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

Chapter 569: Nothing but more taxes, nothing but more taxes.

Having given birth to a son, Shen Ye simply couldn't sit still in Yuqing Palace!
My heart had already flown away; all I could think about was that ugly little doll from Shi Jingrong's place!

Even though the kid is probably still fast asleep, just imagining the three of them together... that scene...

Shen Ye felt as if she had a small heater in her heart, warm and cozy. Just thinking about it made her smile.

He happily planned to take Zhou Bao back to the Phoenix Palace later to get a good look at the mother and daughter.

Before he could even get up, he heard footsteps approaching from afar.

Looking up, I saw Wei Zhu rushing in anxiously.

This eunuch, who was second only to Liang Jiugong in the Qianxi Emperor's service, was usually a man who spoke slowly and acted with unwavering composure. Today, however, he was running so fast that his hat was askew. What happened to him?
Shen Ye's eyelids twitched, and he immediately asked, "What happened?"

Wei Zhu was still out of breath, but her words flowed fluently:
"Your Highness, Lord Tong Guowei, along with the officials of the Southern Study and the ministers of the Six Ministries and Nine Courts, have come to request an audience!"

Shen Ye's heart skipped a beat.

When Tong Guowei came to see him, he was either alone or with two or three trusted confidants.

Zhang Ying is a very cautious person.

This time, they've actually brought their entire families along, including all the ministers and officials. What are they trying to do?
Could it be that the matter with the Dali Temple is not over yet?

Zhen Mingwu himself admitted that it was a false accusation, and they still planned to use their numbers to put pressure on him?
That shouldn't be happening!

Tong Guowei, that old fox, is so slippery you could squeeze two ounces of oil out of him. He never does anything without certainty; he's not a reckless person.

Those seasoned veterans of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers wouldn't just casually come to join the fun.

Unless something really serious happens!

"Summon all the lords to the hall!" Shen Ye had no choice but to temporarily suppress his desire to see the baby.

In less than half a minute, Tong Guowei led the way, and Zhang Ying, the Third Prince, the Eighth Prince, and others entered the hall with serious expressions.

"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness!" Tong Guowei led the way, and everyone bowed in unison.

Shen Ye waved his hand and said, "Gentlemen, please don't stand on ceremony. What brings you here?"

In the past, the courtiers were usually modest and deferential, but at this moment, everyone looked at Tong Guowei.

Tong Guowei's voice was deep and resonant: "Your Highness, an urgent report from the Governor-General's Office of Liangjiang!"

"Three days ago, the traitor colluded with a traitor in the Kongjiang Navy and, taking advantage of the dark night, burned all of the Kongjiang Navy's ships with tung oil!"

He paused, then lowered his voice:
"Currently, the naval forces controlling the Yangtze River have no warships available, while those rebels have blockaded the Yangtze River waterway."

"Grain transport from Jiangnan has been cut off!"

Shen Ye's face darkened.

During his time as regent, he had gained a preliminary understanding of the situation in the court.

The imperial court has always faced a shortage of grain.

Not only did the capital rely on grain from Jiangnan, but grain from other regions also had to be transferred from Jiangnan.

Therefore, the grain transport was of paramount importance.

Everyone, from top to bottom, was counting on the grain from Jiangnan to be transported here.

Now things have gotten even worse; not only was the grain vat smashed, but the carrying pole used to transport the grain was also broken!
Although Emperor Qianxi was able to transport grain from Shaanxi and Gansu during his expedition, it was very difficult to procure grain in these areas.

Especially in spring, when food is scarce, people in every household can see their reflections in their bowls.

The seeds still had to be carefully buried in the soil.

Therefore, most ordinary people were living a life of hardship, barely surviving.

Shen Ye took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "How is the canal transport?"

Tong Guowei smiled wryly and bowed as he replied:

"Your Highness, according to the report from the Governor-General's Office of Liangjiang, the grain supplies from Jiangnan cannot be transported over, so the grain transport is like cooking without rice."

"The imperial army already has a shortage of food supplies. If we don't find a solution, the imperial army may face the danger of running out of food."

Tong Guowei didn't say what came next, but Shen Ye understood.

If the supplies are cut off, the battle will be lost without even being fought.

At that point, let alone winning the battle, it's uncertain whether Father Emperor will even be able to return to court safely...

The thought had barely crossed Shen Ye's mind when he quickly suppressed it.

Although he was a prince and didn't want to have an emperor as his father, he still had a basic moral bottom line.

While the soldiers at the front are fighting desperately, even if he can't offer much help from the rear, he would never do anything to undermine their cause.

He wouldn't do such a despicable thing, nor would he stoop to it.

"What insightful opinion does Prime Minister Tong have?" Shen Ye asked Tong Guowei after a moment's thought.

Tong Guowei was clearly prepared: "Your Highness, the current military expedition is the most important matter for the court."

"No matter what, the imperial court must ensure the supply of grain and fodder."

"In my opinion, the army that enters the snowy region can be supplied with all its might by Sichuan."

"As for Your Majesty's side, besides opening up the canal transport route as soon as possible, I think the only option is to levy additional grain and taxes north of the Yangtze River."

"Only in this way can we ensure that the army is fed and clothed, thus relieving this urgent crisis!"

"When faced with two evils, choose the lesser one. I urge Your Highness to make a decision as soon as possible."

Zhang Ying and the others stood silently without objecting, clearly indicating that this was something they had planned in advance.

