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

Chapter 284 The Final Verdict: You're Good, I'm Good, Everyone's Good
"Father, I have something to say!"

Just as Emperor Qianxi was feeling displeased with the eldest prince's apology, Shen Ye suddenly spoke up!

Seeing the Crown Prince standing there in his princely robes, exuding an imposing aura, Emperor Qianxi's anger did not subside; instead, he felt the fire in his chest burn even brighter!
I didn't sleep well at all last night, but you seem to have slept quite well!
With that thought in mind, Emperor Qianxi's tone became even more annoyed, and he coldly asked, "What do you want to say?"

Shen Ye clasped his hands in a fist salute to Emperor Qianxi and said calmly, "Father, I think that my elder brother was simply caught off guard and was taken advantage of by that villain Wu Youjing."

Wu Youjing wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to present auspicious omens to gain rewards and promotions.

"That's how they created the fake white deer to deceive the world!"

Upon hearing Shen Ye's claim of deceiving the world, Emperor Qianxi picked up his cup and took a sip of water.

Although Shen Ye gave him plenty of face, he knew very well that this so-called deception of the world was just a cover-up by Shen Ye.

Is Wu Youjing deceiving the world?

No, he was the one being deceived!
But how could he admit to such a thing? If he did, wouldn't it make him look like a foolish and incompetent emperor?

"However, as Bai Lu's affair escalated, Wu Youjing, realizing that the truth could not be concealed, committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

Shen Ye ignored the change in Emperor Qianxi's expression and said to himself, "Therefore, I think that in this matter, my elder brother is also someone who has been deceived."

"Therefore, I implore Father Emperor to give my elder brother a chance to make amends, considering his filial piety."

After listening to Shen Ye's words, Emperor Qianxi understood Shen Ye's meaning perfectly.

Shen Ye is about to draw a definitive conclusion!
Moreover, they placed all the blame on Wu Youjing.

Wu Youjing is dead!
And they deserved to die!

Letting him die like this is actually letting him off easy.

Taking a deep breath, Emperor Qianxi, though somewhat unwilling, knew this was the best course of action.

This matter deserves an explanation to the world.

After all, they've really lost face.

The common people explained it as the white deer completing its mission and being released back into the deep mountains!

The explanation given by the court officials was that they would severely punish Wu Youjing, who had deceived the emperor for personal gain and engaged in charlatanry.

The emperor was only temporarily deceived.

The eldest prince was simply negligent in his choice of personnel.

In this way, the matter can be considered closed!
Although this infuriated Emperor Qianxi, he knew that this outcome was far better than the investigation revealing it to be an internal power struggle between his sons.

Looking at the solemn Crown Prince, Emperor Qianxi, though already inclined to the position, still couldn't make up his mind.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "All of you, step back!"

The fourth prince and his entourage had absolutely no intention of coming to eat this meal.

After all, this meal was too depressing!

The old man looked like he was going to eat them alive, which made them feel uneasy and chilled to the bone.

In the eyes of the Fourth Prince, the Crown Prince's suggestion, although it spared the mastermind behind the trouble and also spared the First Prince, was the safest option at present.

This not only saved Emperor Qianxi's face, but also prevented the infighting among the princes from being exposed to the court officials.

If he were the Qianxi Emperor, he would have done the same.

As for who the real culprit is, we'll investigate that later.

Now that Emperor Qianxi had given way, the fourth prince and the others immediately bowed and took their leave.

Seeing that everyone else had left, Shen Ye also prepared to leave.

He had said everything he needed to say; as for how to decide, that was up to the Qianxi Emperor.

However, before he could turn around, Emperor Qianxi suddenly said, "Crown Prince, stay."

Upon hearing this order, the eldest prince and the others glanced silently at Emperor Qianxi and the crown prince before quietly withdrawing.

With only the father and son remaining in the accounting room, Emperor Qianxi glanced at Shen Ye and then coldly said, "Do you really think that this whole thing was done by Wu Youjing alone?"

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Father, I know you think someone is stirring up trouble in this matter."

"In fact, I also believe that someone is stirring up trouble behind the scenes."

"The first one to cause trouble should be the eldest brother. Otherwise, why would the Golden Moon Dharma King say something like 'the chosen one'?"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianxi's face darkened.

The words of the Golden Moon Dharma King were naturally related to the First Prince.

Therefore, he also had the idea of ​​giving this stupid son a good lesson.

However, the eldest prince is already in a terrible state, so his father is too embarrassed to lay a hand on his foolish son.

"And from the perspective of the beneficiaries of this matter, the person most likely to plot against my elder brother is me, your son."

"However, the third, fourth, fifth, and eighth brothers are all suspects!"

"After all, there are plenty of clever people in the world, and there are plenty of people who want to kill two birds with one stone."

Shen Ye spoke exceptionally frankly this time. He knew that Emperor Qianxi was a smart man, and that it was better to speak frankly than to beat around the bush, so as to avoid making things worse.

Emperor Qianxi nodded.

