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

Chapter 269 Brothers Drinking Together in the Open, Silent Knife-Slaying in the Covert
In everyone's eyes, their own son is good.

Even the Qianxi Emperor was no exception!
Although he had realized that as he grew older, his sons, who were eyeing the throne, were becoming increasingly restless and even starting to make moves.

But it's not a big deal.

If the meat is mushy in the pot, then it's not considered mushy.

Sons are still one's own flesh and blood. Even if they do something that makes you unhappy, it must be because someone is stirring things up behind the scenes.

The fourth son is a bit harsh and strict, but in the end, he's a good son.

However, this Wu Sidao is a bit dangerous.

Back then, he dared to directly overturn the examiners of the metropolitan examination when the provincial examination was unfair. So, one day in the future, will he instigate his fourth son to oppose his father?
This is something we must be wary of.

After receiving Emperor Qianxi's decree, Shen Ye was pondering how to deal with the matter of the eldest prince and the fourth prince when Liang Jiugong suddenly came in to report that the two who had caused the disturbance had arrived at the gate of Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Qianxi waved his hand and said, "Take these two rebellious sons away. Just report to me any progress later!"

Hearing this, Shen Ye could only agree and walked out of the Qianqing Palace.

The two princes, both furious, stood at the entrance of Qianqing Palace, ignoring each other like two gatekeepers.

Upon seeing that it was Shen Ye who came out, he paused for a moment, but still stepped forward to greet her.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

Between the two bows, Shen Ye could clearly sense that the First Prince's bow was rather perfunctory, while the Fourth Prince's bow was exceptionally solemn.

However, such a solemn person may not necessarily be truly loyal.

Shen Ye waved his hand and said, "Eldest brother, fourth brother, no need for formalities."

"Between brothers, there's no need for such formalities."

At this point, he even clasped his hands in greeting to the eldest prince and said, "Greetings, elder brother!"

The eldest prince has been riding high lately, but fortunately, his brain hasn't completely fried. He quickly replied, "Your Highness is too kind!"

After the three exchanged greetings, Shen Ye smiled and said to the two others, "A new chef has joined the Imperial Kitchen these past two days, and his spicy beef is excellent."

"It tastes absolutely delicious, fragrant and perfect with alcohol."

"Come on, let's go have a couple of drinks at my place."

Upon hearing Shen Ye's invitation, the Fourth Prince hesitated slightly and said, "Your Highness, I have come to see Father Emperor. I have important matters that require your approval."

The eldest prince also feigned helplessness and said, "Your Highness, the fourth prince is a bit reckless. He insisted on dragging me to the Emperor to demand justice."

"I think we should postpone drinking this wine until another day!"

Shen Ye smiled faintly, but his tone left no room for refusal: "Big brother, fourth brother, let's go drink this wine now."

"Father has something to attend to. Just tell me if you have anything to say."

At this point, he grabbed one person with each hand and pulled them forward, saying, "Come on, this is a rare opportunity, let's go have a couple of drinks."

The fourth prince and the first prince were also smart men. Hearing Shen Ye say this, they knew that Emperor Qianxi had passed the matter on to the crown prince.

The fourth prince was overjoyed and quickly said, "Your Highness, please save Mr. Wu!"

"Back then, he only made a scene with his fellow examinees because of the unfairness of the provincial examination."

"While this approach is unacceptable, it's not enough to land you in jail!"

"Please ask Your Highness to speak to the Infantry Commander's Office and release Mr. Wu first."

Seeing how anxious the Fourth Prince was, Shen Ye thought to himself that Wu Sidao had become a trusted minister of the Fourth Prince, otherwise he wouldn't value him so much.

He laughed and said, "Fourth brother, don't be in such a hurry."

"Your Mr. Wu has only entered the Infantry Commander's Office, not gone to the underworld."

"Staying inside for a few days won't kill anyone, so Fourth Brother, don't worry for now."

Hearing this, the fourth prince felt slightly relieved, but a hint of murderous intent flashed in the eyes of the first prince.

Is it really true that no one will die if they enter the headquarters of the Infantry Commander?
This time, His Majesty entrusted this matter to the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince have always been on good terms. It's probably only a matter of time before Wu Sidao is released.

If the person he personally went to arrest is released by the Crown Prince, where will he put his face?
Moreover, he had already fallen out with Lao Si, and he would be unwilling to let the man go in the end.

Just then, he saw a familiar eunuch pass by and immediately called out to him, "Xiao Dezi, go and tell the princess that I will not be going back for dinner."

"Tonight, I'll have a couple of drinks with the Crown Prince and Fourth Brother."

As they were talking, the eldest prince casually stuffed a jade pendant into the eunuch's hand.

The young eunuch had always followed the eldest prince's mother, Consort Hui. Although he didn't know what the eldest prince meant, he still respectfully agreed.

He knew in his heart that this jade pendant was not a gift for him, but should be given to the princess.

However, this was not something a lowly eunuch like him cared about.

All he had to do was deliver the Crown Prince's things.

Seeing the Crown Prince's little tricks, Shen Ye secretly sneered.

