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

Chapter 353 The Crown Prince's Melon Isn't Tasty

Emperor Qianxi glanced at the two loads of watermelons that were brought to him, and a slight thought crossed his mind.

Even though he was the emperor, he couldn't just eat whatever he wanted.

After all, watermelons are seasonal.

Once the season is over, it will be difficult to eat it again.

Where did the prince get this watermelon from?

Could it be that it was grown at his hot spring resort?
Anyway, it looks like we're in for a treat today.

Eating a couple of slices of watermelon would be nice.

However, the Crown Prince is not a fool; he must have had a deeper meaning in sending the melon.

Just as Emperor Qianxi was pondering this, Shen Ye spoke up: "Father, why don't we start cutting the watermelon right now?"

Emperor Qianxi waved his hand and said, "Liang Jiugong, go and help distribute them."

"Let all my beloved ministers also have a taste of the Crown Prince's watermelon."

Liang Jiugong accepted the order and, with his men, quickly cut the two loads of watermelons in half and distributed them to the civil and military officials present.

Those who can listen to the debates here are basically all important figures in the capital.

However, they rarely get to eat watermelon in the dead of winter.

Although I don't know what the Crown Prince is planning, I still have to eat.

On Shen Ye's coffee table were several slices of watermelon, and the other princes also had some, though a few less than the Crown Prince.

In front of Zhen Yan, there were also three slices of watermelon.

However, faced with these watermelons, Zhen Yan was a little at a loss – should he eat them or not?

Just as he hesitated, Shen Ye took a bite of the watermelon and said with a look of enjoyment, "Lord Zhen, have a couple of pieces with me."

"Let's continue our conversation after we finish eating."

Zhen Yan thought to himself, "I've already disregarded life and death, so why would I be afraid of these two watermelons?" He gritted his teeth, picked up a watermelon, and started taking big bites.

He devoured the watermelon in no time, like a whirlwind.

The refreshing juice instantly invigorates you!
This watermelon is so sweet, it's really delicious!

Just as everyone was eating watermelon and wondering what Crown Prince Shen Ye was up to, Shen Ye finally spoke again.

He asked an old farmer who was delivering melons.

"Old Zheng, how long have you been living in Xiaotangshan?"

The man known as Lao Zheng is a melon farmer in his fifties, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, a testament to the hardships of life.

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's question, he replied respectfully, "Your Highness, I was born in Xiaotangshan and used to be a tenant farmer in the Prince's mansion."

Old Zheng didn't say which prince's mansion it was, but considering the conversation between Yarjiang'a and Shen Ye just now, the answer was self-evident.

The prince was chatting with an old farmer. What was he up to?
Just as many people were wondering, Shen Ye continued, "How was life before? How much income did you have in a year?"

Emperor Qianxi, who was eating watermelon, immediately understood seven or eight parts of the meaning upon hearing this.

He knew what the Crown Prince was going to do.

A slight smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

"Your Highness, we used to live a decent life. We could even eat meat during the New Year. After deducting expenses, our family could save about a hundred copper coins at the end of the year."

Upon hearing that this old farmer's family could only save about a hundred copper coins a year, Emperor Qianxi's expression turned serious.

He knew that ordinary people had a hard time, but he never imagined it would be this difficult.

"And what about the last six months? How's your income?" Shen Ye continued to ask.

"We have to thank the Crown Prince for this! Since you came here, you've taught us how to grow vegetables and fruits out of season, and you've even given us odd jobs occasionally."

“After deducting all expenses, I have already earned more than ten taels of silver this year.”

"When the New Year comes, we'll sell the vegetables we planted. I think we can probably get twenty taels of silver!"

At this point, Old Zheng knelt down with a thud: "Thank you, Your Highness, for showing us a way out!"

Zhen Yan watched this scene and slightly curled the corner of his mouth.

He had already guessed what the Crown Prince was going to say next and had prepared his rebuttal.

However, before he could speak, Shen Ye turned to him and said, "Lord Zhen, there are nine villages in this Xiaotangshan area, with a total of 8,632 people."

"Old Zheng's situation is considered good here."

"But now, even the poorest families here have seen their annual income increase two or three times compared to previous years."

"Anyone with a little bit of planting skills can earn about ten taels of silver a year."

"Their incomes have all increased."

"You say I'm competing with the people for profit, but how come the more I 'compete,' the more profit they actually gain?"

Zhen Yan's face turned pale.

The prince's watermelon was indeed not that delicious!
If the Crown Prince had immediately used data to refute him, he would have been stumped, but the effect would not have been as direct as it is now.

The sight of a few watermelons not only made the farmer's words seem credible, but also bolstered the numbers the prince mentioned—people living near Xiaotangshan could indeed increase their income by growing off-season fruits and vegetables.

Zhen Yan was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond.

Shen Ye continued calmly, "Lord Zhen, you just said I'm profiting at the expense of the people, referring to my taking over land in Xiaotangshan to make money. But right now, the people here haven't seen a significant decrease in income because of my construction of the Xiaotangshan Imperial Palace." "Does that mean your accusation is slander?"

Although Shen Ye appeared calm on the surface, she harbored no goodwill towards Zhen Yan. Who could remain calm and friendly after being slapped?

