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

Chapter 524 The Crown Prince is both cunning and slippery.

Upon hearing that the eldest prince had accepted the mission, the third and eighth princes secretly exchanged a glance.

My brother has assigned us a job, and I guess we won't be able to escape it either.

The key point is—there's no way to hide now!
Their eyes met briefly, then looked away, but their hearts sank at the same time.

Who doesn't know that the Imperial Household Department is a murky place? It's a complex web of relationships where a single move can have far-reaching consequences.

"Where is Yunzhi?" Just as the Third Prince had expected, Shen Ye continued to call out names.

After being shouted at by the Crown Prince, how could the Third Prince dare to dawdle?
He quickly stepped forward and called out loudly, "Yunzhi is here!"

"Ma Guoming, the Accountant of the Imperial Household Department, has embezzled the rent from royal shops!"

"There are over a thousand shops in the inner city, and the rent for each one is still charged according to the rate at which the imperial court established its rule. They can embezzle 100,000 taels of silver a year..."

As soon as Shen Ye uttered the three words "Ma Guoming," the Third Prince's face twitched:
Wait, why does this name sound so familiar?

Oh, by the way, this person seems to be related to him in some way.

No, it should be that he is related to his mother's side.

You, Your Highness, want me to raid my own relatives' homes? Isn't that like killing someone and destroying their spirit?!

But the Crown Prince's decree has already been issued!

With so many brothers in front of him, and the matter being brought up to the level of "disrespecting the royal family and insulting the emperor," he had no choice but to obey.

I had no choice but to listen, even if it was difficult.

“Ma Guoming has no respect for the court and no respect for His Majesty; his crimes are unforgivable!”

"The Third Prince, Yunzhi, along with the Sixth and Tenth Princes, is to search the Ma residence, investigate, and punish those responsible!"

The Third Prince accepted the incriminating report handed to him by Shen Ye without hesitation: "Your subject obeys the decree."

The Eighth Prince, standing to the side, subconsciously glanced at the Fourth Prince.

Fighting for the throne is one thing, but confiscating property is something I really don't want to do!
Just as he was inwardly cursing the Crown Prince for his masterful trapping, he heard Shen Ye's death-dealing voice rang out again:
"Yunsi!"

"Your subject is here!" The Eighth Prince's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly stepped forward.

"Su Mahu, an official in the Imperial Household Department, was in charge of the sale of wild ginseng, but he colluded with merchants from Jiangnan to sell wild ginseng privately..."

"This act deceives the court and shows contempt for His Majesty; it is an unforgivable crime."

"The Eighth Prince, Yunsi, along with the Seventh and Twelfth Princes, are to search and confiscate the property of Su Mahu's family as a warning to others."

The Eighth Prince's lips twitched as he listened.

Sumahu?
This man had come to him to pledge his loyalty not long ago, and besides, he was a relative of Tong Guowei.

If I were to raid his house, wouldn't that be...?

His mind raced, but he replied respectfully:
"Your Highness, it's not that I refuse the imperial decree, it's just that..."

"With my fourth and seventh brothers already here, it would be presumptuous for me to take charge!"

"After all, there's an order of seniority!"

That's a clever way of putting it. It means: I have an older brother, so it's not appropriate for me to take the lead, is it?

Shen Ye glanced at him with a half-smile:
"My fourth brother is in charge of the auction of the Imperial Household Department's contracts and can't spare the time."

"As for why I asked you, Eighth Brother, to handle this—it's actually a bit of my own selfish motive as the older brother."

The crown prince's tone suddenly softened:
“The eldest brother’s Feng Heshun, the third brother’s Ma Guoming, and this Su Mahu all have some past connections with the three of you.”

"Although I hate these lackeys for their lawlessness and the intolerance of the law..."

"But some of their family members are innocent."

"Letting you take people over to search the house is also a way to keep things under control within reasonable limits."

"I didn't originally intend to say these things out loud."

“Since Eighth Brother has some misunderstandings, then I, as the second brother, will lay it all out.”

Upon hearing this, the Eighth Prince's face twitched violently once more.

With acting skills like that, it's a waste that the Crown Prince isn't in an opera troupe!
In the blink of an eye, he's transformed into a caring older brother who thinks of his younger brothers.

And what about yourself?

On the contrary, it seems a bit unreasonable and ungrateful...

My mind was racing, but I could only manage a helpless expression on my face.

The Crown Prince's mouth always seems to have a point no matter what.

If he were to actually help, it would be an act of favoritism that would fall into the hands of the Crown Prince.

If he were to be impartial and incorruptible, he would surely chill the hearts of those who depended on him, and would also offend Tong Guowei's faction.

This puts people in a dilemma!

At this point, how could he dare to argue any further? He quickly lowered his head and admitted defeat.
“Your Highness is thoughtful and considerate of the people’s plight. It was I who was rash and misunderstood Your Highness.”

"Please, Your Highness, don't take offense at my humble position."

"Your Majesty, I will certainly learn more from you in the future, learning your magnanimity and your benevolence..."

Sensing the slight sourness in his words, Shen Ye waved his hand:

"Eighth brother, there's no need for words of gratitude between brothers!"

“We are brothers, so naturally I want what’s best for you.”

"The troops from the Infantry Commander's Office are all ready. You should go now. Don't let those wretches have another good New Year!" The First Prince and the Third Prince exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with resigned helplessness.

Without saying much, the two bowed to the Crown Prince and hurriedly left with their men.

In the blink of an eye, only the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince remained in the hall.

After watching the entire event, the Fourth Prince felt even more admiration for his elder brother, the Crown Prince, and couldn't help but sigh:

"Your Highness, I admire you."

