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

Chapter 490 marks a solid step forward for the deposed crown prince.

Recently, the focus of the entire court has been completely off the war in the snowy region.

Everyone's eyes were like searchlights, all focused on the prince in the Eastern Palace.

Is the Emperor going to depose the Crown Prince?
This speculation is not unfounded; it is based on solid evidence.

Otherwise, why would the Emperor suddenly order the Crown Prince to move out of Yuqing Palace?
They even bestowed upon the Crown Prince's new home a glittering gold plaque that read: "Qingqiu Prince's Mansion".
This prince's mansion sounds quite grand.

When did the Crown Prince's residence fall to the level of being called a "Prince's Mansion"?
However, according to the established rules of the imperial court, all mansions must be named according to the highest rank of their owner.

Just like Tong Guowei, everyone usually calls him "Tong Zhongtang" or "Tong Daxueshi".

But the sign hanging at the entrance of his residence still reads "Duke Feng'en's Residence"—

After all, the Duke is a high-ranking official, which sounds incredibly impressive.

But the Crown Prince's new residence is neither called "Palace" nor "Crown Prince's Residence," but rather "Prince's Residence."
This is sure to make people's imaginations run wild!
In addition, there have been rumors circulating in the court recently that the Crown Prince had a big fight with the Emperor because of the matter concerning the Duke of Yansheng's mansion.

The result was that the heir of the Kong family was sent to prison, which infuriated the emperor.

When the emperor gets angry, the consequences are severe.

Even if it's your own son who caused it, you still have to think twice.

That day, Orondai had just returned home from his shift at the palace when his steward came running to report: "The second master next door invites you to come over for a meal."

Within the Tong family, Tong Guowei held the highest position.

He was not only the emperor's maternal uncle, but also a Grand Secretary and a Duke of Feng'en, and in terms of seniority, he was definitely ahead of Orondai.

But who is Orondai?

He wasn't afraid of this uncle at all.

Although he was not as high-ranking as Tong Guowei, nor as senior, he had one advantage over him:

He is the patriarch of the Tong family!
The title of clan chief may sound vague, but it still carries some weight in crucial moments.

Upon hearing that Tong Guowei was looking for him, Orondai's lips curled into a smirk; he knew exactly what was going on:
They must be here to gather intelligence about the Crown Prince's affair!
He slowly changed into comfortable clothes and drank half a cup of tea.

After resting enough, they strolled leisurely to Tong Guowei's house.

"Hello, Second Uncle!"

Orondai casually cupped his hands in greeting, smiling like a street urchin who had just finished strolling through a temple fair, his face completely nonchalant.

Tong Guowei was annoyed by his nonchalant attitude, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Even when his brother was alive, he couldn't control his nephew, this little devil. What could he, as the uncle, do?

"No need for formalities among family," Tong Guowei forced a smile.
"Have you eaten? If not, come here and have a couple of drinks."

"No, no, no, Uncle, just say what you have to say," Orondai said casually as he sat down, crossed his legs, and looked impatient.

"I have to go out to run some errands later."

Although his words were unpleasant to hear, Tong Guowei's smile remained unchanged as he calmly spoke:
"If the Crown Prince moves to the Prince of Qingqiu's residence, will your job as the 'Crown Prince's Guard'... be over?"

Upon hearing this, Orondai clicked his tongue and pouted, saying, "I want to remove it too! But the Emperor won't allow it!"

He told me to continue serving as a guard at the Prince's residence—

"I, a first-class imperial bodyguard and a duke, still have to go to the Prince's mansion to guard the gate! Can you believe it? Is this even fair?!"

Tong Guowei laughed instead of listening:

"This job is something others would kill for; the Emperor trusts you enough."

He lowered his voice:
"You can joke around and fool around in other situations, but you'd better be serious at the Prince of Qingqiu's residence—"

"You could lose your head!"

Orondai hadn't taken it seriously at first, but when he remembered the emperor's face, which was so cold it could freeze, his heart skipped a beat.
If he messes up something else, the emperor might turn a blind eye, but if this matter is handled poorly, his cousin the emperor might really put righteousness before family.

He leaned closer and whispered, "Second Uncle, tell me the truth, does His Majesty... really want to depose the Crown Prince?"

Tong Guowei remained silent for a few seconds, his face grave, as if revealing a secret.

"His Majesty has this intention. Although he hasn't taken action yet, he has already taken a solid first step!"

He patted Orondai on the shoulder and spoke earnestly:
"Now, let's see how the Crown Prince handles it. You're working at the Prince's residence, so remember to tell me immediately if anything happens."

"The Eighth Prince will remember this contribution."

Although Orondai didn't really respect Tong Guowei, he dared not neglect the Eighth Prince:

After all, this was the future master he was betting on, and he was hoping to live a life of luxury and achieve great success with him.

Anyway, when it comes to intelligence, it's best to keep three-tenths to yourself and seven-tenths to yourself. I'll just be clever and keep things under control.

He readily nodded: "Okay, I've got it!"

After finishing their business, the two had nothing else to talk about.

Just then, Shun Anyan walked in: "Grandfather, it's time for dinner."

Orondai stood up immediately: "Second Uncle, I'll be going now."

As he passed Shun'an Yan, he suddenly stopped, reached out and patted him on the shoulder, grinning mischievously:

"Hehe, who would have thought that our Tong family could produce such a romantic!"

"You've made such a fuss over a girl—you really know how to give the Tong family a good reputation!"

After saying that, he ignored how ugly Tong Guowei's expression was, laughed loudly, and strode away.

