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

Chapter 264 Arrogance and Deep Brotherhood

A white deer descends from the heavens, signifying a wise and benevolent ruler in the land!
Throughout his life, Emperor Qianxi valued his reputation as a sage ruler above all else.

This time, just as he was about to celebrate his birthday, a white deer was born, which was a great reward for him.

Emperor Qianxi was naturally overjoyed by such an auspicious omen.

Seeing the joyful expression on Emperor Qianxi's face, Shen Ye was also prepared to offer a few words of congratulations.

After all, these congratulations don't cost any money, and a couple of words of congratulations won't cost you a penny.

His experience as a junior clerk in his previous life had taught him very well what to say in this situation.

Just as he was about to offer his congratulations, a young eunuch came over and reported, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience."

"Summon them!" Emperor Qianxi waved his hand and said.

Looking down at Liang Jiugong and the little eunuch, Shen Ye thought to himself, if there's nothing fishy going on here, he'd be willing to turn his head down and kick it like a ball.

It seems that while Liang Jiugong was currying favor with me, he hadn't given up on the Crown Prince either!
However, that makes sense.

There was absolutely no need for him to put all his eggs in one basket with someone as trusted as Liang Jiugong, a confidant of Emperor Qianxi.

For him, going all in is the wisest choice.

Liang Jiugong seemed to have noticed Shen Ye's gaze. He lowered his head expressionlessly but said nothing.

Just then, the eldest prince, his face beaming with joy, walked in.

He's been in high spirits lately, always having good things happen to him!

The most annoying person, Suo'etu, is dead!

No matter how one dies, once a person dies, they cannot be brought back to life.

With the death of Songgotu, the Crown Prince's lineage was leaderless and its influence plummeted.

Furthermore, he had already prepared a birthday gift for Emperor Qianxi, but unexpectedly, just a few days ago, his disciples suddenly reported that a white deer had been discovered in Zhongnan Mountain!

In order to arrive in time for Emperor Qianxi's birthday celebration, the eldest prince ordered his servants to send the two white deer, which they had painstakingly captured, to the capital as quickly as possible.

At that time, he wished he could build a fast road from Zhongnan Mountain to the capital.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly and Bai Lu was delivered ahead of schedule.

When the white deer entered the capital, it attracted countless onlookers, and many people even knelt down to pray for blessings upon seeing it.

This situation gave the eldest prince a new understanding of Bai Lu's status.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty!" The eldest prince bowed to Emperor Qianxi with great emotion, his face full of sincerity.

He naturally hoped to receive praise from the Qianxi Emperor.

Emperor Qianxi laughed heartily and said, "No need for formalities."

"Congratulations, Father! On the occasion of your birthday, a white deer has been born."

The eldest prince said in a scholarly tone, "The book says that this white deer is a sacred creature, and it will not appear in the world without a holy ruler."

"The reason why I was able to obtain this white deer to celebrate Father Emperor's birthday is purely because Heaven used my hand to deliver this sacred object to Father Emperor."

Your son respectfully wishes Your Majesty a long and prosperous life.

The Crown Prince's flattery was clearly something he had practiced.

However, Emperor Qianxi couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

After all, the eldest prince was his son, and the white deer was sent by the eldest prince. Although he understood the meaning behind the eldest prince's words, he still praised him, saying, "Very good, you've taken good care of the white deer."

"I will bestow rewards upon you on the Emperor's birthday."

"Have someone take good care of this white deer, and present it to the emperor on his birthday."

Upon hearing the promise of rewards from Emperor Qianxi, the eldest prince's face lit up with even more joy.

After thanking Emperor Qianxi, he said to Shen Ye, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Although Shen Ye disliked the eldest prince's behavior, he realized that it wasn't shameful for someone to do this in order to compete for the throne.

So he calmly said, "Brother, I've already said that we're family, so there's no need for formalities."

The eldest prince smiled and said, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness, but etiquette must not be neglected!"

At this point, he smiled and said, "This white deer is actually a gift from Heaven to my father through me. I wonder if Heaven has given the Crown Prince an even more precious gift?"

Emperor Qianxi frowned upon hearing this.

Although he had just acquired the white deer, which made him feel even more fond of the eldest prince.

However, I have to admit that my son's abilities are still quite poor.

In any case, it's unacceptable to become arrogant and complacent when you're successful.

Normally, he would definitely have reprimanded the eldest prince for this action.

After all, the eldest prince was behaving a bit too much at this point.

However, upon further reflection, the eldest prince had just offered sacrifices to the white deer, and reprimanding him at this moment would make him seem too heartless.

Secondly, the Crown Prince's recent impressive performance has made him somewhat wary.

It would be acceptable to use the eldest prince as a warning.

So he didn't say anything, but waited to see Shen Ye's reaction.

Thinking of the gift he had prepared, Shen Ye smiled and said, "That's a matter of opinion."

Emperor Qianxi originally thought that the Crown Prince would answer whether he had or did not.

He guessed that the possibility of it not being true was more likely.

After all, a white deer is an auspicious creature that is only seen once every hundred years.

If you want to surpass the White Deer, then you need divine creatures like the Qilin and Phoenix.

Such auspicious omens are even rarer to find, and the Crown Prince, as the heir apparent, would never speak carelessly.

