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

Chapter 527 How about we just forfeit the contract and raid their property instead?
Upon hearing the Crown Prince mention the "Golden Chamber," Shen Ye's lips twitched involuntarily.

Good heavens, someone actually built themselves a golden toilet!
Damn it, there's no shortage of people in this world who treat money like royalty!

Shen Ye chuckled and greeted the First Prince with great enthusiasm:

"Brother, you've had a hard time on this trip!"

"Have someone bring that 'Golden Imperial House' over later, and we'll send it directly to the Qianqing Palace so that Father Emperor can see it for himself."

"Look at what top-notch style looks like!"

After he finished speaking, he slowly glanced at the Third Prince.

The third prince was startled and quickly and honestly reported:

"Your Highness, although Ma Guoming's family is not as wealthy as the Feng family, it is still quite rich."

"During this visit to the Feng family, your humble servant seized a total of 200,000 taels of silver and more than 30 properties within the inner city!"

"Each property must be worth four or five thousand taels!"

Although the Third Prince's achievements were not as great as the First Prince's, they were still considerable.

If these thirty-odd properties in the inner city were sold, they would probably bring in another 100,000 taels of silver.

Adding the Feng family's silver, the total came to over a million taels.

Shen Ye nodded with a smile: "Third brother, you've worked hard too. Eighth brother, how's the result on your end?"

The Eighth Prince looked very serious:
"Su Mahu's family also has more than 200,000 taels of silver in cash!"

"In addition to the three properties, my brother also found more than a hundred ginseng roots from Changbai Mountain that are over a hundred years old in a warehouse at his home."

As soon as he finished speaking, the princes beside him all gasped.

A century-old ginseng? Hundreds of them? This isn't a warehouse, it's a veritable money tree!
These old ginseng roots typically start at a price of a thousand taels, and are usually in short supply even when available.

The Su family has stockpiled over a hundred trees; did they bring the entire Changbai Mountain home with them?
Shen Ye couldn't help but sigh, how thick-skinned and audacious must one be to smuggle so many high-end goods from the Imperial Household Department!

The fourth prince's face turned ashen, and he interrupted menacingly:

"Your Highness, these servants from the Imperial Household Department are all incredibly audacious."

"Father trusts them, which is why he allowed them to manage the Imperial Household Department's businesses!"

"I never imagined they could be so greedy. Even a mythical creature like the Pixiu would be ashamed of itself!"

"If you ask me, we should report to the Emperor and have the entire Imperial Household Department wiped out!"

"In this way, the imperial court might be able to raise enough money to send troops."

The Fourth Prince has always been someone who cannot tolerate even the slightest injustice.

Seeing these unruly servants of the Imperial Household Department living more comfortably than he, a proper prince, he really had the urge to slaughter a pig for the New Year.

As soon as he said this, the Tenth Prince also raised his fist and shouted:
"Yes, these lackeys, they pretend to be quails on the surface, but they're all wolves in sheep's clothing!"

"Copy! We must copy! This will save Father and the Crown Prince from having trouble with the money."

The eldest prince remained expressionless, but a glint flashed in the eighth prince's eyes.

If the Crown Prince really confiscated the entire Imperial Household Department, it would be no joke; it would be like stirring up a hornet's nest in the entire court.

After all, many of the noble families in the Imperial Household Department were related to the emperor through marriage.

A single move can have far-reaching consequences; if all of these were confiscated, it would likely offend half of the court's civil and military officials.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Fourth Brother and Tenth Brother are right. These parasites really need to be dealt with."

"However, the Imperial Household Department is far-reaching. Whether to eradicate it completely or proceed gradually is a matter that ultimately needs to be decided by Father Emperor."

At this point, he clapped his hands and said, "Brothers, you've all worked hard. Let's have some tea and talk slowly."

With Emperor Qianxi absent, Crown Prince Shen Ye is undoubtedly the person in charge.

With this raid on his home to establish his authority, even the eldest prince and the eighth prince dared not openly oppose him.

The group moved to the main hall of the Prince of Qingqiu's residence.

As soon as he sat down, Shen Ye picked up his teacup and slowly began to speak:

"The reason I called you brothers here today is not only to share the burden of Father, but also to seek some 'real benefits' for you brothers."

The moment the word "affordable" was uttered, the eyes of the Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince lit up instantly!

Previously, by following Shen Yexiu's fast track, he had counted so many silver notes that his hands were sore, and he had already made a fortune.

That gleaming silver was much more substantial than the monthly stipend distributed by the palace, and it was much more enjoyable to spend.

Now that I hear there's such good news again, my ears are practically perked up like a rabbit's!
The two of them leaned forward simultaneously, afraid of missing a single word.

The Ninth Prince immediately chimed in, his enthusiasm as if he had met a god of wealth:
"Your Highness, please give the order, and I'll follow you!"

The tenth prince nodded vigorously: "Me too!"

Even the eldest prince, who had always been competitive with the crown prince and never respected him, quietly perked up his ears at this moment.

He was unconvinced, but he truly admired the Crown Prince's ability to amass wealth.

I, the dignified eldest prince, am still crammed into the princes' quarters, while the crown prince has already acquired several villas in the capital!
Every time I leave the palace and see it, it feels like a huge stone is lodged in my heart.

If I could earn my own money, I could move out in style and grandeur...

