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

Chapter 32 I'm a Filial Son

"The Crown Prince has arrived!"

At the sound of the booming voice, almost all the guards present knelt down to pay their respects.

Although these guards held a high position, even a third-rank guard could be compared to a fourth-rank official.

However, compared to the Crown Prince, their rank and influence pale in comparison.

Moreover, the guards were also the emperor's personal bodyguards, so how could they dare to be disrespectful to the future emperor?

After all, not everyone has a close relationship like Orondai's.

Why is the Crown Prince here?

Orondai was puzzled for a moment, then his mind quickly went to the matter of him hitting the prince's attendant eunuch.

Is this person looking for trouble?

I'm not afraid of this little thing. At worst, I can take it to the emperor. The crown prince wouldn't make a big deal out of a servant and blame someone like me who is a member of the imperial family.

Therefore, Orondai was not intimidated at all and slowly stepped forward to greet him. After seeing Shen Ye dressed in blue, he was stunned for a moment, but still knelt down and bowed, saying, "This servant Orondai greets Your Highness!"

"No need for formalities," Shen Ye said with a smile. "Olundai, I've come to see you because I want to discuss something with you."

Upon hearing Shen Ye's instructions, Orondai immediately stood up.

Just then, he saw Fahai beside Shen Ye, and Zhou Bao following behind Shen Ye.

He didn't take Zhou Bao seriously at all; such a lowly eunuch wasn't worth his attention.

As for Fahai, he treated this brother as if he were an enemy.

Seeing Fahai follow Shen Ye, he felt even more displeased.

However, due to basic etiquette, he said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, please speak."

“Olundai, you and Master Fahai are brothers, and his mother is also your stepmother.”

Shen Ye said in a seemingly kind and persuasive manner, "Now, letting the old lady be buried outside will not only damage the reputation of your Tong family lineage, but also disturb the spirit of Lord Tong Guogang in heaven."

"I think it's best to let Master Fahai bury the old lady's coffin in Lord Tong Guogang's cemetery."

Orondai had looked down on Fahai since childhood, and his feelings towards Fahai included not only jealousy but also considerable resentment.

His proudest achievement was driving Fahai out of his home and forbidding Fahai's mother from being buried next to Tong Guogang.

In the past, some people had tried to plead for him, but he refused to budge, declaring that it was his family matter and no one else had a say in it.

If anyone tries to persuade him again, they're just stirring up trouble and trying to make things difficult for Orondai!

Now, the Crown Prince is bringing up the old issue again, which is infuriating.

The Crown Prince and Songgotu had a close relationship, while he and Songgotu had a much more sordid relationship. Therefore, he also harbored some resentment towards the Crown Prince, not to mention that now the Crown Prince had taken the initiative to come and interfere in his family affairs.

"Your Highness, I heard that some palace servants in Yuqing Palace were punished recently. You should keep a close eye on Yuqing Palace."

"As for what you just said, that is my family matter."

"No need for you to trouble yourself!"

At this point, he glanced coldly at Fahai and said, "A lowly slave dares to dream of being buried with his master. A person should know his place. If he really can't, he should take a piss and look at himself in the mirror!"

These words were like a sharp knife, piercing Fahai's heart.

The fact that his mother was buried outside the Tong family cemetery, not next to his father, already made him feel extremely guilty, blaming himself for his incompetence. Now, Orondai's humiliation of his mother only fueled his resentment.

But although he was angry, he was helpless.

In terms of age, Orondai is his elder brother.

In terms of status, Orondai was a first-class duke, and in the family, only his uncle Tong Guowei could surpass him.

However, even Tong Guowei was not convinced by Orondai, so what could Fahai do in the face of such a reckless person?
Just as Fahai was trying to suppress his distress and advise the Crown Prince not to worry about his affairs anymore, he saw that Shen Ye was already furious. He pointed at Orondai and said, "You, Orondai! As the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, how dare you utter such disloyal and unfilial words!"

