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

Chapter 529 After His Majesty's Departure, What Should the Crown Prince Do as Regent?
Zhang Ying had already figured it out in her mind before attending the banquet—

When that old fox Tong Guowei invited us to dinner, it wasn't just a meal; it was clearly a trap!

But if he doesn't come, it really won't work.

Who can blame them when they are the Grand Secretary and Chief Minister?
If a mere second-ranking official dared to act arrogantly and refuse to come, the entire court would likely gossip behind his back, believing that he had a problem with the Grand Secretary.

The gossip behind their backs could drown a person: Did you see that? Zhang Ying is really going after Tong Xiang!

Even Emperor Qianxi would probably have to squint and wonder: Does this old fellow have something to do with my arrangements?

So no matter how unwilling Zhang Ying was, she still had to bite the bullet and come to eat this meal.

In contrast, Li Guangdi was much more at ease.

He had already planned it all out; the emperor would definitely take him along on this personal expedition.

After all, Tong Guowei was the emperor's confidant and had to stay in the capital to look after the family.

Zhang Ying, being the leader of the literati in Jiangnan, also had to be stationed in the capital.

As for Li Guangdi himself, he wasn't as "important" as those two.

There are also advantages to going on a campaign with the emperor.

At least I don't have to get involved in this "strange" situation in the capital.

Maybe I can even get credit for being a chauffeur!
With the crown prince overseeing the country, many things have become... interesting.

In the past, if anything happened, you could consult the emperor and a decision would be made immediately.

But now that the Crown Prince is making the decisions, what if his ideas diverge from the Emperor's?
Although some important matters can be sent to the front lines by express courier for the Emperor to decide.

But when the emperor launches a long and arduous expedition to the snowy region, how long will it take to travel back and forth?
Besides, the emperor is busy fighting wars, so he doesn't necessarily have time to review memorials every day.

Therefore, many things will inevitably fall into the hands of the crown prince.

The Grand Secretaries who remained in the capital were all the Emperor's trusted confidants.

How can we, in this situation, both appease the Crown Prince and protect the Emperor's interests?

Just thinking about it gives me a headache!
Tong Guowei hosted a dinner party this time in the West Flower Hall of his home.

The dishes were few, but each one was exquisite.

Not only are there various kinds of meat, but there's also a lot of seafood!

The steamed yellow croaker was especially glossy and tender, with a perfect combination of color, aroma, and taste, making it irresistible to take a few more bites.

From the moment they met until they started eating, the three of them talked about everyday matters, barely mentioning anything about court affairs.

"Prime Minister Tong, you've gone to a lot of trouble today!"

Zhang Ying picked up a piece of snow-white fish and said with a smile.

"It's not easy to get these fish delivered to the capital alive!"

Tong Guowei smiled and said, "In the past, we might not have been able to afford seafood like this even during the New Year. But things are different now!"

"Once the expressway is completed, the journey of just over 200 li can be completed in half a day by changing horses and galloping at full speed."

After saying that, he added:
"I only try it occasionally; I really can't get used to other seafood."

Li Guangdi grew up by the sea and loves this kind of food.

As he ate the fish, he exclaimed:

"This fast track is quite useful. In the past, when traveling, who would dare let the horses run for so long?"

"Now, with a relay station every ten miles along this expressway, we can change horses without changing riders, which is much faster!"

"If this expressway could be extended all the way to Lanzhou, wouldn't His Majesty's personal expedition be even more powerful, guaranteeing victory?"

Upon hearing Li Guangdi mention the Emperor's personal expedition, Tong Guowei nodded in agreement.
"Guang has hit the nail on the head. His Majesty has been keeping a close eye on the promotion of the fast track."

"But this thing really does cost a fortune!"

At this point, he suddenly changed the subject and looked at Zhang Ying:

"Prime Minister Zhang, you often eat fish, did you notice anything wrong with this fish?"

Zhang Ying put down her chopsticks and said with a smile:

"The fish is fresh and delicious, there's nothing wrong with it. What, does Prime Minister Tong think there's something wrong with this fish?"

Tong Guowei waved his hand:

"It's not exactly a problem, it's just that the kitchen didn't know I was hosting a banquet for the two gentlemen today."

"So when cooking fish, the fish master teaches his apprentices at the same time."

"As it turns out, the chef was the one who put it in the steamer."

"The work after it's cooked—pouring sauce, sprinkling scallions, and drizzling oil—was all done by my young apprentice."

"You can't usually tell the difference, but once you taste it closely, the flavor of this fish becomes a bit mixed after being handled by two people."

"Prime Minister Zhang, there are many famous chefs in Jiangnan. In this situation, do you have any way to harmonize the flavors?"

Zhang Ying has eaten fish all his life, and he can tell whether a fish is good or bad just by tasting it.

He didn't believe Tong Guowei's words at all.

He thought to himself: I don't believe you! This fish tastes the same from head to tail! Where does this "mixed" taste come from?
But he understood instantly—Tong Guowei was using fish as a metaphor for the upcoming political situation.

The Qianxi Emperor was the teacher who taught his disciple.

And the crown prince? He was a disciple!
The two people have different cooking methods, so the fish they make will definitely taste different.

What these scholars had to do was figure out a way to harmonize the flavors of this "dish"!
Zhang Ying knew perfectly well what Tong Guowei was doing:

Tong Guowei is a favorite of the Emperor, and the questions he's asking might very well be what the Emperor instructed him to ask. If I try to evade the question now and waver between the two sides, I'll be in big trouble later.

He put down his chopsticks and said with a serious expression:

"Prime Minister Tong, cooking fish is like governing a country. If they're not cooked by the same chef, how can they taste exactly the same?"

