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

Chapter 512 Father and Son's Battle of Wits: Using Flowers to Present to the Buddha
Because they had to receive the congratulations of all the officials early the next morning, the family banquet in Qianqing Palace did not last long before it ended.

Emperor Qianxi returned to his palace to rest, and the princes also returned to their respective palaces.

The palace gates had long been locked, so Shen Ye couldn't leave the palace and had no choice but to wander back to Yuqing Palace to spend the night.

Fortunately, Yuqing Palace had already been tidied up.

As soon as you enter, a warm and cozy atmosphere mixed with the aroma of tea greets you.

Cao Min, who came to offer New Year's greetings on behalf of the Crown Princess, was always meticulous in her work and had already prepared hot tea and several exquisite snacks for him.

After serving Shen Ye the hot foot bath, Cao Min waved her hand to dismiss the eunuchs and maids around her.

Once the room had quieted down, he leaned closer and asked softly, with some hesitation:

"Your Highness, when I was paying New Year's respects in the palace today, I heard someone say... His Majesty wanted to convert the Qingqiu Prince's Mansion into the Eastern Palace and bestow it upon you, but you declined?"

"Why?"

As her husband, Cao Min knew all too well that her man was by no means the gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, or modest type.

He would never refuse substantial benefits just to save face for Emperor Qianxi.

Shen Ye smiled upon hearing this:
“My father used to think I was in his way, so he kicked me to the Prince of Qingqiu’s residence.”

"Now that they need me, they're trying to coax me back to be their slave with a candied hawthorn."

"But what I want to eat right now is meat. A single candied hawthorn isn't enough! I'm not a three-year-old anymore!"

Cao Min's expression hardened slightly, and she softly advised:
“My lord, I understand that you are angry.”

"But you have to be careful about how you handle this... Don't offend His Majesty too much. After all, he is the emperor."

Shen Ye understood her concerns—serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; this was no joke.

Some tigers, when they go mad, become eccentric and will even devour their own offspring.

For example, Emperor Wu of Han, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Shen Yehun waved his hand dismissively and replied with a smile.

Cao Min shook her head helplessly, dried his feet, tucked the blanket around him, and gently urged him:
"You've had a long day, and you have to get up early tomorrow to receive the court's greetings. You should get some rest."

Shen Ye stretched his limbs and laughed, "I'm actually lucky. I live in the palace, it's just a few steps away."

“Those ministers were in a much worse situation. They had to get up in the middle of the night and stand in rows outside the Meridian Gate in the cold wind.”

As Shen Ye said, regardless of wind or rain, or the state of affairs, no one, from princes and nobles to high-ranking officials, dared to neglect the annual "opening ceremony" of the New Year.

Negligence? That would be disrespectful to the emperor.

At best, you'll be demoted and stripped of your title; at worst... if the emperor is in a bad mood, he might just send you on your deathbed.

Before the palace gates were even opened, the ministers had already gathered outside the Meridian Gate.

After exchanging a ton of New Year's greetings, close friends would gather in small groups in sheltered spots and chat quietly.

"I heard that Ge Li from Jiangnan got dealt with? I've always thought he was a scoundrel. He's not very capable, but he's got quite the big mouth."

"That's right! Back when we were working together, he was all groveling like a lapdog. But after he became the governor of Shanxi, his eyes immediately popped up on top of his head!"

"What a piece of trash! Bah!"

"Heh heh, you're a wolf from Zhongshan, you get arrogant when you get ahead. Too bad you've run into the wolf hunters this time."

"His death is a clean break, but he turned Jiangnan into a complete mess..."

Ge Li was already unpopular, and now that he had died an dishonorable death, everyone was kicking him while he was down, and they were doing it with great enthusiasm.

Standing in the crowd, Tong Guowei listened to these discussions and frowned imperceptibly.

Regardless, Ge Li was considered part of the Eighth Prince's faction, and he treated the Grand Secretary Ge Li with respect.

Even now that he's dead, being criticized like this behind his back is really grating to him.

But no matter how harsh the words were, he could only suppress them and could not defend Ge Li.

