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

Chapter 561 The Emperor is getting farther and farther away, the Crown Prince is getting closer and closer

When Zhang Ying got home, her face was as black as the bottom of a pot!

His mind was in turmoil the whole way.

He was really torn about whether or not to write that memorial to Emperor Qianxi pleading for leniency.

I'll write it down; I'm afraid it might actually work.

But if it actually works, it might not be a good thing; it might just make things even worse for your unlucky son!

Sigh, just thinking about Zhang Tingyu makes me angry:
How could a proper scholar like him, unable to control his own desires, run off to Xinghualou to fight over a woman? Is that even acceptable?!
He grew increasingly angry as he thought about it, when suddenly he heard the curtain move and someone carrying a kettle tiptoed in.

Zhang Ying didn't look up at first, assuming it was a servant coming in to refill her tea.

But a quick glance out of the corner of his eye revealed, good heavens, that was none other than the little brat who had just cursed him eight hundred times in his heart!

Zhang Ying wanted to scold him as soon as she opened her mouth, but when she saw her son's meek and submissive appearance, she swallowed her words.

A lump formed in my throat, I couldn't spit it out or swallow it, and in the end I could only let out a long sigh:
"Have you heard about the outcome of today's court meeting?" Zhang Ying asked sternly, his voice muffled.

Zhang Tingyu remained calm and respectfully replied:

"I heard about it. It was my foolishness that caused you so much worry, Father!"

After saying this, he bowed his head and begged for forgiveness: "Please punish me, Father."

Zhang Ying always doted on this youngest son. Seeing his sincere attitude in admitting his mistake, her anger subsided somewhat. She waved her hand and said:
"I'll waive the punishment. Haven't you suffered such a huge fall already? It must have hurt enough."

He frowned, his tone turning serious: "The most important thing right now is—are you really willing to miss this imperial examination?"

"This delay will last for three years!"

He paused, then lowered his voice and added, "I don't even know if your father can hold this position for another three years."

Zhang Tingyu hesitated for a moment, then gently advised, "Father, it may not be a bad thing for me to stay home and study quietly for three years."

He stepped forward, his voice even softer:
"Now that the Crown Prince is overseeing the state, the relationship between him and His Majesty is far from delicate... and it's likely to become increasingly tense!"

"It might be safer for our son to stay out of the court for now and avoid the limelight."

Zhang Ying paused slightly, then nodded.

Although the son's words were made out of desperation, upon closer examination, they were not without merit.

He pondered for a moment, and finally said:

"Since that's the case, then I won't submit any more memorials to plead for you. As for the outcome, let fate decide!"

As Zhang Tingyu poured tea for his father, he leaned closer and whispered:

"Father, I have one more thing to say. It would be best if you didn't confront the Crown Prince directly in the near future."

"The Crown Prince is highly skilled, and a direct confrontation would have an unpredictable outcome. I'm afraid... he might suffer a greater loss."

Upon hearing the words "skilled methods," Zhang Ying couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Originally, under his and Tong Guowei's control, the imperial court was an impenetrable wall.

Unexpectedly, the Crown Prince took immediate action, first by restoring order to the capital, and then by installing the "Listening to the Wind Group."

In just a few days, the situation has fallen apart.

Even someone as strong and tough as Ma Qi has now "gone home to teach his son"?
Although it was a special leave granted by the Crown Prince, anyone with a discerning eye could see that:

This isn't a vacation; it's clearly being left hanging!

Zhang Ying felt increasingly aggrieved and couldn't help but ask her son:

"Tingyu, you said that I and Prime Minister Tong suffered a crushing defeat at this court assembly. What was the reason for this?"

Although the "three-year retrospective investigation" was ultimately stopped, Ma Qi went home, Zhang Tingyu was suspended from his post, and the "listening-to-the-sound" team was left in jeopardy...

Which one wasn't a heart-wrenching and devastating price to pay?

