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

Chapter 415 The Debate on Heaven: The Crown Prince is Getting Desperate

Faced with this group's somewhat coercive request, Shen Ye maintained a mysterious smile on his face.

It's as steady as the welcoming pine tree on the top of Huangshan Mountain, no matter how much the guys below stir up the wind, it remains unmoved.

It even carried a hint of nonchalance, as if to say, "I love watching you guys try to kill me but can't."

He slowly glanced at Tong Guowei and the others, his gaze as gentle as a koi in a backyard pond, and said lightly, "Purification is a serious matter and cannot be delayed."

“Even if you didn’t mention it, I was planning to have Yang Fenggu buried.”

Even if he committed heinous crimes, once he dies, his sins cease.

At this point, Shen Ye turned to look at Tong Guowei, her tone as casual as if she were ordering food:

"Prime Minister Tong, please have the Dali Temple release Yang Fenggu's family members to go home first."

“Funerals should be held as they should be, and cases should be investigated as they should be investigated. One thing at a time.”

Tong Guowei felt a slight disappointment in his heart:

They agreed just like that? This is way too easy! Why aren't they following the expected pattern?!
He had secretly hoped that the ministers and the crown prince would clash on the spot, preferably with the crown prince slamming his fist on the table, the ministers arguing their case, and then the stalemate would escalate to the point where the emperor would have to intervene to mediate. That would have been a truly spectacular show!

After all, if the crown prince gets too close to the ministers, the emperor will become suspicious.
But if the relationship becomes too strained, the crown prince's position will be unstable.

Tong Guowei considered himself quite adept at this balancing act.

"Thank you, Prince!"

Tong Guowei quickly suppressed his disappointment, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and then threw out another potentially disastrous question:
"Your Highness, please instruct on what rank Yang Fenggu should be buried!"

This problem may seem smaller than letting people go home to hold funerals, but it is actually a huge pitfall.

Shen Ye knew perfectly well that if they said he should be buried like a convicted criminal, those people would definitely cause trouble.

If they say they'll bury him at the original level, wouldn't that be tantamount to admitting they made a mistake in arresting him?
Shen Ye stared at Tong Guowei, then suddenly laughed: "Prime Minister Tong, what level of burial do you think he should be given?"

Trying to shift the blame? Tong Guowei says he can handle it!

He had already prepared the standard answer: "Your Highness, this is precisely what puts me in a difficult position."

“Yang Fenggu was the fourth-rank director of the Imperial Observatory, but he was already imprisoned by you when he was arrested. It would be inappropriate to bury him according to the rites for a fourth-rank official.”

"But if we bury him as a criminal, his crime hasn't been verified yet."

"He must be buried within three days!"

"That is why we have come to request Your Highness's wise judgment!"

Shen Ye glanced at Tong Guowei with a smile, then suddenly asked, "Prime Minister Tong, does Yang Fenggu have any official rank?"

Tong Guowei was stunned, his mind almost failing him, so he had no choice but to answer honestly:

"Your Highness, the people in the Imperial Observatory study professional subjects and generally do not participate in the imperial examinations. Although Yang Fenggu is the director of the Imperial Observatory, he does not have any official rank."

"Although he didn't participate in the imperial examination, with his knowledge, he would have been more than qualified to become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination)."

"Let him be buried according to the standards for a scholar."

Tong Guowei truly hadn't expected things to be handled this way!
This move neither proves Yang Fenggu guilty nor innocent; it simply relies on scholarship. The Crown Prince's logic is truly ingenious and brilliant!

He hesitated for a moment, then could only respectfully say, "Your Highness is wise!"

Shen Ye smiled calmly: "Do my esteemed subjects have anything else to discuss?"

Chen Tingjing and Zhang Yushu looked at each other in bewilderment.

Both of them had prepared their arguments in advance, just waiting for the Crown Prince to refute them so they could have a heated debate.

