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

Chapter 559 Why are they so lawless?

Ma Qi never imagined that he would be escorted out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony in such a humiliating manner.

He had never been so humiliated in his life; he looked like an old cat being choked and thrown out the door!

You should know that he used to be a tough guy who dared to argue with Emperor Qianxi until he was red in the face and thick in the neck.

Now look what's happened! The Crown Prince just said he'd give him a leave, and in front of all the civil and military officials, Ma Qi was "sent" out the door!
The key point is that he doesn't seem to have a single reason to refute it!

This made him feel very frustrated.

He wasn't dismissed!

Just because he failed to manage his household properly, the Crown Prince casually gave him a leave of absence!

What a wonderful "holiday"!
Without needing to consult with anyone, he went from being the Minister of Revenue to an idle person.

Ma Qi felt incredibly choked up, but he still managed to squeeze out a sentence:

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I will certainly report your kindness to Your Majesty in the truth."

Ma Qi knew very well that engaging in a verbal argument was utterly pointless.

But at this moment, he really couldn't hold it in any longer.

He felt that if he didn't say something to the Crown Prince, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood.

He couldn't let everyone think that he, Ma Qi, was a pushover who could be easily bullied!

Most of the people in the court understood Ma Qi's words of gratitude.

The barbs in those words, the gritted teeth, the hidden meaning—who wouldn't understand?
The court fell silent, and many people exchanged glances furtively.

Ma Qi must be furious!

How dare they say such threatening things to the Crown Prince on the spot!

Some people even glanced at the Crown Prince, waiting to see if he would lose his temper on the spot.

For example, teach Ma Qi a lesson.

Shen Ye had already achieved his goal, and he didn't take Ma Qi's veiled remarks seriously at all.

As the saying goes, a barking dog doesn't bite. Ma Qi's impatience is childish.

He wasn't angry at all; instead, he waved his hand with a smile.
"Lord Ma, you're too kind. I've always liked to do good deeds anonymously."

"However, since Lord Ma insists on praising me in front of the Emperor, I will reluctantly accept this token of my appreciation!"

After saying that, he waved to Ma Qi, signaling someone to take Ma Qi away.

With Ma Qi gone, the atmosphere in the court became even more delicate!

Although the Crown Prince did not dismiss Ma Qi from his post, his actions against his son were swift and decisive.

Not only was he punished with fifty strokes of the cane, but he was also directly exiled to Ningguta.

Given Maqi's power, his son shouldn't suffer much in Ningguta.

But one thing is certain:

The future is basically labeled "scrapped," it's completely ruined.

This made those who followed Ma Qi's faction feel uneasy. The Crown Prince's actions were clearly a warning shot!

Tong Guowei watched from the sidelines, his palms sweating slightly.

The Crown Prince is not the Emperor, and he may not necessarily respect his maternal uncle!

Not only did putting pressure on the Crown Prince fail to achieve its goal, the Crown Prince also gave Ma Qi a beating.

Once Ma Qi returned home, Tong Guowei was like a tiger that had lost a pair of claws.

He reluctantly stepped forward to smooth things over:

"Your Highness, now that the Ma Qi family matter has been resolved, shouldn't we discuss the investigation that went back three years?"

As soon as Tong Guowei uttered these words, the ministers who had already stood up echoed him:
"Please, Your Highness, rescind the decision to 'investigate back three years'."

However, this time, the momentum was clearly half as weak as before.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Prime Minister Tong, I will naturally give everyone an explanation regarding the matters that everyone has reported."

"However, there are some things that need to be taken care of first."

"Otherwise, it's not right for it to just pile up there."

Shen Ye, unhurriedly, shifted his gaze and landed on Grand Secretary Zhang Ying:

"Prime Minister Zhang, I've heard that you have a son named Zhang Tingyu?"

Zhang Ying's heart tightened; he had a bad feeling.

Being targeted by the Crown Prince at this moment is like being chosen by the King of Hell; whoever is chosen will be unlucky.

"Your Highness, it is indeed my son!" Zhang Ying quickly bowed and replied.

Shen Ye's smile deepened, and he magically produced a piece of paper from his sleeve:

"Prime Minister Zhang, a few days ago we received a tip about Zhang Tingyu in the suggestion box of the Integrity Department."

"They say your young master Zhang went to Xinghualou in the Eight Great Hutongs a few days ago, and got into a fight with someone because of jealousy!"

Zhang Ying was sweating profusely and quickly declared, "When I return, I will certainly investigate thoroughly and discipline them properly!"

To everyone's surprise, Shen Ye waved his hand, giving an expression that said, "I understand."

"Hey, young people, what else could they possibly want to go to Xinghualou for? Every man knows the answer!"

"Prime Minister Zhang, Zhang Tingyu's scholarship is quite good, but he still needs to improve his self-cultivation!"

"How about this, let him study at home for a few more years, and he can take the exam again next time!"

Three years later, Zhang Ying did not know whether he was still a Grand Scholar.

With a single, casual remark from the Crown Prince, Zhang Tingyu's path to the imperial examinations was delayed by three years.

Zhang Ying was so angry that her hands were shaking!

This isn't just punishing someone by making them study; it's ruining their future!
Zhang Ying, her face flushed and neck red, was about to stand up for her son when she suddenly remembered:
If the clue the Crown Prince just mentioned is true, then...

