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

Chapter 389 They really are physically weak and can't take a beating.

The Infantry Commander's Office may not have much else, but it has a lot of soldiers!
Those burly, strong soldiers stood at the entrance, like Vajra guardians at the temple gate, their imposing presence overwhelming and impenetrable!

Those who wanted to storm the army commander's office to argue were mostly civil officials who were powerless to even kill a chicken.

Asking them to write memorials and quote classics is fine, but their spittle could drown a person.

However, if you actually let them push open a door or squeeze in, they probably couldn't even catch an old hen wandering around looking for food.

Although the soldiers dared not use force against these civil officials, the wall of people blocked their way, leaving them only able to stare helplessly and unable to advance!
Zhang Tingyu looked at these civil officials as if they were a flock of sparrows whose food had been stolen. They were quite good at chattering, but when they got close to them, they were helpless.

Zhang Tingyu watched from afar, inwardly expressing disdain. Knowing that watching any longer would be pointless, he turned and prepared to return home.

He needs to hurry back and have a serious talk with his father:
The Crown Prince has started eliminating his opponents like this, should we continue this game or not?

Inside the headquarters of the Infantry Commander, Longkodo was leisurely drinking wine.

Hu, the clerk, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and whispered a reminder: "General, more and more officials from various departments are arriving!"

"Even people at the level of the Lesser Nine Ministers have come."

"If this continues, things might get out of hand!"

Longkodo didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, remaining as calm as if he were saying the weather was nice today: "What's the rush? If a high-ranking official like the Nine Ministers comes, let them in and have a seat."

"As for those two, they were simply too weak to withstand the beating, so who can they blame?"

Hearing this argument, which was "unreasonable yet forceful," Master Hu couldn't help but sigh with great emotion:

Sometimes, no matter how good the strategy, it still has to kneel before absolute power.

He sighed and earnestly advised, "Sir, why do you need to get involved in this mess?"

"This matter will have endless consequences!"

Longkodo glanced at him, then patted him on the shoulder with a smile: "Old Hu, don't worry about it."

"Since I dared to take this job, I naturally have my reasons and my way of dealing with it."

"These little storms and waves won't capsize my boat."

After saying that, Longkodo took another sip of wine with a satisfied look.

The scene of the Crown Prince summoning him flashed through his mind again—

After Shen Ye summoned him to Yuqing Palace, he handed him the memorial with Emperor Qianxi's approval without saying a word.

As Emperor Qianxi's confidant and cousin, Longkodo naturally knew Emperor Qianxi very well.

One glance at the familiar handwriting and it immediately dawned on me: Well, this time I guess I'll have to choose sides!

He simply adopted a loyal and honest demeanor, waiting for the Crown Prince's instructions.

The Crown Prince's methods were ruthless, but his decisiveness and efficiency earned him some admiration.

So without a second thought, he readily agreed to the Crown Prince's request.

He was a confidant of Emperor Qianxi, so what did it matter to him whether the officials were happy or not?
What he wanted was the Qianxi Emperor's trust!

Of course, if the crown prince ascends the throne in the future and continues to trust him, that would be the icing on the cake, making it even more perfect!
Seeing that Longkodo continued drinking without saying a word, Master Hu did not try to persuade him further.

Just as the two were silent, someone rushed over and reported, "General, the Left Censor-in-Chief Chen Tingjing has arrived and says he wants to see you."

Longkodo and Chen Tingjing had a mediocre relationship.

They're the type of people who, even if they're both officials in the same court, will ignore each other and won't bother each other either.

However, the Left Censor-in-Chief held a special position, being the head of the censors, and Longkodo was unwilling to offend him easily.

Even though they knew Chen Tingjing had come to interrogate them.

But given the current situation, he had no choice but to witness it.

"Please come in, Lord Chen!" Longkodo put down his wine cup and straightened his clothes.

Less than a minute later, Chen Tingjing stormed in angrily.

Upon seeing that Longkodo was still drinking, he immediately flew into a rage:
"Longkodo! Aren't you afraid that by doing this, history will record your deeds with unwavering resolve and leave you with a lasting stain on your reputation?"

Longkodo wasn't annoyed; instead, he retorted with a smile:
"Lord Chen, you don't need to scare me. I, Longkodo, am just His Majesty's watchdog. I'll go wherever His Majesty points!"

"Unlike some people, I am not someone who, despite holding His Majesty's rice bowl, still tries to smash His Majesty's pot!"

"Shouldn't people like this be the ones who fear the history books as sharp knives?"

Longkodo's words were like a needle, hitting the nail on the head and piercing Chen Tingjing's heart with precision.

His face turned pale, and he was speechless for a moment.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and said:
"Longkodo, the Infantry Commander's Office hasn't killed anyone in years, yet now it has beaten two Hanlin scholars to death. Do you think your explanation can silence public opinion?"

"Just wait to be impeached!"

Longkodo smiled and said, "If Lord Chen doesn't believe that a board can kill someone, then will His Majesty believe that Tian Wenjing's family submitted their petition 'voluntarily'?"

"You are not even afraid of the crime of deceiving the emperor, so what is my little matter?"

Chen Tingjing, as the Left Censor-in-Chief, was originally an eloquent and persuasive person.

But at this moment, he was rendered speechless by Longkodo's counter-question.

