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

Chapter 340 It feels so good to stab someone in the back
Should Shun'an Yan be made the consort of the Ninth Princess?
Who the hell came up with this terrible idea?!
That's so mean, absolutely wicked!

Shen Ye's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately became alert—if Shun'an Yan really became the Ninth Princess's consort, then her advantage in front of the Empress Dowager would be greatly reduced!

After all, Shun'an Yan was Tong Guowei's grandson, and he supported the Eighth Prince, not himself, the Crown Prince.

Furthermore, he also had a good relationship with the Third Prince.

To put it bluntly, this guy is determined to stand against the Crown Prince and go against him!
If he marries the Ninth Princess, she will definitely side with him.

The Ninth Princess was raised by the Empress Dowager. Even if the Empress Dowager wouldn't turn against him for the sake of the Ninth Princess, it would be difficult to win the Empress Dowager over to his side again.

Shen Ye's mind raced, but he smiled and said, "Your Majesty, Shun'an Yan is quite good-looking."

"He is also the eldest son and grandson of the Tong family, and his status is quite noble."

"I think that, at least in terms of social standing, my grandson and Ninth Sister are quite well-matched."

In fact, Shen Ye's first reaction was: this marriage must be ruined!

We absolutely cannot let them succeed!

However, it won't be so easy to ruin this marriage.

Shen Ye pondered that, based on his assessment of his father, Emperor Qianxi, he would definitely be happy to strengthen ties with the Tong family through marriage.

After all, the Tong family is his uncle's family!

Arranging for one's cousin to marry one's daughter—isn't that strengthening family ties even further?

The only one who can change this is the Empress Dowager.

Although the Empress Dowager seemed to care about nothing, since Emperor Qianxi wanted to establish himself as a "filial son," he had to follow her opinions in family matters as long as she did not interfere in politics.

Otherwise, wouldn't his image as a "filial son" collapse?

Emperor Qianxi aspired to be a sage ruler.

Therefore, the key to the matter now lies with the Empress Dowager.

To ruin something, the most basic approach is to start by badmouthing the person.

While it can raise awareness, it might also have the opposite effect.

What is the highest level of speaking ill of someone? It is when every word you say sounds like a compliment, but upon closer examination, the listener can discern a different meaning.

She's good-looking!

Distinguished status!

A good match!

These three sentences sounded fine, but to the ears of the beloved Ninth Princess's grandmother, they didn't sound right at all!
With such a noble status, Shun An Yan must have grown up in a pampered environment.

How could someone like that possibly lower himself to serve a princess in such a humble manner?
Princess Jiu is soft-hearted. If she encounters someone like Shun An Yan, will she be subdued like a submissive wife and end up being angry but unable to speak out?

Besides, the Tong family is powerful and influential; do you think the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would be easy to get along with?
Even the Crown Prince felt that Shun'an Yan and the Ninth Princess were a "well-matched couple," so did the Tong family themselves have the same idea?
Although the Tong family had never acted presumptuously in front of her, she knew in her heart that the Tong family had always been arrogant.

Putting everything else aside, just take Orondai for example; he's a notorious scoundrel.

He dared to defy even the Qianxi Emperor and even fought with his own father. With such a family background, how could Shun'an Yan possibly submit to the princess?

Although the Empress Dowager did not want to choose a servant for the Ninth Princess, she could not accept that her granddaughter, whom she had raised, would be looked down upon after entering the Tong family.

"Your Highness, do you have any suitable candidates in mind?"

The Empress Dowager, already harboring resentment towards Shun An Yan, turned to Shen Ye and asked.

Shen Ye dared not accept the challenge at this moment.

With just a few words, you pulled Shun'an Yan off the position of consort candidate. If you recommend someone else, the Empress Dowager will inevitably become suspicious and will have to reconsider his words.

So Shen Ye smiled and said, "Grandmother, although I have met many people, I really can't think of one who is particularly suitable for me right now."

"However, I think that since we are choosing a husband for Ninth Sister, first of all, Ninth Sister herself must find him pleasing to the eye."

“Grandmother, how about this? I will find a place in Xiaotangshan to hold a poetry gathering and invite the sons of officials of the third rank or above in the capital to participate.”

"Let Ninth Sister take a look at them secretly first and choose one."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager smiled.

The Crown Prince's idea was exactly what she wanted.

In her opinion, her granddaughter, whom she raised, is more than a match for anyone.

However, choosing someone that would please his granddaughter was not easy. Now, the Crown Prince's idea not only preserved the princess's dignity but also allowed her to choose someone she liked, which was a win-win situation.

"Your Highness, that's a great idea!"

"Turn around, I'll have your ninth sister thank you properly."

"You get started on this matter. As for His Majesty, I'll speak to him about it tomorrow."

"However, we must not let the news of the Ninth Princess's choice of a husband leak out yet."

Shen Ye readily agreed to the Empress Dowager's instructions.

Shen Ye secretly rejoiced that she had arrived in time today.

Otherwise, by the time Shun'an Yan and the Ninth Princess are engaged, it will be too late.

