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

Chapter 443 Father, Your Majesty ...
Seeing the Crown Prince adopting a posture as if he wanted to have a serious talk with him, Emperor Qianxi felt a sudden unease and a strange sense of irritation.

The feeling is like seeing a newly presented dessert from the imperial kitchen, wondering whether the filling is sweet or savory, both curious and afraid of choking.

Although he couldn't guess what the Crown Prince was going to say, the alarm bells that "this kid is not easy to deal with" were already ringing in his head.

Good heavens, I haven't even made a move yet, and you've already started acting!
It seems this rebellious son will use all those palace intrigue tricks he learned on his own father.

He was furious inside, but he still tried his best to maintain the appearance of a kind father: "Yunye, the road to the hot spring palace is quite long. We're father and son, so let's talk things out without any worries."

"I hereby declare that within this carriage at this moment, there are only fathers and sons, not rulers and subjects!"

As soon as Emperor Qianxi uttered these words, fireworks lit up Shen Ye's mind: Oh my, you said it yourself! A golden word cannot be taken back.

Since it's just father and son, why should I be polite? I have to go all out and put on a show!
He immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute to Emperor Qianxi, his expression instantly switching to a pitiful mode: "Since Father Emperor says so, then your son will no longer hold back!"

"Father, you have no idea how hard my life is!"

"As the Crown Prince, I not only have to help Father Emperor stabilize the court, but also deal with my brothers who are like wolves and tigers, coming with great force!"

"Sigh, I really want to be kind and respectful to my brothers, but all my brothers are like dragons!"

"Putting everything else aside, take the eldest brother for example. His little schemes are practically etched on his forehead: he wants to 'pull me down from the position of crown prince'!"

"He's not very capable himself, but he's quite good at stirring up trouble."

After complaining about the eldest prince, Shen Ye picked up her ginger tea, took a sip, and said aggrievedly, "Was I too lenient with him? No, if I'm too lenient, he won't learn his lesson and will come up with a new trick every day."

"But what if I go too far? Then someone will jump out and accuse me of not being loving towards my elder brother... Father, this is a difficult situation to handle, it's so hard for me!"

Emperor Qianxi silently took a sip of ginger tea without saying a word, but he greatly agreed with Shen Ye's assessment of the eldest prince.

The eldest prince is alright at leading troops in battle, but as for governing the country? Forget it, he's clearly not on par with the crown prince.

Making him the crown prince is a fool's errand.

Just as Emperor Qianxi was thinking this, he heard Shen Ye continue, "And speaking of the third son, he's always spouting nonsense about benevolence and morality."

"But in reality, he probably felt that the eldest son had fallen out of favor and that he wouldn't be the crown prince for long, so he spent his days hanging out with a bunch of pedantic scholars."

"Transform yourself into a wise king!"

"What is the wise king doing? Isn't he just trying to overthrow me so he can take the throne himself?"

"I saw through the third son's little scheme a long time ago, but I just didn't want to take it too seriously!"

"And then there's the fourth prince. He usually pretends to be honest and obedient, acting like he'll follow your lead. But his real purpose is to take advantage of your position."

“Once I fall, he will immediately grow into a towering tree and seize the position of Crown Prince.”

……

"As for the eighth brother, he's even more ruthless, with boundless ambition."

"He has now become a 'praised' wise prince, surrounded by Tong Guowei and the people of the Prince Qing's mansion, looking like he is the one everyone hopes for."

Shen Ye became more and more excited as he spoke, "Whenever I want to do something serious, these brothers, together with the outsiders, pick out my faults one by one with a magnifying glass!"

"They were all surrounded by a group of people, and I was really exhausted from dealing with them, Father!"

"If this continues, I truly cannot bear it any longer! I beg Your Majesty for mercy!"

Shen Ye thoroughly and thoroughly criticized most of the princes who coveted the throne.

While complaining, he secretly gloated: "You want a loving father and filial son? Come on, let's hurt each other!"

Emperor Qianxi felt a mix of emotions.

Although... this kid's assessment was actually quite accurate.

Only a son knows his own son!
These ambitious sons were indeed no pushovers.

It's no wonder the Crown Prince complains about them; he himself sometimes finds it a headache.

But on the surface, he still had to maintain a neutral stance: "Yunye, it's normal for your brothers to have their own ideas."

"After all, there's only one dragon throne in the whole world, and they all covet it and want to sit on it."

"They are all my sons. It's not illegal for them to dream!"

"But don't worry, I will give them a good talking-to later. This position is not one they can covet."

"And you, don't feel too much pressure. Your father will take care of things for you!"

Shen Ye immediately said gratefully, "Thank you, Father. With your words, I feel at ease."

Emperor Qianxi suddenly became sentimental: "Crown Prince, do you remember? You once told me that the only ones who truly care about this country are my son and me!"

"When the country is in ruins, the ministers can replace the emperor."

"But can the two of us do it?"

"If a new dynasty were to emerge, the best outcome would be like that of the Duke of Anle of the Shu Han dynasty."

"But do my son and I really want to live like that?"

Before Shen Ye could answer, Emperor Qianxi had already answered his own question: "That's absolutely impossible!"