The eldest prince is never one to suffer losses, and he's bound to make a move this time. However, this suits his purposes perfectly.

If the eldest prince doesn't take action, he'll have to find a way to prevent Wu Sidao from staying by the fourth prince's side.

After all, this person is too dangerous. The Fourth Prince also glanced at the First Prince, but he just thought that the First Prince was telling the Princess Consort that he wouldn't be home for dinner.

As for the rest, he didn't think much of it. He simply didn't believe the eldest prince would be so bold.

As the three of them were talking, they arrived at Yuqing Palace.

For Shen Ye, Yuqing Palace was his home. Following his instructions, a table of exquisite dishes was quickly served.

After taking his seat, Shen Ye picked up the first glass of wine and said, "Big brother, fourth brother, we brothers are family. If we make a scene, it will be a laughing stock for outsiders."

"Not to mention us, even Father Emperor is losing face."

"So this matter ends here. Drink this glass, and let's not hold it against each other anymore!"

As he spoke, Shen Ye raised his wine glass.

Seeing Shen Ye raise his wine glass, the eldest prince also raised his glass in agreement.

He is the eldest brother, and he cannot lose in terms of demeanor, especially not be outdone by the Crown Prince.

So he said to the fourth prince, "Fourth brother, I apologize for what happened today."

"Narch was really reckless, making you feel embarrassed and unable to save face."

“However, you can’t refuse to hand over the fugitive in front of so many people from the Ministry of Revenue. What will the Emperor think of you if you do that?”

At this point, he swirled his glass and said, "However, after this drink, we'll turn the page on this matter!"

Seeing the eldest prince raise his wine cup, the fourth prince felt a surge of anger.

But he also knew that now was not the time to be angry.

Emperor Qianxi assigned the matter to the Crown Prince because he didn't want it to escalate.

If he continues to pester him, not only will he suffer the consequences, but Wu Sidao might also lose his life!

He was a fugitive himself, and if the princes were to turn against each other because of him, Emperor Qianxi could kill Wu Sidao in a heartbeat.

What is Wu Sidao's greatest value? It is his exceptional intelligence.

However, if a person dies, all their intelligence is wasted.

Having figured this out, the Fourth Prince could only suppress his anger, raise his wine glass and say, "Cheers."

After the three of them drank their first glass of wine, the atmosphere between them seemed to ease a bit.

As Shen Ye poured the wine, he smiled and said, "What happened today was just a misunderstanding."

"Since Father Emperor has entrusted me with this matter, then have Wu Sidao flogged twenty times and sent back to his ancestral home!"

Upon hearing Shen Ye's verdict, the Fourth Prince's expression changed.

Wu Sidao is his most capable strategist, how could he let Wu Sidao return to his hometown?
If Wu Sidao goes back, who will he consult?
It's such a long way from Jiangnan to the capital. By the time Wu Sidao's plan arrives, it might be too late!
“Your Highness, Wu Sidao was a bit impulsive when he was young.”

"However, I'm finding him quite useful right now, so why don't I give him twenty lashes and have him keep a close eye on him?"

The Fourth Prince didn't dare to confront Shen Ye as directly as the First Prince did.

After all, Shen Ye was not only the Crown Prince, whose status was far higher than his, but he was also the person ordered by Emperor Qianxi to handle this matter.

The eldest prince did not value Wu Sidao much. The reason he captured Wu Sidao was purely to embarrass the crown prince and dampen the fourth prince's spirit.

Who can blame him when the Fourth Prince is so closely following the Crown Prince!

He wanted the fourth prince to know that following the crown prince would lead nowhere.

Moreover, his decision has already been communicated.

I believe it won't be long before Wu Sidao...

Upon hearing the Fourth Prince's request, Shen Ye gently put down the chopsticks in her hand.

"Fourth brother, in principle, I, your second brother, should grant your request."

"He's just a servant, nothing to worry about."

"But Father Emperor doesn't like Wu Sidao, saying he's someone who might corrupt the princes."

"Now that Father has entrusted this matter to me, I can still save his life. If you insist on keeping him by your side, it won't be good if Father investigates in the future!"

Shen Ye spoke very solemnly, which startled the Fourth Prince.

He never imagined that Wu Sidao had already been targeted by his father, the emperor.

Although he was reluctant to let Wu Sidao return to his hometown, he believed that living was better than dying.

If Emperor Qianxi were to become displeased and kill Wu Sidao, then things would be in trouble.

He was a decisive man, and immediately cupped his hands to Shen Ye, saying, "I was reckless and didn't think things through. I was only thinking about how convenient it would be for me to use people, and I didn't consider anything else. Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness!"

The eldest prince listened from the side, secretly sneering to himself.

He thought to himself, "Don't be fooled by your brotherly affection for each other. Just wait, you won't be laughing anymore soon."

After this meal, the Wu Sidao you see will probably be quite different.

Thinking this to himself, he raised his wine cup and said with a smile, "Your Highness is so thoughtful. Fourth Brother, let's toast Your Highness together."

Although the fourth prince was unwilling to drink with the first prince, he had no choice but to raise his cup.

He couldn't offend the Crown Prince or go against Shen Ye!
(End of this chapter)