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

Chapter 61 Reflecting on Danger, Retreat, and Change
Shi Jingrong is a true woman of great talent.

Her waist was supple and her figure graceful and elegant; in terms of appearance alone, she was already exceptionally beautiful. Every frown and smile was exquisitely beautiful.

What's particularly remarkable is that she is well-educated, intelligent, and beautiful inside and out; she is by no means a pretty but useless vase.

The fact that Emperor Qianxi was able to choose such an elegant, intelligent, and virtuous woman as his crown princess shows that he put a lot of thought into it.

However, the former crown prince did not know how to cherish them, so the couple gradually became like strangers.

Now, things are different!

Although Shi Jingrong felt that the Crown Prince was living a somewhat decadent life, and seemed to lack the vigor that a ruler should have.

However, in the palace, this kind of companionship can bring a gentle state of mind.

In her heart, the Crown Prince was like a tree. As long as he could be with her often, life would be wonderful and incredibly interesting!
She knew very well the saying, "Think thrice before you act."

The Crown Prince's phrase "think thrice" likely refers to thinking about danger, retreat, and change.

This is clearly a warning to Suo'etu!
However, Shi Jingrong felt that saying it this way was a bit inappropriate.

She already knew why the Crown Prince had lost his apricot-yellow robe.

Although I feel a little regretful, I shouldn't have changed it.

But upon closer examination, it's not entirely unacceptable.

After all, compared to being harsh and ungrateful, the apricot-colored robe wasn't that important.

Shi Jingrong could guess the purpose behind Suo'etu's eagerness to see him.

She knew that the apricot-yellow robe was Suo'etu's masterpiece, and now that it was gone, Suo'etu would naturally be furious.

However, the Crown Prince's treatment of Songgotu was a further step in estrangement from Songgotu.

This seems to be...

Regardless, Songgotu was the Crown Prince's staunchest supporter.

Therefore, after Shen Ye said that a wise man should think thrice before acting, she hesitated for a moment and still advised Shen Ye: "Your Highness, Prime Minister Suo is no ordinary person."

"Won't it hurt Prime Minister Suo's feelings if you don't see him?"

"Some things are better left unsaid."

Seeing the Crown Princess's concerned expression, Shen Ye knew that his wife was saying these things for his sake.

He hesitated for a moment before continuing to hold Shi Jingrong's hand and said, "Meeting at this time will only lead to arguments."

"It would be better not to meet."

"I have said everything I needed to say."

"If Suo'etu can understand, that would be best; if he can't understand, then he can't blame anyone else."

At this point, he waved to Zhou Bao and said, "Go ahead."

Just then, the goose feather used as a fishing float suddenly moved. Shen Ye quickly reeled in the line, and in the sunlight, a carp with its body shimmering with golden light leaped out of the water.

Although Zhou Bao was somewhat afraid of Suo'etu, he quickly went to Suo'etu's side as instructed by the Crown Prince.

"Prime Minister Suo, the Crown Prince said he is not feeling well and will not be seeing anyone today."

After saying these words, Zhou Bao saw that Suo'etu was furious.

His heart skipped a beat, for the person before him was none other than the renowned Suo'etu.

He has been following Emperor Qianxi since he took personal control of the government, and now he is on par with Mingzhu, making him a powerful and influential figure in the court.

Even though he was the crown prince's confidant, in the eyes of such a person, he was as insignificant as a blade of grass.

"What if this old minister insists on seeing me?" Soetu took a deep breath, his voice tinged with a roar.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Bao inwardly cursed his rudeness, but dared not refute it.

He quickly said, "The Crown Prince just said that he has something to tell Prime Minister Suo."

"The Crown Prince said, 'A wise man should think thrice before he acts!'"

Upon hearing this, Suo'etu's face grew even more unpleasant. Zhou Bao felt that Suo'etu at this moment was like a lion about to explode.

He hesitated for a moment, then reminded Songgotu, "Prime Minister Songgotu, this is Changchun Garden." The implication of "this is Changchun Garden" was that Emperor Qianxi was also here.

