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

Chapter 335 Bloodshed in the Ministry of Personnel, Dark Clouds Loom Over the City

The weather in Beijing is getting colder and colder, but the Xiaotangshan area is getting warmer!
Ever since the emperor went to Xiaotangshan for a hot spring vacation, fresh vegetables from the Prince's Farm have been continuously delivered to major restaurants in the capital.

Many high-ranking officials and nobles were thinking about setting up a winter garden in Xiaotangshan.

These princes with their iron hats had plenty of money, and they would only buy the big ones if they could afford the small ones. So the places they wanted not only had manors, but also large tracts of land where they could live and grow vegetables to be self-sufficient.

As a result, they will have to buy quite a lot of land.

They start by selling thousands of acres, and the land prices are much higher than those near Beijing!
Even so, in order to make it easier to pay their respects to Emperor Qianxi and occasionally show their faces, these people still continued to buy things without hesitation.

At first, they just wanted to be closer to the emperor, but later it turned into a place for them to compete with each other.

In Xiaotangshan, where the emperor spent the winter, if you didn't have your own estate and couldn't eat leafy greens grown in your own hot spring during the dead of winter, you wouldn't dare call yourself a top noble!
Once this trend of keeping up with the Joneses took hold, all the land that Shen Ye had stockpiled was sold out in just a few days!

In just over ten days, not only did they recoup their initial investment, but they also made a substantial profit.

While Shen Ye was busy selling land, the capital inspection was also in full swing.

With the Censorate and the Ministry of Personnel working together, officials of the fourth rank and below in the capital were all busy again.

Even if some people have powerful backers, they are still afraid of making a mistake and failing in this imperial examination.

If I'm rated as "unqualified," forget about getting a promotion; I'll lose my official position right now!

This forces people to be extremely cautious, lest they lose everything due to carelessness!

However, once the list of those to be demoted, jointly determined by the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate, was released, the previously tense atmosphere suddenly turned into a mix of joy and sorrow.

Those who were rated as excellent were naturally beaming with joy.

Those who were deemed unqualified or even demoted all looked ashen-faced.

"This is not fair!"

Inside a private room at the Sun Family Hotel in Beijing, two hot pots were bubbling away, but none of the people sitting around touched their chopsticks.

Although most of them were not demoted, the few colleagues who were demoted this time made them resentful.

Because these people are all recognized by everyone as honest and responsible individuals who fulfill their duties!
Even if it doesn't qualify as excellent, it's at least acceptable.

There's no way he deserves to be demoted!

"This is not fair!" a young man with a flushed face said angrily. "Brother Zhu Mo's character and ability are among the best in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices."

"It's no exaggeration to say that he did half the work of the government office by himself!"

"Even on holidays, Brother Zhu Mo rarely takes a break."

"Moreover, he was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) who ranked in the second class!"

"Now he's been dismissed for 'carelessness,' is there any justice left in this world?!"

These words aroused righteous indignation among everyone, and someone even grabbed a thin middle-aged man and said, "Brother Zhu Mo, this matter cannot be left like this!"

"We must submit a joint petition to the Emperor. How can we allow the Ministry of Personnel to mess around with such an important matter as the capital inspection?"

Looking at his classmate Shen Zhumo, who looked so forlorn, Li Chunmo felt a pang of sympathy.

He wasn't close to Shen Zhumo, but he knew that this man was always diligent and hardworking, and was seen as an honest official by everyone.

However, this person was careless and was dismissed from his post.

This is too bullying!
"I appreciate the kindness of my fellow students. But let's just say no, we can't afford to offend them!" Shen Zhumo cupped his hands in greeting to those around him, his face full of bitterness.

"Brother Zhu Mo, what exactly happened?" a young man who looked to be in his thirties and was rather tall asked, puzzled.

Shen Zhumo sighed, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

“If Brother Zhu Mo won’t speak, then I will.” A middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties tossed back his chin and downed his drink, then sneered, “I’ll speak for him! Brother Zhu Mo, the reason you ended up being demoted is because you have no one backing you!”

"The person who should have been demoted was someone under the Crown Prince's command."

"Hehe, of course they won't be demoted!"

"I heard that the Crown Prince helped his subordinates make arrangements for the capital inspection."

"Therefore, no matter who is demoted, the Crown Prince's people will not be demoted."

At this point, he said with a hint of righteous indignation, "But, keeping a bunch of good-for-nothings around while kicking out the hardworking ones, does the Crown Prince really feel at ease?!"

As soon as he said that, someone quickly advised him, "Brother Chen, you've had too much to drink!"

"You can't just say things like that..."

"Moreover, in this inspection in the capital, which bigwig wouldn't protect a few of his own people?"

"This is not just something the Crown Prince did himself."

Hearing this, the man surnamed Chen became even more agitated: "Brother, what you said makes sense, but even if others are protective of their own, they still follow some rules."

"Even if you're going to protect your own, you should at least protect some people with decent character!"

