Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Zhu Han squatted down, staring at her corpse with an iron gaze.

He murmured softly, "Phoenix Seal... Empress."

He stood up, his voice as cold as the night wind:

"Zhao Wu, seal off all four gates; no one is allowed to enter or leave."

The hall was filled with the smoke of incense, and wisps of smoke rose from the sandalwood incense burner, carrying a faint scent of musk. From behind the curtain, the soft sound of a zither drifted out.

"Your Highness, did you come last night on important business?"

That was Empress Pei's voice, calm and gentle, yet carrying a hint of coldness.

Zhu Han stepped forward, his gaze piercing through the curtain, and saw her sitting in front of the zither, still wearing a light gold palace dress, her hair elegantly styled.

"Your Majesty, you're playing the zither late at night, your refined taste remains undiminished," Zhu Han said casually.

Empress Pei raised her eyes and smiled: "The zither can calm the mind. Your Highness's late-night visit, is there perhaps a new development in the case?"

Zhu Han said slowly, "There is progress, but also doubt."

Empress Pei stood with her zither and approached step by step: "I would like to hear the details."

Zhu Han gazed at her and whispered, "Zhao Ning is dead."

Empress Pei was slightly taken aback, then sighed softly, "What a pity. She has served me loyally for many years, and I know her to be cautious. How could she commit suicide?"

Zhu Han sneered: "Careful? The ring on her finger is a token of the 'Flying Crane Society'."

Empress Pei's expression changed slightly, but returned to normal in an instant: "Your Highness, do not believe the rumors. There are many rumors in the palace. If everything is taken as true, wouldn't that disrupt the order of the court?"

Zhu Han slowly approached: "Sister-in-law, the Crown Prince was poisoned, the Consort was framed, there were deaths in the Imperial Kitchen, a corpse was hidden in a secret passage, and the accounts were falsified—all the clues point to Fengyi Palace. If you say it's irrelevant, I really have to ask you—what exactly is the 'Phoenix Seal'?"

Empress Pei's expression finally changed.

"Who told you that?"

Zhu Han coldly replied, "The deceased is Zhao Ning."

A moment of silence. As the candlelight flickered, Empress Pei's smile gradually faded, replaced by an indescribable chill.

She slowly turned around and stepped into the inner hall.

"If Your Highness wishes to see, please come in."

The interior layout differs significantly from the outer hall. A huge embroidered phoenix curtain hangs on the wall, its golden threads shimmering, exuding a solemn aura.

In the center of the hall sits a sandalwood box, carved with phoenix patterns, its eyes inlaid with gold.

Empress Pei personally lifted the lid.

"This is the 'Phoenix Seal'."

Zhu Han stared intently inside—a box contained an ancient seal, its body made of blood jade, with strange and unusual patterns, and three small characters engraved on its base—

"By order of Heaven".

Zhu Han was startled, his voice low and deep: "This is... the late emperor's seal?!"

Empress Pei nodded: "That's right."

Zhu Han said in a deep voice, "This seal should have been buried with the late emperor, so why is it here?"

Empress Pei slowly turned around, her eyes flashing with a cold light: "Because—the late emperor did not hand over this seal to Your Majesty before his death."

Zhu Han's heart skipped a beat: "What do you mean?"

Empress Pei said softly, "The late emperor left two edicts, one public and one secret. The public edict established Emperor Taizu as emperor, while the secret edict appointed the holder of the 'Phoenix Seal' to oversee the country in order to prevent the court from falling into chaos. Do you know that this Phoenix Seal—should have been inherited by the late emperor's descendants?"

Zhu Han's expression changed drastically: "What crime has been committed by your words, sister-in-law?"

Empress Pei smiled, her expression almost eerily calm: "Your Highness, I am telling the truth. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, although the Zhu family was the foundation of the country, there were also descendants of the late emperor in the harem. The Flying Crane Society is merely a group of people who uphold the imperial edict—sworn to never let power fall into other hands."

Zhu Han asked in a low voice, "What about the Crown Prince being poisoned? Was that also 'obeying the imperial edict'?"

For the first time, Empress Pei's gaze wavered. She closed her eyes and said softly, "That was not my intention. Some people misunderstood, thinking that the Crown Prince would inherit the throne sooner or later and would strip me of my power of the Phoenix Seal... so they acted on their own initiative."

"Who?"

Empress Pei remained silent.

Zhu Han's voice suddenly turned cold and sharp: "It's the leader of the Flying Crane Society, isn't it?"

Empress Pei slowly opened her eyes, her tone as cold as frost: "The leader has been dead for three years."

Zhu Han was taken aback: "Dead? Then who's in charge now?"