But his words implied that even if his own work wasn't as good as Bai Lu's, it wasn't necessarily much worse.

For a moment, a sense of anticipation rose in Emperor Qianxi's heart. What would the Crown Prince give him?

However, upon hearing this, the eldest prince's face stiffened for a moment before he burst into laughter and said, "The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, so his birthday gift is naturally better than that of a mere prince."

"Then I'll wait and see the Crown Prince's birthday gift."

Although the eldest prince is reckless, he is not without his own cunning.

This one sentence effectively cornered Shen Ye.

If Shen Ye can't come up with a birthday gift comparable to Bai Lu's, the Crown Prince will lose face big time this time.

Moreover, it was a disgrace in front of Emperor Qianxi.

Shen Ye naturally understood the eldest prince's thoughts. Hearing the eldest prince say this, he smiled and readily said, "I don't think I will disappoint my eldest brother."

"Father, I shall take my leave for now."

Emperor Qianxi nodded and said, "Tell the Ninth Prince that I have already agreed to the opening of Tianjin as a treaty port."

"However, he must ensure the quality of this fast track for me."

"If the project turns out to be unfinished, he'll only ever be a Duke of the State for the rest of his life!"

For ordinary people, the title of Duke of Zhenguo is a height that is difficult to reach in a lifetime, but for princes, it is the lowest reward.

After all, the eldest prince and the third prince had already been granted the title of Prince.

Who knows, they might be promoted to princes someday.

If the Ninth Prince were to remain the Duke of Zhenguo for the rest of his life, he would be miserable for the rest of his life.

"My son, I obey!"

After Shen Ye bid farewell to Qianqing Palace, he went to find the Ninth Prince.

In reality, the Ninth Prince was quite restless at this moment.

Although he did not participate in the struggle for the throne, he was well-informed.

Putting aside everything else, he received the news immediately about the opening of the Tianjin Wei commercial port.

Although the Crown Prince argued his case forcefully, and even with the intervention of a chief Grand Secretary like Tong Guowei, Emperor Qianxi still hesitated.

At this moment, the Ninth Prince really wished he could rush up to Emperor Qianxi and question his father about what he was hesitating about.

Now everything is ready except for the final push!
For a moment, he felt anxious and uneasy.

Just as he was thinking about whether to go to Yuqing Palace to see the Crown Prince again, Shen Ye arrived.

"Your Highness, has the fast track been finalized?" The Ninth Prince asked immediately upon seeing Shen Ye, forgetting to even bow.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "It's done!"

"Father has agreed to build a fast passage to Tianjin and to open a treaty port in Tianjin."

"However, in this matter, Father wants half the shares."

Upon hearing that Emperor Qianxi wanted to take half of the shares, the Ninth Prince felt a pang of regret, but he had no choice but to accept it.

He knew very well that without his father's name, this money-making opportunity would never have come his way.

"Your Highness, how much silver will Father Emperor contribute?" Yuntang still held onto a last glimmer of hope.

That is, this time, Father Emperor can give us some face and contribute some money.

Looking at Yuntang's expression, Shen Ye smiled and said, "Do you really want Father's money?"

These words made Yuntang's face turn even uglier.

He sighed helplessly, but said nothing more.

Looking at the Ninth Prince's expression, Shen Ye continued, "Father said that you must ensure the quality of this fast track."

"If any problems arise, Father Emperor is prepared to make you the Duke of Zhenguo for life."

Upon hearing this, the Ninth Prince's expression changed.

If Emperor Qianxi's words were like skinning him alive, the Ninth Prince wouldn't be afraid at all.

This was just to scare him. How could Emperor Qianxi, as his father, bear to skin his own son alive?

But it's absolutely true that he'll be the Duke of Zhenguo for life.

Given my father's abilities, as long as he's in power, he'll definitely make me a Duke of Zhenguo for life.

As for whoever inherits the throne after their father's death, it is impossible for them to disobey their father, Emperor Qianxi's, orders for their own sake.

This is considered unfilial, a crime that even the emperor would find difficult to bear.

"Your Highness, rest assured, the quality is absolutely guaranteed. Just wait and see," the Ninth Prince said confidently.

Seeing the Ninth Prince's excited appearance, Shen Ye didn't say anything more and headed straight for Yuqing Palace.

The Ninth Prince watched Shen Ye leave, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Your Highness, my elder brother's white deer is truly rare."

"If you can't find a good birthday gift, I also have a calligraphy scroll by the Sage of Calligraphy called 'Quick Snow,' which the Crown Prince can use as a birthday gift."

The "Quick Snow" calligraphy scroll by the Sage of Calligraphy is a priceless treasure.

Although it cannot compare to the auspicious white deer, it is more than enough to be given as a birthday gift.

The fact that the Ninth Prince was able to bring this out shows that he has given Shen Ye his full support.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "The Quick Snow Scroll is a good thing. If Ninth Brother presents it to Father Emperor as a birthday gift, Father Emperor will definitely like it very much."

"Don't worry, I still have a nice gift in hand."

"You don't need to worry about me!"

Looking at Shen Ye's calm expression, the Ninth Prince had some doubts.

What birthday gift did the Crown Prince prepare? Could it really compare to those two white deer?

(End of this chapter)