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

Chapter 79 You were given a chance but you didn't take it.

Given the Crown Prince's personality, the Tenth Prince's blatant provocation deserves a warning.

They might even lash out a few times.

However, after smoking Orondai, Shen Ye basically stopped using the whip.

In fact, Shen Ye wasn't particularly angry about the Tenth Prince's behavior at this moment.

He even had a thought: it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. If all his brothers were like the tenth prince, his job as the crown prince would be much easier!

Unfortunately, they were all cunning and scheming.

He certainly wouldn't accept the ten taels of silver from the tenth prince; he didn't want to waste his time.

He looked at the smiling Ninth Prince and said, "Yuntang, are you like Yun'e?"

A slight smile appeared on the Ninth Prince's thin face: "Your Highness, I'm not as wealthy as the Tenth Prince!"

"At least he managed to save up a few taels of silver, but I spent it all."

"The five taels of silver I brought this time were borrowed!"

At this point, he took a small gold ingot out of his pocket.

Shen Ye waved his hand and said, "Ninth Brother, since you don't have any money, then this time, let's just have a meal."

"You should stay out of this matter."

Just as he was speaking, the eldest prince strode in.

The moment he saw Shen Ye, he quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Shen Ye had just played the role of a filial son, so he naturally couldn't afford to have any unpleasantness with the eldest prince. Therefore, he smiled and helped the eldest prince up, saying, "Brother, didn't we agree that we would skip these formalities from now on?"

Despite being stopped by Shen Ye, the eldest prince insisted on completing the greeting ceremony.

He did this because Mingzhu had repeatedly instructed him that no matter how much he disliked the Crown Prince, he must never show it on the surface.

Because the Crown Prince represents the face of Emperor Qianxi.

If someone is disrespectful to the Crown Prince and this reaches the ears of the Qianxi Emperor, they will certainly not have a good end.

It was precisely because of Mingzhu's warning that the eldest prince's etiquette was always meticulous and extremely proper.

After exchanging greetings, he solemnly said, "Your Highness, you are in charge of disaster relief this time. Although I have some money, the expenses are also high."

"Here's three thousand taels for now, Your Highness. If it's not enough, I'll make up the difference later!"

As the eldest prince spoke, he took out a stack of silver notes.

Seeing the silver notes that the eldest prince took out in public, Shen Ye thought of the fourth prince's early arrival and the eighth prince's act of putting the silver notes in his purse.

What do these behaviors reveal? These behaviors offer a glimpse into the whole picture, proving that the Fourth Prince and the Eighth Prince are more adept at interpersonal relationships.

Shen Ye naturally wouldn't accept money at this time. He smiled and said, "Brother, I've already found the money for disaster relief."

"The reason I invited you guys over this time is not only to have a meal, but also because I have a money-making opportunity that I want to share with you."

"I can't stand seeing my brothers suffer."

Prince Zhi was taken aback. Ever since he received Shen Ye's invitation, he had always felt that Shen Ye had invited them in order to beg for alms.

After all, even a small mosquito is still meat.

Although he wasn't well-off, he still prepared three thousand taels of silver.

Unexpectedly, the young master didn't even blink and shamelessly declared that he had prepared a money-making opportunity for his brothers.

Moreover, he claimed that he couldn't bear to see his brothers suffer.

Not only was the eldest prince surprised, but the other princes were also very surprised.

Even at this point, the Crown Prince is still sharing opportunities to make money with everyone.

Can this be believed?
The Tenth Prince, Yun'e, whispered to the Ninth Prince, Yuntang, "Ninth Brother, are you feeling unwell?"

Yuntang, somewhat confused, asked, "What's wrong?"

"You want to laugh but you don't dare to, and your stomach hurts from holding it in. Don't you feel uncomfortable?"

The two men didn't speak loudly, but the brothers around them could hear them.

The Eighth Prince, Yunsi, glared at the two of them, as if to say, "You two better behave yourselves."

