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

Chapter 588 Peeling off the skin and destroying the heart, killing without shedding blood
Tong Guowei is just stubbornly holding on!

He had already secretly written a letter to his good nephew—the emperor who was far away in the northwest.

The letter was filled with tears and sobs; the gist of it was:
Please save your uncle! If you don't help, or if you don't say anything, your eldest son is going to send me away!
It wasn't about retiring to one's hometown; it was about going straight to the Western Paradise.

Zhang Ying is also standing by her side!
He acted as if nothing was wrong every day, working with Tong Guowei in the South Study as usual, drinking tea and reading memorials as usual.

It was as if the wind and rain outside couldn't blow into the room at all.

But the Crown Prince had no regard for martial ethics; he was never idle and attacked with lightning speed, constantly setting things on fire.

Only three days after Ye Keshu was arrested, Tong Guowei's fifth son was also imprisoned in the Shuntian Prefecture jail.

The charges were extortion and forcing innocent people to their deaths.

That wasn't the end of it. On the fourth day, his second grandson, Yuzhu, was also taken away, and the charges against him made Tong Guowei blush with embarrassment:
abducting women
Tong Guowei was furious. "These brats of mine, all they do is cause trouble! Can't they do anything worthwhile?!"

But he remained calm on the surface.

He only instructed his family to "make some connections" in jail so that his child wouldn't suffer, and ignored everything else.

He acted like he was saying, "You can do whatever you want, I'll admit defeat if I fall."

However, the other members of the Tong family did not think so, and they began to feel uneasy.

As members of the Tong family, they are used to being domineering and arrogant.

If you see something you like, just take it.

If they refuse to give it, that's even easier: just take it.

If the Crown Prince wants to find fault with them, he'll definitely succeed every time, with irrefutable evidence for each one.

The whole family was trembling with fear.

Although they were afraid, none of them dared to utter a sound when they saw Tong Guowei's calm and composed face.

In an instant, the once bustling Tong family mansion became deserted.

Those local officials who used to frequently deliver "ice tribute" and "charcoal tribute" now dare not even pass by the Tong family's door.

They were afraid of being noted down in the Crown Prince's "little notebook".

Until this day, Longkodo's father-in-law, Hetulai, the old man who had been tricked by the Tong family and made a laughing stock in the capital, stormed into the Dali Temple with a loud shout and accused Longkodo of forcibly taking his concubine.

The news caused an uproar throughout Beijing.

When he heard the news, Tong Guowei was leisurely drinking tea in the South Study.

He glanced at the servant who rushed in with the news, without even raising his eyelids, and said, "I know."

The servant hesitated for a moment, then whispered:

"Master, the people from the Dali Temple have taken control of Third Master's mistress's residence, and I heard they found a lot of silver there."

"If we don't do something about it, Third Master will be in trouble!"

Tong Guowei waved his hand and said calmly, "Whoever causes trouble should take responsibility. In my current situation, how can I possibly care about anyone else?"

He paused, then said to the family, "Go and inform Longkodo that he must return to the capital immediately—to face trial!"

The family's expression changed upon hearing this.

However, he seemed to understand immediately, so he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Tong Guowei and quickly left.

Tong Guowei's expression darkened after his family members left.

He felt that the Crown Prince at this moment was like a butcher with a knife, bleeding him out piece by piece.

I wanted him to be unable to struggle and to collapse to the ground with a thud.

Just as Tong Guowei was wondering where the letter he had written to Emperor Qianxi was, Zhang Ying strolled in.

Since Tong Guowei was punished by the Crown Prince, the relationship between the two has become increasingly closer.

Seeing his spirited appearance, Zhang Ying sighed inwardly:
He knew that this old rival, now an old friend, was only holding on by sheer grit.

Being too proud is a recipe for suffering!

“Yesterday I sent a message to the Dali Temple and Shuntian Prefecture, and they are in a difficult position.”

Zhang Ying sat opposite Tong Guowei: "Nowadays, even government offices have the Crown Prince's 'whistleblower' groups."

"Who dares to disobey?"

After saying that, Zhang Ying gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Perhaps the reason I arranged for people to go to Dali Temple and Shuntian Prefecture to gather information was for this very event today."

Tong Guowei sneered, "It's all just conspiracies and tricks."

"Without His Majesty's decree, I will remain seated in this Southern Study."

"Let's see what he can do to me!"

Before the words were finished, a loud shout came from outside: "The Crown Prince has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, Tong Guowei and Zhang Yingfei exchanged a quick glance, their hearts skipping a beat at the same time.

As they learned more about the Crown Prince, they realized that he was not someone to be trifled with.

He never comes to the South Study on ordinary days, so his sudden appearance this time must mean he's up to no good.

The Crown Prince is a night owl; he doesn't come unless he has a reason!

But no matter what, the crown prince is the heir apparent, and once he becomes regent, the difference between him and the emperor is not significant.

No matter how many complaints you have, you have to accept it honestly.

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects!" Tong Guowei led the officials of the Southern Study to welcome Shen Ye.

At this moment, Shen Ye's face was as cold as ice.

He entered without gesturing for anyone to stand up, and immediately opened fire on Tong Guowei:
"Minister Tong, I ask you, was Li Si, Yuzhu's birth mother, a concubine that Longkodo seized from his father-in-law Hetulai?"

Tong Guowei knew that the Crown Prince's visit was ill-intentioned, but he did not panic upon hearing this.