Could he possibly jump out and remind us that "the dead are the greatest"?

Although Emperor Qianxi ordered a grand funeral for Ge Li, Tong Guowei knew perfectly well what was going on:

If Ge Li were still alive, the Emperor would want to skin him alive.

The military campaign in the Northwest has already stretched the court thin, and this scoundrel Ge Li still dares to cause such a huge mess in Jiangnan!

Isn't this just adding fuel to the fire?

Let alone the hot-tempered Emperor Qianxi, even if it were Tong Guowei, he would be so angry that he would pound the table and curse.

That bastard Ge Li, he's a complete scoundrel!

As Tong Guowei was silently lamenting the impermanence of life, Prince Jian and Grand Minister Yarjianga quietly approached and whispered:

"Prime Minister Tong, may I speak to you in private?"

Seeing his serious expression, Tong Guowei had a sudden thought and followed him to a quiet spot.

Although the young prince Yarjianga was arrogant, Tong Guowei dared not underestimate him—he had the "favor of the emperor."

The concept of imperial favor is rather abstract, invisible and intangible, but sometimes it is more effective than anything else.

Putting everything else aside, as long as the emperor's favor remains, even if they are stripped of all their power, they can bounce back like firecrackers during the New Year.

What did that sentence say?

Bottoming out and rebounding!

Take Yarjan, for example. He was tricked and humiliated by the Crown Prince a while ago, but now Emperor Qianxi has brought him back and promoted him to Grand Minister.
This is probably just the beginning. "What instructions does Your Highness have?" Tong Guowei asked in a deep voice.

Although Yarjianga was always arrogant, he dared not be disrespectful to his uncle, the emperor Tong Guowei. He unusually restrained his arrogance and smiled obsequiously:
"Has Prime Minister Tong heard that His Majesty issued three decrees yesterday to convert the Crown Prince's residence, the Prince of Qingqiu's Mansion, into the Eastern Palace, but the Crown Prince declined them all?"

Tong Guowei had never heard of it.

During the Spring Festival, he went home to celebrate after Emperor Qianxi summoned him to discuss the matter of Ge Li. Little did he know that such a power struggle between father and son would unfold in the palace.

He was well aware of the weight of the words "Eastern Palace".

That's not your average secondhand house; it comes with its own future property ownership certificate!
Tong Guowei narrowed his eyes with a slight hesitation: "Is Your Highness serious?"

"How could I dare to deceive Prime Minister Tong about such an important matter? The Crown Prince pushed it away resolutely, and his reasons were quite considerate."

“They said it was because they didn’t want His Majesty to change his orders frequently and put him in a difficult position. Listen to that, how filial!” Yarjiang’a said, his voice slightly lowered at the end.

Upon hearing this, Tong Guowei felt a surge of admiration for the Crown Prince.

Emperor Qianxi suddenly bestowed a generous reward upon the Crown Prince in order to prepare provisions for the military campaign in the Northwest.

The Crown Prince clearly understood this, which is why he used such a high-sounding reason to refuse the offer.

The emperor insisted on giving the candied hawthorns to the grain transport captain, hoping to win him over. The crown prince, on the other hand, was deeply moved but then put the candied hawthorns back into the emperor's hand.

This father and son...

One side shifts the blame, the other undermines the effort, making the New Year celebrations as lively as a grand opera!
Tong Guowei was secretly marveling at the deep schemes of the imperial court when suddenly a thought struck him:
That's not right! His relationship with Yarjianga was so-so, like plain water. Why would this guy suddenly reveal such a secret to him?

Even if this news spreads quickly, it shouldn't be Yarjan A who acts as the harbinger of good news!
A cloud of doubt rose in his heart, but Tong Guowei did not show it on his face, only calmly looking at the other party:
"Does Your Highness have any other instructions?"

"How dare I give orders to the Grand Secretary? It is His Majesty who has given the orders."

Yarjiang'a's expression turned serious. "Didn't His Majesty say earlier that for this New Year's Day court audience, the officials only need to go to the Qianqing Palace and the Cining Palace to kowtow?"

Upon hearing this, Tong Guowei immediately had a bad feeling.

