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

Chapter 423 Father, please forgive your son for being unable to obey the imperial edict.

The once festive and joyous Danbo Jingcheng Hall is now eerily quiet—you could hear a single hair fall on the ground!

The entire court dared not utter a sound, even breathing cautiously, for fear of making too much noise and causing unwarranted trouble.

Why are you so nervous? Those who know, know!
Everyone knows perfectly well who filed this complaint against Zhang Yushu!
In front of all the civil and military officials, taking advantage of the critical moment of welcoming Emperor Qianxi out of the pass, Zhang Yushu made such a move. His accusation was so precise and ruthless that it was as if he was putting Emperor Qianxi on the hot seat, forcing him to make a statement on the spot.

The importance of gentry and the stability of the country are, frankly speaking, all empty words.

The core message is this: I must stand on the moral high ground, able to attack or defend as I please, and this lawsuit must be handled flawlessly!
Many people pretended to be serious while secretly glancing at Shen Ye, wanting to see how this young master would react.

Shen Ye knew perfectly well that he absolutely could not back down at this moment, nor could he become a mere spectator.

Zhang Yushu has already bared his fangs. If I don't fight back, am I supposed to play the little lamb and wait to be devoured?
So he cupped his hands and said in a loud voice, "Father, Lord Zhang said that officials and gentry are the foundation of the court, and I wholeheartedly agree."

"But! The officials and gentry are gradually encroaching on the land of the country, and they do not pay taxes, which has made the court teeter on the brink of collapse and penniless."

"The Ministry of Revenue's accounts show that tax revenue is decreasing year by year!"

"It's not even as good as it was in the early years of the dynasty!"

"Where did all that lost tax revenue go? It all went into the pockets of officials and gentry! Let's not talk about others, just take Lord Zhang Yushu's family as an example—"

"Your subject has read Lord Zhang's report!"

"When Lord Zhang first passed the imperial examination, his family only had 500 mu of fertile land. And now? Good heavens, it has reached 30,000 mu!"

"This is based on statistics compiled by local officials."

"If everyone were as 'frugal and hardworking' as Lord Zhang Yushu and made a fortune, what would become of the imperial court? It might as well be converted into a charity!"

Shen Ye usually gives Zhang Yushu, a high-ranking official, some face.

Most of the time, we just discuss the matter at hand.

But it’s different now!
Zhang Yushu actually betrayed him on the occasion of welcoming the emperor back to the palace.

This is a complete breakdown in relations!
Fine, if you're unkind, don't blame me for being unjust.

Zhang Yushu, you know what kind of family you have, and so do I, so don't blame me for making an example of you!
Zhang Yushu's face turned green when he heard Shen Ye's words.

He never expected that the Crown Prince would know so much about his family's wealth!

Having served as an official for so many years, he had long since chosen selective amnesia, forgetting that he only had 500 mu of land back then.

Now that the Crown Prince has publicly pulled down his underwear, his face is burning with embarrassment, and he quickly comes out to defend himself:
"Your Majesty, I have never concerned myself with household affairs in recent years. I truly know nothing about the situation the Crown Prince is referring to."

"After I return, I will definitely investigate thoroughly to find out who is the fool who is causing trouble behind the scenes."

"But please believe me, Your Majesty. My memorial is solely for the future of the court, and I have no ulterior motives whatsoever."

"Your Majesty, please understand!"

Zhang Yushu spoke with utmost sincerity, displaying the demeanor of a loyal minister who had offered his heart to the bright moon, only to have the moon shine on a ditch. Emperor Qianxi waved to Liang Jiugong and said, "Liang Jiugong, help Lord Zhang up."

After Zhang Yushu stood still, Emperor Qianxi said with emotion, "Of course I know of Lord Zhang's loyalty."

"But what the Crown Prince said is also true!"

"The imperial court's tax revenue is decreasing while its expenditures are increasing. If this continues, the court will be in turmoil!"

At this point, Emperor Qianxi looked around and said to Zhang Ying, "Zhang Ying, draft an imperial edict."

"The unified taxation of officials and gentry is a major policy of the imperial court and must be implemented."

"However, I am aware of the loyalty of officials and gentry to the court. So let's do this: the taxes that officials and gentry should pay will be set at half of what they are supposed to pay."

"The imperial court must not discourage the officials and gentry of the land!"

"But officials and gentry throughout the land should also understand the difficulties faced by the imperial court!"

Emperor Qianxi's heartfelt words immediately moved the entire Danbo Jingcheng Hall.

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

……

The flattery was constant, it was like a special praise session.

Zhang Ying knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily, saying, "On behalf of all the officials and gentry in the land, I thank Your Majesty for your great favor."

"Your Majesty's benevolence shines as brightly as the sun and moon!"

Shen Ye watched as the entire court of officials knelt down, showering Emperor Qianxi with compliments, and a cold smile crept across his face.

Good heavens, Emperor Qianxi's move was brilliant! He became a wise ruler and won the hearts of the people at the same time.

So you get to play the good guy while I get to play all the bad guys?
To put it bluntly, it's like using my flowers to offer to your own Buddha.

All my hard work and toil over the years has been for nothing, all of which benefited Emperor Qianxi.

If you were Emperor Qianxi, would you have done the same?

The moment the thought crossed Shen Ye's mind, she immediately rejected it—

It's not that I can't, it's that I disdain it!

While doing so may enhance one's authority, it can cause considerable damage to the long-term development of the court; it's practically planting a time bomb.

However, from the perspective of political maneuvering, this only shows one thing: in terms of playing power games, he is still several levels below Emperor Qianxi.

