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

Chapter 324 The Sudden Confrontation

Tong Guowei sat in the duty room, listening silently as the official who came to deliver the message finished speaking.

His face was taut and ashen.

Although he didn't say anything, everyone could tell that the Prime Minister was extremely angry.

"Grand Secretary, I think that the Crown Prince summoning you at this time is not a good thing. As the saying goes, a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall, so you should not go."

Hearing this suggestion, Tong Guowei cursed inwardly.

He thought to himself, "What am I going to do? Go and embarrass myself?"
The Crown Prince is clearly targeting me. Wouldn't it be asking for trouble if I went over there?

However, on the surface, he still said calmly, "How can I not go when the Crown Prince summons me!"

"Lord Cheng, I will remember your kindness."

Tong Guowei didn't say how he would repay him in the future. As the chief Grand Secretary, since he said he would "keep it in mind," he would definitely benefit from it in the future.

Lord Cheng was a sensible man; he had come to deliver a message, and now that the message had been conveyed to Tong Guowei, his mission was complete.

Staying any longer would only be pointless and embarrassing.

So he said respectfully, "You are too kind, Your Excellency. This is what I should do."

"Please continue with your work; I will take my leave."

As soon as the messenger left, Tong Guowei's son, Ye Keshu, who was serving nearby, became anxious: "Father, the Crown Prince is not going to give our family any face at all by doing this!"

"This is too much!"

"Son, take some men over there right away and rescue Tong San!"

Upon hearing his son's words, Tong Guowei's face immediately turned cold.

He glanced at her with a hint of sarcasm and said, "You? Do you think you can rescue Tong San just by going over there?"

"Does our family lack a few taels of silver? Who told Tong San to go and join in this fun?"

Hearing his father ask that question, Ye Keshu felt a little embarrassed.

But he still braced himself and said, "Father, Lord Ma Qi sent word that the Crown Prince doesn't have much silver."

"His decision to have Yuqing Bank pay salaries this time was actually a delaying tactic."

"So everyone should get it out as soon as possible."

"My son thought he made sense, so he sent Tong San to collect his salary. I never expected the Crown Prince to use this as an excuse to make a fuss. He's clearly targeting you!"

For Ye Keshu, admitting his mistakes was impossible.

The crown prince was the one who started the trouble.

They are absolutely right.

Tong Guowei glared at Ye Keshu and said coldly, "You're such a grown man, how come you've only grown older but not wiser?"

"Others are in a hurry to collect their salaries because they need to make a living."

"Do we really need this in our household?"

At this point, his tone grew even colder: "As a Grand Secretary, how could I not know about the difficulties facing the nation?"

Why should I go and join in the fun?

"From now on, learn from your third brother when handling matters, and use your brain!"

At this point, he slowly stood up and said, "Go to Yuqing Bank for me. When you see the Crown Prince, remember to be sincere."

"Just say you're apologizing on my behalf!"

"As for me, just say that His Majesty wants to discuss something with me and I can't go for a while!"

At this point, Tong Guowei solemnly said, "This time, the Crown Prince has caught us red-handed, so we have to bow our heads."

"If you still dare to act all arrogant and unruly towards me, let me tell you, I'll make you regret it!"

Ye Keshu saw that his father was speaking seriously. Although he felt that his father was making a mountain out of a molehill, he could only obediently agree.

Watching his son walk away, Tong Guowei stood there in a daze for a while, but finally picked up a memorial and turned to walk towards the Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Qianxi was reviewing memorials when he looked up and saw Tong Guowei arrive. He greeted him with a smile, "Uncle, what brings you here? Is there something urgent?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Liang Jiugong, who was standing to the side, and said, "You idiot, hurry up and pour tea for the Grand Secretary!"

Liang Jiugong quickly poured tea for Tong Guowei, but Tong Guowei did not sit down immediately. Instead, he bowed to Emperor Qianxi and said, "Your Majesty, this old minister has come today to apologize."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianxi waved to Liang Jiugong, signaling him to lead his men away.

After all, Tong Guowei was his uncle, and he didn't want outsiders to hear about any mistakes he might have made.

"Uncle, please speak frankly."

Hearing the Emperor Qianxi's calm tone, Tong Guowei felt much relieved.

He lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, to be honest, this was my oversight."

“Over the years, my salary has always been collected by my servant Tong Sandai.”

"This old minister is getting old and can no longer attend to many things, so let him be."

Emperor Qianxi nodded, believing Tong Guowei's explanation.

After all, Tong Guowei was a Grand Secretary, and he was overwhelmed with important court affairs every day.

It's normal that he doesn't worry about or inquire about such trivial matters as receiving his salary.

"Tong San is a bit clever and has always been highly valued by me. Who would have thought he would become so arrogant because of this!"

"When I went to Yuqing Bank to collect my salary, I had a conflict with the people there, and the Crown Prince happened to see it."

"Your Highness's punishment of the unruly Tong San is something I will have no objection to."

"It is because I have not disciplined them properly that they have become so unruly."

"This old minister is also willing to take on this responsibility."

“But the Crown Prince sent Zhou Bao with the Crown Prince’s edict to summon this old minister to go there in person… This old minister feels that there is no need to make a big fuss about this matter.”

