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

Chapter 533 The Emperor's Heart is Like the Sea, the Minister's Will is Like the Wind
Shen Ye didn't take the position of regent seriously at all.

Doesn't that sound impressive?

In reality, he was just a "temporary steward," the kind who worked for the emperor.

If you manage it poorly, you take the blame; if you manage it well, it's your duty.

He had no interest in taking this opportunity to build up any "team" or establish any faction.

Rebellion is exhausting; let whoever wants to do it do it!
Moreover, the chances of success are still too small!
Besides, micromanaging and making decisions unilaterally? Only a fool would do that; it's exhausting!
Wouldn't it be more comfortable to spend that time drinking tea and fishing at the Prince of Qingqiu's mansion?
Therefore, Shen Ye was very clear in his heart:

This time, his role as regent was to clean up Emperor Qianxi's messes and solve his problems.

If it weren't for the reasonable conditions offered by Emperor Qianxi, he wouldn't have taken on this hot potato!
But the result?

Emperor Qianxi said he trusted him, but in reality he treated him like a thief, which made Shen Ye roll his eyes inwardly.

And what's with this talk of "indecision on domestic issues, indecision on foreign issues"...

My child is about to be born. Wouldn't it be better to enjoy life while you're away?

Once the Imperial Household Department is handed over to me, I'll make sure I discipline it completely!

Then, using this big ship, I'll get my "Yuqing Bank" up and running—that's what I'm really doing!
While thinking this to himself, he smiled and said to Emperor Qianxi:
"Father, rest assured, I will do as you command!"

Emperor Qianxi patted him on the shoulder, his tone deep and serious:
"Your Highness, you are exceptionally intelligent, which puts my mind at ease..."

"But matters of the court should never be taken lightly. Tong Guowei and his group of experienced officials are well-positioned to serve you. You should rely on them more."

The father and son had a fairly pleasant conversation this time. Emperor Qianxi even invited Shen Ye to stay for lunch before letting him go back.

A few days later, the area outside the Imperial Household Department's gate was packed with people, three layers deep.

The wealthy and powerful officials who were eyeing this lucrative opportunity had already sent their servants to keep watch.

Everyone craned their necks, eagerly waiting for the paper to be posted.

Finally, the crowd stirred with a buzz: the list of contractors had been posted!

After glancing at the list, the messenger immediately took off running towards each mansion, faster than a rabbit.

Inside the Tong residence, however, the scene was quite different.

When Tong Guowei heard that Niu Wanli, whom he supported, had failed to be elected, he frowned slightly.

Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver a year! It would be a lie to say I wasn't heartbroken if I didn't get the deal.

But what kind of storms hasn't Tong Guowei weathered?

Even if one's heart is in turmoil, one's face remains calm and composed.

He put down his teacup, lifted his eyelids, and looked at the servant kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise his head, and asked:
"Who got the gold mining job?"

This servant was speaking to the Prime Minister in his study for the first time, and he was so frightened that his whole body trembled.
"Prime Minister... there is no such thing as 'gold mining' at all."

"This servant stood on tiptoe and looked several times, but it's definitely not there..."

"Later, I heard from the clerk of the Imperial Household Department who posted the notice that no one was competing for this item, so according to the rules, it was automatically invalidated."

"Self-inflicted disability?" Tong Guowei snorted coldly, his tone unreadable, neither laughing nor angry.

Although he didn't know exactly what had gone wrong, he knew perfectly well—

The Crown Prince must be behind this!

Just as he was considering whether to send someone to inquire further, a servant cautiously announced from outside the study:

Yue Xing'a, the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, sent someone to request an audience.

Tong Guowei knew perfectly well:
This guy is definitely here to explain why his team didn't get selected.

"Let him in."

A middle-aged man in his forties bowed respectfully: "This servant Yue Fu greets Prime Minister Tong."

Upon hearing the name, Tong Guowei paused slightly, his hand holding the teacup still, and he glanced at the kneeling man out of the corner of his eye.

What kind of name did Yue Xing'a come up with?
"Yue Fu?" "Father-in-law?"

Isn't this blatant taking advantage of someone?! I'll have to make him change... It's just bad luck!
He inwardly scoffed, but outwardly remained calm: "Lord Yue specifically asked you to come here, what is the matter?"

Yue Fu was eloquent and quickly explained the whole story in just a few words:

How did Shun'an Yan "speak out" in his drunken state, and how did these words get relayed to the Crown Prince by someone with ulterior motives?
The Crown Prince was furious and punished Shun Anyan by sending him to the Eastern Palace as a halberd-wielding guard.

And just as logically, they used the excuse of "inappropriate words and deeds by the bidders and suspected fraud" to simply eliminate the gold mining project that Tong Jiazhi was determined to win.

Tong Guowei's face immediately darkened.

He never imagined that his grandson could be so stupid!

Is this the kind of thing you can talk about over drinks?
You have eight hundred ways to let people know you're eyeing this business, but you choose the dumbest one!
And someone even reported it to the Crown Prince—it's a complete disaster for the prince!
Tong Guowei was furious.

The gold mining business is no longer important at this point!

What Tong Guowei needs to do now is to see who has the audacity to oppose the Tong family!
Do you think I, Tong Guowei, am someone to be trifled with?
The study was eerily quiet.

After a long while, Tong Guowei gently put down his teacup.

He raised his eyes, as if talking to himself, or perhaps speaking to Yue Fu:
"Oh... I see."

"These children are so outspoken; it's quite a hassle for His Highness the Crown Prince to 'discipline' them."

"Gold mining is a business; once it's gone, it's gone. As for silver, the Tong family isn't short of it."