After expressing his gratitude, Zhang Yushu stood up with renewed vigor.

Although he didn't look to the side, you could clearly see that the corners of his mouth were stretched almost to his ears.

Not only did they not suffer losses, but they also made officials and gentry pay taxes together, directly reducing the tax burden by half.

In this way, all the officials and gentry in the land would thank him. It was practically a case of being deified with a single petition! Although this action offended the Crown Prince, Zhang Yushu didn't care at all.

His Majesty is in his prime, at the height of his power. What is there to fear? Choosing sides is worthwhile!
Just as Zhang Yushu was overjoyed, feeling that the situation was settled, a voice suddenly rang out:
"Father, I am still the Crown Prince Regent!"

"Your decree will not only put the court in a predicament of constantly changing its orders."

"It will also render all the efforts made by the officials to promote the taxation of officials and gentry as a whole futile."

"For the sake of the future of the court and the legacy of our ancestors, your son cannot agree."

He bowed slightly, yet his words were firm and resounding:
"Therefore, please forgive your son—he will absolutely not obey the imperial edict!"

As these words were spoken, Shen Ye calmly stepped forward. Although he was bowing, his posture was as straight as a pine tree, and his tone was as firm as iron.

Upon hearing this, the vast Danbo Jingcheng Hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes turned to Shen Ye, and then to Emperor Qianxi.

Today's scene was truly unexpected and astonishing to everyone present!

The Crown Prince actually refused the Emperor in front of all the court officials!

This refusal may seem ridiculous, but at this moment, no one can laugh.

Because they knew very well that at this very moment, a tremendous change was about to happen in the imperial court that would catch them completely off guard!
Emperor Qianxi's expression changed several times—

He initially disbelieved it, then became angry, and finally turned ashen-faced.

His actions just now clearly achieved multiple goals at once:
This not only won over the hearts of the ministers and the people, but also subtly diminished the Crown Prince's power.

The Crown Prince's performance in overseeing the country these past few days has been truly outstanding.

After dealing with a series of events, including the petitioning of the emperor and the boycott of court, the principle of taxation for officials and gentry was established through a combination of persuasion and pressure.

Although he offended many people, the Crown Prince's reputation was greatly enhanced.

By doing this, he not only won over the hearts of the people and suppressed the crown prince, but also reduced the sharp conflicts caused by forcibly promoting the taxation of officials and gentry together.

In Emperor Qianxi's view, this was a perfect operation, achieving three goals at once!
But to his utter surprise, the Crown Prince, who was usually quite filial, pulled this stunt in front of all the officials:
I am the Crown Prince Regent!

I am still serving as regent!
I haven't returned the power of regent to you yet!
and so!
Disobey the imperial edict!
These words were as harsh as a rock, crashing down on Emperor Qianxi's head.

He said coldly, "You are still regent!"

"But your power to oversee the country was given to you by me, and I can take it back to you at any time."

"What you're saying is pointless!"

Shen Ye cupped his hands towards Emperor Qianxi and said, "Father, regardless of whether my persistence is meaningful or not, I will never give up on what I should persist in."

"The issue of officials and gentry paying taxes together is a matter of national importance and the overall situation of the court."

"If we relax now after finally getting things moving forward, it will be like giving up halfway, and it will be harder than climbing to heaven to get things moving again."

"We can treat officials and gentry across the land with preferential treatment."

"But it's definitely not about blindly fawning without any principles!"

"Please let me see clearly, Father!"

Emperor Qianxi looked coldly at Shen Ye and said, word by word, "What if I insist on doing this?"

At this moment, the resentment that had been building up inside Shen Ye completely erupted!

After he came into this world to take the place of the crown prince, he kept thinking about how he should survive.

It can be said that he has always lived in constant fear and trepidation.

In an effort to change Emperor Qianxi's opinion of him, he devised numerous strategies.

But now it seems that Emperor Qianxi was just as wary of him as he had been.

Even without a specific purpose, you should take the opportunity to put yourself down a little.

Since that's how it is, forget it, I'm tired of playing with people like you!

That damned bird faces upwards, may it live forever!
Thinking that Emperor Qianxi still had at least twenty years to live, Shen Ye steeled his heart and said earnestly, "If Father insists on doing this, your son will request to return to the capital to herd horses!"

Horse herding in Shangjing?

Emperor Qianxi's face darkened even more!

Shangjing was the place where the imperial court rose to power, but now it can't compare to the capital at all.

If the crown prince were to go to the capital to tend horses, it would be tantamount to him giving up his position as crown prince.

In the eyes of the Qianxi Emperor, this was nothing short of a blatant threat.

Meanwhile, the eldest prince, the third prince, the eighth prince, and others stared wide-eyed, their hearts filled with ecstasy.

They originally thought this was just an excuse to use Emperor Qianxi's return to the capital to cause some trouble.

Unexpectedly, something so exciting and thrilling happened.

The Crown Prince publicly refused Emperor Qianxi's order!
In order to force Emperor Qianxi to retract his decree, the Crown Prince went to the capital to tend horses, which was tantamount to voluntarily giving up his position as Crown Prince.

This is the position of Crown Prince!

Their hearts were filled with anticipation.

I hope that my usually strong-willed father will simply tell the Crown Prince, "Since you insist on this, then I will grant your wish and send him away!"

They dared not utter a sound, but could only lower their heads, prick up their ears, and eagerly await the words they had been longing for!
However, these words did not ring out immediately.

The vast Danbo Jingcheng Hall was deathly silent.

(End of this chapter)