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

Chapter 271 Governing the World with Filial Piety vs. I Am the Great Filial Son

If this were in modern times, the journey from Beijing to Rehe would only take a little over an hour by high-speed rail.

But these days, relying on manpower and horse-drawn carriages, one can only travel a maximum of fifty li a day.

The ancestors of the Great Zhou Dynasty conquered the country on horseback, so after leaving the capital, most of the princes traveled on horseback.

As the crown prince, Shen Ye possessed an imperial carriage second only to that of Emperor Qianxi and the Empress Dowager.

This so-called imperial carriage was a large sedan chair, custom-made by a special person, resembling a small house.

The Qianxi Emperor's imperial carriage was designed based on his usual study, which contained not only writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, but also an office desk.

There were even official toilets.

Inside this sedan chair, Emperor Qianxi could review memorials and even summon ministers.

This imperial carriage was carried by a total of 108 people divided into three shifts.

The Empress Dowager also had a palanquin, but it was carried by fewer people than the Qianxi Emperor, with only ninety-six people taking turns to carry it.

As for Shen Ye, he's a level below.

His palanquin was carried by seventy-two people in shifts!
Although this sedan chair was smaller than those of Emperor Qianxi and the Empress Dowager, it was exceptionally comfortable to sit in.

Not only can you sit and read, you can even lie down and sleep.

Shen Ye neither supports nor rejects this kind of enjoyment.

He knew that if he didn't ride in this sedan chair, he would be considered unconventional.

In the imperial court, the prevailing attitude was to follow the crowd and avoid punishment. Those who stood out from the crowd were the hardest to get along with.

However, he would sometimes get off and ride a horse, which would give the sedan chair carriers a chance to catch their breath.

Having benefited from the former crown prince's favor, Shen Ye not only possessed excellent riding skills but also had many fine horses at his disposal.

These horses were originally presented to Emperor Qianxi by various tribes of the grasslands, and were specially given to Crown Prince Shen Ye.

As they traveled further and further from the capital, the once smooth roads began to become rugged.

Especially with the increasing number of mountains, some paths become even more difficult to traverse.

Although Shen Ye was riding a horse, he could only walk slowly and it was not an easy journey.

"Prince!"

Just as Shen Ye accepted the herbal tea from Zhou Bao and drank it all in one gulp, the Fourth Prince rode up on his horse.

At this moment, the fourth prince had a tense face, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

However, Shen Ye felt that his condition was almost the same as before.

It seems they've recovered from Wu Sidao's death!
Shen Ye smiled and said, "Fourth brother, you must have had a long journey!"

Throughout the journey, the Fourth Prince was assigned by Emperor Qianxi to oversee the supplies for the imperial camp. Although he received help from many people, it was still a very tiring and demanding task.

Upon hearing Shen Ye's words, the Fourth Prince quickly replied, "It's just some meticulous work, nothing strenuous."

"After all, the Imperial Household Department is quite experienced in this area."

At this point, he pointed ahead and said, "If we're talking about hard work, then it has to be my elder brother who has to work hard. Not only does he lead soldiers to guard the carriage every day, but he also has to take good care of that auspicious white deer."

"I heard that the night before last, my older brother slept in the tent next to the auspicious white deer."

Hearing the Fourth Prince grit his teeth and mention the auspicious white deer, Shen Ye knew that the enmity between the Fourth Prince and the First Prince had deepened.

The Fourth Prince was a strict and vengeful man who held grudges and sought revenge for everything.

The person he trusted was killed by the eldest prince; how could he possibly swallow this insult!

Thinking of this, Shen Ye couldn't help but think of himself again.

If you ultimately fail to secure the throne, it's best not to work under this cold-faced king.

Otherwise, who knows, one day, without realizing it, he might hold a grudge against you for the rest of his life.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Since the white deer are a gift from heaven, elder brother should naturally take good care of them."

"By the way, where are we?"

When the Fourth Prince saw that Shen Ye had changed the subject, he did not follow up.

He was well aware that neither he nor the Crown Prince were the kind of people who were easily instigated.

If I make it too obvious, I might incur the Crown Prince's displeasure.

"The mountain road is just ahead, and it's not easy to travel," the Fourth Prince replied in a deep voice.

Hearing the Fourth Prince say this, Shen Ye nodded and said, "After Panshan, we'll reach Rehe. Fourth Brother, you don't need to worry about me. Go about your business."

The fourth prince didn't press the matter. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Ye, then turned and left.

Watching his departing figure, Shen Ye shook his head.

He has already eliminated the Fourth Prince's right-hand men; it's uncertain whether he can still succeed.

Wu Sidao's death taught Shen Ye a valuable lesson: it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark.

What hurts the most is never the enemy on the surface.

Rather, it's those who catch you completely off guard, lurking in the shadows, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

For example, Wu Sidao, this Mr. Wu never imagined that he would be silently and unexpectedly killed.

The reason he was able to kill Wu Sidao without anyone noticing was because of their unequal status and his knowledge of Wu Sidao's situation.

Unable to resist, Wu Sidao could only die with resentment in his heart.

Just as he was thinking this, Shen Ye looked ahead and saw that Emperor Qianxi's imperial carriage and the Empress Dowager's imperial carriage were both going up the mountain.

On the Empress Dowager's side, thirty-two strong sedan chair bearers were carrying the enormous imperial palanquin, step by step, up the mountain path. Although they walked very steadily, it looked somewhat dangerous.

Shen Ye did not plan to ride the imperial carriage up the mountain; he felt that riding a horse would be safer on the mountain road.

