132: I have no interest in the position of crown prince.

Chapter 132: Slapping the Crown Prince in Court! I'm Not Interested in the Position of Crown Prince! (23)

Several days later, on the eve of the court assembly.

The Crown Prince encountered Fan Xian, who was attending court for the first time, in the corridor.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, good morning!”

The Crown Prince felt a bit uneasy about this court assembly, because the people he sent to Shijia Town to massacre the town had not returned.

Although they were all his loyal assassins, the fact that they had vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead, always made him anxious.

Because of his foresight, Li Chang'an knew that the Crown Prince would pull such a stunt, so he had already arranged for masters from the local Net to lie in ambush.

Those loyal assassins were indeed dedicated; after a few were captured, they refused to speak, dead or alive.

“Fan Xian, you’ve been impeached by the Censorate. Why haven’t you written a memorial in your own defense?”

Fan Xian shrugged and said, “The Censorate hasn’t urged me to!”

In the original plot, Fan Xian’s sting operation against Eunuch Dai led to a furious impeachment from the Censorate.

Faced with the impeachment, Fan Xian refused to submit a memorial in his own defense as per custom, which enraged the Censorate.

Later, Fan Xian even sent the Censorate a message of “yelping and barking madly” and submitted a memorial titled “Corrupt Officials in Power,” further infuriating the Censorate.

All these actions were meant to provoke the Censorate into thoroughly investigating him and Eunuch Dai.

In this way, his sting operation, using the Censorate’s hand, uncovered the corruption in the Jian Shu Bureau.

However, the current Fan Xian’s sting operation was not entirely successful; the three thousand silver notes were publicly torn up by Li Chengze.

Moreover, the Censorate, from top to bottom, was in a muddled rush, all focused on the Imperial Treasury smuggling case, and no one paid attention to whether Fan Xian had submitted a memorial in his own defense.

The Crown Prince reminded him, “Lai Mingcheng is really going all out today. Although the main target is Second Prince, you should be careful that Lai Mingcheng doesn’t make an example of you.”

Fan Xian pointed to the memorial in his sleeve and said, “I’m also here for Li Chengze today.”

“I didn’t even get the silver notes that day, and I had already reported it to Director Chen beforehand.

No matter how good Lai Mingcheng is at impeaching, he has no reason to impeach me!”

The Crown Prince shook his head, “Imperial censors are extremely skilled at impeaching people. They can always find unexpected and tricky reasons. You must be very careful in how you respond.”

Fan Xian cupped his hands to the Crown Prince, “Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness!”

“Oh, and please trouble Your Highness to find someone who understands court etiquette to teach me how to attend court.”

Subsequently, the Crown Prince summoned Xin Qiwu from the Court of State Ceremonial, “Xin Qiwu is specifically responsible for court etiquette and also has the duty of supervising the demeanor of officials. He is the most suitable to teach you!”

Xin Qiwu led Fan Xian to the main hall for the court assembly, and Fan Xian couldn’t help but lament that this wasn’t the main hall and the place was a bit small.

Actually, Emperor Qing felt that people stood too far away in the main hall to hear clearly, so he changed to a smaller palace for court assemblies.

Below the Emperor’s throne, the Crown Prince, who had already taken his place, stood on the left. That was where the princes stood.

On the right were two seats. Qin Ye, the Chief Military Commissioner, was sound asleep in one seat, and the other seat was for Prime Minister Lin Ruofu.

Fan Xian encountered Lai Mingcheng, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. The latter indeed glared at him, as if he was about to pull out a memorial and impeach him immediately.

The ministers all stood in their assigned positions, only Fan Xian was still standing in the very middle, looking around. After all, it was his first time attending court, so he was curious!

In the corridor outside the court, Li Chengze finally stopped Li Chang'an.

“Uncle Prince Yong, I really didn’t expect to fall into your hands.”

Li Chengze looked very haggard, and his voice trembled slightly.

These days, the little alpaca must have been terrified.

Li Chang'an said indifferently, “Falling into my hands is the happiest outcome for you, your best ending.”

