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

Chapter 351 A bunch of rebellious sons—are they forcing me to take the stage myself?
Emperor Qianxi sat on the dragon throne, listening expressionlessly to the Third Prince and Zhen Yan's back-and-forth arguments.

He appeared calm on the surface, but inside he was seething with rage.

A bunch of traitors!

He could tell something was wrong the moment the fourth prince started speaking.

Now that the third brother has spoken, he is even more certain that these two are using the same tricks.

They claim to be speaking up for the Crown Prince, but what are they actually doing? Every word they say is a trap for him!

Damn it, it’s really damn terrible!
You all fight amongst yourselves all the time, and I turn a blind eye. In any case, the more my sons fight, the more peacefully I, as their father, can sleep.

But now, at this critical juncture, is this the time for you to fight amongst yourselves?

Have you all completely forgotten the phrase "a subject dies for his ruler's disgrace"?

Your fathers were humiliated like this, and instead of speaking up for them, you're actually undermining each other.
Do you really think that I don't know they are mainly impeaching the Crown Prince?

But when this "number one memorial under heaven" was submitted, whose face was lost? It was my face!
Do you really not understand such a simple principle, or are you just pretending not to?

Emperor Qianxi's expression grew increasingly grim!

He believed that not only he had figured it out, but all the ministers below him were also fully aware of it.

How shameful! How utterly shameful!

So, as soon as Zhen Yan finished speaking, he let out a heavy snort.

The Danbo Jingcheng Hall was not large to begin with, and with Zhen Yan having already mentioned the Crown Prince's name, the vast Danbo Jingcheng Hall was eerily quiet at this moment.

Whether it was the palace maids and eunuchs serving them or the civil and military officials present, everyone held their breath, afraid that they might inadvertently displease Emperor Qianxi.

The third prince, who had just spoken, was also a little worried.

He could hear the displeasure in his father's cold snort.

Did I overact just now and displease my father?

The third prince stood there stunned for a moment, somewhat at a loss.

Looking at the Third Prince's timid and hesitant manner, Shen Ye curled his lips slightly, revealing a hint of sarcasm.

How could he possibly hide the little schemes of the fourth and third brothers from him?

He remained silent because he had anticipated this outcome.

It's one thing for you to make small moves and play tricks at other times, but to try to shift the blame at a time like this is clearly embarrassing for Father.

Being impeached by one's own minister is humiliating enough!

Now, these sons who came here to save face haven't even said anything yet, and they're already fighting amongst themselves!

What must Emperor Qianxi have been thinking!
"Third brother, is there anything else you want to say to Zhen Yan?" Shen Ye asked calmly.

"No...that's all!" The Third Prince was in a state of confusion, wanting to say something more, but not knowing where to begin.

As soon as the Third Prince stepped down, Zhen Yan's expression became even more composed.

He has finished speaking his mind in a passionate and inspiring manner!
Moreover, the two princes who refuted him were thus defeated.

He even had a vague feeling that the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince were not refuting him, but rather seemed to be there to cheer him on.

However, as a subject, he was only entitled to be questioned and had no right to speak up, so he simply looked calmly at the Crown Prince.

Shen Ye ignored the reactions of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, glanced at the princes who had not yet spoken, and calmly asked, "Brothers, does anyone else want to refute Zhen Yan?"

The eldest prince hesitated!

When the fourth brother first started "shifting the blame eastward," he thought it was a good move.

However, his father's cold snort just now made him realize that his father was unhappy!
Moreover, this discontent was not directed at the crown prince.

After all, the old man knew everything about what the Crown Prince had done and what Zhen Yan had impeached.

Even if he's angry, he won't vent it now.

Therefore, the father's dissatisfaction was directed at the third and fourth sons.

The reason Father was angry was because he didn't want to see them fighting amongst themselves at a time like this—otherwise, it wouldn't just be the brothers who would lose face, but also Father, the emperor!

After all, it's normal for a father to be laughed at when his sons don't get along.

Just as the Crown Prince was pondering this, a voice suddenly rang out: "Your Highness, I have something to say."

The eldest prince turned his head and saw that the thirteenth prince had already stood up.

Shen Ye smiled slightly at him: "Thirteenth Brother, please speak freely."

The thirteenth prince was not old; he still looked like a teenager.

However, he has clearly matured a lot since the Fifth Princess passed away.

At this moment, he appeared exceptionally composed.

He stepped out of his seat and looked directly at Zhen Yan: "Zhen Yan, you said that this land in Xiaotangshan was obtained by my brother, the Crown Prince, from competing with the people for profit."

"But I really can't understand why my brother, the Crown Prince, is competing with the people for profit?"

“These lands have been abandoned for so many years. Apart from growing some crops, they are not of much use.”

“When my brother, the Crown Prince, bought these lands, he paid real money.”

"Moreover, it was the market price at the time!"

“This is a fair trade!” The thirteenth prince said with even greater conviction, “Moreover, when my elder brother, the crown prince, built the Xiaotangshan Palace for Father Emperor, not a single penny of the palace’s money was spent.”

