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

Chapter 235 A Tiger in the Heart, the Empire Unsettled

Emperor Qianxi usually dealt with memorials submitted by his ministers in two ways: either he would keep them in the archives without issuing them, or he would issue them directly after giving his instructions.

Most of the memorials were approved and then issued.

Even those seemingly insignificant greetings memorials would often be met with a simple "I understand" from the Qianxi Emperor.

Why? Because memorials are essentially reports on work; if they're kept withheld, people below will start to have doubts and speculate.

The imperial court is constantly busy with matters big and small, but this time, the most eye-catching thing is the memorial recommending Songgotu to be the Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs.

The memorial was indeed approved, but the annotations on it were not written in the emperor's vermilion ink, but in the crown prince's black ink!
The comment is just one sentence: Talented people emerge in every generation!
On the surface, this statement did not directly address whether or not Songgotu should be appointed as Minister, but in reality, it had already blocked Songgotu's path.

Anyone who has read a little knows what the saying "Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years" means.

The Crown Prince used this sentence to approve this petition, clearly telling everyone: there are plenty of talented people in the world, so don't fixate on Suo'etu!

It sounds a bit embarrassing, but it seems to make perfect sense.

The instruction spread quickly and naturally reached the ears of Songgotu.

In fact, when Songgotu heard that someone had recommended him to be the Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs, in charge of negotiations with the Russian Empire, he sensed a familiar feeling.

He didn't even need to ask who submitted the memorial to know who was behind it all.

However, after receiving the news, he did nothing. In the current situation, for him, inaction was better than action.

He also wanted to see what kind of plan Emperor Qianxi had for him.

"Father, the Crown Prince... he really doesn't take you seriously at all!"

His son, Algishan, was furious. "He opposes your becoming Minister. He should have just said so. Who could have stopped him? Why did he have to come up with a poem, something about 'talented people emerging in every generation'? Wasn't he just trying to embarrass you?"

Although Arjishan was still somewhat intimidated by the Crown Prince, he was, after all, the son of Soetu.

As the saying goes, "A subject dies when his lord is humiliated." How could a son not be furious when his father is treated like this?

Looking at his angry son, Suo'etu remained calm: "The Crown Prince's decision is correct. Now that I've retired at this age, I should accept my age."

Seeing his son's reaction, Suo'etu felt a mix of emotions.

Why did the crown prince use poetry? That's the art of imperial strategy.

A direct "opposition" would be a complete breakdown in relations; but a single line of poetry is different, making the crown prince appear magnanimous, measured, and thoughtful.

The son was completely blind to the underlying considerations, the subtle nuances of power dynamics, and the subtle nuances of restraint.
There's no doubt about the blood ties between my son and me, but his judgment on this matter proves that he's all talk and no action. He only looks at the surface and doesn't think things through.

Within these nine-layered palaces, every step is a brocade net, and every step leads to an abyss.

How can such a naive and innocent girl gain a foothold and protect herself in the ruthless and vicious palace?
For a moment, Songgotu felt a pang of sadness.

However, on the surface, he remained calm and even smiled at his son, then said, "Algishan, go and tell the Crown Prince that the Rakshasa Kingdom may seem intimidating on the surface, but it actually has many problems. Sometimes the more they jump around, the less we need to take them seriously."

Argishan was full of resentment towards the Crown Prince. Hearing his father's words, although reluctant, he still obediently agreed, "Yes, son will go and deliver the message."

Soetu waved his hand, indicating that his son could leave.

Algishan hesitated for a moment, then remained silent.

However, just as he turned to leave, Suo'etu called out to him in a deep voice: "Wait, tell Yin Jishan that it's time to take action on the 'inheritance seizure case' in Cangzhou!"

Algishan didn't know the specifics of the "Cangzhou inheritance dispute," but anything his father was discussing so solemnly must be no small matter. He quickly agreed and turned to leave.

Soetu, who had just been weeding in the yard, immediately darkened his face as soon as his son left.

He slowly put down his hoe, walked to the small stool under the eaves, drank a couple of sips of water, and then picked up a storybook he often read.

The book was tattered and worn, clearly having been read many times. The cover bore the large characters: *The Complete Story of Yue Fei*.

Soetu casually flipped through a couple of pages, his gaze falling on a finely crafted, gilded bookmark tucked inside the book.

The bookmark looked like it was made of metal, but when Suo'etu gently pulled off one end of the bookmark, a white paper strip was revealed inside!

He gently unfolded the note, on which were written four characters: "Troop Deployment Order"! A cold glint flashed in Songgotu's eyes. But quickly, he folded the note back up and tucked it back into the bookmark.

The bookmark immediately returned to its original state.

Holding "The Complete Biography of Yue Fei," Suo'etu reverted to his frail, aged appearance. But... even the oldest tiger is still a tiger.

Tigers are all man-eaters!

Viscount Nicholas and his entourage's arrival in Beijing, along with the memorial to reinstate Songgotu, became the focus of attention throughout the city.

