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

Chapter 47 Who Needs Whom More
In the Duke's mansion, Suo'etu was in the West Flower Hall, coldly looking at Jia Yunlong, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

As the assistant to the Minister of Justice, the second-in-command of the Court of Judicial Review, and a fourth-rank official, Jia Yunlong was considered a high-ranking official. However, in front of Suo'etu, he was just a nobody.

"Why was Granny Tong sentenced to death?"

“She didn’t cheat on the imperial examination, shouldn’t she be exiled?” Soetu looked coldly at Jia Yunlong, his voice filled with anger.

In the past, Suo'etu was a master at concealing his emotions, never showing his joy or anger.

But now, he doesn't need to hide it.

Because Jia Yunlong is his subordinate, and he was the one who promoted Jia Yunlong to his current position.

Faced with Suo'etu's anger, beads of sweat appeared on Jia Yunlong's forehead.

Although he was a minor official, he was truly insignificant compared to a chief Grand Secretary like Suo'etu.

So after hesitating for a moment, he respectfully said, "Prime Minister Suo, I have submitted my verdict regarding Granny Tong as you have instructed."

"However, Liu Shengxun disagreed."

He said that not only was Granny Tong involved in this cheating case, but she also committed many other crimes in Yuqing Palace.

"Her crime was hanging!"

"Although I argued with reason, Liu Shengxun was determined to kill Granny Tong, and I was powerless to do anything about it!"

At this point, Jia Yunlong bowed deeply.

Seeing Jia Yunlong's incompetent subordinate appearance, Suo'etu became increasingly annoyed.

If any problem could be solved with a simple "incompetence," then what's the point of having a Grand Secretary like him?
He looked coldly at Jia Yunlong and said indifferently, "If you are powerless, then what do you expect the Crown Prince to do?"

"Do you know that once Granny Tong's crimes are revealed, the Crown Prince will have to take action?"

"Otherwise, how will the world judge the Crown Prince!"

Sweat dripped from Jia Yunlong's forehead onto the ground.

He looked at Suo'etu's unfriendly face, his mind racing as he tried his best to think of a solution.

No, I can't take all the responsibility on myself.

I must find an excuse in this matter.

Otherwise, although Suo'etu wouldn't go so far as to target him, his future career advancement would basically be over! So he hesitated for a moment, then solemnly said, "Prime Minister Suo, I do have some assistants in the Dali Temple."

"However, ever since the Crown Prince spoke about the matter of the Master Fang in court, some people have begun to deliberately distance themselves from their subordinates."

"Moreover...moreover, on this matter, most of them are inclined to support Liu Shengxun."

After saying this, Jia Yunlong felt even more uneasy.

He knew very well that it was difficult for Songgotu to blame the crown prince.

Now he can make things much easier for himself by shifting some of the responsibility onto the crown prince.

Soetu's attention was indeed largely diverted.

Although the matter of Granny Tong was important, he had to pay more attention to the attitude of the court officials towards the Crown Prince.

"You're saying some people have grievances against the Crown Prince?"

When Jia Yunlong heard Suo'etu ask such a question, he immediately felt that he could pass the test.

He quickly said, "Prime Minister Suo, no matter which government office you're in, most people get promoted through the imperial examinations."

"When the Crown Prince flipped the table like that, many people inevitably felt some resentment."

Soetu snorted and said, "They have the audacity to dare to complain about the Crown Prince. I think they simply don't want to live!"

Jia Yunlong looked at the furious Suo'etu, but remained silent.

He knew in his heart that although Songgotu was a Grand Secretary, he was powerless to stop the grievances of the court officials, after all, he was not the emperor. After his outburst, Songgotu calmed down.

He knew very well that this was not the time to be angry; he had called Jia Yunlong over to resolve the issue.

"What do you think the Crown Prince should do next?" Suo'etu asked calmly. "Should he plead for Granny Tong, or not?"

Jia Yunlong had already thought about this before he arrived.

If the Crown Prince pleads for leniency, it would be seen as favoritism towards a wicked servant, and he might even be impeached.

The fact that the Crown Prince did not plead for him shows that he is cruel and ungrateful, not even caring about his own wet nurse.

This was a difficult decision, but Jia Yunlong had weighed it carefully before coming. He said in a deep voice, "Prime Minister Suo, I think it is not appropriate for the Crown Prince to intervene in this matter."

"After all, the cheating in the imperial examinations in Shuntian Prefecture had a very bad influence."

Even though the exam has been retaken, there is still a lot of discussion among scholars.

"If the Crown Prince pleads for the guilty again, it might implicate the Crown Prince."

"As for Granny Tong's matter, I think we can have someone write a petition to save her from death."

Soetu didn't speak, but simply waved his hand at Jia Yunlong.

Jia Yunlong instantly understood Suo'etu's gesture.

He didn't think there was anything wrong with Songgotu waving him away like that, after all, the gap between him and Songgotu was just too big.

After Jia Yunlong left respectfully, Suo'etu sighed and said, "The Crown Prince had a good time last time, but he made too many enemies!"

His words seemed to be a sigh, after all, apart from the servants, there seemed to be no one else in the main hall.

But then someone behind the screen said, "The more people the Crown Prince offends, the more he relies on you, which is a good thing."

As soon as he said this, a man in his forties with an effeminate appearance slowly walked out.

Facing the man, Suo'etu said with a hint of composure, "Now, what do you think should be done about Lingpu's matter?"

The man said, "The matter of the Crown Prince and the cheating in the imperial examinations is far too complicated."

"Now, he is no longer suitable to appear in public."

"I believe that His Majesty will certainly give the Crown Prince a dignified treatment in this matter."

After thinking carefully for a moment, Songgotu said, "It seems that this is the only way."

However, after a moment of contemplation, he said with a touch of emotion, "The Crown Prince has been acting somewhat rashly lately."

Upon hearing this remark, the man immediately understood that Suo'etu had a problem with the crown prince.

In the past, the Crown Prince always listened to Songgotu, but this time, regarding the cheating in the imperial examination, the Crown Prince directly confronted him, which made Songgotu somewhat dissatisfied.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Prime Minister Suo, the Crown Prince is, after all, the Crown Prince."

His words may sound like nonsense, but in reality, they are a form of advice.

He told Songgotu not to be careless in dealing with the Crown Prince and not to fail to distinguish between primary and secondary matters.

Upon hearing this, Songgotu frowned slightly, then said calmly, "I have my own plans."

"Send someone to tell the Crown Prince that this time, he must not do anything."

Seeing Suo'etu's expression, the man knew that Suo'etu hadn't listened to him at all.

Although he felt uncomfortable, he still respectfully said, "Your subordinate will send someone to do it immediately."

After waving his hand to dismiss his subordinates, Songgotu muttered to himself in a low voice, "The Crown Prince is indeed the Crown Prince, but he should also know who needs whom more!"

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(End of this chapter)