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

Chapter 285: A Record of Officials' Conduct, Meritorious Service Saves the Emperor

Regardless of what Emperor Qianxi was thinking, his birthday celebrations proceeded as usual with great fanfare.

A thousand horsemen swept across the high hill, their momentum overwhelming!

The Qianxi Emperor, who had recovered to normal, was now leading his princes and numerous tribal leaders on a horseback hunt.

The imperial guards, who had been arranged in advance, drove all kinds of prey from all directions into the hunting grounds so that Emperor Qianxi and his princes could enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Emperor Qianxi, clad in golden armor, looked exceptionally majestic and imposing.

Shen Ye wasn't really interested in hunting.

But he wasn't the type to spoil the fun, so he also picked up his bow and rode alongside Emperor Qianxi.

On the other side was the eldest prince, who had just been released from confinement but had been demoted to the rank of Duke of Zhi. At this moment, his spirits were still quite good.

Although demoting him by one rank was a significant loss for the eldest prince, it was still better than being confined.

As long as Emperor Qianxi is still on the throne, my father will always have the opportunity to elevate his own title.

"Boom boom boom!"

As the drumbeats grew louder, Emperor Qianxi's interest also grew.

He beckoned to Liang Jiugong, who was standing beside him, and Liang Jiugong handed him a jade belt.

Emperor Qianxi raised the jade belt inlaid with two golden dragons and said with a smile, "This jade belt is my most cherished possession."

"Whoever hunts the most prey in this hunt will get this jade belt!"

As soon as Emperor Qianxi said this, the surrounding area erupted in commotion.

Whether it was Emperor Qianxi's guards or the nobility from the grasslands who gathered from all directions, their eyes gleamed.

After all, this jade belt not only represented honor, but also meant that whoever seized it would catch the eye of Emperor Qianxi.

So, as soon as Emperor Qianxi gave the order, many people rushed into the hunting grounds.

Surrounded by numerous guards, Shen Ye urged his horse forward at a leisurely pace.

As Shen Ye's head guard, Erlengtai was itching to try his hand at it, but the Crown Prince walked slowly, so he had to patiently follow behind.

Although Emperor Qianxi's reward was very tempting, his primary task was to protect the safety of the crown prince.

"Your Highness, everyone is scrambling to grab the prey, why aren't you doing the same?" The one speaking to Shen Ye was Li Guangdi, the Governor-General of Zhili, who had come all the way from Zhili to wish Emperor Qianxi a happy birthday.

Although Li Guangdi had not yet entered the court as a Grand Secretary, he was destined to become the Governor-General of Zhili, making him a trusted confidant of the Qianxi Emperor.

After all, Zhili is right next to the capital, and this position is not secure unless you are a trusted confidant.

Shen Ye remembered that the former crown prince had studied with Li Guangdi before. When he heard Li Guangdi greet him, he politely replied, "Mr. Li, my hunting skills are just average."

"Since I can't win anyway, I might as well take a walk here and clear my head."

The address of "sir" made Li Guangdi feel a little giddy, and his vanity was greatly satisfied.

However, being cautious by nature, he still clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness is too kind to this old minister! You can just call me Guangdi; I really don't deserve the title of 'sir'."

"Once a teacher, always a teacher; you should still call him that!"

Everyone carries a bridal sedan chair; Shen Ye knew this principle in his previous life.

Although he hasn't made much progress in his career, he's still quite popular.

Even now that he's traveled through time, he hasn't changed this habit.

Li Guangdi's face lit up with a smile, but he still declined, saying, "Your Highness is too kind; this old minister is truly unworthy of such hospitality."

Shen Ye smiled and didn't press the matter further. Instead, he casually asked, "Mr. Li, what brings you here today to chat with me?"

Shen Ye asked this question very directly.

He knew that Li Guangdi was a cautious person, and that he must have something to say to him, otherwise he wouldn't have come over to talk to him.

After all, he was the crown prince, while Li Guangdi was a high-ranking official like the Governor-General of Zhili.

If the Crown Prince and the Governor-General of Zhili were to become too close, Emperor Qianxi would have no sleep!

The most likely outcome is that Li Guangdi will be dismissed from his post as Governor-General of Zhili.

Therefore, given Li Guangdi's temperament, he shouldn't normally be so close to him.

Li Guangdi naturally understood Shen Ye's meaning. He smiled and said, "Your Highness, I fully agree with your request for His Majesty to open a treaty port in Tianjin."

"But I don't yet have a plan on how to manage this commercial port."

"I took this opportunity to ask His Majesty for instructions during the birthday celebrations, and His Majesty instructed me to consult the Crown Prince."

"Tell them that this was suggested by the Crown Prince, and we ask you to make the decision."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ye thought to herself, "So that's how it is."

No wonder Li Guangdi dared to come looking for him.

Shen Ye was quite keen to win over Li Guangdi, a key minister of the Qianxi Emperor and a local strongman in Zhili.

Although he wouldn't necessarily side with me, it would make things easier for me in the future.

"Lord Li, the management of the commercial port is complicated, and I can't explain it clearly in a short time."

"However, Lord Li, you only need to remember one thing: fair trade and pay taxes according to the law!"

"Only in this way can this commercial port be successfully opened."

At this point, Shen Ye continued, "In addition to the opening of Tianjin as a treaty port, the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince are pushing for the construction of a fast passage to Tianjin."

"This project has consumed far too much money."

“I’m afraid that the two of them won’t be able to raise that much money in a short time, and they’re a bit short on cash.”

