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

Chapter 436 Even without the Crown Prince, I have plenty of excellent sons eager to share my burdens.
Emperor Qianxi, seething with anger, summoned Wang Yan to the Qianqing Palace.

As soon as Wang Yan entered the room, he saw the Emperor's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot. His heart sank: Oh no, today is probably not going to be good!

However, he still had to maintain appearances, so he quickly and respectfully bowed and said, "This old minister greets Your Majesty."

Emperor Qianxi didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, and said indifferently, "Lord Wang, you've had a hard time. Where is the Crown Prince?"

Wang Yan said solemnly, "Your Majesty, as soon as I met the Crown Prince, I immediately conveyed Your Majesty's message!"

"But when the Crown Prince heard about this, he immediately said that his abilities were limited, saying that even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice, and insisted on going to the capital in person to apologize to you."

"As a result, the Empress Dowager felt sorry for the Crown Prince and said that it was freezing cold and the road was slippery. If the Crown Prince fell, it would be troublesome!"

"Let me convey a message to Your Majesty: let the Crown Prince continue to recuperate at the Hot Spring Palace."

Emperor Qianxi's lips twitched. Originally, he wanted to charge the Crown Prince with "disrespect for the emperor and father".

But now that the Empress Dowager has spoken, he has to give her face no matter what.

After all, in an era that values ​​filial piety, if he were not respectful to the Empress Dowager, how could he expect the Crown Prince to be filial to him if he set such a bad example for the Empress Dowager?
Emperor Qianxi suppressed his anger and said, "It's so cold and freezing, Lord Wang, you've worked hard."

"Guards, bestow upon Lord Wang two fine ginseng roots!"

When Wang Yan received the reward, he felt not relieved, but rather even more uneasy.

He knew this matter was not over!

Although Emperor Qianxi could not pursue the matter of the Crown Prince out of consideration for the Empress Dowager, the task of raising funds and provisions still had to continue.

He had no good ideas at the moment to reconcile the father and son, so he could only thank them and take his leave.

As soon as Wang Yan left, Emperor Qianxi immediately looked at Liang Jiugong: "Has the report from the Hot Spring Palace arrived yet?"

The tone was frighteningly calm, and Liang Jiugong's legs went weak. He quickly replied, "Your Majesty, the memorial should have arrived. This servant will go and fetch it right away!"

Emperor Qianxi did not speak, and Liang Jiugong ran over to fetch the memorial.

A few minutes later, Emperor Qianxi looked at the memorial, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

Although he had placed spies around the Crown Prince, he couldn't guarantee that he could hear every word he said.

For example, this time, the informant didn't hear the conversation between Shen Ye and Wang Yan clearly—

After all, we dare not get too close!

Seeing that Wang Yan had visited the Crown Prince and then the Empress Dowager, Emperor Qianxi became even more certain:

That rebellious prince is determined not to do anything for his father this time!
This is infuriating!

Despite his anger, Emperor Qianxi was also helpless.

The Crown Prince had already said he was going to the capital, and he really couldn't think of a better way to deal with this rebellious son.

As for changing the crown prince, he has not yet made up his mind.

This is no small matter; it has far-reaching consequences.

To change the crown prince when such a great war is about to break out, then Emperor Qianxi must have been out of his mind!
"Without you, Zhang the butcher, am I only supposed to eat pigs with hair on?"

After muttering a few words to himself, Emperor Qianxi turned to Wei Zhu, who was serving him, and said, "Summon all the princes to an audience!"

The crown prince isn't cooperating; he has other sons too!

Since you don't want to be the crown prince, then don't blame your brothers for working hard!

Wei Zhu was very astute; upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's words, he immediately guessed the gist of the matter.

However, even the smartest person has to play dumb if they want to stay close to Emperor Qianxi.

People who are too smart often don't live long.

Why? Because someone who exudes a clever and quick-witted air makes you uneasy.

So Wei Zhu pretended not to know anything and quickly went to deliver the imperial decree.

The princes who had no official duties mostly enjoyed life in the hot spring palace, while the princes who had official duties were busy with their own tasks.

These princes all had their own ideas and wanted to make a good impression on Emperor Qianxi.

Soon, with Emperor Qianxi's decree, all the adult princes, except for the eldest prince who was confined to his home to study, the crown prince who was "fulfilling his filial duties" at the hot spring palace, and the fourth prince who went to Shandong for disaster relief, arrived.

This time, the princes were led by the third prince.

However, since the Third Prince's title was reduced to Duke, the most conspicuous person at this time was the Eighth Prince, who was dressed in the robes of a Prince of the County.

"Fifth Brother, what does Father want to see us about?" The Ninth Prince approached the Fifth Prince to inquire.

The Fifth Prince and the Ninth Prince share the same mother, Consort Yi. Although their personalities don't quite match, their blood ties are undeniable, making them the closest of brothers.

Therefore, whenever the Ninth Prince had something to say, he would always ask his Fifth Brother for advice.

The Fifth Prince glanced around and lowered his voice, "I don't know either."

"However, Father Emperor must have summoned us here for something important."

These words were as good as nothing, but the Ninth Prince understood them. They were a warning to him not to cause trouble for no reason.

He then chuckled and said, "I understand, brother."

The Eighth Prince was very well-informed; he already knew that the Snow Region had been invaded by the Dzungars and that the Snow Region King was dead.

