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

Chapter 310 From a confidant to a hidden danger
The rumors surrounding "The Deeds of Officials" have intensified and recently become quite rampant!

The Eighth Prince, who was always well-informed, naturally heard about this matter as well.

Upon hearing this news, he immediately summoned Ren Bo'an to his duty room in the Ministry of Justice.

In fact, Ren Bo'an knew the news even earlier than him!
When Ren Bo'an arrived at the Eighth Prince's office, he was pale and weak, looking as if his time was about to come.

Seeing Ren Bo'an's appearance, the Eighth Prince's heart skipped a beat, and his expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

He had a strong feeling that Ren Bo'an was afraid!

At this moment, Ren Bo'an was trapped in deep fear, unable to extricate himself.

"Brother Bo'an, I hope to hear the truth from you. Is the matter of the 'Records of Officials' really true?" The Eighth Prince asked in a deep voice the moment he saw Ren Bo'an.

Ren Bo'an's expression changed, but he finally confessed honestly: "If anyone else asks, I will definitely say that there is no such thing at all."

“But since you asked, Eighth Prince, I can only tell you the truth.”

"I do enjoy taking notes!"

When Ren Bo'an talked about the notes, the Eighth Prince almost laughed.

Who keeps notes if they're a decent person?
And it was a notebook that recorded other people's privacy!
The thought of Ren Bo'an's power and influence, and how he could command so many people to do things according to his wishes, filled the Eighth Prince with renewed fervor.

If I were to obtain this "Records of the Conduct of Officials," wouldn't that mean I would be able to control the entire court of civil and military officials?
As long as one has control over the "Records of Officials' Conduct," then...

As thoughts raced through his mind, the Eighth Prince's gaze toward Ren Bo'an grew more intense.

But he quickly calmed down and said in a serious tone, "Brother Bo'an, I'm worried that this matter will eventually reach His Majesty's ears!"

Ren Bo'an gave a wry smile and said, "Eighth Prince, it's perfectly normal for this to reach His Majesty's ears."

"His Majesty has many eyes and ears in the capital."

"No matter how small the movement, it will not escape his eyes."

The Eighth Prince was aware of this situation. Hearing Ren Bo'an's words, he felt even more strongly that Ren Bo'an's future was bleak.

He glanced at Ren Bo'an twice before solemnly asking, "Now that things have come to this, what do you think is the best way to protect me, Brother Bo'an?"

"As long as it is within Yun Si's power, Yun Si will do it without hesitation."

Seeing the Eighth Prince's sincere expression, Ren Bo'an hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Highness, at this time, it's best if you do nothing."

"We firmly maintain that the 'Records of Officials' is just a rumor!"

"I believe His Majesty will not take my life because of a mere rumor!"

"After all, if we do that, won't rumors spread like wildfire in the court?"

"So His Majesty shouldn't take action against me because of this."

"However, I think I can no longer stay in the imperial court."

"His Majesty will most likely find a place and throw me far away, out of sight, out of mind!"

Upon hearing Ren Bo'an's assessment, a hint of relief flashed in the Eighth Prince's eyes.

His close relationship with Ren Bo'an could not be hidden from those who were interested.

If Emperor Qianxi uses the "Records of Officials' Conduct" to deal with Ren Bo'an and drags him into it as well, then he'll be in big trouble!

However, if Emperor Qianxi did not use this pretext to deal with Ren Bo'an, then it would be none of his business.

Thinking of this, he said in a deep voice, "Brother Bo'an is so talented, it would be such a pity if he went to a remote place."

"However, as the saying goes, a dragon hidden in the abyss will eventually rise to the heavens."

"With Brother Bo'an's great talent, his future is definitely bright!"

Ren Bo'an looked at the serious-looking Eighth Prince and knew that this was the Eighth Prince's promise to him.

As long as he becomes emperor, I can still live a good life.

He immediately replied, "Then I thank the Eighth Prince for his kind words."

The Eighth Prince said, "Brother Ren, you should have kept the 'Records of Officials' very confidential, so why has it been leaked now?"

"Who do you think did this?"

Ren Bo'an's face immediately darkened, but beneath the chilling expression, there was also a hint of fear.

As the Eighth Prince said, the matter of the "Records of Officials' Conduct" is something that cannot be brought to light.

Even the officials he threatened only knew that he had dirt on them.

I was unaware of the existence of this "Records of Officials' Conduct".

But now, why has it been leaked?
Is there a mole in my study, or...?

Ren Bo'an had thoroughly investigated the reason why the "Records of Officials' Conduct" was leaked, and even the only page who knew about it was severely tortured by him.

But to his dismay, he ultimately gained nothing.

Even now, he still doesn't know who leaked it, let alone who is behind his scheme.

But the more this happened, the more terrified he became!
"I don't know!" After a moment's hesitation, Ren Bo'an said with mixed feelings, "I don't know who did it."

“But I think this matter is definitely related to my close relationship with His Highness.”

"So Your Highness, you must be careful of the people around you. If I'm not mistaken, there are definitely..."

The Eighth Prince felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing Ren Bo'an's words.

