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

Chapter 453 His Majesty's heart is as vast as the ocean; how could we possibly fathom its depths?

Zhang Yushu glanced at the silent Chen Tingjing, not in a hurry to say anything.

He knew this guy too well—his mind was as hard as stone, and it wouldn't be easy to persuade him; he'd have to be simmered slowly over a gentle fire.

But Zhang Yushu was confident!
After all, Chen Tingjing had no choice in the face of this situation.

Zhang Yushu slowly picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said leisurely, "Once the Crown Prince takes the throne, he will definitely find ways to promote the idea of ​​officials and gentry paying taxes together."

"Our wallets are getting emptier and emptier!"

"Why not support a different prince and let him replace the crown prince? That way, we'll have a chance to abolish this terrible policy and restore peace and order to the world."

Chen Tingjing also took a sip of tea: "What you said makes sense. But how are we going to explain this to Zhang Ying?"

Zhang Ying was a Grand Scholar!
He was the recognized spokesperson for the gentry of Jiangnan in the imperial court!
Although they are both big shots, compared to Zhang Ying's status, whether they want to admit it or not, they are somewhat inferior.

Zhang Yushu calmly replied, "Zhang Ying is too conservative!"

"If this continues, our wallets will be eaten away until only the skin is left!"

"It would be best if we could persuade him, but if we can't... we'll just do it ourselves!"

Chen Tingjing lowered his head, touched the rim of his teacup, pondered for a moment, and then said, "So, who should we support?"

"Of course it's the Eighth Prince!"

"The Eighth Prince is not only intelligent and wise, but also kind and gentle!"

“I have been observing him for quite some time and I have found that he does things with a focus on benevolence.”

"In this respect, he surpasses even His Majesty!"

When Zhang Yushu mentioned the word "benevolence," a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Moreover, the Eighth Prince has already won over many powerful figures in the court. With us joining forces, we have the ability to shake the position of Crown Prince."

Recalling the gentle and refined demeanor of the Eighth Prince, Yunsi, Chen Tingjing nodded and said, "You're quite right. The Eighth Prince certainly has the qualities of a benevolent ruler. If he ascends the throne, he might just become another benevolent emperor!"

"Then let's try to get to know the Eighth Prince better."

Zhang Yushu patted Chen Tingjing on the shoulder and said, "Brother Chen, I'm leaving the affairs of the capital to you."

"When I return to Jiangnan, I will dedicate myself to lecturing."

"Train up successors for us!"

"However, if there is any need in the capital, Brother Chen, just give the order, and I will be there at a moment's notice!"

Just as these two were quietly selecting the Eighth Prince, Yunsi, the Eighth Prince was squatting in the Ministry of Justice's duty room with a worried expression.

He sighed inwardly for the hundredth time. Though unwilling to admit it, the facts were undeniable.

He was tricked by the Crown Prince!
To petition for officials and gentry to pay taxes together? Wouldn't that obviously offend all the gentry and make him their public enemy?
But to take back what was said in front of Emperor Qianxi and the Crown Prince? Absolutely not!

He wanted to ask someone for advice, but both Tong Guowei and Ma Qi were too busy to catch anyone.

Moreover, hiring these two people would be too conspicuous.

What about Kui Xu?
Although Kui Xu's abilities are decent, compared to these two... he's far inferior, so let's not even mention him!

"Boom boom boom!"

The knocking on the door was rude and caused a flash of anger to appear on the Eighth Prince's face.

He had already given the order that no one was allowed to disturb him without his permission, so why was someone knocking on the door now?

"Come in!"

He was about to get angry when he realized that the person who walked in looked somewhat familiar.

"Greetings, Prince Lian!" The newcomer clasped his hands in greeting, his expression elegant and refined.

The Eighth Prince's expression instantly changed, and he beamed with a smile: "Mr. Liu Tao, please have a seat!"

"Your demeanor is even more impressive than before, sir!"

The Eighth Prince highly valued the powerful Mingzhu Group behind Mr. Liu Tao. Moreover, Mr. Liu Tao was full of ideas, and at this moment he was like a timely rain.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am doing well."

After the two sat down, the Eighth Prince did not immediately mention the problem he was facing, but instead asked humbly, "Sir, what brings you here to instruct Yunsi?"

"Eighth Prince, you are naturally intelligent, why would you need my guidance?"

"I am here today on orders. Lord Mingzhu asked me to give you a message: Don't fight for the moment, the one who laughs last laughs best."

The Eighth Prince knew perfectly well what was going on, but he pretended to be confused and asked with a puzzled look, "What is the deeper meaning behind your words, Prime Minister?"

"Prince Lian, what the Prime Minister means is that His Majesty is in good health and has a long time to rule the world!"

"And His Highness the Crown Prince has been the Crown Prince for more than twenty years. Perhaps, the Crown Prince may become the Crown Prince for thirty or even forty years."

"Therefore, Your Highness, you must remain calm and not be anxious."

"This is a protracted war."

The Eighth Prince looked enlightened and nodded as if he had just understood: "Thank you for your explanation, Master. I understand now."

"Sir, I have another difficult matter to ask you about. Please give me your guidance." He then recounted to Master Liu Tao how he had been persuaded by the Crown Prince to submit a memorial supporting the unified taxation of officials and gentry.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Liu Tao's expression changed slightly.

