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

Chapter 241 If I say it's true, then it's true.

Despite the gazes directed at him, Shen Ye remained remarkably calm.

To him, what Maqi said had little to do with him.

He had already told Emperor Qianxi about his plan; how to handle it from now on was up to his father, Emperor Qianxi!

Emperor Qianxi glanced at Shen Ye twice before looking away.

He said calmly, "What Ma Qi said is not without reason, but the Rakshasa Kingdom has always been untrustworthy. If we keep trying to appease them, they will only think that we are afraid!"

"If they become greedy and demanding, are we just going to keep tolerating it?"

When Ma Qi heard Emperor Qianxi say this, he was not flustered. As the head of the Ministry of Revenue, Ma Qi was always very assertive.

After all, money doesn't just appear out of thin air.

He calmly replied, "Your Majesty, it is indeed not the right time for us to send troops, after all, Taicang is short of funds!"

"As for what Your Majesty is worried about, we can prepare in advance. In just three to five years, we can save enough money to fight a major war."

"Isn't there a saying that goes, 'A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years'?"

Ma Qi spoke these words with great passion, as if to say, "I am not raising an enemy to cause trouble; I am planning for the long term and strategizing for the country with wisdom."

Shen Ye was increasingly convinced that the Ma Qi family might actually be colluding with the Rakshasa Kingdom.

However, he had no evidence, and he couldn't convince Emperor Qianxi to punish Ma Qi with mere words.

However, he remained in no hurry and waited patiently.

As expected, Emperor Qianxi did not disappoint Shen Ye. He said in a deep voice, "Ma Qi, you have always boasted that you are an unparalleled talent in the country, but right now, you only know yourself, not your enemy!"

"You always think we can't afford to fight, but what about the Rakshasa Kingdom? They can't afford to fight either!"

"Just last year, the Rakshasa Kingdom fought a war with the Anning Empire to their north, and their expeditionary force was completely wiped out."

"The Rakshasa Kingdom is now facing retaliation from the Anning Empire."

"Over the years, the Russian Empire has made enemies everywhere, accumulating countless foes. They have been constantly waging war in all directions, vying with the Ottoman Empire for the Caspian Sea, and..."

What Emperor Qianxi was saying was exactly what Shen Ye had reported earlier, but now he spoke with great enthusiasm, as if he had everything under control.

"Whether it is the Anning Empire or the Ottoman Empire, they are both large countries! The Ottoman Empire, in particular, is vast, and its territory is no smaller than ours."

"Moreover, we are all located around the Rakshasa Kingdom, and more importantly, we all have a deep-seated hatred for the Rakshasa Kingdom."

"If we unite and form an alliance to attack the Rakshasa Kingdom, then the destruction of the Rakshasa Empire will be just around the corner..."

Ma Qi's claim to be unparalleled in the nation is not an exaggeration.

At the very least, his expression changed after hearing Emperor Qianxi's words.

He felt that if Emperor Qianxi's statement were true, then the Russian Empire would definitely be mired in a predicament, and might even be destroyed.

If that's the case, then...

"Your Majesty's plan gives me a sense of clarity, like the sun breaking through the clouds." Grand Secretary Zhang Ying was the first to step forward and respectfully said, "I believe this plan is feasible."

"As long as we can unite all parties and prevent the Rakshasa Kingdom from attending to both ends, defeating it will not be difficult!"

As the Grand Secretary, Tong Guowei was somewhat displeased to see that Zhang Ying had taken the lead, but he quickly replied, "Your Majesty is wise. The key now is to reach out to all parties."

"However, the parties are too far apart, and it will probably be difficult to reach an agreement in a short time."

"I believe that if we can confirm that the Anning Empire will attack the Rakshasa Kingdom soon, we can lend a hand."

Emperor Qianxi nodded in agreement with Tong Guowei's suggestion, saying, "The Grand Secretary makes sense."

"We don't need to use our entire army, but if we can send out a detachment, it can still cause a lot of trouble for the Rakshasa Kingdom."

"Maybe we can even get some benefits out of it!"

As Ma Qi listened to Emperor Qianxi and Tong Guowei's back-and-forth banter, his mood grew increasingly heavy.

He knew more about the situation in the Rakshasa Kingdom than anyone else present.

He knew full well that if this plan were implemented, the Rakshasa Kingdom would be in danger, and if something happened to the Rakshasa Kingdom, his own businesses might be affected...

In his anxiety, Ma Qi finally mustered his courage and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Emperor Qianxi, saying, "Your Majesty, these plans are good, but the Ministry of Revenue's granary really has no money!"

"Your Majesty, please think twice!"

Emperor Qianxi said calmly, "As for how to get this money, the Crown Prince had already come up with a plan when he discussed this project with me. You can tell me, Crown Prince."

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's words, Shen Ye couldn't help but purse his lips. He really wanted to say, "This plan was clearly reported to you by me, so how did it become a discussion between the two of us?"
But Emperor Qianxi was an emperor, and he had a big mouth.

Shen Ye had no choice but to patiently repeat his idea of ​​issuing war bonds using land in the north.

When Shen Ye mentioned selling the unoccupied areas, most people felt like they were dreaming. It was like selling someone else's property and then attacking them.

Will this work?

However, many ministers were tempted when they thought that an acre of land would only sell for two taels of silver.

For them, one or two thousand taels of silver was just the amount of money for a birthday banquet or a gift, but if they used that money to buy bonds, they could buy five hundred acres of land.

Such a large tract of land would cost tens of thousands of taels of silver in the capital. But buying it with bonds is incredibly cheap.