"So we must protect this land and not give outsiders any opportunity to take advantage of it!"

"You are an expert in finance and taxation, and are Father Emperor's most capable right-hand man."

"Ma Qi of the Ministry of Revenue is capable, but his abilities are only average."

"I originally wanted you to gradually familiarize yourself with the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers' offices, so that you would have a clear understanding of the court."

"But time waits for no one!" Emperor Qianxi's expression grew serious as he saw that the groundwork had been laid. "The court is now beset by internal and external troubles, all of which need to be dealt with urgently. Otherwise, it will become a major problem for our descendants."

"The Ministry of Revenue under Ma Qi's management can only operate smoothly."

"If the Ministry of Revenue is to advance further, only you can take on this important task."

"Father has decided that from this day forward, you will take charge of the Ministry of Revenue and become its Minister."

"Let's work together, father and son, and try our best to solve these thorny problems!"

"Father hopes that when I hand over this empire to you, it will be a complete and intact empire."

Good heavens, this pie in the sky is incredibly round!

This is just like Zhu Laosi's saying, "The young master is often ill, you should encourage him," which is a recipe for disaster.

The position of Minister of Revenue sounds good, but as long as Ma Qi remains firmly in the Ministry of Revenue, it will be difficult for Shen Ye to take control of it.

With the emperor watching from above and seasoned veterans blocking the way below... This isn't promoting someone; it's clearly shifting blame!

But his face was full of sincerity: "Father, you value your son so much, your son will do anything for you, even risk his life!"

"But Father, you are also aware of the situation of the Ministry of Revenue."

"Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice!"

"If even Lord Ma can't conjure up any money, then I must consider this carefully."

"In that case, after I return, I will discuss this thoroughly with Lord Ma and devise a plan to turn things around, exploring how to increase revenue and reduce expenditure."

"I dare not speak for others, but I can assure you that within three years, I will definitely transform the Ministry of Revenue!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qianxi's blood pressure soared: "That unlucky child!"

You're all set up like you're ready to fight for your father, but do I need three years? I need it now! Immediately! Right now!
That brat!
He clearly knows that I want immediate results, but he insists on coming up with a three-year plan to annoy me!
Pack!
Keep pretending for me!

I gave you the Ministry of Revenue, and you swallowed the bait but spat out the hook. You...you are truly brilliant!
However, looking at the sincere-looking Crown Prince, Emperor Qianxi could only silently suppress his anger.

He has no reason to be angry!
They can't let their current facade of filial piety crumble.

Suppressing his anger, he forced an encouraging smile and said, "Your Highness, go ahead and do it."

"Even if you make a mess, don't be afraid, Father will take care of everything!"

Shen Ye watched Emperor Qianxi's changing expressions and felt a surge of secret pleasure.

His tone became increasingly sincere: "With your words, Father, I feel even more confident."

"Please wait and see, Father."

Emperor Qianxi took a sip of tea and asked again, unwilling to give up, "Crown Prince, since you are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, tell me, what should be done with the money for the army's march?"

Unwilling to end the conversation, Emperor Qianxi simply revealed his true intentions to Shen Ye.

Shen Ye's face immediately turned sour: "Father, I have been racking my brains for many days since you gave your order."

"But no matter how I think about it, I can't come up with a solution."

"Your subject doesn't know magic tricks, so where am I supposed to get two million taels of silver in such a short time?"

"Your Majesty, I am incompetent and beg for punishment!"

Shen Ye felt that when he said the words "Your subject is incompetent," it was so smooth and comfortable.

It's not that I don't want to do it!
It's not that I don't want to share your burdens!

It is my incompetence that has led me to this end!

Emperor Qianxi's lips twitched, and he felt a sharp, piercing pain for a moment.

Well, the problem is back to square one.

He even had an urge to turn back and go back to the palace.

Just as Emperor Qianxi was about to continue testing the waters, Liang Jiugong's voice came from outside: "Your Majesty, we have arrived at the Hot Spring Palace."

Upon hearing that they had arrived at the Hot Spring Palace, Emperor Qianxi knew that the conversation should come to an end.

After all, the pretext he used was to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager.

Now that he's outside the palace, he should go find the Empress Dowager immediately, instead of wasting time here with the Crown Prince.

Left with no other choice, he had to call it a day: "Your Highness, in a little while, my son and I will go to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager, and then we'll accompany her to watch the play you've been rehearsing."

"However, you can't be lazy after you finish your meal."

"I've already sent Ma Qi, the Minister of Revenue, along with the Ministry of Revenue's account books and several other officials. You should discuss this carefully and see if there's any way to borrow this amount of grain and salary."

When Emperor Qianxi got to this point, he originally wanted to add that he couldn't find a way to severely punish the prince, but then he remembered the crown prince's words, "Your subject is incompetent," and felt a headache coming on.

The crown prince's incompetence can even be a reason to depose him.

But if you ask the Crown Prince to do something that no one else in the world can do, it's perfectly normal for him to say he's incompetent.

Using this deposed crown prince is simply too harsh.

So he changed his tone and said, "As long as you come up with a solution, I will reward you handsomely!"

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

　　
　
(End of this chapter)