"I'm afraid someone might take this opportunity to gossip and say that I have a rift with the Crown Prince." "That would be bad for me, and it would also damage the Crown Prince's reputation."

"So this old minister suggested that Ye Keshu go and confess to the Crown Prince first, while he himself went to Your Majesty's place to hide for a while, so that he could explain to the Crown Prince later."

Emperor Qianxi raised an eyebrow at Tong Guowei's tactful words.

Although Tong Guowei spoke in a calm manner, Emperor Qianxi could still discern the underlying meaning.

To put it bluntly, it was Tong San, this unruly servant, who acted arrogantly and domineeringly at Yuqing Bank, only to run into the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince summoned Tong Guowei, presumably to establish his authority over him.

Tong Guowei didn't want to be the target, so he sent Ye Keshu over and hid here himself.

He smiled and said, "Uncle, you are also aware of the situation at the Ministry of Revenue."

"I forced the Crown Prince to do this job."

"So, sometimes I can't be too critical, and I can't say too much."

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's words, a sense of disappointment swept through Tong Guowei's heart.

But he still solemnly replied, "It was all due to my oversight that this happened."

"I will personally plead with the Crown Prince to apologize and forgive him later."

Emperor Qianxi smiled and said, "The court's expenses are increasing daily, but tax revenue is not improving and is gradually decreasing."

"We must be cautious about this situation!"

Tong Guowei chatted with Emperor Qianxi while silently waiting for news.

He knew that the Emperor Qianxi was definitely aware of the news faster than he was.

Sure enough, less than half an hour later, a guard strode in and whispered a few words in Liang Jiugong's ear.

Liang Jiugong, who had remained calm throughout, changed his expression after hearing this.

Liang Jiugong waved for the guard to leave, but he stood there, hesitant.

"What happened?"

Emperor Qianxi was also paying attention to Liang Jiugong's actions.

Liang Jiugong glanced at Tong Guowei, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

"Uncle is no outsider, so please speak freely," Emperor Qianxi instructed directly, seeing that Liang Jiugong seemed hesitant.

Liang Jiugong quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has sent Ye Keshu back, and he also said that since Grand Secretary Tong is busy, he should continue with his work."

"He has plenty of time!"

"I'll go see Grand Secretary Tong at Yuqing Bank when he's less busy."

Upon hearing this, Tong Guowei's face immediately turned ugly.

The Crown Prince's attitude couldn't be clearer—he was going to make an example of him and wasn't going to show him any mercy.

He could report to Emperor Qianxi for a while, but he couldn't stay "busy" forever.

If he refused to go when summoned by the Crown Prince, that would be defying the imperial decree.

He knew better than anyone the consequences of disobeying the imperial decree.

Soon, an imperial censor will impeach him, the Grand Secretary, and every impeachment will be successful.

After all, the crime of deceiving the emperor is a capital offense.

Even Tong Guowei wouldn't dare to confront him head-on.

Emperor Qianxi's expression also became somewhat unpleasant.

He originally thought that now that Ye Keshu had left, the Crown Prince should be punished or scolded as appropriate!

This matter was resolved in a way that saved face for both the Crown Prince and Tong Guowei, and the matter was thus forgotten.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince said such a thing in front of so many court officials.

What does he want to do?
He's really going to fight the Grand Secretary and the Chief Minister!

This was a determined attempt to use the Grand Secretary's face as a way to establish his authority.

"Your Majesty, it is because this old minister failed to manage his subordinates properly that this incident has occurred. This old minister will go to Yuqing Bank to see the Crown Prince immediately."

Tong Guowei was a smart man. He suppressed his anger and knew that he was just a subject, while the Crown Prince was the emperor.

If you confront the Crown Prince head-on now, you will definitely be the one who suffers.

After all, there's a clear distinction between ruler and subject, and he's also in the wrong.

Emperor Qianxi glanced at Tong Guowei, then said in a deep voice, "Uncle, this matter is ultimately just a mistake of not disciplining properly."

"Alright then, Liang Jiugong, you take Ye Keshu and make another trip."

"Tell the Crown Prince that Lord Tong has been lax in managing his subordinates and has already admitted his mistake. Ye Keshu can be allowed to confess his father's crime. As for that Tong San, it is entirely up to the Crown Prince to decide his fate."

Liang Jiugong was very nervous. He felt that this matter was a bit difficult to handle, but since Emperor Qianxi had given the order, he dared not disobey and respectfully agreed.

"This old minister thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness!" Tong Guowei felt relieved upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's arrangement.

He respectfully addressed Emperor Qianxi, saying, "After I return, I will certainly strictly discipline my family."

Emperor Qianxi nodded and said, "Uncle, just remember this."

However, Liang Jiugong left quickly, but returned even faster!

In less than a quarter of an hour, Liang Jiugong rushed back, his voice tinged with urgency: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince still insists that Grand Secretary Tong go in person."

"The Crown Prince said, 'Without rules, nothing can be accomplished.'"

"In this situation, all the officials are watching. If those who break the rules do not pay the price, then the following matters cannot be carried out."

"So... the Crown Prince is still waiting for Grand Secretary Tong!"

(End of this chapter)