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

Chapter 567 The Joy of the Birth of a Son: One Should Not Throw Away Food Because of a Small Mistake
Who is currently enjoying the most success in Beijing?

If ten people heard that, eight of them would grin. Who else could it be? The Listening Wind Group, of course!
Although the Listening Wind Group was to keep a low profile when it entered the Infantry Commander's Office and other places, the Crown Prince had instructed them to do so.

But as soon as they sat down, the four officials felt like they had a fishbone stuck in their throats.

I can't swallow it, and I can't spit it out; it's so uncomfortable.

Fine wine and food were served up like they were free, and the smiling faces made their cheeks ache.

Even the heads of those government offices, when they see any minor official in the Listening Wind Group, will not smile or speak.

Officials who can join the Listening Group instantly become more valuable and walk with an air of superiority.

Just when the whole capital was watching with bated breath, eager to see what new tricks the Listening Wind Group could come up with, what awaited them was not a trick, but Zhen Mingwu's accusation.

Well, now that the lawsuit has gone up in circles, it's like throwing a huge rock into a pond:

With a splash, water sprayed everywhere, and the whole country immediately knew about it.

There was a lot of talk about it on the streets, with all sorts of opinions.

Strangely, the Office of Transmission was completely silent; there wasn't a single related memorial submitted.

As if by prior arrangement, everyone was tacitly waiting for an even bigger commotion.

Before this "big commotion" could even happen, Zhen Yan, the person in charge of the Clean and Upright Department, couldn't sit still any longer.

Upon hearing this, he broke out in a cold sweat.

She was terrified that if she didn't handle something properly, she might accidentally expose the Crown Prince's scheme, which would be a huge offense.

His years of experience as a servant told him: report it quickly, report it to the Crown Prince as soon as possible, there might still be a chance to salvage the situation!
He jogged and arrived at Yuqing Palace, panting, only to find the eunuchs and maids hurrying along with tense expressions.

"What's wrong, sir?" Zhen Yan grabbed a familiar-looking eunuch and asked in a low voice.

The little eunuch stamped his foot: "Oh, Lord Zhen, please don't stop me!"

"The Crown Princess suddenly had severe abdominal pain, and the nannies all said... she might be about to give birth!"

Upon hearing this, Zhen Yan was overjoyed: With the Crown Prince having an heir, the foundation of the nation is even more secure!

But then I thought:
At this critical juncture, the Crown Prince is anxiously waiting to hold his son.

How could I possibly have the mind to deal with that mess with the Listening Wind Group?

He forced himself to ask again, "Where is the Crown Prince now?"

"She's in the Phoenix Palace. The Empress Dowager has also gone there!" After saying this, the little eunuch turned around and disappeared again.

The Fengyi Hall was originally a newly expanded palace of the Yuqing Palace, and it was not originally called this.

After it was incorporated into the Eastern Palace, Emperor Qianxi personally bestowed upon it the name "Fengyi Hall" and gave it to Crown Princess Shi Jingrong to live in.

After hesitating for a moment outside the palace, Zhen Yan still walked towards the Phoenix Palace.

Since we're already here, we can't just leave empty-handed.

People came and went outside the hall, busy but not chaotic.

Under the eaves of the Phoenix Palace, the Empress Dowager sat calmly and composed.

In the courtyard, Crown Prince Shen Ye was somewhat restless, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Several times he tried to go inside, but the Empress Dowager stopped him each time.

"According to the rules passed down from our ancestors, neither the emperor nor the crown prince can enter the delivery room. The dragon's energy is too strong, and we must be careful not to offend the child."

The Empress Dowager spoke gently, but her words left no room for negotiation.

Shen Ye scoffed at this statement.
This is ancient history, where is the scientific basis for it?

But the Empress Dowager and the concubines all believed in this, so he couldn't force his way in. He could only swallow all his modern theories and feel anxious.