Who would have thought that the Crown Prince would be so agreeable today, like an automatic responder, so easy to talk to.

Not only did they agree to allow Yang Fenggu's family to hold a funeral, but they also allowed it to be conducted according to the standards for a scholar. Although it was not as prestigious as a fourth-rank official's funeral, it at least preserved some dignity.

This left them with a bellyful of arguments, but they suddenly had no way to use them.

If this continues, then it's just pure harassment!

The two exchanged a quick glance, reached a consensus, and said in unison, "Your subjects will respectfully follow the Crown Prince's teachings."

Looking at the group of ministers who had originally come to "force the emperor to abdicate," Shen Ye said to Zhang Yushu, "Since you are all settled, I have something to ask you to do."

"Lord Zhang, please spread the word that I want to hold a 'Debate on Heaven' outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony in two days."

"All officials of the seventh rank or above in the capital must attend!"

"Furthermore, since Yang Fenggu is dead, let those people from the Imperial Observatory be released as well, and let them participate as well."

Shen Ye said casually, "After all, they are professionals!"

Upon hearing the words "Debate on Heaven," Tong Guowei and the others' expressions immediately changed.

They understood that the Crown Prince wanted to overturn the claim that the earthquake at Mount Tai was a sign of divine wrath.

But can you really overturn something like this just because you want to?
The Crown Prince is asking for trouble; he's deliberately jumping into a pit!
Tong Guowei hesitated and said, "Your Highness, the Debate on Heaven is a matter of great importance. Perhaps... we should discuss it again in a few days?"

If you're unsure what to do, just put it off!
For Tong Guowei, directly advising the Crown Prince to retract his order would be too disrespectful, but if he could stall until the Emperor emerged from seclusion, everything would be fine.

After all, no matter how much trouble a kid causes, his dad always keeps him in check, right?
Shen Ye could easily understand the meaning behind those words, and calmly said, "Lord Tong, this matter should be addressed sooner rather than later."

"It's settled then. Ministry of Rites, get to the preparations done!" Shen Ye made the final decision.

Just then, the sound of drums came from outside the palace, a reminder that the palace gates were about to close.

If the ministers did not wish to spend the night in the palace, they had to leave immediately. So they all bowed and said, "Your subjects obey the decree."

As they left Yuqing Palace, everyone remained silent, but some could no longer hide their smiles.

Ma Qi, the Minister of Revenue, remained a background figure throughout the entire event, not uttering a single word.

But as soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, he almost burst out laughing. He quickly covered his mouth with his sleeve, his shoulders trembling.

The Crown Prince's move was absolutely disastrous!
Ma Qi was overjoyed, his lips curving into a wild smile. He managed to suppress his laughter only thanks to his years of experience in officialdom.

A debate on the heavens? Has he been watching too many storytelling performances?

Is he trying to whitewash the claim that the Taishan earthquake was a warning from heaven?
He didn't even consider whether he could win an astronomical debate with those old scholars from the Imperial Observatory.

Isn't this just an amateur challenging a professional?
The Crown Prince is getting desperate!
Knowing that his time as regent was running out, he wanted to quickly distance himself from the Mount Tai earthquake.

But he didn't know that some things are like ink spots, the more you try to draw them out, the worse they get!
Ma Qi had just returned home feeling quite pleased with himself when he saw Kui Xu.

Both of them were staunch supporters of the Eighth Prince's faction, and their relationship was extremely close.

"Your Excellency, I heard that the Crown Prince is going to hold a debate on the heavens? Is it true?" Kui Xu asked eagerly as soon as they met.

Ma Qi nodded: "That's right, all officials of the seventh rank and above in the capital must participate."

"Your Excellency, this is a golden opportunity!"

"Shouldn't we make some preparations, do more research on historical materials, and absolutely not give that person a chance to turn the tables?"

Kui Xu was so excited that his hands were trembling: "Only by making him truly guilty of 'offending Heaven' can the Emperor rightfully depose him."