Although Shen Ye remained calm and composed, his counterattacks were sharp as knives, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Faced with the Crown Prince's questioning, Zhen Yan still wanted to defend himself, but he didn't know where to find another angle to start.

However, he was clear about one thing: he could not admit defeat so easily!

If he were to admit defeat just like that, not only would his reputation be ruined, but he might not even be able to save his life.

He could only grit his teeth and hold on.

After a slight hesitation, he straightened his back and said solemnly, "Your Highness, my memorial is made with the best interests of the people!"

"Regarding the matter of Xiaotangshan competing with the people for profit, I may have been biased, but your involvement in the capital inspection is certainly not untrue!"

"As the Crown Prince, your interference in the capital's performance evaluation has robbed it of its impartiality. How can you expect the people of the land to trust you? How can you expect the officials to be convinced of your worth!"

Having already gone all out, Zhen Yan is now unleashing his full power.

He knew that since he couldn't gain an advantage by "competing with the people for profit," he had to find another way.

Only in this way can one avoid utter defeat and perhaps still have a glimmer of hope.

Upon hearing Zhen Yan's words, Emperor Qianxi's face darkened as he watched the melon.

This actor, Zhen, is truly incorrigible.

If he had admitted his mistake after being refuted by the Crown Prince, I might have spared his life!
But he just wouldn't let go!

They're practically asking for it!

In an instant, Emperor Qianxi felt a growing murderous intent.

However, at this moment, the Eighth Prince, who was originally a little nervous, became calm.

Zhen Yan made a good choice in casting.

After being refuted by the Crown Prince, she was able to quickly adjust her mindset and throw out such a sharp question, instantly overshadowing the Crown Prince's previous advantage.

If the crown prince can't answer...

The watermelon had been almost eaten, and everyone's attention once again focused on the Crown Prince.

Everyone present knew that this issue was more difficult to address than "competing with the people for profit".

If the crown prince can't answer, he'll be in big trouble.

Moreover, this matter is difficult to explain—if the crown prince insists that he did not interfere, many people will think that he is guilty.

Shen Ye smiled faintly and said, "Lord Zhen, although you are an assistant minister of the Court of Imperial Stud, I guess you haven't studied the Capital Examination in detail, have you?"

Zhen Yan's eyes were a little red.

He had just been rebuffed, and he clearly felt the situation was turning against him.

If he can't turn the tide this time and make the Crown Prince admit defeat, then he'll be in big trouble!

So he took a deep breath and solemnly said, "Although I am not well-versed in the Imperial Examinations, the Imperial Examinations are a major event for the court."

"We must never tolerate filth and corruption!"

"We must never bend the law for personal gain!"

"Furthermore, no one is allowed to interfere with the Beijing Inspection or affect its impartiality!"

As Zhen Yan spoke, he became more and more excited, displaying a very passionate and enthusiastic spirit.

Seeing his expression, Shen Ye calmly said, "Lord Zhen, your words are nice to hear, but some things can't be solved by just shouting slogans! Instead of blowing your trumpet all the time, you should do the job well!"

At this point, Shen Ye's voice turned serious: "According to the statistics I sent, there have been a total of fifty-three capital inspections from the previous dynasty to the present."

At this point, Shen Ye suddenly raised his voice: "There are also fifty-three Ministers of Personnel who are in charge of the capital inspection."

"However, among the officials who were demoted in these fifty-three capital inspections, there were not only no protégés of the Minister of Personnel who presided over the inspections, but not even one of their fellow townsmen."

At this point, Shen Ye turned to Zhou Bao and said, "Zhou Bao, bring out the statistical table I compiled so that all the officials can take a good look at it."

Zhou Bao, who had been standing by, responded, "Yes!"

Upon hearing the words "statistical table," many officials present felt a chill run down their spines. Although some people had already started using it, everyone knew that the first to truly harness its power was the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince's statistical tables weren't made for nothing—

Previously, Jin Fu's case was seen by many as a dead end, but the situation was completely reversed just because the Crown Prince released a statistical table.

In the end, Jin Fu was not only not a guilty official, but was also considered to have made great contributions!
But what use is the statistical table for the Crown Prince in this capital inspection?

What exactly is he trying to extract from the data from the Beijing Inspection Team?
This is, after all, a capital inspection, which is completely different from flood control.
Just as everyone was looking at each other in bewilderment and feeling uneasy, a white cloth more than ten feet wide was hung up in the center of the courtyard.

The white cloth was covered with rows of black grid lines, and the grids were filled with densely written words.

"Let's go and see what the Crown Prince is up to," Emperor Qianxi said, rising from his seat and gesturing to Tong Guowei and the others.

Tong Guowei and the others were inside the Danbo Jingcheng Hall, so they naturally couldn't see what was written on the white cloth outside.

They were filled with curiosity about the Crown Prince's actions, so as soon as they heard Emperor Qianxi speak, they all hurried out of the main hall.

Zhen Yan also quickly moved closer to the hanging statistical chart—after all, it concerned the lives of his entire family, and he dared not fail to look at it carefully.

　The second update for today is here! Please support me, everyone, and vote!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)