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

Chapter 554 If you can deceive everyone, I'll go with the flow.

Before Tong Guowei came to see the Eighth Prince, he already had a plan in mind.

When the Eighth Prince asked him what to do, he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point:
"The Crown Prince has made great efforts to improve the security of the capital, and no one can find fault with that."

"But it's impossible to say that he handled these things perfectly."

He paused, then lowered his voice and said, "Eighth Master, in my opinion, there are some serious flaws in this matter."

"As long as we find a case, make a big fuss about it, get the victim to beat the petition drum, and then incite all the civil and military officials to jointly submit a petition."

"They say the Crown Prince's punishments are too harsh and inhumane."

"By then, even if the Crown Prince doesn't want to stop, he'll probably have to think twice."

The Eighth Prince paced back and forth a few times, frowning as he said, "What if the Crown Prince still insists?"

Tong Guowei narrowed his eyes: "If the Crown Prince still doesn't back down now, then we can't be blamed!"

"According to the rules established by our ancestors, officials in the censorate and the imperial secretariat can submit a joint memorial to refute His Majesty's decree."

"Although the Crown Prince is currently acting as regent, is his decree harder to refute than His Majesty's imperial edict?"

The moment Tong Guowei uttered those words, the Eighth Prince's expression changed.

It was quite satisfying to think that the officials of the Censorate and the Censorate together refuted the Crown Prince's decree.

He could already picture the Crown Prince's aggrieved face in his mind.

However, he was fully aware of the risks involved.

It's like a dish full of bright red chili peppers, yet you still insist on taking a bite.

It may feel good on the lips, but your stomach will probably burn for a long time; the aftereffects are too strong!
But given the current situation, if this matter isn't sabotaged, the entire capital city will likely become a place where officials live in misery and complain endlessly.

The Crown Prince is causing too much trouble! If he keeps going like this, who can stand it?

He hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Prime Minister Tong, what if this gets back to Father Emperor..."

Tong Guowei glanced at the Eighth Prince, a hint of disappointment flashing through his mind:
The Eighth Prince is a good person in every way, except that he is not decisive enough at crucial moments.

The knife is practically at your throat, and you're still hesitating!

From this point of view alone, the Crown Prince is far superior to him.

He said with a stern face, "Eighth Master, things have come to this point, there is no other way, there is no turning back!"

"Even if the Emperor finds out, it still shows that the Crown Prince is lacking in the ability to govern his subordinates."

"Moreover, His Majesty is away on a distant expedition and the last thing he wants to see is chaos in the court."

"This benefits no one!"

The Eighth Prince was startled by what he said and finally calmed down.

He glanced in the direction of Yuqing Palace, as if he had finally made up his mind, and said:
"Prime Minister Tong is right, some things really can't be delayed any longer."

Not long after the Eighth Prince left, Ma Qi, still seething with anger, went to find Tong Guowei.

In the past, Ma Qi dared to stand up to Tong Guowei, but today he was much more respectful.

Upon entering, he bowed to Tong Guowei and said in a loud voice, "Greetings, Prime Minister Tong!"

Tong Guowei waved his hand, looking quite amicable:
"Lord Ma, there's no need for such formalities. I presume you already know about that matter?"

Ma Qi's face twitched.

Tong Guowei's words were like a merciless hand, reaching out without any politeness and pinching his face hard.

You bastard Tong Guowei!

Those few rascals in your family aren't exactly innocent either, are they?
Are you sitting here putting on airs and watching me make a fool of myself?
Although I was annoyed, I had no reason to lash out.

"Prime Minister Tong, it is because I, Ma, have failed in my duty to raise my son that I have raised a troublesome brat!"

"After meeting with Prime Minister Tong, Ma will go home and clean house—this time he'll definitely break his legs!"

"Lord Ma, things have come to this point; even if you kill him now, it's too late!"

Tong Guowei slowly picked up his teacup and said, "What we need to do right now is to sacrifice the pawn to save the king."

"You are no longer suitable to be the chief examiner for this imperial examination. Let go of the reins for now."

"I think we should prioritize the overall situation."

Maqi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

He had secretly put in so much effort and had been hoping for the position of chief examiner for a long time!

But now, if someone makes a fuss about his son beating a scholar in the street, it will be a serious problem.

Then he won't be able to eat mutton, and he'll get into all sorts of trouble.

How can someone who doesn't discipline his children become a great master? If word gets out, it will be a laughing stock!
He immediately gritted his teeth, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth: "I will keep in mind Prime Minister Tong's teachings."

“But,” he looked up again, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.

"If Chen Tingjing is to be the chief examiner, we'll have to see if he has the ability to handle the job!"

Tong Guowei smiled: "That's natural."

“If Zhang Ying and the others don’t put in a lot of effort, I won’t agree to this.”

"This time, let the Censorate take the lead."

Ma Qi sneered, cupped his hands in greeting, and left feeling extremely aggrieved.

Ma Qi acted incredibly quickly. The next day, Shen Ye received a report from Zhen Yan:
After court that day, Ma Qi took his son, Ma Hechang, to apologize to the scholar who had been beaten.

For a high-ranking official like himself to humbly apologize is already incredibly moving and shows great sincerity.

That wasn't all. On the spot, he ordered his servants to beat his son thirty times, leaving him bruised and battered.