However, when the officials of the Court of Colonial Affairs politely settled Viscount Nicholas and his entourage into two old and dilapidated lodgings, and even told them not to wander around unnecessarily, the viscount's expression turned quite unpleasant.

In his opinion, he should have been treated well.

His opponent had just finished a major battle, and logically, he shouldn't want to start another war with him.

Are you really not afraid of starting another war if you treat me so coldly now?
Actually, Nikolai's trip was not for fighting.

Their Rakshasa Kingdom is currently embroiled in a fierce battle with their northern neighbor over a sea outlet, and they simply cannot spare any manpower to support this side.

The Tsar's order to him was clear: just stabilize the situation.

However, Viscount Nicholas felt that he had figured out the details of the Great Zhou Dynasty, so he wanted to "go against the grain" and take the initiative to provoke trouble, so that the Great Zhou court, which was not aware of the situation, would bow down and admit defeat first.

This way, the task can be completed and the benefits can be fully realized. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
He was initially very confident about his plan, but the current cold reception made him start to have doubts.

“Viscount, I feel that the Great Zhou court is… a little strange towards us,” said Glev, who had come with Viscount Nikolai, with a worried expression.

Viscount Nicholas forced himself to remain calm: "Mr. Glev, perhaps this is just a show of force, a way to test our strength!"

"They won't let us out, right? Send a few Cossacks to buy some supplies. If the guards stop them, take action! It's a good opportunity to probe the Great Zhou court's true intentions!"

"Besides, my information is absolutely reliable! Although the Great Zhou Dynasty defeated Galdan, it was also severely damaged. Like us, they don't want to fight on two fronts. They might be even more afraid than we are! At this time, we shouldn't be the ones panicking."

Glev was still uneasy: "Viscount, sending someone to try is fine, but to start fighting right away... isn't that too risky? What if we can't handle it?"

Seeing his companion's worried expression, Viscount Nicholas forced a smile and said, "It's alright! Even if they make a move, we won't be in any serious trouble. I think they're just bluffing. They won't dare to actually attack!"

Seeing Viscount Nicholas's confidence, Glev didn't say anything more.

This operation was led by Nikolai, and he could only obey and respect his decisions.

"Alright, I'll send someone over right away!"

Viscount Nicholas sat in his room, sipping his somewhat bitter tea, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

In his hometown, it should be snowing long ago, but here it's still autumn. Under the warm sunshine, the leaves are just beginning to turn yellow…

As he was lost in thought, a sudden commotion broke out outside!
Hearing the commotion, Nikolai's lips curled into a smug smile—this was exactly what he wanted! He believed that it wouldn't be long before the people responsible for receiving him came knocking on his door, and then…

Amidst the commotion, two piercing screams suddenly rang out from outside!
Viscount Nicholas's expression changed drastically! Oh no, something's happened!

He rushed to the door and saw several Cossack guards, their bodies bruised and battered, retreating in a disheveled state. Glev's face also turned extremely ugly.

"what happened?!"

“The guards wouldn’t let our men out, and Dagrov and his men couldn’t resist drawing their knives…and stabbed a soldier to death!” Glev’s voice was urgent. “Viscount, this is a huge problem; it’s unlikely to end well!”

Upon hearing that someone had died, Viscount Nicholas's heart sank!
His original intention was merely to have his men provoke a fight to test their strength, but he never expected these crude Cossacks to be so reckless! The situation quickly spiraled out of control!
But now he's in a bind!
Before he could finish his thought, the noise outside grew even louder!
In the blink of an eye, dozens of soldiers wielding knives and spears rushed in, their menacing aura palpable! The leader was dressed in official robes and was clearly no ordinary person.

The Cossacks that Nikolai brought also drew their swords and confronted the newcomers.

Although the Cossacks were tall and strong, the enemy outnumbered them and some even had bows and arrows at the ready! If a fight broke out, they would definitely be at a disadvantage!

Viscount Nicholas quickly raised his voice and shouted, "How dare you trespass on our property! This is a provocation against our Rakshasa Kingdom! I order you to leave immediately! Otherwise, I will consider it a declaration of war against us! You cannot bear the consequences!"

The commander who had stormed in with great momentum changed his expression drastically upon hearing the words "declare war"!
He was seething with hatred, but when it came to going to war with the Rakshasa Kingdom, he really didn't have the authority to make decisions on his own.

But he was really unwilling to let these murderers go.

Just as he was caught in a dilemma, one of his subordinates leaned closer and whispered, "Sir, surround them first, and quickly report to the higher-ups! This is no small matter!"

The commander gritted his teeth and could only order, "Men! Surround them! Don't let a single one escape! I'll go report to the lord right away!"

Viscount Nicholas glanced at the menacing soldiers around him and said coldly, "You have ten minutes to leave immediately! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"

At this moment, he actually felt more confident!

　Hey everyone, it's mid-month now, and I know you all have an extra monthly pass. Since I've been consistently updating on time, please give me a monthly pass!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)