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

Chapter 301 The Crown Prince's Power is Great, and His Majesty Also Needs to Leverage His Strength
Ma Qi stood in the crowd, his mind racing.

When Emperor Qianxi brought up Algishan's drinking during the mourning period, he vaguely realized that this matter might be aimed at the Crown Prince!

Although there are rumors that the Crown Prince no longer trusts Songgotu in his later years.

It could even be said that a conflict has arisen between the two!
But rumors are just rumors. In most people's eyes, the Hesheli family remains the Crown Prince's most loyal and steadfast supporters.

After all, they were the Crown Prince's maternal clan.

Once the crown prince ascends the throne, their family's status will rise rapidly.

Take the Tong family for example. Didn't they prosper because of their good nephew, Emperor Qianxi?

Songgotu is now dead, but the Hesheli family will certainly still be loyal to the Crown Prince.

When Emperor Qianxi asked Tong Guowei, Ma Qi was already prepared.

Whenever Emperor Qianxi asked him, he would seize the opportunity to avenge the Crown Prince's arrow wound.

Unfortunately, Emperor Qianxi did not ask him, which greatly disappointed him.

In his disappointment, another thought suddenly popped into his mind:
Previously, Emperor Qianxi mostly made decisions unilaterally and his word was law!

A situation like today, where the opinions of several ministers were sought in succession, is almost unprecedented.

Back when Songgotu was still alive, the emperor didn't need to ask people so many questions repeatedly.

Now, Emperor Qianxi asked several ministers in succession before finally asking the Crown Prince. Was he trying to use these ministers to shut up the Crown Prince's words?
If that's the case, then it means His Majesty's fear of the Crown Prince is far more than just ordinary!
With a series of thoughts flashing through his mind, Ma Qi prepared to see how the Crown Prince would respond.

In fact, Shen Ye had already made up his mind before Emperor Qianxi asked him.

He stepped forward and said, “Father, if Argishan really did drink alcohol during the mourning period, I believe that such behavior is absolutely unforgivable.”

"As a filial son, I abhor his behavior."

"My father has always taught me that to cure an illness, one must prescribe the right medicine for the right ailment."

“Your subject believes that Argishan has contracted the disease of filial impiety.”

"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to order Algishan to return to the ancestral home of the Hesheli family in Shengjing and keep vigil for our ancestors for ten years."

"Without an imperial edict, no one may leave Shengjing."

"Ten years later, we'll see if he's truly repented before deciding whether to release him."

Sending someone to guard a tomb in Shengjing for ten years—this punishment doesn't sound too severe.

However, for someone like Algishan, who was waiting to inherit the title, staying in Shengjing for ten years would essentially ruin him.

Even if he manages to leave Shengjing ten years later, it will likely be difficult for him to be promoted again.

The Crown Prince's move effectively ruined Algishan's future!

Emperor Qianxi hesitated slightly upon hearing the Crown Prince's suggestion.

There's always been a thorn in my side regarding Algishan!

However, since Songgotu had just died, if we were to arrest Algishan now on charges of "filial impiety" and then subject him to severe torture, it would be disastrous.

Even if no one dares to question his decision on the spot, it will inevitably be talked about behind his back.

At his level, he values ​​his posthumous reputation very much.

The Crown Prince suggested that Arjishan go to Shengjing to guard the tomb of Suo'e, which was a good idea.

As long as the Shengjing General keeps a close watch on Algishan and his men, they won't be able to cause any trouble.

But what about Bai Lu...

A few thoughts flashed through his mind, and Emperor Qianxi waved his hand and said, "Song'etu's sons are all useless, they have failed the Emperor's grace, and they are not filial enough to their recently deceased father."

"To do such a shameful thing is a heinous crime."

"Do as the Crown Prince said, and send Algishan and his brothers to their hometown in Shengjing to guard the tomb for ten years!"

"The General of Shengjing is to discipline them strictly."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi waved his sleeve and said, "Court adjourned!"

Watching Emperor Qianxi's departing figure, Shen Ye fell into deep thought.

After Soetu's death, the Algishan brothers became very low-key and were virtually invisible to many.

Who exactly impeached Algishan this time?
Was it aimed at Algiersan, or at himself?
While Shen Ye was pondering this matter, the Fourth Prince quietly came to his side and whispered, "Second Brother, I heard that the one who impeached Algishan was a young censor from the Censorate."

"This man is not particularly noticeable in normal times, so how did he know that Argishan was drinking alcohol during the mourning period?"

Shen Ye glanced at the Fourth Prince and said calmly, "Naturally, someone told him."

The Fourth Prince did not ask any further questions, and Shen Ye did not say anything more.

However, on the way back to Yuqing Palace, Shen Ye's expression was somewhat gloomy.

Although Songgotu was nominally dead, he remained a potential threat even while alive.

Hopefully, Arjishan can take Songgotu with him to Shengjing to observe the ten-year mourning period. If that happens...

Back at Yuqing Palace, Shen Ye had just taken a couple of sips of tea when Zhou Bao rushed in.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened!" Although it was autumn, Zhou Bao's forehead was covered in sweat.

Seeing Zhou Bao like this, Shen Ye's heart skipped a beat.

