Chapter 485 A helping hand
Jun Moyong sighed helplessly upon hearing this.
"Cousin, ever since that conversation with you that day, I've been unable to sleep at night these past few days. The Crown Prince is the noble heir apparent and the eldest brother. He has been favored by our father, the Emperor, and the Empress Dowager since he was young. He also has the support of countless ministers in the court. My brothers and I have always been in awe of him."
Jun Moye held the teacup calmly after hearing this.
"Well, the Crown Prince is the eldest son of the Emperor's uncle, so naturally he is highly regarded by the Emperor's uncle and the Empress."
Seeing that Jun Moye didn't respond to his words and was just perfunctory, Jun Moyong had no choice but to continue speaking.
"To be honest, cousin, when you said the other day that the Crown Prince was disregarding human life and buying and selling official positions, I didn't believe it at first. After all, he's already the crown prince, and it's only a matter of time before he ascends to that position. There's really no need to rush things. But I also know that you, cousin, have always been the most stable among us brothers. I respect you just as much as the Crown Prince does. I respect the Crown Prince because he's the crown prince and the eldest brother, but I respect you, cousin, because you have a kind heart and outstanding talent since childhood."
Jun Moye smiled and spoke after hearing this.
"Ayong, you're too kind. Among all the princes, I have to say something disrespectful. I think the one that the emperor's uncle has chosen may not be the best. The position of crown prince should be filled by the wisest. It doesn't necessarily have to be the eldest son or the legitimate heir. After all, a qualified crown prince is one who puts the people first."
Jun Moyong looked slightly surprised.
"Cousin, do you think the crown prince should be a virtuous person?"
Jun Moye picked up the teacup and spoke slowly.
"This is just a few words between you and me, brother. Don't let anyone else hear it, otherwise it will bring trouble to you and me. When my royal grandfather was alive, I was often by his side. You know that my royal grandfather once said two words to me, and I still remember them clearly."
Jun Moyong spoke hurriedly upon hearing this.
"Ayong is willing to listen to the teachings of his royal grandfather and cousin."
"Officials don't symbolize power, but rather they are the people's parents. A ruler doesn't represent the power of life and death, but rather the will of the people. The court is full of officials of all stripes, and those in power must set an example. If those in power engage in corruption and bribery, focusing only on power and ignoring the people, won't the civil and military officials below follow suit? Over time, the people will suffer, the world will be in chaos, and a dynasty will soon collapse."
Jun Moyong straightened his expression after listening and murmured something in a low voice.
"The king must set an example... Cousin, this is something the crown prince should listen to. It's very well said. In fact, I have seen a lot over the years. The children of our Jun family are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, rich and noble. Even if they are not the heir to that position, they can still be a leisurely prince, or at the very least, a county prince.
"But I've also seen the common people at the bottom toil for years just to fill their stomachs, and some people in this imperial city beg for food with broken bowls. Those of us who have enjoyed the people's support since childhood should really pay more attention to the common people. Otherwise, we will be failing to show them respect."
Jun Moye nodded with appreciation when he heard this.
"As expected, I think you, Ayong, are a good person. If the people of Tianyuan knew what Ayong thought, I'm afraid they would be much happier and even have more expectations."
Upon hearing this, Jun Moyong looked at Jun Moye, and finally stood up and bowed to Jun Moye.
"Cousin, Yong was born stupid and has always been powerless in many things. Since you feel that the person is unworthy of his position, then, would you be willing to lend me a hand? You have been loved by the Royal Grandfather since you were young, and you have received the most guidance from him in your studies. If you are willing to guide Yong in the future, Yong will be happy to be the one who cares about the people."
Upon hearing this, Jun Moye looked at Jun Moyong and spoke after a moment.
"Ayong, that's being too formal. Since you take me, your cousin, seriously, I naturally treat you as a brother. Brothers should lend a helping hand if needed. Otherwise, what's the point of being brothers?"
Jun Moyong lowered his head and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes when he heard this. Although he and his mother had won over many people over the years, the important people still submitted to the prince's side.
If I could get the help of my cousin, it would be equivalent to getting the help of the entire Baise City. At that time, I would be able to compete with the prince. What's more, someone is already willing to help me pull the prince down, right?
"Then Ayong would like to thank you, cousin. In the future, please feel free to give me guidance. Ayong will definitely listen carefully and keep it in mind."
Upon hearing this, Jun Moye glanced at the chair next to him and motioned him to sit down.
"Since you are my brother, please sit down and talk."
Jun Moyong then sat down and looked at Jun Moye.
"Then, cousin, could you please let Ayong take a look at the evidence you mentioned last time about the Crown Prince buying and selling official positions? If there is indeed strong evidence proving that the Crown Prince is corrupt, accepting bribes, and buying and selling official positions, I will sacrifice my own family for the sake of the people of Tianyuan."
Jun Moye spoke in a deep voice after hearing this.
"Zhang Youqing, the governor of Fengcheng, was only a juren a few years ago, but he first became a minor official, and then became a county magistrate. In such a short time, he became the governor and was in charge of an entire city. If he was truly virtuous and talented, it wouldn't be surprising if he was promoted to the third rank in a few years. However, this person has no talent or virtue, and he has been exploiting the people of Fengcheng, making wrongful convictions, and has close ties with the Hua and Qian families.
"I ordered people to investigate and found out that this man's family had been in business for many years and was extremely wealthy. He bought his title as a juren (a successful candidate) and later used that money to buy official positions, using them to climb the career ladder. However, his family was already extremely wealthy, so the money he collected didn't stay with the Zhang family. Instead, it was passed on to the Qian family and eventually ended up in the hands of the Crown Prince."
As he said this, he gave Qinggu a look.
Qinggu took out an account book and handed it to Jun Moyong.
Jun Moye continued to speak.
"This is the account book between them, and there are two letters in it."
Jun Moyong looked at the records above with shock in his eyes. He hurriedly opened the other two letters, looked at the contents above, and looked at Jun Moye with shock.
"Cousin, if an official committed this crime, it would be enough to make him lose his official hat."
Then he closed the account book.
"If my guess is correct, cousin, you should have more than just this account book and these two letters."
Upon hearing this, Jun Moye looked at him and spoke frankly.
"You are quite clever, Ayong. Although we have been good friends since childhood, we are in the royal family after all. Some things cannot be just about friendship. We still have to consider the overall situation and see if you are someone worthy of the respect of the people of Tianyuan. So, I will wait and see how you perform next."
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