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

Chapter 424 I'm Starting Today, I'm Just Laying Down

Emperor Qianxi was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently!

He felt his imperial dignity had been trampled on, yet he was helpless against this rebellious son.

He did indeed intend to give the crown prince a warning, but honestly, he never thought of replacing the crown prince!
Although he is only 45 years old this year, he has a good appetite and is in excellent health. Not long ago, there was even good news from his harem—he became a father again!

But Emperor Qianxi knew very well that a reliable crown prince was the pillar of stability for the Great Zhou Dynasty!
This crown prince before us is a versatile talent in the court, capable of both verbally sparring with officials to the point of questioning their existence and physically defeating the Russian Empire to the point of crying for their parents.

When he was not in the capital, the Crown Prince was in charge, and there was no trouble in the court. He could be said to be the best candidate for Crown Prince.

Sometimes, even the Crown Prince can easily handle and resolve messes that he himself can't manage.

If the crown prince is really sent to the capital to herd horses... then after I pass away, who will inherit the throne?
The eldest and fourth brothers were ambitious and restless, but compared to the Crown Prince, they were like bronze mortals colliding with kings.

Moreover, for the sake of the country and its people, it would be better to choose a crown prince who is superior to his predecessor!
Emperor Qianxi took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the anger that surged to the top of his head, and finally regained his composure.

"Go to Beijing to herd horses? You're dreaming!"

"Your imperial grandmother has been unwell recently, and I need to return to the capital. You will stay here and take good care of your imperial grandmother!"

After saying this, he flicked his sleeves and announced in a booming voice, "Let's set off back to the capital!"

In the blink of an eye, he strode out with an air of indifference, as if he didn't recognize anyone!

Shen Ye watched his father's retreating figure and bowed slowly, saying, "Your subject respectfully sees off Your Majesty!"

"But I must add one more thing about this matter: the taxation of officials and gentry is related to the grand plan of the court for the next hundred years."

"I urge Father to reconsider!"

"Furthermore, anyone who dares to undermine this new policy is a sinner for all time, deliberately undermining the Great Zhou for personal gain. Your subject will never forgive such a person!"

As he spoke, his eyes flashed towards Zhang Yushu, who was trembling like a leaf beside him: "Father, I suggest that the Censorate thoroughly investigate how Lord Zhang acquired those tens of thousands of acres of fertile land?"

Zhang Yushu's blood pressure spiked on the spot!
Little did he expect that the Crown Prince would simply flip the table and refuse to perform anymore!

Not only did they condemn him as a "traitor," but they also uttered the ultimate threat of "unforgivable enmity."

This is tantamount to saying, "Once I take power, I'll be the first to send your whole family on their way!"

In fact, if the future emperor were even more ruthless, he might even offer a buy-two-get-one-free deal, potentially exterminating the entire family.

This is a fight to the death!

What's even more terrifying is that the crown prince is fixated on his family's fertile land. If this were to be investigated... he quickly touched his neck.

At this moment, Lord Zhang was filled with regret: "I was really asking for trouble, why did I have to get involved in this mess?"
They're fighting like father and son, and in the end, I'm not the one who gets struck by lightning, am I?
In desperation, Zhang Yushu channeled his dramatic flair, shouting in a trembling voice:
"Your Majesty, I...I am utterly loyal! The Crown Prince has humiliated me like this...I have no choice but to die to prove my innocence!"

As he spoke, Zhang Yushu made a move as if to crash into a pillar of the Danbo Jingcheng Hall.

Emperor Qianxi's lips twitched as he looked at Zhang Yushu, who was wriggling on the imperial pillar.

Judging from the speed at which Zhang Yushu crashed into the pillar, even if he hit it, he would at most get a bump, and there would be no chance of blood splattering everywhere!

Because his speed is like a slow-motion replay, the pillar would probably be yawning by the time he got halfway there!

That posture clearly shows he's waiting for someone to pull him away!

Although Emperor Qianxi was eager to see if Zhang Yushu would splatter blood when he crashed into a pillar, he was the emperor and still had to save face.

With a cold face, he shouted, "Liang Jiugong, stop him!"

A group of people hurriedly stopped Zhang Yushu.

Emperor Qianxi said expressionlessly, "If you want to die, go die outside. This is the imperial court, not a stage for you to make a scene."

"The Crown Prince threatened a minister; he shall be fined one year's salary! Zhang Yushu's conduct was improper; he shall be fined one year's salary!"

At this point, he glared fiercely at Shen Ye, then continued walking out without turning back.

At this moment, Emperor Qianxi was quite angry. He felt that his dignity had been challenged, but he was also somewhat helpless.
The officials followed Emperor Qianxi out in single file, and no one uttered a sound.

Although most of them disagreed with the idea of ​​officials and gentry paying taxes together.

However, the Crown Prince uttered a threatening statement that threatened to kill them all, leaving none of them daring to speak.

They knew very well that speaking up at this moment would offend not only the Crown Prince but also the Qianxi Emperor.

Emperor Qianxi's decision to keep the Crown Prince at the Hot Spring Palace clearly indicated that he did not want to depose the Crown Prince. Anyone who spoke up at this time would be seen by Emperor Qianxi as trying to sow discord between him and his son!
As Emperor Qianxi departed with his large entourage, the sheer scale of the procession gave the impression of being overwhelming.

Emperor Qianxi had a cold face and was so angry that he almost ground his back teeth to powder. The surrounding officials did not dare to speak.

The princes were overjoyed, especially the third prince, who felt his heart racing.