Having followed Shen Ye for so long, Zhou Bao has become much more composed.

Ordinary things on a normal day would never make him lose his composure or panic like this.

The fact that he was so flustered must mean something serious had happened.

Shen Ye turned to Zhou Bao and said, "What happened? Tell me slowly!"

“Your Highness, a scholar from Daxing County deposited fifty taels of silver in our Yuqing Bank. Because he was number one in the queue, over a thousand, he was driven to suicide by his creditors.” Zhou Bao’s voice trembled as he continued, “Now, several of his classmates, along with their families and a group of depositors from our bank, have gone to the Confucius Temple.”

"Go to the Confucius Temple?" Shen Ye was taken aback when he heard this.

“Those people said that since there was no place in the court to reason with them, they would go to Confucius to judge the matter.”

Zhou Baodao said, "They did this because they wanted to make a big fuss."

"Your Highness, please think of a solution!"

Shen Ye was also stunned after hearing this.

A scholar was driven to suicide by debt collectors, and he still hadn't withdrawn the money he had deposited in Yuqing Bank.

This seemed reasonable, but after thinking about it for a moment, Shen Ye felt that something was not quite right.

Generally, debt collectors want money, not lives.

If the other party has assets, those who press for repayment will at most add more interest, but will not drive the person to their death.

Furthermore, as soon as this incident occurred, so many classmates helped to cause trouble, and even incited other depositors to go to the Confucius Temple to ask the sage to intervene.

This is not something that just anyone could organize.

Moreover, if those classmates were truly so loyal, why didn't they lend the scholar money to help him in his time of need before he died?
Why do they have to wait until he's dead to start making trouble?

To dare to defy the Crown Prince for the sake of a classmate—this goes beyond mere "righteousness"!

But why wouldn't such a righteous person lend him money?
Is loyalty and righteousness less valuable than fifty taels of silver?

Shen Ye was truly exhausted at this moment.

First there was the case of Algishan, and now another scholar has committed suicide by hanging.

These things seem unrelated, but upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes.

In a flash, Shen Ye thought of Ma Qi, and of Ren Bo'an, whom Li Guangdi had mentioned.

Could this series of controversies be related to him?
Shen Ye stood up and said to Zhou Bao, "Don't panic. Since it's already happened, let's just deal with it calmly!"

"Go find Nian Dongliang immediately and have him find out the real cause of that scholar's death."

"One more thing, have him investigate why that scholar is in debt."

"How could a scholar who had managed to deposit fifty taels of silver in Yuqing Bank suddenly accumulate so much debt?"

"In the end, death is the only option?"

Zhou Bao readily agreed to Shen Ye's instructions.

He then asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, should we speak to the Ministry of Rites? These scholars are causing such a disturbance; it's outrageous. Should we have them sent back?"

Using the Ministry of Rites to deal with those scholars is a good idea.

Shen Ye pondered for a moment and said, "It's too late to send the Ministry of Rites now."

"Tell Nian Jinfu to keep things stable at the bank and to stay in touch with the Wucheng Military Command if anything happens."

Just as Shen Ye was making arrangements for Zhou Bao, chaos erupted outside the Confucius Temple.

A scholar in his thirties was passionately shouting, "...Brother Li Chuan just wants to withdraw his savings, but he has to wait thirty days... Where is justice! Where is righteousness!..."

"...Your Majesty! We have come here because the owner of Yuqing Bank is so powerful and we have nowhere to turn for justice. Please, Your Majesty, grant us this favor..."

Just as he was loudly complaining to the statue of the saint, several women dressed in mourning clothes knelt on the ground and cried incessantly.

There were many people around who were dressed in long robes and looked like scholars, echoing the scholar who was pouring out his heart.

"Brother Li Chuan absolutely cannot die like this!"

"We must seek justice for Brother Li Chuan!"

"...Life is what I desire, and righteousness is also what I desire; if I cannot have both, I will give up life for righteousness..."

……

Looking at the chaotic yet indignant scene before him, Fuheng's expression turned somewhat grave.

Although he orchestrated all of this, and it seems to have worked very well.

But he knew that once he did it, there would be no turning back!
On the Crown Prince's side...

"Brother Fuheng is indeed exceptionally talented and truly brilliant! With today's commotion, we censors will finally have a chance to put our skills to use."

A man more than ten years older than Fu Heng looked at the chaotic scene in front of him and said with a hint of excitement on his face.

That's right, it's excitement!

Fu Heng glanced at the man and said softly, "Brother Zhao, this is all I can do."

"As for what happens next, that depends on your methods, Brother Zhao."

Brother Zhao smiled and said, "Brother Fuheng, don't worry, I'll go and write the memorial right away."

"Yuqing Bank is a big company that bullies its customers. I refuse to believe that no one can deal with them!"

Seeing his confident demeanor, Fuheng hesitated for a moment. He then reminded him, "Brother Zhao, you must remember one thing: you can make a report."

"However, please make sure to separate Yuqing Bank from the Crown Prince."

"Whatever you do, do not directly impeach the Crown Prince!"

Brother Zhao waved his hand and said, "Brother Fuheng, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

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

(End of this chapter)