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

Chapter 459 If I'm not going to be a scumbag, I'll make him more affectionate than Rong Ruo.
In the capital, the Fifth Prince Yunqi also keeps a group of people under his command.

This time, he went all out for the sake of the Ninth Princess, not even bothering to look at his own father's face, and put in a lot of effort to have people dig up a lot of dirt on Shun An Yan.

But just as he was getting all excited and ready to give Shun'an Yan some "fun," lo and behold—Shun'an Yan, who usually spent his days either wandering around the Eight Great Hutongs seeking pleasure or hanging out in the circle of young masters, had vanished into thin air!
"The Eight Great Hutongs?" the old woman said, fanning herself with a round fan. "He hasn't come for several days. Our Miss Xiangxiang misses him!"

A high-end bar? The manager said, "The young master has been cultivating his character lately, and we haven't seen him for several days!"

Even at the place where his cronies were, they knew nothing and couldn't find a single piece of Shun An Yan's clothing.

That's strange, how could this guy just disappear like that? Could it be that he reformed?

What's happening here?
The Fifth Prince's heart skipped a beat: Something's definitely not right!

If this guy were reliable, pigs would fly!
Sure enough, when someone inquired, they learned that Shun'an Yan had closed his doors to visitors and refused to see anyone!

The Fifth Prince was dumbfounded. He was like a mouse encountering a turtle, completely at a loss for what to do!
After racking his brains for a long time without finding a solution, he had no choice but to wander over to Yuqing Palace and ask the Crown Prince for help.

After all, right now, only the Crown Prince is willing to support him on this matter.

After listening to the Fifth Prince finish complaining, Shen Ye laughed: "Fifth Brother, does Tong Guowei think that keeping Shun An Yan at home will solve everything? That's too naive!"

“I’ve read through all the dirt you gave me.”

"Since it's not easy to catch him red-handed on the spot, why don't we... try a different approach?"

"Let's stop him from being a scumbag and give him a hand, let him be a 'devoted gentleman,' how about that?"

As they spoke, Shen Ye pulled out a document: "Look, this says that he and Xiangxiang, the top courtesan of Xiaoxiang Pavilion, have been in a relationship for a long time."

"Then let's make a fuss about this."

"Find someone to redeem Xiangxiang, and then..."

Shen Ye leaned close to the Fifth Prince's ear and whispered a few words.

The Fifth Prince looked doubtful after hearing this: "Your Highness, is this... possible?"

"It absolutely has to work!"

Shen Ye said with a grin, "The courtesan is deeply affectionate, and the young master of the Prime Minister's mansion is devoted to one another. As the saying goes, 'A single encounter between the golden wind and jade dew surpasses countless encounters in the mortal world!'"

"What do you think will happen once this story spreads throughout the capital?"

Seeing the Crown Prince's animated expression and gestures, the Fifth Prince suddenly thought: Why is the Crown Prince so much more lively than before?
However, this kind of crown prince... is strangely likable!

"Your Highness, just wait and see the show!"

The Fifth Prince's execution ability was top-notch; in just one day, the capital was in an uproar.

Xiangxiang, the top courtesan at Xiaoxiang Pavilion, actually sued the boss!
In Beijing, the most beautiful courtesans in the Eight Great Hutongs were already a hot topic, let alone when their affair ended up in court! The streets and alleys were instantly abuzz with excitement!
Nian Dongliang, the magistrate of Daxing County, was also a man of good judgment. He was delighted as soon as he saw the petition—wasn't this the special program that the Crown Prince had instructed him to prepare?

They should announce a public trial for this case!

In an instant, the words "the courtesan's trial" ignited a city-wide frenzy of gossip!

As the mastermind behind this scene, Shen Ye was naturally indispensable.

On the day the trial began, he not only took Zhou Bao and Erlengtai out of the palace, but also brought Cao Min, who was bored in the palace, and went straight to the scene to watch the show!

It would be even better if the Fifth Prince could be dragged into it, but that would be too blatant. What kind of behind-the-scenes manipulator watches the show with the defendant? Shen Ye clicked his tongue regretfully and suppressed the thought.

When Shen Ye arrived at the Daxing County Government Office, it was already surrounded by layers of people, so crowded that it was impossible to move.

Even many vendors selling melon seeds and peanuts took the opportunity to hawk their wares.

Shen Ye also took Cao Min shopping for a while, which made the girl, who had lived in the palace for a long time, extremely happy!
With Shen Ye and the Fifth Prince's encouragement, over a thousand people came to pay attention to the case.

If it weren't for the relatively efficient yamen runners in Daxing County, Shen Ye would have suspected that the Daxing County government office would have been overcrowded.

Fortunately, Shen Ye had made arrangements in advance, reserving an elegant room connected to the county government office for Nian Dongliang, so that he could listen to the trial without being crowded with people.

With everything in place, Nian Dongliang slammed the gavel on his hand with a stern face: "Court is now in session!"

Although he knew he was just acting, Nian Dongliang appeared particularly dignified because Shen Ye was there and there were many spectators outside the hall.

As soon as the plaintiff and defendant entered the courtroom, all eyes immediately focused on Xiangxiang.

She wore a green dress with a white cape, her hair ornaments swaying gently; she looked so pitiful.

The outside suddenly became lively:

"Oh my, so this is the most beautiful courtesan of Xiaoxiang Pavilion? She truly lives up to her reputation!"

"That's right! I heard that just one tea party at her place costs fifty taels of silver!"

"Tsk tsk, if I married this beauty, I'd be happy to break my ribs and make soup for her..."

