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

Chapter 313 The decision of survival rests entirely with the Crown Prince.
Shen Ye didn't finish reading the book!
But he was already well aware of the significance of this book.

With this book in hand, all the officials whose names are written in it are basically under one's control.

This is practically a precisely targeted "Investiture of the Gods" list!
And he himself was the Heavenly Emperor who held the power to bestow titles upon the gods!
However, are all these people truly loyal to the Crown Prince?
Or are some of these people ordered to infiltrate?
Although they wrote letters of allegiance, they may have already been Emperor Qianxi's most loyal subordinates before writing such letters.

The reason he wrote the letter to pledge his loyalty was simply because he was acting on the orders of the Qianxi Emperor.

As a series of thoughts flashed through his mind, Shen Ye's gaze fell on Suo'etu's face.

"What do you mean by giving this to me?" Shen Ye asked calmly.

Soetu remained equally calm and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, what use are these things to a dead man like me?"

"Only when you have it in your hands can it play its proper role."

"Your Highness, these are all your wings."

"How can a hero be without wings?"

At this point, his voice lowered even further: "The eldest prince has wings, and the third and fourth princes also have wings."

"Even the Eighth Prince, who has only recently risen to prominence, has gathered quite a few people around him."

"To be honest, I really underestimated the Eighth Prince. I didn't expect that he would have so many people supporting him at such a young age."

"If I had known this would happen, I should have..."

Soetu did not say what came next.

But the meaning is already quite clear.

"Does Prime Minister Suo think that just because you give me this, I'll definitely use it?" Shen Ye said calmly, "These people aren't necessarily safe and reliable!"

Suo'etu understood Shen Ye's concerns and calmly replied, "This old man is about to retire in Shengjing."

"Ten years have passed, and this old minister may not be able to return alive."

"Therefore, this thing originally belonged to the Crown Prince, and it should be returned to its rightful owner."

"Whether the Crown Prince uses it or not is none of my business."

"Now that it has been returned to the Crown Prince, whether to keep it or not is entirely up to him."

At this point, Suo'etu raised his head, looked at the Crown Prince calmly, and appeared to have a clear conscience.

Shen Ye met Suo'etu's gaze, his mind racing.

This book was a hot potato for him.

If we keep it, and Emperor Qianxi finds out, the suspicion between father and son will surely deepen.

Yet the loyalty of these officials is an incredibly powerful force.

If used properly, it can be enough to turn the tide and reverse the situation at critical moments.

No wonder Emperor Qianxi was so wary of the Crown Prince in the parallel universe; it turns out that the Crown Prince held such a world-shaking power.

Amidst his swirling thoughts, Shen Ye glanced at Suo'etu and said, "Prime Minister Suo, take care!"

As he spoke, Shen Ye walked towards the entrance of the ancestral hall.

Suo'etu did not see Shen Ye off, but simply stayed silently in the ancestral hall.

After Shen Ye left the ancestral hall, he picked up three incense sticks, lit them on the candle, and then gently placed them in the incense burner.

A gentle breeze blows, and incense smoke curls around.

In the smoke, Soetu's face appeared even more unpredictable.

Half an hour later, Argishan hurried back, looked at Songgotu who was gently sweeping the floor, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "What did you and the Crown Prince talk about?"

"We just chatted about everyday things, you don't need to ask any more questions."

Soetu glanced at his son, then said indifferently, "Algishan, pack your things and get ready to leave."

"His Majesty has already given us two chances. If we don't leave this time, we won't be able to leave at all."

Algishan knew that his father must have said something important to the crown prince, but seeing that his father wouldn't say anything, he could only keep his questions to himself.

Half an hour later, carriages began to depart from the Hesheli residence...

Upon receiving the copy of the Analects from Suo'etu, Shen Ye's first thought was to hurry back to the palace.

After all, the Analects is practically a record of the conduct of officials. Once it falls into the hands of Emperor Qianxi, he won't need to do anything else but arrest people based on the Analects.

Therefore, he had to keep this copy of the Analects well hidden.

However, Shen Ye had already made arrangements for Nian Dongliang's request to see the emperor, and given Shen Ye's understanding of Emperor Qianxi, he might already know about it.

If I went to Suo'etu's house and then rushed back to the palace, forgetting even the agreed-upon arrangements, I wonder what Emperor Qianxi would think.

So after hesitating for a moment, Shen Ye decided to go see Nian Dongliang.

Nian Dongliang had been waiting on the road from Suo'etu's house to the palace. Upon seeing Shen Ye, he respectfully bowed and said, "This servant Nian Dongliang greets Your Highness."

Shen Ye patted Nian Dongliang on the shoulder and said, "Old man, no need for such formalities."

With something on his mind, Nian Dongliang glanced around before saying, "Your Highness, this is not the place to talk."

"This servant has already reserved the Qin Yun Lou in front. Why don't we have some tea while we report to the Crown Prince?"

Although Shen Ye wished he could go straight back to the palace, now that he had met Nian Dongliang, he said with a normal expression, "Then let's go to Qinyun Tower to sit and rest for a while."