However, he is a low-key person, so although he knew about this, he did not say anything.

Instead, they stood quietly to the side, waiting for Emperor Qianxi to arrive.

Since the eldest prince couldn't come, and the crown prince was also absent, the third prince, according to the schedule, stood at the very front.

Although the Eighth Prince's princely attire was eye-catching, the Third Prince was still quite proud and satisfied to be standing at the head of his brothers. The eldest brother is like a father!
The eldest prince used to bring this up all the time, occasionally showing off his status as the eldest prince.

She even wanted to challenge the Crown Prince and compete for his position.

Now, it's finally my turn!

Just as the Third Prince was feeling quite pleased with himself, Emperor Qianxi had already come out.

The third prince was the first to bow in respect, trying to show that his status was different.

He is now the eldest son of the Qianxi Emperor!

Looking at his sons, each one spirited and energetic, Emperor Qianxi's anger dissipated considerably.

What does one disobedient son matter? I still have more than a dozen good sons!

If you don't do it, plenty of others will!
He then waved to the Third Prince and the others, saying, "No need for formalities."

"I called you here today to discuss the matter of Jungar."

"The Junggars have already sent troops into the snowy region, captured Sunlight City, and even killed the Snowy Region King."

“They have already taken control of the Dharma King. If they continue like this, the entire snowy region will soon belong to them.”

Emperor Qianxi's sons were all highly capable, having been nurtured by him. Upon hearing his words, they immediately understood the importance of the matter.

Without the snowy plateau as a barrier, much of the imperial court's territory would be exposed to the military might of the Dzungar tribe!
"Father, the Jungars have really eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, daring to attack the snowy region."

"Your son is not talented, but I am willing to personally lead the army to fight and wipe out those audacious bandits of the Dzungar Khanate."

The Third Prince was the first to jump out and speak.

He is a rare talent, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to shine.

Moreover, deep down, he was not afraid of leading troops into battle.

Just this year, he even fought alongside Emperor Qianxi against Galdan!
At that time, he was leading an entire army all by himself!
How could he miss out on something that could elevate his standing in his father's eyes?
Emperor Qianxi felt much more at ease when he saw his third son, who was the first to step forward and volunteer.

In any case, it's a good thing that his son is stepping forward to help him share the burden.

He waved his hand and said, "Yunzhi, you'll be fighting this battle, but the reason I summoned you here this time isn't to talk about fighting."

The princes were all stunned!

Father Emperor just mentioned that the Dzungars are advancing into the snowy region, but now he's not talking about war. Could it be that Father Emperor is preparing to personally lead another expedition?

Is this about the matter of the regent?

The crown prince has just clashed with his father, so he certainly won't be allowed to oversee the country.

If the crown prince isn't allowed to oversee the country, then wouldn't it be our turn?
The thought of overseeing the country made the eyes of the Third Prince, the Eighth Prince, and others light up.

The Eighth Prince, who had just been outmaneuvered by the Third Prince, could not afford to fall behind now, so he quickly said, "Father, whatever the matter, I am willing to share your burdens!"

The Third Prince was slow to speak and saw that the Eighth Prince had spoken first, which made him furious and filled him with resentment towards the Eighth Prince.

You dare steal my thunder? You've really gone too far!

He quickly bowed to Emperor Qianxi and said, "Father, I am also willing to share your burdens."

As soon as the two of them took the lead, the Fifth Prince and the others quickly exchanged glances and stepped forward as well, saying in unison, "Your subjects are willing to share the Emperor's burdens!"

Emperor Qianxi looked at his group of obedient sons and smiled broadly.

He nodded repeatedly and said, "Good, good, I am very pleased that you have this intention."

"This time, the army needs four million taels of silver for military expenses. The Ministry of Revenue's treasury only has one million taels of silver left, and the Imperial Household Department has about the same amount. They can only come up with a maximum of one million taels of silver."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi's gaze fell on the Third Prince and the Eighth Prince: "Yunzhi, Yunsi, which of you two is willing to assist the Ministry of Revenue in closing this shortfall of two million taels of silver as soon as possible?"

Upon hearing that Emperor Qianxi wanted to raise money, the Third Prince Yunzhi's expression changed.

He considered himself to be both literate and skilled in martial arts, but he certainly didn't have the ability to turn stone into gold.

The people he associated with were all scholars and intellectuals. They could chat about anything behind closed doors, but talking about money? That was too vulgar!

The thought of this immediately made him back down.

After hesitating for a moment, the Eighth Prince stepped forward.

He felt this was a very good opportunity.

Whatever happened to the Crown Prince is not important. What matters is that the Emperor has brought it up, so he must be a good son who can share the Emperor's burdens.

He couldn't think of a good way to get two million taels of silver.

But he has connections!
Tong Guowei supported him; as the Grand Secretary and Chief Grand Secretary, Tong Guowei was sure he could come up with a solution.

And Mazi!

Ma Qi was the Minister of Revenue, and this was also his staunch supporter.

With these two big shots around, getting two million taels of silver shouldn't be too difficult.

So he stepped forward confidently and said, "Father, I am willing to assist in the management of the Ministry of Revenue and share your burdens!"

Looking at the tall, handsome, and spirited Eighth Prince, Emperor Qianxi's smile deepened.

The crown prince is unwilling to do it?

Haha, I have plenty of sons eager to share my burdens!

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(End of this chapter)