He was both happy and worried:

I'm so happy that this little one, who is my flesh and blood, is finally about to be born.
What I'm worried about is the medical conditions these days. Although everything in the palace is top-notch, childbirth is still a life-or-death situation.

He paced back and forth anxiously, mentally praying to every god, Buddha, and bodhisattva he knew and didn't know.

Even though I know it's not very useful, at least it gives me peace of mind.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness." Zhen Yan seized an opportunity, gritted his teeth, and stepped forward to offer his greetings.

When Shen Ye turned around and saw it was him, she knew it must be something important, otherwise Zhen Yan wouldn't have come looking for her at this time.

He composed himself and asked, "What is it?"

"Your Highness, the members of the Listening Wind Team sent to the Dali Temple have run into some trouble..."

"Shaoqing Zhen Mingwu has accused his team member Qian Jinhui of soliciting bribes, and the matter has already reached the Southern Study."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ye showed no panic, only calmly asking, "Where's the evidence? Is it conclusive?"

"I haven't had time to investigate this in detail yet. I originally intended to inform Your Highness first and then ask Qian Jinhui."

Zhen Yan bowed and said, "It is because I have failed in my duties and supervision that such a mistake has occurred. Please punish me, Your Highness."

Shen Ye waved his hand: "Nothing in this world is ever smooth sailing. It's normal to know someone's face but not their heart."

"Go back first and do what you need to do. I'll handle this."

Seeing that the Crown Prince was not angry, Zhen Yan felt much more at ease.

Recalling the Crown Prince's tactics of subduing and attacking the Listening Wind Group in court a few days ago, he felt more confident and bowed before withdrawing.

After Zhen Yan left, Shen Ye continued to wait outside the Fengyi Palace.

The Empress Dowager came over personally and gently advised him to return to the palace to rest, but he insisted on staying there, so the Empress Dowager let him go.

As the sun began to set in the west, a loud cry of a baby suddenly broke the evening's tranquility inside the hall.

Immediately afterwards, a palace maid ran out with a beaming smile:

"Congratulations, Your Highness! Congratulations, Your Highness! The Crown Princess has safely given birth to a baby grandson!"

Shen Ye felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart, and a smile instantly spread across her face:

"Rewards! Rewards for everyone! Huge rewards!"

He was about to rush inside when the Empress Dowager, quick as a flash, stopped him in the courtyard. But this time, he didn't have to wait long.

A moment later, a tiny swaddled baby, wrapped tightly in swaddling clothes with only its little face showing, was carefully carried out by the nanny.

Shen Ye almost held his breath as he took the wrinkled little guy with his eyes closed from the Empress Dowager's hands.

Light and warm, yet the moment she held him, a strange warmth suddenly surged through Shen Ye's heart:

This is my son, my truest bond in this world.

Even though he has the aura of a crown prince, he always feels aloof, like someone playing a role on a stage.

He showed excessive respect for the Qianxi Emperor, but lacked genuine affection for him.

But at this moment, the little person in his arms made him firmly "land" here.

"Your Highness, things are still being cleaned up inside. It's a place of bloodshed, so it's not convenient for you to be here," the Empress Dowager said gently, taking the child from her.

"Go and attend to your official duties for a while, and come see the Crown Princess in an hour."

Although Shen Ye felt a thousand times reluctant to part with the little bundle of joy and wished she could hold this little bundle of joy forever, she could not disobey the Empress Dowager.

He bowed and walked back with a heart full of joy.

"Zhou Bao, what name do you think should we give this little guy? It should be catchy and bring good fortune!"

Shen Ye walked along, laughing, and couldn't help but ramble on.

Zhou Bao followed closely behind, but upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, his face showed reluctance.

He answered cautiously, "Your Highness, you may not know the rules. The name of the eldest grandson of the emperor... must be chosen by His Majesty himself."

Shen Ye was somewhat displeased, but not wanting to argue with Emperor Qianxi over this, he compromised:

"Then let's just use a nickname for now, is that alright?"