"Who are the people the Crown Prince is protecting?!"

"He's either a good-for-nothing or a person of low character!"

Shen Zhumo sighed and stopped talking, and everyone tactfully avoided the topic.
Li Chunmo felt aggrieved during this drinking session. Although he had passed the imperial examination, he was still furious that his friend had been demoted for no reason.

He used to admire the Crown Prince greatly, but that admiration has now vanished.

Shen Zhumo, the guest of honor at the gathering, kept his head down and drank one glass after another. After the party, everyone left, slightly drunk and resentful.

Shen Zhumo had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, and he was walking unsteadily.

The man named Chen, who stood up for him, offered to take him home.

At first, Brother Chen looked concerned, but after everyone had gone far away, his voice suddenly turned cold: "Brother Shen, you have done almost everything you were supposed to do."

"After you go back tonight, get a good rest. Tomorrow you will take the final step, and everything will be perfect."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhumo's face turned extremely ugly.

He said angrily, "What a fine 'perfect merit'! You...you..."

The man surnamed Chen said coldly, "Brother Shen, once you leave, your family will receive the best care."

“If you don’t leave, not only will you be disgraced, but your whole family will at least be exiled to Ningguta.”

"Are you willing to just watch them suffer in Ningguta?"

Shen Zhumo's face twitched, and his anger vanished instantly.

Looking at his stern-faced companion, he finally sighed helplessly, "Knowing you is the worst thing that could have happened to me!"

A smile returned to Brother Chen's face. He patted Shen Zhumo on the shoulder and said, "Brother Shen, you'll soon find out that knowing me is the luckiest thing that could happen to you."

"It was because you knew me that you were spared from disgrace."

"Don't worry, I swear to God, I will raise your son well in the future, and at the very least, I will make sure that he surpasses you in achievements and is more successful than you."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhumo's expression turned serious.

He said coldly, "My son doesn't need your guidance, and you don't need to make him take the imperial examinations."

"He just wants to live a peaceful and stable life as a wealthy man."

"If you can't even do this, then I'll haunt you even as a ghost."

Brother Chen patted Shen Zhumo on the shoulder and said, "Brother Zhumo, don't worry, I keep my word."

At this point, his voice lowered slightly as he said, "There are important figures watching this matter."

"Those conditions that were granted to you were also agreed to by important figures."

"If we succeed this time, the benefits will be enormous."

"Brother Shen, being able to participate in such a significant event, you've truly made a name for yourself in history!"

Shen Zhumo's expression grew increasingly cold as he looked at his companion's somewhat deranged demeanor.

He knew that saying anything more would be futile, so he could only sigh and walk towards home.

The next day, the sky was overcast and a north wind blew so fiercely that no one wanted to open their eyes.

The Ministry of Personnel, usually bustling with people, was now only occupied by a few soldiers guarding the gate, who were hiding from the cold wind.

At this point, no one would be willing to come out unless there was something really wrong.

Just then, a middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a sixth-rank official walked over.

Although a sixth-rank official is not a small position, it depends on the location!
In the Ministry of Personnel, a place that manages promotions and demotions throughout the country, a sixth-rank official was not a big shot.

Therefore, the guards at the gate didn't really care about the visitors.

Just as they continued to shiver from the cold wind, the newcomer suddenly took off his hat and shouted, "The capital's examination is unfair, the Ministry of Personnel is unfair, I am not convinced!"

The sound terrified the two guards at the gate.

Moreover, his words also attracted the attention of several officials who happened to be at the Ministry of Personnel.

Just as they were wondering what was going on, the man suddenly said with a hint of madness, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, only these two stone lions in your Ministry of Personnel are clean."

"Today, I will let this stone lion know my loyal heart."

As he spoke, the man charged straight at the stone lion and slammed his head heavily into it.

In an instant, the gray stone lion was stained red with blood.

Whether they were officials coming to the Ministry of Personnel or soldiers guarding the gate, they were all terrified.

They never expected to encounter such a violent event.

For a moment, everyone was stunned into silence.

"It's Shen Zhumo, a physician from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices!" someone exclaimed.

"You guard the gate, I'm going to report!" The soldier leader instructed his subordinates as he rushed towards the Ministry of Personnel.

The Ministry of Personnel was located outside the Forbidden City, surrounded by other government offices!

The news of someone dying in the Ministry of Personnel spread quickly, and when the three senior officials of the Ministry of Personnel came out, the main gate of the Ministry of Personnel was already surrounded by people.

They were all officials from various departments, and they were pointing and talking about something!
Zou Yunjin, the Minister of Personnel, had a livid face.

He didn't know who was causing trouble, but he knew that the Ministry of Personnel was in big trouble this time!

Looking at the fallen corpse and then at the gloomy sky, a phrase came to his mind: "Dark clouds loom over the city!"
　The second update for today is here, everyone! I'm updating on time during the holiday, so please give me some support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)