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

Chapter 277 My Eldest Brother Has the Appearance of a Dharma King
The Venerable Dharma King of the Grasslands!
On the vast grasslands, many things are decided by the tribal chief.

It is precisely for this reason that the Great Zhou Dynasty bestowed the title of king upon the leaders of the grasslands.

However, the Dharma King of the grasslands held a special status.

Even tribal chiefs must bow and pay their respects when facing the Dharma King.

This Golden Moon Dharma King wields immense influence on the grasslands.

He is not only the abbot of Zhaleng Monastery, the largest monastery on the grassland, but also the Dharma King revered by thirteen of the most famous monasteries on the grassland.

He is the head of a lineage.

He was known as "the person closest to Buddha" on the grasslands.

Even the Qianxi Emperor treated him with courtesy.

Normally, this Dharma King spends his days cultivating himself in his own temple.

This time, the Dharma King made a special trip to offer birthday greetings to Emperor Qianxi.

It can be said that this was Emperor Qianxi's most distinguished guest.

Even the Empress Dowager held this Dharma King in high esteem.

But ironically, when the auspicious white deer arrived, the Dharma King of Zhalang Monastery uttered such a thought-provoking statement.

On the grasslands, his words were often considered the will of gods and Buddhas.

Judging from the first half of his statement alone, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it; he praised Emperor Qianxi.

Only when a sage ruler is born can there be auspicious white deer, which further confirms Emperor Qianxi's reputation as a sage ruler.

Ordinary warriors on the grasslands subconsciously believed that Emperor Qianxi was a sage ruler sent down by Heaven.

But the next sentence is where the big problem lies!
The person who can find the auspicious white deer and present it to the holy ruler is "the chosen one of heaven".

What is a chosen one? It is someone chosen by God!
Why did Heaven choose the eldest prince of the Qianxi Emperor for this purpose?
Of course, he should inherit Emperor Qianxi's legacy!
But now, right next to Emperor Qianxi, there is already a crown prince standing!
If the eldest prince were to inherit Emperor Qianxi's legacy, what would become of the current crown prince?
What will Crown Prince Shen Ye think?
All eyes instinctively focused on Shen Ye's face.

The Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince, in particular, looked at Shen Ye with subtle expressions.

Although they didn't say anything, their expressions betrayed their true feelings!

Even the Qianxi Emperor looked over at the Crown Prince.

How could he not understand the implied meaning of the Golden Moon Dharma King's words?
But if he were to refute the Golden Moon Dharma King's statement at this moment, wouldn't that be tantamount to denying that he is a holy ruler?

King Jin Yue's words were quite clever. He said that the eldest prince was the chosen one, which both boosted the eldest prince's popularity and did not cross Emperor Qianxi's bottom line. He suggested that the crown prince should be replaced.

How should the Crown Prince respond?
Emperor Qianxi was frustrated but couldn't vent his anger. So, he wanted to see what the Crown Prince's attitude would be.

Shen Ye looked at the Golden Moon Dharma King, who looked like a highly enlightened monk, and felt a surge of disdain.

He knew the purpose of the Golden Moon Dharma King's actions, but he didn't care much about it.

Ultimately, it's up to Emperor Qianxi to decide who becomes the crown prince. What good is it for you, a mere Dharma King, to put on such an aloof and presumptuous act, pointing fingers and talking about being the chosen one?

Do you really think you can influence the Qianxi Emperor?

In Shen Ye's opinion, the Crown Prince's use of such methods to build momentum was incredibly stupid!
Shen Ye had no interest in dealing with the foolish Crown Prince.

Even without the threat from the eldest prince, his position as crown prince would be unstable.

As Emperor Qianxi grew older, the number of people eyeing the position of Crown Prince increased.

Shen Ye had long since figured it out: rather than living in constant fear, it was better to enjoy life while it lasted.

Therefore, he didn't even have the idea of ​​arguing.

It's not that there's no way, it's just that I'm too lazy to do it.

Emperor Qianxi was even angrier when he saw the Crown Prince's indifferent attitude!
They're practically riding roughshod over you, blatantly trying to steal your crown prince position, and you're still keeping quiet? What are you thinking?
Don't you want this throne?

Emperor Qianxi was already annoyed by the Golden Moon Dharma King's meddling, and seeing Shen Ye's nonchalant demeanor only fueled his anger.

He snorted, then turned to Shen Ye and said, "Your Highness, the Dharma King said that the First Prince is the chosen one. What do you think of this?"

As Emperor Qianxi called out the name, all eyes in the grand celebration ceremony turned to Shen Ye.

The eldest prince's lips curled up in a smile, secretly pleased. He had gone to great lengths to persuade the Golden Moon Dharma King.

Of course, he also benefited greatly from the intervention of this Dharma King.

The chosen one!
That would work just as well on the throne!

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi name the Crown Prince, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

At this moment, the eldest prince was eager to hear how the crown prince would respond to the title of "chosen one."
“Father, I think the Golden Moon Dharma King’s prediction was very accurate.”

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shen Ye stepped forward slowly and solemnly said.

His words not only stunned Emperor Qianxi, but even the eldest prince was somewhat bewildered.

He simply didn't know how to evaluate the Crown Prince at this moment.

My mind raced: Is the Crown Prince serious?
Is the Crown Prince really my good brother?
Does his saying this really mean he wants to hand over the position of crown prince to me?

If the Crown Prince is truly so benevolent, should I... be a little polite, or simply express my gratitude?