……

The various discussions instantly turned the Daxing County government office into a vegetable market, and the yamen runners maintaining order were so busy that they were sweating profusely.

Shen Ye wasn't angry about this scene; on the contrary, this was exactly the effect he wanted.

Nian Dongliang slammed the gavel repeatedly to quell the disturbance: "Who is this person in the courtroom? What grievance do you have? Tell me the truth!"

Xiangxiang's voice was crisp and clear: "I am Xiangxiang, the female scholar of Xiaoxiang Pavilion."

"The reason why I am suing Boss Chu Youcai is because when I sold myself to Xiaoxiang Pavilion, I signed an agreement with Boss Chu."

"If anyone wants to redeem this young lady, they need her consent."

"But now, without my consent, Boss Chu insists on selling me to Boss Xie, a tea merchant from Hunan."

The crowd's ears immediately perked up: "Boss Chu is indeed greedy for money!" "Redemption requires the person's consent? This contract is quite interesting!"

Nian Dongliang turned to Chu Youcai: "Chu Youcai, is what Xiangxiang said true?"

Chu Youcai had a look on his face that said, "I'm doing this for your own good."
"Your Excellency is wise! This is indeed true."

"However, the reason I want to sell Xiangxiang to Boss Xie is also for Xiangxiang's sake!"

"That Mr. Xie met Xiangxiang twice and fell in love with her at first sight. What's even more remarkable is that he was only a dozen years older than Xiangxiang, came from a wealthy family, and his wife had passed away early..."

"Xiangxiang will be the legal wife if she goes with the family, and she'll never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of her life..."

"I also think that if we miss out on such a good opportunity, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Xiangxiang!"

By the end, Chu Youcai looked quite aggrieved.

A chorus of boos erupted from the audience: "Pah! Talks a good game but acts all high and mighty; all they're doing is making money!"

"I've seen this kind of thing many times; it's all about money. But Chu Youcai is really unlucky; he actually got reported to the yamen by his female tutor!"

Nian Dongliang then asked Xiangxiang, "Do you agree with what Chu Youcai said?"

Xiangxiang lowered her head and bit her lip: "My lord, what Boss Chu said... was well-intentioned."

"He is thinking of me, but... but I have already been engaged to someone else, how can I marry another!"

"So...so I can only disappoint Mr. Chu's good intentions."

Upon hearing this, the onlookers instantly perked up!
The courtesan's complaint was unusual enough, but the courtesan's secret engagement to him was even more surprising!
Could it be another case of an oil seller monopolizing the courtesan? If so, that would be incredibly interesting!

Shen Ye nodded and smiled while cracking melon seeds in the private room: Although he was the one who wrote the script, the actors' performances were excellent and the script progressed smoothly, which made him very gratified.

Chu Youcai suddenly raised his voice: "Xiangxiang, don't think nonsense. Young Master Shun is a star in the sky. How could he possibly be engaged to you?"

"You should face reality, wake up, find a good family, and live an honest life!"

"You can't make it..."

"They were just lying to you!"

Xiangxiang immediately became excited, her voice trembling: "Young Master Yan of Shun'an would not lie to me!"

He said he would only ever love me in his entire life!

He said that although his poetry could not compare to Nalan Rongruo's, his deep affection was definitely deeper than Nalan Rongruo's!

"He will never break his vows to me, he will definitely marry me!"

"He said he would rather give up the title of duke than not stay with me and spend his life with me!"

"He hasn't come to see me these past few days because his family is forcing him to stay home and study for the imperial examinations. He'll definitely come to marry me after the exams next spring..."

The outside instantly erupted in chaos:

"The one who secretly pledged his life to Xiangxiang was actually Shun Anyan!"

Who is Shun'an Yan?

"The eldest grandson of Prime Minister Tong, the future Duke of Feng'en, tsk tsk, what a true man who 'loves beauty more than power'!"

"Gentlemen, we've actually witnessed something that only happens in plays!"

……

Among the crowd discussing this, many were sent by the Fifth Prince to stir up trouble and fuel the controversy, making the discussion even more heated.

The young master of the Prime Minister's mansion is infatuated with the most beautiful courtesan!
"Wow, I thought he was an oil seller! He's actually the prime minister's son!"

"The prime minister's grandson loves a courtesan? That's even more outrageous than my silly son falling for a tofu seller!"

"That's right, I now think Mr. Chu's concerns are justified."

"If we really let the courtesan into the house, wouldn't Prime Minister Tong be so angry that he'd tear the roof tiles off?"

"What if this Young Master Yan of Shun'an is really so affectionate!"

……

Seeing that the time was right, Nian Dongliang suppressed a laugh and quickly slammed his gavel, saying, "Silence! This case is complex, involving...and personal matters between lovers. I will consider it carefully and continue the trial later. Court adjourned!"

"Take the man away, and all bystanders must leave the county office immediately!"

The audience outside protested: "Wait, sir! We're at the crucial moment!"

"Let us see what that token of love looks like!"

With Nian Dongliang's arrangement, the onlookers were thrown into chaos once again.

The constables had to coax and shoo them away, and it took them a long time to clear the area.

Watching the show he had orchestrated come to a successful close, Shen Ye crossed his legs in the private room, finished the last melon seed, and stood up contentedly: "That's a wrap!"

He led Cao Min, who was still immersed in the plot, out with great strides, humming a little tune: "I love the country more than the beauty!"

Just as he stepped out of the yamen gate, a familiar figure appeared on the side, making him freeze.

Shen Ye felt a chill run down his spine and quickly stepped forward to bow: "Your subject... greets Your Majesty!"

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

　　
　
(End of this chapter)