As the saying goes, don’t do bad things and don’t be afraid of ghosts knocking on your door.

The Eighth Prince had done many wrong things, so he was naturally feeling guilty. After taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Lord Ren, rest assured, whoever tries to sabotage us, I will find them."

"I refuse to believe he can hide forever!"

At this point, the Eighth Prince changed the subject, saying, "With the rumors circulating about the 'Records of Officials', it's no longer safe for it to remain in Brother Ren's hands."

"After all, His Majesty might order a raid at any time."

"If it is confiscated, it will be a great danger to Brother Bo'an."

"So, Brother Bo'an, it would be better to find a safer place and prevent any further complications."

The Eighth Prince's seemingly concerned words brought a hint of sarcasm to Ren Bo'an's face.

He knew perfectly well what the Eighth Prince meant.

In the past, he might have considered the Eighth Prince's suggestion.

But now, he would absolutely never do that!
The saying goes, "Once the rabbit is caught, the hound is cooked," and now he has been completely thrust from being someone hidden behind the scenes into the spotlight.

One wrong move and you could die without knowing why.

This "Records of the Conduct of Officials" has now become a shield for him.

Anyone who wants to obtain this "Records of the Conduct of Officials" must not be killed.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I have placed the 'Records of Officials' in a safe place."

“As long as I live, this ‘Records of the Conduct of Officials’ will be safe forever.”

"Of course, if I were to die under mysterious circumstances, one of my loyal servants would publish this 'Records of the Conduct of Officials' throughout the land."

"At that time, I wonder how many people will be buried with me."

Upon hearing Ren Bo'an's words, a shadow crossed the Eighth Prince's eyes, but he also knew that now was not the time to force Ren Bo'an.

So he smiled and said, "Since Brother Bo'an has already made preparations in this regard, then I can rest assured."

"Please rest assured, Brother Bo'an, I will definitely try my best to arrange a good place for you."

"If we don't let Brother Bo'an suffer, he can enjoy a better life."

Although Ren Bo'an was still uneasy about the Eighth Prince, he knew that he had no other choice at this moment.

Therefore, he could only say to the Eighth Prince, "In that case, thank you very much, Eighth Prince."

Inside Yuqing Palace, Shen Ye kept a close eye on Ren Bo'an's actions.

This time, he asked Nian Gengyao to find a way to distribute Ren Bo'an's "Records of Officials' Conduct," but he was still a little hesitant, afraid that Nian Gengyao would not do a good job.

However, as it turns out, Nian Gengyao handled this matter very meticulously.

At least by now, the matter has been widely discussed, but Nian Gengyao's faction has still not been able to find any evidence against him.

Shen Ye felt a little uneasy about asking Nian Gengyao to do this.

After all, Nian Gengyao was not the same General Nian twenty years later, and he might not be able to do such a thing flawlessly.

But Shen Ye had no choice, because he didn't have any capable people at his disposal.

The former crown prince's subordinates were basically all contacted through Songgotu.

Now that Suo'etu's fate is unknown, although some people have begun to approach him, Shen Ye is afraid that some of these people may have ulterior motives.

If that's the case, then it would be a case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead.

As for Yu Chenglong, although he was on his side, Yu Chenglong only agreed with him; he wasn't one of his men.

There are very few people who can be considered part of Shen Ye's team. For example, the Cao family is a good choice, but the Cao family is too conspicuous.

When it's time to get things done, you realize you don't have enough manpower.

However, if one were to cultivate one's own power base and have too many people, it would arouse the suspicion of Emperor Qianxi and lead to his crackdown.

This situation is very distressing.

"Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence." Just as Shen Ye was flipping through a book, lost in thought, Liang Jiugong approached.

Seeing the respectful Liang Jiugong, Shen Ye asked Zhou Bao to serve tea while saying, "Eunuch Liang, what business does Father have with us?"

“Your Highness, this servant does not know,” Liang Jiugong said respectfully. “However, His Majesty seemed very displeased after reading only one memorial.”

"Furthermore, His Majesty also summoned the First Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince."

Hearing this, Shen Ye felt much calmer. As long as this old man wasn't looking for him alone, everything would be fine.

He smiled and said, "Thank you, Eunuch Liang. I will go see my father now."

When Shen Ye and Liang Jiugong arrived at Qianqing Palace, they saw the Crown Prince and others already waiting outside the palace gate. Just then, Wei Zhu walked out with a smile and said, "Your Highness, Your Highnesses, His Majesty invites you to come in."

Led by Wei Zhu, Shen Ye and the others soon arrived at Emperor Qianxi's study.

Emperor Qianxi was reading memorials when Shen Ye and the others entered. He gently placed the memorials down and said indifferently, "Have you heard about the 'Records of Officials'?"

Shen Ye did not expect that Emperor Qianxi would suddenly ask such a question.

He knew that Emperor Qianxi must have had a deeper meaning in asking such a question.

He didn't speak immediately as his mind raced.

The same applies to the eldest prince and others.

Seeing that none of his sons spoke, Emperor Qianxi directly called out, "Crown Prince, have you heard of this?"

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(End of this chapter)