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

Chapter 445 Frankness is the best policy; Your Majesty needs to leave yourself a way out.

Shen Ye glanced at Emperor Qianxi's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot, and knew perfectly well that the Emperor was truly enraged this time.

But could he show weakness? Absolutely not! Even if he could handle it, he had to act like a complete novice.

So he put on a sorrowful expression and put on a full performance: "Father, it's not that I don't want to share your burdens, it's that I really can't do it!"

Emperor Qianxi sneered and began to "gently persuade" him to study: "You can't do it? No problem, I'll help you."

"Don't you think I can't touch your position as crown prince? Fine, I won't."

“But I can take another approach—for example, under the pretext of misbehaving before the Emperor, send Nian Xinyue back to the Nian family, and let Cao Min return to the Cao family. As for the Crown Princess… well, forget about the Crown Princess.”

"Also, I can easily find any excuse to execute your trusted confidants."

“Especially Zhou Bao, I ordered Liang Jiugong to have him beaten to death without even having to make up a reason.”

Emperor Qianxi walked up to Shen Ye and lowered his voice in a sinister tone: "Crown Prince, although I do not want to kill people unjustly, it is not that I cannot kill."

"So, stop trying to beat around the bush with me, kid!"

Looking at the furious Emperor Qianxi, Shen Ye was speechless.

This old man couldn't play by the rules anymore, so he just flipped the table.

However, these threats really hit Shen Ye where it hurt.

Putting everything else aside, Nian Xinyue and Cao Min have been with him for so long that he already considers them family.

If I were really sent away, wouldn't I suffer?
Zhou Bao, needless to say, was the one he was most comfortable with, but he was beaten to death, gone just like that...

Shen Ye's mind raced, but in the end, he could only shrug and start to act spoiled: "Father, if you do this, the history books will record it harshly, which will damage your image of wisdom and might!"

Seeing that his son had finally stopped talking nonsense, Emperor Qianxi snorted and said, "If I lose the Snow Region, the history books will curse me even more harshly!"

"So, choose the lesser of two evils."

"Let's stop acting and get this over with quickly."

Shen Ye reluctantly picked up the teapot, poured a cup of water for his father, and said with a forced smile, "You are my father, you have the final say."

That was so frustrating to say!
He usually managed to keep Emperor Qianxi firmly under his control entirely by following the rules.

Now, Emperor Qianxi doesn't care about military virtue; he doesn't deal with matters but directly targets people. What can he do?

Emperor Qianxi was pleased by Shen Ye's words, "You are my father," and happily picked up his teacup: "That's more like it!"

"You are my child, so of course you have to listen to me."

"Speak up, what are your conditions? After you've stated them, get to work!"

At this moment, Emperor Qianxi felt incredibly satisfied: "You little brat, you forced me to flip the table!"
However, I must be the first person in history to threaten his son with his daughter-in-law, right?
Shen Ye immediately seized the opportunity: "Since Father has spoken, then I will not stand on ceremony! It is a good thing that officials and gentry pay taxes together. Now that we are going to send troops to the snowy region, I think this policy should not be changed."

"This is a great thing for the imperial court."

"As long as this principle is consistently upheld, the court will not be in such dire straits as it is now."

After pondering for a moment, Emperor Qianxi finally nodded and said, "Granted."

Shen Ye continued, "And Zhang Yushu, I don't like him. Why don't we find a reason to kill him?"

Emperor Qianxi paused for a moment, then said, "Although Zhang Yushu is a bit dull, he has disciples and old friends all over the world. He is also very old. Killing him would make you seem cruel."

"Let him go back to his hometown to retire."

Shen Ye didn't really intend to kill him; he just wanted to raise the price and demand exorbitant amounts.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, he grinned and said, "Alright, since Father Emperor is merciful and insists on giving Zhang Yushu a way out, then I'll just treat him like a fart and let him go."

"Hopefully he won't cause any more trouble after he returns to his hometown."

Emperor Qianxi didn't care at all about sacrificing Zhang Yushu; he had plenty of capable ministers under his command.

It's better to have someone else.

"Any other conditions? Keep mentioning them! I will definitely grant them." Emperor Qianxi was in a good mood after hearing the Crown Prince's two conditions.

Shen Ye smiled and played his trump card: "Your subject requests that Your Majesty bestow upon me the title of Prince of Sanshanpu, Grand Admiral of the Ocean Navy, and Overseas Military Commissioner!"

When Emperor Qianxi heard this series of official titles, he was completely dumbfounded!

He could understand that the crown prince wanted status and benefits.

But what exactly are these things the Crown Prince is talking about?
Where is Sanshanpu?

What is a Grand Admiral of a Far Ocean Navy?

The title seems quite prestigious, but he doesn't recall having any ocean-going navy under his command!
Also, that overseas envoy seemed a bit strange.

However, Emperor Qianxi quickly regained his composure and asked with a smile, "With so many official titles, do you no longer want the position of Crown Prince?"

"How could that be?" Shen Ye said with a smile, "Father can simply add these official titles after his son's title of Crown Prince."

"Where is Sanshanpu?" Emperor Qianxi asked casually.

Shen Ye immediately pulled out a simple map from his pocket: "Father, this is it. This is Sanshanpu. It's just a small harbor."

