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

Chapter 412 To repay the emperor's kindness on the golden platform, I will wield the jade dragon to die for him.

Emperor Qianxi had just received news of Yang Fenggu's death when, in a manor twenty miles away from the Xiaotangshan Imperial Palace, someone was found to be even more astute and well-informed than he, the emperor!
Mr. Liu Tao was no longer "Tao" at this moment. He abandoned his usual arrogant demeanor and stood respectfully in front of an old man dressed in coarse cloth.

The old man appeared calm on the surface, but there was a hint of reluctance hidden in his eyes.

“Master, Lord Yang has achieved his goal and died a worthy death.” Seeing that the old man remained silent, Mr. Liu Tao whispered, trying to find out.

The old man sighed deeply: "If it weren't for the importance of the matter, I would never have let him make this move!"

Mr. Liu hesitated before replying, "After all, Lord Yang..."

The old man waved his hand, his tone resolute: "He owes me, now we're even!"

"Go and keep an eye on his three clans. Report to me immediately if anything happens!"

After saying that, he added, "Remember, you're just watching the show. No matter what happens, don't get involved."

Mr. Liu immediately bowed and said, "Don't worry, sir, I know what's important."

After Mr. Liu Tao quietly withdrew, the old man Mingzhu, who was "retired but not idle," glanced around and seemed to return to thirty years ago.

The hotheaded Yang Fenggu knelt down in front of him with a thud and said, "Lord Mingzhu, you have avenged my father. From now on, my life belongs to you..."

Young people back then were so honest!

He had kept this hidden piece carefully hidden in the Imperial Observatory and had never touched it.

This time, he finally came in handy, and he died a worthy death.

Mingzhu knew the Crown Prince's ruthless and decisive nature all too well; he was incredibly steady, accurate, and vicious. If you dared to do something to him today, he might not say anything on the surface.

But this thorn has been planted in his heart!

The Crown Prince is not a magnanimous person. Once he finds the right opportunity, he will definitely seek revenge and use the most ruthless means to deliver a fatal blow and resolve this old grudge!
Therefore, when he decided to throw Yang Fenggu out, he didn't expect Yang Fenggu to survive, given the crown prince's personality...

Once Yang Fenggu has said everything he needed to say, his greatest value is nothing more than his death.

Yang Fenggu himself should know this!
Mingzhu slowly walked to the desk, spread out a sheet of Xuan paper, and began to write: "To repay your kindness on the golden platform, I will wield the jade dragon and die for you!"

After writing this sentence, Mingzhu gently shook her head.

Sigh, these hot-blooded, immature lines are no longer suitable for an old man like me!

But having such ruthless people under my command still gives me a secret thrill.

After admiring her own calligraphy, Mingzhu casually tossed it into the brazier.

The charcoal fire suddenly leaped up, instantly engulfing the words.

Mingzhu gazed at the flickering flames and murmured to herself, "The fire has already started. Your Highness, how do you plan to put it out this time?"

……

Meanwhile, Shen Ye was rushing to the hot spring palace when he heard that Yang Fenggu had committed suicide.

I heard that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau Chief killed himself by smashing his head against the prison wall of the Dali Temple!
Even on his deathbed, he cried out in a hoarse voice, "The heavens and the earth bear witness!"

Good heavens, Shen Ye's heart skipped a beat: This pot is so big and round, it's probably going to be shoved right onto my head!

Now, Yang Fenggu has been transformed into a loyal minister who dares to speak the truth!

But he, the crown prince, became the villain who forced loyal officials to their deaths.

"Your Highness, people have already begun to offer condolences outside the Dali Temple!"

The messenger lowered his voice: "Although they are quiet now and not saying anything, I have a feeling that they won't let this go."

Shen Ye calmly waved his hand and said, "It's alright, just keep an eye on it!"

"Furthermore, send an imperial edict to the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, instructing him to keep a close eye on Yang Fenggu's family, and if anything goes wrong, make him bring his head to me!"

Zhou Bao leaned closer and whispered, "Your Highness, the most important thing now is to see His Majesty as soon as possible."

"As long as His Majesty trusts the Crown Prince, everything else is negotiable."

Shen Ye patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"Let's go to the hot spring palace!"

Half an hour later, Shen Ye arrived at the hot spring palace.

He had just dismounted and stretched his aching body when Liang Jiugong came up to him: "Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence."

Shen Ye smiled at Liang Jiugong, whose expression was serious, and said, "Then I'll trouble Steward Liang to lead the way."

As the two walked, Liang Jiugong lowered his voice and said, "His Majesty is very unhappy about Yang Fenggu's matter."

The fact that the chief steward offered a suggestion at this time is enough to show that he was still willing to help.

Shen Ye smiled knowingly: "Thanks, Steward Liang. I understand!"

When Shen Ye entered the Sizhi Study, Emperor Qianxi was practicing calligraphy.

Upon seeing his son, he simply nodded and then continued to wield his brush.

Shen Ye leaned closer to take a look—

Then Shen Ye saw Emperor Qianxi writing four characters: "The sea is vast and the sky is boundless!" Upon seeing these four characters, Shen Ye's first reaction was that his father was in a good mood, even having the time to practice calligraphy at a time like this.