Just as he was in a dilemma, Tong Guowei spoke up:

"Your Highness, isn't it going too far to ruin a young man's future for such a trivial matter?" "I've met Zhang Tingyu before; he's a very honest boy."

"Isn't it too harsh of you to deprive a young person of the opportunity to improve themselves?"

Shen Ye dared to use such a trick on Zhang Ying, of course, because he was confident in his plan.

Seeing Tong Guowei chime in, Shen Ye interrupted him in a serious tone:

"Prime Minister Tong, I remember that the imperial law clearly stipulates that neither scholars nor officials are allowed to go to brothels at will."

"Those who dare to defy the rules will be fined, or even dismissed from their posts!"

“Zhang Tingyu is so young and already so frivolous; how can he be entrusted with important responsibilities?”

"If Father were here, he might have made him write lyrics by imperial decree, just like Liu Sanbian!"

"But I think young people should always be given a chance."

"So, the only punishment is to make him study for a few more years."

"Can you call this harsh? This is nurturing the seedlings, it's caring for them!"

At this point, Shen Ye looked at Zhang Ying and said:
"Prime Minister Zhang, when you get back, you must not beat or scold your son. Young people should be guided and educated."

Tong Guowei was speechless for a moment, his mouth agape after being choked by Shen Ye's words.

From an ordinary person's perspective, the Crown Prince's punishment doesn't seem too severe.

However, the Crown Prince's move not only delayed Zhang Tingyu's three-year examination period, but also severed Zhang Tingyu's path to success.

After all, the label of frivolousness will likely be stuck on his son for the rest of his life.

This is a comment from the Crown Prince!
Zhang Ying knew perfectly well that the Crown Prince's actions were blatant revenge, but he dared not utter a single word in defense.

They quoted the imperial law in every word, standing on the moral high ground.

No matter how unwilling he is, what can he do?
The Crown Prince was sitting on the throne in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, with righteousness in his hands. If he were to confront him head-on, it would be like offering his face up to be beaten!

"Your Highness's teachings are etched in my mind." Zhang Ying gritted his teeth, swallowed his anger, and bowed his head to express his gratitude.

Seeing his expression, Shen Ye secretly sneered inwardly:
Hate me? That's exactly right!

From the moment you sided with the Eighth Prince, we became rivals.

How many of those who led the commotion this time were your disciples and followers, Zhang Ying?

Why are you allowed to set fires but I'm not allowed to light lamps?

I think cutting off your son's path to success with this one stroke is too lenient!

"You're too kind, Zhang Aiqing. You're just a young man. You understand that small things are not insignificant. Learn from this lesson and you'll avoid many detours in the future."

The entire court of officials immediately fell silent, as if trembling with fear.

They all have families to support, and every family has its own troubles and problems.

Right now, the Crown Prince is clearly taking notes and calling out names one by one.

Just as the atmosphere became tense, Chen Tingjing stepped forward with a dark expression:

"Your Highness, those who deserved punishment have been punished. This matter has been investigated three years in advance. Shouldn't a decision be reached by now?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the vast Hall of Supreme Harmony seemed to come alive again.

Chen Tingjing was also seething with anger; he felt that this court assembly was rather frustrating.

Although he didn't get along with Ma Qi, he also had some unpleasantness with Zhang Ying.

However, the originally unstoppable court assembly was completely derailed by the Crown Prince.

But he was helpless; in this court, the crown prince was, after all, the emperor.

As long as he has the moral high ground, unless someone like Cao Cao appears, he will basically be in a commanding position.

It is never easy for a subject to serve his ruler.

This is also the real reason why Yang Tinghe, who once held immense power, suffered a crushing defeat against the young Jiajing Emperor.

Starting with Chen Tingjing, the young officials who stepped forward once again said in a deep voice, "Please make a decision as soon as possible, Your Highness!"

"Your Highness, please make a decision as soon as possible!"

……

Facing the assembled guests who were bowing with clasped hands, Shen Ye spoke calmly:

"Since everyone says that investigating back three years is prone to problems, let's postpone its implementation."

With the word "postponed," Tong Guowei finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.

Although Ma Qi was given a leave of absence, and although Zhang Ying's son's path to success was cut off.

But the main objective has been achieved!
This move to investigate public order in the capital city for three years, and to collect evidence from all over the place, is really upsetting.

Don't you see how Zhang Ying and Ma Qi fell silently like this?
Before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, Shen Ye suddenly looked at Tong Guowei again:
"Prime Minister Tong, you are the current Grand Secretary and a veteran official who has served two reigns."

"I would like to ask, why does a mere clerk dare to be so unscrupulous?"

"Daring to use the laws and regulations of the imperial court to settle personal scores!"

"So much so that even a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations had to beat the drum to appeal for justice!"

"Who's backing them up, allowing them to act so lawlessly?"

Tong Guowei's breath, which had just been relieved, instantly tightened again.

He suddenly realized that the Crown Prince's earlier antics were just an appetizer.

The real main course hasn't been served yet.

Tong Guowei composed himself and cautiously replied:
“Your Highness, I believe that the clerk simply thinks that because he holds the laws of the court, no one will dare to do anything to him.”

After saying this, Tong Guowei smiled slightly.

This answer was watertight, enough to completely shut down the crown prince.

But he didn't notice that the crown prince suddenly laughed when he heard him say that.

(End of this chapter)