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

Chapter 33 I'm a professional at tattling.
Inside the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Qianxi was listening to Grand Secretary Mingzhu report on the matter of reducing taxes in thirty-seven counties of Beizhili.

At this moment, Emperor Qianxi's brows were furrowed!

For the Great Zhou Dynasty, taxes are like blood in the human body. If there is too little blood, the body will malfunction.

Over the years, he quelled the Three Feudatories and personally led an expedition against Galdan. Although his civil and military achievements were outstanding, the amount of money he spent was not small.

Putting aside other things, the Taicang granary of the Ministry of Revenue has long been in deficit.

Meanwhile, officials in Beijing have not received their salaries for three or four months.

We were hoping to distribute the summer grain as soon as it was harvested, but the drought in more than 30 counties has made our already tight budget even worse.

This job is tough!
Although the dynasty was prosperous, money was needed everywhere.

Moreover, there are some places where money cannot be saved.

For example, the rewards and compensation for soldiers who went to war; the guaranteed livelihoods of those who followed the emperor; and so on...

"Let's waive it!" Although Emperor Qianxi felt a pang of regret at waiving taxes in thirty-seven counties, he still wanted to ensure the survival of the disaster-stricken people.

He would never do something like draining a pond to catch all the fish.

Mingzhu was about to say a few words of flattery when Emperor Qianxi readily agreed, when someone said, "Your Majesty, I wish to see you!"

The sound was very loud.

There was only one Emperor Qianxi, but many people came to report to him every day.

So, everyone basically handed over their signs and waited.

Who is this, daring to be so rude and make a scene at his door?

As Emperor Qianxi's authority grew, even those hereditary princes trembled with fear and walked on thin ice when facing him.

This is utterly disrespectful; such a thing hasn't happened in years!
Who is this?
Before Emperor Qianxi could ask anything, Liang Jiugong tiptoed in.

He suppressed his anger and asked, "What's going on outside?"

“Your Majesty, it is Orondai, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, who requests an audience,” Liang Jiugong said cautiously.

Upon hearing that it was Orondai, Emperor Qianxi's expression grew even more unpleasant.

He looked down on his cousin utterly.

However, out of respect for his deceased mother and uncle, he always patiently gave his cousin some face.

Overall, however, this cousin is quite loyal.

They dared not take his arrangements lightly.

Why is Orondai causing trouble here? He must be out of his mind to be making such a racket!

In a split second, he said in a deep voice, "Summon Orondai to an audience."

Liang Jiugong hesitated for a moment, then obediently withdrew.

Although he didn't know who had fought Orondai, the person who could fight Orondai was definitely not an ordinary person.

Although he was the emperor's trusted eunuch, he should not get involved in such matters.

In just half a minute, Orondai walked in looking disheveled and limping, the bloody welts on his face from the whippings a truly shocking sight.

As soon as he entered the room, he knelt down on the ground with a thud and wailed, "Your Majesty, you must do justice for this servant!"

Emperor Qianxi was somewhat bewildered when he saw Orondai, who had clearly been whipped.

Since my uncle Tong Guogang died, it seems no one has smoked Orondai like this anymore.

No, when my uncle was alive, he never whipped Orondai like this. Even when he was furious, he could only come to me and ask me to punish Orondai.

Is this awkward?
Could it be that my second uncle, the patriarch of the Tong family line, has suddenly erupted?
If that's the case, it'll really be difficult for me.

After all, both are equally dear to us.

Having already decided to play it safe, Emperor Qianxi casually asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is tyrannical and beats this servant without cause. If this servant hadn't run away quickly, I'm afraid I would never have seen Your Majesty again!" Orondai said, his voice filled with resentment.

The prince smoked it!

Emperor Qianxi was somewhat taken aback. He knew that Orondai and the Crown Prince had a mediocre relationship, and the Crown Prince kept his distance from Orondai.

How did these two people, who used to keep to themselves, suddenly start fighting?

Mingzhu, who was sitting to the side, was originally just watching the excitement.

His relationship with Orondai was so-so. When he saw Orondai being punished, he felt a little smug, but he never expected that it was the Crown Prince who punished him.

The crown prince is tyrannical, which is something a ruler cannot tolerate.

If the Crown Prince's standing in the Emperor's eyes were lowered because of this incident, wouldn't the eldest prince's chances be even greater?
However, he also knew in his heart that the emperor knew he was close to the eldest prince, so he had to be careful what he said at this time, otherwise he might do something that backfired.

Just as Emperor Qianxi was about to speak, Liang Jiugong quietly walked in again.

Emperor Qianxi looked at Liang Jiugong, who seemed about to report something, and asked directly, "What is it now?"

Liang Jiugong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience."

Emperor Qianxi had calmed down completely by this time. He said calmly, "I was just saying I would send someone to find him. Since he's here, let him in."

As Liang Jiugong relayed the imperial decree, Shen Ye and Fahai entered one after the other.

Emperor Qianxi was taken aback when he saw Fahai behind Shen Ye.

Although Fahai was born out of wedlock, he was still his cousin. And between the two cousins, he valued Fahai more.

After all, Orondai was just a guard, while Fahai was exceptionally capable. If properly trained, he could become an important asset in governing the country in the future.

"Your Highness, just now Orondai accused you of unjustly whipping him. Is this true?" Emperor Qianxi asked in a deep voice after Shen Ye paid his respects.

Shen Ye said respectfully, "Father, I have come to apologize for this."

"This morning, when I went to pay my respects to the Empress Dowager, I inadvertently mentioned Lord Tong Guogang."

"Your subject believes that Orondai's refusal to allow Master Fahai's mother to be buried next to Lord Tong Guogang is not only undignified, but will also disturb Lord Tong Guogang's spirit in heaven."

"Therefore, I have decided to mediate this matter."

At this point, he said in a serious tone, "However, not only did Orondai not repent, but he also spoke ill of his son. What's even more despicable is that he actually disregarded the spirit of Lord Tong Guogang in heaven and insulted Master Fahai's mother as a lowly slave!"

"Such disloyal and unfilial words are truly heartbreaking."

"As you know, I am a filial son and I cannot stand such unfilial people."

"So he couldn't control his anger and lashed Orondai a few times."

"Your Majesty, I beg you to punish me."

In one breath, Shen Ye told the whole story.

Moreover, the details of this incident are basically true.

When he paid his respects to the Empress Dowager, he mentioned Tong Guogang.

He sought out Fahai, and Fahai himself can attest to that.

The reason for whipping Orondai was out of anger, and Fahai can also testify to this.

Moreover, Fahai can testify to the process.

Emperor Qianxi was speechless for a moment when he heard Shen Ye confidently proclaim himself to be a filial son.

Does a filial son say it himself?

When did the crown prince I taught become so shameless?
However, he couldn't refute it yet.

If I were to say now that the Crown Prince is not a filial son, how could he possibly rule the world in the future?

For Emperor Qianxi, who followed the expectations of a sage ruler, a son's lack of filial piety was also a stain on his reputation.

Therefore, he had to accept Shen Ye's claim that he was a filial son.

“Father, you have always taught your son that our dynasty governs the world with filial piety. How can we tolerate the reckless behavior of a disloyal and unfilial person like Orondai?”

"Your Majesty, I request that Your Majesty dismiss the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, Orondai, strip him of his title, and place him under house arrest!"

"To serve as a warning to all unfilial people in the world!"

It's almost the end of the month, and I'm asking for your support for my new book. Everything you do means a lot to me, please keep reading!
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(End of this chapter)