His actions indeed won him a lot of goodwill. Many people praised him for being incorruptible, upholding justice even against family ties, and for not showing any favoritism towards his own son.

Zhen Yan vividly recounted the events, indignantly shouting:

"Your Highness, I believe that someone in the Infantry Commander's Office must have tipped off Ma Qi about this matter."

"Otherwise, how could Ma Qi react so quickly?"

Shen Ye smiled and said, "The one who brought the message is none other than Longkodo."

"Longkodo has audacity! This servant will immediately submit a memorial impeaching him!"

“There’s no need to rush this,” Shen Ye waved his hand. “He should be here soon. Let’s hear what he has to say first.”

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Bao came running over to report: "Your Highness, Lord Longkodo requests an audience."

Shen Ye raised an eyebrow at Zhen Yan: "See, speak of the devil and he appears! Even Cao Cao isn't as punctual as him!"

In the blink of an eye, Longkodo entered with a serious expression.

He bowed respectfully to Shen Ye and said, "This servant Longkodo greets Your Highness."

Shen Ye feigned ignorance: "No need for formalities, Longkodo, what brings you here?"

Longkodo immediately looked ashamed and said:

"Your Highness, among the clues handed over by Lord Zhen yesterday, there is one related to the matter of Ma Qi's son, Ma Hechang, injuring a scholar."

"Through my investigation, I discovered that Lord Ma Qi not only personally apologized to the scholar, but also publicly punished Ma Hechang."

"This servant is unsure how to handle this matter and has come to seek Your Highness's instructions."

Shen Ye didn't respond to him, but instead turned to ask Zhen Yan:
"Lord Zhen, on what day did Ma Hechang injure the scholar who came to the capital?"

Zhen Yan hated Longkodo so much he wanted to grind his teeth.

When I assigned the task to him, he acted as if he was fulfilling his duties.

In just one day, he actually pretended to come and ask the Crown Prince for instructions.

That was a truly shameless tactic!
"Your Highness, Ma Hechang injured that scholar half a month ago."

"After learning of this matter yesterday, I immediately handed it over to Lord Long."

When Longkodo heard the time it took Shen Ye to hit someone, his heart sank.

Shen Ye then slowly looked at Longkodo:
“Longkodo, Ma Hechang’s place has been under attack for half a month with no progress.”

"How come Ma Qi is already apologizing and beating his son after only one day of Zhen Yan's instructions?"

"Isn't this a bit too much of a coincidence?"

"Come, come, tell me, is this a coincidence, or did someone in your office secretly tip Ma Qi off?"

Longkodo felt a chill run down his spine and knelt down with a thud.

He knew in his heart that if he insisted on calling it a "coincidence" now, there would be no room for maneuver between him and the Crown Prince.

Once the Crown Prince gets the chance, he will definitely settle accounts with him, and he will settle them clearly.

For the Crown Prince and Emperor Qianxi, some things didn't need evidence at all; they could just be decided based on their mood.

"Your Highness, I have failed in my duty! I will investigate thoroughly when I return to find out who is so audacious as to tip me off."

"This servant is incompetent and has made such a mistake. This servant is willing to accept punishment!"

Zhen Yan was so angry that she was grinding her teeth.

Longkodo, that old fox, admitted his mistake so quickly that it made it difficult for the Crown Prince to punish him severely.

That was a move of retreating to advance, executed with such fluidity and grace!
Shen Ye smiled and gently helped him up: "Longkodo, you can't entirely blame yourself for the problems with your men!"

The prince's magnanimity made Longkodo feel insecure.

It feels like you've made a huge mistake and are expecting a severe scolding, but instead you get a cup of hot tea instead.

This incredible reaction not only made Longkodo feel uneasy, but also made him even more panicked!

What is the Crown Prince trying to do?
"The affairs of the Infantry Commander's Office are numerous and complex. With you running around doing everything, it's inevitable that you'll make some mistakes."

Longkodo had barely breathed a sigh of relief when the Crown Prince continued:

"I intend to petition my father to separate the criminal and prison functions of the Infantry Commander's Office."

“A special deputy general will be appointed to be in charge.”

“The Tenth Prince is of a humble nature. Let him temporarily assume this position before Father returns to the capital.”

"We will finalize the official selection after Father returns to the capital."

"Longkodo, you have no objection to my decision, do you?"

Longkodo thought to himself, "How could I not have any objections? I have a lot of objections!"

By doing this, aren't you blatantly undermining my power?
But she still had to force a smile onto her face:

"His Highness the Crown Prince has made excellent arrangements. With the Tenth Prince in charge, this servant is overjoyed and has no reason to object."

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, this servant will definitely cooperate fully with the Tenth Prince in handling criminal cases."

Shen Ye patted Longkodo on the shoulder, his tone considerate:
"Longkodo, don't feel guilty. It's not that you're not doing well enough, it's just that you have too much work."

"It's inevitable that you'll neglect one thing for another, I understand that."

"Go ahead and do it with confidence, I'm here for you!"

After listening to Shen Ye's serious speech, Longkodo inwardly groaned:
Your Highness, judging from your tone, it seems that stripping me of my power is for my own good.
Are you still waiting for me, Longkodo, to kowtow and express my gratitude to you?

(End of this chapter)