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

Chapter 360 What will you do after I pass away?
The next morning, Shen Ye received the tax memorial written by Zhen Yan.

The content was entirely according to Shen Ye's wishes, but as Shen Ye read it, he couldn't help but laugh—this Zhen Yan really is a natural-born "divine swordsman"!

Putting everything else aside, just look at the last few sentences of his memorial—they were written with such force and impact, they were truly thought-provoking.

For example, he said that the burden on ordinary people is getting heavier while the government's revenue is getting thinner and thinner. If this continues, the world will probably collapse...

After reading the memorial, Shen Ye took Zhou Bao straight to Zhen Yan's residence.

At this time, Zhen Yan was considered a serious criminal by Emperor Qianxi.

So if you want to see him, it's best to go there in person.

The eight guards at the gate had already changed shifts, but as soon as they saw Shen Ye coming, they all bowed and greeted him in unison.

As Shen Ye waved for them to get up, he casually asked, "How did Lord Zhen sleep last night?"

A quick-witted guard replied, "Your Highness, Lord Zhen went to sleep last night after finishing his memorial, and he was snoring loudly."

Shen Ye laughed as soon as he heard that.

The fact that Zhen Yan can sleep so soundly is enough to show that he has already made a decision in his heart.

He entered Zhen Yan's room and saw Zhen Yan sitting and reading a book.

Upon seeing Shen Ye enter, Zhen Yan hurriedly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your subject greets Your Highness."

"Lord Zhen, I heard you slept well last night?" Shen Ye asked casually as he told him not to stand on ceremony.

Zhen Yan never expected that the dignified Crown Prince would care about whether he had slept well.

After a moment of surprise, he replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I did sleep very well last night."

“When the mind is at peace, the spirit is at ease!” Shen Ye smiled meaningfully. “I think from now on, Lord Zhen will be able to sleep so soundly.”

Zhen Yan smiled bitterly to himself.

He wasn't just relaxed; he hadn't slept much in the past few days, and this sudden relaxation allowed him to sleep so soundly.

The prince's words had a hidden meaning, and he understood the implication, but he still pretended to be ignorant and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Shen Ye waved the memorial in his hand and said with a smile, "Lord Zhen's writing is excellent. I can tell you're enjoying reading this memorial."

"Lord Zhen, I will send your memorial to His Majesty immediately."

"I believe it won't be long before you're able to go home."

Come back home!

A hint of anticipation appeared on Zhen Yan's face, but it quickly turned into hesitation.

He wanted to go home, but he was also a little afraid—once the memorial was submitted, he didn't know whether it would bring him good fortune or misfortune.

Shen Ye didn't chat much, and headed towards Sizhi Study with the memorial in his hand.

Outside the Sizhi Study, there were always many people waiting to see the Qianxi Emperor.

This time, Shen Ye ran into Grand Scholar Zhang Ying at the gate.

Zhang Ying had always been very respectful to the Crown Prince, and this time was no exception. As soon as he saw him, he stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your subject Zhang Ying greets Your Highness."

Shen Ye smiled and raised his hand, saying, "Scholar Zhang, you may dispense with the formalities."

"Who is inside receiving the emperor? Why are you being made to wait here?"

Grand Secretaries always had priority in seeing the Qianxi Emperor and rarely had to wait.

Zhang Ying smiled and said, "It's the Duke Yansheng who has arrived."

Shen Ye also knew a bit about Duke Yansheng Kong Yujin, so he nodded and said, "Then let's wait a while."

Zhang Ying glanced at the memorial in Shen Ye's hand and said with a smile, "After listening to the Crown Prince's criticism of Zhen Yan yesterday, I have thought a lot about it."

"The problems that the Crown Prince mentioned really can't be ignored."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ye's expression hardened.

He knew perfectly well that Zhang Ying would not have said these things to him for no reason, so he listened silently.

"However, some things cannot be accomplished overnight."

As the sage once said, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish!

"Your Highness must proceed slowly, lest haste make waste!"

Take it easy!
This must be Zhang Ying trying to persuade him.

But Shen Ye also knew that if this matter was "taken slowly," it would most likely end up being left unresolved.

Haste makes waste, and this seems to be a silent warning from Zhang Ying.

Shen Ye looked at Zhang Ying and smiled, saying, "Grand Scholar Zhang is right, but in the end, it is up to Father Emperor to decide this matter."

Shen Ye supports tax reform.

However, if Emperor Qianxi didn't want to do it, he wouldn't bother to rush forward so desperately.

Zhang Ying smiled and was about to reply when she saw the plump and fair-skinned Kong Yujin walk out from inside.

Kong Yujin's face was streaked with tears, and she looked like she had just been crying.

Seeing Kong Yujin's appearance, Shen Ye thought to himself: Did Dad make her cry? That's a bit inconsiderate.

Just as he was wondering about this, Kong Yujin also saw Shen Ye.

He was stunned for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your humble servant greets Your Highness!"

Shen Ye smiled and raised his hand: "You may rise, Duke Yansheng."

"When did the Duke Yansheng arrive?"

"Your Majesty, I arrived just last night and was planning to pay my respects to you later." Kong Yujin said sincerely, "Although I live in Qufu, I have heard a lot about Your Majesty's good deeds."

"Along the way, I heard the people praising the Crown Prince as a Bodhisattva reincarnation."

