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

Chapter 246 We drink from the same golden cup, yet the blade shows no mercy.

Shen Ye didn't lie to the Eighth Prince and the Ninth Prince about this matter.

The time he spoke of has indeed come.

The key lies with Shen Guotai, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner.

Shen Guotai, relying on the fact that he held the livelihoods of millions of grain transport workers in his hands, dared to use it to threaten the emperor, which greatly displeased Emperor Qianxi.

As an emperor accustomed to acting arbitrarily and having the final say, how could he tolerate having his lifeline in the hands of others!
Therefore, he specifically summoned Shen Guotai this time, clearly intending to give this governor a warning.

How do I get a warning? You, Shen Guotai, were against building that expressway from Yingtian to Yangzhou, so I'll build the one from Tianjin instead.

Moreover, the maritime ban in Tianjin should be lifted, which would naturally lead to a quiet rise in maritime trade.

Having received definite confirmation from Shen Ye, the Ninth Prince was overjoyed.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Ye and said, "Since Your Highness has already made up your mind, I will go back and discuss the matter of money with each family."

"Ideally, construction on this expressway should begin this winter and be completed by next summer."

Seeing the Ninth Prince's enthusiasm, Shen Ye calmly reminded him, "We don't lack money for road construction, so whether it's compensation for the farmland occupied or wages for the workers, we must pay them in full, not a penny less."

"So that when the time comes, those censors will seize on something and call out His Majesty to berate them."

"You all need to know this in yourselves!"

The Ninth Prince patted his chest and said, "Second Brother Crown Prince, don't worry. Although I love money, I won't skimp on such a small thing."

"When the time comes, Lao Shi and I will keep a close eye on this area."

The tenth prince, Yun'e, added, "Your Highness, rest assured, we will definitely handle this matter properly!"

"If anyone dares to tamper with this area and ruin our brothers' reputation, I'll be the first to twist their head off!"

Seeing their reaction, Shen Ye nodded in satisfaction.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Ye decided to invite the two people to have a meal.

Although these two have always followed behind the Eighth Prince, to put it bluntly, they just want to obtain the title of Prince and live a peaceful life.

They were also very self-aware, knowing that they didn't need to fight for the throne.

Firstly, they weren't cut out for it; secondly, they didn't have any powerful people to support them in seizing power, so they simply accepted it.

"Ninth and Tenth Brothers, it's rare for you two to come to my Yuqing Palace. I just acquired two bottles of fine wine. Let's have a couple of drinks together, brothers."

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had invited them to stay for dinner, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince exchanged a glance and readily agreed.

After all, although they were brothers, they were also ruler and subject.

The Crown Prince is practically a monarch!

According to the rules set by Emperor Qianxi, if the Crown Prince wanted to deal with them simply, he didn't even need to report to Emperor Qianxi.

Now that the Crown Prince is giving them face by inviting them to dinner, if they make excuses again, it's obvious they're ungrateful.

"Since Second Brother Crown Prince is so hospitable, then we will be imposing on you," the Ninth Prince said with a smile and clasped his hands in greeting.

Yuqing Palace has its own small kitchen!
After Shen Ye came into this world, he reduced many of the former crown prince's luxurious enjoyments, but he expanded the scale of this small kitchen.

He also used his memories from his previous life to have the imperial chefs try to recreate the dishes that left a deep impression on him, and they managed to come up with quite a few new variations.

For example, regarding chili peppers, Shen Ye used his power as the Crown Prince to get a large quantity sent from Guizhou.

Therefore, dishes such as twice-cooked pork and boiled sliced ​​pork gradually became frequent guests on the dining table of Yuqing Palace.

After these dishes were prepared, Shen Ye only sent them to the Cining Palace and a few prominent concubines to let them taste them.

As for the others, they won't have this treat.

The tenth and ninth princes were naturally among those "unlucky" in the food, so this time they ate with their mouths full of oil and exclaimed how satisfying it was.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the two of them, along with their entourage, went to the prince's residence.

As he walked, the Tenth Prince remarked, "I'll have to find a way to get some chili peppers from the Crown Prince later; this stir-fry is just too delicious."

The Ninth Prince nodded in agreement, but he had more on his mind.

He said to the tenth prince, "Your Highness, even the two of us find the stir-fried dishes here delicious."

"Do you think we could make a fortune if we opened a restaurant using these vegetables?"

Although the tenth prince was not as quick-witted as the ninth prince, he was not stupid either.

He thought for a moment and said, "That's definitely possible."

"Besides, who would dare to do the same business as us brothers a second time?"

"If it's run well, earning a hundred or so taels of silver a month won't be a problem!"

Although a hundred or so taels of silver isn't much, the brothers only had a few dozen taels of pocket money each month.

Moreover, they don't need to worry too much about this. As long as they find a shop and open the store, they can basically make money.

"I wonder if the Crown Prince owns his own restaurant?" the Tenth Prince voiced his concern.

If the Crown Prince also opens a shop like this, the two of them will have to make other plans.

The Ninth Prince waved his hand and said, "The Crown Prince deals in big business; how could he possibly care about such small fry?"

"I still haven't figured out exactly how Yuqing Bank makes money, but I think it's definitely the most profitable thing in the hands of the young master."

The tenth prince pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "The crown prince is actually quite a good person."

