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

Chapter 379 The Emperor Reigns at the Gate; Even a Great Man Can't Guarantee a Virtuous Wife and Filial Children
After the eunuch shouted this, no one dared to step forward and report.

Thus, this grand morning court session ended abruptly, and the court began to adjourn!
As the Crown Prince who was in charge of the country, Shen Ye was surrounded by Zhou Bao and others as he walked in a grand procession towards the inner palace.

Actually, the morning court session was just a large-scale performance; the real highlight was the political proceedings at Qianqing Gate later on.

Objectively speaking, Emperor Qianxi was a model worker, almost always clocking in at Qianqing Gate.

However, in the dead of winter, it was quite unpleasant for a group of ministers to shiver in the cold wind outside the Qianqing Gate.

It certainly has the air of "style and warmth flying side by side, snot and tears all in one color".

Zhang Ying and the others were regulars at the Qianqing Gate where the government held court!

But today, everyone looked as serious as if they were rushing to their own funeral.

Everyone knows perfectly well that the Crown Prince didn't deal with yesterday's mess at the grand court assembly, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten about it.

This hearing is probably going to set the tone for this matter!
This matter is tricky for them, but it's not a major problem.

The real show is about to begin with the "master of courting death," Zhen Yan.

These three memorials in a row can be described as a triple suicide attack!
The first letter was an impeachment of the emperor, but the crown prince has already accepted it, so the matter is temporarily closed.

However, under the Crown Prince's "kind concern," Zhen Yan was forced to submit a memorial demanding that officials and gentry pay taxes equally.

This stirred up a hornet's nest, provoked public outrage, and directly offended all the officials and gentry.

This wasn't the end of it. Whether driven mad or already insane, Zhen Yan submitted another letter:
They demanded action against the descendants of sages, euphemistically calling it "the blessings of a virtuous person will last for five generations before being cut off."

As a result, Lü Baizhou and his men became enraged and decided to beat him to death on the spot.

Unfortunately, he got away, and the unlucky Tian Wenjing became the scapegoat.

Emperor Qianxi suddenly announced that he was praying for the late emperor's well-being. Rather than saying that he dreamed of the late emperor, it would be better to say that he was afraid that this matter would become too big and asked him to go see the late emperor in advance.

So he simply ran away, leaving the mess to the crown prince.

Whether the Crown Prince tries to mediate or deal with the situation, he simply doesn't care anymore.

After the two major dramas of the Hanlin Academy arresting people and the Hanlin Academy members petitioning the emperor, it's time for the Crown Prince to deal with Zhen Yan's matter.

This time, the court hearing at Qianqing Gate is about to begin a good show.

After quickly warming themselves by the fire and drinking some hot tea in the duty room, Zhang Ying and the others braced themselves and went to the outside of Qianqing Gate.

At this moment, the area outside Qianqing Gate was as cold as an ice cellar—it was really cold!

The assembled officials, though whispering amongst themselves in small groups, all wore solemn expressions.

"The Crown Prince has arrived!"

A loud, hoarse shout instantly brought the whispering courtiers to their positions, a speed comparable to a military drill assembly.

This time, Shen Ye still stood in front of the eldest prince and the others.

He performed a perfectly standard salute toward the throne of Emperor Qianxi.

After completing this procedure, he walked to the throne—standing, not sitting.

His gaze swept across the faces of Tong Guowei, Zhang Ying, and Kong Yujin.

Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying remained calm, while Kong Yujin panicked.

He knew that Zhen Yan's accusations against his family were instigated by the Crown Prince.

Now that the Crown Prince is in charge of the government, this blow will likely be the end for him.

He wasn't originally supposed to attend this hearing, but the Crown Prince specifically instructed him to be present—

This is clearly the prelude to a trap.

"My esteemed ministers," Shen Ye said, cutting straight to the point without giving anyone a chance to speak.
"Our father is praying for our grandfather's well-being, and we really cannot bear to disturb him."

"But if we don't deal with some things soon, we're afraid it will disturb his peace."

"This requires us to work together to get these things done well recently."

"I believe that you, my beloved ministers, think the same way I do."

Upon hearing this, Tong Guowei and the others each had their own ulterior motives, but who dared to say otherwise?
Isn't that just walking into a trap, foolishly walking into the line of fire?
Just as everyone was echoing his sentiments, Shen Ye continued:
"Grand Secretary Zhang, the Infantry Commander's Office has submitted a memorial stating that yesterday they went to the Hanlin Academy to arrest the murderer who killed Tian Wenjing."

"Is it true that Zhang Tinglu, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy, not only refused to assist in the investigation but also incited the Hanlin Academy members to resist the police?"

Zhang Ying had already devised several plans for what was going to happen today.

I never expected the Crown Prince's first strike to be so steady, accurate, and ruthless, showing absolutely no mercy.

Although he wanted to defend his son, the evidence was overwhelming, and he simply couldn't deny it.

He had no choice but to answer honestly: "Your Highness, my son acted rashly and should be severely punished!"

"After he was taken away by the Infantry Commander's Office, I sent someone to inform Lord Longkodo,"

"Investigate strictly according to the law, and show absolutely no leniency. I...I will pretend I never had this son!"

The last sentence was quite tragic, with a touch of the sorrow of a hero cutting off his own arm.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Grand Scholar Zhang, you still have to acknowledge your son."

“Even a great man cannot guarantee that his wife will be virtuous and his children will be filial, let alone Zhang Tinglu, who is considered a filial son.”

"He only developed his lawless nature under the protection of you, Grand Secretary Zhang."

"You, Grand Secretary Zhang, can protect him while he is alive, but what about later?"

"So this kind of personality needs to be tempered."

