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

Chapter 283 The Consequences of Suspicion Between Father and Son are Serious

The report about Wu Youjing was quickly delivered to Emperor Qianxi.

For Emperor Qianxi, this was a truly humiliating defeat!

Therefore, he had to get to the bottom of this matter no matter what.

He must make the person who caused him to lose face pay a heavy price.

He wanted to see who had made him look so pathetic.

The most crucial person in this matter is Wu Youjing, who presented the white deer to the eldest prince.

Was he blinded by greed and created a pair of fake white deer, or was he instructed by someone to deliberately frame the eldest prince?
If it was his own greed that caused this, then so be it; he was just a nobody, and Emperor Qianxi wouldn't have taken him too seriously.

However, if someone is deliberately causing trouble, then they are challenging the authority of Emperor Qianxi!
That is……

But Wu Youjing is actually dead!
Upon closer examination, this outcome is not entirely unexpected.

After all, he was the most crucial figure in causing such a commotion. If someone were really playing tricks behind the scenes, they certainly wouldn't let Wu Youjing live.

Wu Youjing died before his birthday.

He's been dead for three days!
It took two days for the news to travel from Xianyang to the capital.

The Ministry of Justice sent this memorial so quickly because they knew that Wu Youjing's case was of great importance.

After all, it was he who helped the eldest prince find that auspicious white deer.

And that white deer—it actually faded!

News of Wu Youjing's death also reached Emperor Qianxi.

The person who did this had such precise timing, down to the last minute.

Upon seeing the news of Wu Youjing's death in the memorial, Emperor Qianxi couldn't help but frown.

There were no clear clues left in the study where Wu Youjing died.

Only one visiting card, half-burnt, was found.

This visiting card belongs to Algishan!
Emperor Qianxi understood that a visiting card was equivalent to the person's personal presence in many situations.

Many things can be accomplished without the person in charge of the visiting card appearing in person, simply by presenting the visiting card.

Therefore, visiting cards are usually very precious.

As a local official, I receive many visiting cards on a regular basis, which is nothing unusual.

But why did Wu Youjing burn Algishan's visiting card when he died?
If you're going to burn it, why only burn half of it?
Was someone doing this deliberately to make him suspect the Crown Prince? Or...?

As thoughts raced through his mind, Emperor Qianxi's expression grew increasingly cold.

He felt that someone was deliberately setting up a trap to lure him into a fool.

However, is this really the case?
It really wasn't the Crown Prince who did it?

After much deliberation, Emperor Qianxi put the Ministry of Justice's memorial aside, his face growing even more somber.

This matter must be thoroughly investigated, no matter what.

He wanted to see who was behind this scheme.

Must fathers and sons also suspect each other?

Lying on the makeshift bed, Emperor Qianxi tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

He had a feeling that the court, which he had once considered rock-solid, was beginning to slip out of his control.

At the very least, he is no longer as confident as before, feeling that everything is under his control.

The next morning, Emperor Qianxi sent someone to summon Shen Ye and several of his accompanying princes to his tent.

Shen Ye slept very soundly that night.

He had nothing to hide, and having been busy all day yesterday, he accidentally fell asleep in Nian Xinyue's arms until dawn.

Having just finished washing up, he was personally invited by Liang Jiugong to Emperor Qianxi's tent.

Liang Jiugong's reason was that the Emperor had asked him to come and have breakfast with the Emperor.

Dining with the emperor has never been a pleasant task.

Even between father and son, it's the same.

Shen Ye preferred to stay in his own tent and have Nian Xinyue serve him breakfast; he had no desire to dine with Emperor Qianxi.

Unfortunately, his father had issued the decree, leaving him with no choice, no matter how unwilling he was.

I quickly packed my things and hurried to the main tent.

When they arrived, they realized they were a little late—the Fourth Prince, the Fifth Prince, the Eighth Prince, and others were all there, and even the First Prince had come.

However, compared to the other princes, the eldest prince looked noticeably haggard. No wonder, given the considerable trouble he had caused.

"Greetings, Father Emperor." Although Shen Ye couldn't figure out what Emperor Qianxi was up to, he didn't skimp on etiquette at all and bowed respectfully.

Emperor Qianxi did not look well, and his eyes were slightly dark.

Shen Ye thought to himself that he probably didn't sleep well last night.

It’s normal to think about it.

The birthday gift from the eldest son turned out to be a fake auspicious omen. No one could sleep soundly in such a distressing situation.

"No need for formalities," Emperor Qianxi waved his hand dismissively. "Sit down and eat."

Shen Ye sat down at a small table below Emperor Qianxi, where various breakfast items were laid out. These pastries were exquisitely made and perhaps even tasted impeccable, but in Shen Ye's opinion, none of them suited his palate as well as the steaming hot, smoky flavor of freshly cooked food.

Shen Ye didn't pretend and simply placed a bowl of rice in front of herself.

Emperor Qianxi ate at the head of the table, and those below dared not utter a sound, eating in silence, truly embodying the saying "one should not speak while eating."