Additional grain and taxes will be levied on the area north of the Yangtze River!
By this time, the people north of the Yangtze River had almost no food left and were already tightening their belts in anticipation of the spring harvest.

Imposing additional taxes at this time is like forcing people to eat tree bark; who knows how many more people will starve to death.

Shen Ye's heart sank, and he turned to ask the Minister of War, "How long will it take to transfer the South China Sea Navy from Fujian?"

"Your Highness, the South China Sea Fleet is difficult to mobilize due to its long distances and old ships. It's like trying to quench a thirst with water from afar." "Moreover, in recent years, due to the imperial court's ban on sea voyages, the South China Sea Fleet has undergone two rounds of downsizing, leaving too few soldiers capable of fighting."

"There's absolutely no way to count on them..."

Well, this road is blocked too.

Shen Ye looked at Tong Guowei and said:

"Prime Minister Tong, spring is the time when the people are poor. If we rashly increase taxes, it could easily incite a popular uprising."

"Since the Grand Canal Governor's memorial has not yet arrived, we might as well wait a little longer."

"All of you ministers, please go back and consider whether there are any other countermeasures."

Hearing that Shen Ye did not agree, Zhang Ying stepped forward, her tone earnest yet urging:

"Your Highness, hesitation will only lead to chaos!"

"His Majesty and the court's hundreds of thousands of troops are on a distant expedition, and the morale of the army must not be low! I urge the Crown Prince to make a decision as soon as possible."

The Eighth Prince also stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, this expedition by Father Emperor is related to the future fate of the nation."

"Father's safety depends on the food supply!"

"Your Highness, please prioritize the greater good, and the safety of His Majesty and the court!"

When the Eighth Prince suddenly spoke, the Third Prince was slightly taken aback.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he knelt down with a thud and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Ye, saying:
"Your Highness, now that Father Emperor is personally leading the army, he is at the forefront of the battle."

"If the imperial court's provisions and pay run out, Father Emperor's life will be in grave danger!"

He spoke with such sincerity that he almost prostrated himself on the ground: "I beg Your Highness, for the sake of Father Emperor's safety, to make a decision as soon as possible!"

Looking at the kneeling Third Prince, a chill ran through Shen Ye's heart.

The Third Prince is hardly kneeling before himself.
It was clearly a ploy to force the emperor to abdicate, using the safety of Emperor Qianxi as leverage, and bringing Tong Guowei and his associates along with him.

If he didn't agree, he would immediately be labeled as unfilial.

Or perhaps Shen Ye has other ideas.

The Third Prince can only stand on the moral high ground.

If they agree, it will be exactly what they want.

Once the order to collect grain and taxes is issued, the officials below will surely make a fortune.

At that time, the already impoverished people will be forced to sell their land to make ends meet, while those without land will have no choice but to sell their children.

And who knows how many innocent people will die in the spring when the flowers are in bloom.

Shen Ye sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. He looked at the Third Prince and said:

“Yunzhi, I am more anxious and concerned about Father’s safety than you are.”

"However, since I am the Crown Prince appointed by my father as regent, I must be responsible for the entire court and the people of the world."

"Now that all 400,000 Green Standard Army soldiers have been dispatched, the defenses of the capital are weak, and the court does not have many troops available."

“At this time, if we forcibly impose additional taxes and levies, which could lead to the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang incident, it would not only fail to help Father Emperor, but would also cause him trouble.”

At this point, he said with a hint of coldness:
"If something like the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang incident were to happen, Third Brother, can you bear the responsibility?"

"Or do you mean you can immediately lead troops to quell the rebellion?"

The third prince choked and turned pale.

He originally intended to use "filial piety" to restrain the crown prince, but he did not expect that the crown prince would throw back the even hotter potato of "popular uprising".

He wanted to force himself to say, "I can take responsibility," but his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

Yes, what won't ordinary people do when they have no food to eat?

Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall. If a person is driven to the brink, they're going to die anyway, so who cares about the law?
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Seeing that the Third Prince remained silent, Shen Ye's gaze fell on Tong Guowei:

"Prime Minister Tong, you are a veteran minister who has served two dynasties."

"Tell me, if this really incites a popular uprising, and the court has no troops to mobilize right now, how will it be handled?"

Tong Guowei broke out in a cold sweat when asked this question.

The Crown Prince's words were both harsh and accurate. If he insisted on increasing the tax now, it would be tantamount to ignoring the risk of popular uprising.
However, if they went along with the Crown Prince and seconded his idea, it would be tantamount to publicly slapping the Third Prince in the face.

No matter what I say, it's unpleasant; it's a dilemma.

After careful consideration, I could only bow and answer cautiously:

"What the Crown Prince is worried about... is not entirely impossible."

"But His Majesty's safety cannot be ignored!"

"In my opinion, we need to find a way to satisfy both sides in this matter..."

"A win-win situation?" Shen Ye's voice was not loud, but every word was clear:

"I also want to have the best of both worlds, but the fact is that the national treasury is empty and the army is in dire need of food; the fact is that the people are suffering and we have no resources left."

He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the civil and military officials in the hall:
"I also want to make a decision as soon as possible, but this matter is of great importance and cannot be decided hastily."

"Immediately dispatch someone with urgent news to report the current situation of the court to Father Emperor and request His Majesty's instructions."

"Let's discuss the rest after the Grand Canal Governor's report arrives."

Having said that, he didn't even look at the Third Prince who was still kneeling on the ground, and with a flick of his sleeve:
"That's all for today, let's call it a day."

　It's almost the end of the month, everyone please support me and vote for me!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)