Just as he was pondering this, one of the sedan chair bearers at the back of the procession suddenly slipped and fell to the ground.

This is actually quite normal, after all, the mountain roads are rugged and difficult to travel.

The Empress Dowager's sedan chair only tilted slightly before being straightened by others.

"what happened?"

A slightly panicked voice came from inside the imperial carriage.

Seeing this situation, and glancing at the sedan chair bearers around him, Shen Ye suddenly remembered a document he had seen in his previous life.

According to historical records, when the emperor in the parallel universe accompanied his grandmother to Mount Wutai, he and his guards carried the sedan chair up the mountain because the mountain road was difficult to traverse.

Although we don't know exactly how much effort the emperor put in, this act made him a famous filial son!
Thus, they directly stood on a commanding position, and their words were all about governing the world with filial piety!

The sedan chair carried by these thirty-two people shouldn't have been too heavy.

If I take advantage of this opportunity to go there, I will definitely be surrounded by the halo of "filial son"!
Emperor Qianxi constantly proclaimed that "filial piety should govern the country." If the crown prince was so filial, it would be difficult for the emperor to depose him without a legitimate reason.

It was tiring, but the gains were huge, so it was a worthwhile deal!
Having made up his mind, Shen Ye immediately spurred his horse and charged towards the Empress Dowager's imperial carriage.

Because the distance wasn't too far, he spoke up before the servants could answer, saying, "Grandmother, it's alright, your grandson is here."

The Empress Dowager has been playing mahjong with Shen Ye a lot lately, so she can recognize his voice immediately.

She immediately responded with a smile, "It's good that you're alright."

Seeing that the Empress Dowager didn't say anything more, Shen Ye went directly to the sedan chair bearer who had just fallen and said, "You go and rest, I'll carry it for you!"

"Furthermore, you are innocent!"

Those who could carry the Empress Dowager's sedan chair were all carefully selected by the Imperial Household Department.

They naturally knew Shen Ye.

The sedan bearer realized he had made a terrible mistake when his foot slipped.

Just as she was panicking, she saw the Crown Prince come over and personally take her place. She was so excited that she didn't know what to do.

Shen Ye grabbed the palanquin's pole and said in a deep voice to the surroundings, "Everyone be careful and move forward slowly."

"Once you get through this section of the road, I will have the Imperial Household Department give you a reward."

Hearing Shen Ye say this, the sedan chair bearers relaxed a little.

But now, they were even more cautious! After all, the person carrying the sedan chair with them was the Crown Prince!

The heir apparent in the court, second only to His Majesty.

Being able to carry the sedan chair alongside the Crown Prince was a blessing they had accumulated over many lifetimes.

Moreover, if anything goes wrong again, even though the Crown Prince is easy to talk to now, they could be beheaded in the next second.

Although the imperial carriage was not light, with the weight shared by thirty-two people, the weight on Shen Ye's shoulders was actually not much.

Moreover, the sedan chair bearers dared not let the prince get too tired, so they had secretly shifted the weight to themselves.

Even so, sweat soon appeared on Shen Ye's forehead.

Many of the people who served him had already arrived. Seeing the prince carrying the sedan chair, they all wanted to replace him, but Shen Ye told them to leave.

After traveling about two or three miles, Emperor Qianxi arrived on horseback with the eldest prince and Ma Qi and others.

Emperor Qianxi was discussing matters in his imperial carriage when he saw that the mountain road outside was becoming increasingly difficult to travel. Fearing that something might happen to the Empress Dowager's carriage, he stopped the meeting and rode over.

Shen Ye stood out among the sedan chair carriers.

Although he wasn't wearing the crown prince's apricot-yellow robe now, a prince's robes were still much more luxurious than those of a sedan chair bearer.

Emperor Qianxi immediately noticed that there was a prince dressed among the sedan chair bearers, and he was taken aback.

He then asked Ma Qi, "Then... who is that person carrying the Empress Dowager's sedan chair?"

"Your Majesty, I think he looks like the Crown Prince." Ma Qi was actually quite surprised.

When he first saw this, he thought he was seeing things.

After all, the princes were all phoenix offspring and dragon grandchildren, born and raised with precious gifts.

Let alone carrying a sedan chair for someone, even just sitting in one would be exhausting.

When he saw someone carrying a sedan chair, his first thought was that there was something wrong with his eyesight.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that the person carrying the sedan chair was none other than the Crown Prince.

What's wrong with the Crown Prince?
Emperor Qianxi rubbed his eyes and realized that the person carrying the sedan chair was indeed the Crown Prince, which left him somewhat bewildered.

He then turned to the guards beside him and asked, "Why is the Crown Prince being carried in a sedan chair?"

"Your Majesty, one of the sedan bearers slipped and fell to the ground, disturbing the Empress Dowager." The guard quickly replied, "The Crown Prince happened to see it, so he rode over, told the sedan bearer to get off, and personally carried the Empress Dowager's sedan chair up the mountain."

Upon hearing this answer, Emperor Qianxi breathed a long sigh of relief.

He didn't know what to say at that moment, but looking at the prince carrying the sedan chair, he felt a sense of relief.

A prince who would carry a sedan chair for his elders out of filial piety would probably not do something like the Xuanwu Gate Incident.

The eldest prince stood beside Emperor Qianxi, looking at the emperor's expression, and felt very uncomfortable.

Why didn't I get this kind of opportunity?
However, this sense of loss quickly turned into fighting spirit.

He hasn't lost yet; he still has the auspicious white deer!
　I'm begging for monthly votes at the beginning of the month! Could you guys please give me a vote?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)