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

Chapter 304 Instant Fame, Right Now
The death of Feng Xiucai escalated and became increasingly serious.

Not only were censors impeaching Yuqing Bank every day, but even the people in the Hanlin Academy were being targeted.

Dozens of young scholars, driven by their passion, jointly wrote a memorial to the throne.

The message is simple: shut down the harmful Yuqing Bank and bring justice to the deceased.

Although the censors who wrote the memorial did not go to the palace to force the emperor to resign, the sheer scale of their joint memorial still made Emperor Qianxi turn pale.

As a result, the head of the Hanlin Academy was summoned to the Qianqing Palace by Emperor Qianxi and severely reprimanded.

Even so, the memorials impeaching Yuqing Bank continued to pour in, one after another, seemingly unstoppable.

Emperor Qianxi did not send these memorials to Shen Ye, so Shen Ye was happy to pretend he didn't know and simply ignored them.

"Your Highness, Argishan requests an audience." Just as Shen Ye was sitting in Yuqing Palace, playing mahjong with Shi Jingrong and the other two, Zhou Bao came over to report.

Shen Ye was holding onto a card, afraid that if he played it, someone else would win.

Upon hearing Zhou Bao's report, he paused for a moment, then replied indifferently, "I won't see you."

“Your Highness, Argishan said he has come to bid you farewell, since he will not be able to return for at least ten years once he leaves for Shengjing.” Zhou Bao hesitated for a moment, then added in a low voice.

Shen Ye held the cards in his hand, thought for a moment, and then said, "Let him go to the waiting room."

As he spoke, Shen Ye played the card in his hand: "Two of Bamboo!"

"Bullshit!"

"I won too!"

"That's the card I've been waiting for!"

Shi Jingrong, Cao Min, and Nian Xinyue almost simultaneously pushed over the cards in front of them.

Seeing that all three had won, Shen Ye shook his head and said, "I knew this card was unreliable and shouldn't be played. Well, that's great!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Xiao Rou, who was standing next to Shi Jingrong, and said, "Xiao Rou, you play a few rounds for me. I'll be back after I see Algishan."

"Your Highness, please go ahead with your work. I'll just get up and stretch my legs a bit," Shi Jingrong said with a light laugh. "Sitting like this all the time isn't comfortable."

Shen Ye didn't stop him, and said with a smile, "That's fine, be careful when you walk."

After giving a few instructions, Shen Ye stepped into the reception room of Yuqing Palace.

The living room is very spacious, and the furnishings are magnificent.

Putting aside everything else, the enormous gilded clock in the reception room alone is worth a fortune.

However, Algishan felt uneasy sitting in the living room.

In the past, the Crown Prince would receive him in the study, a place that seemed intimate.

But now, the Crown Prince received him directly in the reception room.

Although the reception room sounds more formal, there is also a sense of distance in this "formality".

He is no longer the newly rich man who had powerful backing and was the envy of everyone.

Now, in everyone's eyes, he is just an unfilial son.

"Your subject, Argishan, pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince." Upon hearing footsteps and seeing Shen Ye dressed in plain clothes, Argishan quickly knelt down to pay his respects.

Shen Ye waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities, please get up."

As they were talking, Shen Ye sat down in the main seat.

He didn't help Algishan up, not because he had a problem with Algishan, but because he had to do so.

After all, Argishan was deemed "unfilial" by Emperor Qianxi himself. If I were too polite to him, it would not be a good thing for Argishan.

Argishan understood the Crown Prince's actions.

With the downfall of Songgotu, Algishan saw many things more clearly.

He felt only respect for Shen Ye, the crown prince.

Shen Ye saw that Algishan's visit was just a formality, saying things like telling him to rest assured and observe mourning after returning to Shengjing.

Shen Ye didn't want to say anything more.

In truth, he would rather not see Algishan than see him.

However, Algishan had been away in Shengjing for ten years, and it wasn't just Algishan who went; his absence now would seem somewhat harsh and ungrateful.

Regardless, he was the former crown prince's uncle.

Algishan accepted Shen Ye's instructions with a sincere expression.

After exchanging pleasantries, Algishan kowtowed to Shen Ye to take his leave. As Shen Ye stepped up from his chair to help him, he whispered, "He wants to see you."

The voice was very low, and only Shen Ye and Algishan could hear it.

To the outsiders who were serving, it was just a routine act of helping someone up, and no one said anything.

Shen Ye, of course, understood who this "he" referred to.

Does Songgotu want to see me?
Shen Ye was startled, but replied very decisively: "I won't see you!"

Argishan hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "He said he has a lot to say to the Crown Prince. He said if you don't want to live such a stifled life anymore, you should see him."

Shen Ye didn't respond, and Algishan didn't press the matter further.

In his view, it was enough that he had conveyed what Songgotu wanted to say.

After seeing Algishan off, Shen Ye didn't dwell on it much. Instead, he went straight back to his study, picked up a book, and started flipping through it casually.

On the surface, he was reading a book, but in his heart he couldn't help but recall Algiersen's words.

