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

Chapter 393 From now on, the imperial court will belong to us.

Who would try to take advantage of this situation at such a critical juncture?

Could it be that old fox, Emperor Qianxi?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Although this gentleman appeared to be running faster than a rabbit and found an excuse to "avoid some peace and quiet," everyone knew that although he didn't say it, he was actually determined to make the gentry and commoners pay taxes together.

If we're talking about all the civil and military officials, there are only two people who truly understand the meaning of "being broke":
One was the Qianxi Emperor;
The other one is the Minister of Revenue, who would love to break a copper coin into eight pieces!

Since the Emperor is unlikely, who is the most likely candidate?
The answer is practically obvious—

It refers to the Qianxi Emperor's large group of princes, excluding the crown prince!

With the Crown Prince around, how can any other prince possibly ascend to the throne? It'll be difficult!
But look at this dynasty, since its founding, those who ultimately sit on the dragon throne and inherit the throne are basically not the crown prince.

Emperor Taizong was not the crown prince!

The late emperor was not the crown prince!

Emperor Qianxi himself never even served as a backup for the crown prince.

As a result, the princes' eyes widened like saucers, and some "unreasonable thoughts" inevitably began to secretly arise in their hearts:
Why can't I give it a try?

Emperor Qianxi now has at least a dozen princes who have come of age.

Previously, the eldest prince was ambitious and, with Mingzhu's support, he was determined to seize the position of crown prince.

Unfortunately, her acting was too exaggerated at the Summer Palace, and she was eliminated immediately.

But the other princes were not idle, and their performance remained strong.

Putting aside other things, many people believe that the Eighth Prince is capable of becoming the Crown Prince.

In addition, Tong Guowei and others were wholeheartedly supporting him.

Although Zhang Ying and others did not express their opinions explicitly, according to Zhang Ying's knowledge, some of his friends secretly supported the Eighth Prince.

It's just that some people do it openly, while others are more subtle and clandestine.

It's true what they say: overt flirtation is easy to avoid, but covert flirtation is hard to guard against
On the other hand, what about the Crown Prince's side?
The Crown Prince's top supporter, Songgotu, is dead!

The family was exiled to the harsh and desolate Fengtian Prefecture, and their power had long since vanished.

The Crown Prince ignored those whom Suo'etu tried to win over.

Currently, there are very few people who can be called "the Crown Prince".

The Crown Prince's current tax reform is tantamount to offending all the gentry in the land.

If even Emperor Qianxi doesn't support him, then the position of crown prince will be gone in an instant!

Zhang Ying remained silent, and Chen Tingjing also kept quiet.

After a long while, Chen Tingjing finally spoke: "I don't know who is trying to take advantage of the situation, but their goal is the same as ours, albeit by different means."

"Maybe we can work together."

Upon hearing the phrase "different paths leading to the same destination," Zhang Ying sneered and said, "Lord Chen, don't be so naive!"

"They might just be trying to use us, to make us risk our lives charging into battle!"

"In their eyes, we're just cannon fodder; they're hiding behind the scenes, waiting to reap the rewards!"

Chen Tingjing said calmly, "Brother Zhang, our most important task right now is to prevent officials, gentry, and commoners from paying taxes together!"

"We both know who is behind this."

"If we can't stop this from happening, but we can bring down the people who are pushing it, then this whole thing might just fall through."

"After all, not every imperial decree can be implemented."

"Innovation is a continuous process, but sometimes we lose sight of it along the way."

Hearing Chen Tingjing say this, Zhang Ying fell into deep thought again.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the Crown Prince was now the "vanguard" of tax reform.

If the crown prince falls, then this whole thing is half over.

Even if Emperor Qianxi wanted to continue promoting it, it would take a lot of effort.

As she pondered this, Zhang Ying suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the Crown Prince.

He spoke with him, and he knew perfectly well that pushing this forward would offend the gentry and common people of the land.

However, the crown prince still did it without hesitation.

The Crown Prince's actions demonstrate commendable courage; he is clearly not afraid.
Or... was he forced into this situation, with no other choice?
Emperor Qianxi was only forty-five years old, in the prime of his life!
The crown prince was in his twenties and had already come of age.

The conflict between this father and son was almost inevitable.

As Emperor Qianxi grew older, his suspicions also increased.

Zhang Ying reads a lot of books, but he reads history books the most.

Therefore, he is very familiar with the emperors in history.

Emperor Wu of Han was so suspicious that he drove his own son to his death!

Li Longji went even further, killing three of his sons in a single day due to the same suspicion!
What will happen when Emperor Qianxi gets old?
Faced with the Crown Prince whose strength is constantly rising and whose wings are growing stronger, will he also take action?
Once you think about it that way, it makes sense!

The crown prince has offended all the gentry in the land, which is tantamount to cutting off his own arm.

With that, Emperor Qianxi was relieved.

My good son, your actions have pleased me greatly. Now that you have no means to rebel, I can sleep more soundly!

Thinking of this, Zhang Ying couldn't help but sigh:

Alas, when you're in the world of martial arts, how can you avoid getting hurt?