What if we can't win this battle?

How could that be! The imperial army is strong and well-equipped, and has never lost a battle in history. How could we possibly lose!

Of course, if we lose, it just means we'll have one less banquet.

After Shen Ye finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Ma Qi: "Lord Ma, do you think my plan is feasible?"

As Ma Qi listened to Shen Ye's words, a sense of crisis arose spontaneously.

He had recently come to know that the Crown Prince, who was well-versed in economics, had become his biggest rival as the Minister of Revenue.

However, upon hearing about the Crown Prince's methods of making money out of thin air, and actually managing to obtain it, he felt that he, as the Minister of Revenue, should voluntarily step down.

But is His Majesty really willing to give the Ministry of Revenue to the Crown Prince?

In a split second, he solemnly bowed to Emperor Qianxi and said, "Your Highness's plan is brilliant; I am ashamed to admit my inferiority."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you appoint the Crown Prince to head the Ministry of Revenue in order to alleviate its financial difficulties!"

Looking at Ma Qi's seemingly convinced appearance, Shen Ye thought to himself, "This guy is trying to sow discord between me and Ma Qi!"
If I ever get the chance, I'll teach this guy a lesson!
Of course, he couldn't let Ma Qi's petty tricks fool him, so he quickly said to Emperor Qianxi, "Father, I am well aware of my own limitations."

"I'm already quite busy with the affairs of the Court of Colonial Affairs, let alone managing the Ministry of Revenue."

"Your subject believes that since Lord Ma Qi is somewhat overwhelmed with the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue, it would be better to implement a system of two ministers, with Lord Ma Qi specifically responsible for the allocation of funds for various expenditures."

"The other minister is responsible for collecting various taxes."

"This way, with separate lines for income and expenditure, we can avoid disputes with each other."

Shen Ye's voice wasn't loud, but everyone listening to the proceedings at Qianqing Gate broke out in a cold sweat.

Most of them were cunning old foxes, and they were perfectly clear about Shen Ye's intentions.

These two ministers, one in charge of revenue and the other in charge of expenditure, meant that although Ma Qi seemed to have a lucrative position, his power was effectively cut in half, and the once powerful Ministry of Revenue was suddenly divided in two.

As a result, Ma Qi, the Minister of Revenue, was effectively rendered half-useless.

Never provoke the Crown Prince!
Ma Qi's face was also extremely ugly. He was a power-hungry man to begin with, and after going through a lot of hard work to climb to his current position, how could he bear to reduce his power by half all at once?

However, having already uttered those self-deprecating words, he found it difficult to say that he was alright. For a moment, Ma Qi was at a loss for words.

Seeing Ma Qi's unpleasant expression, Emperor Qianxi naturally understood what Ma Qi was thinking.

He was naturally pleased to see Ma Qi and the Crown Prince at odds. After all, only when his subjects fought each other would he, the emperor, appear more important.

Otherwise, if everyone unites as one, he will find it difficult to have absolute authority.

So he waved his hand and said, "Today we're mainly discussing matters concerning the Rakshasa Kingdom. As for the Ministry of Revenue, we'll talk about that later."

Emperor Qianxi's words did not abandon the matter of splitting the Ministry of Revenue in two; he was prepared to bring it up at any time to reprimand Ma Qi.

When Emperor Qianxi spoke, Ma Qi retreated accordingly.

Seeing that no one else was speaking, Emperor Qianxi turned to Jin Wushan and said, "Jin Wushan, the matter of contacting the Ottomans and the Anning Empire will be handled by your Court of Colonial Affairs."

"Within three days, make a detailed plan and compile a list of personnel who can be sent on missions."

"Although the mission is dangerous, I am willing to offer high-ranking positions and generous rewards."

Jin Wushan finally felt completely relieved and respectfully replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."

"Your Majesty, what should be done with Viscount Nicholas and the others?"

Emperor Qianxi said calmly, "Viscount Nicholas and his entourage were arrogant and rude, and their crimes were unforgivable. However, since the Crown Prince has already taught them a lesson, and given that the two countries are at war, we will not kill the envoys."

“Your Court of Colonial Affairs can send a doctor to reprimand Viscount Nicholas and his men, and then let them leave on their own.”

"Tell them this is the last time. If they still don't know when to back down, let them see how sharp my blade is!"

With Emperor Qianxi making arrangements for this matter, this session of imperial audiences was essentially over.

After the officials left, Shen Ye was about to leave as well, but Liang Jiugong stopped him: "Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence."

Shen Ye followed Liang Jiugong to the Qianqing Palace, where they saw Emperor Qianxi changing his clothes.

As Shen Ye bowed, Emperor Qianxi smiled and said, "There's no need for such formalities between us, father and son. You have rendered meritorious service in the matter concerning the Rakshasa Kingdom this time."

"Father, are you really going to form this anti-Rakshasa alliance?"

"Why not?" Emperor Qianxi laughed heartily. "Besides, isn't there a saying? When falsehood is taken for truth, even truth becomes falsehood. Whether something is real or fake is entirely up to me."

"If I want it to be real, then it is real!"

"If I don't want it to be real, then it is fake!"

Looking at the domineering Emperor Qianxi, Shen Ye felt a pang of envy. Just as he was about to flatter the emperor, he heard him say, "You have made a great contribution this time. How about I bestow the Crown Prince's robes upon you again?"

"I don't think this prince's robe looks good on me."

　The second update for today is here! Dear readers, please support me, recommend me, and do whatever you want!
　　

(End of this chapter)