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

Chapter 587 When the Emperor and His Minister Meet, Even the Spring Breeze Feels Like a Knife
Although Deke Xin and the Tong family were all seething with anger and wished they could turn against each other immediately, no one dared to go against Tong Guowei.

There was no other way; in the end, Dekexin was "taken away" by Prince Cheng.

However, even after completing this mission, Prince Cheng still felt uneasy.

The next day, when he went to the palace to report to the Crown Prince, he could no longer hide his true feelings.

His brows were furrowed, and he looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Looking up, the Crown Prince still had that same smiling, gentle demeanor.

On the surface, he seemed harmless, but Prince Cheng was inwardly quite uneasy.

He steadied himself and reported in a low voice:
"Your Highness, regarding the Tong family, Ye Keshu has entered the Dali Temple, Dekexin has gone to Shuntian Prefecture, and the third son, Longkodo, has been assigned to oversee the sweet potato planting."

"I believe that this lesson has been quite severe for Prime Minister Tong."

"Now... he probably just wants a few days of peace, right?"

Shen Ye didn't actually have any ill feelings towards Prince Cheng.

This prince never liked to get involved in trouble; he just wanted to live a quiet life behind closed doors.

To put it bluntly, he's a sensible person and an honest person.

Shen Ye generally doesn't make things difficult for honest people.

He smiled at Prince Cheng, his tone still gentle:

"Your Highness, many people in this world are like this: when they are successful, they wish they could kick others into the mud."

"Only after losing power do they suddenly realize they want to live a peaceful life."

"But why didn't you do this sooner?"

At this point, his smile faded slightly: "You are also familiar with the grand court assembly for rewarding merit and punishing demerit."

"If even my position as regent is taken away, where in this world will I have a place to live?"

Shen Ye spoke calmly, but the chill in her words was clearly heard by Prince Cheng.

Prince Cheng knew in his heart that the Crown Prince's words were not meant to scare people.

If a regent crown prince is really ousted by the court officials, then what's the point of him being a crown prince?
The days of a deposed crown prince have never been easy.

While Emperor Qianxi was alive, he could probably live a life of luxury, but what if the emperor passed away one day?

He dared not think about it further.

After his mind raced, Prince Cheng leaned closer and lowered his voice:

"Your Highness, I know you are not happy."

“But even if we don’t consider Prime Minister Tong’s feelings, we still have to consider the Emperor’s feelings. After all, Prime Minister Tong is the Emperor’s maternal uncle.”

"His Majesty's wisdom shines across the land. Although he is currently far away in the Northwest, what major or minor event in the capital can escape his notice?"

This was said in a tactful way, but the meaning was very clear: leave yourself some room for maneuver, because the Emperor is watching!
If he were to make things too ugly for his own uncle, the current Grand Secretary, the Emperor might not stand idly by.

In that case, it won't look good for anyone.

Having come to this point, Prince Cheng truly no longer wanted to be caught in the middle and suffer injustice.

Shen Ye smiled after hearing this: "I understand what Your Highness means, but some things are like an arrow on a bowstring, which cannot be released without a chance."

"Otherwise, others would think that I, the crown prince appointed by my father, am easy to bully."

"Furthermore, if we don't set some rules, some people will still come knocking on our door and take advantage of us."

Prince Cheng sighed inwardly, knowing that further persuasion would be futile.

Just as he was about to take his leave, Zhou Bao approached with a subtle expression: "Your Highness, Prime Minister Tong requests an audience."

Shen Ye was a little surprised to hear that Tong Guowei had arrived.

When they arrested his son Ye Keshu yesterday, didn't the old man faint on the spot from anger?

Why are you here today? Your recovery is incredibly fast...

However, he didn't hesitate for long and said with a smile, "Please invite Prime Minister Tong in."

Upon hearing this, Prince Cheng, who was standing nearby, immediately perked up—

Good heavens, two of the top big shots in the capital are going to meet face to face! This is a rare sight indeed.

But then I thought again: Can I watch this spectacle? If I do, won't I become a target?

Forget it, saving my life is the most important thing, let's get out of here!

So he quickly stood up, cupped his hands to Shen Ye and said, "Your Highness, I have finished reporting my matters and will take my leave now."

Shen Ye smiled and nodded: "Take care, Your Highness."

As soon as Prince Cheng stepped out of the main hall, he saw Tong Guowei striding in, looking very energetic.

Wearing a brand-new official robe, his face was radiant, and he walked with steady and quick steps, showing no sign of listlessness.

Doesn't look like someone who just fainted and was carried out yesterday.
"Greetings, Your Highness." Tong Guowei politely cupped his hands in greeting.

Prince Cheng was taken aback for a moment, then returned the greeting, saying, "Lord Tong, the Crown Prince is waiting for you inside."

As he spoke, he gave Tong Guowei a wink: Give the Crown Prince a way out and hurry up and settle the matter!
Unexpectedly, Tong Guowei simply smiled, said nothing, and strode into the main hall.

"Your subject, Tong Guowei, greets Your Highness. I was slightly unwell yesterday, and Your Highness was kind enough to take notice. I have come to express my gratitude!"

Thank you?

Shen Ye chuckled inwardly as she looked at his booming voice.

This isn't expressing gratitude; it's clearly a show of defiance!
Let me show you that I can still fight for another five hundred years!
"Prime Minister Tong is too kind," Shen Ye said with a gentle smile, his words flowing smoothly.

"You are a veteran official of the court and a trusted right-hand man of the Emperor. It is only right that we care about you."

As the saying goes, every family has its own problems, and even a great man may have an unvirtuous wife and unfilial children.

"The ones who committed the crime are Ye Keshu and De Kexin. The law will decide their case. This has nothing to do with you."