After leaving the Empress Dowager's place, Shen Ye felt incredibly relieved.

With just a few words, he ruined Shun'an Yan's path to becoming a prince consort. If Tong Guowei knew this, he would be furious!
It's a pity that Tong Guowei will probably never know about this.

Hey, it feels pretty good to do this behind someone's back! Just as Shen Ye was feeling smug, Tong Guowei was also gloating at home.

Standing before him was Lord Cheng, the official in charge of assessing officials at the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

At this moment, Lord Cheng's face no longer showed the tension he had when facing Zou Yunjin in the Ministry of Personnel's main hall.

Facing the Grand Secretary and the Grand Secretary, he appeared calm and composed.

"Lord Tong, I have said everything I needed to say. I estimate that by now, the Ministry of Personnel's memorial has already been submitted to His Majesty!"

Tong Guowei picked up his teacup and said, "Meng Qing, I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

“When you first came to my house, I knew you were destined for great things.”

"Now, you certainly haven't disappointed me."

"Don't worry, after this, you will get everything that is rightfully yours."

Tong Guowei solemnly said, "On the day the Eighth Prince ascends the throne, the position of Minister of Personnel will be yours."

"This is what you deserve."

Upon hearing Tong Guowei's promise, a hint of excitement flashed in Cheng Mengqing's eyes.

The reason he risked getting involved in this matter was so that he could take it a step further and go even further.

Minister of Personnel!

This was the position he had always dreamed of. He knew perfectly well that, with his connections, becoming the Minister of Personnel under Emperor Qianxi was simply a pipe dream.

Even after the crown prince ascended the throne, he still couldn't get the position.

He wasn't the Crown Prince's confidant, so how could he possibly get such a coveted and rare position?

But Tong Guowei and the Eighth Prince promised him that as long as he took action, he would become the Minister of Personnel in the future!

It's worth a try!
Moreover, the main responsibility for this matter does not lie with him.

He was just a nobody, a nobody who had to do this because of the power of the crown prince.

"Many thanks to Prime Minister Tong for your guidance and cultivation. I will never forget your great kindness!"

Tong Guowei nodded: "Lord Cheng, His Majesty is not someone who can be easily fooled, so you must be extra careful."

"Furthermore, with Shen Zhumo dead, you'll probably have to suffer some injustice."

"But don't worry, the Eighth Prince has seen all the grievances you've suffered."

"The more grievances you suffer, the more you will gain in the future."

"Work hard, I believe that one day we will be fellow ministers in the same palace."

Cheng Mengqing couldn't hide the smile on her face, but she still said very modestly, "No, no, I dare not."

After all, Tong Guowei was not someone to be trifled with.

Tong Guowei did not personally see the guests off, but instead had Shun'an Yan escort them away.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Shun An Yan returned with the person, but his face showed a hint of disdain.

"Grandpa, this Cheng Mengqing is truly ignorant of his own limitations. He actually dares to think of serving as a subject in the same palace as you. He should take a good look at himself in the mirror. What is he anyway!"

Upon hearing Shun An Yan's words, Tong Guo Wei said calmly, "Don't look down on people like this. There's one good thing about them."

"I'm willing to pay any price to climb up the ladder."

"So you have to use people like that when you need them, and guard against them when you don't."

"Ideally, after using them, dispose of them discreetly as soon as possible to prevent future problems!"

Shun An Yan's eyes lit up, and a smile immediately appeared on her face as she asked, "Grandpa, are you planning to get rid of this person?"

"Now is not the time to deal with him, especially with so many eyes watching!"

"We cannot do the disservice of a donkey before we bring the crown prince down from his horse."

"Otherwise, who will dare to risk their lives for us in the future?"

"Also, you better remember this: if you ever see Cheng Mengqing again, even if you don't like him, you still have to give him some face."

"Everything we do is for the future."

Although Shun An Yan was somewhat skeptical of Tong Guo Wei's words, he still obediently agreed, "Grandpa, don't worry, I know what to do."

"Shun An Yan, you better behave yourself for the time being. From now on, don't go to those places you used to frequent!"

"I have recommended you to His Majesty to be the consort of the Ninth Princess, and His Majesty has agreed. This matter is basically a done deal."

"I don't want to ruin this wonderful occasion because of your carelessness, do you understand?"

Shun An Yan wasn't particularly enthusiastic about marrying the Ninth Princess, but he knew he couldn't disobey his grandfather Tong Guo Wei's arrangements.

So he nodded solemnly and said, "Please rest assured, Grandpa, I know what to do."

After giving Shun'an Yan a few more instructions, Tong Guowei waved for Shun'an Yan to leave.

Sitting in his chair, thinking about the potential upheaval in the court caused by Shen Zhumo's death, and how the Crown Prince's situation was becoming increasingly precarious, a smug smile crept onto Tong Guowei's lips.

I'm afraid that even after the capital inspection is over, the Crown Prince will still not know who is behind his downfall.

Hey, it feels pretty good to do something behind someone's back!

(End of this chapter)