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

Chapter 479 I'm not pretending anymore, it was me who did it.

"That's fucking damn good!"

Emperor Qianxi was usually very gentle and refined, and he always paid attention to appearances in his speech and actions.

But now, looking at the memorial impeaching Longkodo, he couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out a curse.

As the emperor who ruled the entire country, how could he not know about the slightest disturbance in the capital?
He had already heard about the great commotion caused by "The Record of Three-Phase Flower Appreciation".

However, by the time he was considering whether to intervene, the thing had already spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the streets.

This kind of suggestive topic is like sugarcane that's hard to chew—

Even though you know it might not be sweet, every man passing by would want to break off a piece, slurp it up, and savor the taste!

Moreover, these kinds of rumors always get worse the more you try to explain them, and the more attention you give them, the more heated the discussion becomes.

In order to save face for the several prime ministers who were on the verge of collapse, he thought long and hard and had no choice but to bite the bullet and pretend he didn't see it.

Unexpectedly, while he turned a blind eye, the "eldest son" who spread the rumors had no intention of letting his father off the hook—

They're too lazy to even pretend anymore!
They actually had Zhen Yan submit a memorial to impeach Longkodo, bringing this messy affair into the open.

Who doesn't know that Zhen Yan is the echoing dog kept by the Crown Prince?

This whole thing was clearly a grand display of force, a loud announcement to the world:
I, the Crown Prince, was the one who did it, so what? Come and bite me if you dare!

Despicable, absolutely despicable!
Emperor Qianxi's mind was in turmoil, and the more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became, to the point that he wanted to sigh helplessly.

He actually had several letters from the "Three-Phase Flower Record" in his possession.

Based on his keen eye for handwriting, the handwriting did indeed resemble that of Tong Guowei, Mingzhu, and Suo'etu.

Good heavens, if I continue to turn a blind eye and ignore this, will this rebellious son take advantage of my kindness and start writing a book called "The Record of the Emperor and His Ministers"?

They even embellished the story about me?

Emperor Qianxi squinted and pondered for a moment, then called out, "Liang Jiugong, go and summon the Crown Prince."

Liang Jiugong had already shrunk his neck and dared not utter a sound when the emperor cursed him as "fucked".

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince was to be invited, his heart skipped a beat:
Well, this job is really like Pigsy looking in the mirror—it's a lose-lose situation, a hot potato that pleases neither side.

But who told him to be the Grand Eunuch? No matter how difficult it was, he had to bite the bullet and go for it.

Liang Jiugong slipped away and ran to Yuqing Palace in a flash.

When they entered, Crown Prince Shen Ye was chatting animatedly and enthusiastically with the Thirteenth Prince.

They were talking about everything related to the navy under General Fubo.

The thirteenth prince studied literature and martial arts under Emperor Qianxi from a young age, and was particularly interested in military affairs.

Hearing the Crown Prince say that he would put all the pirates who had been recruited into his command and that he would train an elite navy, he was so excited that his eyes lit up.

It has always been a major taboo for emperors to allow princes to command troops; even a three-year-old child understands this principle.

But the crown prince not only secretly assembled a force himself, but also openly and unabashedly handed it over to him—

The thirteenth prince was filled with immense excitement:
Firstly, she was moved by the Crown Prince's trust, which was more precious than anything else;

Secondly, what young man wouldn't be eager and excited to be able to stand alone and command troops?

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will definitely bring this navy out!"

The thirteenth prince spoke with absolute certainty, yet his words carried a deeper meaning: "Within three to five years, this navy will surely be utterly loyal to the court, and will fight wherever it is directed!"

When he said "the imperial court," his gaze was fixed directly on Shen Ye's face, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer:

My loyalty is to you, my elder brother, the Crown Prince.

Shen Ye naturally understood, and patted his shoulder with a smile: "I have never doubted Thirteenth Brother's abilities, I trust you to handle things!"

"However, there's one thing you must remember well—never set sail before your navy is fully trained!"

"First, deal with them on land. Offer them sweets when you can win them over, and use force when you need to establish your authority. You need to figure out the right balance yourself."

He then said seriously:
"We need to hurry up and build a few forts in Prince Qingqiu's territory. Once the forts are completed, the sea outlet will be ours for the taking."

"We'll trap them like dogs in a cage, and catch them like turtles in a jar. It all depends on these few cannons!"

At this point, Shen Ye's tone became solemn, as if he were entrusting some grand undertaking:
"Whether we brothers can carve out a new territory and make a name for ourselves on this sea depends on your performance!"

The thirteenth prince, being young, became invigorated upon hearing the words "expanding territory," his fists clenching tightly.

"Don't worry, Your Highness, this vast ocean will eventually belong to us brothers!"

Just as the two were getting into a lively conversation, Zhou Bao came in to report: Liang Jiugong has arrived.

Shen Ye laughed upon hearing this: "I figured he should have arrived earlier, but he's actually later than I expected. Please invite him in."

The thirteenth prince hesitated for a moment:
"Your Highness, is it inconvenient for me to be here...?"

Shen Ye waved his hand: "What's inconvenient about it? What matter in the palace can be kept from Father Emperor?"

Then, half-jokingly, he sighed, "My Crown Prince's residence was completed long ago, but unfortunately, my father won't allow me to move there."

"Let's try for next year, then we can move out and talk freely as brothers."

The thirteenth prince recalled the magnificent mansion he had visited a few days ago and couldn't help but nod:
"That place is warm in winter and cool in summer, much more comfortable than the palace."

As they were talking, Liang Jiugong bowed and walked in.

Shen Ye stood up and said with a smile, "Steward Liang, what are your orders from the Emperor?"

When Liang Jiugong saw that the Crown Prince had actually risen to greet him, he was so startled that he almost knelt down on the spot, and hurriedly said:
"This servant will invite Your Highness."

