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

Chapter 282 The longer my father lives, the greater my chances will be.
Many things have two sides!

For some, it is a catastrophe, but for others, it is a great blessing.

This just proves the old saying: some are happy, some are sad!

The eldest prince was trapped in a city of sorrow. Although he had no worries about food and clothing, he was surrounded by guards who were watching him.

These guards dared not be disrespectful to the eldest prince, but they also dared not get too close to him, lest they cause trouble.

Although the eldest prince is a bit reckless, he is not a stupid person.

After thinking it over, he realized that he had been tricked this time!

The person who stabbed him in the back was actually his most trusted confidant.

Who has the ability to make their most trusted confidant betray them?

Father Emperor is capable of doing it, but Father Emperor would never resort to such despicable means just to punish me.

But who else is there besides my father?
The Crown Prince should be able to do it, right?
However, the Crown Prince has had no time to plot against me lately.

But who else is there besides the Crown Prince?
The third child?
Or is it the fourth son?

Despite their quiet demeanor, the eldest prince had long realized that his two brothers actually had their own plans.

On the surface, they all appeared to be loyal to the Crown Prince, but in reality, each of them harbored their own thoughts and had their own agenda.
The eldest prince suspected everyone except the eighth prince.

In his view, the Eighth Prince was raised by Consort Hui.

Our relationship was, in a sense, closer.

If I become the crown prince, I will definitely give even more importance to this brother who is closer than a blood brother.

He had no reason to betray himself.

"Sigh, I'm finished this time!"

The eldest prince sighed softly. With this incident, the possibility of Emperor Qianxi making him the crown prince was basically gone.

After all, his reputation for being "incompetent in handling matters" has already been established.

How could Emperor Qianxi, a wise ruler, possibly appoint such a person as crown prince?
Since he couldn't be the crown prince himself, he had to choose someone to support him.

Do you support the Crown Prince and ask him to stay home obediently?
Although the Crown Prince is now pleading for him, based on the First Prince's understanding of the Crown Prince, he knows that the Crown Prince is not a magnanimous person, and once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he will definitely not be good to him.

The Crown Prince will definitely seek revenge!

Then let's support Lao Ba!

The eighth prince was raised by his own mother, so if he becomes the crown prince, he will definitely treat him better than others.

That way, life will be a little more comfortable from now on.

Although I'm still somewhat unwilling, it's better than having to grovel before the Crown Prince in the future.

Thinking about it this way, the eldest prince felt a little more relaxed and fell asleep without realizing it.

He felt that at this moment, he seemed to have let go of some worries.

Little did the eldest prince know that at that moment, in the eighth prince's tent, the eighth, ninth, and tenth princes were drinking.

Although the auspicious white deer had encountered some mishap, Emperor Qianxi's birthday celebration was still a time of universal jubilation.

It was perfectly normal for the princes to get together and have a drink.

What's more, these are three princes who have always had a good relationship with each other!

"The eldest prince really made a terrible mistake this time!" The tenth prince said with a smile, holding a wine cup. "The chosen one, indeed! What a boast!"

"I don't know where he got two dyed white deer, and he actually dares to dream of competing for the position of crown prince. How could he even think of that?"

"From now on, the eldest brother's days are probably going to be tough!"

The Ninth Prince smiled faintly and said, "Don't you all know what kind of person the eldest brother is? He always puts on an act of being very smart, but that's not the case at all!"

"If you ask me, the truly intelligent one is the Crown Prince."

"In the blink of an eye, just a few words were enough to turn this chosen one into a chosen monk."

"If you ask me, it would actually be a good thing for the eldest brother to become a monk."

"With his intelligence, becoming a monk would at least ensure his safety for the rest of his life."

“If it weren’t for his father protecting him, he would have been completely finished this time.”

The Eighth Prince picked up his wine cup and interrupted, "My elder brother was just confused for a moment. Let's not talk nonsense and drink."

The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince exchanged a quick glance and then raised their wine cups as well.

Although the two of them had a good relationship with the Eighth Prince, the Eighth Prince was, after all, raised by the First Prince's birth mother.

At this moment, it seems only right to say a word on behalf of the eldest prince.

"The myna is right. Come on, let's have a drink together."

The Ninth Prince raised his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

After the three of them shared a drink, the Ninth Prince lowered his voice and said, "Eighth Brother, are you really not going to get involved in this fast passage to Tianjin?"

"Let me tell you, Father has agreed to open a treaty port in Tianjin. I estimate that a lot of seafood will be transported to Tianjin in the future."

"Furthermore, the Crown Prince's cement will definitely make the construction cost of the expressway increasingly lower."

"Invest some money now, and you'll definitely make a lot of money later."

"The Crown Prince invested a lot, and the Emperor also holds half of the shares."

The Eighth Prince shook his head and said, "What would I need so much money for? My current salary is basically enough for me!"