At this point, Shen Ye sighed and said:
"Zhang Tinglu's behavior warrants his removal from office, exile to the army, and permanent disqualification!"

"However, for the sake of Grand Secretary Zhang, I will take the liberty of making a decision on behalf of my father and send him to the most arduous place to train for a few years."

Zhang Ying's lips trembled slightly as she listened to the huge accusation Shen Ye had leveled against her.

He knew all too well that once he accepted this "extrajudicial favor," he would be unable to speak again.

They've already lost some of their momentum!
But he simply couldn't bring himself to stand up and beg the Crown Prince to retract his order. After all, if he did, his son would be completely finished.

Stripped of his official post, exiled to the army, and never to be employed again.

This is tantamount to voluntarily accepting a conscription package, completely rendering this beloved son useless.

No wonder the Crown Prince aimed his first strike at him! He was trying to shut him up!

After hesitating for a moment, he still stepped forward and said:

“Your son is arrogant and has caused such a disaster. I have failed to discipline him properly. I beg Your Highness to punish him.”

“Grand Secretary Zhang, although Zhang Tinglu is your son, he is already a court official. He should bear the consequences of his actions himself, and it has nothing to do with Grand Secretary Zhang.”

Shen Ye waved his hand and said, "The court is in dire need of talent right now, so Grand Secretary Zhang should do his best."

"As for Zhang Tinglu, let him go to Guizhou to be a county magistrate and study hard."

Go to Guizhou to be a county magistrate? This arrangement of yours is really quite "testing" of a person.

Zhang Ying almost burst into tears. This wasn't training; it was being exiled to the wilderness for survival!
Even though my heart is filled with bitterness, like I've drunk the bitterest herb, I still have to express my gratitude.

At the same time, a growing sense of resentment towards his disappointing son arose within him.

If he hadn't been caught red-handed, he wouldn't be in such a passive position.
However, this passivity is also due to his status.

He was Zhang Tinglu's father, which prevented him from speaking up for his son to exonerate him; otherwise, wouldn't that be blatant cover-up? This confrontation with the Crown Prince left Zhang Ying feeling extremely frustrated.

"Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness," Zhang Ying said in a deep voice.

Chen Tingjing stood next to the trembling Zhang Ying, wondering whether he should step in.

His original plan was that if the Crown Prince directly brought up Tian Wenjing's matter, he and Zhang Ying would work together to minimize the impact.

But before we could even get to the main topic, Zhang Ying had already wilted!
Having been caught red-handed by the Crown Prince, Zhang Ying found it difficult to speak.

Seeing that the Crown Prince had rendered Zhang Ying speechless, he wanted to defend Zhang Tinglu, but couldn't find a suitable angle to approach the situation.

The Crown Prince's treatment of Zhang Tinglu seems lenient, at least much lighter than that of Shang Rongjun.

If I were to speak up to save the day, would it backfire?

This is exactly what he was worried about.

If things really turn out the opposite as he predicted, Zhang Ying will probably resent him for the rest of her life!
While he was hesitating, Zhang Ying had already knelt down to express her gratitude.

It’s too late to say anything now!

"Your Highness, I have something to report..."

Chen Tingjing stood up like a lone hero and spoke loudly.

He decided he could no longer follow the Crown Prince's lead and had to take the initiative.

As soon as he got into that stance, Shen Ye waved his hand and manually muted it.

"Lord Chen, please finish what I have to do first. We can talk about your matter later."

Although Chen Tingjing was unwilling to accept being interrupted by the Crown Prince, he had no choice but to accept it.

After all, being disrespectful in front of the emperor is a crime.

He never expected that even though he, the Left Censor-in-Chief, had spoken up, he would be stopped by the Crown Prince.

Just as he was pondering this to himself, he heard Shen Ye say to Kong Yujin:
"Kong Yujin, Zhen Yan, Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, reported that the blessings of a virtuous person end after five generations, but the blessings of the Sage Confucius have lasted for thousands of years and should also come to an end."

"What do you think?"

Kong Yujin was prepared for the Crown Prince to take action against him, but he did not expect the attack to be so direct.

This isn't a question; it's a death trap!

He had been thinking about this issue for a long time and had also discussed it with his clansmen who remained in the capital.

He knew very well that he could not back down on this matter, or it would be a catastrophe.

"Your Highness, I have read all of Zhen Yan's memorials."

"The legacy of the most revered teacher has greatly benefited us, his descendants."

"Throughout history, dynasties have revered the Sage Confucius in order to inspire scholars throughout the land to devote themselves to learning and to be loyal and trustworthy!"

"Govern the country and bring peace to the world!"

"We have little attachment to the legacy of our revered teacher,"

"What I fear is that the spirit of loyalty, trustworthiness, family harmony, national governance, and world peace will be affected!"

"Please investigate this matter thoroughly, Your Highness!"

Kong Yujin's words sounded grand and righteous.

The meaning is clear: it's not that we insist on this treatment; it's that the imperial court is forcing it upon us.

The purpose is to promote the teachings of the most revered teacher!

No sooner had he finished speaking than the Minister of Rites stepped forward and said:
“Your Highness, all dynasties have worshipped the Sage Confucius and treated his descendants with great respect.”

"This is the aspiration of scholars throughout the land!"

“As a scholar, Zhen Yan’s willingness to submit such a memorial is not only a breach of faith, but I also believe he has ulterior motives!”

"Your Highness, I beg you to issue an imperial decree to execute Zhen Yan and restore order to the world!"

Following the Minister of Rites' words, more than a dozen court officials who had participated in the imperial audience immediately stood up and echoed his sentiments:
"I second the proposal!"

"Your Highness, please severely punish Zhen Yan and restore justice to the world!"

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

(End of this chapter)