But the next second, a thought popped into my head, and my heart skipped a beat!
"The sea is vast and the sky is boundless" is good, but if you add three words before "the sea is vast and the sky is boundless", the meaning will be completely changed!
Taking a step back opens up a whole new world!
Is Emperor Qianxi going to back down and admit defeat?

"Your Highness, look at my handwriting, how is it?"

"Father's calligraphy possesses both the elegance of Wang Xizhi and Liu Gongquan, and the grandeur of an emperor!" Shen Ye flattered him effortlessly.

Emperor Qianxi laughed heartily: "If you say that my calligraphy is inferior to those two great calligraphers, I will absolutely admit it! No need for flattery or talk about imperial grandeur."

"Since you value these four characters so much, I will bestow them upon you!"

Looking at the words "vast sky and boundless sea," Shen Ye thought to himself, "I can accept this word, but I absolutely cannot back down on this step."

Because if we back down now, we'll fall into a trap tomorrow!
Shen Ye's mind was racing with calculations, but he smiled and said, "Father, compared to 'vast sky and boundless sea,' I prefer two lines of poetry. I beg you to bestow your calligraphy so that I may hang them in my study and admire them every day."

"Oh? What poem?" Emperor Qianxi raised an eyebrow.

"It is better to use your remaining courage to pursue the poor bandits, not to use your reputation as an academic overlord!"

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Your son read books in a haphazard way, and only remembers these two sentences that are particularly inspiring. I ate the rest with my food."

Emperor Qianxi carefully savored the poem, his face darkening: "It is indeed a good poem, exuding domineering power, but unfortunately, it is out of place at this time."

“When I was studying in the Imperial Study, Grand Secretary Hong Chengchou once said that one should not be too hasty in everything and should know when to stop.”

"Where there is life, there is hope!"

"Prince, what do you think?"

Shen Ye rolled her eyes inwardly: If I back down now, it's like walking into a trap, and all sorts of accusations will be thrown at me!

The earthquake in Mount Tai has angered the heavens!
He forced Yang Fenggu, the director of the Imperial Observatory, to his death for daring to speak out, which aroused public resentment!
With both divine wrath and public resentment present, what's the point of burning firewood?
Although a million curses were running through his mind, he smiled and said, "Father, what Grand Scholar Hong said is indeed reasonable, but I am worried that some people don't actually want firewood."

"They're planning to move the entire green mountain, roots and all, so why should we back down?"

Emperor Qianxi's face darkened: "You are still too young and impetuous! The Imperial Observatory is the department of the court responsible for dealing with celestial changes, and Yang Fenggu said those words in front of the entire court."

"You arrested him and accused him of having ulterior motives, and you handled it very well."

"But Yang Fenggu's death by crashing his head into the Dali Temple completely changes the situation! Now the whole world will instinctively believe him!"

"The more you explain, the worse it gets. It's better to just let it go."

"The fasting I gave to the late emperor can be temporarily suspended. You should continue with what you need to do."

Shen Ye argued logically: "Father, I think that since things have come to this point, we might as well back down and let things be, but they might not appreciate it."

"It's possible that someone might try to take advantage of the situation."

"And what's your opinion?"

"In my opinion, rather than backing down, we should confront it head-on. Let's stick to the facts and deal with each move as it comes!"

“Some people bring up the Taishan earthquake, so let’s talk about the Taishan earthquake.”

"Some people say that Yang Fenggu's words were honest but hard to hear, and they're speaking up for him. Well then, let's lay this matter out in the open."

"If anyone tries to use this opportunity to attack the new policy of taxing officials and gentry alike, then we'll see it through to the end and discuss this matter..."

Emperor Qianxi frowned as he listened to Shen Ye's words. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Your Highness, do you know that many people are now harboring resentment and are filled with indignation?"

"If we can't calm them down, then the accusations against you will only intensify and pile up like a mountain."

"The imperial court cannot afford to get bogged down in endless disputes; it cannot withstand such turmoil."

Shen Ye said, "Father, you are wise. I understand this, but have you considered that if we just back down like this, wouldn't we be playing right into the hands of the mastermind behind the scenes?"

“I don’t know who this person is, but he can manipulate my son and me like this. Don’t you feel disheartened? Can you tolerate that?”

"Furthermore, Yang Fenggu has always been loyal to the court, so why would he turn against them and desert his post at such a crucial moment?"

"Don't you want to know the truth about this?"

These words hit the nail on the head, precisely striking a nerve with the Qianxi Emperor.

Indeed, the feeling of having a thorn in one's back is extremely uncomfortable.

Yang Fenggu's high-profile death has placed him on the moral high ground.

Even if one is the emperor, the supreme ruler, it is difficult to reverse public opinion.

After much deliberation, Emperor Qianxi decided to temporarily avoid confrontation.

This would not only reduce the conflict and calm the situation, but also serve as a warning to the increasingly powerful Crown Prince and weaken his influence. It would be a three-birds-with-one-stone strategy, which would be barely acceptable to him.

"In that case," the Qianxi Emperor finally relented, "what do you intend to do?"

Shen Ye immediately clasped his hands in a solemn gesture: "Your son would like to earnestly request that Father continue to fast and pray for the late Emperor. As for the affairs of the court, I will take care of them myself."

"Your Majesty believes that those lurking in the shadows will not let this go!"

"When they can't hold back any longer and start causing trouble, they are most likely to be exposed, which is the best time for us to wipe them out in one fell swoop!"

(End of this chapter)