Zhang Tingyu gently set down the teapot, his voice steady:

"Father, the smartest thing to do right now is to go along with the Crown Prince's wishes."

"It's not that you and Prime Minister Tong lack talent, but that the Crown Prince now holds the power of regent, representing the supreme imperial authority."

"For every move he makes, you have to counter ten. This is too exhausting and puts you at a disadvantage."

Zhang Ying was immediately displeased upon hearing this:

"The Crown Prince is ultimately only acting as regent; the real power still rests with His Majesty! As long as His Majesty supports him..."

“Father,” Zhang Tingyu shook his head slightly.

"The problem is that His Majesty is getting further and further away from us, while the Crown Prince is getting closer and closer to us!"

He picked up his teacup and said softly, "Before Your Majesty returns to the capital, it would be the best course of action to temporarily avoid the Crown Prince's sharp edge."

Zhang Ying silently drank half a cup of tea, and after a long while, asked, "What will happen after His Majesty returns to the capital?"

"When His Majesty returns to the capital, imperial power will naturally be restored. Things will proceed as they should."

Zhang Tingyu's eyes flickered slightly. "Moreover, the Crown Prince is becoming increasingly assertive, which may not be a blessing in the future."

Zhang Ying was immediately jolted awake and glared at her son:
"Once you leave the room, you must be careful what you say and never mention it again!"

“My son understands.”

After Zhang Tingyu's analysis, Zhang Ying felt a little better.

He gestured for his son to sit down: "In your opinion, which departments will the Crown Prince have the 'Listening Wind Group' keep an eye on next?"

Zhang Tingyu thought for a moment and said, "If I were the Crown Prince, I would definitely investigate the Ministry of Revenue first." "After all, Ma Qi of the Ministry of Revenue has been given leave to go home, and the Ministry is currently leaderless. This is the easiest time to make a move."

"It can both get a clear picture of the money and grain reserves and allow for the placement of trusted confidants, killing two birds with one stone."

Zhang Ying nodded slowly:

"That's fine. Although Tong Guowei and Ma Qi have temporarily joined forces with us, they are ultimately not on the same side."

"With them in front of us, holding back the Crown Prince and drawing away the firepower, we can actually catch our breath."

“Father is wise.” Zhang Tingyu changed the subject. “However, what we should be most careful about right now is Jiangnan.”

"I've heard that things are getting increasingly unsettled in the Jiangnan region."

"The newly appointed Governor-General of Liangjiang, Cen Youguang, has orders that cannot even leave Jiangning Prefecture."

"The number of bandits in the Taihu Lake area has reached 20,000, and the banditry is becoming increasingly serious and its momentum is growing stronger!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ying's brows furrowed again.

How could he not know what was happening in Jiangnan?
But Zhang Yushu, who was in charge of Jiangnan, didn't listen to him at all and even contradicted him at every turn.

Although we both belong to the Jiangnan region, the emperor is far away and his reach is limited.
"Hopefully Zhang Yushu will be smart enough not to escalate the situation beyond repair..."

Zhang Ying rubbed her temples. "I will write to Cen Youguang and persuade him to make some concessions in certain areas. It's better than resorting to violence!"

Zhang Tingyu was aware of his father's predicament. He sighed and said, "Although Jiangnan is prosperous, it cannot produce strong soldiers."

"Moreover, the two lakes and other places are under the control of the imperial court, so it is not a big deal to suppress the rebellion in Jiangnan."

"If war breaks out in Jiangnan, although it will reduce the court's tax revenue significantly, the entire Jiangnan region will be devastated. That would be a losing proposition!"

Zhang Ying rubbed his temples and remained silent. The father and son sat facing each other in silence, with only the steam rising from the tea leaves.

At Tong Guowei's residence, the scene was quite different.

Important figures from the Eighth Prince's faction gathered together, including Ma Qi, who was "back home to teach his son."

