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

Chapter 386 Father, Someone Is Bullying Me
Just as Shen Ye was marveling at Zhang Ying's extraordinary skills, Zhou Bao suddenly came to report: Longkodo requests an audience!

Longkodo, who doesn't know that he was a loyal dog by Emperor Qianxi's side?

Shen Ye has always maintained a safe distance from him, neither being overly enthusiastic nor cold.

Upon hearing that he had arrived, and looking down at the eloquent petition in his hand, he immediately understood why Longkodo had come.

Although he didn't treat Longkodo with courtesy, he also wouldn't embarrass him.

So he readily instructed Zhou Bao, "Please invite Lord Longkodo over."

In just half a minute, Longkodo arrived in front of Shen Ye.

Longkodo also dared not underestimate or neglect the crown prince who was acting as regent.

He knew his special status meant that he could not possibly have any private contact with the Crown Prince in the short term.

Therefore, he could only try to appear submissive in order to gain the Crown Prince's favor.

What if the crown prince ascends the throne in the future? Paving the way in advance will make life a little easier.

Without saying a word, he immediately bowed deeply and said, "This servant Longkodo pays respects to Your Highness!"

Shen Ye is always impeccable in his manners and never makes a mistake.

He quickly stepped forward to help Longkodo up, smiling broadly as he said:

“Lord Long, we are all on the same side, and we are meeting in private today. It’s too formal.”

"A simple cupped hand is enough; such elaborate greetings are too tiring."

At this point, he turned to Zhou Bao and instructed, "Quickly serve tea to Lord Long."

"After making this trip in this freezing weather, let's have some tea to warm ourselves up first."

Longkodo felt much better knowing that the Crown Prince was giving him such face.

Although he couldn't get too close to the Crown Prince because of his relationship with his cousin, the Qianxi Emperor.

However, the fact that the Crown Prince treated him so politely reassured him quite a bit.

"Your Highness, I have come to report on the case of Tian Wenjing being beaten to death."

As Longkodo accepted the tea from Zhou Bao, he spoke in a deep voice.

His voice was filled with solemnity.

Shen Ye looked up at him, her tone calm: "What, has there been any change in this case?"

"Your Highness, this morning when I was on duty, I received a petition from Tian Wenjing's family."

"The letter of petition basically stated that Tian Wenjing was already ill and this was just an accident."

Longkodo's voice deepened slightly as he continued:
"They pleaded with the court to be lenient towards Lü Baizhou and the others, considering their dedication to the court."

"Even no punishment."

Shen Ye tapped the table lightly with his finger and said, "Lord Long, what do you plan to do?"

"This servant suspects that this petition was likely coerced or bribed by someone to produce it. Therefore, I intend to have Tian Wenjing's family members come to court for questioning."

"However, Tian Wenjing's family is the aggrieved party after all."

"Moreover, since Tian Wenjing's family has written this petition, even if I were to question them, they would insist that the petition represents their true intentions and was entirely voluntary."

"In that case, according to the law, the sentence can only be lenient."

Longkodo's voice trailed off as he spoke, tinged with unease:
"This servant is unsure of what to do, so I humbly request Your Highness's guidance."

How could Shen Ye not know his little scheme?

Isn't it just because they're afraid of offending people and getting blamed from both sides that they come here to shift the blame?
Report to him first; it won't make things difficult.

Shen Ye wasn't bothered by this, after all, as a subordinate, it was normal to report to superiors when encountering difficult tasks.

Shen Ye pondered for a moment and said, "Investigate the matter of the petition letter and find out the whole story."

"Tian Wenjing's family doesn't have this kind of literary talent!"

At this point, he continued, "As for the case, just say it's complicated and needs to be investigated slowly, so we can delay it for a while."

Upon hearing this, Longkodo finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.

What he feared most was that if the Crown Prince insisted on his own opinion, he would definitely kill Lü Baizhou and the others.

In that case, he would be in big trouble.

If we don't do it, we'll offend the Crown Prince;
He did it, but was then impeached by the court officials.

Now, the Crown Prince has given us a delaying tactic, which is somewhat disappointing, but not unacceptable.

He immediately said respectfully to Shen Ye, "Your Highness, I thank you for your guidance."

Shen Ye waved his hand and said with a smile, "This is what I should handle, there's no need for thanks."

Then, changing the subject, he said:

“Longkodo, my father appointed me to oversee the country so that I could deal with the matter of Lü Baizhou and others, and then implement the policy of officials, gentry and commoners paying taxes together.”

Do you think this is feasible?

Longkodo originally intended to take his leave, but he did not expect the Crown Prince to suddenly raise such a big issue.

He could be considered part of the official and gentry class, but as the emperor's maternal family, he knew better than anyone that if the court collapsed, his own family would suffer the greatest loss.

Moreover, that tax was nothing to him, just a drop in the ocean.

"Your Highness, I fully support the idea of ​​making officials, gentry, and commoners pay taxes together."

"This servant understands that the wealth and honor of this servant's family are inseparable from the imperial court."

"If the court is struggling, then my family will naturally not fare well either."

"For this servant, even if we have to pay more taxes and our family lives a little more frugally, we absolutely cannot allow the court to have any problems."