He never dreamed that a windfall would actually fall from the sky and land right on his head!
The Crown Prince dares to disobey his father, the Emperor!
He wouldn't even dare to think of such a thing, but his elder brother, the emperor, actually did it.

Heavens above, earth below, which celestial maiden is bestowing such a blessing!

If his father were to depose the crown prince in a fit of anger, wouldn't he have a very high chance of... Hehe, thinking of this, he quickly wiped the corner of his mouth.

The eldest prince clenched his fist secretly: ever since he made a fool of himself at his father's birthday celebration, he had been keeping a low profile and was almost turning into a ninja turtle.

This was the darkest moment of his life.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince's timely intervention arrived!

As for the Eighth Prince, although he outwardly appeared concerned for the country and its people, he was inwardly laughing all the while: the Crown Prince's self-destruction had greatly increased his chances of ascending the throne. He would bide his time, secretly plot his moves, find a suitable reason, and seize the opportunity to have Emperor Qianxi depose the Crown Prince—it wasn't impossible.

Just as many princes were rubbing their hands together, imagining their own grand coronation drama, the Eighth Prince caught a glimpse of Tong Guowei walking towards Emperor Qianxi's carriage out of the corner of his eye.

Their eyes met, and without making any movement, they both understood what the other was thinking.

Soon, Tong Guowei climbed into Emperor Qianxi's dragon carriage!

Emperor Qianxi was slamming his fist on the desk in anger when he saw Tong Guowei walk in. He said angrily, "Uncle, you saw what happened today. This rebellious son has some nerve."

"How dare he say he's going to the capital to herd horses!"

"How could he say that?"

"If it weren't for the sake of our ancestors' empire, I would have allowed him to herd horses for the rest of his life!"

Seeing Emperor Qianxi fly into a rage, Tong Guowei was secretly pleased, but on the surface he still said sincerely, "Your Majesty, please calm down. The Crown Prince is still young."

"His intentions were good when he did it."

"He was also doing it for the sake of his ancestors' country and its people."

"I beg Your Majesty to consider his youth and impetuousness and not to stoop to the level of the Crown Prince."

"You must give the Crown Prince some time. This old minister believes that with the Crown Prince's intelligence, he will definitely realize his mistake!"

Emperor Qianxi said with a hint of coldness, "I hope this rebellious son understands my good intentions. I have taught this rebellious son since he was a child that the way of a ruler is not to be forceful all the time."

"The principle of balancing tension and relaxation is the way of both civil and military affairs."

"The way of a ruler is to combine firmness and gentleness, but he's the opposite—he's been headstrong the whole time!"

At this point, Emperor Qianxi stood up from his seat.

He said in a deep voice, "The new policies of the imperial court are for the purpose of increasing revenue."

"Increasing revenue is for the sake of political stability."

"The stability of the court requires the support of officials and gentry."

"If we offend all the officials and gentry in the world for a few measly coins, then it would be a loss that doesn't outweigh the gain."

Tong Guowei did not entirely agree with Emperor Qianxi's words.

He became Grand Secretary not only because he was Emperor Qianxi's maternal uncle, but also because his knowledge and abilities were second to none.

He knew very well that once Emperor Qianxi loosened the restrictions on taxation for officials and gentry, the people below would feel that the loophole could be widened further, and they would try every means to take advantage of the situation.

There is absolutely no room for compromise on this matter.

However, he came here today to comfort Emperor Qianxi, not to cause trouble.

So he said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty's good intentions are understandable to this old minister."

"I believe that after some time, once the Crown Prince has calmed down, he will understand."

"If all else fails, this old minister is willing to speak with the Crown Prince."

Emperor Qianxi waved his sleeve and said, "Hmph, Uncle, you don't need to bother."

"Since this rebellious son thinks so highly of himself, let him be."

"Let him soak in the hot spring palace and reflect on his actions."

After seeing Emperor Qianxi off, Shen Ye did not return to his residence at the Hot Spring Palace. Instead, he sat outside the Danbo Jingcheng Hall, carefully reviewing the events of the past month.

He was extremely worried about the issue of officials and gentry paying taxes together:
Fighting and knocking on the palace gates, arguing with the court, breaking the heavens and earth, I'm exhausted like a dog.

In the end, the greatest credit was quietly taken by Emperor Qianxi.

Goodness, I'll take on the difficulties, but you get all the credit!
This cheapskate father's skill in manipulating power is truly extraordinary!

But on second thought, it wasn't a bad deal to stick to it this time.

Rather than enduring hardship and being a doormat every day, it's better to flip the table now and explode completely.

I'm not putting up with this anymore!

Why not just lie down and do nothing for the next twenty or thirty years, living a life of ease and waiting to die?
Just as Shen Ye was happily planning his carefree life, Zhou Bao rushed over: "Your Highness, the Empress Dowager wants to see you."

Shen Ye was taken aback. "Grandmother Empress Dowager is looking for me? Has word of today's events reached her ears?"

Zhou Bao said in a deep voice, "Although he didn't say exactly what it was about, I reckon it's related to what happened at the Danbo Jingcheng Hall."

Shen Ye straightened his robes and said with a smile, "Lead the way and see what instructions the Empress Dowager has."

"It's been a while since I paid my respects to her."

Upon entering the Empress Dowager's courtyard, the plum blossoms were in full bloom, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

Shen Ye quickly paid his respects, and the Empress Dowager glanced at him before slowly saying, "Crown Prince, you've certainly made quite a scene today!"

　The first update of the day is here! Please support me, everyone, and vote!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)