He changed the subject, his tone still calm, but with a strange hint of sharpness:
"I am rather curious..."

"Who has such sharp ears and a clever mind, deliberately picking out these kinds of words and rushing to deliver them to the Crown Prince?"

Yue Fu lowered his body even further, his voice strained:
"Your Excellency, I heard it's Chang Wu from the Imperial Household Department..."

"However, our Lord Yue also asked me to pass on a message, saying that Chang Wu is usually timid and doesn't seem like the type to do such a thing."

"Moreover, his whole family used to be servants of Prince Yu's family."

Prince Yu?
Tong Guowei's mind was working very fast.

Prince Yu... has always been a loner in court, keeping his distance from everyone, and especially from me. Given his shrewdness and circumstances, there's really no reason for him to resort to such underhanded tactics to openly offend me; it would be utterly pointless.

As I pondered, Prince Yu's always calm and composed face gradually blurred in my mind.

Ultimately, the transformation resulted in the majestic, profound, and aloof appearance of Emperor Qianxi.

Prince Yu had no reason to do so, but the one on the dragon throne did.

Oh—once Tong Guowei thought about it, he understood everything.

The emperor is about to embark on a long journey, away from the capital for an extended period.

The Crown Prince overseeing the country may seem like a delegation of power, but in reality, His Majesty has never truly relaxed his vigilance.

He's just worried!
He was worried that his powerful old minister might take advantage of his absence to get too close to the crown prince!

This could lead to the formation of inappropriate "understandings" or "transactions".

There are no eternal enemies or friends; only interests are eternal.

His Majesty is preventing the Crown Prince's power from growing too strong, and also preventing himself from choosing another powerful ally.

Having figured this out, Tong Guowei suddenly felt a little tired, and also a little ridiculous.

He waved his hand and said calmly to Yue Fu:
"Go back and tell your elders that I appreciate his intentions, but this matter has nothing to do with him."

"Also... ask your family to change your name, this name isn't good."

Yue Fu looked embarrassed and quickly retreated.

"Summon Ye Keshu and Shun Anyan to see me!"

As soon as the father and son entered, Shun'an Yan's head drooped like a wilted eggplant, while Ye Keshu looked indignant.
"Father! The Crown Prince is not just punishing Shun An Yan, he is slapping you in the face, and slapping the face of our Tong family!"

"I have no objection to how Shun'an Yan should be punished if he says something wrong!"

"But what are these halberd-wielding guards for?...Aren't they just making Shun'an Yan look bad?"

Tong Guowei glanced at him: "If you don't embarrass yourself first, do you think people will let you make a fool of yourself?"

He looked at Shun An Yan: "Do you know where you went wrong?"

Shun An Yan wished he could turn into an ostrich and bury himself in a pile of sand. Unfortunately, his grandfather wouldn't give him that chance.

Shun'an Yan could only answer in a low voice:
"Grandpa, I shouldn't have made such a reckless statement just to save money..."

“Wrong!” Tong Guowei said coldly, “You shouldn’t have spoken out—given our family’s status, it’s normal for us to speak out!”

"Your mistake was in the wrong time and the wrong place!"

"What's the point of keeping so many servants at home?"

"Do you need to say such degrading things yourself? Are they all dead?!"

He walked up to Shun'an Yan and spoke, word by word:
"Remember, when the Tong family does things, we have to be assertive when necessary—"

"But when it's time to use your brain and be mindful of the methods, you have to bring your brain with you!"

"By foolishly rushing forward, you're doing the most useless thing!"

Ye Keshu still tried to argue: "Father, this halberd-wielding guard is too embarrassing!"

"Could you perhaps find some time to speak with His Majesty and ask him to relieve you of this assignment..."

Tong Guowei snorted: "Go and plead for him now? Do you think His Majesty will listen to you?"

Ye Keshu choked, opened his mouth but didn't say anything.

Tong Guowei suddenly patted Shun Anyan on the shoulder: "But you don't need to be a guard for now."

"Guards! Drag Shun'an Yan to the ancestral hall and give him fifty heavy lashes—don't let him get out of bed for three months!"

Shun An Yan was so frightened that her legs went weak: "Grandpa! I'll never do it again! Please don't hit me!"

Ye Keshu also knelt down with a thud:
"Father! Shun'an Yan is the eldest grandson and will inherit the title! What will we do if he ruins the future of our Tong family..."

Tong Guowei sneered: "I have many sons, and even more grandsons."

As he spoke, he shouted outside, "Tong San! Get over here!"

Tong San, who was hiding on the side, reluctantly stepped forward—to fight the future Feng En Gong? This job was practically a death sentence!

But Tong Guowei's next sentence is even more frightening:

"I'll examine his injuries after the beating! If he can still get out of bed, you don't need to stay at the Tong family's place!"

Tong San was startled and quickly pulled Shun An Yan up:
"Young master... I'm sorry to offend you! Please come with me!"

Ye Keshu wanted to plead for leniency, but Tong Guowei glared at him and shut him up.

"Say it again, and I'll beat you up too!"

"At your age, you can't even perform your duties properly, and you can't even raise your son well. How can you set an example for your brothers?"

"Do you no longer want to be a 'Lord of Favor'? If you don't want it, there are plenty of others waiting. Get out!"

Ye Keshu scrambled to follow him to the ancestral hall.

The room finally quieted down.

Tong Guowei picked up the now-cold tea and gulped it down.

He looked at the empty room and sighed softly.

There are some things that he can choose not to do simply because he doesn't want to.

For example, today—he must give an explanation to the person behind the scenes.

Or rather, a statement that the other party wants to see.

　The second update for today is here! Please support me, everyone, and vote!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)