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

Chapter 41: Power unused is power lost.

At 5 p.m. sharp, Shen Ye returned to the palace.

Although he was delayed by the disaster relief efforts, Shen Ye returned to the palace in a very leisurely manner.

However, his mind was still filled with the image of Nian Dongliang's shocked face.

"Lord Shen, what's the point of building so many houses outside the city?"

"Besides, who are we going to sell these houses to?"

"If we can't sell them, how are we going to pay the workers?"

"Our Daxing County really doesn't have any money!"

Nian Dongliang was truly astonished. Under his painstaking efforts, the soup kitchens in Daxing County were able to provide soup twice a day, preventing the disaster victims from starving to death. This was already his limit.

But now, this county magistrate, in a moment of impulsiveness, has made a decision: to recruit able-bodied men.

Not only were meals provided in abundance, but they also received fifty coins per day.

As soon as it was announced, people flocked to it, with two or three thousand people rushing to sign up!
I heard that many disaster victims who were waiting for porridge in Wanping County are rushing to Daxing County. If this doesn't go well, losing their official positions would be the least of their worries.

It's very likely that he'll be given a family-wide elimination game!
If it weren't for the group of burly guards watching Shen Ye closely, he would have loved to fight this guy who dragged him into this mess for three hundred rounds.

Unfortunately, he didn't dare!
Although Erlengtai and the others usually keep a low profile, they all exude the demeanor of masters.

After all, these people were at least third-class guards.

Once they are sent to a post outside the capital, they will at least be a fourth-rank official. Why would they be interested in a county magistrate?
Even if they weren't experts, they still exuded a sense of superiority and were filled with kingly contempt for him.

Although Nian Dongliang has good vision, his position and the era he lived in still have many limitations.

Although the place he was referring to was still a wasteland at the moment, it would eventually be within the Third Ring Road.

Why would houses within the Third Ring Road have trouble selling?
Moreover, is selling houses something I, as the crown prince, should be doing?
I'll show you what group-purchased housing and welfare housing really mean!
"Prince!"

As soon as Xiao Rou entered Yuqing Palace, her face full of smiles, she bowed respectfully to him.

Shen Ye waved his hand and asked, "Where is the Crown Princess?"

"The Crown Princess is sewing a sachet for the Prince," Xiao Rou whispered.

Shen Ye didn't say anything and quickly arrived at the back hall.

Shi Jingrong was sitting on a brocade couch embroidering a sachet. Perhaps it was because she had been enjoying herself these past few days, but she looked radiant.

Her body, which used to appear somewhat thin, has now become much fuller.

Seeing Shen Ye enter, she quickly put down the sachet in her hand and said, "Your Highness, why are you so late today?"

"I asked the kitchen to make some chilled mung bean soup. I'll have Xiaorou bring you a bowl."

Shen Ye casually took Shi Jingrong's hand and said, "Then let's have a bowl."

"Besides, making sachets is too hard on your eyes, so don't waste your energy on it."

"Let someone else do it."

As he spoke, he took off his boots and sat down in a chair, asking, "Is there anything happening in the palace today?"

Shi Jingrong said with a hint of ease, "Aside from chatting with Consort De for a few minutes, there was nothing else."

With Emperor Qianxi accompanying the Empress Dowager to Changchun Garden for summer retreat, Shi Jingrong's life became much easier.

After all, most of the elders she needed to greet and pay respects to were not in the palace, so she could arrange her time freely.

"How about we go out of the palace together tomorrow?" Shen Ye suggested.

Leave the palace!

Upon hearing those two words, Shi Jingrong paused for a moment, then felt a surge of surprise.

For her, marrying into the royal family brought her a noble status, but Yuqing Palace felt like a cage, binding her hands and feet and making it impossible for her to yearn for freedom at will!
Although she always tried to appear dignified and poised, she was, after all, still just a girl in her early twenties.

In later generations, it would just be equivalent to going to university.

It is the age when children love to play and make trouble.

"Let's not go. If His Majesty finds out, he might blame you!" Shen Ye said, holding Shi Jingrong's hand. "It's alright. If His Majesty asks, just say that I insisted on taking you out."

"The old man is ordering me around, so let's not be shy about getting something out of him."

As long as the Crown Prince accompanies the Crown Princess when she leaves the palace, it's not a big deal.

At this point, Shen Ye suddenly said, "Isn't it said that all approvals for palace personnel to go out are handled by you, the Crown Princess?"

"You'll have to write a memorial requesting to leave the palace yourself, and then approve it yourself."

"This isn't against the rules!"

Upon hearing Shen Ye's idea, Shi Jingrong was dumbfounded.

Is it still possible to do this?
From a procedural standpoint, it seems perfectly fine, but something just feels off.

Looking at the silent Shi Jingrong, Shen Ye thought of a joke: Who dares to accuse this official!

"Isn't this not good?"

"What's wrong with that? As the saying goes, 'If you don't use your power, it will expire.'" Shen Ye said, holding Shi Jingrong's hand. "Don't you want to go out for a stroll with me?"

Of course she wanted to! Moreover, Shi Jingrong wanted to go out with the Crown Prince even more.

At that moment, she felt a flutter in her heart...

"How much silver do we have left?" Seeing that Shi Jingrong did not answer, Shen Ye did not continue but changed the subject.

Although she didn't know why the Crown Prince wanted the silver, Shi Jingrong still solemnly replied, "There are still 30,000 taels of silver in the accounts of our Yuqing Palace."

Thirty thousand taels of silver is a considerable sum for an ordinary family.

But for the crown prince, there weren't many left.

However, the Crown Prince's Yuqing Palace was supplied by the Imperial Household Department.

So, this 30,000 taels of silver was essentially a savings account.

Shen Ye said, "His Majesty assigned me a task today: to settle the disaster victims in Daxing County."

"I'll take this 30,000 taels of silver to tide me over for now."

"The money will come back once the house is sold."

"Maybe I can even make a little money."

Shi Jingrong wasn't too concerned about money; what she valued was the job the emperor had given to the crown prince.

After all, her honor and prestige all came from the Crown Prince.

"What kind of house are you selling?" Shi Jingrong asked, puzzled.

Shen Ye said, "I have seen these disaster victims, and they are in a very difficult situation. However, if we want them to truly survive, simply providing them with porridge is not enough; we also need to give them work to do."

“There are plenty of vacant lots outside the city, I’m planning to build a house there.”

"Some of the able-bodied men recruited were used to make bricks, and others to build houses. In this way, they could not only have enough to eat, but also save some money. Once the drought was over, they could take the money they earned back to their hometown."

Listening to Shen Ye's plan, Shi Jingrong felt that there seemed to be nothing wrong with it.

"Your Highness, how many houses do you plan to build?" Shi Jingrong asked.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "We don't need too many, just one or two thousand small courtyards will do."

Although Shi Jingrong felt that resettling disaster victims with one or two thousand houses was a huge project, she was still surprised when she heard Shen Ye's words.

With so many houses, who will buy them?

As her relationship with Shen Ye deepened, Shi Jingrong dared to say things that were previously inappropriate.

She asked with some concern, "Your Highness, with so many houses, when will they all be sold?"

Shen Ye watched as Shi Jingrong's brows relaxed and furrowed, finding her genuine and adorable, and couldn't help but feel a flutter in his heart.

He smiled and said, "Selling a house can be fast or slow, it all depends on who's selling it, that's all!"

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(End of this chapter)