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

Chapter 40 The Crown Prince Must Stand on the Edge of an Abyss

No one dared to spy on Emperor Qianxi's whereabouts.

However, many people are investigating Shen Ye's whereabouts.

For example, the eldest prince, Yunshi, was in charge of the Ministry of War.

Although Emperor Qianxi issued an edict to keep the matter of the Crown Prince leaving the palace to observe state affairs a secret from his officials, it was no secret to the Grand Secretaries and the heads of the Six Ministries.

Naturally, this could not be kept secret from the princes who were observing the political situation.

During his time in the Ministry of War, the eldest prince has already established his prestige within the ministry.

Several officials at the level of physicians have even begun to consciously align themselves with the eldest prince.

Although a fifth-rank physician is not a high-ranking position, it is at least a good start.

The longer the Crown Prince stays in the Ministry of War, the more people will actively try to get close to him.

The eldest prince harbored some doubts about the Crown Prince's visit to Daxing County.

He usually didn't dare to discuss things with ordinary people, so on this day, taking advantage of Mingzhu's birthday celebration for her elderly mother, he came to Mingzhu's residence.

Although most discerning people, including Emperor Qianxi, knew that Mingzhu supported the eldest prince, the two still interacted with each other cautiously.

They didn't want to give Emperor Qianxi any leverage over them.

Mingzhu's residence on the north bank of Houhai Lake was bustling with activity at this moment.

The line of people who came to give gifts stretched for more than a kilometer.

Seeing this spectacular scene, Yunshi felt a slight displeasure.

Although he was only a prince, and Mingzhu was his staunch supporter, Mingzhu's behavior was far too high-profile.

However, he also knew that Mingzhu liked money and valuables.

Even if the two are very close, he doesn't want to offer advice on this matter.

After all, a disagreement could very well affect the working relationship between the two people.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Since the eldest prince has come to offer birthday greetings, there's no need to wait.

Moreover, Mingzhu personally came to greet them.

Upon seeing Mingzhu in his brocade robes, his face beaming with joy, the eldest prince quickly helped him up, saying, "Uncle, there's no need for such formalities."

Although she was helped up, Mingzhu still knelt down.

As he stood up, he solemnly said, "Your Highness, etiquette must not be disregarded!"

Although the eldest prince had some reservations about Mingzhu's actions, he outwardly appeared to accept the lesson.

They are not related by blood, and although they appear to be close, they are still quite distant.

This gap must be bridged with etiquette.

Since the outside was not a suitable place to talk, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the eldest prince was invited into the main hall.

Mingzhu waved for his attendants to leave before saying, "Your Highness, you've been doing a great job at the Ministry of War lately, and many people are praising you highly!"

"I visited His Majesty at Changchun Garden some time ago, and His Majesty was very satisfied with your observation of the government."

Upon hearing this, a hint of joy appeared on the Crown Prince's face.

He didn't care too much about his subjects' opinions of him; what he cared about was how Emperor Qianxi viewed him.

He glanced at the empty hall and said in a deep voice, "Uncle, why did His Majesty allow the Crown Prince to observe the administration of Daxing County?"

This was a question that had been nagging at him, and now he finally asked it.

He considered many possibilities in light of this.

Mingzhu did not answer immediately, but instead picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then leisurely asked, "What does Your Highness think?"

"Uncle, I remember that during the Tang and Song dynasties, there was a saying that prime ministers were selected from prefectures and counties. Is His Majesty's decision to send the Crown Prince to Daxing County to observe the administration of the government a way to properly train him?"

When he said those words, Yun-shi's voice was a little hoarse.

Although he was in charge of the Ministry of War, he was only one of the six ministries.

Although the Crown Prince's Daxing County was small, it was a complete county.

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Mingzhu smiled noncommittally.

He glanced around before whispering, "What Your Highness says seems to make some sense. But in my humble opinion, the reason His Majesty doesn't allow the Crown Prince to command the Six Ministries is that he doesn't want to, and he doesn't dare to."

Mingzhu said the word "I dare not" very softly.

So softly that only the eldest prince could hear it.

The eldest prince was taken aback, but then he realized what was happening.

He thought about it carefully for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face as he said, "Uncle has a better eye for things."

Mingzhu said calmly, "It has always been this way."

Upon hearing this, the eldest prince felt a chill creep into his heart.

It has always been this way. He is not in that position now. If he were in that position, would he be able to hold it?
Mingzhu looked at the Crown Prince's constantly changing expression and said calmly, "Your Highness, what you need to do is not something that can be accomplished in a day or a moment."

"It may take several years, or even more than a decade, to determine the winner."

The eldest prince let out a long sigh, and then continued, "Uncle, I heard that when the Crown Prince arrived in Daxing, he did nothing but listen to stories and chat."

Do you think his way of doing things is right or wrong?

Mingzhu had always paid close attention to the Crown Prince's whereabouts. He gently stroked his beard and then said calmly, "What the Crown Prince is doing is not wrong."

"The saying goes, 'The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; and if you do nothing, you make no mistakes!'"

"Your Highness, as you saw in court, those who are frequently impeached are the ones who get things done."

"And departments like the Imperial Observatory are not really taken seriously by even the censors."

"But this statement doesn't quite fit when applied to the Crown Prince."

The eldest prince raised an eyelid and said seriously, "What's wrong?"

“If the Crown Prince remains mediocre for a long time, he may be seen as incompetent!” Mingzhu said. “How can someone who is incompetent in the eyes of the world inherit the throne!”

At this point, Mingzhu sighed inwardly.

It's hard to be the crown prince, but it's even harder to be the crown prince of a wise ruler!
To be the crown prince of a healthy and wise ruler is an extremely difficult task!
The eldest prince felt a pang in his heart upon hearing the wise ruler's words.

He increasingly felt that the position of crown prince was not an easy one to hold.

However, he had no way out.

He has already gathered a large group of people, and he has already shown his ambition.

There's no turning back now; he can only move forward!
"Uncle, are we just going to wait like this?"

The eldest prince's voice grew increasingly calm, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

Mingzhu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said, "Of course we can't wait."

"Constant dripping wears away a stone; it takes more than a day to achieve this."

"Even if the prince is a rock, we still need to keep adding water to him."

At this point, his voice grew even lower as he said, "Although the Crown Prince managed to cover up the case of cheating in the imperial examinations, the censors and civil officials themselves had dirty hands and dared not utter a word."

"But the case was still verified."

"The Ministry of Justice has already determined the crimes. Ling Pu is sentenced to death, and his two adult sons, who were involved, will also be beheaded."

"That wet nurse of the crown prince, Granny Tong, was also sentenced to death because of other crimes."

"What we need to do is continue to push this matter forward and see whether the Crown Prince will save him or not."

The eldest prince was slightly taken aback, but then he understood.

If the Crown Prince saves him, they will accuse him of protecting criminals and being involved in the affair.

If the crown prince does not save her, then he is heartless and ungrateful, showing no regard for his wet nurse.

For the crown prince, no matter what choice he makes, it is a fatal blow that he cannot escape blame for.

He picked up his teacup, wanting to say something to Mingzhu, when a sentence inexplicably came to mind:

The crown prince must be as if standing on the edge of an abyss!

A new day has begun, everyone! I'm begging for all kinds of support – please read and vote, I want it all!



(End of this chapter)