"If Mr. Li has any spare money, he might as well give them some support."

“After all, they also studied under Mr. Li.” Li Guangdi was a smart man, and he understood what the Crown Prince meant as soon as he spoke.

The Crown Prince is inviting him to make money together!
Li Guangdi would not refuse such an open and legitimate investment.

He set strict rules for himself and was always self-disciplined and not greedy, so although he was the Governor-General of Zhili, he did not amass a great fortune.

If we could invest in a fast track, then...

Li Guangdi's mind raced as he calculated, and he couldn't help but look at the Crown Prince with new respect.

The once arrogant crown prince has now become humble and knows how to win people over.

Furthermore, his analysis of many issues is incisive and to the point.

From this perspective, the Crown Prince has fully matured.

From any perspective, the current crown prince is clearly a mature and experienced successor.

If His Majesty ages faster, the chances of the Crown Prince ascending the throne...

"Thank you for your high regard, Your Highness. I will go back and check my family's resources to see how much I can raise, and I will definitely support the two princes."

At this point, Li Guangdi hesitated for a moment, as if he had suddenly remembered something, and added, "Your Highness, some time ago when I went to the Ministry of Justice, I met a gentleman named Ren Bo'an."

"This Lord Ren is quite capable."

Li Guangdi's words were a bit abrupt and sounded somewhat nonsensical!

However, upon hearing Li Guangdi's words, Shen Ye immediately understood the implied meaning behind Li Guangdi's words.

It seems that Li Guangdi, as the Governor-General of Zhili, who had spent a considerable amount of time in the Hanlin Academy and the Six Ministries and had many protégés, was still very well-informed.

He's reminding himself of this!

Ministry of Justice!

Ren Bo'an!
He's making me pay attention to this person.

Moreover, he specifically mentioned the Ministry of Justice. Does this mean he knows that Ren Bo'an and the Eighth Prince have an extraordinary relationship?

However, Li Guangdi probably didn't know that in a parallel universe, Shen Ye knew quite a bit about this Lord Ren.

In particular, his biographical accounts of officials, which were coveted by countless people.

"Thank you for your guidance, Lord Li," Shen Ye said solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Li Guangdi waved his hand and smiled: "Your Highness, I just think this person is a promising talent. If Your Highness can make use of him, you might as well keep an eye on him."

After chatting for a few more minutes about the commercial port, Li Guangdi took his leave.

No sooner had Li Guangdi left than a cheer erupted in the distance.

The sound was very loud, and following the cheers came shouts of "Long live!"

"Your Highness, judging from this noise, His Majesty must have caught a large game."

Erlengtai had accompanied Emperor Qianxi on hunts before, so he was no stranger to this kind of situation. He quickly came to Shen Ye and said.

While pondering Ren Bo'an, Shen Ye smiled and said, "Then let's hurry over and take a look."

After walking for about fifteen minutes, Shen Ye arrived at the rear of Emperor Qianxi's large entourage.

Before he could even meet up with Emperor Qianxi, the thirteenth prince hurriedly came to greet him.

"Your Highness, where did you go just now?"

Shen Ye looked at the anxious Thirteenth Prince and smiled, saying, "I was a little tired just now, so I rested for a while in the back."

"what happened?"

"Just now, a mad tiger pounced on Father Emperor, but the myna bird spotted it in time and killed it with a spear!"

The thirteenth prince said in a solemn voice, "His Majesty also bestowed the title of 'Baturu' upon the myna bird and praised it for its unparalleled loyalty and bravery!"

"By the way, Father Emperor also wants to promote Eighth Brother to the rank of Prince!"

The Eighth Prince killed a tiger that pounced on Emperor Qianxi during a hunt.
This kind of hunt to rescue the emperor was truly unexpected.

The title of "Baturu" and the praise of unparalleled loyalty and bravery are perfectly normal, but directly promoting the Eighth Prince to the rank of Prince of the County...

Shen Ye felt that Emperor Qianxi's move was more like a deliberate attempt to suppress the eldest prince while simultaneously trying to elevate the more intelligent eighth prince, who was also raised by Consort Hui, to the throne.

After all, a loyal, brave, and promising young prince carries more weight than a duke.

The thirteenth prince came running over in a hurry to say this, naturally out of good intentions: he was worried about him.

He patted the thirteenth prince on the shoulder and calmly said, "The eighth prince has rendered meritorious service in saving the emperor from danger and deserves a reward!"

"This matter is worthwhile, not to mention a prince, even a prince would be worth it."

"Let's go, let's go pay our respects to the Emperor first."

Seeing the Crown Prince so composed, the Thirteenth Prince was secretly anxious. The Crown Prince was too careless with the Eighth Prince, showing no vigilance whatsoever.

Myth Prince skipped over the Fourth Prince, Fifth Prince, and Seventh Prince and became a Prince of the County directly. I wonder how many people will be optimistic about him.

But once the myna's power expands, then...

However, under the watchful eyes of everyone, the thirteenth prince knew that this was not the time to persuade Shen Ye, so he had no choice but to follow suit.

In just a few minutes, Shen Ye arrived in front of Emperor Qianxi.

He saw Emperor Qianxi patting the Eighth Prince on the shoulder, saying something.

Upon looking up and seeing Shen Ye approaching, Emperor Qianxi waved to him and said, "Crown Prince, if it weren't for the Eighth Prince, I'm afraid I would have been injured by that wicked creature's claws!"

"Tell me, how should we reward the Eighth Prince?"

　The second update for today is here! Please support, recommend, and vote!
　　

(End of this chapter)