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

Chapter 458 Seeking death? That's easy.
At this moment, Shun'an Yan was so happy that snot bubbles were almost coming out of his nose!
Although things got a little disrupted along the way, good things come to those who wait, and in the end he still won the heart of his beloved.

From this day forward, he will be Emperor Qianxi's son-in-law and the consort of the Ninth Princess!

In terms of status, he must be a clear superior to an ordinary first-rank official!

Of course, when it comes to real power... he's still miles behind those seasoned veterans.

But, it doesn’t matter!

What's important? The key point is the favor bestowed by the Qianxi Emperor!
He's about to become the third high-ranking official in the Tong family. This status is enough for him to strut around arrogantly in front of the entire family!
As for who had been "digging a hole" for his marriage to the Ninth Princess, Shun An Yan knew perfectly well.

But this person is the crown prince! Not to mention himself, even if you bring up his grandfather, you can only stare helplessly, powerless to do anything.

So when he saw the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince rushing over, Shun An Yan couldn't help but show off a little, his words exuding a smug, "What can you do about me?" vibe!

Shen Ye watched as Shun An Yan acted with an air of confidence and arrogance that was almost infuriating. His expression changed repeatedly, but in the end, he laughed out loud: "You are indeed of marriageable age."

"Don't worry, as long as there's a chance, my fifth brother and I will definitely go over and ask for a drink at the wedding."

When Shun'an Yan met the Crown Prince's calm and composed gaze, her heart suddenly skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

He suddenly remembered the man's fierce act of whipping Orondai—

Orondai was not only his uncle, but also deeply favored by the emperor. He usually acted arrogantly, considering the emperor the most important person and himself second only to him, and feared no one!
Even the Qianxi Emperor had to give him some leeway!

But this arrogant guy was caught by the Crown Prince for "mistreating his brothers" and was beaten into submission. Now he avoids the Crown Prince whenever he sees him.

Although Orondai and Fahai still have no contact with each other and cling to their last bit of stubbornness, they immediately wilted when they encountered the Crown Prince.

Shun An Yan felt a chill run down his spine and quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "This servant will welcome Your Highness's esteemed presence at any time."

After saying that, he ran away faster than a rabbit.

The Fifth Prince clenched his fists so hard they cracked: "Your Highness, look at how smug he is! If it weren't for the fact that it was inappropriate to start a fight at the entrance of Qianqing Palace, I would have beaten him black and blue... At worst, I'd be locked up in confinement by Father for a few days!"

Shen Ye patted his shoulder: "Fifth brother, why use your brain to solve problems instead of resorting to violence?"

"Let's go see Father!"

"But you must remember, His Majesty wants to choose Shun'an Yan to be the Ninth Princess's consort, so we must pretend we don't know."

Although the Fifth Prince was honest and kind, he was not unintelligent.

He understood immediately: "Don't worry, Second Brother, I understand!"

After Liang Jiugong announced their arrival, the two quickly arrived at Emperor Qianxi's study.

Emperor Qianxi was leisurely sipping tea when he looked up and smiled, "What brings you two here?"

The fifth prince was a bit timid and didn't dare to say much.

Shen Ye then replied with a grin, "Father, we came together to chat with you about everyday things."

Emperor Qianxi raised the corners of his mouth, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Well, has the Fifth Prince taken a fancy to another girl and wants to take advantage of this arranged marriage to get himself a concubine?"

"In my opinion, it's not entirely unacceptable..."

The Fifth Prince was stunned: How did this suddenly turn the tables on me!
He hurriedly waved his hand: "Father! I just got married last year, and... I don't have that idea yet!"

Emperor Qianxi laughed even harder: "You should think about it. In this respect, you should learn more from the Crown Prince. He wants two at once!"

As Shen Ye listened to Emperor Qianxi's teasing, he secretly thought to himself, "This old man is really good at leading the conversation astray. He seems to be joking, but he has a firm grasp on the rhythm and has taken control of the conversation."

Shen Ye responded calmly: "Father, I feel that... I still have room for improvement."

Emperor Qianxi burst into laughter, pointed at Shen Ye, and said to the Fifth Prince, "Yunqi, look at your second brother's skin! It's as thick as a copper wall, so thick that it's truly admirable!"

"What, do you really want two more concubines?"

Shen Ye smiled calmly: "Your subject would like to, but I'm afraid Father Emperor will be reluctant to give it to you."

"The reason I've come here today is actually to recommend a talented young man to Your Majesty—"

"The second son of the Marquis of Qingyuan is a man of good character and a steady temperament. I have met him once and he seems like a man who is good at managing a household."

"If he were to become our brother-in-law, it would be absolutely a good fit!"

At present, Emperor Qianxi only has one daughter, the Ninth Princess, whom he is planning to marry.

Shen Ye, who acted as if he knew nothing, made a direct and straightforward recommendation, causing Emperor Qianxi's expression to change.

This wasn't the first time he'd heard of the second young master of the Qingyuan Earl's family.

The Empress Dowager had recommended him before, but he brushed it off.

The Empress Dowager had no choice but to give up.

Unexpectedly, just after he had dismissed the Empress Dowager, the Crown Prince brought his fifth son to "add more pressure."

Looking at the Fifth Prince standing next to the Crown Prince, he understood: the Crown Prince had been brought here by Yunqi.