He could only awkwardly change the subject, saying, "Now that the person is dead, how do you plan to clean up this mess?"

Longkodo spread his hands, looking completely innocent: "What's there to clean up? My body is too weak to take a beating, so how can you blame me?"

Chen Tingjing knew that it would be a waste of breath to continue, and that the people who could really decide this matter were neither him nor Longkodo.

"Very well, the deaths of Longkodo and Lü Baizhou are naturally subject to His Majesty's judgment." "But now, those who were flogged need to be treated, right? Let me take them away for treatment, is that alright?"

Seeing that Chen Tingjing had backed down and no longer claimed responsibility, Longkodo was happy to do him a favor.

He immediately smiled and said, "Lord Chen, in principle, you shouldn't be allowed to take these people with you."

"After all, they are prisoners awaiting exile, to be sent to Ningguta."

"However, since you, Lord Chen, have spoken, I, Longkodo, will grant you this favor."

"We'll set off again after the wounds have healed."

"However, if these people escape, let's be clear from the start, Lord Chen, I will hold you responsible."

Chen Tingjing snorted coldly: "In that case, thank you very much, Lord Long!"

As Chen Tingjing emerged from the Infantry Commander's office, a wave of sorrow washed over him as he looked at the group of young officials behind him, all limping and supporting each other.

The Crown Prince has completely broken off all pretense of civility. If he continues to confront us head-on, the consequences will be unimaginable!

How can we break this deadlock?
In the Southern Study, Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying received the news almost simultaneously.

The two people reacted very differently:

Zhang Ying was both shocked and furious, while Tong Guowei seemed to have a subtle expression on his face, as if he was enjoying the show, with a faint smile on his lips.

After exchanging a glance, Zhang Ying said with a grim face, "Prime Minister Tong, Longkodo's actions are simply outrageous!"

"Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Tong Guowei calmly replied, "Longkodo is the Infantry Commander personally appointed by His Majesty. What he does is his own business, and I have no say in it."

"However, Prime Minister Zhang, your 'petition' was indeed far too obvious!"

"That's what you call trying to be clever but ending up making a mess of things."

"Although His Majesty is in seclusion to pray for blessings, that doesn't mean he knows nothing."

Zhang Ying was taken aback, and after a long while, she sighed and said, "Prime Minister Tong, there are some things we can't simply choose not to do."

"There are countless eyes watching us in this world!"

After saying that, he stopped arguing and lowered his head to think.

Now, he was truly undecided whether to continue the counterattack and fight back head-on, or to stop while he was ahead.

No matter how anxious he is right now, he still has to do what needs to be done.

As he reviewed the memorials from various regions, he muttered to himself: Why hasn't the Crown Prince summoned me yet?
Did he never intend to talk to me at all?
At this point, Shen Ye indeed had no intention of summoning Zhang Ying.

In his view, meeting now would be a complete waste of time.

It would be better to take advantage of this brilliant move by the Infantry Commander's Office and quickly implement the policy of taxation for officials and gentry as a whole.

He is currently summoning Zhen Yan!
Zhen Yan's face was pale!
Before he arrived, he had already heard about the fate of Lü Baizhou and the others, and he was so frightened that his legs cramped up.

Lu Baizhou and others wanted him dead, but Tian Wenjing died in his place.

Zhen Yan felt deeply grateful to Tian Wenjing and was determined to seek justice for her.

But when Tian Wenjing's family submitted their "voluntary" petition, he realized just how powerful the forces he was facing were.

This incident left him feeling powerless and filled with mixed emotions.

Now that Lü Baizhou is dead, he felt a sense of relief, but also a greater sense of fear.

"Lord Zhen, how is your recovery going?" Shen Ye asked with a smile.

Zhen Yan quickly and respectfully replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

"Your Majesty, I am now out of danger."

"I also thank Your Highness for redressing Lord Tian's grievances. If he has a spirit in heaven, he will surely be smiling in his grave."

Shen Ye patted his shoulder and said solemnly, "Lord Zhen, you once said that Lord Tian Wenjing's greatest wish before his death was to reform the corrupt practices of the court."

"I believe he would die with a smile on his face. What he wanted was not simply revenge, but rather to see the court implement the policy of requiring officials and gentry to pay taxes together."

"Lord Zhen, you won't disappoint Lord Tian Wenjing, will you?"

Zhen Yan's expression changed rapidly; he knew exactly what was going on.
I've been put on this pedestal, and I can't get down even if I want to.

He had nowhere left to retreat!
He took a deep breath and resolved to go all out.
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will never let Lord Tian down, nor will I let Your Highness down!"

"Please give your instructions, Your Highness."

Shen Ye nodded in satisfaction: "With Lord Zhen's words, I can rest assured."

"Tomorrow, when I hold court, Minister Zhen will submit a memorial requesting the implementation of a system where officials and gentry pay taxes together."

"I hope this performance will be a complete success!"

Zhen Yan wasn't so optimistic about this matter; he was very worried: Could this really work out?
However, he glanced at Shen Ye and readily agreed, "Your humble servant obeys the decree!"

Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well die a glorious death, at least I can leave my name in history books.

He seemed to have already foreseen that tomorrow's imperial audience would likely be even more heated than he had imagined.

The deaths of Lü Baizhou and others cannot be so easily forgotten.

　The second update of the day is here! Please support me in the last few hours, everyone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)