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

Chapter 331 Everything in excess is as bad as deficiency.
Shen Ye was shuffling mahjong tiles, but his eyes were constantly watching the expressions of Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying.

He suddenly realized that the two Grand Secretaries chosen by the Qianxi Emperor were far more than just wonderful!
Tong Guowei was a nobleman, and his sphere of influence included the nobles in the capital.

Standing behind Zhang Ying were the scholars from Jiangnan.

In terms of sheer numbers, there are many more scholars in Jiangnan.

Therefore, Emperor Qianxi appointed him as the second-in-command.

Although Tong Guowei had fewer nobles under his command, he still managed to secure the position of Grand Secretary.

The salt tax in Jiangnan was under Zhang Ying's sphere of influence, while the several customs posts around the capital were controlled by nobles from Tong Guowei's faction.

Therefore, when Emperor Qianxi said that the Ministry of Revenue did not have enough silver, the two of them unanimously chose to "die for their friend rather than for themselves."

They were all aware of the Ministry of Revenue's situation and knew that Emperor Qianxi's actions against the Ministry were inevitable, so they tacitly turned their attention to each other's territory.

Upon hearing Zhang Ying's suggestion to investigate the customs officials under his command, Tong Guowei's expression shifted before he calmly said, "The customs officials do indeed need to be investigated. Why don't we arrange these two matters after this inspection in the capital?"

Emperor Qianxi looked at the two people who were locked in a fierce confrontation, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

He felt that he had arranged things perfectly for the two Grand Secretaries, and that everything was under control.

He smiled and replied, "Both of your suggestions are good, but neither can solve the fundamental problems facing the court."

"For the imperial court to maintain long-term stability, it must have money."

There are many reasons why the previous dynasty perished.

"But if you take all these reasons together, it all boils down to one word: poverty!"

"Without money to support the army or the officials, the only outcome was collapse!"

The atmosphere at the mahjong table immediately became tense after Emperor Qianxi said those words.

Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying, who were still competing with each other, secretly exchanged a glance.

With that one glance, the two understood that the Emperor was not satisfied with the method they had proposed.

If the emperor is not satisfied, that's a big deal.

As the heads of all officials, they all had to protect the interests of their own side.

This mahjong game on the Winter Solstice is really tough.

Shen Ye followed up, saying, "I was reading history some time ago, and although I felt sorry for the collapse of the previous dynasty, I also found some parts quite ridiculous."

"That last emperor also put a lot of effort into his career."

"However, when he swallowed his pride and asked the ministers for military funds, none of them would lend him a penny."

"They probably think that even if the country changes hands, they can still enjoy wealth and luxury."

"But they forgot that there are only a few seats for the elite, and if they occupy them, then there will be no place for others to sit."

"When a new person takes the stage, someone has to step down."

At this point, Shen Ye smiled and said, "And what was the result? The emperor tried everything to persuade them, but they were forced to hand over the money they refused to give up. In the end, they were all forced to pay their dues through torture."

"How tragic and lamentable!"

Hearing Shen Ye's words, Emperor Qianxi felt extremely pleased.

He suddenly realized that the cooperation between the Crown Prince and himself was absolutely seamless—the Crown Prince had said everything that he himself couldn't say!
With just a little guidance, he revealed the true intention behind the card game.

In a great mood, Emperor Qianxi casually picked up a card and said, "Three of a kind."

"Remember the past and learn from it!"

"I think that after the uproar in the previous dynasty, there should be fewer short-sighted people like this in the future."

"What do you say, Grand Secretary Tong?"

Tong Guowei was a smart man. Of course, he didn't want to touch the money of his own people, but he also knew that what Emperor Qianxi said was an imperial edict.

His current status is entirely due to the support of the Qianxi Emperor.

If he loses the emperor's favor, there will be too many people who want to replace him.

He then replied in a deep voice, "Your Majesty is wise."

"I believe that as long as it is beneficial to the court, even if some people cannot understand it at first, they will eventually understand the court's good intentions."

As he spoke, he picked up a card and casually played it.

Tong Guowei's words were, in effect, a statement of his position.

Zhang Ying felt a little uncomfortable as soon as Tong Guowei opened his mouth.

He knew that Emperor Qianxi and the Crown Prince were working together in concert, and their ambitions were certainly not small.

But given the current situation, even if he objects, it will be useless.

After a moment's consideration, he added, "In recent years, the court has been plagued by constant border troubles."

"Thanks to His Majesty's wisdom, we have been able to turn danger into safety time and time again and get through these times safely."

"I also believe that the emptiness of the Ministry of Revenue must be addressed."

"However, the stability of the world is also very necessary."

Zhang Ying's words were quite subtle, but everyone present was intelligent.

They all understood what Zhang Ying meant: she wanted to collect more taxes, which was fine, but she shouldn't go too far.

Otherwise, the world might become unstable.