Does Songgotu have a lot to say to me? If I can't live a miserable life, I should meet with him. Songgotu probably wants to negotiate with me and make a deal.

Shen Ye's first reaction to Suo'etu's idea was to reject it.

Even when Songgotu was alive, he was no match for Emperor Qianxi.

Now that he's disgraced and all that's left is his body, what help can he possibly offer himself?
It's nothing more than encouraging oneself to rebel. But while it sounds exciting to talk about rebellion, the chances of success are just too low.

At least for now, there is absolutely no chance of success.

It's best not to see Suo'etu.

However, the Eighth Prince is behind all these events.

That Ren Bo'an is becoming more and more annoying!

Thinking of this, Shen Ye unconsciously clenched his fists.

He originally wanted to lie down, but there were always people jumping around and making a fuss around him, which made him very annoyed!

I used to ignore it, but now it seems I can't just ignore it anymore.

For many, attending court on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is a form of torture.

After all, Emperor Qianxi mostly handled affairs by listening to government affairs at the Qianqing Gate, and the regular court sessions held every five days were more like a formality or a show.

Officials of the fourth rank and above who were eligible to attend regular court sessions had to get up early and rush to the Hall of Supreme Harmony on an empty stomach.

Although some people had suggested to Emperor Qianxi that this rule should be changed, Emperor Qianxi insisted on preserving this regular court session.

According to Emperor Qianxi, the rules set by the ancestors cannot be changed.

Shen Ye secretly guessed that this old man probably enjoyed the feeling of being shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

As the crown prince, Shen Ye naturally had to attend court sessions.

Although he didn't have to get up early like the court officials, he still couldn't get up too late, since he had to get to the Hall of Supreme Harmony before the regular court session began.

As the person second only to Emperor Qianxi in the empire, when Shen Ye arrived outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the hall was already filled with waiting ministers.

As Shen Ye appeared, many people began to bow to him.

Regardless of what these people are thinking, given the Crown Prince's status, the proper etiquette cannot be neglected.

"Your Highness!" Yu Chenglong, the governor of the expressway, whose face looked haggard, greeted Shen Ye.

Shen Ye was startled by Yu Chenglong's appearance.

He said in a deep voice, "Lord Yu, what have you been doing? You don't look well."

"It's nothing, just that the expressway to Tianjin has started construction, and I went to the construction site to check it out. I was in a bit of a rush, so I didn't look too good," Yu Chenglong explained with a smile.

Shen Ye carefully examined Yu Chenglong for a few moments, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his composed expression.

However, he still said in a deep voice, "Lord Yu, there are some things I need to criticize you for."

"It's good to do things personally, but it's not good to do everything yourself."

"Now that you are the governor of the fast track, you need to learn to focus on the big picture and let go of the small details. As long as you grasp the overall direction, you won't have to worry about problems arising below."

At this point, he nodded towards the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince and said, "Since those two want to make money, give them more work."

"If they don't listen, let me handle them."

Although it was criticism, Yu Chenglong was deeply moved.

He knew that the Crown Prince was concerned about his health.

He hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Highness, I will remember your concern."

"Your Majesty, I have something to report, and I hope you will consider it."

"The matter concerning Yuqing Bank has caused far too much of a stir this time. I urge Your Highness to refrain from speaking during the morning court session today."

"I believe Your Majesty will handle this."

Shen Ye understood perfectly what "not speaking" meant: it meant he shouldn't plead for Yuqing Bank.

Those who impeach others on the spot in the imperial court usually also leave themselves a way out.

They would target Yuqing Bank, but few would target the Crown Prince.

As long as the Crown Prince's name isn't mentioned, Shen Ye can ignore it.

This way, one can avoid being implicated, which can be considered a wise way to protect oneself.

Shen Ye looked at Yu Chenglong, who had a serious expression, and said with a smile, "I know what I'm doing, so please don't worry, Lord Yu."

"They can't cause any trouble."

Seeing that Shen Ye didn't seem to care much, Yu Chenglong's expression immediately turned serious.

"Your Highness, as far as I know, the death of Scholar Feng has aroused public outrage. Now, not only the Censorate, but also the Hanlin Academy have taken action."

"I heard that quite a few people from the Sixth Department are involved in this."

"If there are too many people impeaching, then it will be troublesome."

"Even if Yuqing Bank is gone, the Crown Prince can rebuild it in the future, but..."

Yu Chenglong didn't continue, but the meaning behind his words was very clear: no matter how important Yuqing Bank was, it couldn't compare to Your Highness.

Shen Ye patted Yu Chenglong on the shoulder and said, "I know what I'm doing."

Just then, the sound of the whip cracking for the court session rang out.

As the gates of the Hall of Supreme Harmony slowly opened, the Grand Secretaries and officials of the Six Ministries, who were standing at the forefront, walked into the Hall of Supreme Harmony in neat rows.

Meanwhile, the officials from the Six Ministries and the censors from the Censorate who were not allowed to enter quickly took their places.

However, as some people stood in their positions, they all silently touched their cuffs.

Hidden inside are memorials to the emperor!

Become famous today!

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(End of this chapter)