"He had people grow off-season vegetables here so that people in the capital could have some fresh greens even in winter, so it's normal for them to be a bit more expensive."

"As for the land here, it was purchased voluntarily by others."

"It's like someone transporting rice from Jiangnan, which costs five coins a dou, to the capital and selling it for ten coins. How can you say that they are competing with the people for profit?"

"I don't quite understand, can you explain it to me?"

When Zhen Yan heard the Thirteenth Prince's question, he frowned slightly but calmly replied, "The Crown Prince is the Crown Prince of the land, the heir apparent of the country."

"He should protect all living beings, not use his status to amass wealth for himself."

"After all, the wealth of the world is finite. If the Crown Prince takes more, then the people of the world will take less."

At this point, he looked up at the thirteenth prince and said calmly, "Thirteenth Prince, tell me, what is the Crown Prince doing if not competing with the people for profit?"

The thirteenth prince was still young, and when Zhen Yan asked him this question, he was immediately dumbfounded.

He felt that what Zhen Yan said made some sense—the Crown Prince is the heir apparent to the throne, so why bother making money?
However, he felt that something was wrong with Zhen Yan's explanation. Why could others earn this wealth, but the Crown Prince couldn't?
Just as the thirteenth prince was still a little confused, the tenth prince suddenly stood up: "Zhen Yan! According to you, does that mean all of us brothers should just laze around and wait to die?"

"A real man doesn't bully others by abusing his power."

"Can't we even do some legitimate business?"

Upon hearing the Tenth Prince speak, the Eighth Prince couldn't help but touch his forehead.

That tenth guy is really more trouble than he's worth!

You may look aggressive on the surface, but in reality, you're just providing them with ammunition!

However, since this matter was initiated by the Crown Prince, even if it was ruined, the Emperor would mainly blame the Crown Prince.

As long as he doesn't speak up, he can handle even if his father is a little dissatisfied.

After hearing the Tenth Prince's words, Zhen Yan calmly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Tenth Prince, you and the other princes have the support of the people of the world, why compete with them for profit?"

"What you call 'legitimate business' is nothing more than using your status to make money."

"To be frank with you, the fast passage to Tianjin that you and the Ninth Prince were working on was essentially a way to profit at the expense of the people."

"If you two weren't princes, would you even be in this business?"

Upon hearing this, the tenth prince's anger flared up instantly.

He always felt that the fast track he and Ninth Brother had built was just a little bit of hard-earned money, but now, even that little bit of money was being criticized.

You're absolutely shameless!
He immediately roared angrily, "You're talking nonsense!"

"I deserve all the money I earn. You're spouting nonsense and talking rubbish. Believe me, I'll beat you to death!"

As he was speaking, he was about to rush forward, but fortunately the Ninth Prince was standing beside him and immediately forgot about him: "Tenth Prince, this is the Danbo Jingcheng Hall, not a place for you to act arrogantly."

"Father and all the ministers are watching!"

While the Ninth Prince addressed the emperor as "distinguished ministers," he was actually telling the Tenth Prince that Emperor Qianxi was watching closely.
Emperor Qianxi was indeed watching.

He touched his forehead, speechless.

He originally thought that with his dozen or so sons working together, they could surely refute Zhen Yan, at least surpassing the Jiajing Emperor, right?

Who knew that among those who appeared, two were fighting amongst themselves, and one was so stupid as to throw his life away.

The thirteenth prince was quite presentable, but he was still young and no match for the other party. He was stumped by the other party in just a few words!

Sigh, do I really have to personally take part in this?

If that's the case, then I've really repeated the same path that Emperor Jiajing took!

The thought of the Jiajing Emperor made the Qianxi Emperor even angrier.

A thought even popped into his head: to kill Zhen Yan without hesitation.

The Jiajing Emperor dared not kill Hai Rui, which ultimately enhanced Hai Rui's reputation.

So what if I kill Zhen Yan?

They dare to rebel!

The Jiajing Emperor was afraid, but I am not!
Just as Emperor Qianxi was in turmoil, the Ninth Prince spoke up: "Zhen Yan, according to you, we brothers should be raised like pigs?"

"You have sown discord within the imperial family; your intentions are despicable!"

"Your Highness, I believe that such traitors should be exterminated along with their entire families!"

When Lao Jiu couldn't argue with him, he simply pinned a label on him, a label that would surely lead to his death.

Hearing Lao Jiu's words, Shen Ye felt a little admiration.

This is the kind of person who truly dares to resort to underhanded tactics.

However, it's inappropriate to say these things in front of so many ministers, especially during a debate!

Just as Shen Ye was pondering this, he heard Zhen Yan say loudly, "The reason I am submitting this memorial is for the sake of the court and for the sake of the Emperor! My heart is as clear as the sun and the moon!"

"Even if I were to die, I would have no complaints."

"But I implore Your Majesty to heed the words of loyal and virtuous officials and not to disappoint the people of the land."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ye knew that he had no way out at this point!
　The second update for today is here! If you have any votes, please give me two!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)