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

Chapter 464 The long street, stretching for ten miles, was filled with scholars.

Just as Shen Ye was happily returning to the capital with the Fourth Prince, enjoying hotpot and singing, a dusty carriage was slowly inching along another official road.

From a distance, it looks like a droopy old tortoise.

The car was crammed with several people dressed in mourning clothes, and the leader was a young man in his twenties.

Right now, he was secretly touching his stiff face—his cheeks were aching from holding that mournful expression for so long.

To the left of the young man sat an elderly man in his fifties with a dignified face.

The old man lifted the carriage curtain, gazed at the gloomy sky, and said earnestly, "Shangde, this trip to the capital is of paramount importance to our family! It concerns the reputation of our Kong family... and our noble title!"

"You must remember this: no matter what happens, you have to endure it!"

"Your father was forced to his death. Only by playing the role of a weak, helpless, but sensible person can our family occupy the moral high ground!"

"Human nature always favors the weak."

“If your father had any other way, he wouldn’t have gone down this path.”

"But this path is the best option to preserve our title of Duke Yansheng."

Kong Shangde tried to squeeze out tears for a long time but couldn't. He could only pretend to wipe the corners of his eyes and nodded solemnly: "Third Uncle, I understand!"

"I would never let a small gain lead to a big loss."

"We have only one purpose in coming to Beijing—to apologize!"

"I beg forgiveness from His Majesty, and from the people of the world!"

"The hearts of scholars must belong to us!"

The old man nodded slightly after hearing what he said.

He then lowered his voice and said, "The reason we're not taking the fast track into the city today is to show our stance: the Kong family will never reconcile with those who forced our patriarch to his death! Let them see the integrity of the Kong family!"

"However, this is something that can only be understood implicitly, not explained in words. Let them figure it out for themselves!"

"Also, once we get into the city, a large group of people will come to pick us up. Remember, no matter what they say, just clasp your hands in thanks, bow your head, and express your gratitude."

"After you pass through the crowd, give everyone a grand salute."

“At this moment, you are not the noble heir to the Duke of Yansheng; you are just a weak, pitiful, and helpless victim. You are thanking everyone for their support, as well as your family’s support.”

"Remember!"

Kong Shangde nodded vigorously: "Nephew, I'll remember!"

The road was difficult to travel, and the carriage moved very slowly.

As soon as the carriage swayed into the city gate, a group of scholars dressed in long gowns and wearing square headscarves emerged from every alleyway like mushrooms after the rain.

Among these people were scholars who had passed the county-level imperial examinations, and even officials who were dressed in official robes but pretended to be passing by.

The men bowed in unison to the dilapidated carriage, their movements so synchronized as if they had been trained.

Unexpectedly, with just a slight bend in the waistband, the once bustling streets of the capital suddenly fell silent.

Even the roadside vendors selling candied hawthorns didn't dare to shout, the fortune teller silently put the divination slips into his pocket, and even the big yellow dog passing by tucked its tail between its legs and ran away.

The world was completely silent, save for the creaking of the car wheels!

Kong Shangde sighed inwardly, thinking how professional the people his third uncle had found were!

He looked distressed and didn't say anything, but slowly returned the greeting.

With that one bend, all eyes along the ten-mile-long street were fixed on him, heavy with attention.

In the instant he bent down, Kong Shangde knew perfectly well that the family had pulled out all the stops for this simple bow.

The Kong family went to great lengths to achieve this.

They wanted to let the emperor know that the hearts of all scholars in the land were still with the descendants of the sage.

The descendants of sages cannot change the world, but they are respected!
On the long street, the oxcart slowly moved forward.

Without soldiers clearing the way, they still managed to walk with an air of "no one else should give way".

Passersby huddled to the sides, as if it were not a carriage, but a moving memorial tablet of a saint.

As scholars walked past Kong Shangde, he lost count of how many times he had bowed; he only knew that his back was almost broken.

Even though I knew it was all pre-arranged, I couldn't help but feel a little excited.

No dynasty lasts forever, but the descendants of sages do!
As long as the spirit of the saint remains, their family will live on forever!
So, as they were about to reach the end of the long street, Kong Shangde suddenly knelt down and gave a solemn kowtow to all the figures present!

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, as if gilding him with a golden glow!

And this golden light was clearly announcing to the entire capital: The descendants of the sage have returned!
The scene of sending off Kong Shangde and his entourage along the ten-mile-long street could not be hidden from Emperor Qianxi.

Emperor Qianxi received the news immediately.

Although he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Emperor Qianxi's face gradually darkened as he listened to the description.

This scene caused his long-held resolve to waver slightly.

He had always known that the Kong family was not easy to deal with, but now he realized that his assumptions about the Kong family seemed to be somewhat wrong.

After holding the memorial in silence for a full half hour, Emperor Qianxi finally gave it to Liang Jiugong: "Send it to the Crown Prince."

Actually, there was no need to send it; Shen Ye had already received the news.

Countless scholars welcomed Kong Shangde and his entourage!
At the main gate leading into the capital, many scholars bowed to Kong Shangde, who was dressed in mourning clothes.

What does this mean? Shen Ye understood immediately.

