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

Chapter 579 Swords Drawn in the Imperial Court, No Mercy from the Blades
Tong Guowei and Yu Changyuan are not even in the same league!
Yu Changyuan is a man who talks the loudest than anyone else, and he always says "I want to impeach you" at the drop of a hat.

But in the end, he was just an imperial censor!
To put it bluntly, he's just a professional impeacher.

All they do is nitpick and criticize, but they can't get involved in any actual decision-making.

They talk a lot, which sounds exciting, but it's not very useful.

It's like a gust of wind; it goes in one ear and out the other!

Why? Because he doesn't keep his word.

But Tong Guowei is different!
He was a legitimate Grand Secretary and the maternal uncle of Emperor Qianxi.

Given his status and position, his words carry significant weight.
That wasn't just his personal opinion; it represented a huge group of people behind him, a vast and powerful force.

By uttering such a statement in front of the Crown Prince, he was essentially saying:
"Your Highness, I don't trust you!"

Good heavens, this is two top figures in the imperial court about to tear off their masks and clash head-on!
Although this group of people usually fight fiercely, they still give each other face.

They secretly sabotage and plot against you, but on the surface they still have to smile and laugh.

Today, things have really gotten out of hand; Tong Guowei has directly pulled out his knife and stabbed us in the open.

This is basically a stance of drawing swords and showing no mercy!
Shen Ye looked at Tong Guowei, not at all surprised.

He had figured it out long ago: Yu Changyuan, that "big sprayer," dared to suddenly jump out and start firing because Tong Guowei must be backing him up.

However, Shen Ye did not panic. Instead, he slowly picked up the teacup beside him and took a small sip.

He lowered his head to clear his throat before slowly and deliberately speaking:
"Judging from your words, Grand Secretary... are you doubting me?"

Tong Guowei's face remained completely expressionless, his tone as steady as if he were reciting a sutra:
"Your Majesty, I dare not doubt the Crown Prince. However, I feel that the Crown Prince's recent actions are truly detrimental to Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, this is all to fulfill my duty."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire court fell silent.

Shen Ye turned his gaze and looked at Zhang Ying with a smile: "Grand Scholar Zhang, what do you think?"

Zhang Ying's lips twitched, and she thought to herself:

I knew it; you can't hide forever. What's meant to happen will happen...

He forced himself to bow and offer his hands in greeting:

"Your Highness, you are wise enough to know that in our hearts, His Majesty's safety is of paramount importance..."

"Although Imperial Censor Yu's words were somewhat extreme and exaggerated, they were also for the sake of the stability of the court."

"After much deliberation, we, your humble servants, cannot help but have some doubts and find no peace of mind."

"I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

Shen Ye laughed: "Grand Scholar Zhang is truly loyal!"

Even a deaf person could tell that this tone was sarcastic.

Zhang Ying and Tong Guowei both knew the truth perfectly well. They quickly exchanged a glance and remained silent in tacit agreement.

At this moment, the Third Prince interjected:
"Second Brother Crown Prince, my eighth brother and I are here in the Southern Study on the orders of our father, to assist you in governing the country."

"We have always held Your Highness in high esteem."

“Your methods of governing the country are unmatched by any of us brothers. We admire you wholeheartedly.”

"Recently, everything in the court has been peaceful except for the problem with the grain transport in Jiangnan, which you are aware of."

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly pained and distressed:
"The canal transport has been cut off! The people are waiting for grain, and the border guards are waiting for supplies. It's such an urgent matter!"

"But instead of hurrying to find a way to restore the river, you're determined to do something like shipping that's never been done before!"

"The old ministers, Tong and Zhang, tried their best to persuade you, but you wouldn't listen to a single word!"

"This isn't like you at all, Second Brother! If you say you lack ability, I'll be the first to disagree!"

"But to say you're 'blinded by greed'..."

"Then I have no choice but to think more, to worry about my father and the fate of this nation!"

Good grief, the label of "blinded by greed" has been thrown out of the box.

Two high-ranking scholars from the Southern Study, along with a prince, unanimously expressed their support for Yu Changyuan.

The officials who were initially observing from the sidelines began to sweat:
Is the regime about to change? Is the Crown Prince's regency doomed?

Did I choose the wrong side before? Will they come after me later?

Shen Ye glanced at Chen Tingjing and the Eighth Prince, who hadn't spoken yet, and thought to himself that these two were probably about to lose their temper.

Faced with this scene, he actually relaxed, even smiled, and slowly stood up to look at the Eighth Prince:

"Eighth Brother, everyone's been talking, what about you?"

The Eighth Prince, who had been named, was in a great mood at the moment.

He was one of the key behind-the-scenes planners of the grand drama of deposing the crown prince and assuming the regency.

He had waited so long for this day that the flowers had all withered, and he dreamt every night of the Crown Prince being scorned by his ministers.

"The time is ripe for the melon to fall from the vine!" he thought with overjoy.

As long as the Emperor is not in the capital, the Crown Prince's position as regent will be stripped by the combined efforts of the court officials, hehe.
That would be tantamount to the crown prince being publicly executed, essentially ending his career in officialdom!
What face does a crown prince who can't control the court officials have to inherit the throne in the future?
This is an utter disgrace!
When he heard the Crown Prince actually ask him this question, the Eighth Prince almost burst out laughing: This day has finally come!
However, he also knew that at this critical juncture, he absolutely could not become complacent.