Everyone has their struggles!
It wasn't easy for me, and it wasn't easy for the Crown Prince either.

He glanced at Chen Tingjing and said, "Brother Chen, this matter is too big. Let's discuss it carefully."

"Furthermore, the Hanlin Academy and the censors under your command can skip court, but none of us can be touched."

"We must stand with His Majesty."

Chen Tingjing understood Zhang Ying's meaning: he wanted his men to cause trouble, while they pretended to be the good guys and leave room for maneuver.

Civil officials are already very familiar with this kind of routine.

Chen Tingjing nodded and said, "Brother Zhang, don't worry, I understand."

"However, those people don't listen to me completely anymore. I'll try my best to persuade them when I get back."

Zhang Ying frowned slightly, feeling a bit annoyed: her subordinates were disobedient, which made her feel frustrated.

But when he thought of the "mastermind" behind it all, he calmed down.

He turned to Chen Tingjing and said, "Try to investigate and see who we can cooperate with."

"We can't wait until someone sells us out before we even know who sold us out."

Chen Tingjing nodded and said, "I'll investigate when I get back."

"However, you should be mentally prepared for the possibility of a strike."

"In case someone doesn't listen to instructions, we need to have a backup plan so we don't end up in a panic."

After saying this, Chen Tingjing took his leave.

Whether it was the task Zhang Ying had entrusted to him or his own affairs, it determined that he could not stay here for long.

As soon as Chen Tingjing left, Zhang Ying couldn't help but rub her head.

The Crown Prince's desire to change the tax system was already giving him a headache.

There are even people taking advantage of the chaos to incite a strike against the court.

Once this happens, nobody knows what the consequences will be.

After all, such a thing as a strike is extremely rare, even in previous dynasties.

"Father!" After seeing Chen Tingjing off, Zhang Tingyu respectfully walked in and said, "Xu Chunping, the Grand Academician of the Hanlin Academy, said he has important matters to discuss with you."

"Look..."

Zhang Ying picked up his teacup and took a sip, then suddenly said, "Tingyu, a heavy rain is coming. What do you think of me retiring now?"

Zhang Tingyu didn't hear Chen Tingjing and Zhang Ying's conversation, but seeing his father's dejected expression, he guessed that things had gotten out of hand.

He hesitated for a moment and said, "Father, if you had chosen to retire and return to your hometown before this matter began, I would not only not have stopped you, but I would have congratulated you."

"But things have come to this point, you have no choice but to persevere."

"If we back down now, we'll probably please neither side!"

Hearing Zhang Tingyu say this, Zhang Ying sighed.

He was well aware of the consequences.

The reason he said he was going to back down was because he was already somewhat afraid of what was happening now.

"Tingyu, next year's provincial examination is your best chance to enter officialdom."

"Remember, always do more and talk less, and don't follow in Zhang Tinglu's footsteps!"

"He's just too flashy!"

"Hmph, people who are too flamboyant are just asking for trouble."

Hearing his father criticize his older brother, Zhang Tingyu remained silent and obedient.

Although he disapproved of his brother's actions, he was still his brother after all.

The father can criticize as he pleases, but the younger brother cannot interfere.

Zhang Ying appreciated his son's silence and said calmly, "Go and invite Lord Xu Chunping over."

Zhang Tingyu agreed, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he said in a deep voice, "Father, does Second Brother really want to stay in that remote place forever?"

"My second sister-in-law and second brother have been angry about this all day."

Zhang Ying gave Zhang Tingyu a wry smile and said, "The Crown Prince's words are now an imperial edict. He won't be back anytime soon."

At this point, he added with a hint of reluctance, "Tell your wife to tell your second sister-in-law that I will try to get Zhang Tinglu back later."

"Go!"

Having achieved his goal, Zhang Tingyu bowed respectfully to his father and then departed.

A hint of helplessness flashed in Zhang Ying's eyes as she watched her son leave.

Although he holds a high position of power, he can no longer make decisions on his own in many matters.

I wonder if Chen Tingjing can persuade those troublemakers to calm down. If he can't, things will get complicated tomorrow!
While Zhang Ying was busy, several young officials were gathered together in a restaurant in the west of the city.

They were ostensibly having a meal together because they were from the same hometown, but in reality, they were discussing business.

"Lord Chen has sent word that Lord Zhang does not agree to the suspension of court," a deep voice said. "What should we do?"

His words caused a moment of silence in the room.

In the silence, a slightly excited voice broke the silence: "Lord Zhang has different concerns than we do."

"He's more concerned about his own job; he's not really thinking about our affairs."

"If you ask me, we still have to fight for our own future!"

"Now is a golden opportunity. The eldest prince is already crippled. If we can seize this opportunity to bring him down, then the court will be ours to rule!"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke: "Gentlemen, this is an opportunity not to be missed, a chance that will not come again!"

"Are you all content to spend your whole lives stuck in your current positions, wasting your lives, and still having to be subservient to others when you're all old and gray?"

The man's words were full of incitement, and the phrase "wasted life" was like a heavy hammer, instantly sobering everyone present up—good heavens, who could withstand this!
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(End of this chapter)