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

Chapter 413 Crown Prince, What's it like to be Regent?
Looking at Shen Ye's stubborn expression, determined not to admit defeat no matter what, Emperor Qianxi stroked his chin and fell into deep thought.

He actually wanted to take a step back, suppress the court battle triggered by Yang Fenggu's death, and stabilize the situation first.

Of course, the most interesting point is that the crown prince, who is in the public eye and is resented by both the people, will most likely be criticized and his reputation will plummet.

To be honest, Emperor Qianxi was secretly quite pleased with the current situation.

Why? Because recently, the Crown Prince's influence has become a bit too strong!

He was the emperor, especially a prime-age emperor. How could he tolerate his son being more powerful than himself?
A weak crown prince suited his purposes perfectly.

However, if the crown prince is so badly criticized that he has to step down from his position as regent, he will basically lose all prestige.

Once the Crown Prince loses his prestige, who will take him seriously? If someone keeps jumping out to plead for Yang Fenggu's innocence, then replacing the Crown Prince will be a piece of cake.
So here's the problem: with the crown prince stepping down, the newly implemented policy of taxation for officials and gentry must be compromised.

If we don't back down, those people will definitely keep attacking us!

Emperor Qianxi's mind was spinning like a top, caught in a dilemma, his head throbbing with anxiety.

Seeing the hesitant Emperor Qianxi, Shen Ye stepped forward and said, "Father, your fast is for a month, and twenty days of this month have already passed!"

“If you rush to end your fast now, it will not only make people think you are in a hurry about this matter, but it will also make them think that you are going to give in and compromise.”

"Instead of being led by the nose by them, it's better to continue to wait and see."

"Let me test their intentions first!"

Emperor Qianxi looked at Shen Ye, whose face was resolute, hesitated for a few seconds, and then said, "Very well, then you shall continue to oversee the country."

"But I hope that you can settle this matter before my fast ends."

At this point, he glanced at the sky and said, "It's almost time for dinner. You will stay with me until we finish our meal before you go back."

"Liang Jiugong, serve the meal."

Liang Jiugong had been standing guard at the door. He didn't know what the emperor and his son were talking about, but when he heard Emperor Qianxi say that he wanted to serve the meal, a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders—after all, being able to eat meant that the talks hadn't broken down.

The Emperor Qianxi's imperial meal had been prepared long ago. Although the fasting and praying for the late emperor was just an excuse, how many eyes were watching the emperor's affairs!
Therefore, Emperor Qianxi ate vegetarian food!

"Let the Crown Prince try this tofu roll; it's fragrant and crispy." Emperor Qianxi pointed to a plate of spiced tofu rolls and said to Liang Jiugong, who was serving the meal.

Liang Jiugong quickly picked up a piece of tofu roll with his chopsticks and placed it in front of Shen Ye.

After Shen Ye thanked him, he tried a piece. It tasted delicious, but it was a bit cold.

However, he was well aware that the most important thing to ensure when putting something into Emperor Qianxi's mouth was its safety.

As Emperor Qianxi bestowed dishes upon each child, the entire Sizhi Study was filled with a scene of filial piety and paternal love.

Just then, Emperor Qianxi suddenly asked, "Crown Prince, how have you felt about these past twenty-odd days of regency?"

Shen Ye, who was stuffing meat into his mouth, was speechless when he heard this: Here we go again, Dad is testing us again!

Aren't you annoying?!
But he still answered sincerely, "Father, to be honest, the burden of the court is no human being to bear!"

Emperor Qianxi frowned:
How can this kid talk like that? Everyone says you have a high IQ and reliable EQ.

Isn't this a bit too much of a boastful and unrestrained statement?

I've been doing this for so many years, am I not a human being?

Just as Emperor Qianxi's expression darkened, Shen Ye calmly added, "For me, this kind of life is best experienced only occasionally."

"Father, please continue to work hard. I will take over this responsibility from you after I turn fifty."

Shen Ye is now in his twenties. After he turns fifty, that means Emperor Qianxi will have to work hard for another twenty years.

That is, when Emperor Qianxi was seventy years old.

It's rare for someone to live to seventy!
Although Emperor Qianxi had never expected to live past seventy, he was still secretly pleased to hear his son being so "considerate".

However, on the surface, he still kept a straight face and said, "You're only in your twenties now, and you're less than thirty years away from fifty."

"What are you planning to do during this long period of time?"

Are you just going to coast through life?

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Father, it's just the two of us eating today, so I'll say something from the bottom of my heart."

"Although from ancient times to the present, people have always shouted 'Long live the emperor!'"

"But very few people can actually live to be a hundred years old."

"It is rare for a person to live to seventy! And human physical functions decline year by year."

"Therefore, I hope that I can enjoy life as much as possible while I am young."

"As for taking on the responsibility that Father Emperor has placed on your shoulders, I hope it will be as late as possible."

Emperor Qianxi never expected that Shen Ye's answer would be to enjoy life.

In the past, the word "enjoyment" was synonymous with a lack of ambition in his eyes.

But at this moment, listening to his son say that he was going to enjoy life, he felt a strange sense of peace.

Enjoy life!

As long as they don't compete with me for power and profit, everything is negotiable.

He put down his chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Don't you have any ambitions?"

"I myself find my personality a bit contradictory."