If you make a scene, you'll be the one who loses face in the end.

Upon hearing this, Songgotu finally calmed down completely.

He gave Zhou Bao a deep look, then said calmly, "Please inform the Crown Prince that I will keep his teachings in mind."

"This old minister also has something to say, and I would like to ask the eunuch to convey it to the Crown Prince."

Seeing that Suo'etu was not going crazy, Zhou Bao immediately felt relieved.

He quickly said, "Minister Suo, please speak freely."

"I will certainly convey this to His Highness the Crown Prince."

Soetu didn't take Zhou Bao's attitude too seriously.

In front of Emperor Qianxi, he was someone who didn't even care much about Liang Jiugong, so why would he care about a small eunuch like Zhou Bao?

He said calmly, "Please tell the Crown Prince that being close to virtuous ministers and keeping away from petty men is why the Former Han Dynasty prospered; being close to petty men and keeping away from virtuous ministers is why the Later Han Dynasty declined."

"I urge Your Highness to ponder and study more, and to understand the true meaning of these words."

After saying this, Suo'etu turned and left.

Although Zhou Bao was a eunuch, he had some education.

He happened to have read Zhuge Liang's "Memorial on Dispatching the Troops".

So this sentence isn't hard to remember!
He immediately said "Respectfully seeing off Minister Suo" and quickly walked towards the waterside pavilion of Taoyuan Study.

Shen Ye was still fishing, but not far away, on a grill made of silver frost charcoal, a carp had just been caught and was beginning to turn golden brown, emitting a fragrant aroma.

A young eunuch who had worked odd jobs in the imperial kitchen was baking. Although his movements were not very skillful, the aroma emanating from the oven was irresistible.

When Zhou Bao approached, he saw Shen Ye holding the Crown Princess's hand, speaking to her in a serious manner. The Crown Princess smiled shyly, her eyes sparkling with spring.

This situation left Zhou Bao at a loss for what to do.

He should have reported it immediately, but now that his two masters were in a good mood, would he be beaten to death if he suddenly interrupted?

It was the Crown Princess who saw Zhou Bao. She gently withdrew her hand and said, "Your Highness, Zhou Bao has arrived."

Shen Ye glanced at Zhou Bao, then smiled and said to Shi Jingrong, "I'll read your palm later."

"Let me tell you, I've studied palmistry, you might not believe me."

Shi Jingrong rolled her eyes at Shen Ye, her face flushed red, but she smiled secretly.

The crown prince said he was destined to have many children and be blessed with good fortune, and that he would have at least three sons. This... this is truly...

"Is Suo Xiang gone?" Shen Ye asked Zhou Bao.

Zhou Bao said respectfully, "Prime Minister Suo has left, but he seemed very angry when he left."

In this regard, Zhou Bao responded honestly.

Shen Ye remained silent, continuing to stare at Zhou Bao.

"Your Highness, after hearing what you told him, Prime Minister Suo asked me to tell you something before he left."

After a moment's thought, Zhou Bao said in a deep voice, "Prime Minister Su asked me to tell you: 'To be close to virtuous ministers and keep away from petty men is why the Former Han Dynasty prospered; to be close to petty men and keep away from virtuous ministers is why the Later Han Dynasty declined.'"

Upon hearing this, Shen Ye almost burst out laughing.

He was telling Songgotu that he should consider stepping down, but Songgotu shamelessly told him that if he wanted to secure his position as crown prince, he needed to get close to Songgotu.

It is clear at a glance who is a virtuous minister and who is a villain.

The implications of prosperity and decline are self-evident.

At this moment, Shen Ye had only one thought in his mind: Good advice is useless against a damned ghost!

Some people just choose to die rather than live a good life.

In a split second, Shen Ye stopped paying attention to his thoughts.

A person who's courting death can't be stopped even by eight oxen!
　I'm asking for your support, everyone! I'll take all your votes and even your requests to follow my new book!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)