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

Chapter 534 This is all my money
While Shun'an Yan was being beaten and screaming at home, the atmosphere in Ma Qi's residence was also quite oppressive.

Ma Wu practically ran into the study, his usual composed demeanor completely gone!

Before he could even catch his breath, he said in a low voice:
"Brother, I've found out! The Zuo family... only offered 100,000 taels!"

After saying that, still feeling unsatisfied, he let out another heavy "humph":
"We really paid a whopping 180,000 taels! Isn't this just blatantly treating us like suckers?!"

Ma Qi remained silent, his face grim. He knew his own offer, of course, but he still confirmed it again:

"Was the contract we submitted really for 180,000 taels of silver? Was it never altered?"

"It's all in black and white, absolutely true! I personally checked the document before submitting it to the Imperial Household Department!"

As Ma Wu spoke, he pulled a neatly folded draft from his sleeve.

"Brother, look, I still have the original manuscript with me!"

Ma Qi took the draft, glanced at it, and a cold smile crept onto his lips.
"Fine, it seems someone thinks our Ma family is too prominent and wants to chop it down with an axe!"

No wonder Ma Qi was furious.

Speaking of which, the Ma brothers were quite prominent figures in the imperial court.

One controlled the Ministry of Revenue, and the other controlled the Imperial Household Department.

Moreover, they enjoyed the deep trust of Emperor Qianxi.

There is a saying in the world that "two horses can eat all the grass in the world"!

It was truly awe-inspiring.

But this time, they dutifully quoted a high price, fully expecting to win.

As a result, the cooked duck flapped its wings and flew into the pot of the Zuo family, which had a lower price!

If we swallow this insult, who will take us seriously in the future?
What's even more crucial is that this seemingly insignificant business is actually related to a vital smuggling route for them in the Rakshasa Kingdom, making it their lifeline.

The problem is, the person wielding the axe from behind is no ordinary individual:
The current crown prince will soon be overseeing the country.

Would you dare to easily break ties with someone like that and offend him?

That's like an old man eating poison, thinking he's living too long!

"Brother, we can't just keep swallowing this anger, can we? You should give us some advice!"

Ma Wu looked at his brother's gloomy face and spoke in a somewhat urgent tone.

Ma Qi certainly wanted to quietly resolve this matter.
But the thought of facing the Crown Prince's sharp edge made his old heart, which had been navigating the political arena for decades, tremble.

Offending the Crown Prince requires more than just courage; it's like jumping into a fire pit while holding a powder keg.

Upon glancing up and seeing his brother's anxious, desperate expression, Ma Qi smiled, but there was no warmth in that smile:
"If you feel wronged, you should naturally seek justice from the person in charge."

"But what about the Crown Prince..."

“We have no choice,” Maqi interrupted him, his voice turning cold.

“We’ve always been on the Eighth Prince’s side, and we’ve long been an eyesore to the Crown Prince.”

"If we don't even dare to utter a sound this time, will anyone respect us in the future?"

He paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes:
"Besides, do you think this can be kept secret? Many people know the truth about this."

"But if we pretend to be deaf and dumb, it will only make that person think that the Ma family is two-faced."

"You won't get away with it from Eighth Master either. That would be like mud falling into your crotch—even if it's not shit, it'll still look like shit!"

Ma Qi found it increasingly reasonable as he listened, and he grabbed the draft and stood up:
"Help me change my clothes, I want to go to the palace to meet the emperor."

As the Minister of Revenue, Ma Qi had the power to request an audience with the Qianxi Emperor at any time.

Half an hour later, Ma Qi was already kneeling in Emperor Qianxi's study.

Emperor Qianxi seemed to be in a good mood at the moment, wiping a large bow with a soft cloth as he said with a smile:

“Ma Qi, this five-stone bow has rendered great service.”

"Last year, when we fought Galdan, I used it to kill three commanders of a thousand men..."