Li Chang'an’s attack this time came without any warning, making him feel very sudden.

Even now, he found it completely unbelievable that the person who would lead to his complete downfall was Uncle Prince Yong.

Li Chengze took a few deep breaths and said, “Uncle Prince Yong, what exactly do you want to do? Do you have to see me completely defeated?”

Li Chang'an stared at Li Chengze and said, “You can’t be a whetstone; you’ll be played to death.”

“The old man never intended to pass the throne to you. Don’t let him toy with you anymore.”

Li Chang'an was a Great Grandmaster. He casually used the Heavenly One Method to release a wisp of True Qi shield, confining their conversation to a very small area.

Speaking of a whetstone, Li Chengze, of course, knew what that meant.

Over the years, he had gradually come to understand that he was merely a whetstone for the Crown Prince.

However, the temptation of the position of Emperor was simply too great, making it truly difficult for him to let go.

“Uncle Prince Yong, once you embark on this path, there’s no turning back. If I retreat, it’s death!”

Li Chang'an waved his hand, “Don’t worry, with me here, you won’t die.”

Li Chengze still said unconvinced, “Are you so certain that I don’t have even a sliver of a chance to win?”

Li Chang'an’s answer was unequivocal, “Absolutely no such possibility!”

The Second Prince was so angry he blew his hair, “Uncle Prince Yong, you are only His Majesty’s brother, and you are marrying a princess from an enemy country. You have even less of a chance!”

Li Chang'an patted Li Chengze’s shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, this Prince is a diamond whetstone; I will surely shatter that blade!”

Li Chang'an was very glad that even though he had dealt a harsh blow to Li Chengze, Li Chengze’s emotional value only plummeted sharply, yet he did not develop hatred.

Just for this, this nephew deserved a helping hand.

Your grand rebellion, let this Prince take it on. You can’t handle it.

Your original Princess Consort, Ye Ling'er, is very capable in a fight. This Prince is afraid you can’t beat her, so let me take your place.

Li Chang'an and Li Chengze walked into the main hall side by side, and the hall instantly fell silent.

These two walking together was truly too strange.

Everyone knew that the storm against the Second Prince brewing in the Imperial Capital was initiated by Li Chang'an.

But now, these two were actually chatting as if nothing had happened.

However, those with better eyesight could see that Li Chengze’s Face was pale, and his hand tucked into his sleeve was constantly trembling.

Because he knew that the inescapable trap Li Chang'an had set for him was something he couldn’t possibly break.

But just a few days ago, he realized that all his struggles were useless.

Even seeking Li Yunrui was futile. He suddenly had a faint sense of relief.

He suddenly felt that he finally didn’t have to compete anymore; it was so relaxing!

This feeling was very strange. He knew he shouldn't have such thoughts, but he just couldn't suppress them more and more.

Anyway, it was hopeless. The fact that several major government offices could investigate him itself had His Majesty’s tacit approval.

In the Face of various irrefutable evidence, merely surviving would be a very good outcome for him.

So, the current Li Chengze had a sense of relief as if his heart were dead ashes.

After a brief silence, various hushed discussions quietly began in the main hall.

With Li Chang'an’s cultivation, he naturally heard all these discussions clearly.

“I heard that His Highness Prince Yong has been showing off his talents recently. It doesn’t seem like it, though; he still has that gentle and refined scholar-like appearance.”

“Yes, his eyes aren’t looking at the throne, and he’s very cordial with the Second Prince. He doesn’t look as fierce as the legends say.”

“After all, it’s a court assembly; rules must be followed. Even the most flamboyant personality has to restrain himself a bit.”

“Exactly. Court assemblies prioritize dignity; it’s not a private imperial family banquet.”

...The two walked all the way to below the Emperor’s throne, saw the Crown Prince chuckle, and then suddenly darted back two steps, giving up his position.

“Uncle Prince Yong, stand here.”

The voice wasn’t loud, but it attracted the attention of almost everyone!

