Since the last family banquet, the Fourth Prince has been troubled by the job arrangements for the Eighth and Ninth Princes. He thought the Ninth Prince was just talking nonsense while drunk, but unexpectedly, in order to coerce the Fourth Prince into agreeing to their demands, he joined forces with old officials to petition the court several times to persuade the Fourth Prince.
On this day, the Thirteenth Prince came to see the Fourth Prince specifically about this matter. As soon as he stepped into the Imperial Study, he heard the Fourth Prince throw the memorial on the ground with a thud.
Thirteen paused briefly, then casually went in to pay his respects to Fourth Prince. He intended to share some recent pleasant experiences to ease Fourth Prince's mood, but before he could even speak, Fourth Prince tossed him several memorials.
The Thirteenth Prince opened them one by one, and without exception, they were all memorials urging the Fourth Prince to arrange jobs for the Eighth and Ninth Princes.
"These ambitious wolves, Your Majesty, just ignore them. Why add to your troubles for them..." The Thirteenth Prince understood the Fourth Prince's feelings. How could he be at peace sitting in this position?
The Fourth Prince frowned and said angrily, "Do you think I can pretend this never happened just because I ignore it? Do you really think the Eighth and Ninth Princes will obediently refrain from taking any action? This is only part of the report; later, I'll probably hear accusations that I'm harsh on my brothers and heartless..."
The Thirteenth Prince, indignant, threw down the memorial in his hand and blurted out, "Heartless and ungrateful? If my brother had truly hardened his heart and acted heartlessly back then, there probably wouldn't be so much trouble now... They are not only ungrateful and ungrateful, but they are also trying to use public opinion to blackmail my brother. I can't stand by and watch..."
"Alright, alright, we can't pretend to be blind and deaf forever, we'll have to face it eventually... After much thought, I've decided to send the Eighth Prince to the Ministry of Works. Xu Shaowen is there, isn't he? That'll provide some checks and balances. Also, I've arranged for Princess Yong'an's husband, Bo Cheng, to perform a ceremony at the Ministry of Rites." The Fourth Prince said, "As for the Ninth Prince... I'll have to think about it some more..."
Seeing that the Fourth Prince had already compromised, the Thirteenth Prince was unwilling, but there was nothing he could do. He could only be indignant in his heart and try to keep an eye on the Fourth Prince both openly and secretly.
Thirteenth Master thought for a moment, then smiled and said to Fourth Master, "As for Ninth Brother, I know a good place, suitable for his impulsive and hot-tempered nature..."
Fourth Master raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Oh? Where are you referring to?"
The Thirteenth Prince leaned closer and said with a smile, "The Bureau of Foreign Affairs!"
"The Foreign Affairs Office? This... is a good place..."
The Thirteenth Prince said, "Your Majesty, you see, the Foreign Affairs Office deals specifically with foreigners. No matter how fierce Ninth Brother's temper is, the foreigners won't understand him. It would be best if it could temper his arrogance, so he wouldn't be thinking about how to oppose Your Majesty all the time..."
Fourth Master laughed heartily, pointing at Thirteenth Master with his finger: "You, you're full of tricks! But this time you really helped me a lot. Eighth Master has Xu Shaowen in the Ministry of Works, and Ninth Master is only in charge of liaison and business with foreign countries in the Foreign Affairs Office. Although the titles are grand, they don't actually have any real power..."
Thirteenth Master paused, his face showing worry: "But I'm still worried that even though Fourth Brother has gone to such lengths to arrange their positions, what if they still try to sabotage us in secret?"
The Fourth Prince stood up and walked to the Thirteenth Prince's side, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "I cannot bear the reputation of being heartless and ungrateful, and I cannot let the world think that I disregard the lives of my brothers for the sake of the throne and imperial power. As for the Eighth and Ninth Princes, even if I don't assign them tasks, they still won't give up. It's better to let them have their way. If they don't do well in the end, I have ways to deal with them."
The Thirteenth Prince chuckled and scratched his head, then said awkwardly, "Your Majesty is so thoughtful, assigning them insignificant tasks. If they do well, all is well. But if they don't, Your Majesty mustn't be soft-hearted then..."
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