Shen Ye didn't pay any attention to the three people's little tricks. He smiled and said, "The meat is almost cooked now, everyone take your seats and let's eat and chat."

No one said anything to Shen Ye's words, and they all took their seats in the assigned seats.

Shen Ye picked up a glass of chilled wine, took a sip, and said, "Regarding this disaster relief, I have already reported to my father that we are preparing to build a stone-paved expressway from Chaoyangmen to Tongzhou."

"This road is not only smooth, but also resistant to wind and rain."

"And I will be responsible for raising the money needed to build this road."

"I plan to divide this road into one thousand shares, each worth one thousand taels of silver. Anyone who buys a share will be able to enjoy the benefits brought by this road every year."

"Because this road has a toll."

"No matter who it is, anyone who passes through this road must pay a certain fee in accordance with regulations."

As soon as Shen Ye finished speaking, the expression of the fourth prince sitting to the side changed.

He worked in the Ministry of Revenue and was naturally very sensitive to matters concerning money and grain.

After Shen Ye explained the situation of the road, he immediately understood.

By attracting construction funds through a road that is still under planning, and then using these funds to build the road, the labor for the road construction is naturally provided by disaster victims, thus achieving the goal of disaster relief and road construction without spending any money...

This ingenious plan, which achieves multiple benefits, is simply brilliant. How come I didn't think of it?
If I were to offer such a plan to my father in court, then...

Yunzhen's gaze towards Shen Ye was somewhat strange.

Prince Yunshi was a little slow to react, but he quickly realized what was happening.

He had accompanied Emperor Qianxi on several trips and knew how busy the road from Tongzhou to the capital was, as well as how difficult it was to travel.

If a stone-paved road is built, he doesn't know whether others will walk on it or not, but he will definitely be willing to pay to walk on it.

There must be many other high-ranking officials and nobles who share the same thoughts as him.

There's also the advantage of transporting goods. Although the old road is free, the stone-paved road is clearly more advantageous, allowing for the transport of more goods.

As long as the price is reasonable, this road is a one-time investment that will benefit you for life, and making a profit is definitely not a problem.

However, recovering costs may be a bit slow.

However, Yun was still extremely impressed with this plan.

Just as he was pondering whether he should invest, Shen Ye continued, "I have already requested permission from my father for the shares in this road."

"Anyone who has purchased these shares, unless they have committed the serious crime of treason, shall not have their shares confiscated under any circumstances."

At this point, Shen Ye smiled and said, "This is a one-time investment that yields a stable income!"

Hearing Shen Ye's teasing, the Eighth Prince's expression changed rapidly.

He had a lot of contact with powerful and influential people and knew that what they were often worried about was that if they made a mistake, their property would be confiscated and they would be dismissed from their posts.

Once their property is confiscated, their savings accumulated over many years will be lost.

Now the emperor has decreed that as long as it is not a serious crime of treason, this part of the property will not be confiscated. For some powerful and wealthy people, they will buy it even if they lose money.

Moreover, there's no guarantee of losing money!
As for the heinous crime of treason, since the whole family has already been dealt with, there's no need to care about money anymore!
Once this plan is launched, many people will definitely rush to buy it.

Shen Ye ignored what the other princes thought and continued, "We are all Father's sons, and I can't bear to watch my brothers suffer."

"So, these 1,000 shares, others would buy for 1,000 taels of silver each, but we brothers, based on this brotherhood, will pay 500 taels each."

"Limit of ten per person."

"After you buy it, you can either keep it or resell it."

"I think I can earn at least half of the money again."

"However, I still advise you brothers not to sell these shares unless it is absolutely necessary."

"After all, it can distribute money every year."

At this point, Shen Ye glanced at the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince and said, "Since the Ninth and Tenth Princes don't have money, don't make things difficult for them, just let it go!"

The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince, who had already understood the key points, immediately looked gloomy.

They squandered a chance that could have doubled their money in the blink of an eye.

　An extra chapter is here today, please give me your support, brothers!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)