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

Chapter 266 Imperial Power: No Fathers or Sons, All Struggles for the Throne Are Between Brothers

Compared to the Eighth Prince's smugness, the Fourth Prince, sitting in the Ministry of Revenue's office, had a face so gloomy it could be wrung out.

He had already dismissed four or five memorials requesting instructions in this bad mood.

Under normal circumstances, he could have been lenient and let it go.

But now, he was seething with anger, and this kind of memorial was like adding fuel to the fire.

Upon hearing a "thud" as a document was tossed aside, Wu Sidao slowly walked to his side.

"Fourth Master, your mind is a little unsettled," Wu Sidao said in a low voice with utmost seriousness.

In front of others, the Fourth Prince Yunzhen would try to hide his thoughts, but when facing his confidants, he was unrestrained and no longer concealed them, cursing bitterly, "Heaven is truly blind!"

"How did such a fine white deer end up in the boss's hands!"

"Even if the Crown Prince gets it, it's better than him getting it!"

"What auspicious white deer? I think they're just two blind deer!"

Seeing that the fourth brother was becoming increasingly sarcastic, a hint of helplessness flashed in Wu Sidao's eyes.

He knew that the fourth brother's harsh words weren't directed at him, but hearing them still made him feel a little uncomfortable.

He always considered himself a national hero and did not want his lord to be an impulsive and easily angered person.

This is not a good sign!

So he gently advised, "Fourth Prince, you may look down on the First Prince, but you should still be careful with your words and actions regarding this auspicious omen."

"His Majesty needs auspicious omens!"

Upon hearing Wu Sidao utter the words "Your Majesty," the Fourth Prince felt a chill run down his spine.

He could disagree with the eldest prince, and privately have his own complaints about the crown prince, but he had to show sufficient respect to Emperor Qianxi.

Otherwise, he will have to pay the price for his actions.

As thoughts raced through his mind, the Fourth Prince gradually regained his composure.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Wu Sidao and said, "Mr. Wu, Yunzhen is truly blessed to have your help."

"Yunzhen lost his composure just now!"

Wu Sidao calmly reminded him, "Fourth Prince, it's okay to have a little temper at other times, but you must remember that you must never lose your composure in front of His Majesty and the Crown Prince."

Seeing how solemn Wu Sidao was speaking, the Fourth Prince asked with a slight hesitation, "Does the Crown Prince also need to be so cautious?"

Wu Sidao nodded and said in a low voice, "Now everyone in the palace is saying that the idea of ​​holding a blessing ceremony for Suo'etu was the Crown Prince's idea."

"If that's the case, then the Crown Prince is definitely not to be underestimated."

"Although Songgotu is of great importance to the Crown Prince, he is also one of the Crown Prince's weaknesses."

"At the critical moment when His Majesty suspected him, the Crown Prince decisively used the pretext of praying for blessings to cause Suo'etu's death."

"That move of sacrificing the pawn to save the king was brilliantly executed by the young master!"

"By doing this, he not only lessened His Majesty's suspicion of him, but also eliminated the growing power of Suo'etu."

"It can be considered killing two birds with one stone."

"Even if Suo'etu isn't really dead, he can only eke out a living now and has become a useless piece of chess."

When the Fourth Prince heard that Suo'etu might still be alive, his expression immediately changed.

He didn't have many people to worry about, but Songgotu was definitely one of them.

He quickly pressed on, "Mr. Wu, are you saying that Songgotu might not be dead?"

"The title of Songgotu is gone, but the person Songgotu may not be dead."

"However, whether he lives or dies makes little difference."

At this point, Wu Sidao solemnly said, "So now, I think that Fourth Prince, your greatest enemy is still the Crown Prince."

"Only by removing the Crown Prince from his current position can you truly be considered part of the game."

"Although the eldest prince is a bad person and incompetent, he is now your ally."

"At this time, you don't need to do anything, just hide behind the Crown Prince and watch the show."

Hearing Wu Sidao's analysis, the anger on the Fourth Prince's face immediately disappeared by more than half. The reason he was angry was that the incompetent and immoral First Prince had actually obtained such an auspicious omen as the white deer.

But he could only painstakingly search for gifts.

Now that he had realized that his main rival was the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince's mood calmed down considerably.

He bowed to Wu Sidao and said, "Mr. Wu, if Suo'etu were still alive, wouldn't we be able to use him to our advantage?"

Wu Sidao glanced at the Fourth Prince, then shook his head slightly: "It's not easy to write articles for Suo'etu anymore."

"He's practically hated by everyone now."

"Even if the Fourth Prince finds out the real Suo'etu, I'm afraid everyone from His Majesty to the court officials will unanimously say that this Suo'etu is a fake!"

At this point, Wu Sidao's expression became even more serious: "As for Fourth Master, you should be careful. The Crown Prince may find out that you were the one who leaked the information about the Suo'etu family selling ginseng."

The fourth prince's face immediately darkened.

He wasn't unaware of this when he did it.

However, considering that doing so might bring down the crown prince, he didn't think too much about it.

Now that Wu Sidao had pointed this out, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

If the Crown Prince finds out that I did this, how should I respond?
Thoughts swirled in the Fourth Prince's mind, but he quickly calmed down.