The Crown Prince wanted to give his position to Prince Yong!

The hall, which had been buzzing moments before, instantly fell silent!

Lin Ruofu watched the two with an expressionless Face. Qin Ye, who was snoring, actually half-opened his eyes and watched the uncle and nephew below the throne.

In the past six months, rumors about Li Chang'an had been rampant.

Especially Li Chang'an’s actions at the city gate and during the imperial family banquet had long been known throughout official circles.

Everyone knew that Li Chang'an did not take the Crown Prince seriously, and even showed signs of vying for the succession.

This was a court assembly, the highest seat of power in the Great Qing Dynasty. Could anyone just stand in the Crown Prince’s position?

In the past, during court assemblies, the order of standing was Crown Prince, Prince Yong, Second Prince.

Today, the order should be Crown Prince, Prince Yong, First Prince, Second Prince.

The Crown Prince was the heir apparent, his position higher than other princes and imperial sons.

The seemingly smiling Crown Prince was harboring ill intentions.

If Li Chang'an dared to stand in the Crown Prince’s position, it would definitely be an act of usurpation.

If Li Chang'an didn’t dare to stand there, then the Crown Prince would have, in a way, won a round in the matter of Li Chang'an not taking him seriously recently.

No matter how unrestrained you, Prince Yong, are, it’s just talk. If you were truly asked to stand in the Crown Prince’s position, you wouldn’t dare, would you?

So, the Crown Prince wanted to curb Li Chang'an’s recent arrogance.

Many ministers understood clearly in their hearts that it seemed the Second Prince’s influence was waning, and now the Crown Prince and Prince Yong were already at loggerheads.

Li Chang'an’s recent actions were indeed arbitrary, which was because as a Great Grandmaster, he didn’t want to be constrained and bothered to give anyone Face.

But this didn’t mean that Li Chang'an would deliberately seek trouble for the sake of showing off.

Nor did it mean that if others dug a pit, he would jump into it with his eyes open.

Imperial power in society emphasized rules, and court assemblies were where rules were most important.

Xin Qiwu of the Court of State Ceremonial was still reminding officials everywhere to pay attention to their appearance and conduct.

Li Chang'an’s Face was ashen, and he pointed to the position the Crown Prince had given up.

“What kind of place are you asking me to stand in?”

The Crown Prince had a false smile on his Face, “Of course, it’s the position where the Crown Prince stands...”

Li Chengqian hadn’t even finished speaking when his vision suddenly blurred, and his Face was struck as if by fire!

By the time he reacted, he had already been directly sent flying by Li Chang'an!

Immediately after, Li Chang'an’s angry reprimand suddenly echoed in the silent court!

“You ignorant scoundrel!”

“This is the court! The Crown Prince’s position is designated by His Majesty! How can you privately bestow it upon another!”

“Today is a court assembly! How can it be like a family banquet where positions are arranged by seniority? As a member of the imperial family, the nation comes before family! Do you understand?!”

“Li Chengqian, you’ve learned rules since childhood, yet your speech and actions are so improper. Today, this Prince will teach you a good lesson on behalf of Imperial Brother!”

The sudden turn of events caused all the ministers in the court to freeze, too shocked to utter a single word!

Chen Pingping, who had just entered, subtly curved his lips, as if he had seen something amusing.

Lin Ruofu’s pupils dilated, and Qin Ye was so startled that he sat upright.

What was happening? How had the times changed so much?!

Someone dared to publicly slap the current Crown Prince before the court assembly!

Fan Xian was dumbfounded, his heart pounding. He clearly felt that Prince Yong had gone berserk ever since the First Grand Poetry Gathering!

He completely seemed fearless of anything!

Li Chengqian clutched his gradually swelling cheek, looking at Li Chang'an in disbelief!

Uncle Prince Yong, he doesn’t play by the rules!

Who would dare to directly hit the Crown Prince? Compared to this, the Second Prince is simply gentle and considerate!

Li Chengze’s mouth twitched in shock, and a glimmer of light suddenly returned to his numb eyes.

