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

Chapter 556 Let's move on to the next step, instead of giving up because of a minor setback.

Looking at Zhang Ying's face, which was full of "sincerity," Shen Ye sneered inwardly: Keep acting!
What kind of character does Zhang Ying, that old fox, usually have?
They dart away faster than rabbits when they encounter a pitfall, and they pass the buck like they're performing acrobatics.

His approach to life is based on a single self-interested principle: avoid things whenever possible and procrastinate whenever possible, rarely getting involved personally.

Today, it's like the sun rose in the west; it was the first to jump out and become the vanguard!
Without a doubt, Tong Guowei must have offered him a good price he couldn't refuse.

These two old buddies have most likely reached an agreement on some kind of "friendly cooperation".

Shen Ye remained calm on the surface and slowly said, "Even the best rice can have a few worms mixed in."

"If there are bugs, catch them. You can't just stop eating because there are bugs, can you?"

As he spoke, he even smiled at Tong Guowei and gave an example:

"Take Minister Ma Qi for example, he's a virtuous gentleman whom even Father Emperor values!"

"But who could have imagined that he would raise a son who would dare to beat up a candidate for the imperial examination?"

"If we follow your logic, Prime Minister Zhang, does that mean that because Ma Qi has a spendthrift son, his other sons are also 'affected' and cannot be employed?"

Zhang Ying was speechless for a moment, feeling as if a million alpacas were stampeding through her mind:

He had to admit that he was far from being able to reason with the Crown Prince!
Everyone was clearly discussing the public security improvements you've implemented, so why are you dragging Ma Qi's son into this?!

Everyone knows that Ma Qi and I don't get along...

The Crown Prince's turn was too abrupt; I wanted to refute him, but I couldn't find a word to say.

Upon seeing this, Tong Guowei quickly stepped forward.

He couldn't just stand by and watch the Crown Prince pass the test so easily, so he quickly stepped forward and said:

"Your Highness, the way to govern a country is to balance leniency with severity!"

"While this social order management is very necessary, we believe that after a certain stage of implementation, it is appropriate to make some adjustments."

"Take today's incident for example, some people are already using your 'strict governance' as a pretext to commit crimes!"

"If the investigation continues for another three years, wouldn't it create complete chaos? I'm afraid the consequences would be even more serious!"

"Therefore, I think it would be better to put this matter on hold for now—haste makes waste!"

No sooner had Tong Guowei finished speaking than the Eighth Prince quickly added:

"Your Highness, I know that your initial intention to improve public order was good, and the results are obvious to all."

"But the sounding of the petition drum today indicates that this matter needs to be adjusted."

"Our father often taught us that governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; if the heat is too high, the dish will easily burn. We beg Your Highness to understand this!"

Shen Ye glanced at the Eighth Prince, his tone calm yet resolute:
“Yun Si, Shen Zhuowang’s case is just an isolated incident, and we cannot generalize from it.”

"My father once said that when problems arise, 'adjustments should be made if necessary'."

"But as he once said: If it's the right thing, you have to stick to it no matter what."

"If there's a problem, solve it. We must never give up halfway or throw the baby out with the bathwater."

After saying that, he ended abruptly:

"Shen Zhuowang's matter will be handled by the Shuntian Prefecture and the Infantry Commander's Office in accordance with the law."

"As for other matters, there's no need to discuss them today. Let's leave it at that."

Seeing Shen Ye's resolute attitude, Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying exchanged a glance and had no choice but to bow and retreat.

As soon as they stepped out of the palace gates, Zhang Ying lowered his voice and said, "The Crown Prince's tongue is too sharp; I almost couldn't get a word in edgewise."

Tong Guowei snorted: "What's the rush? The real show has just begun."

As soon as the others left, Shen Ye immediately turned to Wei Zhu, who was standing to the side:

"Go and find out the route Shen Zhuowang took before he came to beat the drum, and then report the list of personnel on duty today."

Wei Zhu instantly understood what the Crown Prince was trying to do: he wanted to find out who had let him off the hook!

He didn't say much, just readily agreed.

After Wei Zhu left, Shen Ye paced back and forth in the hall with his hands behind his back.

The petition drum was just a prelude, and Tong Guowei and his comrades' remonstrances were merely the beginning.

The person who devised this plan must have anticipated his refusal; the real trump card was yet to come.

The fact that this crackdown on crime could force Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying, these two old foxes, to join forces proves that it has truly touched a nerve with some people.
They were in so much pain that they screamed in agony, which forced them to join forces and find a breakthrough elsewhere.

Should I stick to my guns and fight to the end, or...?

Shen Ye walked back and forth a few times with his hands behind his back, then suddenly smiled and made up his mind.

On the other side, Tong Guowei and the others, who had returned to their duty room, did not show any sign of frustration; instead, they looked relaxed.

After taking a sip of tea, Tong Guowei said leisurely:
"Lord Zhang, please pass a message to Lord Chen: it's time for them to make a move!"

Zhang Ying nodded knowingly: "Prime Minister Tong, rest assured, Lord Chen will naturally do his utmost for the sake of the court."

After a moment of silence, just as Zhang Ying was about to take his leave, Tong Guowei suddenly spoke again:
"Prime Minister Zhang, we also need to discuss the matter of this imperial examination again."

The words were spoken very vaguely, but Zhang Ying understood them immediately:
The chief examiner could be Chen Tingjing from your side, but our people also need to be on the list to make sense.

Zhang Ying replied with a smile, "I will follow Prime Minister Tong's arrangements at any time. As for Lord Chen... I presume he feels the same way."