He calmly clasped his hands and said, "Your Highness, I know that Longkodo has a mistress named Li Si, but as for her background, that is none of my business."

"This is Longkodo's business; you can ask him." Shen Ye looked at Tong Guowei, who was lying with a straight face, and feigned anger as he waved his sleeve, saying:

"What a convenient 'ask him about his own affairs'! You, as the father, don't even know the background of your son's concubine?"

"It's fine if you don't know, but please keep your family's reputation in check and don't cause any more trouble that would damage the court's image."

"The prestigious Duke Feng'en Mansion has produced so many outrageous and disgraceful things!"

"Prime Minister Tong, you have greatly disappointed the Tong family!"

After saying that, he glanced at the people in the Southern Study kneeling on the ground, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave.

Shen Ye's trip was clearly just to cause trouble:

Tong Guowei, you think you can hold on? Well then, let's see who can hold on longer!

After Shen Ye had walked away, Tong Guowei slowly stood up and said to everyone in a low voice, "Everyone, disperse and go about your business."

"The Southern Study is His Majesty's Southern Study. Even if His Majesty is not present, the rules must not be broken."

The implication was clear: the Crown Prince may be cursing, but the Southern Study cannot be touched.

The staff members of the Southern Study were all shrewd and astute, and they were fully aware of the power struggle between the Crown Prince and Tong Guowei.

At this moment, they all obediently bowed, but no one dared to speak.

Back in his duty room, Tong Guowei silently began writing a memorial to Emperor Qianxi once again.

In fact, Emperor Qianxi was well aware of the mess between Longkodo and Li Si.

I just used to turn a blind eye and pretend I didn't see it.

Now that the Crown Prince is pressing the issue again, Tong Guowei has no choice but to complain to Emperor Qianxi once more.

He thought to himself, the more miserable I am, the faster His Majesty's decree will arrive, right?

While waiting, a copy of the latest issue of the "Business Daily" that the Crown Prince had been working on last year was delivered to Tong Guowei.

Tong Guowei often reads this newspaper.

He usually sees mostly price and business information, but there are also quite a few things in there that he finds interesting.

For example, it occasionally includes some imperial laws and regulations, or cases judged by the Court of Judicial Review.

Tong Guowei used to think that this kind of thing was not bad for passing the time and relieving boredom.

But today, when he picked up this newspaper, whose price was getting lower and lower as usual, his eyes widened in surprise.

Because it was prominently displayed on the front page of the newspaper:

How could Tong Guowei, who harbored filth and indulged in extravagance and debauchery, be worthy of being the Grand Secretary!
Looking at the huge title, Tong Guowei felt his head buzz.

He never imagined that this thing would be published in the newspaper!
He forced himself to calm down and continued reading, where he saw that the glorious deeds of his Tong family's sons were clearly recorded:

The eldest brother, Ye Keshu, lent money at exorbitant interest rates, driving people to their deaths!

The second son, Dekexin, resorted to trickery and plunder, even setting fire to the property after seizing it!
The third son, Longkodo, shamelessly seized his father-in-law's concubine...

Each entry is followed by a bonus question: "Prime Minister Tong, how do you manage a household? How do you govern a country?"

Looking at what was written there, Tong Guowei felt his throat tighten.

Although the court officials were generally aware of his family's affairs, everyone tacitly agreed not to mention it in the past, so Tong Guowei could pretend to be dead.

As long as you don't tell me, I'll pretend you don't know.

Now, things have gotten even worse. The Crown Prince has had it printed out in black and white, which is practically nailing the Tong family to the pillar of shame and subjecting them to repeated humiliation.

Why should Tong Guowei still cling to the position of Grand Secretary?

The Tong family's reputation was already bad, and now they've fallen right into a cesspool.

Even if His Majesty supports him, the Tong family's reputation will be ruined.

And it's the kind of condition that's difficult to reverse.

For a moment, Tong Guowei's throat tightened, the muscles in his face twitched, and he almost couldn't catch his breath.

He could no longer maintain his usual composure; he looked like a trapped beast!
He wanted to confront the Crown Prince...

Tong Guowei, who had just stood up, felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and almost fell to the ground.

Just as I was about to take a sip of water to calm my nerves, my attendant Tong Jiu came running in, stumbling and crawling:
"Your Excellency, something terrible has happened!"

Tong Guowei was used to these reports, and he said indifferently, "What is it this time?"

"Was Qingfu taken away by the Shuntian Prefecture?"

Qingfu was his youngest son and the most disciplined. In Tong Guowei's view, the Crown Prince would simply find another crime to imprison this son.

"Your Excellency, Young Master Qingfu is fine. It was...it was students from the Imperial Academy and some scholars who, incited by someone, gathered outside the Taihe Gate and shouted, requesting that you be removed from your position as Grand Secretary."

"Several hundred people have already gathered."

"There are still quite a few people rushing towards Taihe Gate, and the number keeps increasing. Prime Minister, we need to think of a solution quickly!"

For some reason, the image of the Crown Prince's ambiguous smile appeared in Tong Guowei's mind.

He knew that it was all the Crown Prince's doing.

The Crown Prince intended to use these methods to gradually push Tong Guowei into a corner and destroy him.

I have to hold on!

Only by holding on can I...

But then, he suddenly heard a commotion, as if many people were cursing him, saying he was bad at managing his family and that he had allowed his son to commit violence...

"boom!"

A deafening roar filled his ears, and Tong Guowei finally gave in, collapsing straight to the ground.

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(End of this chapter)