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

Chapter 586 Resilience, I Remain Unmoved
The household is in turmoil!

My eldest son got into trouble, and we haven't settled things yet!
The second son, Dekexin, was once again summoned by people from the Shuntian Prefecture!
What kind of show is this?
It's obviously revenge!
It's revenge that they have no intention of hiding at all!
In the entire capital, who has the guts and the confidence to make a move against my Tong family?
Who else could it be but the one in the Crown Prince's palace!
The Crown Prince's move was ruthless and straightforward, not even bothering to put on a facade.

It seems this guy has absolutely no intention of showing us any "decency"!

why?
Tong Guowei knew perfectly well: it was all because of that impeachment controversy in the imperial court!

In the Crown Prince's eyes, he was the one who spearheaded this impeachment.

That seems to make sense. As the Grand Secretary, and holding the Emperor's decree before leaving the capital, he is naturally the primary target for initiating the rebellion.

Tong Guowei originally thought that the Crown Prince should calm down now that he had kicked Longkodo out of the capital!

Unexpectedly, this young master was not even as magnanimous as a pinhole, and he actually came after the entire Tong family!

This display was practically equivalent to announcing to the entire capital with gongs and drums:
I, the Crown Prince, am determined to destroy the Tong family!
Now things are really messed up at home.

Orondai accompanied Emperor Qianxi on his expedition!

Therefore, his room in the East Mansion was relatively quiet.

However, Orondai's sons had already arrived.

Orondai's sons all inherited their father's tempers, each one more impulsive than the last. However, due to their seniority, they could only stand below, fuming and silent.

"Father, we can't take this anymore!"

"They arrested my son today, and they'll dare to arrest your grandson tomorrow!"

Dirk's voice was deafeningly loud.

"The Crown Prince is clearly seeking revenge!"

"You are the Grand Secretary, a key minister appointed by the Emperor to remain in charge. When has our Tong family ever suffered such humiliation?"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and rolled up his sleeves:
"Aren't they just a few servants from Shuntian Prefecture?"

"If you nod, I'll immediately lead my men out and chase all these eyesores away!"

Dekexin's son, in terms of ability, is not as good as Longkodo, but in terms of temperament, he is even more impetuous than Ye Keshu.

Therefore, Emperor Qianxi never really liked this cousin.

He was only given the honorary title of third-class guard, and he was too lazy to assign him any real duties.

Although his position was not high, he was still very powerful and influential in the Tong family. He was used to being domineering and arrogant outside, so he couldn't stand this kind of humiliation.

As long as his father gives the order, he dares to spur his horse and brandish his sword, knocking down one by one those who dare to cause him trouble.

Hearing Dekexin say this, Tong Guowei didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, shaking his head inwardly:

Brute!

She felt increasingly disdainful of her son.

If this guy had half the brains of Longkodo, would he still be just a third-rate shrimp today?
"Shut up!"

Tong Guowei coldly shouted:
"Who do you think you are? Are you His Majesty? You dare to disregard even the Shuntian Prefecture!"

"I'm asking you, did you get involved in the case that the Shuntian Prefecture was investigating?"

Dirk straightened his neck, intending to deny it, but upon seeing his father's icy gaze, his voice immediately dropped eight octaves:
"Father! It was all done behind my back by those lackeys."

“My son wouldn’t do these little things himself.”

Tong Guowei knew his son's true nature, of course, and he snorted coldly:

"Stop pretending to be innocent! If you hadn't been so lenient with them, would your subordinates dare to do that?"

"Wait until this is all over, then I'll see how I deal with you..."

Tong Guowei was giving his instructions when a servant rushed in to report:

"My lord, Prince Cheng requests an audience."

Tong Guowei remained expressionless, having anticipated Prince Cheng's arrival, and calmly gave the order:

"Please have some tea in the West Flower Hall, Your Highness."

The servant did not leave, but instead handed over another letter, saying respectfully:
"It was just delivered from Lord Zhang Ying's residence; he said it was for the master."

Tong Guowei was slightly taken aback. Why would Zhang Ying write to him at this time?

He immediately ordered, "Bring it here."

Upon unfolding the paper, one would find a large character written on it: "Stand firm!"
Tong Guowei stared at the word, his expression shifting.

Having worked together for many years, we understand each other's personalities.

Tong Guowei immediately understood the meaning of "挺":
This "hold on" is both an encouragement for him to persevere and a way to "endure".

Without making a sound, he stuffed the letter into his sleeve, then turned and glared at Dekexin:
"No one is allowed to act rashly without my order!"

"You think it's impressive to beat up a few yamen runners from Shuntian Prefecture?"

"Believe it or not, the Crown Prince can easily slap a treason charge on you!"

"Don't think you're so great. The Emperor isn't in the capital right now. If the Crown Prince really kills you on charges of treason, you'll die in vain!"

Derek may be arrogant, but he's not stupid.

Upon hearing this, I almost broke out in a cold sweat.

Yes, with the emperor gone, our family's patron is gone.

Charging into battle is exhilarating, but if the Crown Prince gets carried away and goes completely mad, I might really lose my life!
Thinking about it like that, I immediately felt deflated.

In just one minute, Tong Guowei met Prince Cheng, who was drinking tea in the West Flower Hall.

Although Prince Cheng's rank was higher than Tong Guowei's, he still bowed respectfully to Tong Guowei, the Grand Secretary and the Emperor's maternal uncle.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Tong Guowei's highest title was Duke Feng'en, but even this title, though high, could not compare to the domineering title of Grand Secretary.