He just didn't look too good.

Kui Xu was the first to lose his composure, and angrily said:
"Eighth Prince! Now that you are serving in the Southern Study and are also a prince, Lord Ma's matter cannot be left unresolved!"

He grew angrier as he spoke, his voice rising: "Otherwise, wouldn't the Crown Prince become even more arrogant in the future?"

"If you dare to send Lord Ma home to discipline his son today, you'll make us all plant sweet potatoes tomorrow!"

The Eighth Prince knew perfectly well that if he did not express his opinion now, the people's hearts would be scattered.

He immediately said solemnly, "Lord Ma, rest assured, I will draft a memorial as soon as I return to my residence and report the truth to my father."

"With the Emperor's wisdom, he would never allow the Crown Prince to act so recklessly!"

After saying that, he looked at Ma Qi again, his tone shifting to one of discussing a plan:
"Lord Ma, could you make some arrangements within the Ministry of Revenue to create a situation where 'the Ministry of Revenue cannot do without you for a day'?"

"In this way, I can also plead with my father that Lord Ma is indispensable in the Ministry of Revenue!"

Ma Qi, however, wore a wry smile:
"Thank you for your kindness, Eighth Master. However, the Crown Prince has already extended his influence to the Ministry of Revenue, and the two Vice Ministers are eyeing the position of Minister of Taxation..."

"I imagine that by now, the two vice ministers are already itching to become the Minister of Taxation."

"Furthermore, the Ministry of Revenue is mainly in charge of money and grain. In this respect, I am far inferior to the Crown Prince."

"Even if I wanted to, I would find it difficult to control the situation."

Tong Guowei raised his hand to stop Kui Xu, who was about to jump up and shout, and slowly took a sip of tea before speaking in a deep voice:
“The memorial must be written. But right now, the most troublesome issue is not whether Lord Ma stays or goes, but the Crown Prince’s new ‘Listening to the Wind Group’.”

Tong Guowei put down his teacup, his voice low, yet it sent a chill down everyone's spine:
"These people don't handle cases, they just inquire. They sit in whichever government office they're in, like they have an ear hanging from the roof beam!"

He looked around at the crowd and said in a heavy tone, "As for what we hear or what we report, that is not up to us."

"In the long run, this is even more frightening than 'investigating back three years'!"

"After all, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against a hidden 'listening'!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression grew increasingly serious.

Ma Qi suddenly spoke up quietly: "In my opinion, the first target of the 'Listening Wind Group' must be the Ministry of Revenue."

"Since the Crown Prince has already offended me, he will definitely take this opportunity to thoroughly investigate the Ministry of Revenue."

"I believe I have a clear conscience, but the accounts are so complicated that there are bound to be some oversights and discrepancies."

"If this involves you all, then I will not be able to control the situation."

Ma Qi didn't finish his sentence, but instead gave a meaningful look around.

Although no one was named directly, everyone present was a shrewd and experienced person who had cultivated for many years. Who could not understand the hidden meaning in Ma Qi's words?
The Eighth Prince's expression immediately became somewhat confused.

If all the favors and conveniences he received from the Ministry of Revenue through Ma Qi were to be exposed, he would be in big trouble.

He quickly shook his head, not daring to think about it anymore!

"Prime Minister Tong," the Eighth Prince leaned forward and asked hurriedly, "can we think of a way to stop the 'Listening Wind Group' from entering the Ministry of Revenue?"

Tong Guowei squinted and pondered for a moment, then slowly said:

"It's better to guide than to block. Let's take a two-pronged approach. On one hand, we need to find a way to stop this 'listening-to-the-rumors' group from going to the Ministry of Revenue, and on the other hand... we also need to find a way to put a few of our own people into this group."

The candlelight in the hall flickered, casting a shadowy light on everyone's faces as they secretly plotted their own schemes.

　The second update of the day is here, everyone! The end of the month is almost here, please vote!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)