Qianxi's behavior made her realize that even the most supreme emperor is sometimes powerless to control his own destiny.

"Your Highness, was that the thirteenth brother who just left?" Shi Jingrong walked over gently and asked softly.

Looking at Shi Jingrong, whose belly was already slightly protruding, Shen Ye couldn't help but say, "Didn't I tell you to rest more? Why didn't you listen and ran out again?"

Shi Jingrong said coquettishly, "It was a bit stuffy sitting in the back, so I came out to move around and get some fresh air."

She hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Was the Fifth Princess really kicked to death by her husband?"

Shen Ye was surprised that Shi Jingrong had also heard about it. However, this was quite normal, given that Shi Jingrong was the Crown Princess and had many subordinates.

Shen Ye nodded and said, "Although Ke'erzang reported a heart ailment, the information reported by the secret agents of the Court of Colonial Affairs was that he was kicked to death by Ke'erzang."

At this point, he said in a low voice, "The court and my father will handle this matter, so you don't need to worry about it."

Shi Jingrong nodded slightly and said, "Your Highness, I know all of this, but because of this matter, the atmosphere in the palace is a bit..."

Although Shi Jingrong didn't say it explicitly, Shen Ye understood.

He said calmly, "Just tell Xinyue and the other girl to be careful."

The two tacitly agreed not to mention the Fifth Princess again. Shi Jingrong changed the subject, saying, "Your Highness, in a few days, it will be His Majesty's birthday."

What gift should we give them?

"If the gift is too insignificant, it won't be well received by Father!"

Shi Jingrong's worries were not unfounded; it was Emperor Qianxi's birthday celebration, which was a test for both the Crown Prince and the court officials.

Of course, the one who will be most tested here is the Crown Prince.

Although Emperor Qianxi once said that the gifts people gave him on his birthday were all out of "goodwill".

But the sentiment behind something comes at a price!

Putting aside other matters, just take the Crown Prince and nobles as an example: the more valuable the gifts they sent, the more loyal they were to Emperor Qianxi.

The more ordinary the gift, the more likely it is that the person has a problem with Emperor Qianxi.

Under such circumstances, many people racked their brains and tried every means to send Emperor Qianxi a generous gift in order to gain his favor.

For example, the eldest prince always tries to find gifts, and he has only one goal: to surpass the crown prince.

In the past, the Crown Prince's gifts were always prepared by Songgotu, and as a Grand Secretary, Songgotu had never disappointed the Crown Prince.

Although the eldest prince, with Mingzhu's support, presented very precious gifts, he was repeatedly defeated by Suo'etu's gifts.

It can be said that this has become a fixed program for Emperor Qianxi's birthday celebration.

Now that both Suo'etu and Mingzhu have been forced to resign from their posts, this birthday celebration has become the first direct confrontation between the Crown Prince and the First Prince without any external support.

Shi Jingrong learned from several palace maids that the eldest prince had begun to collect various gifts, so she began to worry about Shen Ye.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm all ready."

"Our gift this time will definitely shine brightly on the Emperor's birthday."

Hearing Shen Ye say this, Shi Jingrong felt much relieved, since recently, the Crown Prince's decisions have rarely been wrong.

Just as Shen Ye and Shi Jingrong were talking, at Mingzhu's residence, the eldest prince asked with a hint of anger, "Uncle, I wish I could lead my troops to flatten Khorchin right now and twist off Keerzang's head to use as a football!"

"That bastard! It's his good fortune that he was able to marry Jingyi, and instead of cherishing her, he beat her to death."

"I won't let him get away with this!"

Looking at the First Prince's ferocious expression, Mingzhu said calmly, "Prince Zhi, I understand your feelings, but you are not the Emperor after all."

"This is not something you can decide."

Upon hearing Mingzhu's nonchalant words, the eldest prince's expression immediately fell.

He knew that he was neither the emperor nor the crown prince, so this matter was not his responsibility to handle.

He felt frustrated, but he could only endure it!

"Uncle, does Father Emperor intend to continue to tolerate this?" The eldest prince's voice was filled with resentment.

Mingzhu calmly said, "Those who wish to achieve great things must endure what ordinary people cannot!"

"His Majesty is naturally furious that his own daughter was murdered in this way."

"However, the Rakshasa Kingdom is now making moves, and our elite troops suffered heavy losses during the campaign against Galdan."

“Under these circumstances, the imperial court is not afraid of Khorchin, but what about the tribes on the grasslands? They share the same fate as Khorchin, and if they are forced to rebel, that would be a major problem.”

Upon hearing Mingzhu's words, the eldest prince felt increasingly depressed.

Although he was unwilling to admit it, he knew that his uncle was right. Under the current circumstances, no matter how unwilling he was, he could only endure it.

Just as he was feeling angry, he heard Mingzhu say, "Next, the court should appease these tribes and deal with the provocations from the Rakshasa Kingdom."

"In this process, I think the imperial court will not offend the Russian Kingdom too much."

"The Court of Colonial Affairs is now under the Crown Prince's control. If the Crown Prince loses face in negotiations with the Russian Kingdom, then Your Highness, your opportunity will come!"

"As for the Russian Kingdom, once the Crown Prince has appeased them, Your Highness can petition His Majesty to grant you an army to crush the Kharachin!"

"In this way, your bravery and the Crown Prince's cowardice will be clearly distinguished in front of His Majesty and the court officials, forming a stark contrast."

The eldest prince, who had completely calmed down, couldn't help but recall the scene of him leaping on horseback and wielding his sword, and felt a surge of joy in his heart.

He paused for a moment, then exclaimed, "Uncle, you have such foresight! You see further than anyone else!"

“Prince Zhi, now that you want to achieve this vision, the first step is to have someone recommend Songgotu to serve as the Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs,” Mingzhu said slowly, looking at the Crown Prince’s eager eyes.

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(End of this chapter)