Empress Pei raised her hand and pointed to the sky outside the palace: "You should ask the Emperor."

Zhu Han was jolted, as if struck by lightning: "Your Majesty?"

Empress Pei smiled faintly: "Do you think Feihe could run rampant in the palace for ten years without a trace? Who gave him the tacit approval?"

"Your Majesty intends to control the power of the palace through secret meetings, control the princes through the harem, and control the civil and military officials through flying cranes—the whole world is in your hands."

She sighed softly: "But now he's afraid you'll investigate too deeply, afraid that this whole game will be ruined by you."

Zhu Han's blood churned in his chest, and his fingers gripping the sword trembled slightly.

"Your Majesty... you actually knew about this?"

Empress Pei said in a low voice, "If you really want to protect the Crown Prince, stop investigating. Because the next one to die will be you."

Zhu Han's gaze was icy cold as he slowly took a step back: "Sister-in-law, do you really think I would back down?"

Empress Pei gazed at him quietly, a hint of sorrow flashing across her face: "Brother Han, you are so much like the late emperor—intelligent, calm, and ruthless. It's a pity that intelligent people don't live long."

Suddenly, a gust of wind arose outside the hall.

Zhao Wu burst in, shouting, "Your Highness! Outside... the Imperial Guards are here!"

Zhu Han turned his head sharply. Outside the palace, flames raged, and armor clanged. The commander of the Imperial Guards shouted, "By His Majesty's decree—capture Prince Zhu Han and imprison him in the imperial prison to investigate his treason!"

Zhao Wu's expression changed drastically: "Your Highness! They've made their move!"

Zhu Han turned to look at Empress Pei, only to see that she was calm, as if she had expected it.

“Your Highness,” she said softly, “this plan is now complete. The matter of the Phoenix Seal must not be spread any further.”

Zhu Han's gaze turned sinister as he slowly drew his sword.

"I'd like to see who dares to enter the Phoenix Palace!"

The Imperial Guards swarmed forward, and the palace doors were smashed open in an instant, illuminating the entire palace with flames.

Zhu Han cleaved the halberds of the soldiers in front of him with a single sword strike, a flash of cold light rising. Zhao Wu stood protectively to his side, fighting back-to-back with the remnants of the Tianji Camp.

The blood-red light reflected on the phoenix seal, and the blood-jade seal seemed to be devouring the light.

Empress Pei stood in the center of the hall, her expression complex, and murmured, "The Zhu family...in the end, could not escape their fate."

Suddenly, a furious shout rang out through the night sky—

"stop!"

A figure in a golden robe emerged from the firelight—it was Zhu Yuanzhang.

Lin Jun knelt down in unison. Only the firelight and breathing remained inside the hall.

Zhu Han, sword in hand and covered in blood, slowly turned around.

"Brother Royal."

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze was like iron, coldly staring at him and the phoenix seal on the ground.

"You shouldn't have come here."

Zhu Han said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, investigate the truth."

"The truth?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered. "The truth is that you trespassed into the Empress's palace, were disrespectful and rebellious, and dared to pry into state secrets!"

"Your Majesty!" Zhu Han roared, "The Crown Prince was poisoned, the Consort was wrongly accused, and Fei He fled the palace—all because of the chaos surrounding the Phoenix Seal! If it weren't for my investigation, how would we have known that Your Majesty knew everything all along?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression changed drastically, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

"presumptuous!"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze.

Zhu Han said, word by word, "Your Majesty, if you truly believe in my loyalty, please allow me to hand over this Phoenix Seal to the Crown Prince. Otherwise, today will be the day I, Zhu Han, die!"

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly raised his hand.

The imperial guards around them drew their bows.

Empress Pei closed her eyes.

Just then, a scream rang out!
Zhao Wu suddenly lunged at Zhu Han: "Your Highness, be careful!"

"Whoosh-!"

The arrow pierced the air with a piercing sound. Blood splattered.

Zhu Han turned around and saw that Zhao Wu had been shot in the chest with an arrow, and blood was gushing out.

"Your Highness..." he murmured, "Don't believe... the Emperor..." Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed to the ground.

Zhu Han's eyes were bloodshot, his anger surging. He raised his sword and roared, "Zhu Han is here—who dares to touch my brother!"

Sword light flashed furiously, flames trembled within the hall, the phoenix curtain was ripped apart, and tongues of fire swallowed the sky.

Empress Pei cried out in alarm as the Phoenix Seal fell to the ground, the blood jade shattering in two.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was ashen and iron-like in the firelight.