If you don't submit this memorial, it will be considered disobeying the imperial order, but submitting it alone will definitely make you a sitting duck!

His eyes darted around as he said, "Your Highness, one tree cannot make a forest! Why don't you bring a few more people along to submit a petition?"

"In this way, by mixing your memorial with others, it will appear that you are just following the crowd and not that you are trying to stand out, so your sharp edge will not be so prominent."

The Eighth Prince's eyes lit up!
He thought this method was feasible.

If you find some ministers from noble families and use the excuse of the court's daily expenses being tight to support the government officials and gentry to pay taxes together, you can hide yourself!
"Sir, your guidance is like clearing away the clouds to reveal the sun. Thank you very much!" The Eighth Prince bowed solemnly.

Mr. Liu waved his hand and said, "We're all family, it's only right."

Seeing that Mr. Liu Tao was about to leave, the Eighth Prince quickly stopped him: "Please wait a moment, sir. I have another matter to ask you."

Upon hearing the Eighth Prince's humble tone of seeking advice, Mr. Liu Tao unconsciously straightened his back by a third.

He loved two things most in his life: giving advice to others and hearing people praise his good ideas.

At this moment, the Eighth Prince was about to speak, and he was very pleased, immediately perking up.

"Eighth Prince, please don't stand on ceremony. Speak freely."

The Eighth Prince then said, "His Majesty has given the Crown Prince three positions, presumably to allow him to expand overseas. Do you think the Crown Prince's overseas expansion will be successful this time?"

"Your Highness, I have also heard about this matter." Mr. Liu Tao's eyes lit up; analyzing the situation was one of his specialties.
"In my opinion, this time, the Crown Prince is all bark and no bite, and all his efforts will be in vain!"

"Judging from the current situation, His Majesty is not very supportive of expanding overseas."

"I just don't know why the Crown Prince was given these positions."

"I think the Crown Prince is probably wasting his time."

"First of all, His Majesty has said that the court will not provide any support to the Crown Prince's overseas navy."

"In other words, the existing navy of the imperial court will not be given to the crown prince."

"Then everything depends on the Crown Prince himself."

"He's all alone! Even if the Crown Prince has mountains of gold and silver, how can he support a navy capable of fighting? The money would be spent like water, and even the richest family would be emptied out! He will eventually be unable to support it on his own."

"besides……"

"When I was young, I followed Lord Mingzhu to fight against the remnants of the previous dynasty. They relied on the natural barrier of the sea, which made the court sigh in despair many times."

"The vast ocean is their territory. The imperial court has trained its navy for many years, but it still suffers losses when it encounters those powerful sea forces."

"If Shi Lang hadn't eventually defected to the imperial court, the court wouldn't have been able to raise a real navy with his existing team."

"So, the Crown Prince wants to rely on training a new army to go to sea? Without five or ten years, they simply won't have the ability to go to sea."

"In my opinion, the Crown Prince's ambition to obtain these three positions is commendable, but in the end, it may become an inescapable burden and even a handle for others to use against him!"

Mr. Liu Tao's analysis enlightened the Eighth Prince!
The Eighth Prince nodded repeatedly, and the slight fear he had of the Crown Prince melted away like snow under the sun.

His desire to expand overseas is simply wishful thinking.

Putting aside everything else, just building a fleet that can traverse the four seas would require a huge amount of time and money.

The prince has no shortage of money, but what about time?
Isn't the Crown Prince jumping into a fire pit? He needs both money and time, but his father won't provide any real support. He can already see the Crown Prince racking his brains over this "overseas grand plan" in the next few years.

"A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study!" The Eighth Prince said gratefully, clasping his hands in a fist salute again. "In the future, I will have to rely on you for guidance."

Mr. Liu Tao grinned from ear to ear, as if he could already foresee the day when he would be the one to "make a great contribution to the country": "Your Highness is too kind. It is my honor to be able to share your burdens!"

Just as the two were getting into the swing of teaching and learning, Tong Guowei was also talking to Longkodo about the same thing at the Tong family home.

Longkodo had just conceived the idea of ​​sending someone to accompany the Crown Prince overseas to "reap the benefits" when Tong Guowei poured cold water on his idea:

"You want people to follow the Crown Prince to expand overseas territories, Longkodo, do you know how long it takes to forge a navy capable of sailing the seas?"

"Not to mention training a navy that can roam the world!"

Tong Guowei said with a touch of emotion, "Back when we crossed the sea to attack the remnants of the previous dynasty, our navy trained for five years."

"Even so, they are still no match for the other side's online army."

"If Shi Lang hadn't defected, who knows how long it would have taken to build up our navy?"

"So the Crown Prince is being a bit delusional."

"The matter of overseas territories sounds like it has many benefits, but in reality it is fraught with difficulties."

"Without His Majesty's support, the Crown Prince can't move an inch. Don't go and join the fun!"

Longkodo hesitated for a moment and said, "Father, did His Majesty already know that he couldn't become the Crown Prince, and that's why he agreed to it?"

Tong Guowei slowly took another sip of tea, without even raising his eyelids, and casually uttered, "His Majesty's thoughts are as deep as the sea, how could we possibly fathom them?"

　Hey everyone, I'm asking for your support and votes at the beginning of the month!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)