Looking at the hot-blooded Kui Xu, Ma Qi calmly straightened his sleeves and said slowly:
"Lord Kuixu, there's no need to rush this matter."

"There are plenty of people who want him to step down and abolish the practice of taxing officials and gentry together; they certainly won't let this opportunity pass them by."

"Why should we be the cannon fodder at the forefront? This time, we can just sit back and watch the show."

Kui Xu has always trusted Ma Qi, but he is still somewhat uneasy:
"Your Excellency, this is a rare opportunity. I'm afraid those people aren't capable enough and will waste this chance."

Ma Qi gave Kui Xu a deep look: "Lord Kui Xu, if you don't believe me, don't you also believe in the scholarship of Zhang Yushu and Chen Tingjing?"

"Which one of them isn't a scholar who passed the imperial examinations twice? They must have been well-prepared for this debate on the heavens."

"Let's just watch the show."

Seeing that Kui Xu still wanted to argue, Ma Qi leaned closer and whispered, "Besides, our goal is to help Eighth Master rise to power, not to be debaters and argue with others."

"If we charge too aggressively this time, we'll easily become targets. How will we speak up at crucial moments? What will the Emperor think of us?"

"You understand why His Majesty detests forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices, right?"

Ma Qi's words calmed Kui Xu down, and he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Lord Ma Qi, I understand."

After seeing Kui Xu off, Ma Qi shook his head:

This hothead thinks he can participate in the Debate on Heaven? Bah! He should take a good look at himself in the mirror and assess his own knowledge!
If his father were to personally intervene, there would definitely be no problem. But would his father, Nalan Mingzhu, that old fox, be willing to step in so easily?
Back in his study, Ma Qi took a sip of tea and began to ponder the matter of the Heavenly Debate Conference.

In his view, the Crown Prince had very little chance of winning; no matter how he looked at it, it seemed like he was courting death. Yet, it was the Crown Prince himself who brought it up.

The Crown Prince is really in a hurry!
People are prone to making mistakes when they are in a hurry, and this makes them easy targets for others to exploit!
When the mind is in disarray, one loses composure, makes foolish moves, and plays a terrible game.

But considering the Crown Prince's usual composed demeanor, Ma Qi began to have doubts again:
Was the crown prince really just panicking and acting recklessly?

Could this be a trap to lure someone into a snare?

In fact, it wasn't just Ma Qi who had doubts; Zhang Ying's household was also discussing the matter.

Zhang Tingyu, who should have been in his study preparing for next year's imperial examination, was also in his father's study at this time, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a mosquito.

“Father, I have searched through all the ancient books, and the earthquake at Mount Tai is basically regarded as a warning from Heaven to the court. The Crown Prince’s chances of turning the tide in this debate on Heaven are slim.”

Zhang Tingyu said calmly, "But I really can't understand why the Crown Prince would dig his own grave."

Zhang Ying sipped her tea slowly: "The Crown Prince must be under a lot of pressure right now."

"Yang Fenggu's words during the imperial audience, coupled with his death and the Crown Prince's previous forceful demotion of officials, have already led to his isolation and being surrounded by enemies."

"In this situation, the Crown Prince wanted to use the debate on Heaven to distance himself from the claim of 'Heaven's wrath'."

"'Offending Heaven' is the perfect reason to depose the crown prince!"

At this point, Zhang Ying sighed, "Anyone would be anxious in this situation."

"After all, it relates to whether the position of heir apparent is secure."

"You must remember that in the future, you must remain calm and composed in the face of any major event, and you must never lose your composure."

"Panicing won't do you any good!"

"It will only make you more passive."

Zhang Tingyu respectfully replied, "Father, rest assured, I understand."

"It's just... a bit of a pity about the Crown Prince."

Zhang Ying glanced at her son but didn't reply.

He knew perfectly well what his son was lamenting, but the Crown Prince and they were ultimately not on the same path.

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(End of this chapter)