Hearing this, the Ninth Prince hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Yes, the Crown Prince has been treating us well lately. If he continues like this, we..."

The Ninth Prince didn't say what he was going to say next. His relationship with the Tenth Prince, of course, didn't need to be concealed.

However, walls have ears, especially in the palace. Some things are best left unsaid.

Shen Ye had no idea that by helping the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince make some money, their favorability towards him was skyrocketing.

He drank some wine, and after seeing off the Ninth Prince and his companion, he went to sleep in the study.

When I woke up, it was already late afternoon.

Having just taken a few sips of water and wondering how to pass the time in the middle of the afternoon, Zhou Bao respectfully said, "Your Highness, Lord Jin Wushan requests an audience and is waiting in the outer living room."

Upon hearing that Jin Wushan was looking for her, Shen Ye thought to herself, "Why does Jin Wushan keep looking for me all the time?"

How did he become the Left Vice Minister?!

Doesn't he know that if you ask your boss for everything, your boss will get annoyed too?

Although she was quite displeased, Shen Ye knew that Jin Wushan must have something important to discuss with her.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to find me.

After a quick wash, Shen Ye went to the living room, where she saw Jin Wushan looking at a memorial with a hesitant expression.

"What happened again?" Shen Ye asked casually.

Jin Wushan hurriedly knelt down and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, His Majesty has agreed to the arrangement we and the Ministry of Rites have drafted, which allows the Rakshasa Kingdom to submit its credentials."

"However, His Majesty requests that Lord Suo'etu and Lord Mingzhu participate."

"Since both of them are attending this ceremony, I am unsure how to arrange things for them."

As they spoke, Jin Wushan handed the memorial in his hand to Shen Ye.

Should we invite Suo'etu and Mingzhu to participate?
Could it be that Emperor Qianxi wanted to show off his wisdom and prowess in front of these two old friends?

This is to let these two know that even without you two mediocre cobblers, I can still run the court perfectly well!
But that shouldn't be the case. Shen Ye knew very well that ever since Suo'etu and Mingzhu left the court, Emperor Qianxi had been deliberately trying to reduce their influence.

Now, one of them stays at home reading, and the other stays at home growing vegetables.

Why did he suddenly bring these two people out this time? What exactly does he want to do?
The more he thought about it, the more his head ached. He simply threw the memorial at Jin Wushan and said indifferently, "You should discuss this matter with the Ministry of Rites. Of course, you should also consult the two elders."

"Your Majesty, I will go to the Ministry of Rites immediately." Jin Wushan was relieved to hear Shen Ye's decision and hurriedly left.

Watching Jin Wushan leave, Shen Ye shook his head. Old Jin was indeed diligent, but…

In the small courtyard where Suo'etu grows vegetables, Suo'etu, who had already thrown his hoe aside, is now coldly staring at a thin piece of paper.

His confident and in control expression had vanished, replaced by utter shock.

He never expected that something he had repeatedly told him to do would still go wrong.

"As already known." These three short words were written on the white slip of paper.

Looking at these three words, Suo'etu seemed to be reading a thousand words:

His family's secret ginseng harvesting, kept from him, was eventually exposed; Emperor Qianxi's anger upon seeing this, and also...

Soetu's hands trembled so much that he could barely hold the paper.

"Father!" Algishan ran in from outside with a beaming smile and said, "The Court of Colonial Affairs just sent someone to report that His Majesty will accept the letter of state from the Russian Kingdom in three days."

"His Majesty personally selected you to participate."

"It seems His Majesty still remembers you well!"

Hearing his son's words, Suo'etu's anger subsided.

That stupid son of mine can't even see the seriousness of the matter, so why should I blame him for not passing on my orders?
He said calmly, "Besides me, who else did you invite?"

"Father, I heard that Mingzhu has also been invited." Algishan secretly rejoiced that he had asked a few more questions when his people from the Court of Colonial Affairs came to report.

Otherwise, I'll inevitably get scolded again.

Soetu said calmly, "You may leave now, I have something else to attend to."

Algi said kindly, "Father, you're just retiring, what could possibly happen to you!" But his father's long-standing authority still made him wisely leave.

But just as he reached the door, Suo'etu suddenly asked, "Are our secret contacts with the Crown Prince still intact?"

Argishan was taken aback by the question and then said, "Is he still here? Is there anything you need to tell me?"

"It's good that you're here." Soetu waved his hand and said, "Go ahead."

Although Algishan had a bad feeling, he still left obediently.

When only Suo'etu remained in the courtyard, his face grew increasingly gloomy.

He had followed Emperor Qianxi for many years and knew the emperor's modus operandi.

When he's about to make a move against you, that's when he's being closest to you.

He has a habit of wiping you out of sight, without warning.

By having himself participate in the ceremony where the Rakshasa Kingdom presented its credentials, he wanted outsiders to think that he intended to give him an important position.

When you let your guard down, that's when the thunderous strike will come.

He picked up a hoe and shoveled it hard at a cabbage.

As vegetable leaves flew, Suo'etu murmured, "We'll drink from the golden cup together, but the blade will show no mercy!"

　The first update of the day is here, everyone! It's almost the end of the month, so if you have any votes, could you give me a couple?
　　
　
(End of this chapter)