However, the atmosphere inside the large tent, where only the sounds of eating could be heard, was exceptionally oppressive.

As Shen Ye scooped up some rice with a spoon, he quickly pondered: What exactly is Emperor Qianxi trying to do?
Has something happened again?
Just then, Emperor Qianxi suddenly threw the spoon into the bowl with a clang.

The force wasn't strong, but it made all the princes immediately put down their utensils and look at Emperor Qianxi with some nervousness.

Wu Youjing is dead.

Emperor Qianxi uttered these five words in a calm voice, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the Crown Prince, the First Prince, the Fourth Prince, and others.

All the princes present knew who Wu Youjing was.

The eldest prince, in particular, wished he could tear this subordinate who dared to betray him limb from limb, grind his bones to dust, and even that could not quell the hatred in his heart.

He had long anticipated Wu Youjing's death, but now that he had actually heard the news, a strange sense of panic still rose in his heart.

He jumped out of his seat almost immediately and knelt down on the ground with a thud: "Father, it was not your son who killed Wu Youjing!"

"Although he deceived me, and I wish I could tear him to pieces, I really did not send anyone to kill him."

"He...he must have been silenced by the person who ordered him to frame me!"

"Please let me see clearly, Father!"

The more triumphant the eldest prince was before, the more pathetic he is now.

Those tired eyes were now wide open, and her breathing became heavy and rapid.

His chest heaved violently, his voice carried a hint of hysteria, and his hands and feet trembled wildly without any order. His whole body was in a state of panic controlled by anger!
Emperor Qianxi looked at the kneeling eldest prince, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.

This son usually acts quite bravely, but now, not only is he at a loss for what to do, but judging from his out-of-control emotional state, he looks just like a defeated rooster.

How can I entrust the empire to someone like him?!
"You say someone framed you, but have you thought it through? Who framed you?" Emperor Qianxi rose from his seat and walked to the side of the eldest prince.

Shen Ye never expected that Emperor Qianxi would ask such a question!

What is he trying to do?
Although Shen Ye was just a nobody in his previous life, he knew that this way of asking questions was practically an invitation to bite someone indiscriminately.

Emperor Qianxi could not possibly be unaware of this principle.

But why did he have to ask that question?

Could it be that this old man has suffered some kind of shock and is planning to turn against himself, the crown prince?

Therefore, there is an urgent need for the eldest prince to "propose" something.
Shen Ye's mind raced.

However, at this moment, he couldn't think of any good solutions. All he could do was remain calm and wait for the right opportunity to strike.

In fact, not only Shen Ye was staring intently at the eldest prince, but all the other princes were also keeping a close eye on him.

Some hoped the eldest prince would reveal the name they were thinking of, while others feared he would actually say his own name.

After all, if the Crown Prince calls me out in public today, I'll be in big trouble—even if I don't lose my head, I'll have to do everything I can to prove my innocence.

The eldest prince glanced around twice, and finally fixed his gaze on Shen Ye.

As the strongest contender for the position of Crown Prince, he always regarded the Crown Prince as his number one rival.

The biggest beneficiary of my current predicament is the Crown Prince.

Following the pattern of "whoever benefits is the most suspicious," the crown prince is very likely the mastermind behind it all.

However, he had a vague feeling that it didn't seem like the Crown Prince was behind it.

Moreover, after the incident, the Crown Prince was not only the first to stand up for him, but also helped him get rid of the tails of the two white deer.

If he were to turn around and bite the Crown Prince at this moment, how would Emperor Qianxi view him?

After weighing the pros and cons, the eldest prince solemnly said, "Father, I am foolish. I thought about it all night and felt that many people could be involved... but also, it is unlikely that any of them are. Therefore, I do not know who has framed me."

At this point, he bowed his head and knelt down again: "Your Majesty, I have disgraced you this time. Please punish me!"

The eldest prince didn't bite me?
Shen Ye was a little surprised, but upon reflection, it seemed to make sense.

While biting randomly might feel satisfying, the eldest prince also took risks.

Moreover, he had helped him before, so if the other man turned around and bit him, it would be repaying kindness with enmity.

The Crown Prince's reputation will only get worse than it is now.

From this point of view alone, he should think carefully before he bites back.

After quickly considering the matter in his mind, Shen Ye felt that he couldn't let Emperor Qianxi continue this topic, otherwise it would be too dangerous!

Although the eldest prince is a political enemy, he didn't implicate me this time. For both moral and legal reasons, I have to help him out.

Moreover, the accusation of "misjudging people" has already made the eldest prince a laughing stock. His chances of succeeding to the throne have been reduced to the lowest possible level.

If such a person were truly suppressed to the end, the suspicious Emperor Qianxi would surely have promoted an even more powerful one to challenge him.

It would be better to let the eldest prince continue to play a role.

Besides, a good crown prince is not only a crown prince, but also someone who cares for his brothers.

Only in this way can his golden image be more perfect.

Thinking of this, Shen Ye strode forward...

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(End of this chapter)