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

Chapter 248 The Crown Prince's teeth are amazing!
A deep bond between father and daughter!

Perhaps so, but if Emperor Qianxi truly loved his daughter so much, he would never have temporarily abandoned his plan to avenge her because of the threat from the Russian Kingdom.

But if it's not a deep bond between father and daughter, then what is it?

A series of thoughts surged in Shen Ye's mind.

Was it to intimidate the tribes to the north, or was there another reason?

"Your Highness, this time Father Emperor is personally taking action, and he will surely make Ke'erzang pay for his blood debt!" The thirteenth prince, standing to the side, had no idea what Shen Ye was thinking, and he could hardly suppress his excitement.

Looking at the expectant thirteenth prince, Shen Ye patted him on the shoulder and said, "That's for sure, so you must not act on your own recently."

"I will follow Father's arrangements."

The thirteenth prince quickly nodded and said, "I know, Your Highness, please don't worry."

Surrounded by officials attending court, the two brothers didn't say much and quickly walked towards the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the most conspicuous people were naturally Suo'etu and Mingzhu.

The sudden return of these two retired senior officials to the court has caused many to wonder, and their eyes have turned to the two men.

Shen Ye naturally saw the two of them as well, although he was extremely unwilling to have any further contact with Suo'etu.

However, as the crown prince, he must always show appropriate respect to veteran officials, and certain necessary etiquette must be observed.

After a moment's hesitation, he stepped forward to greet them:

"Prime Minister Suo, Prime Minister Ming, it's been a long time. How are you both?"

Soetu and Mingzhu bowed together, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. We are still in good health."

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Please take good care of yourselves. Your father has always been concerned about you."

Mingzhu quietly observed the Crown Prince. He seemed to have lost some weight, but his spirits appeared to be higher.

That's not all. Most importantly, he seems to have gained a more upright and peaceful demeanor.

That's right, it's about moderation and balance.

Although the former crown prince was intelligent, he always carried an arrogant air that made him look down on everyone.

To ordinary people, this might seem like the proper demeanor of a crown prince, but Mingzhu felt that if he continued to be so arrogant, something terrible would happen sooner or later. That's why he chose to support the eldest prince.

But the current crown prince is still the same crown prince, but he has become more upright and peaceful, which makes people feel closer to him.

Such a crown prince...

Mingzhu was at a loss for words.

As for Songgotu, he was also secretly observing the Crown Prince.

Ever since the Crown Prince forced him and Mingzhu to step down from their positions as Grand Secretaries, he felt that the Crown Prince was becoming increasingly distant from their family.

Although the proper etiquette remained, the Crown Prince no longer summoned his family to Yuqing Palace, nor did he specifically seek them out for questioning.

Songgotu always felt like he had been abandoned by the Crown Prince.

At first, he thought that the Crown Prince would eventually run into trouble, and after running into trouble many times, he would eventually remember his kindness.

Unfortunately, the reality was a huge disappointment to him: the Crown Prince was doing better and better—his reputation was growing, his prestige among the people was rising, and his position as Crown Prince was becoming more and more secure.

If this continues, then...

Soetu shook his head slightly, knowing that the opportunity to continue like this was probably gone forever.

As the three were exchanging pleasantries, three sharp cracks of the whip sounded, and the officials quickly took their places. With the doors of the Hall of Supreme Harmony opening, the officials filed in.

As the crown prince, Shen Ye naturally walked at the front.

Upon entering the main hall, he saw Emperor Qianxi, dressed in a bright yellow imperial robe, sitting upright on his throne.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Shen Ye quickly took his place. Once the officials had finished their greetings, Emperor Qianxi's gaze fell upon Suo'etu and Mingzhu.

"Prime Minister Suo and Prime Minister Ming, how have you been lately?" Emperor Qianxi asked with a smile.

To be shown concern for one's health by the emperor in public is a favor that many ministers dream of.

Unfortunately, once you think about the deeper meaning behind it, you're not so happy about it!
As seasoned veterans who had spent so many years in the palace, Suo'etu and Mingzhu naturally did not want to see such a scene.

But faced with this situation, no matter how much dissatisfaction they felt, the two could only exchange a quick glance. Soetu spoke first: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This servant is still in good health."

Mingzhu then smiled and said, "After these days of rest, I feel much better."

Emperor Qianxi asked a few more questions about their daily lives, and then said to Suo'etu and Mingzhu, "I originally did not want to disturb your rest, but today the Russian Kingdom has come to sue for peace. How can I not invite you two ministers to witness such a good thing? After all, in the past few years, we have exhausted our efforts and spent a lot of time dealing with the Russian Kingdom's invasion."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi said in a deep voice, "Summon the envoy from the Rakshasa Kingdom to an audience!"

Following Emperor Qianxi's order, a eunuch in the Hall of Supreme Harmony loudly proclaimed, "Summon the envoy from the Russian Kingdom to an audience!"

The orders were passed down layer by layer, the sound growing louder and farther away.

A short while later, Viscount Nicholas, dressed in a black suit, strode into the Hall of Supreme Harmony with Glev.

