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

Chapter 518 First Find a Dilemma, Then Settle the Accountability
The fourth prince followed behind the crown prince, his mind buzzing, still echoing the crown prince's seemingly resounding words:

"I'm entrusting you with a task that will benefit the present and future generations!"

Wow, that sounds like you trust me so much!

But the fourth prince knew very well:
This job is clearly like being roasted on a hot plate; anyone who touches it will get burned, and it's a job that will offend people.

If the crown prince offends someone, he will also be in the eye of the storm.

He would normally avoid such a thankless task, but he found it difficult to refuse the Crown Prince's invitation.

Who told him to always act like the prince's loyal follower, always putting on a show of devotion?
Before Emperor Qianxi, he even declared generously, "For the sake of the court, I will do anything!"
The crown prince actually fell for this, finding him reliable and dependable.

Therefore, whenever the Crown Prince had to do something that would offend people, he always made sure to drag him along.

Does the Crown Prince genuinely appreciate my abilities, or... does he have ulterior motives and deliberately put me in the spotlight?
The Fourth Prince certainly hoped for the former!
But the thought of the Crown Prince's shrewd mind sent a chill down his spine.
This older brother is probably not as simple as he seems on the surface.

However, for now, no matter what the Crown Prince's plans are, he can only calm himself down and grit his teeth to follow along step by step.

The Imperial Household Department had its own office in the Forbidden City, where the three chief stewards, Yue Xing'a, Chi Luntai, and Prince Ping, Narsu, took turns on duty.

When it comes to the Imperial Household Department, Emperor Qianxi really kept a close eye on it and interfered deeply.

He not only had to oversee the division of labor among the three chief stewards, but also the arrangements for the doctors in charge of the warehouse.

After all, this place manages the trivial matters of eating, drinking, and relieving oneself in the palace, and when it's crucial, it can quietly give the emperor a boost when the emperor and his ministers are arguing.

As soon as Shen Ye and the Fourth Prince arrived that day, the three chief stewards of the Imperial Household Department immediately stood up.

Of the three, the one with the highest status is undoubtedly Narsu, who is a hereditary prince!
However, Narsu is the youngest of the three!

As soon as the three saw Shen Ye and the Fourth Prince approaching, they all bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince! Greetings, Fourth Prince!"

Shen Ye waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities."

As they were talking, Shen Ye strode over and sat down in the main seat of the Imperial Household Department.

As the crown prince, Shen Ye possessed a privilege that was neither too great nor too small:

As long as Emperor Qianxi is not present, he can sit wherever he wants.

He can sit in the head seat anywhere, if he so desires.

After all, he was a half-king!

He is also the second most honorable person in the world.

Not to mention, the Imperial Household Department is now under his control.

None of the three, including Narsu, dared to utter a sound and stood obediently below.

Shen Ye first gestured for the Fourth Prince to sit down before slowly speaking:
"Narsu, when did you start working at the Imperial Household Department?"

Narsu was not only a hereditary prince, but he was also raised in the palace from a young age.

But no matter what, they dared not act presumptuously in front of the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing Shen Ye's question, he quickly replied, "Your Highness, this servant arrived last December."

Shen Ye nodded and chatted with Yue Xing'a and the others for a few more minutes.

Yue Xing'a smiled obsequiously, but inwardly he thought, "They say a new broom sweeps clean, but this Crown Prince is nothing special!"

Just as his heart finally settled, Shen Ye abruptly changed the subject:

"Narsu, do you three know your crimes?"

Narsu was taken aback upon hearing this.

It's the Lunar New Year, what did I do to deserve this? What crime could I have committed?
But when the crown prince questioned him, he could only habitually lower his head:

"Your Highness, this servant...this servant has made a mistake, but I do not know what I did wrong..."

Shen Ye snorted coldly: "A subject who has disgraced his lord shall die!"

"The Imperial Household Department is supposed to be the royal family's purse, yet it makes my father worry about money every day."

"Tell me, what use is there for him to keep you here?"

Upon hearing this, Narsu felt deeply aggrieved, but all he could say was, "This humble subject knows his crime!"

Yue Xing'a and Chi Luntai were both seasoned veterans; they knew this kind of crime was insignificant, so they quickly followed suit and confessed.

Shen Ye picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said in a chilling tone:

"You're quick to confess, but what's the use of just confessing?"

"You must find a way to share the Emperor's burdens!"

"Otherwise, what's the point of Father keeping you stewards of the Imperial Household Department? You're just occupying positions without doing anything, like decorations?"

The three looked at each other in bewilderment: How could we not know what was going on with the Imperial Household Department?

They really couldn't share the burdens of Emperor Qianxi.

After all, that's not just a little bit of silver, it's a hole of six or seven million!
Selling the Imperial Household Department seems...it seems like that would raise enough money, but would His Majesty be willing?
So, the three of them simply and skillfully abandoned their predicament:
"This servant is incompetent, and begs Your Highness to punish me."

If we can't solve it, can't we at least apologize?

Shen Ye smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't have the ability, as long as you have the heart to share His Majesty's burdens."

"So, I really won't punish you for this."

"Since you have no other choice, then listen to me and the Fourth Prince."

His tone turned serious:
"This time I'll show you a way. If you still can't handle it, then both crimes will be combined and you'll be punished!"

As he spoke, Shen Ye took out an account book: "I looked through the accounts of the Imperial Household Department some time ago."

"You guys are really 'talented'!"

"Selling ginseng from within the Great Wall is a unique business. You can only earn 30,000 taels of silver a year?"