"Besides, we're brothers. If I ever need money in the future, how could you two refuse to lend it to me?" Hearing the Eighth Prince say this, the Tenth Prince laughed and said, "Eighth Brother is right. If you ever need money in the future, you can just come to us."

The three continued drinking, and the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

But as the Eighth Prince drank, a strange sense of melancholy welled up in his heart.

He felt that something was quietly changing between him and the Ninth and Tenth Princes, and there was an invisible barrier between them.

From the moment he dared not tell them that the "auspicious white deer" was his own doing, he had a vague feeling that these two people were also hiding something from him, and this estrangement became apparent.

Furthermore, with the rapid transit project to Tianjin gradually being implemented, the relationship between the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince and the Crown Prince became increasingly close.

This intimacy could be felt from the respectful tone in which the two spoke of the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince is indeed becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.

He not only didn't interfere with the auspicious white deer incident orchestrated by the eldest prince, but also spoke up for the eldest prince after the incident, a move that certainly won his father's high praise.

Not to mention……

However, the higher the Crown Prince's prestige, the more wary the Emperor will likely become.

As Ren Bo'an said, the crown prince is already grown up, but the emperor is not yet old!
Some things are beyond human control.

The fall of the eldest prince will greatly weaken the forces that check and balance the crown prince.

His Majesty will surely devise another way to check and balance the Crown Prince.

And that person could very well be yourself.

With His Majesty's instructions and arrangements, more and more power will surely fall into my hands, and at that time my chance to vie for the throne will also...

The longer my father lives, the greater my chances will become.

After a hearty meal and drinks, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince left, tipsy.

Although the Eighth Prince also wanted to sleep, the events of the day made it difficult for him to fall asleep.

Feeling stifled inside the tent, he decided to step outside and look up at the starry sky.

The sky over the grasslands is much more beautiful than the sky over the Forbidden City.

Would you be willing to stay on the grasslands as a Dharma King?
Just as the Eighth Prince was lost in thought, he heard someone respectfully say, "Greetings, Eighth Prince."

The Eighth Prince turned his head and saw Ma Wu, the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, leading a group of guards on night patrol.

Ma Wu was not only the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, but also the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard.

This position also oversaw the imperial guards and arranged for them to patrol the area around the emperor at night.

To hold both positions, one must be an absolute confidant of Emperor Qianxi; otherwise, it would be impossible to achieve such a position.

Upon seeing Ma Wu, Yun Si's face lit up with a bright smile.

"Lord Ma, you're still on patrol so late at night, you must be tired."

Ma Wu respectfully replied, "Serving His Majesty is nothing to be ashamed of; it is all my duty."

"It's late and the dew is heavy, Eighth Prince, please take care of yourself!"

The conversation between the two seemed ordinary, but Ma Wu suddenly lowered his voice and said, "In the capital, the news has spread that the Ministry of Revenue has withdrawn the silver from Yuqing Bank."

"Many people have already started looking for ways to withdraw their money from Yuqing Bank."

"I believe it will happen soon..."

Ma Wu didn't say what he was going to say next, but the Eighth Prince understood what he meant.

The Eighth Prince said nothing. The plan had already been arranged, and all he had to do was proceed step by step. He didn't need to say anything more.

Just then, a fast horse galloped in from afar.

"Who goes there?" A guard quickly blocked the path of the fast horse, drawing his steel sword halfway out.

Ma Wu, who was speaking to the Eighth Prince, also rushed out quickly.

For Ma Wu, this sudden and unexpected situation is something he must deal with.

"Urgent dispatch from 600 li away!" The messenger, who had been galloping up, quickly revealed the red cloth covering his body and said, "The Ministry of Justice has urgent business to attend to!"

Upon hearing about the Ministry of Justice's urgent business, Ma Wu strode over and said, "No matter how urgent the business, you can't ride wildly in His Majesty's camp. If you disturb His Majesty, how many heads do you have? Aren't you afraid of being beheaded?"

Upon hearing this, the messenger trembled in fright.

By this time, he could see Ma Wu's attire clearly by the torchlight, and hurriedly said to Ma Wu, "Sir, Wu Youjing, the prefect of Xianyang, is dead. My superiors have ordered me to report to His Majesty as quickly as possible."

"Please forgive me, sir!"

Ma Wu naturally knew who Wu Youjing was.

Upon hearing the news of Wu Youjing's death, a slight twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth, but he quickly regained his composure. He then asked, "Are you sure Wu Youjing is dead?"

"Absolutely true, this is an official letter!" The messenger quickly waved the document in his hand.

"Wait a moment, I'll go report right away." As Ma Wu spoke, he waved his hand and said, "Find a place for this messenger to rest."

Watching Ma Wu quickly walk towards the main tent where Emperor Qianxi was staying, the Eighth Prince silently turned and left.

Although this plan was not completed perfectly, at least a part of it was accomplished.

It remains to be seen how much of a stir Wu Youjing's death will cause.

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(End of this chapter)