He called his sons over for dinner today to make an example of them, to let these little brats know that their father is still alive and shouldn't be running around and causing trouble under his nose!
He wanted to tell these bastards that if anyone dared to show their face while he was still alive, he would punch them back with an iron fist!
Unexpectedly, the eldest prince, who is usually not very bright, did not make any false accusations.

"So you're suggesting we just let things slide like this?"

There was still a hint of resentment in Emperor Qianxi's words.

Shen Ye said casually, "What else can we do but let it pass by in a muddle?" "Are we really going to hold onto it forever?"

"Do you want to turn Father Emperor's birthday celebration into a laughing stock among the people?"

"You have to play dumb sometimes. If you want to deal with my brothers, you have plenty of ways to do it."

Why insist on focusing on this point?

If Shen Ye's previous words resonated deeply with Emperor Qianxi, then his final words brought the emperor a long sigh of relief.

Yeah, what's so difficult about him dealing with these brats?
Forget about punishment, giving each person a hard job is the easiest thing in the world.

As the Crown Prince said, why should he bother with this auspicious white deer, which is a thankless task that may ultimately lead to chaos?
You may also step down.
However, Emperor Qianxi did not immediately change his mind, but instead waved for Shen Ye to leave.

But this is actually a statement.

With Shen Ye gone, Emperor Qianxi sat back on his throne.

A hint of hesitation crossed his face.

In his heart, he wanted to get to the bottom of this matter and see who was stirring up trouble right under his nose.

He had already made up his mind to find out who was behind this. The person who could mobilize so many resources and direct such a good show must have his son involved.

He had even figured out what to do after finding out the truth, but the Crown Prince's words completely woke him up.

There's no need to investigate this matter thoroughly right now.

That would be embarrassing for yourself!
It would be better to pin everything on Wu Youjing, who is already dead.

As for how to handle the situation afterward, the initiative is still in his hands.

In this matter, the Crown Prince was actually more clear-headed than I was!
The Crown Prince said that the most likely scenario is that he orchestrated this event, but how much does the Crown Prince actually have to do with it?

Was the crown prince involved, or was someone killing two birds with one stone?

……

Shen Ye walked out of the tent and saw that the princes had not left, but were standing outside the tent waiting for something.

Everyone remained silent, their faces expressionless.

Upon seeing Shen Ye emerge, the First Prince's face revealed a hint of anxiety.

He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

He and Shen Ye were rivals, and in such a public setting, he naturally didn't want others to think that he was bowing down to the Crown Prince.

Seeing his expression, Shen Ye took the initiative to walk towards him.

If it were based on the original crown prince's personality, he should have gone to mock the eldest prince at this time.

However, Shen Ye was different. The fact that the eldest prince did not make any wild accusations when Emperor Qianxi questioned him was already a rare achievement in Shen Ye's eyes.

It's just a drowning dog; it's better to keep it alive than to beat it up.

At the very least, it made Emperor Qianxi feel that he had an older son who was keeping him, the crown prince, in check.

Shen Ye slowly walked to the Crown Prince's side and whispered, "Brother, I have already informed Father. You were also misled for a moment."

"Although Father did not express his opinion explicitly, I believe that he will not hold any further prejudice against my elder brother because of this matter."

Faced with Shen Ye's words of comfort, the eldest prince was at a loss for words.

Although he knew in his heart that the Crown Prince's words of comfort might just be an act, he was still very touched to hear a few heartwarming words when everyone was starting to distance themselves from him.

"Thank you very much."

In the end, the eldest prince swallowed his words and replied in a low voice.

Shen Ye looked at the eldest prince's expression and was not angry because of his indifferent reaction.

He patted the eldest prince on the shoulder and said, "Brother, we're brothers, why be so polite?"

At this point, he glanced at the Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince, and others who had begun to gather around, and remarked meaningfully, "My younger brothers have all grown up."

"Young people have more drive than we do!"

If the first sentence made the eldest prince pause slightly, then the second sentence made his eyes suddenly turn cold.

At this point, he fully understood that the Crown Prince was using this method to subtly influence his son, and that this was the work of a "young man."

Young people are not only younger than them, but they are also more ruthless.

This time, he was completely branded as "incompetent and foolish".

This one game almost destroyed his years of hard work; all his efforts were in vain and turned into nothing.

But who is the young man the prince is talking about?
Is it the fourth child?
He doesn't seem to be much younger than me.

Is it the fifth child?
The fifth prince, following the Empress Dowager, seemed to have no intention of vying for the throne.

Moreover, he had a speech impediment and would tend to speak the language of the grasslands when he was in a hurry. Under such circumstances, how could Emperor Qianxi possibly choose the fifth son?

If it wasn't them, could it be the seventh brother?

The seventh brother is disabled; his legs are inconvenient!

Could it be...

The eldest prince looked at the eighth prince's bright, cheerful, and smiling face and fell into deep thought.

　Hey everyone, a new chapter is here! Please support me and vote!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)