Before the word "peace" could even be uttered, Shen Ye grabbed her elbow and stopped her.
"Alright, alright, there are no outsiders here, stop kneeling like that, it's too formal!" As he spoke, he pulled a stack of crisp new bills from his sleeve:

"Come, come, these are the new Chengping Gold Notes from Yuqing Bank. They're for the New Year, so here are a few to give you as a New Year's blessing!"

Liang Jiugong took it and glanced at it, his heart leaping with joy—

He recognizes this treasure!

A few days ago, the Emperor was in a good mood and rewarded him with a gift of one hundred taels of silver!

Although he was the chief steward, he was ultimately a eunuch.

What eunuch doesn't love money? Holding this treasure in his hands feels more reassuring than holding a heater.

Moreover, these Yuqing gold notes are now a hard currency in the capital, and even the Emperor and Empress Dowager use them to reward people.

Many nobles racked their brains to get a few of these banknotes; even if they didn't receive them as imperial gifts, having these gold notes in their hands was still a symbol of status.

"Oh dear, thank you so much for your generosity, Your Highness! You are truly so considerate of your servant!"

Liang Jiugong clutched the gold coins with great joy, his face beaming with happiness.

“Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence,” he leaned closer and lowered his voice, “most likely regarding Zhen Yan’s impeachment of Longkodo.”

Shen Ye had anticipated this, and calmly asked, "How is Father Emperor feeling?"

Liang Jiugong touched the solid stack of gold notes in his pocket and told the truth:
"His Majesty did utter a curse, but in my opinion... he wasn't too angry."

Shen Ye nodded: "Then let's go, don't keep Father waiting."

He turned to the thirteenth prince and said, "Thirteenth prince, you go ahead and do your thing. I don't know how long I'll be talking here."

The thirteenth prince responded and followed Shen Ye out of Yuqing Palace.

Upon arriving at the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Qianxi was reading a book. Seeing Shen Ye enter and bow, he raised his eyes and said, "No need for formalities, please sit down."

Shen Ye knew this was a trap, so he didn't stand on ceremony. He found a stool, sat down, and asked with a smile, "I wonder what Your Majesty has summoned me for?"

“I have no instructions,” Emperor Qianxi said, putting the book he was holding on the table. “It’s just that there’s a strange book circulating in the capital recently, and I would like to invite the Crown Prince to take a look at it together.”

He picked up the book and waved it in front of Shen Ye: "The Record of the Three Phases of Flower Appreciation - Has the Crown Prince ever heard of it?"

“I’ve heard of it more than just heard of it,” Shen Ye said with a frank smile.

"This book was commissioned by your son, and the content was written by your son himself. It's just that the writing is crude and the style is like a play, so please forgive me, Father Emperor."

Emperor Qianxi had prepared a lot to say. He had even planned how Shen Ye would deny it, how he would press her step by step, and how he would finally expose her.

To my utter surprise, this rebellious son admitted it so readily and decisively!
He immediately straightened his face and glared at Shen Ye, saying:
"Your Highness! What are you doing writing this rubbish?!"

"You are tarnishing the reputation of the imperial court and defaming the integrity of the three prime ministers! Do you...do you know how serious this matter is?"

Shen Ye, however, still smiled and said, "Father, I don't think this thing will tarnish the reputation of the three prime ministers."

"Anyone with a brain would know that the three prime ministers would never write such a letter or do such a thing."

Emperor Qianxi almost laughed in anger: "Since you know no one will believe you, why do you still do it? Are you just bored and looking for trouble?"

"Your subject is simply unhappy!"

Shen Ye's expression turned serious:
"Before Kong Yujin died, he somehow got hold of two broken poems. No one can prove that I wrote them, but just because the handwriting is similar, everyone wants to pin the crime of 'murder to silence' on me."

"Although Father Emperor firmly believes in me, which of those civil officials doesn't secretly gossip behind my back? Their spittle could drown me! As if I were a heinous criminal."

"So I want to teach them a lesson!"

"Let them taste this flavor too—handwriting isn't hard to imitate."

At this point, he smiled again: "As the heads of the court, Minister Tong and the others did not utter a word when they saw me being wronged."

"To remain silent is to tacitly approve, or even condone. In that case, I will find them something to do, so they won't be too idle."

As Emperor Qianxi listened, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

The Crown Prince said, "My father firmly believes in me," but the one who was most suspicious of him was none other than his own father.

The crown prince may well be aware of this, but he pretends not to know and doesn't point it out.

Emperor Qianxi snorted: "Yunye, your suffering is no excuse for your nonsense. This matter ends here, and there will be no next time."

Shen Ye calmly replied, "Rumors stop with the wise. I believe that all the civil and military officials in the court are reasonable people and will not take it seriously."

He abruptly changed the subject and said seriously:
“Since the death of Kong Yujin has nothing to do with me, and the Kong family colluded with corrupt officials during this disaster relief effort, causing widespread famine among the people—I believe that the matter concerning the Kong family should not be delayed any longer and should be brought to a conclusion.”

"They want to use Kong Yujin's life to atone for the sins of their entire family? There's no such easy thing in the world."

"If this precedent is set, won't all the powerful families follow suit?"

"I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly! Punish them severely without leniency, so as to restore order to the court!"

Emperor Qianxi originally intended to seize upon the Crown Prince's fabrication of rumors and give him a good scolding.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince changed the subject and brought up the case of the Kong family reselling disaster relief grain, which aroused great public indignation.

This caught him somewhat off guard.

He pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "The matter of the Kong family certainly needs to be resolved."

"But the Duke Yansheng's mansion is no ordinary place, and I still need to consider it. This matter... will be discussed later."

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

　
(End of this chapter)