Qin Yun Lou was very close to where Nian Dongliang and Shen Ye were waiting. The well-mannered Nian Dongliang had already replaced the people in the building with his own subordinates. As soon as Shen Ye went upstairs, the tea was already prepared.

“Old man, although I did not observe the administration in Daxing County for long, I am still aware of your situation.”

"Your abilities and achievements in your old age are both remarkable."

"Even if you don't get the 'Outstanding' rating, you should at least be 'Acceptable'," Shen Ye said casually while sipping his tea. "Who told you you're going to be demoted this time?"

"Are you just scaring yourself?"

As Nian Dongliang handed Shen Ye tea, he said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, that was what I thought at first too."

"However, I heard from a classmate in the Censorate that someone in the Censorate named me."

"They said they would banish me from the capital no matter what."

"I'd better strip me of my official title as well."

Nian Dongliang paused for a moment, then said, "Yesterday, people from the Censorate and the Ministry of Personnel came to Shuntian Prefecture. A colleague told me that they asked me the most questions."

"They nitpick even about the smallest things and won't let it go."

“Your Highness, you know me well. I’m still clear-headed about important matters even in my old age, but I can’t help but overlook some small details.”

"Normally no one cares, but if someone makes a fuss about it, then it'll be troublesome."

Seeing Nian Dongliang's worried expression, Shen Ye smiled and said, "This is also a reminder and a lesson for you."

"Your responsibilities will become increasingly heavy in the future, so you need to pay attention to even the smallest details."

At this point, he turned to Nian Dongliang and said, "Don't worry, I'll ask around for you."

Upon hearing Shen Ye's words, Nian Dongliang immediately felt a sense of relief.

Before coming, Nian Dongliang had guessed that the Crown Prince would help him, but he was still uneasy. Now that he heard the Crown Prince agree with his own ears, a huge weight was finally lifted from his heart.

He solemnly said, "Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered by this humble subject, and I will never bring shame upon Your Majesty."

Shen Ye smiled and asked casually, "What's being said outside about Ren Bo'an's matter?"

"Your Highness, there are all sorts of rumors. Many people who are familiar with Ren Bo'an are terrified, fearing that they might be included in his 'Records of Officials'."

"However, Ren Bo'an has now become a rat crossing the street."

"I heard that no one in the Ministry of Justice dares to speak to him."

"I believe that Ren Bo'an is completely finished."

At this point, Nian Dongliang sighed, "I don't know who he offended to be treated like this."

Shen Ye said calmly, "Those who do evil will not live. Have someone keep an eye on Ren Bo'an."

After chatting with Nian Dongliang for a while, Shen Ye did not leave immediately. Instead, he had a meal at Qinyunlou before returning to Yuqing Palace.

While Shen Ye and Nian Dongliang were chatting, Emperor Qianxi had already received a memorial in his hand.

The memorial detailed Shen Ye's visit to Suo'etu's residence.

The person who recorded this process was also of high status, so some things were recorded in great detail.

However, because the Hesheli family ancestral hall is a special place, there are no records on it.

Seeing that the Crown Prince had stayed in the Hesheli family's ancestral hall for half an hour, Emperor Qianxi turned to Zhao Chang, who was standing below him, and asked, "Do you think the Crown Prince went to the ancestral hall just to burn incense, or did he meet someone?"

Emperor Qianxi did not specify who he was meeting.

However, Zhao Chang understood perfectly well. He said in a deep voice, "According to the information I have received, only Algishan was with the Crown Prince at the time."

Emperor Qianxi pondered for a moment, but did not speak immediately.

As someone who had served Emperor Qianxi for many years, Zhao Chang knew the emperor's temperament, so he stood obediently to one side, just like a statue.

"Ren Bo'an will be exiled to Yunnan and Guizhou in a couple of days. Send someone to follow Ren Bo'an and check if he has the 'Records of Officials' in his possession."

"Once we get accurate information, let's get rid of Ren Bo'an."

"Be quick!"

Zhao Chang was not surprised that Emperor Qianxi wanted to get rid of Ren Bo'an. He said in a deep voice, "This servant will send capable people to keep a close eye on Ren Bo'an."

Emperor Qianxi nodded, then opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he waved his hand, signaling Zhao Chang to leave.

Zhao Chang breathed a sigh of relief after receiving a signal from Emperor Qianxi.

Although he was a close confidant of Emperor Qianxi, he knew that serving the emperor was like walking on thin ice, especially since Emperor Qianxi had just revealed two confidential matters in one breath.

While this demonstrated Emperor Qianxi's great trust in him, it also instilled in him a deep sense of fear.

He felt like he knew too much.

He also had a feeling that Emperor Qianxi didn't seem to trust him too much.

The final feeling filled him with an inescapable fear.

The Qianxi Emperor could make Ren Bo'an disappear without a trace, and he could do the same.

He had to hurry up and investigate whether the Crown Prince had seen anyone else when he went to the ancestral hall of the Suo'etu family.

　The second update for today is here! Please support me, everyone!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)