Shun An Yan stood there, his face turning red and white with anger, wanting to curse but not daring to—how could he afford to offend Orondai?

Stealing a glance at Tong Guowei, the old man remained calm.

He slowly picked up his teacup, as if he hadn't heard the sarcastic remark at all.

When they arrived at the dining room, Tong Guowei's sons were already seated according to the proper etiquette.

In the seat that had been empty for more than half a year, Longkodo, who hadn't been home for dinner in a long time, was surprisingly sitting there.

Upon seeing him, Tong Guowei's eyelids twitched, and he immediately became sarcastic:

"Oh my, did the sun rise in the west today? Or am I just getting old and my eyesight is failing? Master Tong actually came home for dinner?"

Longkodo was Tong Guowei's third son, and outsiders called him Third Master Tong.

However, this title is used with respect by outsiders.

Hearing it from your own father's mouth is like hearing a cannonball coated in sugar; it's not only grating but also makes your teeth ache.

Longkodo, with skin so thick it could deflect arrows, retorted with a grin:
"Father, what are you saying! This Duke Feng'en's mansion is also my home. Isn't it only natural for me to come back for dinner?"

He deliberately raised his voice and glanced at the eldest brother, Ye Keshu:
"If you think I'm not worthy to sit at the table, then I'll have to go and ask the Emperor for his opinion—"

"Why can some good-for-nothings be served at the table, but I, a dignified imperial guard, can't eat?"

The four characters "酒囊饭袋" (jiǔnáng fàn dài, meaning "a good-for-nothing") were like a small flame that instantly ignited Ye Keshu's anger.

He jumped up, his finger nearly poking Longkodo's nose:
"Longkodo! How dare you talk to me like that?"

"You forced your father-in-law's concubine to marry you, you've completely disgraced the Tong family!"

"What right do you have to sit here and eat?!"

"At least I haven't brought shame to my family, so why can't I eat?"

These words made the brothers burst into laughter, all waiting to see what would happen.

Tong Guowei was extremely troubled—he knew perfectly well why his two unfilial sons were arguing:

They're just eyeing the title of Duke Feng'en!
If a duke can turn brothers against each other, making them want to strangle each other, then what about the emperor's dragon throne...?

Thinking of his nephew, Emperor Qianxi, who had more than a dozen sons, all of whom were fierce and ruthless.

Which one is the easiest to deal with?
Tong Guowei suddenly felt a little sorry for him.

Over there, Longkodo wasn't annoyed by the scolding; instead, he smiled even more broadly.

He then slowly dropped another small bomb:

"Ye Keshu, don't be so quick to judge me. Do you think I don't know what you've done?"

"He secretly took a delicate concubine in Er Tiao Hutong a while ago. He's living a pretty good life, isn't he?"

He paused deliberately, enjoying Ye Keshu's expression freeze for a moment, and lowered his voice so that everyone at the table could hear him:
"What a pity, that young lady's father seems to be a member of the royal family—"

"Although he doesn't have a title, his bloodline speaks for itself."

"You've taken a woman from the imperial clan as a concubine without permission. If this gets reported to the Imperial Clan Court, aren't you afraid the Emperor will chop off your head?"

Longkodo's words instantly turned Ye Keshu's face pale, and he almost broke out in a cold sweat.

It doesn't matter if no one exposes it; it's like a thousand pounds if you don't weigh it.

If the matter were to reach the Emperor or the Imperial Clan Court, for the sake of the royal family's reputation, he would be severely punished, if not killed.

Although he was nervous, he couldn't back down in front of his family.

If you chicken out, you'll have no chance of getting the title!
"Longkodo! You dare investigate me? I... I'll fight you to the death!"

Before he could finish speaking, he acted impulsively, grabbed a stool, and was about to smash it over someone's head.

With this smash, we can't have this meal anymore!
"Stop it, all of you! I'm not dead yet!"

Tong Guowei slammed his hand on the table. "If you make any more noise, get out of here!"

"Longkodo, don't think that just because the Emperor favors you, I can send you to starve beyond the Great Wall with a single memorial!"

"Ye Keshu, you can just get the hell out of here in Yunnan and Guizhou! Out of sight, out of mind! Let's see if you still want to fight!"

Seeing that their father was really angry, the two of them finally calmed down.

Even tigers don't eat their cubs, but what if they do?
If Dad really gets angry and sends them to the frontier, that's no joke.

Longkodo's eyes darted around, and he quickly changed the subject, his expression becoming serious:
"Father, calm down and let's talk about serious matters. The Crown Prince is moving to the Prince's residence tomorrow. Should we still send the gifts?"

As soon as he said that, the dinner table fell silent, and the whole family pricked up their ears.

When the crown prince moves, it is customary to send gifts.

But this move is special...it's unusual.

If we send gifts to curry favor with the emperor at this time, will he think we are siding with the crown prince?

Tong Guowei had thought about this matter a hundred times already, and calmly said:
"Our Tong family has always been loyal only to the Emperor and only to the orders of the court."

"The Crown Prince's move was arranged by the Emperor; if the Emperor bestows a reward, we will follow suit."

"If the Emperor doesn't make a move, we absolutely won't show ourselves. Don't be presumptuous."

He looked at Longkodo with a meaningful gaze:
"You'll be in charge of security during this move, so you'd better be extremely careful—the Emperor is watching."

Hearing his father say this, Longkodo nodded quickly: "Don't worry, Father, I understand."

But in his heart he thought: Whoever is the first to rush to Prince Qingqiu's mansion to deliver a gift tomorrow will probably be put on the Emperor's "blacklist" and become a key target for observation!
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(End of this chapter)