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

Chapter 564 It feels like the Crown Prince has dug a pit for me to fall into.
Marta was already enough to frustrate Tong Guowei, but who knew that this old man was just the opening act.

The real show is yet to come!
Before his headache had even subsided, the Crown Prince immediately sent him several more "grandfather-level" senior officials:

They were all veterans from the time of the late emperor, quite old, with white beards, and should have been enjoying their grandchildren at home long ago.

To put it bluntly, if he hadn't lost to Suo'etu and Mingzhu back then, he wouldn't have had to retire prematurely.

Now look what's happened! With a single order from the Crown Prince, all these old fogies have been brought back.

The South Study instantly transformed into a "teahouse for old court officials," where they spent their days snacking on melon seeds, reminiscing about the past, and having a great time.

Tong Guowei, as the Grand Secretary and the First Grand Secretary, could neither be scolded nor driven away.

He could only suppress his anger and retreat to his duty room, hoping to avoid seeing it.

"Isn't the Crown Prince blatantly trying to disgust me?!"

Tong Guowei was feeling distressed when Zhou Bao entered with a smile: "Prime Minister Tong, the Crown Prince requests your presence."

Although Tong Guowei was the Grand Secretary, how could he dare to neglect the Crown Prince's summons?

This guy is not to be trifled with!
So he quickly straightened his clothes and followed Zhou Bao to Yuqing Palace.

As soon as I stepped outside, I ran into an old acquaintance, Zhang Ying.

The two have been getting quite close lately because of the Eighth Prince, but in front of Zhou Bao, they could only exchange glances and say nothing.

In the study of Yuqing Palace, Crown Prince Shen Ye was already waiting.

Sitting next to him was Zhen Yan, who was nominally under the jurisdiction of the Southern Study, but in reality only obeyed the Crown Prince's orders.

His plaque that reads "Office of Integrity and Uprightness" is still hanging in the Southern Study.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying bowed in unison.

Shen Ye casually waved his hand: "Please sit down, both of you. Zhou Bao, bring the tea."

As soon as the two sat down, the Crown Prince looked at Tong Guowei with a smile: "Prime Minister Tong, have you met Marta and the others yet?"

"It's the first time the Listening Team has launched an operation, so it's inevitable that we'll encounter all sorts of unexpected things. We need someone to keep things in check."

"Let these senior officials be the team leaders. They are experienced and have high prestige. With them around, many things will be much easier to handle."

What do you two think?

Tong Guowei and Zhang Yingfei exchanged a quick glance, both seeing the bitterness in each other's eyes.

Of course, they didn't want these old folks to come out and continue to "shine"!
But the prince's words were so reasonable that no one could find fault with them. If Marta and the others were to step in, many problems could indeed be solved easily.

After all, seniority and prestige are things that are invisible and intangible, but they can really crush people.

Didn't you see how Marta could call Tong Guowei "Little Tong" in front of everyone in such a domineering manner?

Tong Guowei could only force a smile and respectfully agree. A glare would be disrespectful to his elders.

If even the Grand Secretary Tong Guowei was like this, one can only imagine how others were treated.

"His Highness the Crown Prince's court... is getting more and more interesting," Zhang Ying thought to himself, looking down.

Tong Guowei coughed twice and squeezed out a sentence:
"Your Highness, it is true that all the elders are highly respected."

"But...but they are getting on in years. If they overwork themselves, I'm afraid it will be bad for their health!"

"If I were to overwork myself and end up with something bad, I would feel terrible!"

He himself was being disingenuous with those words, but he couldn't very well say directly, "Please, hurry up and send these old folks away!"

Especially when Marta would call him "Little Tong" from time to time, the way she addressed him made his eyelids twitch.

This old man thinks too highly of himself! You're the one who's Xiao Tong!

Shen Ye smiled and said slowly:
"I understand that you are concerned about the health of your old minister, Tong."

"So I already told Zhen Yan that the senior members are only responsible for leading the team and steering the ship, and the younger generation can do the specific work."

Then he changed the subject and looked at Zhang Ying:

"Lord Zhang, I have just received an urgent report from Zhang Yushu, sent from Jiangnan."

"They said he was old and frail and could not shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the court."

Zhang Ying was taken aback, not expecting the Crown Prince to suddenly mention this great Confucian scholar from Jiangnan.

Upon further reflection, he immediately understood the Crown Prince's intention:
The Crown Prince intends to transfer Zhang Yushu away from Jiangnan to prevent him from continuing to cause trouble there.

From Zhang Ying's perspective, it would be good to bring Zhang Yushu back to the capital, so that he wouldn't cause too much trouble in Jiangnan and make things difficult to handle.

More importantly, his lectures in Jiangnan have made his position as the leader of the Jiangnan school somewhat unstable.

So he replied vaguely, "Your Highness, I... am not very clear about Lord Zhang's recent situation."

Shen Ye slowly picked up the teacup:
He said he was in poor health, but I heard he's actually in very good health!

"A few days ago, he lectured at Xuanwu Lake for half a month, and even led a group of senior scholars from Jiangnan to give the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Cen Youguang, a thorough dressing down."

"Old Master Zhang is so energetic, yet he insists on declining the imperial court's summons and refuses to come to the capital."

"Could it be that he harbors resentment towards the imperial court, which is why he is acting this way?"

Zhang Ying's expression changed; the Crown Prince's words were rather harsh.

Although he and Zhang Yushu had a lot of rivalry in secret, they were, after all, from the same Jiangnan region.

He couldn't just stand by and watch Zhang Yushu be labeled as "resentful of the court," could he?

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and reply, "Your Highness is wise, I have always known about Lord Zhang. Perhaps Lord Zhang is simply homesick and longing for his homeland; he has no other intentions! I am willing to write a letter to persuade him to come to the capital."