"Your subject intends to use this place as a port for the ocean, and then gather people to set sail from here. As for the destination, it is this area."

Shen Ye pointed his finger at the continent opposite.

When Emperor Qianxi looked at the map, he immediately thought of the lesson the Crown Prince had given to his ministers some time ago when he had put the Crown Prince in charge of the country.

He immediately understood; it seemed his son still wanted to expand overseas.

It would be a lie to say that Emperor Qianxi was unmoved by overseas territories, but the vast ocean also made him somewhat hesitant. Therefore, he neither opposed nor approved of the Crown Prince's strategy of conquering distant seas.

The three official positions the Crown Prince now wants are clearly intended to continue his overseas expansion strategy.

He pondered for a moment and said, "You are the crown prince and will inherit the throne in the future. Why bother with overseas territories?"

"Why don't we just let others worry about it?"

Shen Ye chuckled: "Father, besides making some money from overseas trade, my business ventures also provide a safety net for our family."

"No dynasty in the world can last for thousands of years and remain prosperous forever."

"If the world changes in the future, we can still go overseas as a fallback plan."

"Furthermore, if one day Father Emperor dislikes me as the Crown Prince and finds a more suitable candidate, then I will lead my own people to overseas territories."

"We are all thousands of miles apart, with vast skies and boundless seas. May we all be well, and this will save you from having to feel troubled!"

"Father, you don't need to worry about the new crown prince's accession to the throne, nor do you need to worry about my family or that my newly enthroned brother will come after me later."

"At that time, my son will also be a king in his own right. Although it will be far away, he will be able to live a carefree and happy life."

Upon hearing Shen Ye's words, Emperor Qianxi's face darkened: "Nonsense!"

"Your position as crown prince was personally established by me. How could there be another crown prince?"

"The position of Crown Prince is not a child's play!"

Shen Ye remained unfazed by Emperor Qianxi's angry rebuke: "Father, I was merely taking precautions."

“If we don’t take those overseas territories, those European countries won’t let them go either. We might as well take one ourselves.”

"If Father Emperor is worried about the ocean-going navy, he can issue an edict to prevent the ocean-going navy from landing."

Emperor Qianxi paced back and forth a few times with his hands behind his back, his face changing like a palette of colors.

The crown prince commands an army, possesses overseas territories, and is also a prince of a region... This configuration is just too top-notch!

"What if I don't agree?" Emperor Qianxi suddenly turned around and asked in a deep voice.

Shen Ye spread his hands: "Father just said that we, father and son, should be frank with each other, so I will say whatever I think."

"Of course you won't depose your son now, but if he sits in the position of crown prince for too long, and Father Emperor gets older, he might become increasingly displeased with him."

"By then, the vast Crown Prince's residence will still fall apart."

"According to my son's estimation, there is a very high probability that day will come... Rather than the whole family starving when that day comes, we might as well just give up now."

“Father, by doing this, I am not only leaving a way out for the future of the court, but also for my own future.”

"Maybe we won't even need it."

Emperor Qianxi paced back and forth a few steps, his expression as gloomy as water.

He pondered for a moment and said, "You are probably the most daring and audacious crown prince in the world."

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Your subject is not very bold. I can neither emulate Li Chengqian nor Liu Ju. I am just leaving myself a way out."

"Moreover, in my opinion, this does not cause any harm to the court."

"Why doesn't Father Emperor go with the flow and entrust this matter to his son?"

Emperor Qianxi took the map from Shen Ye's hand, examined it carefully, and then said, "I need to think about this matter first."

"You should start preparing the military pay first, and I will give you an answer later."

At this point, Emperor Qianxi waved his hand and said, "You may leave now."

Shen Ye also knew that it was a bit much to ask Emperor Qianxi to make such a big decision immediately, so he cupped his hands in greeting to Emperor Qianxi and turned to leave.

Watching the departing crown prince, Emperor Qianxi felt a mix of emotions.

The crown prince's last words greatly shocked him.

As things stand, he will allow the crown prince to ascend the throne, but the crown prince seems certain that the possibility of him ascending the throne himself is slim.

Will I depose the Crown Prince?

I wouldn't..., would I?

Emperor Qianxi wanted to firmly shake his head and give an "absolutely not" answer, but upon examining his own heart, he vaguely felt that his suspicion of the Crown Prince was indeed growing deeper and deeper.

The young crown prince was like a thorn in his side, giving him a feeling of something stuck in his throat.

If the Crown Prince really establishes a territory overseas, and then one day the Emperor wants to depose him and send him abroad, then...

No, no, no, I will not depose the crown prince.

Various thoughts swirled in Emperor Qianxi's mind, but in the end, he picked up the map and began to look at it.

At this moment, Shen Ye was strolling in the garden of the hot spring palace. He had been pondering the conditions he had just mentioned for several days.

He knew he couldn't keep going against Emperor Qianxi forever.

Even if Emperor Qianxi didn't ask him this time, he was prepared to bring it up with Emperor Qianxi at some point.

I just don't know... whether Emperor Qianxi will approve his overseas business plan.

　The second update for today is here! Hey everyone, it's almost the end of the month, so if you have any votes, please give me a couple!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)