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

Chapter 377 The entire universe is beneath my feet

If someone were to ask a newly enthroned emperor what he likes to do most, nine times out of ten he would blurt out – attending court!
Yes, that's right, it's attending court!
Imagine a huge, dark mass of people below, all kneeling down in unison.

When everyone prostrates themselves at your feet and shouts "Long live the Emperor!" in unison, who could resist such a scene and such a grand display?

It's even more invigorating than drinking a pot of ginseng soup!
Therefore, the new emperor was incredibly diligent upon taking office.

But they didn't love their work at all; they clearly loved sitting on the dragon throne and hearing people shout "Long live the Emperor!"—that feeling of being the only one who mattered.

However, this kind of "pleasure" is like eating a gourmet meal; no matter how delicious something is, you'll get tired of it if you eat it too often.

When the emperor stops attending court sessions so often, that means—

I've become immune to that "pleasure" of attending court.

Emperor Qianxi was different; he was a model of diligence in government. When it was time to attend the morning court session, he would definitely attend and would never stay in bed.

He's fasting now, but the morning court session can't be missed.

Thus, the important task of presiding over the morning court session fell on the shoulders of Crown Prince Shen Ye, who was in charge of the country.

The Crown Prince had overseen the country before, but he was still young then, and the Emperor, feeling sorry for him, exempted him from the morning court sessions.

But this time was different. The Emperor simply said, "Everything is as usual," meaning:
Attending court and presenting memorials are all to be handled by the Crown Prince!

Is this considered compensation or a reward for the Crown Prince's handling of the Zhen Yan attack incident?
However, who knows what Emperor Qianxi was really thinking?

Don't try to guess what the Emperor is thinking; you'll never figure it out. Just do as he says.

However, no matter what he thought, no one dared to be ambiguous about attending court.

Emperor Qianxi was not like the previous emperor who "attended court as he pleased," and could skip court whenever he wanted.

In his eyes, missing one morning court session might mean you never have to come again.

For example, there was a duke who was not enthusiastic about attending court, which made Emperor Qianxi feel that this person did not respect him enough.

Okay, if someone isn't enthusiastic about attending court, then there's something wrong with their thinking.

Emperor Qianxi immediately passed on the right to attend court and the title to his cousin.

So, even though they were a hundred times unwilling, everyone still obediently came to check in.
After all, nobody wants to be "replaced".

Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the ministers had gathered early in the morning, all talking about the grand spectacle of "knocking on the palace gates" the day before.

Some people shook their heads in pity for Shang Rongjun, while others couldn't help but chuckle when they talked about him.

This gloating attitude is enough to prove that Master Shang's interpersonal relationships seem to be a bit lacking.

"If you ask me, this whole attempt to appeal to the emperor has become a joke!" someone exclaimed.

"The Crown Prince set a question, and of the hundreds of imperial students who came to the palace, only a handful could write a decent essay!"

"The rest is utter nonsense, what kind of rubbish is this!"

As soon as these words were spoken, someone immediately chimed in:

"It's not just utter nonsense, it's downright stinking dog shit and a pile of rotten mud!"

"I've read all the articles the Crown Prince sent out, and they almost blinded me!"

"Is this the current level of the Imperial Academy? Their scholarship is even inferior to that of a student in the preliminary examinations, yet they dare to go and petition the emperor? It's both laughable and lamentable!"

An official who failed the imperial examination for the position of Shujishi added insult to injury with a wry smile:

"I wonder what those Hanlin Academy members who kowtowed to the emperor along with them were thinking?"

These words drew a burst of laughter from the entire audience.

Xu Chunping, the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy, was also standing in the crowd. His face darkened as soon as he heard this.

But the one whose face looked even worse was Chu Minglun, the Imperial Academy Chancellor.

Isn't it a public slap in the face to say that the student was being talked about like this?
But he couldn't refute it, since what the other person said... was true.

After returning home, Chu Minglun gave a severe scolding to the imperial students who had come to kowtow to the palace.
Then it was announced: Everyone must study behind closed doors for three months. If you fail the assessment, don't even think about leaving!
In addition, the Imperial Academy should strengthen its assessments, and those who fail to meet the standards will be expelled.

This series of actions was both to save face for the Imperial Academy and

This also ensures that the Crown Prince's wishes are implemented without any compromise:

Focus on your studies and don't get involved in things you can't control.

While the ministers were chatting animatedly, the princes were whispering amongst themselves.

Previously, the Eighth Prince and the Fourth Prince had different intentions and were only superficially friendly.

Recently, their relationship has progressed by leaps and bounds.
It's somewhat like the feeling of "I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd, and suddenly, when I turned around, my good brother was right there in the dim light."

"Fourth Brother, do you think the Crown Prince will sit directly on the throne during court today?" the Eighth Prince asked with ill intent.

The fourth prince had a stern face, as if everyone owed him hundreds of taels of silver:
"I don't think he has the guts. He'll probably stay in his old position and receive the homage of his ministers."

The Eighth Prince felt a pang of jealousy as he imagined the Crown Prince sitting beside the Sumeru Throne receiving the homage of the court officials.

"The feeling of having my feet firmly planted on the ground is truly enviable..."

A hint of longing flashed in the fourth prince's eyes as well.

Who wouldn't want to sit in that position? He also wants to sit upright there, rather than grovel beneath the dragon throne.

However, sitting on this dragon throne is not an easy task.

It remains to be seen whether the Crown Prince will be able to handle this situation.

"The Crown Prince handled the kowtow quite well this time. Do you think he might take advantage of the situation..." The Fourth Prince didn't finish his sentence.