“However,” he changed the subject, his eyes narrowing slightly:
"If the chef sets the rules in advance: when to add the ingredients, the heat, and how long to steam, and then has a reliable person to watch over it, then even if there are differences in the taste of the fish, it won't be completely off-base."

Li Guangdi ate his fish in silence, thinking to himself: This old man Zhang is really bold; he really dares to say such things!
The crown prince hadn't even officially taken over the reins yet, and he was already thinking about how to put a rein on the crown prince.

They even found someone to keep an eye on things... What, do they want to pick another "regent prince" from among the princes to be the supervisor?

As he was pondering this, Tong Guowei nodded and smiled:

"Zhang Xiang truly knows fish; he's an expert. That's a brilliant idea!"

After saying that, his gaze fell on Li Guangdi's face: "Guangdi, what do you think of Prime Minister Zhang's method?"

Li Guangdi's eyes practically rolled to the sky in his mind:

How can I see? I'll see with my eyes!

What does this have to do with me? I'm not staying in the capital. You can steam this fish however you like, do whatever you want with it...

But he still smiled and raised his wine glass: "Prime Minister Tong, Prime Minister Zhang's method is brilliant! I admire it!"

"Hahaha!" Tong Guowei didn't press him for details. Since Li Guangdi was going to go on the expedition with the emperor anyway, it was normal for him to play it safe here.

All he needs to do is figure out Zhang Ying's attitude.

"Then I'll have to tell my cook to keep a close eye on his apprentices when they're cooking fish, and make sure they don't add even a spoonful of salt too much!"

As he spoke, Tong Guowei raised his glass, "Come on, gentlemen, let's have a drink!"

The three of them laughed and drank a toast, the atmosphere seemingly relaxed and pleasant.

After a few rounds of drinks, the topic turned to the Imperial Household Department's bidding process.

Tong Guowei lowered his voice, his eyes shining:

"My two brothers, this is a great opportunity to make money! You can make a fortune by getting involved in any of the Imperial Household Department's businesses."

"I heard that the Cheng family wants to monopolize the silk and cloth trade of the three major textile factories, but the Crown Prince has set a bottom price of one million taels. They don't have enough money, so they are looking for people to invest, at 10,000 taels per share."

"If you're interested, you can ask Ye Keshu to make the connection."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ying's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Alas, I am tempted, but unfortunately I am penniless and too poor to scrape together ten thousand taels!"

"Oh well, this opportunity is gone!"

Tong Guowei's smile deepened:

"Zhang Xiang, stop playing the poor card with me. If you really wanted to raise the money, you could surely borrow it."

"The Crown Prince's contracting plan leaves a considerable profit margin. If you're lucky, you can break even in a year!"

Zhang Ying shook his head again: "I know nothing about doing business, so forget it."

Tong Guowei did not press the matter, and turned his gaze to Li Guangdi.

Li Guangdi quickly replied with a smile, "Thank you so much, Tong Xiang! I'll go back and see how much my family can raise..."

"However, the Crown Prince's move was truly brilliant. He raised the funds for His Majesty's personal campaign without increasing taxes or imposing additional levies, all without making a sound. I admire him!"

Upon hearing this, Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying both became more serious.

Although the two had just reached a tacit understanding on "how to manage the crown prince," could they really quietly and effectively elevate him?
Putting everything else aside, just look at how shrewd and skillful they are at raising money. With their abilities, how could they possibly keep the Crown Prince in check and prevent him from creating his own unique "dishes"?
Thinking about these things makes my heart tighten.

After a satisfying meal, Zhang Ying and Li Guangdi got up to say goodbye.

The two sedan chairs stopped side by side outside the Tong residence, waiting. Zhang Ying, slightly drunk, patted Li Guangdi on the shoulder:

"Brother Guangdi, you entered the court ten years later than me, which means you enjoyed ten more years of leisurely life in the Jiangnan region! I'm truly envious..."

"Every year during the Spring Festival, I especially miss the drizzling rain and small bridges of Jiangnan. I wonder if the scenery and customs of my hometown are still the same?"

Li Guangdi's heart skipped a beat: Tch, you're not just homesick, you're clearly trying to pull me into the Jiangnan circle!
He hesitated for a moment, then smiled and cupped his hands in greeting:

"The scenery of Jiangnan is indeed the best in the world, but my hometown is a poor place with many mountains and little farmland. It can't compare to the prosperous land of fish and rice in Jiangnan."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ying burst into laughter, but then suddenly covered her head and waved her hand:

"Oh dear, I'm still a bit tipsy from the alcohol today. Let's talk another day, another day!"

After speaking, he staggered slightly and boarded the sedan chair.

Li Guangdi climbed into the sedan chair, the curtain was drawn, and he carefully savored the meal he had prepared that evening:
Tong Guowei's arrangement of this game was most likely at the Emperor's behest.

The emperor had no choice but to let the crown prince oversee the country's fundraising, but he also did not want the crown prince to actually hold real power.

This was to be done by having the two scholars, Tong Guowei and Zhang Ying, secretly "control the situation".

On the surface, they're offering assistance, but secretly, they're probably going to "worship" the crown prince!

They'll definitely cooperate on anything that can make money;
But if the crown prince wants to make his own decisions, he will probably be secretly "blocked" by these two old ministers.

To put it bluntly, it's about preventing the Crown Prince from controlling the Southern Study.

In the previous dynasty, they simply couldn't control the cabinet.

A regent whose power is usurped by the cabinet will ultimately become nothing more than a rubber stamp.
Would the Crown Prince be willing?
Hard to say.

From now on, the capital city will likely be rife with undercurrents, even more thrilling than the bloody battles on the front lines.
　The second update for today is here! Please support me, everyone! Please recommend and vote!

(End of this chapter)