Shen Ye was stunned!
He never expected Kong Yujin to praise him like that. A Bodhisattva reincarnated?

How come I don’t know?
Shen Ye thought this to himself, but on the surface he just smiled faintly and said, "You flatter me, Duke Yansheng. I dare not accept such praise."

Just then, Liang Jiugong walked in. He glanced at Shen Ye, then came to Zhang Ying's side and said, "Grand Secretary, His Majesty requests your presence."

Zhang Ying hurriedly bowed to Shen Ye and said, "Your Highness, I will go in first to see His Majesty."

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Lord Zhang, please go ahead with your work. I'll wait a moment."

After Zhang Ying went to Sizhi Study, Kong Yujin also took her leave.

After all, this isn't the place to talk!

Zhang Ying's audience lasted a full quarter of an hour before he emerged from Emperor Qianxi's room.

Zhang Ying emerged with a solemn expression, her expression revealing neither joy nor sorrow.

When Shen Ye entered the Sizhi Study, he saw Emperor Qianxi holding a memorial and staring blankly at a rockery outside the window!
After Shen Ye bowed, Emperor Qianxi did not immediately tell him to stand up. Instead, he suddenly asked, "Crown Prince, what do you think of me killing Zhen Yan now?"

Kill Zhen Yan?

Shen Ye knew very well that Emperor Qianxi harbored a great deal of anger towards Zhen Yan.

In any case, this guy made him enjoy the treatment of a "Daoist Emperor".

This greatly displeased Emperor Qianxi, who had always harbored a "sage ruler" complex.

However, Emperor Qianxi was also concerned about the consequences of this situation and dared not kill him outright.

That's why that rebuttal was staged.

Now that Emperor Qianxi has suddenly proposed to kill Zhen Yan, Shen Ye can't help but become suspicious.

In this short period of time, who made Emperor Qianxi change his mind?
He pondered for a moment, then replied earnestly, "Zhen Yan's death is not a pity."

"Given what he has done, I believe that merely beheading him would be too lenient!"

“However, if Zhen Yan is killed, then there is no need for him to submit this memorial.”

As they were talking, Shen Ye handed over Zhen Yan's memorial.

Emperor Qianxi took the memorial but did not read it immediately.

Instead, after a moment of contemplation, he pointed to his desk and said, "The Duke of Yansheng and many ministers have submitted memorials requesting the execution of Zhen Yan, this treacherous villain who imitates others poorly, in order to rectify the court."

"What they said makes sense."

Shen Ye immediately understood Emperor Qianxi's thoughts. He really wanted to kill Zhen Yan, but he was afraid of what the world would say.

Now the ministers and the Duke Yansheng have found a reason for him.

Even if he killed Zhen Yan, no one would say a word.

Under these circumstances, Emperor Qianxi was tempted.

This is actually quite normal. For Emperor Qianxi, dealing with someone who dared to scold him on the spot was indeed a way to establish his authority.

As his mind raced, Shen Ye followed up, saying, "Killing Zhen Yan has another advantage: it keeps the court stable and prevents any further turmoil."

Emperor Qianxi's expression changed.

He understood perfectly what Shen Ye meant by a stable court, which meant that tax reform would no longer be necessary!
Others may not care about the reform of the imperial tax system, but Emperor Qianxi could not. He was the emperor, and this country belonged to him.

He had to consider the future of his empire.

Emperor Qianxi silently opened Zhen Yan's memorial and began to read it carefully.

After reading the memorial, Emperor Qianxi suddenly asked, "Crown Prince, if I do not change now, will you change after I pass away?"

Shen Ye did not expect that Emperor Qianxi would suddenly ask him such a question.

The implication behind this statement is that the emperor wanted to slack off.

I won't do it this time. You can do it after you ascend the throne and become emperor.

Shen Ye glanced at Emperor Qianxi and solemnly replied, "Father, if you said this at any other time, I would definitely say that I have no disloyal intentions and wish you a long and healthy life."

"But this matter is of great importance, and I can only tell you the truth."

"Father is now in the prime of his life and in good health."

"Even if I am fortunate enough to ascend the throne in the future, I will be too old to carry out such a great undertaking."

Emperor Qianxi was not angry at Shen Ye's words; instead, a smile appeared on his face.

Although he was an emperor, Emperor Qianxi knew that he would definitely not live past ten thousand years.

The crown prince's statement that he would be very old by the time he passed away indicates that he believed the crown prince could live for at least several more decades.

That's very pleasing to the ear.

Emperor Qianxi let out a long sigh and said, "Your Highness, what you say makes sense. Once you put some things down, you can never pick them up again."

"As the saying goes, once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Since we've already made up our minds, let's do it."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi glanced at the memorials on his desk and said, "However, Zhen Yan's memorial alone is not enough."

"For this to be implemented smoothly and rolled out across the board, we need someone's endorsement."

“Who do you think this person is?”

Shen Ye's first thought was of Tong Guowei, after all, he was the chief scholar, but upon further reflection, it seemed that was not quite right.

After all, if it were Tong Guowei, Emperor Qianxi wouldn't have kept it so secret.

"Your subject does not know," Shen Ye replied honestly this time.

“It is the Duke Yansheng. He is the head of all officials and gentry in the land. His attitude is of great importance and has a huge influence.” Emperor Qianxi said, “You have to think of a way to get him to cooperate voluntarily.”

　Hey everyone, here's the first update of the day! Please vote for me this month!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)