Li Chengqian, ah, Li Chengqian, your days ahead will probably not be easy!

Before, I couldn't stand your hypocritical performance, at most I'd huff and puff, but Uncle Prince Yong actually lays hands on people!

The First Prince, with quick eyes and hands, immediately rushed forward and embraced Li Chang'an’s raised leg.

“Uncle Prince Yong, please calm your anger. The Crown Prince also respected you by offering his position; he just forgot the rules for a moment.”

If Li Chengru hadn’t reacted quickly enough, Li Chang'an’s kick would have already landed on the Crown Prince’s backside.

As Li Chengru restrained Li Chang'an, the officials in the hall finally reacted. The most intense reaction came from the Crown Prince’s faction.

“Your Highness Prince Yong, how dare you publicly assault the Crown Prince!”

“Prince Yong, how dare you! The Crown Prince is the heir apparent of the nation, how can you insult him like this!”

“Prince Yong is outrageous! Even His Majesty has never hit the Crown Prince!”

A dozen or so mid-level officials stepped forward, accusing Li Chang'an of being disrespectful.

Li Chang'an, held back by Li Chengru, then turned around and stood properly, as if nothing had happened.

He certainly wouldn't fall into the trap Li Chengqian had dug, but he couldn't possibly not respond to Li Chengqian's provocation.

You hypocritical, vile little drama queen, who are you performing for?! You’re just asking for a beating!

If this kid isn’t taught a lesson for this kind of thing, these disgusting little tricks will emerge endlessly in the future.

A dignified Great Grandmaster has no time to play games with the Crown Prince.

Just then, a bell rang from outside the main hall.

The ministers who had been yelling at Li Chang'an immediately shut their mouths.

All the officials began to tidy their attire, and the Crown Prince also instantly stood up and returned to his position.

Fan Xian, who had just greeted Fan Jian, craned his neck, looking out the door.

“How many chimes will it be...”

Xin Qiwu was greatly alarmed and quickly went to pull Fan Xian to his position.

The ministers were all well aware of Fan Xian’s identity; he was His Majesty’s illegitimate son, no wonder he didn’t pay much attention to rules.

Emperor Qing, dressed in a dark robe, walked into the main hall, exuding an imposing aura as he headed towards the throne.

As he passed Li Chengqian, he saw the red handprint on the Crown Prince’s Face and stopped.

“Crown Prince, what happened to your Face?”

Emperor Qing, a Great Grandmaster, had already heard the ministers’ protests in the hall from dozens of feet away.

Li Chengqian stammered, “Just now, I wanted to let Uncle Prince Yong stand at the very front, but then Uncle Prince Yong hit me...”

“Hmph!”

Emperor Qing suddenly snorted in anger, then quickly walked two steps and sat on the throne.

“Well hit!”

Emperor Qing’s angry voice echoed through the main hall.

His Majesty actually said Li Chang'an hit well, which immediately caused indignation among the officials of the Crown Prince’s faction.

Even Lai Mingcheng was eager to act, thinking that hitting the Crown Prince in court should not be encouraged or condoned.

However, Emperor Qing then said with conviction, “The Crown Prince’s position must not be lightly moved!”

“Li Chengqian privately gave it up and was disciplined by your Imperial Uncle; he fully deserved it!”

The few ministers who were about to offer remonstrance at the risk of their lives immediately felt relieved.

This sentence seemed to criticize Li Chengqian, but in reality, it was a warning to Li Chang'an!

This statement stabilized the hearts of the Crown Prince’s partisans and also showed support for the Crown Prince.

Li Chang'an knew that Emperor Qing had begun to warn him.

When one of the factions vying for the succession became too powerful, Emperor Qing would step in to balance it.

This tactic was nothing new!

“Your Majesty is sagacious!”

“This subject is not interested in the position of Crown Prince, but he insisted on giving it to me.”

“This subject has never seen such a strange request and had no choice but to administer a small punishment!”

Emperor Qing sneered, “I know!”

“What you are interested in, however, is my throne!”