Shen Ye nodded in satisfaction and said, "The only ones who can be of one mind with the court are wise men like you, Uncle!" His tone shifted, carrying a hint of coldness:
"Some people enjoy the benefits of the imperial court, but do not think of repaying the court."

"They eat the government's food, yet they want to smash the government's pot!"

"For such people, both my father and I will punish them severely and without leniency."

At this point, Shen Ye turned to Longkodo and said, "So, Uncle, you must take good care of this matter after you go down there."

"We must not allow anyone to take advantage of this!"

The sound of those few "uncle" calls sent chills down Longkodo's spine.

He didn't know whether the crown prince's utterance of those two words was a blessing or a curse for him.

If it's considered a blessing, it means the crown prince is close to him.

However, if it's considered a misfortune, then that makes sense too—

The Crown Prince is already calling him uncle. If he messes up again on this matter, how could the Crown Prince let him off easily?

Longkodo was feeling very uneasy and had a headache.

However, although the outcome is uncertain, an old fox is still an old fox after all.

On the surface, Longkodo remained as composed as ever, bowing respectfully and assuring everyone that he would take the matter seriously.

After Longkodo withdrew, Shen Ye held the petition and his mind raced.

Since Zhang Ying and others dared to submit this petition, the Tian family must have already become an impenetrable wall, making it difficult to break through.

However, if we let Lü Baizhou and the others go, then the policy of requiring officials and gentry to pay taxes together will no longer be implemented!
It's so hard to move it!

An idea flashed through Shen Ye's mind.

However, he quickly suppressed this idea—

This method is ingenious, but it may bring other troubles.

After taking a sip of tea, Shen Ye felt much warmer.

Although the underground heating in Yuqing Palace is quite good, it still falls short compared to the Hot Spring Palace.

While Dad is comfortably hibernating in the hot spring palace, I'm here battling wits with Zhang Ying and his gang. What a different fate for different people!
Thinking of Emperor Qianxi, Shen Ye suddenly felt a jolt.

During this period, he reprimanded Zhang Ying, dismissed the Hanlin scholars who petitioned the emperor, and also caused considerable trouble for the Kong family, nearly severing half of their legacy...

So much has been accomplished in such a short time.

Am I too capable?
Will a crown prince who is too capable disturb his father the emperor's sweet dreams?
It's time to play the victim!
Otherwise, Emperor Qianxi might become suspicious.

Shen Ye picked up the petition again and a smile appeared on his face.

If used properly, this thing might turn waste into treasure!
He immediately picked up the petition and began writing furiously.

Shen Ye wrote several pages of this memorial, but the central idea was just one thing:
Father, someone is bullying your son. You must stand up for me!
After finishing the memorial, Shen Ye carefully checked it again before instructing Zhou Bao to send it to the Hot Spring Palace immediately.

He believed that the Qianxi Emperor would soon see this "letter of lamentation".

Having done all this, Shen Ye walked towards the rear hall of Yuqing Palace with a relaxed expression.

Meanwhile, in the duty room of the South Study, Tong Guowei was discussing matters with Zhang Ying.

Both men were Grand Secretaries, and assisting Emperor Qianxi in handling affairs was originally a shared responsibility.

With so many matters to attend to at court every day, the two of them should at least sit down together to discuss them.

"Prime Minister Zhang, have you heard? Tian Wenjing's family has submitted a petition to the Infantry Commander's Office, pleading for leniency for Lü Baizhou and others," Tong Guowei said with a smile as he sipped his tea.

Zhang Ying remained expressionless and said calmly, "Prime Minister Tong, isn't this perfectly normal?"

As the saying goes, loyal ministers and righteous men are admired by everyone.

"Tian Wenjing's family also deeply admires these loyal people."

"Although they have lost loved ones, they are still willing to do something for these loyal people."

"So they chose to forgive."

At this point, Zhang Ying turned to Tong Guowei and said, "When the Holy Emperor is in power, there are not only loyal ministers and filial sons, but also righteous people who understand the greater good and are aware of the bigger picture."

"What do you think?"

Tong Guowei was speechless after hearing this.

He cursed inwardly, "Keep pretending! Keep pretending!"
What does this have to do with righteousness? To put it bluntly, isn't it all just an exchange of interests?

He chuckled and said, "Zhang Xiang is right."

"With the emperor in power, loyal ministers and righteous men will naturally emerge in large numbers."

He then added, seemingly alluding, "However, the Holy Emperor has discerning eyes; he can tell who is genuine and who is fake at a glance."

Zhang Ying seemed completely oblivious to the barb in Tong Guowei's words, calmly responding:
"The real can not be fake, the fake can not be real."

"Prime Minister Tong doesn't need to get bogged down in these details."

He paused, then his tone became serious: "Prime Minister Tong, as Grand Secretaries, our most important task is to help His Majesty stabilize the court."

"The imperial court must not be thrown into chaos!"

"After all, the Lunar New Year is just around the corner!"

Tong Guowei smiled and said, "Don't worry, Prime Minister Zhang, things won't get chaotic."

"His Majesty is watching!"

The two exchanged a smile and stopped mentioning the petition, as if it had never existed.

However, they both knew in their hearts that this matter was not over yet.

(End of this chapter)