“Your Highness, the imperial grandson’s nickname… is usually given by the Empress Dowager.” Zhou Bao’s voice was even lower.

Shen Ye turned her head and glared at him. If she weren't in such a good mood today, she would have really wanted to kick this spoilsport.

"Alright, alright," Shen Ye waved his hand impatiently.

"You should hurry out of the palace and tell Nian Jinfu to set up a soup kitchen outside the city and distribute soup for a month."

"As for the reason—I'll just say I'm happy! It's a cause for celebration!"

"Yes, sir!" Zhou Bao answered readily this time.

The Crown Prince distributed porridge and performed good deeds because he had a son, accumulating merit and blessings. No one could find fault with him; they could only praise his benevolence.

Shen Ye was overjoyed and returned to Yuqing Palace with light steps, only to find Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying already waiting outside the hall.

The two men bowed to him upon seeing him, saying, "Your Highness, we congratulate you on the birth of your son!"

Although Shen Ye usually disliked those two old men, he was overjoyed today and found everyone else to be handsome.

Even the wrinkles on Tong Guowei's face radiated a hint of wisdom.

His face immediately broke into a smile: "Thank you both. Let's grab a couple of drinks sometime when we're free."

Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised by the Crown Prince's unusually gentle attitude today, and could only politely thank him.

Shen Ye knew that these two old foxes always chose this time to come, probably because they were night owls coming into the house: they wouldn't come without a reason.

It must be about the Dali Temple matter, so he took the initiative to ask, "Do you two gentlemen have something to say?"

Tong Guowei's expression turned serious:
"Your Highness, the matter of the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review accusing Qian Jinhui of the Listening Wind Group of soliciting bribes is now a hot topic of discussion in the court and among the public."

"This will greatly damage His Highness's reputation and the prestige of the Listening Wind Group."

"We are deeply concerned and have come to inquire how this matter should be handled."

Shen Ye almost burst out laughing when she saw his face full of concern for the country and loyalty.

He began speaking in a relaxed tone:

"Prime Minister Tong, is such a trivial matter worth making such a fuss about? Someone has complained, so let's investigate."

"The Listening Wind Group is the Listening Wind Group, and Qian Jinhui is Qian Jinhui. Don't confuse the two."

He paused, then said slowly, "It's like the imperial examination—I heard that in the last provincial examination, some examiners also showed favoritism."

"Do you really think we can abolish the imperial examination system just because of one or two corrupt officials?"

These words left Tong Guowei speechless.

He had intended to use this opportunity to criticize the Listening Wind Group, but the Crown Prince deflected his criticism with a single, nonchalant remark.

He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to respond, and a little embarrassed looked on his face.

Seeing this, Zhang Ying took over the conversation:
"Your Highness is quite right. Each case should be handled individually."

"However, as can be seen from Qian Jinhui's case, the Listening Wind Group still has its shortcomings."

"Your Highness, I request that you postpone the actions of the Listening Wind Group until the system is perfected before implementing it, which would be more prudent."

Shen Ye glanced at him and said slowly:

"Lord Zhang, you also came from the imperial examination system. So let me ask you, from the Sui and Tang dynasties to the present day, has the imperial examination system always been so rigorous, comprehensive, and perfect?"

Zhang Ying's heart tightened, and he could only reply, "Naturally, it has been gradually improved through the dynasties to reach the system we have today."

"That's right!" Shen Ye's smile didn't reach his eyes.

"If everyone were like Lord Zhang, stopping at the slightest flaw and only moving forward when everything is perfect."

"That Lord Zhang... probably doesn't have a chance to speak with me now. He's probably still fishing by the Gusu River, isn't he?"

These words were blunt and merciless, and Zhang Ying immediately blushed.

He never expected that the Crown Prince, who had just been blessed with a son and was still immersed in joy, would still be so witty with his words!

With just one sentence, he saw right through his roundabout attempt to offer advice, and even took the opportunity to send a greeting to his hometown!

　The second update for today is here! Please vote for me at the end of the month, everyone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)