He didn't interrupt, waiting for what would happen next.

Yarjan lowered his voice:

"His Majesty instructed Prime Minister Tong to offer his congratulations at the Qianqing Palace and then, on behalf of all the ministers, to petition the court to send their officials to the Eastern Palace to offer their congratulations to the Crown Prince."

"As for the reasons... Your Majesty believes that you, Prime Minister Tong, can think of them thoroughly."

Tong Guowei's lips twitched slightly.

Well, you pulled it yourself... and now you think it's not right and want me, this old man, to clean it?
But since Emperor Qianxi had sent Yarjianga to deliver a formal message, no matter how hot the task was, he couldn't refuse.

After a moment's hesitation, Tong Guowei said, "The Eastern Palace? Didn't the Crown Prince decline?"

"His Majesty has decided to integrate the palaces surrounding Yuqing Palace into one complex to serve as the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace."

As Yarjianga spoke, a hint of envy in his voice, "I heard that His Majesty has granted permission for the Crown Prince's Palace to have a separate area within the Forbidden City."

Tong Guowei sighed inwardly: Emperor Qianxi's move was truly grand.

After a moment's thought, he resignedly cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty's decree is my duty."

Yarjan smiled, turned to leave, but then turned back and winked, adding:
"Prime Minister Tong, the Crown Prince has recently gained great power and is very arrogant. We must not confront him head-on."

Tong Guowei smiled wryly: "Who can blame them... for being rich?"

Watching Yarjianga's departing figure, Tong Guowei's mind raced.

He knew perfectly well why the Qianxi Emperor acted this way:
For the emperor, appeasing the crown prince was merely a means to an end; the key was to resolve the predicaments in the northwest and the south.

Only by placing the crown prince in the position of regent can he be made to honestly raise enough provisions and allow Emperor Qianxi to go on campaigns without any worries.

The crown prince clearly understood this, which is why he stubbornly refused to accept the challenge.
He refused the reward, refused to oversee the country, and gave a high-sounding reason, claiming his filial piety was moving heaven and earth.

Emperor Qianxi was trying to use these ministers to create the impression that the crown prince had no choice but to comply.

Even if the crown prince knew that the favor was a trap, he still had to obediently step into it.

Emperor Qianxi was able to go with the flow and achieve his goal quietly.

But I wonder... how the Crown Prince will respond next?
Serving as the chief minister for this father and son is a real headache.

What's more troublesome is that this matter will inevitably offend the Crown Prince.

Although Tong Guowei was not afraid of offending people, he felt that he could not bear this responsibility alone, considering that the Crown Prince might have to oversee the country in the future.

After a moment's thought, he sent someone to invite the two Grand Secretaries, Zhang Ying and Li Guangdi, over.

Subordinates can't just collect a salary without doing any work, right? Sharing the blame is the true test of friendship in times of trouble.

"What are your instructions, Prime Minister Tong?" Zhang Ying asked first after exchanging New Year's greetings.

Tong Guowei smiled slightly: "It wasn't my order, it was His Majesty's will."

"His Majesty believes that it is against etiquette not to pay homage to the Crown Prince during the New Year's Day court audience. Therefore, he wants the three of us to pay our respects at the Qianqing Palace and then jointly submit a memorial stating that although the court is facing difficulties, ancient rites cannot be abandoned, and earnestly requesting His Majesty's grace to allow all officials to go to the Eastern Palace to pay homage to the Crown Prince."

Having said that, he glanced at the two of them and asked, "What do you two think?"

Zhang Ying and Li Guangdi exchanged a quick glance, both knowing that this matter was far from simple.

However, since Tong Guowei was the Grand Secretary and had invoked the name of Emperor Qianxi, the two men, despite their doubts, dared not express them and could only say in unison, "We will follow the Grand Secretary's arrangements."

As they were talking, the sound of whips was heard, and the Meridian Gate slowly opened.

The annual New Year's Day celebration opera has begun. The undercurrents offstage are even more fascinating than those onstage.

　The first update of the day is here! Double update at the end of the month, please support me!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)