Just as the eldest prince was lost in thought, Emperor Qianxi's eyes widened.

The Crown Prince's reply stunned Emperor Qianxi.

The Eighth Prince, the Fourth Prince, and the others stared intently at the Crown Prince, fearing that if they weren't careful enough to hear clearly, the Crown Prince would relinquish his seat. Was this some kind of "Kong Rong sharing pears" scenario?
However, the throne is not a pear. If you're like Kong Rong giving away the pear, aren't you just making yourself uncomfortable?
Your Highness, what exactly are you planning to do?

Just as everyone was having their own internal monologues, Shen Ye spoke up.

"I have long heard of the profound Buddhist teachings of the Dharma King and have been well-versed in countless Buddhist scriptures since childhood."

"If the Dharma King hadn't pointed it out this time, I really wouldn't have known that my elder brother was a chosen one with the potential to become a Dharma King!"

"Although I am reluctant to part with him, since it is recorded in the Buddhist scriptures, it means that my elder brother has an affinity with Buddhism. Speaking of which, it is a wonderful thing for my elder brother to become a Dharma King and ascend to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss!"

At this point, Shen Ye clasped his hands in a fist salute to Emperor Qianxi and said sincerely, "Father, I am very conflicted right now."

"I am reluctant to part with my elder brother, but I also do not want to delay his pursuit of the Great Dao."

"I beg Father to make the decision!"

Upon hearing Shen Ye's earnest words, Emperor Qianxi's lips twitched, but he managed to suppress a laugh.

If he were to laugh out loud at this moment, it would undoubtedly be a great mockery of the Golden Moon Dharma King.

Although the Golden Moon Dharma King has overstepped his bounds, I can take other measures to deal with him, but I absolutely cannot do so on my birthday.

After all, the leaders of all the major tribes on the grasslands were watching.

Moreover, his eldest son was involved in this.

In fact, there are many people who want to laugh at this moment.

For example, the Fourth Prince! He almost suffered internal injuries from holding it in at that moment.

Because of Wu Sidao's death, he had already formed a deep enmity with the eldest prince.

However, he couldn't avenge this grudge for the time being, so he could only endure it.

This kind of forbearance made him very uncomfortable.

But he had no choice but to endure it, since the eldest prince not only held more power than him, but was also his elder brother.

In name only, he still had to listen to his older brother on some matters.

This time, the First Prince managed to get such a chosen one through the Golden Moon Dharma King, which left the Fourth Prince somewhat bewildered.

If the eldest prince is given the title of "Chosen One," it will become much more difficult for anyone to seek revenge against him in the future.

More importantly, that would lead to more and more people favoring the eldest prince.

It could even allow the eldest prince to take another step towards the position of crown prince.

He didn't know how to handle the situation.

The Crown Prince's words not only made him laugh, but also filled him with admiration for the Crown Prince's wit.

That "shifting the goalposts" tactic was brilliant!
The Golden Moon Dharma King is a highly virtuous monk!
The only people he can choose are the chosen ones of Buddhism.

In other words, the eldest prince has the potential to become a Dharma King.

You can become a Buddha and enjoy people's respect, but no matter how good you are, you are just a monk. What does that have to do with being an emperor?
As for the Crown Prince's words, even the Golden Moon Dharma King probably wouldn't dare to refute them.

He had already broken a taboo by saying that the eldest prince was the chosen one; if he said anything else, he would be courting death.

The emperor's position is not something he can openly determine!
"You're talking nonsense... utter rubbish!" The eldest prince's face turned green, and he felt a tightness in his chest from anger.

He never imagined that he, originally the chosen prince, would become the chosen Dharma King!
Although the Dharma King is also very venerable, he has no intention of becoming a monk.

"Your Highness, you have misinterpreted the Dharma King's meaning. What are your intentions?"

"you……"

The eldest prince felt a fire burning in his chest.

He had put in a lot of effort and paid a considerable price to create the situation he was in today, only to have it all ruined by a single sentence from the Crown Prince.

This made him both annoyed and resentful.

If Emperor Qianxi hadn't been watching, he would have really wanted to step forward and duel with the Crown Prince.

Facing the angry eldest prince, Shen Ye thought to himself that his older brother was both incompetent and amusing.

He calmly replied, "Brother, whether I misinterpreted King Jin Yue's words or not, you can ask King Jin Yue directly."

At this point, he looked at the Golden Moon Dharma King and said calmly, "Dharma King, isn't the scripture you just mentioned a record from the Buddhist scriptures?"

"If the chosen one described in the Buddhist scriptures is not the chosen Dharma King who serves our Buddha, then what else could it be?"

At this point, Shen Ye smiled and said, "The Buddhist scriptures must also record who is destined by heaven!"

Shen Ye spoke these words very softly, so that only a few people, including Emperor Qianxi and the Golden Moon Dharma King, could hear them.

However, to the Golden Moon Dharma King, every word sounded like a hammer, striking his heart hard.

King Jin Yue felt a chill run down his spine, and his mind instantly cleared: if he really dared to admit this, he would inevitably be suspected of interfering with imperial power, and then he would not be far from death!

No emperor would allow others to interpret whether he was ordained by Heaven.

Moreover, this could even implicate one's own lineage.

This time, I really made a stupid decision.

Thinking this through, he gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, the chosen ones in Buddhist scriptures are naturally only those whom Buddha values!"

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(End of this chapter)