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Fourth brother, we're all working for Father, so don't flatter me!"

"You continue preparing for the contract."

"Zhou Bao, go and summon those three chief stewards of the Imperial Household Department—Narsu and the others!"

"I need to ask them properly how they've managed the Imperial Household Department. They're making me do things during the New Year. They're really something else."

Zhou Bao had been serving him the whole time, and upon receiving the order, he quickly ran out to deliver the message.

Shen Ye's summoning of the princes could not be kept from his father, Emperor Qianxi.

He paid close attention to the actions of the Crown Prince and several princes.

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had summoned all his brothers, Emperor Qianxi's first reaction was:
Is this kid planning a rebellion?
I tensed up for a moment, thought about it again, and then realized it was impossible—this was too outrageous!
Shen Ye didn't hide anything, so Emperor Qianxi quickly learned the true purpose of the Crown Prince's meeting:

Let the eldest prince, the third prince, and the eighth prince lead the raid on the house under the pretext of "upholding the emperor's dignity"!

The reasons were particularly compelling:
These damned lackeys dare to bully Father Emperor!

After hearing this, Emperor Qianxi was unsure whether to be angry or amused.

He dumped the mess of the Imperial Household Department's accounts on the Crown Prince, intending for him to make an example of the Crown Prince and set an example for others, while also getting the contracted matters sorted out.

The Crown Prince succeeded, but naturally he also offended the people in the Imperial Household Department.

This was a perfect scheme for Emperor Qianxi, achieving two goals at once.

But what happened to the crown prince?

The crown prince immediately adopted his princely demeanor, saying that these servants were "bullying their father," and then ordered the eldest prince and others to confiscate their property.

It's true that the Crown Prince offended some people, but those other princes were also dragged into it, so the hatred of the Imperial Household Department was thus shared.

That little brat, damn it... he's really something!
Otherwise, this kind of trick would never have come up with:
It's both sarcastic and clever, and you can't find fault with it.

After much deliberation, Emperor Qianxi could only shake his head and sigh.

At this moment, it was really not appropriate for him, as the father, to say anything!
"Your Majesty, Longkodo is waiting outside, requesting an audience."

Liang Jiugong glanced at the Qianxi Emperor, who was lost in thought. Although he didn't want to disturb his master's peace and quiet, this Longkodo was no ordinary person!
If I delay his business, I'll probably be like someone trying to pick up sesame seeds with a lantern: I can see them, but I can't pick them up!
Upon hearing that Longkodo had arrived, Emperor Qianxi immediately realized what Longkodo had come for.

He paused, then put on airs and said in a deep voice, "Let him in."

Before an incense stick had burned, Longkodo rushed to Emperor Qianxi with lightning speed and a look of utter panic.

"Your humble servant Longkodo greets Your Majesty!"

Looking at his cousin's seemingly unwavering loyalty, a subtle ripple rose in Emperor Qianxi's heart:
How much of this old man who always talks about "loyalty" is truly loyal to me?
But he quickly suppressed the thought as soon as it surfaced.

At this critical juncture, when is the time to doubt one's own cousin?
So the Qianxi Emperor put on a stern face and pretended to be dignified: "Longkodo, what brings you here in such a hurry?"

"Your Majesty, just now the First Prince, the Third Prince, and the Eighth Prince all came to the Infantry Commander's Office with the Crown Prince's edict to mobilize troops!"

"They said they were ordered to investigate and confiscate those deceitful and treacherous scoundrels."

"But this servant has not seen your personal decree, how dare I act on my own? That's why I've rushed here to ask for your instructions."

Upon hearing Longkodo's words, Emperor Qianxi couldn't help but smile.

Although he did grant the Crown Prince permission to mobilize Longkodo's troops in critical moments, he did not issue an imperial edict to Longkodo.

Now, even with the Crown Prince's orders and the presence of several princes, Longkodo still made a special trip to ask me for instructions, which at least on the surface shows that he still puts me first.

He immediately nodded, his tone softening somewhat:
"It is my permission for the Crown Prince to handle matters of the Imperial Household Department. Since the princes all have the Crown Prince's edict, you should just follow it."

"However—I must remind the soldiers who are accompanying me that even when they are ransacking homes, they shouldn't act like bandits entering a village and should behave themselves!"

Upon hearing this, Longkodo felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.

He quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will keep those soldiers firmly under control and will not allow them to act recklessly!"

Emperor Qianxi had initially waved him away, intending to dismiss him, but then a thought struck him, and he added leisurely:
"All three princes have asked you to mobilize troops... Which prince do you plan to accompany on this mission?"

Longkodo felt a chill run down his spine!
That was close! This question sounds ordinary, but if you don't answer it well, it could be a "life-or-death question"!

If he were to casually choose one of them, wouldn't the emperor immediately know which side he was secretly leaning towards?
Is this question easy? It may seem simple, but it could be quite complex and dangerous!

He immediately straightened his back, his face filled with righteous indignation:

"Your Majesty, the duties of the three princes are all important! But it is precisely at times like these that the Infantry Commander's Office must remain as stable as Mount Tai!"

"This servant will not go anywhere; I will remain in the yamen and await Your Majesty's orders at any time!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Emperor Qianxi's eyes.

He always believed that to judge a person, one must "listen to their words and observe their actions." Sometimes, one could discern a minister's true thoughts from seemingly insignificant details.

If Longkodo really chooses a side today, he may not be dismissed immediately, but in the future... he will have to be more careful.

Just as I was pondering this, Wei Zhu rushed in in a panic.

　The first update of the day is here! Please support me, everyone! Please vote and recommend!

(End of this chapter)