Shen Ye nodded: "Then please ask Lord Zhang to write a letter to him: if he really wants to live a leisurely life in the mountains and forests, the court will not force him."

"But what if he declines the imperial court's summons while traveling around giving lectures?"

"Giving lectures is one thing, but he also joined forces with a group of senior scholars from Jiangnan to interfere in local government affairs, making things difficult for Cen Youguang, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, at every turn!"

"If someone refuses a summons from the imperial court but meddles in matters that don't concern them, then they're not just enjoying a leisurely retirement; they're deliberately going against the imperial court!"

"If he does not set out within ten days, I will send men to arrest him and bring him to the capital."

Zhang Ying felt a chill run down his spine. Although he felt that Zhang Yushu had done wrong, it would be a great humiliation for Zhang Yushu if he were arrested and brought to the capital.

But if the Crown Prince really wants to do that, Zhang Ying can't stop him!

He could only bow his head and reply, "Your subject... obeys."

"The letter I sent you along with the imperial edict issued to Cen Youguang was also sent by the court!"

“Make him ‘cooperate with listening to the wind’,” Shen Ye added.

Zhang Ying remained silent, while Tong Guowei secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.

He also felt that the chaos in Jiangnan was inextricably linked to Zhang Yushu, after all, this man hadn't been very well-behaved lately.

It was only natural that the Crown Prince would bring him here.

This move was both a diversionary tactic and a warning shot; it was executed flawlessly.

"The main reason I invited you two here today is to discuss the assignment of the Listening Wind Group."

"Lord Zhen has drafted a feasible plan, which I think is quite good."

"Lord Zhen, please report to the two lords."

Having received guidance from Shen Ye, Zhen Yan was well-prepared and spoke fluently about the process:

The intelligence gathering team not only reviewed case files and interviewed officials, but also solicited clues from the government offices they were investigating and from across the capital.

Whether it's an old grievance or a newly filed report, we accept them all without hesitation.

This is a bit uncomfortable!
What's even more ingenious is that the "listening team" also wants to have separate conversations with the high-ranking officials and mid-level physicians of the government office.

They claim to be getting a deep understanding of the facts, but in reality, they just hold one-on-one meetings behind closed doors.

Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying became increasingly restless as they listened, feeling as if ants were crawling on their backs.
After this, who in the government office would dare to speak casually?
There are too many variables when talking to someone alone!

Who knows if a bunch of old, rotten things will come out of someone's mouth?

However, after much deliberation, the two concluded that the Crown Prince's arrangement appeared to be perfectly justifiable and flawless on the surface.

They couldn't find any obvious faults, so they could only listen with their noses in the air, while putting on a brave and wise expression on their faces.

Tong Guowei finally managed to ask, "Your Highness, I wonder which government office the first batch of Listening Wind Guardians will be stationed in?"

Shen Ye chuckled and countered with, "What does Prime Minister Tong think?"

"I have no final opinion yet, but I feel that some government offices... are not suitable for us to take up positions at the moment."

Tong Guowei looked deeply concerned about the country and its people, saying, "For example, the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War."

"The court is currently engaged in military operations in the northwest, and is very busy with deployments. If any complications arise, it may affect the war effort. It will also be difficult to explain to His Majesty."

Simply mentioning the Ministry of Revenue seemed too deliberate, so he quickly brought up the Ministry of War as well, to avoid appearing to be only protecting the Ministry of Revenue.

Shen Ye nodded, seemingly having taken it to heart, but then casually added, "Prime Minister Tong's concerns are not without merit."

"But perhaps the arrival of the Listening Team will actually make the various departments operate more stably and smoothly?"

"With clear accounts and transparent procedures, wouldn't it be much easier to get things done?"

Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying exchanged a glance, both reading the same thing in each other's eyes:

The Crown Prince is determined to take action against the Ministry of Revenue and is eager to deal with Ma Qi!
Tong Guowei didn't rush to speak. Instead, as agreed, Zhang Ying took over the conversation and earnestly advised:
“Your Highness, this old minister believes that Prime Minister Tong’s words make sense. Military affairs in the Northwest are a matter of national importance and should indeed be handled with caution.”

"Your Highness, please prioritize the military campaign in the Northwest and refrain from listening to rumors about these two tribes for the time being, so as to avoid any unexpected complications."

Seeing this, Zhen Yan's lips twitched as he was about to speak, but Shen Ye raised his hand to stop him:
“Alright,” the Crown Prince picked up his teacup. “Since both of you think so, then we’ll go along with it.”

He put down his teacup, his voice low but clear:

"Zhen Yan, then let's replace the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War with the Infantry Commander's Office and the Court of Judicial Review."

"Our first batch of 'listening-to-the-winds' offices are: the Infantry Commander's Office, Shuntian Prefecture, Dali Temple, and Hanlin Academy."

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's conclusion, Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying were both taken aback, as if they had suddenly choked on something:
The Infantry Commander's Office and the Shuntian Prefecture were the vital and critical points of the capital.

One was in charge of the defense of the capital, and the other was in charge of local security.

The Crown Prince's easy relocation clearly indicates a shift in direction, allowing him to firmly grasp control of the capital!

However, they have just said that the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War are not allowed to go in and listen to rumors.

If we oppose other government departments now, wouldn't that be going too far and contradicting ourselves?

Both of them felt a tightness in their throats, and the words rolled around on their lips several times, but in the end, they didn't say anything more.

Looking again at the composed Crown Prince, and then glancing at Zhen Yan beside him with his head bowed, a sudden chill ran through him:
Could it be...?

From the very beginning, the Crown Prince had dug this pit, waiting here with a smile for the two of them to jump in, right?

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(End of this chapter)