Faced with the solemn and respectful scene, the two bowed respectfully and said: "Nicholas and Glev, envoys of the Russian Kingdom, pay their respects to Your Majesty."

"How dare you! Why don't you kneel before His Majesty!" A censor stepped forward and shouted.

In the past, Viscount Nicholas would have definitely stood his ground in this situation.

Because he felt no fear. But now, he said with a smile:

"Your Majesty, I am here on behalf of His Majesty. I have long heard that the Great Zhou is a land of propriety and etiquette. Surely Your Majesty would not force me to do anything against my will?"

Although his words were harsh, his attitude was gentle. Before the censor could say anything more, Emperor Qianxi waved his hand and said, "Rakshasa is also a great country. Since the envoy represents your emperor, there is no need for him to kneel."

Then he asked casually, "What brings your country's envoy here?"

Viscount Nicholas knew that Emperor Qianxi was asking a question he already knew the answer to, but for the sake of the greater good, he still solemnly said, "His Majesty has always admired the Great Zhou and wishes to form a brotherly alliance with your country, to watch over and help each other and not to invade each other! I believe that as long as we reach an agreement, the border will surely be peaceful and harmonious."

"This is His Majesty's official letter. Please review it, Your Majesty."

As Viscount Nicholas presented his credentials, some officials in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, unaware of what was happening, couldn't help but whisper among themselves.

"I've heard that the Rakshasa Kingdom is quite fierce, so why are they begging for peace with us?"

"You don't know this? I heard that His Majesty and the Crown Prince have decided on a strategy to unite with the enemy countries surrounding the Rakshasa Kingdom to form an anti-Rakshasa alliance."

"The Rakshasa Kingdom is afraid; they have too many enemies."

"I think that even if the Rakshasa Kingdom bows down, we should not accept it."

"That's what I think too!"

……

"Hahaha!" Emperor Qianxi laughed a few times, then said coldly, "Over the years, your Rakshasa Kingdom has repeatedly invaded my borders and killed countless innocent people. Do you think that handing over a letter of state is enough?"

Viscount Nicholas calmly replied, "Your Majesty, the soldiers of my Rakshasa Kingdom will never invade the Great Zhou. As far as I know, those who secretly crossed the border are bandits, and have nothing to do with us. If Your Majesty wishes to suppress the bandits, my country is willing to send troops to assist you."

He had already thought of a solution—don't ask, if you do, it'll be the bandits who did it!
Looking at Viscount Nicholas, who was stubbornly refusing to admit his mistake, Emperor Qianxi sighed inwardly, thinking, "This fellow is quite a character."

Putting everything else aside, just their nonchalant attitude is enough to drive anyone crazy.

He did not respond immediately, but said calmly, "What do you think, my esteemed ministers?"

Minister of Revenue Ma Qi said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I think there is some truth to what the Russian envoy said."

"Rakshasa is also a great nation, and it's inevitable that there will be bandits among its people. If they are willing to help us suppress these bandits, then we might as well accept their goodwill."

"After all, the world is vast, and it is not easy for envoys to come from so far away."

Ma Qi's words actually had a hidden meaning.

He was telling Emperor Qianxi that it was best to stop while he was ahead, and the person who came from afar was also subtly reminding Emperor Qianxi that it was somewhat unrealistic to carry out the plan to contact other countries to jointly conquer the Russian Kingdom, and it might not be possible to succeed.

The reason is that it's too far!

Although Emperor Qianxi had heard Ma Qi's opinion long ago, he was still a little hesitant at this moment.

After all, what Ma Qi said wasn't without merit.

Just as he was pondering, Shen Ye, who was standing below the Sumeru pedestal, revealed a cold smile.

He had always suspected that Mazi's stance was problematic, and now Mazi's words confirmed his suspicions.

However, Maqi was right about one thing: the distance between the parties involved was simply too great.

If it were anything else, Shen Ye might not bother with it.

But this is different! Firstly, this plan was proposed by Shen Ye; secondly, it's like raising a tiger to cause future trouble.

He hesitated for a moment and then said, "Father, I think Lord Ma Qi's words make a lot of sense."

After expressing his opinion, Ma Qi waited for the Crown Prince's counterattack.

He knew there was something wrong with what he said, but he had no other choice.

After all, his family had quite a few businesses in the Rakshasa Kingdom. Over the years, he had secretly made a fortune from these businesses, and from any perspective, he was reluctant to give them up.

Furthermore, as the Minister of Revenue, he was naturally expected to consider spending money. Given the current depletion of the granary, it was perfectly normal for him to oppose war.

However, to his utter surprise, the Crown Prince actually agreed with his statement.

Just when he thought the prince might have lost his mind, he heard the prince continue, "The Rakshasa Kingdom has always belonged to Europe."

"Their borders have never extended beyond the Ural Mountains."

“If they are truly committed to reconciliation, then we will use the Ural Mountains as our border. As for those roaming bandits, the Russian Kingdom need not worry about them.”

"We can eliminate it ourselves."

Listening to Shen Ye's words, Emperor Qianxi thought about the location of the Ural Mountains and suddenly fell silent.

The Crown Prince has amazing teeth.

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(End of this chapter)