Ma Qi quickly smiled apologetically and replied:

"Your Majesty is divinely mighty, and the might of Heaven is awe-inspiring!"

"When His Majesty returns victorious from his campaign once again, this bow will surely achieve even greater merit!"

Wear it a thousand times, but flattery never wears it.

Emperor Qianxi was indeed even more pleased after hearing this flattery. He put down his bow and spoke in an even more amiable tone:

"Ma Qi, this time I am leaving the capital, and the Crown Prince will oversee the country. You and Tong Guowei will remain in the capital to assist him well."

"Although the Crown Prince is intelligent, he is still young. The affairs of the court are like sailing on the sea, changing in an instant."

"You are a veteran minister with more experience than the Crown Prince. You must help the Crown Prince steer the ship well."

"When it is time to offer advice, one must speak frankly and not hold back because he is the crown prince."

Ma Qi carefully studied every word of Emperor Qianxi.

In particular, the sentence "When it is necessary to offer advice, one must speak frankly" suddenly struck me!
Judging from His Majesty's words, it seems that he is not letting the Crown Prince run rampant, and even has the intention to subtly check and balance him.

I feel more confident now!

He immediately said with a solemn expression:
"Your Majesty's kindness is immense; I will remain utterly loyal and devoted, exerting all my strength to fulfill Your Majesty's trust!"

He deliberately avoided saying "dedicating himself to the utmost" and instead said "unwavering loyalty," which indeed made Emperor Qianxi smile knowingly.
"I knew it, you would never let me down."

Ma Qi took the opportunity to lower his head:
"Your Majesty, I came to the palace today... because there is something I have been holding in my throat and must speak out. I would like to ask Your Majesty to do me a favor."

"Oh?" Emperor Qianxi's smile faded.

Ma Qi has always been a powerful figure in the court, only good at bullying others. It's quite a novel thing that he came to "beg for a decision".

"Your Majesty, in this contracting of the Imperial Household Department, some people have abused their power, acted recklessly, and engaged in favoritism and fraud, openly awarding the business to the lowest bidder instead of the highest bidder."

"If this trend continues, where will the law be? Where will the dignity of the imperial court be?"

Ma Qi's voice was heavy, and his face was filled with pain:
"Your Majesty, I do not speak out of resentment because my family did not win the bid, nor do I come here to stir up trouble." "I am heartbroken! Heartbroken that someone dares to deceive His Majesty in this way, disregarding the laws of the court and so blatantly deceiving Your Majesty!"

"I am paid by the emperor and must serve him faithfully. If I were to conceal this situation, I would be ashamed before His Majesty and the court, and I would be unable to sleep at night!"

Emperor Qianxi was taken aback for a moment, then frowned and asked, "Are you saying that someone sabotaged this contract?"

He stood up abruptly—the money of the Imperial Household Department was his money, and touching it was tantamount to taking money from his pocket!
"Your Majesty, please take a look." Ma Qi presented the draft with both hands.

Emperor Qianxi glanced at the figure of "180,000 taels," then looked at the result presented by the Crown Prince on the table—

The Zuo family won the bid with 100,000 taels.

Good heavens, there's a clear shortfall of 80,000 taels! Such a huge sum of silver, just slipping through our fingers like that?

Emperor Qianxi's anger flared up instantly!
But just as the flames began to ignite, another thought flashed through his mind.

Is the Crown Prince deliberately trying to win people over, or is he simply trying to trip up Ma Qi because he doesn't like him?

If it is the former, it means that the crown prince has begun to cultivate his own private power, which requires vigilance;
If it is the latter, the crown prince is rather narrow-minded and lacks tolerance.

His anger subsided considerably, and he calmed down instead.

The Crown Prince and Ma Qi already had a strained relationship, with constant friction between them.

If we could deepen this conflict even further... wouldn't that be nice?

Emperor Qianxi was quite pleased to see this situation.

"Ma Qi, did your family really contribute 180,000 taels?"