Upon hearing the title of Grand Secretary, Tong Guowei waved his hand and said:
"Your Highness is too kind. Please have a seat."

"It's almost dark, Your Highness, what brings you here?"

Seeing that Tong Guowei was feigning ignorance, Prince Cheng gave a wry smile and said, "Grand Secretary, do you think I wanted to come?"

"Isn't this...isn't this just being pushed out to be a lobbyist!"

"Right now, I should be at home having a drink, listening to some music, and relaxing comfortably."

"But I have no choice but to come here and bother you. What am I trying to gain?"

Upon hearing Prince Cheng's attempt to elicit sympathy, Tong Guowei said calmly:

“Your Highness also has his difficulties and is not in control of his own destiny, I understand. I will remember this kindness.”

"I will not cause you any trouble in the future, Prince Cheng."

Prince Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to go against Emperor Qianxi's maternal uncle, as he would likely lose more than he would win.

But now, he dared not disobey the Crown Prince's decree.

The Crown Prince is coming at him with a forty-meter-long sword, and he can't afford to provoke him. Being caught in the middle is truly agonizing.

"Your Excellency, you are a wise man. The longer this stalemate continues, the more disadvantageous it will be for you!"

Prince Cheng took a sip of tea and offered some advice to Tong Guowei.

"The evidence from Shuntian Prefecture is irrefutable."

Tong Guowei slammed his hand heavily on the table and said coldly:

"Your Highness, we just threw Ye Keshu into Dali Temple prison today, and they're coming to arrest De Kexin tonight."

"What are they trying to do?"

"Do you think I, Tong Guowei, have many sons and are easy to bully?!"

Prince Cheng looked at the furious Tong Guowei and muttered to himself:
Don't you have any idea why you're being targeted?
In the imperial court, you are so openly targeting the Crown Prince, trying to remove him from his position as regent.

You guys are practically shitting on someone's neck!
Do you really expect them to just let it go so easily?
How can we not retaliate?

If that's the case, wouldn't the Crown Prince be too easy to bully?
However, there are some things he cannot say outright.

He could only vaguely and indirectly say:

"Prime Minister Tong, the law is impartial. Since Dekexin has committed a crime, the proper procedures must be followed..."

"There are some things that you, Prime Minister Tong, should be aware of."

"To put it bluntly, if His Majesty were to return now, all the clouds would naturally disperse."

"But even if His Majesty returns, shouldn't that person be allowed to vent their anger first?"

"After all, anyone who has suffered such a great injustice would need to vent."

"Besides, now that they hold immense power, their word is law."

At this point, Prince Cheng noticed that Tong Guowei's expression was still unpleasant, knowing that the Grand Secretary hadn't yet figured it out, so he immediately said:
"Prime Minister Tong, you are older than me and more experienced than I am. You are a mature and prudent person."

"He understands priorities better than I do."

"Right now, I wonder how many people are waiting to see you make a mistake..."

"I've heard that when the Crown Prince sent people to quell the rebellion in Jiangnan, he ordered so many people to be executed that the sea was stained with blood."

"If the standoff drags on and it really escalates to the point where they send people to storm the Tong residence and fight with swords drawn, then once they're in a bloodthirsty frenzy..."

Prince Cheng's words were a blatant threat!
But upon hearing this threat, Tong Guowei unusually calmed down.

As the head of the Tong family, he cannot afford to lose his composure.

Only in this way can he make the most accurate judgment.

If the Crown Prince really hardens his heart and takes a hard line, the losses will be huge!
After His Majesty returns, will he make the Crown Prince pay for his own family's deaths?

It's highly unlikely; the Crown Prince might even impeach someone...

Thinking about it this way, Tong Guowei suddenly understood Zhang Ying's word "tough".

You have to be patient and persevere; it's better to be flexible than stubborn.

Tong Guowei suddenly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Prince Cheng and said:
"I'm sorry to trouble Your Highness to make this trip."

"I will not make things difficult for Your Highness. I will have Deke Xin turn himself in shortly."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming stiff:

"But I will immediately report to His Majesty!"

"As the Grand Secretary, I have served the country with utmost loyalty and devoted myself to the court, yet I have been subjected to such deliberate retaliation. It is truly disheartening."

"Your Majesty, please relieve me of my post as Grand Secretary, so that this old man can join my sister as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing Tong Guowei's words, Prince Cheng realized that this old fox was indeed difficult to deal with!
He's clearly using a retreat as a tactic to advance!

He quickly replied:
"Don't worry, Prime Minister Tong, there is absolutely no one in Shuntian Prefecture who would dare to make things difficult for Second Master or make him suffer."

"His Majesty has always respected you and will certainly handle this properly."

Tong Guowei smiled and said, "Then I'll take your kind words, Your Highness."

"Furthermore, when Your Highness goes to deliver the imperial decree, you may also speak out what this old man has to say."

"I'm an old man who has lived for so many years, I'm not afraid of anyone's deliberate revenge."

As Prince Cheng rose, he couldn't help but say again:
"Prime Minister Tong, as a friend, I still want to say something: Yu Changyuan's memorial was really quite malicious!"

"If we could find an opportunity to explain it... that would be even better."

Tong Guowei understood what Prince Cheng meant; he was subtly advising him to apologize and submit to the Crown Prince.

A broken mirror can never be mended!
Can a torn facade be put back on as if nothing happened?
Tong Guowei didn't reply, but simply waved his hand at the servants:

"Go and call Dirk over here!"

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(End of this chapter)