If no one organized this kind of thing, Shen Ye would be willing to twist his head off and use it as a football! However, he did have some admiration for the Kong family's planning ability.

However, while I admire him, I'm not afraid.

Although the Duke of Yansheng's mansion is difficult to deal with, it's not unmanageable.

Compared to Shen Ye's composure, the Fourth Prince, who was drinking with him in Yuqing Palace, had a very unpleasant expression.

He was right there when the news came.

Although he didn't witness the scene firsthand, he knew what it meant and how much of a storm it could cause.

When he went to see his father before, his father praised him for doing well and told him not to worry.

But now... he always felt that his father's sense of responsibility was a bit questionable.

"Fourth brother, don't worry. Some people are just desperate." Shen Ye patted his shoulder, his tone relaxed. "Besides, I sent you there. How could I not care?"

"Go ahead and do it without worry. One Duke Yansheng can't turn the world upside down!"

The fourth prince smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, it's not that I'm afraid of being wronged, but do they really dare to make me pay with my life?"

As he spoke, his eyes hardened: "Even if I have to go to the Three Judicial Offices, I will go there with dignity!"

"I want them to know that the truth can't be hidden forever!"

"However, it's best to keep this from involving you."

"After all, the death of a descendant of a sage is not good for your reputation."

"As long as it doesn't affect the Crown Prince, I'm willing to do anything."

That last sentence, however, did seem somewhat sincere.

He followed Shen Ye, originally intending to rely on her as a powerful figure and develop his own power quietly.

But ever since Kong Yujin died, he felt that his chances of inheriting the throne were getting smaller and smaller.

Since that's the case, we might as well protect the Crown Prince at all costs—as long as the Crown Prince ascends the throne, his loyalty will eventually be rewarded.

Shen Ye smiled calmly: "Isn't it just a matter of trying to intimidate people with numbers? If you really had the upper hand, would you need to pull this stunt?"

"Bringing a bunch of scholars to demonstrate the influence of the Duke Yansheng's mansion looks impressive, but it's just a paper tiger."

"There's nothing to be afraid of!"

The emperor and the crown prince both knew about Kong Shangde's entry into the city, so how could Grand Secretary Zhang Ying not know?
After hearing her son Zhang Tingyu recount the situation, Zhang Ying's expression changed repeatedly.

This incident made him very unhappy.

This is quite a show of force, and nobody even gave him a heads-up beforehand!
This shows that someone was causing trouble behind his back and deliberately excluded him, a Grand Secretary.

He claimed it was "to protect himself and avoid putting himself in a difficult position," but from another perspective, he, as the leader of the civil officials, had lost all authority in the eyes of these people.

This clearly shows they don't take themselves seriously!

"Father, I asked around, and someone revealed that it was intentional that they didn't let you know, saying... they were afraid of putting you in a difficult position!" Zhang Tingyu said in a low voice.

Zhang Ying sneered: "Afraid of making things difficult for me? I think it's someone who wants to take the opportunity to climb the ranks and is afraid I'll get in their way!"

"Does that bastard Left Censor-in-Chief think his job as a censor is too easy and he's not satisfied, so he wants to move into my chair as a Grand Secretary?"

Zhang Tingyu silently took half a step back. His father was usually very careful not to show his emotions, and he had rarely seen him lose his composure like this.

I knew my dad was really angry this time, otherwise he wouldn't have said such a low-level thing.

He hesitated for a moment, not daring to reply.

"Who are they putting on this melodramatic show for?" Zhang Ying paced back and forth in the study, hands behind his back. "Do they think that by pressuring him like this, the Emperor will back down on the matter of the Duke of Yansheng?"

"But what they don't know is that after the Emperor makes concessions, we might be the ones to suffer the backlash."

Zhang Ying paced back and forth a few times, her expression suddenly turning even colder:
"Maybe... they've even factored in that step!"

Zhang Tingyu felt a chill run down his spine!
He wanted to say, "Dad, you're overthinking it. Your allies wouldn't do that," but reason told him that this was very likely the truth!
If the emperor feels that the civil officials are too powerful and becomes wary of them, then the first person he would probably deal with is his father, the head of the civil officials.

"Father, what should we do?"

Zhang Ying waved her hand: "It's too late to worry now that things have come to this."

"Your top priority right now is to study hard and ace the exam next year."

Zhang Ying looked at his son and said earnestly, "With your father paving the way for you, you will soon be able to enter the Southern Study."

"With your intelligence and talent, you will surely win the Emperor's favor."

At this point, his voice lowered even further: "Remember, while His Majesty is in his prime, never show favoritism to any of the princes."

"Only by remaining impartial can you secure your position."

"Only by remaining impartial and unbiased can one rise to great heights."

Zhang Tingyu knew his father was speaking the truth for his own good, but a sense of panic welled up inside him.

These words sound like someone is making their final arrangements...

"Don't overthink it. Based on the bond between me and His Majesty, His Majesty shouldn't replace me anytime soon."

As Zhang Ying spoke, she suddenly changed the subject: "Now I'm curious how the Crown Prince will respond to the situation at tomorrow's morning court session."

"In this situation, quite a few people are targeting him..."

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(End of this chapter)