The Eighth Prince understood immediately and smiled:

"One should not be arrogant, for arrogance will lead to trouble."

To be honest, I actually hope he gets a little cocky. If he does, then we won't be the real opponent anymore; someone else will take care of him!

As the two were talking, a loud shout rang out: "Attend court—"

The crisp sound of the whip rang out, and the heavy doors of the Hall of Supreme Harmony were slowly opened. The ministers of the Six Ministries and the princes and nobles filed in according to their respective ranks.

The princes lined up in front of the princes of the first rank. When the eighth and fourth princes entered, they were delighted not to see the crown prince.
He thought the Crown Prince might be receiving the homage of the court officials on the imperial steps.

To their surprise, when they stopped and looked around, they found the Crown Prince standing perfectly fine right in front of them.

Guided by the master of ceremonies, the officials bowed three times and nine times before the empty Sumeru pedestal.

Although Emperor Qianxi was not present at the time, the rules were not relaxed in the slightest.

The Crown Prince always stood at the forefront of the court officials, his movements mirroring theirs.
No one can find fault with it.

The princes were disappointed.

They couldn't be happier that the crown prince became so arrogant.
Unfortunately, the crown prince did not give them that opportunity.

The more low-key he is, the more itchy some people become.

The fourth prince stood in the queue, his eyes practically burning a hole through the crown prince's back.

How he wished the crown prince could float away!

Even if it's just a slight turn of the body, casting a meaningful glance at the assembled officials;

Or, when receiving worship, take a step up the steps by just one inch;
Or, when he speaks, his voice carries a hint of the unique majesty of a regent.

But the crown prince did not.

He stood ramrod straight, and even the curve of his robes fluttering as he bowed was just right.

Too much and it becomes arrogance; too little and it becomes complacency.

The Eighth Prince watched from the side, his teeth itching with envy.

He had even thought of how to "casually" mention the Crown Prince's transgression in front of his father—

"My brother, the Crown Prince, was acting rashly; after all, matters of state are of utmost importance."
Or perhaps it's because "being a regent is hard work, and it's not uncommon to get carried away for a moment."

But the Crown Prince deliberately refused to give him that opportunity.

The ministers who were waiting to see what would happen were also secretly disappointed.

They hoped that the crown prince would be slightly pleased, even if it was just standing by the imperial steps receiving homage, so that they could write in their memorials the words "the crown prince oversees the country and is treated like a monarch".

In that case, how could the naturally suspicious Emperor Qianxi not have any thoughts in his mind?

But now, the crown prince respectfully followed everyone else in bowing.
This made them swallow all the "wise advice" they had prepared.

He stood there steadily, like a bronze tripod in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, unmoved by wind and rain.

This composure beyond his years only made those who hoped he would make a mistake feel even worse.

But now the crown prince is following suit and bowing respectfully.

If the emperor finds out, he will most likely praise him for being sensible, rather than be wary of him.

"If you have something to report, speak up; if not, leave the court—" the eunuch below the imperial steps called out in a drawn-out voice.

Everyone assumed that no one would make a report at this time.
After all, the emperor isn't here, so why bother presenting this memorial?
Unexpectedly, Shen Youding, the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, suddenly stood up:
"I have a report to make!"

Upon hearing this, the eunuch was stunned, and so were all the officials—

The Emperor is not here, what are you playing for?

But the morning court proceedings were set in stone, and they couldn't be stopped.

The eunuch could only look at Shen Ye.

Tong Guowei, Zhang Ying, and the others all looked towards the Crown Prince.

Shen Ye knew perfectly well that this Imperial Censor Shen had definitely come prepared.

It's either about the matter of knocking on the imperial court, or it's about Lü Baizhou beating Tian Wenjing to death, or it's about Zhen Yan's affair.

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke:

"His Majesty is currently fasting. Minister Shen has submitted the memorial to the Southern Study for review and approval."

Shen Youding was taken aback, straightened his neck, raised his voice by three points, and became even more insistent:
"Your Highness, His Majesty has appointed you to oversee the country. The matters presented at the morning court session are your responsibility. Please do not refuse!"

As he spoke, he held up the memorial as if it were a sizzling bomb that needed to be thrown away as soon as possible:
"Your subject humbly submits to the fact that Longkodo, the commander of the Infantry Commander's Office, has allowed his troops to storm into the Hanlin Academy and arbitrarily arrest the compilers, which is an insult to the scholarly profession..."

He recounted each of his crimes in detail, stealing glances at the Crown Prince's expression after each sentence.

To everyone's surprise, the crown prince stood upright like a pine tree and did not interrupt at all.

Let him finish speaking at length before calmly and slowly opening his mouth:
"Put away Lord Shen's memorial for His Majesty to read."

She glanced at him and said in a calm but unquestionable tone, "Step down."

Shin Woo-jung was frozen in place at that moment—

He had prepared a whole host of countermeasures, but he never expected that the Crown Prince would simply not take the bait.

To step down? I'm not willing to do that.

Should I not return it? I don't know what to do.

Just as he hesitated, the eunuch stepped forward to collect the memorial.

Shen Youding snapped back to reality, his voice hoarse, almost shouting:
"Your Highness, His Majesty has entrusted you with the affairs of state. How can you neglect your duties like this!"

How can you expect the people to trust you with such a way of handling government affairs? How can you live up to His Majesty's trust?

These words, spoken with resounding force and conviction, caused even the Fourth Prince and his companions, who had been watching the spectacle, to stiffen in surprise.

No one expected that this morning court session would be so exciting.

　The second update for today is here! Hey everyone, it's almost the end of the month, please vote!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)