The story of the Dengwen Drum was like a large rock suddenly thrown into a lake; it spread throughout the capital in half a day.

The civil and military officials were in an uproar, and the censors were writing furiously.

The memorials were quickly sent to the Office of Transmission.

The Office of Transmission was in an uproar; the number of memorials submitted increased tenfold.

Faced with this overwhelming flood of memorials, the Office of Transmission was extremely busy. They categorized them and piled them up like small mountains, eventually delivering them all to the Crown Prince's desk.

The contents of these memorials were largely the same, as if they had been planned in advance, repeating the same few sentences over and over again:
Your Highness should take the Shen family as a lesson and govern the country with leniency. The strict crackdown on crime should be stopped!

Some even wrote emotionally: "The Crown Prince's actions have ruined the court's reputation for benevolence!"

Shen Ye remained unfazed, not even bothering to lift his eyelids, and with a flourish of his brush, wrote "Keep it in the middle, don't issue it."

However, the more he refused to approve them, the more enthusiastic the petitioners became, and the more memorials were submitted.

Civil officials, military generals, nobles... almost everyone who could write joined in the fun.

Especially the nobles, who often bully others by abusing their power, are most afraid that this "three-year retrospective investigation" will fall on their heads.

So he frantically wrote memorials to set the pace.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the capital was heavy, as if a storm was brewing.

Emperor Qianxi, who was far away in the military camp, also soon received the secret report.

His informants in the capital had the authority to report directly to the emperor, so with such a big commotion, the news naturally reached the emperor immediately.

Tong Guowei and others also submitted their memorials, waiting for the emperor's response:
As long as Emperor Qianxi gave the order, the Crown Prince had no choice but to obey, no matter how unwilling he was.

After reading the latest batch of memorials, Emperor Qianxi said nothing, but simply instructed Liang Jiugong to bring Mingzhu over.

Although Mingzhu had retired and was at home, he was still treated as a second-rank official when he went on this military expedition.

After he entered the tent in his everyday clothes and bowed, Emperor Qianxi smiled and handed him several memorials:

"Take a look at these memorials first, then play a game of chess with me later."

Mingzhu quickly scanned the area, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, before she regained her composed demeanor.

At this moment, Liang Jiugong not only set up the chessboard, but also served tea to the two of them.

As emperor, Emperor Qianxi always made the first move in a game of chess, regardless of who he played with. This was not only a matter of custom, but also a matter of dignity.

He placed his piece first and casually remarked, "I've heard that these kinds of memorials are almost flooding Yuqing Palace."

"Mingzhu, what do you think?"

Mingzhu looked up at the emperor, but there wasn't a trace of worry on his face.
His expression clearly showed he was enjoying the spectacle and was purely gloating.

After thinking for a moment, he replied softly:

"Your Majesty, someone has been hurt by the Crown Prince, which is why they can't sit still."

Emperor Qianxi laughed heartily:
“That’s right! If it didn’t really hurt, why would they all say that the Crown Prince is too harsh?”

"If it weren't for the severe pain, how could an ordinary scholar have possibly entered the capital and sounded the Dengwen Drum?"

“Mingzhu, I have also heard that the Crown Prince has the same reaction to all these memorials: keep them all in the palace and do not send them out.”

"How do you think this will end?"

Mingzhu is very clear about his role; he knows where his value lies.

He was now essentially the emperor's "official advisor," so he smiled and said:

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, the key to this matter lies with Your Majesty."

"If Your Majesty wishes to continue implementing the system of appointing a crown prince, then this matter can continue."

"If Your Majesty supports the ministers, then this matter can end here."

After saying that, he also placed a piece.

Emperor Qianxi, holding a chess piece, didn't even lift his eyelids, and casually posed a question:
"Then what do you think I should choose?"

Mingzhu inwardly groaned: "Are you really asking me a question that's practically a death trap?"

But now his honor, disgrace, life, and death were all in the emperor's hands, so he dared not refuse to answer and could only speak cautiously:
"Your Majesty, if you wish to maintain stability in the court, you should support the ministers; if you wish to intimidate the powerful figures in the capital, you should support the Crown Prince."

After saying those two sentences, he moved his lips, but swallowed the rest of his words.

Some ideas are better left unsaid, which is wiser and more sensible than saying them aloud.

Sure enough, Emperor Qianxi laughed: "What you say makes sense. But Mingzhu, why must I choose her?"

"Let the Crown Prince and Tong Guowei do whatever they want."

“It’s not a bad thing if there’s some movement in the court. As long as it doesn’t interfere with my fighting at the front, it’s not a big deal.”

After speaking, Emperor Qianxi pointed to the distance outside the tent and said:

"I have come to this desolate land for the sake of establishing my empire."

"Since the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, he can't expect me to back him up in everything. Right?"

"Some storms you have to weather yourself."

Mingzhu quickly cupped her hands in greeting, her tone sincere:
"Your Majesty is wise! My humble opinion is far inferior to Your Majesty's far-sightedness, it is far too far off."

Emperor Qianxi smiled and placed a few more stones, then suddenly asked:

"Mingzhu, guess when this power struggle in the court will be resolved?"

Mingzhu hesitated for a moment, then said slowly, "Then I shall dare to guess... I'm afraid we'll have to wait until the next grand court assembly."

"At that time, when the ministers present their cases in person, His Highness the Crown Prince cannot keep 'keeping quiet' forever; he must give an explanation."

"That's when the true colors will be revealed!"

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(End of this chapter)