“Absolutely true! Your Majesty, I offered this price not merely for this fur deal!”

"I am concerned that Your Majesty is about to embark on a long expedition, which will consume a great deal of provisions and supplies."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to do my utmost. The more I contribute, the more I can share Your Majesty's worries and the more loyal I can be!"

That was a brilliant remark!

They managed to elevate their desire to make more money to the level of serving the country and being loyal to the emperor!

Ma Qi's silver tongue is no joke; he's been in the imperial court for decades.

How could the Qianxi Emperor not see it?
But he already had a plan in mind. Instead of revealing it, he went along with it and used the matter to give the crown prince a warning.

The relationship between Ma Qi and the Crown Prince has become more strained, so wouldn't it be safer for him to personally lead the expedition?
Thinking this through, a perfectly timed expression of being moved by loyalty appeared on his face, and he said gently:
"Ma Qi, I know of your loyalty."

"Rest assured, now that I am aware of this matter, I will investigate it thoroughly and give you justice."

After saying that, he turned his head and ordered, "Liang Jiugong, summon the Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince!"

Liang Jiugong inwardly groaned; this matter was clearly a hot potato.

When he arrived at the Prince of Qingqiu's residence to deliver the imperial decree, he casually mentioned something:
"Lord Ma Qi came to the palace to meet the Emperor today, and he looked... not quite right."

Although these words were somewhat vague, they had already conveyed the reason to Shen Ye!

Shen Ye smiled upon hearing this: "Thank you for coming all this way, Eunuch Liang, and for giving me this special advice. Don't worry, it's a small matter, I know what I'm doing."

Liang Jiugong smiled obsequiously, but inwardly he was thinking:
Has this young master become too arrogant and carried away by his recent success?

Helping the emperor solve the problem of food and provisions is indeed a great achievement, but you can't become arrogant because of it.

If you sincerely admit your mistake, His Majesty might just scold you a couple of times and let it go.

Taking this so lightly might incur the emperor's wrath...

However, he has already given the prompt.

He dared not continue saying such inappropriate things.

When Shen Ye arrived at Qianqing Palace, the Fourth Prince had also arrived.

He didn't know what had happened, so his father's hasty summons made him a little uneasy.

Emperor Qianxi directly grabbed the contract:

"Your Highness! Yunzhen! Tell me, why did the business go to the Zuo family, who offered only 100,000 taels of silver, when Ma Qi offered 180,000 taels?"

"Which of you... accepted bribes from the Zuo family?"

Seeing Emperor Qianxi's furious expression, the fourth prince shuddered.

However, he quickly calmed down.

After quickly stealing a glance at the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince decided to lower his head and play dead:
Anyway, the idea came from the Crown Prince, so he should also take the blame.

At this moment, Shen Ye calmly stepped forward:
“Father, neither I nor my fourth brother have accepted a single penny from the Zuo family.”

"There were reasons why we didn't award the business to Ma Qi; it wasn't a hasty decision."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Ma Qi, his tone suddenly sharp:

"Lord Maqi!"

"I originally thought this was an unintentional mistake on your part, and I even wanted to cover it up for you."

"I never expected you to turn black into white, to be the one to accuse others first, and to come to Father Emperor to complain about your grievances!"

"In that case, let's have a proper debate today! Who is lying and deceiving the emperor!"

Seeing the Crown Prince's accusatory stance, Ma Qi was stunned, and his ears began to ring.

What? I cheated? I committed fraud?
It sounds like...it's all the Ma family's fault?!

He felt a tightness in his chest, and the Qianxi Emperor spoke in a deep voice:
"Your Highness, you said Ma Qi made an unintentional mistake, what exactly are you referring to?"

Ma Qi took a deep breath and knelt down with a thud:
"Your Majesty is wise! I have not concealed anything regarding the contract! I beg Your Majesty to clear my name!"

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(End of this chapter)