Who wants to stay in the palace, having to watch other people's faces and be so restricted?
So he held his breath and waited for the Crown Prince's "get-rich-quick scheme." The Eighth Prince was no exception.

Don't be fooled by his calm demeanor as he sipped his tea, his eyes lowered, seemingly indifferent. In reality, he was already calculating things rapidly in his mind.

He and the Crown Prince don't get along, and they've had their share of open and covert rivalries, but what's wrong with them?
He has no grudge against money!
Wouldn't it be foolish not to make money when it's available?
Shen Ye took in everyone's expectant looks, smiled, took a sip of tea, and slowly began to speak:
"You all heard just how rich those servants in the Imperial Household Department really are, didn't you?"

"A mere fifth or sixth-rank official lives a more comfortable life than us proper princes!"

"A golden palace? I've never dared to be that extravagant!"

"What gives them the right? Isn't it because of the incredibly lucrative business they have with the Imperial Household Department?"

"So this time, in order to raise funds for the Emperor's army, I'm thinking of outsourcing all the businesses of the Imperial Household Department—"

"I'm not bragging or trying to show off to my brothers, but for every single deal, I leave a full 50% of the profit to the contractor."

"In other words, if you do a good job, you could earn more money in a year than the contract fee you pay!"

"If each of us brothers could take on a business, the money we'd earn each year... wouldn't be a small amount!"

"Tsk tsk, it's more than enough to build a royal palace."

Upon hearing this, several of the older princes were tempted.

The eldest and third princes had long wanted to move out of the palace and establish their own households.

But the imperial court is at war every few days, and the Ministry of Revenue is dirt poor. Where would they get the money to build mansions for them?
There was nothing they could do but wait helplessly in the prince's quarters.

Although my father took care of all the expenses and we had no worries about food and drink, life wasn't very comfortable.

If you can earn your own money, then who would want to be at the mercy of others?
The tenth prince scratched his head, then asked the crucial question with a sheepish look:
"Second Brother Crown Prince, isn't contracting only allowed for the Imperial Household Department? Can we get involved?"

"Besides... we don't have that much capital."

Shen Ye laughed: "The rules won't change, and those rich dogs will still be the same lackeys!"

"But by now, they're terrified!"

"If you brothers were willing to 'invest' in them and back them up, do you think they'd become bolder?"

"As for how to divide the profits..." Shen Ye blinked, "I don't need to personally teach you that, do I, your second brother?"

The Ninth Prince and the Tenth Prince exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other—

Not enough money? Find a relative to partner with!

They're backing us up behind the scenes, with relatives making the decisions, and as for the profits... splitting them 50/50 is being too polite!

As a prince, how could I possibly stand up for you and only take a small share? What about the dignity of the royal family?

Does this even respect the difference between superiors and inferiors?!
Even the eldest prince's eyes lit up when he heard this—forget about face, money is the real deal.

Who can have trouble with money?

"Thank you, Your Highness!" The princes bowed in unison, their voices exceptionally loud.

Shen Ye smiled and waved his hand: "We're all brothers, no need to be so polite. Let's make money together and enjoy the good times together!"

When Shen Ye sent the princes to confiscate their property, they still harbored resentment at being tricked by the Crown Prince.

To everyone's surprise, when they came out of the Prince of Qingqiu's mansion, they were all beaming with smiles and walking briskly.

Only the fourth prince didn't rush to leave. He lingered at the very back and quietly stayed behind.

He whispered, "Your Highness, if we involve my elder brother and the others in this contracting process, won't things become even more chaotic?"

Shen Ye patted his shoulder:

"Fourth brother, we just made an example of them, and those lackeys are now shrinking back faster than turtles. Who would dare to stick their necks out again?"

"Let the brothers in, partly to earn some pocket money;"

"Secondly, more people means more excitement, which can drive up the contract price—isn't that exactly the path we've planned?"

The fourth prince was taken aback, then suddenly realized:

The Crown Prince is doing someone a favor and getting them to help him carry his sedan chair—killing two birds with one stone!

Even if someone could see through the Crown Prince's intentions, who would turn down a lot of hard-earned money?
Shen Ye leaned closer and said:

"You're in charge of this contract. Don't just sit around doing the work; when it's time to lend a hand, grab some for yourself, understand?"

After saying that, he took the account book and led his men straight to the Qianqing Palace.

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Qianxi already knew the approximate amount of money confiscated from the property and had already cursed it several times.

He only knew that the people in the Imperial Household Department were greedy, but he never imagined they could be this greedy!

Three officials of the fifth or sixth rank had over a million taels of silver confiscated from their homes?

It's even richer than my imperial granary!

He was so angry that he paced around the palace several times, and even considered having Longkodo lead troops to wipe out the entire Imperial Household Department!

Maybe the military pay will be raised directly, and there will be no need to fight wits with that slippery and rebellious son and have to bow down to him from time to time.
Upon hearing that Shen Ye was requesting an audience, Emperor Qianxi barely managed to suppress his anger and pretended to know nothing.

After taking the ledger of the confiscated property from Shen Ye, he launched into another tirade before staring intently at Shen Ye and asking in a serious tone:
"Your Highness, the Imperial Household Department is in such a state of disrepute, shouldn't we give it a complete overhaul?"

"In this way, we can both warn the court officials and perhaps raise the funds for the expedition."

Shen Ye looked up at his father's eager expression and couldn't help but mutter to himself:
Dad, you can't be serious, can you?
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(End of this chapter)