"And another thing, as for the gold mining business, can anyone tell me why the profit from a gold mine is only one hundred taels of gold per year?" "As for the three major textile factories in Jiangnan, they can earn thirty to forty thousand taels of silver for the Imperial Household Department a year. It sounds like a lot, but they support thousands of people, yet they can't compare to a silk shop in Yingtian Prefecture."

After saying all that, Shen Ye smiled and said, "Tell me, is this normal?"

Although Yue Xing'a's tenure as the head of the Imperial Household Department was short, he had already received benefits and tasted the sweetness of success.

They knew that what the Crown Prince was talking about was all about exorbitant profits.

The reason why their income was not high was mainly because the people in the Imperial Household Department were manipulating things.

He couldn't help but break out in a sweat:

Is the Crown Prince going to audit the accounts? Or is he going to slaughter a pig?

If that's the case, the Imperial Household Department will be in big trouble!

After the Crown Prince finishes his questioning, I need to find someone to discuss this properly.

The best course of action would be to find some officials in the inner palace to plead with the Crown Prince and Emperor Qianxi on their behalf.

The three of them exchanged a glance, and none of them dared to speak.

We looked at each other, and the atmosphere froze for a moment.

Seeing their silence, Shen Ye directly called out their names:

"Narsu, you are a prince, do you think this is normal?"

Narsu's forehead was covered in even more sweat.

He really wanted to say, "That's normal," but he was afraid that if he said that, he wouldn't know what good things were waiting for him later.

So he gritted his teeth and honestly said, "This servant...this servant feels something is not right."

"Then tell me what's wrong?"

Shen Ye didn't give Narsu a chance to think at all, pressing him relentlessly.

Although Narsu knew that telling the truth might offend people, he thought it was better to sacrifice a friend than himself.

He can't care about that anymore!
Offending those people is a matter for later.

But right now, he has to get past the Crown Prince.

So he said in a deep voice:

"Too...too little, the income is too low!"

Shen Ye smiled, then his gaze fell on Yue Xing'a:

"Yue Xing'a, among the three of you, you have served as the head of the Imperial Household Department for the longest time."

"Tell me, is this normal?"

Yue Xing'a cursed Narsu inwardly for being slippery. If the prince said it was normal, then things would be much easier for him.

However, even the Prince of Ping, who is much younger than him, said it was abnormal. If he were to say it was normal, wouldn't he be courting death?

"This servant is foolish. I thought that since I had just taken office, I should follow the old rules and regulations without thinking it through."

"Now that I hear this, there is indeed a problem. I beg Your Highness to punish me."

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Ignorance is no excuse, Yue Xing, you don't need to blame yourself."

Seeing that the two men had been forgiven without any consequences, Chi Luntai was afraid that if his attitude was not proactive enough, the Crown Prince would pin the blame on him.

He quickly chimed in, "Your Highness, this servant is also guilty; this servant didn't discover this either!"

Looking at Chiluntai kneeling out, the Fourth Prince sneered inwardly:
Pack! Then install it!
If it weren't for the fact that the Crown Prince was in charge, the Fourth Prince would have had to give these three a good talking-to.

Shen Ye was tolerant: "Ignorance is no excuse, as long as you admit your mistakes and correct them."

Chiluntai secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but the three chief stewards of the Imperial Household Department were not at ease.

They didn't believe that the Crown Prince had summoned them just to reprimand them.

Could it be that the Crown Prince intends to search and confiscate the property of the Imperial Household Department officials in charge of these matters?
If that's the case, what should I do?

Just as the three were feeling uneasy, Shen Ye's cold voice rang out:

"The Imperial Household Department was not under my jurisdiction before, so I will not bring up old grievances."

His tone was calm, yet every word he spoke was like an icicle falling to the ground, making one's heart tighten.

He paused slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the three people bowing their heads before him, before continuing:
"But from this day forward—anyone who dares to be so reckless and reach out indiscriminately..."

Shen Ye didn't continue speaking, but simply picked up the teacup beside her and gently skimmed off the foam.

That silent pause was far more chilling than a harsh rebuke. He looked up, his gaze landing on Narsu:

"Pass down my words. All physicians, listen carefully—behave properly and you will have a bright future; if you dare to engage in petty theft or thievery in private again, don't blame me, the Crown Prince, for showing no mercy."

The three hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, replying, "Your Highness is merciful! We, your servants, will remember this lesson!"

When Yue Xing'a kowtowed, his voice was exceptionally loud:
"Your Highness, please rest assured! From now on, anyone who dares to disobey you will be dealt with severely without you having to lift a finger; your servants will be the first to punish them!"

The fourth prince, who was standing to the side, shook his head inwardly as he listened.

He glanced at the three kneeling figures, then at Shen Ye, who remained calm on the seat, and couldn't help but think to himself:
The Crown Prince ultimately softened his heart. If it were me, I would have unearthed all the old cases that had piled up over the years and exposed the true nature of these corrupt officials.

Even if we don't confiscate their property and exterminate their families, we must make them all cough up silver—this matter won't be over until each family hands over one or two hundred thousand taels!

At this moment, Yue Xing'a, who was kneeling below, had his forehead touching the ground, but the corner of his mouth loosened almost imperceptibly.

He thought to himself:
It seems the Crown Prince's actions were all bark and no bite; it was just a show of force.

Thinking you can easily fish out a silver tael from the deep waters of the Imperial Household Department? This time, you might not even get a single tael...

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(End of this chapter)