However, having just used the Crown Prince's money, and with the warmth of fatherly love and filial piety still lingering, it's a bit too early to turn on them now!
Emperor Qianxi had been emperor for many years and had plenty of methods.

So he calmly took a sip of tea: "I know about this matter. I will think about it carefully later."

Seeing that Emperor Qianxi was making an excuse, the Fifth Prince couldn't help but interject, "Father, Chang Huaiyi is far superior to Shun Anyan! He is skilled in both literature and martial arts; they are not even in the same league!"

"If Father wants to think of Ninth Sister's well-being, then..."

Before the Fifth Prince could finish speaking, Emperor Qianxi interrupted him coldly and rudely: "Since when has it been your place, Yunqi, to concern yourself with matters of arranged marriage?" "I have my own arrangements. I am tired. You may all take your leave!"

The Fifth Prince wanted to argue, but Shen Ye pulled him away.

Once outside, the Fifth Prince looked dejected: "Second Brother Crown Prince, His Majesty still favors Shun'an Yan..."

He had originally thought that by bringing the Crown Prince along, His Majesty might change his mind, but Emperor Qianxi's current behavior had dampened his spirits considerably.

Shen Ye smiled and said, "Fifth Brother, we have actually achieved our goal today!"

The Fifth Prince was taken aback when he heard Shen Ye say this.

He wondered if the Crown Prince had lost his mind, otherwise why would he be spouting nonsense here!

Emperor Qianxi clearly rejected their requests, so how did they manage to achieve their goal?
"Your Highness, His Majesty still favors Shun'an Yan!"

Shen Ye smiled and said, "His Majesty favors Shun Anyan, but His Majesty has not rejected Chang Huaiyi!"

"What we need to do now is to kick Shun'an Yan out of this competition for the imperial son-in-law."

At this point, he lowered his voice and said, "Didn't you say you investigated Shun An Yan and knew a lot of his shady dealings?"

Upon hearing this, the Fifth Prince paused for a moment, then perked up.

"Your Highness, what are your plans..."

"It's not that I have any plans, but that Shun An Yan is courting death!"

Shen Ye revealed a mysterious smile: "We only need to...give it a gentle push!"

"Come on, let's go to my place and chat over tea."

The Fifth Prince nodded and followed Shen Ye toward Yuqing Palace.

After his two eldest sons left, Emperor Qianxi gently rubbed his head.

These little brats are giving me trouble every day, they're such a headache!
Not only did he dare to oppose his father's decision, but he also...

After thinking it over, he turned to Liang Jiugong and said, "Go and call Tong Guowei here."

Tong Guowei, the chief Grand Secretary of the Southern Study, had been on duty at the Southern Study. Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's order, he quickly arrived at the Qianqing Palace.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, Emperor Qianxi said in a low voice, "Uncle, you've worked hard these past few days."

Although Tong Guowei was Emperor Qianxi's maternal uncle, he dared not put on airs.

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's words, he quickly offered a few words of modesty.

The two chatted for a while longer before Emperor Qianxi changed the subject: "How has Shun'an Yan been doing with his studies lately?"

Tong Guowei's heart tightened, and he immediately replied honestly, "Your Majesty, Shun'an Yan is not studying very hard. I need to urge him to work harder."

Emperor Qianxi said slowly, "I understand that my uncle wants to strengthen family ties through marriage. However, the Empress Dowager was not initially in favor of it, and it was only after I gave her my assurance that this opportunity was secured."

His tone suddenly turned cold: "Tell your son Shun'an to behave himself and not cause any scandals at this crucial moment. If things get out of hand... even I won't be able to control it!"

Upon hearing Emperor Qianxi's words, Tong Guowei broke out in a cold sweat and knelt on the ground with a thud: "This old minister understands! Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty! Your Majesty has been extremely kind to my family. Even if I were to be shattered to pieces, I could not repay even a fraction of Your Majesty's kindness!"

"This old minister..."

Seeing Tong Guowei's trembling voice, Emperor Qianxi waved his hand and said, "Uncle, we're family, so let's not stand on ceremony. There's no need for such formalities."

"I summoned you here today to tell you something: when you go back, tell Shun'an Yan to study more."

"Don't cause me any trouble at this crucial time."

"Uncle, you'd better take care of yourself!"

Although Tong Guowei doted on his eldest grandson, Shun'an Yan, he knew his grandson's character very well.

He believed that Shun'an Yan's scandals could not be hidden from Emperor Qianxi.

The most important reason why Emperor Qianxi agreed to let the Ninth Princess marry Shun'an Yan was to give face to his uncle, who was also the chief Grand Secretary.

It can also be considered a protective charm for the Tong family's future.

If this marriage goes wrong, it will probably be difficult to salvage.

After expressing his gratitude to Emperor Qianxi, Tong Guowei immediately returned home.

He summoned Shun Anyan, along with Shun Anyan's father Ye Keshu and others, and solemnly announced: "From today onwards, Shun Anyan, you shall stay home and study diligently."

"Without my order, you are not allowed to leave the house."

"Also, replace all the maids serving Shun An Yan with household servants!"

Upon hearing his grandfather's decision, Shun An Yan immediately pounded his chest and wailed, "Grandpa, I haven't caused any trouble these past few days, you can't stop me from going out!"

Tong Guowei said coldly, "This is an order!"

"If you dare to go out, I'll break your legs!"

"Before we marry the Ninth Princess, you'll be nothing more than a mascot. Stay home obediently and don't go anywhere!"

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(End of this chapter)