"You should continue to do your job as usual. Their crimes will be dealt with according to the law. You don't need to blame yourself too much."

Upon hearing this, Tong Guowei chuckled and said, "The Crown Prince is absolutely right!"

"These two wicked children have no sense of propriety and have violated the law. They should be punished accordingly." "Hopefully, this experience will teach them to be honest and upright people."

Tong Guowei changed the subject and sighed:

"To be honest, Your Highness, this old minister submitted a memorial to His Majesty yesterday, pleading for severe punishment of this old minister and the Tong family!"

"Alas, in the end, it's all because I failed to raise my son properly and have failed the Emperor's grace!"

Shen Ye's smile remained unchanged, but she sensed the hidden meaning in Tong Guowei's words: I have already complained to the Emperor, so you can decide what to do!
He immediately replied, "Your Majesty is wise and will surely understand Prime Minister Tong's difficulties."

"You have so many children and grandchildren, how can you possibly supervise them all every single moment?"

"According to the court's 'Eight Deliberations,' although Ye Keshu and the others have committed serious crimes, they will not be executed."

"However, such a person is indeed no longer suitable to remain in the court."

"Fortunately, the Tong family is large and wealthy, so they will always have food to eat. Prime Minister Tong doesn't need to worry too much."

The two men, still smiling, chatted back and forth about yesterday's events. Then, Tong Guowei changed the subject:
"Your Highness, I have a few official matters to report."

Then he began to speak seriously about politics, appearing once again as the composed and steady Grand Secretary.

Shen Ye chatted for a few minutes, and then Tong Guowei took his leave.

Watching his retreating figure, Shen Ye gently shook her head.

Instead of staying home to "recover from illness," he came to run errands.

Tong Guowei is making it clear to everyone: I haven't fallen yet, and the Tong family hasn't backed down!
Anyone who wants to take advantage of this situation should first consider their own worth.

As expected of a veteran minister who has served two dynasties, experience truly matters.

Tong Guowei is showing his support!
He must "hold on" to the end, and only after the storm has passed can the true test be seen.

Shen Ye turned to Zhou Bao and said, "Tell Zhen Yan to continue with what needs to be done."

“Other aspects are also following suit.”

"Since Prime Minister Tong wants to stand up for us, let him continue to do so!"

Zhou Bao acknowledged and withdrew.

On the other side, Tong Guowei had just returned to his duty room and hadn't even had a sip of tea when Zhang Ying arrived.

After the two sat down, Tong Guowei jokingly said with a smile:
"Zhang Xiang, aren't you afraid someone will have a problem with you coming here at this time?"

"Who knows, one day, the spearhead might come down on you."

Zhang Ying smiled frankly: "I was also involved in the matter of the morning court session."

"Whether I come to see Tong Xiang or not, they won't let me off easily."

"Since that's the case, why should I hide it and act like a cowardly little person?"

Tong Guowei's smile deepened, and he lightly tapped the table:

"I will always remember the kindness Zhang Xiang showed me with that one word."

"Prime Minister Tong is joking. You were just momentarily angered. Even if I hadn't said anything, you would have realized this once you calmed down."

"So, whether I remind you or not, the result is the same."

Zhang Ying waved his hand, "If even this counts as a favor, then Prime Minister Tong is taking advantage of us far too easily."

This is a frank and open statement, without taking credit for anything.

Tong Guowei's fondness for Zhang Ying only grew stronger.

He took the initiative to say, "To be honest, Prime Minister Zhang, I have already submitted a letter to His Majesty requesting to resign."

"Once His Majesty returns from the western expedition, I will return to the capital to retire."

"So that no one will dislike me and try to cause trouble for me day after day, so that I can't even have a peaceful old age!"

Zhang Ying knew this was just polite talk.

How could Tong Guowei bear to actually leave?
It was clearly a feigned retreat, a sob story staged for the emperor's benefit.

Your uncle has been driven to the brink of despair by your son!
However, on the surface, he feigned regret:

"Prime Minister Tong, don't be too pessimistic. His Majesty relies on you, and the whole court knows that."

"You are both a close relative and a pillar of the state; the court cannot do without you!"

He paused, then continued:
"There's something I didn't want to bring up right now... but the Eighth Prince has already gone down to Jiangnan, yet he hasn't specified how he's going to proceed."

"I'd like to know, what would be the proper way to cooperate with the Eighth Prince?"

Tong Guowei knew that Zhang Ying had asked the key question:

The Eighth Prince's trip to the south is a delicate matter to navigate.

If the methods are too lenient, the powerful nobles in the capital who are eyeing the throne will think the prince is weak.
If the measures are too drastic, it may cause a stir in Jiangnan and provoke a backlash from the gentry.

He thought for a moment before saying:

"Prime Minister Zhang, the current difficulty is that Ge Li's family is insisting on keeping quiet, and Eighth Master is also in a difficult position."

“Ge Li died unjustly. If we only use the dead Guan Shaopeng to pay for it, it will be difficult to convince the public.”

Zhang Ying nodded:

“Prime Minister Tong, the owner of the three major banks in Jiangnan, might be able to plead guilty, and their assets can also be confiscated.”

"This will be enough to appease Ge Li's family."

The owners of the three major banks in Jiangnan not only had status and motives, but also considerable wealth.

Mobilizing them would both demonstrate the imperial court's authority and quell the unrest;
The confiscated million taels of silver will benefit all parties involved, making it a win-win situation.

Tong Guowei could tell that he would definitely get a share of it, and his eyes lit up.
That's a great idea; it settles the matter peacefully and allows us to make a quick buck.

More importantly, it can thwart the Crown Prince's scheme to sow discord.

He then nodded and said:
"Alright."

"The Crown Prince is trying to make us kill each other. He's got a really big plan. We can't let him have his way!"

(End of this chapter)