He said in a deep voice, "Even if the Crown Prince finds out, I am only investigating the deficit of the Imperial Household Department by imperial decree. With Father Emperor overseeing things, he can't do anything to me!"

Wu Sidao looked at the confident fourth prince, hesitated, and ultimately said nothing.

Just as Wu Sidao had guessed, it was impossible for the Imperial Household Department not to have noticed that the ginseng harvesting in Changbai Mountain had been exposed.

Especially those involved.

However, Shen Ye did not learn about this from them; he knew about it because of the Fifth Prince.

The Fifth Prince, Yunqi, usually served the Empress Dowager and rarely came to Yuqing Palace.

But this time, he came on his own initiative.

He came here for only one thing: to convey a message from the Empress Dowager that if the Crown Prince didn't have any particularly valuable birthday gifts, he could "borrow" one from the Empress Dowager.

Although the Empress Dowager used the word "borrow," her meaning was clear: she was willing to support the Crown Prince.

The Empress Dowager has always been reluctant to intervene in disputes between younger generations.

The fact that the Fifth Prince made a special trip here shows that Shen Ye's visits to pay his respects and play cards during this period have not been in vain.

At the very least, the Empress Dowager has begun to express her opinion.

Although this support is very limited, it's better than nothing.

Shen Ye smiled and said to the Fifth Prince, "Fifth Brother, please thank Grandmother for me later."

"I just said I was very grateful for her concern, but I've already prepared the birthday gift."

"Please rest assured and take care of yourself. Don't worry about us younger generation."

Although the Fifth Prince grew up in the deep palace, he knew the significance of such an auspicious omen as the white deer.

He solemnly said, "Second Brother Crown Prince, you know what you're doing."

"If you need anything, just say so."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the Fifth Prince, Shen Ye noticed that the Fifth Prince didn't seem to be in high spirits.

However, the Fifth Prince's behavior was probably not because of himself.

He immediately asked, "Fifth brother, has something happened to you?"

The Fifth Prince did not hide anything and said, "I didn't encounter anything, but my maternal grandfather passed away."

Shen Ye was stunned!
Although the Fifth Prince's maternal grandfather was only a physician in the Imperial Household Department, he was Consort Yi's father.

Logically speaking, Emperor Qianxi should have given him some dignity upon his death.

Even if one doesn't personally go to offer condolences, one should at least receive the news and have someone present condolences.

How come I didn't know anything about it?

Although the Fifth Prince appeared kind and honest, he was also a clever man. Judging from Shen Ye's reaction, he understood what Shen Ye meant.

“My maternal grandparents’ family was suspected of stealing ginseng from Changbai Mountain, which was discovered by my fourth brother when he was investigating the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”

"Although Father did not pursue the matter because of my maternal grandfather's death, he did not grant him any dignity."

The fifth prince's maternal grandfather served as the head of the Shengjing Imperial Household Department for many years, surpassing even the Cao family in influence.

He was not the only one who stole ginseng; this case is likely related to the ginseng theft by the Suo'etu family.

The matter concerning the fifth prince's maternal grandfather was reported by the fourth prince, so the matter of Suo'etu stealing and selling ginseng should also have been reported by the fourth prince.

The fourth prince had been pretending to be his loyal subordinate in front of him, but then turned around and slashed at Suo'etu.

That was a precise and ruthless strike!
Shen Ye had never underestimated the Fourth Prince, but when he pieced things together, he realized that he hadn't been careful enough with his fourth brother.

"The deceased is gone, Fifth Brother should still comfort Consort Yi. As long as the family is alright, that's all that matters."

"It is already an immense grace that Father Emperor has decided not to pursue the matter further."

The Fifth Prince was also a smart man. He nodded and said, "I will definitely convey the Crown Prince's words to my mother."

"Actually, I tried to persuade her, but she just felt that she couldn't save face."

After the two talked for a while, the Fifth Prince took his leave.

After seeing off the Fifth Prince, Shen Ye sat in his chair and began to ponder quietly.

Although his strategy has always been to avoid offending the fourth brother too much.

After all, according to the memories in the parallel universe, this person was destined to become the emperor.

But this feeling of unease, stuck inside, was really unpleasant.

After a moment's hesitation, he beckoned to Zhou Bao and said, "Have someone investigate whether there is a man named Wu Sidao by Fourth Master's side?"

Zhou Bao is now extremely loyal to Shen Ye. Although he doesn't know why the Crown Prince suddenly asked Wu Sidao, he will not neglect Shen Ye's orders in the slightest.

He immediately replied respectfully, "This servant will go and investigate."

"Yes, report back to me as soon as you have a clear understanding of the situation."

Watching Zhou Bao's figure disappear quickly, a wicked sense of amusement rose in Shen Ye's heart.

The fourth prince was able to rise to power thanks to Wu Sidao in terms of civil affairs, and to Nian Gengyao and Longkodo in terms of military force.

Now that he has won over Nian Gengyao, if he also eliminates Wu Sidao, he wonders if the patient and stoic Fourth Prince will be able to take power.

In reality, if I can't win the throne, it seems better to put a brother I have a good relationship with on the throne than the fourth prince!

(End of this chapter)