"To be honest, I'm always annoyed by those guys." "But to be honest, I'm always thinking about doing things well, even though there are tasks in front of me."

Shen Ye smiled and continued, "Take this system of officials and gentry paying taxes together as an example. I know very well that this is a hornet's nest."

"If you poke it, you might get stung all over and covered in welts."

"But I know even more clearly that even with Father Emperor's support, we dare not take it down decisively. When the dynasty has been established for a long time and people yearn for peace, it will be even more difficult."

Looking at the Crown Prince, who was filled with emotion, Emperor Qianxi felt a surge of fatherly pride.

He smiled and said, "Your Highness, whether it's knocking on the palace gates or canceling court, plus the death of Yang Fenggu from the Imperial Observatory, it's all the same thing."

"Officials and gentry pay taxes together!"

"What you've done has affected the interests of too many people, which is why it's so difficult to move forward."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi comforted him, saying, "You don't need to worry too much, your father is here!"

"Remember this, I support you."

This meal was filled with the warmth of fatherly love and filial piety, a harmonious atmosphere.

After the meal, Shen Ye went to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager, but Emperor Qianxi, as usual, wanted to take a nap after the meal, so he did not keep Shen Ye any longer.

However, as Shen Ye accompanied Wei Zhu to pay his respects, Emperor Qianxi watched him leave and suddenly remarked with a sigh, "Enjoying life, what a wonderful reason!"

"If I can live to be seventy, I will be truly content."

After saying this, he turned to Liang Jiugong, who was standing to one side, and asked, "Liang Jiugong, do you think the Crown Prince is someone who enjoys life?"

Liang Jiugong's face looked somewhat bitter!

He felt that his emperor always liked to pull this kind of trick; these deadly questions were late but always came!
However, the reason he was able to maintain his position as Grand Eunuch was precisely because of his ability to handle life-threatening situations.

So he replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, this servant feels that although the Crown Prince is exceptionally intelligent, he is indeed not very fond of meddling in affairs."

This statement did not directly answer Emperor Qianxi's question.

But in reality, it also gave an answer—he said everything, and the crown prince wasn't very interested in politics.

Many of the things he did were forced upon him, like being pushed into a corner.

Emperor Qianxi smiled and said, "The Crown Prince has indeed had a tough time these past few days!"

"However, the Crown Prince's ability to withstand the pressure and not back down is somewhat reminiscent of my own style back in the day."

"Keep a close eye on the movements of the previous dynasty, and report to me immediately if anything happens."

Just as Shen Ye was witnessing Emperor Qianxi putting on a show of fatherly affection, the Southern Study was in complete chaos!
As a Grand Secretary, Tong Guowei sat calmly in the head seat, just like a Bodhisattva in deep meditation!

Zhang Ying sat quietly to the side, remaining silent and composed.

The one who spoke loudly at this moment was Chen Tingjing, the Left Censor-in-Chief. He shouted, "Two Grand Secretaries, esteemed ministers, with Yang Fenggu dead, resentment is now overflowing!"

“There were at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, officials from all sides who were mourning outside the Dali Temple!”

“Many people are criticizing us, saying that we not only failed to advise the Crown Prince against his reckless behavior, but also aided and abetted his evil deeds!”

"If this continues, how will we face our colleagues and the world!"

Minister of Rites Zhang Yushu said coldly, "Chen Tingjing, stop talking nonsense. What suggestions do you have? Tell the two Grand Secretaries."

"At the very least, you should let the two Grand Secretaries know what we should do, right?"

Zhang Ying glanced at Zhang Yushu without saying a word, but inwardly scoffed:

These two guys are singing in unison, do they think everyone else is blind and can't see through it?

Chen Tingjing had been waiting for these words, and immediately said solemnly, "Two Grand Secretaries, I believe that at this time, we should ask His Majesty to end the fast as soon as possible and take charge of the overall situation."

"Although it is not good to disturb His Majesty, the matter is urgent and we have no choice but to do so!"

Upon hearing this, Tong Guowei snorted coldly and said, "Has the situation really come to such an urgent point that His Majesty doesn't even have time to show his filial piety to the late Emperor?"

"Chen Tingjing, are you trying to frame His Majesty for filial impiety?"

Chen Tingjing's expression changed, and he hurriedly explained, "Grand Secretary Tong, I don't want His Majesty to be branded as unfilial, but the situation is special!"

Yang Fenggu is dead!

"Now, the entire court is filled with a sense of shared misfortune, and if Your Majesty does not step forward to take charge, I fear there may be other troubles to come!"

At this point, he bowed to Tong Guowei and said, "If the Grand Secretary feels it is not yet time to ask His Majesty to end the fast, then shall we go together to plead with the Crown Prince to release Yang Fenggu's family first?"

"Regardless of whether Yang Fenggu is guilty or not, someone has to take care of his funeral arrangements!"

Upon hearing Chen Tingjing's words, Zhang Yushu echoed, "Prime Minister Tong, death is the greatest loss."

"If we can't even get this, what will our colleagues think of us?"

"I think we must give an explanation to all the officials about this matter."

Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying exchanged a glance, and finally Zhang Ying spoke up: "Since everyone is of the same mind, let's go see the Crown Prince together and discuss this matter."

"Let's see if the Crown Prince can release them."

　The second update for today is here! Please support, recommend, and vote, everyone!
　　

(End of this chapter)