Although his current rival is the Crown Prince, his next rivals will include his brothers, such as the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince.

Thinking of this, he quickly pursed his lips, maintaining a sincere expression on his face.

"Second Brother, what you're saying! Of course I believe you!"

"But right now, Father Emperor is personally leading an army of hundreds of thousands, and the safety of the nation rests on his shoulders." "Yet you refuse to heed the wise counsel of experienced statesmen like Prime Minister Tong and Prime Minister Zhang, and are determined to pursue that maritime trade..."

"This is truly perplexing and worrying!"

"Second brother, how about this? Why don't you go back to the palace first, spend more time with the Crown Princess, and play with the children more?"

"Let's put aside these troublesome matters of the court for now."

"We can discuss everything after Father returns in triumph!"

These words sounded so considerate and gentle, yet every single one carried a chilling undertone:

You should go somewhere cool and stay there. You should give up your power of regent!

This is tantamount to sidelining the crown prince.

Shen Ye wasn't angry. He watched as if it were a show, then turned his gaze to the group of ministers below, who were clearly holding their breath.
"Anyone else want to speak? Hurry up, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

"I have!"

The Ninth Prince leaped out of the ranks with a "whoosh," like a firecracker with a lit fuse, his voice so loud it could lift the roof off:

"Eighth Brother, you've gone too far! The Crown Prince overseeing the country was decided by Father himself; the Crown Prince is practically a de facto ruler!"

"You're going to suspend the Crown Prince's power just because of some censor's nonsense? Who gave you the audacity?"

"Now that our father is gone, we must be even more mindful of the proper relationship between ruler and subject!"

The tenth prince immediately followed suit, the two brothers singing in unison:
"I think you're the ones with ulterior motives, your minds are twisted to the extreme!"

"Anyone who dares to lay a finger on my brother, the Crown Prince, is a traitor!"

"I'd be the first to throw him into the moat to feed the turtles!"

Tong Guowei glanced at them slowly, his gaze a mixture of kindness and disdain, as if he were looking at two unruly children.

He couldn't even be bothered to lift his eyelids:
"Your Highnesses are still young and do not understand the complexities of court affairs, so it would be best if you said less."

"Your Majesty is now in imminent danger. All we have done is in accordance with your orders. We have no other choice but to do so."

After saying that, he turned to Shen Ye, his tone earnest:
"Your Highness, it's not that we intend to be disrespectful, but rather some of your recent actions..."

"It keeps me up at night!"

"When Your Majesty returns, if you feel that this old minister is guilty, I will not shirk my responsibility and will personally come to apologize!"

"I, Tong Guowei, stand here today to be true to my conscience!"

"I have lived up to His Majesty's trust in this old man for decades!"

Minister of War Nuomin quickly replied, "Lord Tong is of noble character! This humble official is willing to share the burden with you!"

A group of ministers following suit also shouted, "Support Lord Tong!"

"For the court, for His Majesty, what do we have to fear from death!"

Chaos erupted inside the hall.

Shen Ye remained calm, even having the leisure to straighten his sleeves, before slowly and deliberately speaking:
"I have already reported to my father about the matter of changing the grain transport from the Grand Canal to sea transport, and my father has not objected to it."

"If I truly harbored disloyal intentions, wouldn't my wise and powerful father see through it?"

Upon hearing this, the court fell silent instantly, so quiet that one could hear someone swallowing hard.

Tong Guowei and several leading ministers exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat bewildered.

The Crown Prince is a cunning fellow, as shrewd as a hornet's nest; he's not to be underestimated.

He seemed to have some kind of precognitive ability, having already reported to Emperor Qianxi!

However, Tong Guowei was a cunning old fox. He steadied himself and forcefully accepted the challenge:
"Since His Majesty supports it, why has there been no official approval yet?"

"Now that the grain transported by sea is delayed, the military rations in the northern border region are only enough to last for two months."

"Your Highness has been delaying repeatedly; how can we not be suspicious?"

"Your Highness, please stay in the palace for a few days to recuperate!"

"When Your Majesty returns, we will surely offer our apologies with thorns on our backs!"

He stepped forward, lowering his voice so that several people around him could hear him:

"If Your Highness still insists on not heeding our advice... then don't blame this old minister, for we will have no choice but to bring out the secret edict His Majesty left behind before leaving the capital!"

"If it really comes to that, the situation will be quite ugly."

Upon hearing this, many people gasped in shock.

Several ministers shrank back; did Tong Guowei really have a "trump card" hidden in his hand?

Could there really be a secret decree to depose the crown prince? Is the crown prince really going to die today?

Shen Ye looked at Tong Guowei's face, a face contorted with righteous indignation, and smiled calmly:

"Prime Minister Tong, Father Emperor will never allow you to strip me of my power as regent without cause. Besides, Father Emperor may not even be able to..."

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the hall.

A young eunuch tumbled and crawled in, falling down three times along the way.

Finally, he almost slid to his knees before the emperor, panting and shouting:

"Great news! Incredible news!! The grain transport fleet has arrived in Yangzhou!"

"Not a single grain is missing, they've all arrived in port!"

(End of this chapter)