"Aren't you afraid that Lord Tong Guogang's spirit in heaven will be uneasy?"

Orondai, a hot-tempered and impulsive man in a parallel universe, who dared to urinate outside the palace gates of Emperor Yongzheng, would hardly care about the Crown Prince at this moment!
He flicked his sleeve and said, "This servant has other matters to attend to. If Your Highness has nothing else to attend to, please return." As he spoke, he turned to leave.

Seeing him like this, a sly smile flashed in Shen Ye's eyes.

However, he immediately shouted angrily, "Olundai, you disloyal and unfilial wretch!"

"Today, on behalf of our ancestors, I will teach you a lesson, you wretched child."

As he spoke, Shen Ye lashed out with his whip at Orondai.

Although Orondai was the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, he had never fought in any battles. Moreover, although he did not take the Crown Prince seriously, he dared not lay a hand on him.

The moment I turned my head after being whipped, I saw another whip lashing out.

As the crown prince whom Emperor Qianxi had painstakingly groomed, the former crown prince was both literate and martial. When he cracked his whip, he could beat people cleanly and swiftly, demonstrating a steady, accurate, and ruthless style.

He was whipped three or four times in a row, and one of the whips even struck Orondai's face, leaving a bloody welt.

This made Orondai's eyes glaze over, but seeing the prince so close at hand, he dared not draw his sword.

That would be truly courting death!
After all, the crown prince is practically a monarch.

Without Emperor Qianxi's order, who would dare to draw their sword against the Crown Prince?

He turned to leave, but couldn't. The intense pain made him roar, "Crown Prince, how dare you punish a first-class duke without my permission! I'm going to find His Majesty to settle this matter!"

Now that Shen Ye had already made his move, why should he care about his threats?
With increasing ease in his hand, the golden whip had already lashed Orondai more than a dozen times in the blink of an eye.

Just as Shen Ye made his move, Zhou Bao and other servants from Yuqing Palace had already quietly blocked the roads around Orondai, making it impossible for him to escape.

"Olundai, even if I see Father Emperor, I will still beat you!"

"You unfilial and disloyal wretched child, Lord Tong Guogang, how could you have such a rebellious son?"

"As a filial son, I cannot stand unfilial people like you!" Shen Ye shouted as he smoked.

Fahai, one of the parties involved, was completely dumbfounded.

The crown prince brought me here to mediate the conflict between my brothers, but after only a couple of words of reconciliation, he started hitting me.

That's incredibly ruthless!
For a moment, he suddenly realized that the Crown Prince had not come to mediate the conflict at all, but to find an excuse to beat Orondai.

The Crown Prince is using me!
But he wasn't angry about being used like this; on the contrary, he felt exhilarated.

He harbored deep resentment towards his older brother, Orondai.

He'd be happy to get a beating now.

If only I could do it myself!

In the blink of an eye, Orondai had already been whipped more than thirty times. Taking advantage of the moment he was dodging, he broke free from the encirclement of Yuqing Palace's subordinates.

"Your Highness, you have privately punished a minister! This matter is not over!" Orondai cried out pitifully as he ran.

Shen Ye did not pursue Orondai, who was fleeing in a sorry state. The twenty or thirty lashes had already left Orondai covered in wounds.

He could punish Orondai, but he couldn't kill him, after all, he was Emperor Qianxi's cousin.

So after Orondai had run far away, he said to Fahai, “Master Fahai, I am a filial son and I cannot stand unfilial people.”

"It made you laugh."

"Let's go find His Majesty and tell him about what happened today."

"When you meet His Majesty, Master Fahai, please do not be concerned about my status as the Crown Prince. Just say what you should say."

Hearing Shen Ye's words, Fahai was immediately at a loss.

With things having come to this point, he could only nod and say, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will report in detail."

It's almost the end of the month, so if you have any votes, please give me some support!

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(End of this chapter)