Emperor Qianxi raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

Shen Ye then smiled and replied, "Scholar Zhang's words are indeed mature and prudent."

"However, with any change, there will always be some stubborn people who want to challenge it." "I think we should make an example of those people."

Upon hearing the phrase "kill the chicken to scare the monkey," Tong Guowei's expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.

He was recently "killed" by the Crown Prince.

No, that was "killing the monkey to scare the chickens," and he was very sorry that it was the "monkey" that was killed!
Zhang Ying glanced at the Crown Prince and Emperor Qianxi, then remained silent. He had already expressed his meaning; to continue would be tantamount to openly opposing them.

Emperor Qianxi then spoke, saying, "The Crown Prince's words make sense."

“Some people are really going too far these days.”

"Hehe, the imperial court has been in power for decades. I dare not say it is a time of great peace and prosperity, but it has been peaceful and smooth."

"However, the amount of land registered now is decreasing, even a quarter less than when the founding emperor established the dynasty."

"These lands can't just grow legs and run away, can they?"

Emperor Qianxi's words were filled with murderous intent, and Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying's expressions both turned solemn.

Just then, Zhang Ying casually played a 50,000!
"Bullshit!"

Emperor Qianxi took the fifty thousand coins and said with a smile, "Minister Zhang really knows what I want!"

This sounds like it's about cards.

But what it implied was something everyone present knew perfectly well.

Seeing the scene before her, Zhang Ying knew she had nowhere to retreat.

He knew the consequences of offending the Qianxi Emperor, and understood that confronting him directly at this moment was pointless.

So, following Emperor Qianxi's words, he chuckled and said, "It is my duty to share Your Majesty's burdens."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianxi burst into laughter.

The four of them continued playing mahjong in perfect unison, and did not continue the topic they had just discussed.

It's not that we don't want to talk about it, but we all know that tax reform is not something that can be resolved in a few words.

This requires them to make a meticulous plan, to think things through in the long term, and then to move forward step by step.

It's already quite good that we can reach a consensus at this table of cards.

After four rounds of playing cards, Emperor Qianxi was the big winner, Shen Ye had a slight win, while Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying both lost, but Tong Guowei lost the most.

Shen Ye recalled the card game and was filled with admiration for the two scholars.

Although he didn't look at the two men's cards much, he had a vague feeling that these two men could basically play whatever Emperor Qianxi needed with perfect accuracy.

Moreover, the strokes were natural and fluid, without revealing the slightest trace.

From this point of view alone, he is far inferior to these two people.

If he could see it, then Emperor Qianxi certainly could too.

However, Emperor Qianxi accepted this special treatment with pleasure and did not feel embarrassed at all.

"Let's dine together at Qianqing Palace today, since it's a festival." Emperor Qianxi seemed to want more, and before Shen Ye and the others could refuse, he said to Liang Jiugong, "Liang Jiugong, go to the Imperial Kitchen and tell them to prepare hot pot."

"It's cold, so let's eat something warm."

Upon receiving Emperor Qianxi's instructions, Liang Jiugong immediately agreed and went to make preparations.

When Emperor Qianxi invited them to stay for a meal, Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying did not say much in refusing.

For the two of them, His Majesty's invitation to a meal was an imperial decree, and they had no room to refuse.

The hot pot was quickly set out by Liang Jiugong and the others. When the meat in the hot pot began to cook, Emperor Qianxi raised his wine cup to Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying and said, "Grand Secretaries, it is really hard for you two to be on duty on the Winter Solstice."

"Let's drink this cup first, as a token of my appreciation."

Since the emperor had spoken so frankly, Zhang Ying and Tong Guowei both thanked him and drank the wine in one gulp, emptying their cups completely.

Although Emperor Qianxi did not mention Shen Ye when he raised his glass as a guest, Shen Ye still obediently drank a cup along with him.

Although most of the time Emperor Qianxi was toasted by others, he was also quite skilled at persuading people to drink.

In just a few words, Zhang Ying and Tong Guowei drank three or four cups of wine.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere among the four became increasingly relaxed.

After a few drinks, Shen Ye felt that today's meal should just be a casual meal when Emperor Qianxi suddenly said, "People always have to think about themselves."

"I can understand this situation."

"To be honest, even I have to think about myself many times."

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi suddenly mention this, Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying's expressions immediately became serious.

They knew that Emperor Qianxi, as the emperor, would never say this to them without a reason.

There must be something they don't know about this.

As expected, Emperor Qianxi said, "It's normal to want to live a better life and leave more for your children and grandchildren."

"It could even be said to be human nature!"

"But everything should be done in moderation!"

"Otherwise, it would be a case of going too far."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi glanced at Zhang Ying and said, "Minister Zhang, I heard that Xiong Cili has built a new garden in his hometown."

"It's known as the number one garden in Jiangnan, but I wonder if that's really true!"

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(End of this chapter)