The flames of Fengyi Palace illuminated half the sky. Zhu Han's sword was still dripping blood, and the burning curtains turned to ashes, swirling in the hall like a funeral shrouded in destiny.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood before the firelight, his golden robes fluttering, his expression as cold and resolute as iron. The sound of the phoenix seal shattering still echoed, like the end of some secret vow.

"Capture him—"

The Imperial Guards responded in unison.

Zhu Han swept his sword horizontally, the flames flashing backward. His eyes showed no sign of retreat, but rather grew colder. Zhao Wu's corpse lay on the ground, his blood staining the floor tiles red.

"Who dares—!" he roared, his voice echoing throughout the palace. "Anyone who takes another step forward, I will risk my life to make this Phoenix Palace a river of blood!"

The Imperial Guards hesitated for a moment.

Empress Pei stood behind the flames, her phoenix hairpin half-disheveled, her expression complex: "Your Highness, why do this? You have reached the end."

Zhu Han looked at her coldly: "The end? Sister-in-law, if the Phoenix Seal is truly 'by the decree of Heaven' as you say, then when it shatters, to whom will the Mandate of Heaven of the Ming Dynasty belong?"

Empress Pei was slightly taken aback, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.

Zhu Yuanzhang angrily shouted to stop him: "Zhu Han, you have already disrupted my palace and murdered my personal guards, and you still dare to deceive and mislead the public?"

Zhu Han turned around, his gaze deep: "Your Majesty, I have only one question—was the 'obeying the imperial edict' that Zhao Ning mentioned ordered by His Majesty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes darkened, but he did not answer.

The firelight cast a play of light and shadow on his face. That silence was more chilling than any rebuke.

Zhu Han's heart gradually grew cold.

“I see.” He said in a low voice, “So even ‘Flying Crane’… was my brother’s pawn.”

He suddenly laughed, a cold and bitter laugh: "Your Majesty uses secret meetings to control the harem, and the harem to control the princes. Under the Phoenix Seal, all are puppets."

Zhu Yuanzhang's anger was completely ignited, and he raised his hand and shouted, "Release the arrows!"

"stop--"

A sharp shout came from outside the hall, even louder than the arrow string.

Everyone turned around.

A red-biao eunuch stumbled into the firelight, holding a gold medal in his hand, his face streaked with tears: "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has awakened from his coma—he has ordered me to deliver this message!"

"The Crown Prince?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned.

Zhu Biao knelt down, panting, his voice sharp as a knife: "The Crown Prince said—please, Father, do not kill the Prince's uncle! Before the Crown Prince was poisoned, he secretly met with Zhao Ning in the Imperial Study—she claimed to have been ordered by His Majesty to switch the medicine! The Crown Prince...the Crown Prince said, if he is guilty—please, Father, punish only him, not the innocent!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

Empress Pei's expression changed completely.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to look at her, his gaze sharp as a blade.

"Empress," his voice was low and chilling, "did you truly—issue a secret order in my name?"

Empress Pei knelt down and slowly kowtowed: "Your Majesty... I am merely obeying the imperial edict. The Phoenix Seal bears the late Emperor's secret command—'Issued by the will of Heaven, without questioning the monarch.' Your Majesty dares not disobey."

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned ashen.

He reached out and shattered the fragments of the Phoenix Seal with a single palm strike.

"By imperial decree?" he sneered. "If the late emperor truly issued such an edict, how could anyone else be allowed to issue it? It's just your excuse!"

Empress Pei looked up, her eyes glistening with tears, and said, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? The late Emperor once said—'The Zhu family seized the throne and established the nation for the sake of the people, not for personal power! The Phoenix Seal was originally meant to prevent the emperor from wielding absolute power. I was merely following orders to guard it; what crime have I committed?"

"Insolence!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared. "You have falsely claimed the imperial edict, misleading the court. Your crime is unforgivable!"

The Imperial Guards raised their halberds, and a murderous aura suddenly filled the hall.

Zhu Han suddenly stepped in front of him, his voice low and deep: "Your Majesty—if you were to execute even the Empress today, then the chaos surrounding the Phoenix Seal would be irreversible. If you kill her, will you also kill the Crown Prince?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was shocked.

Empress Pei looked up at him, tears streaming down her face: "Your Majesty, the Phoenix Seal is shattered, and the Mandate of Heaven has been broken. Killing me is useless."

She slowly removed the phoenix hairpin, and her hair fell loose.

"Your Majesty, I know my crime."

Zhu Han stepped forward and whispered, "Royal Sister-in-law—"

Before she could finish speaking, Empress Pei suddenly turned around and slammed her palm onto the fragment of the Phoenix Seal. The sharp jade horn instantly cut open her wrist, and blood gushed out, staining the bottom of the seal red.

Zhu Yuanzhang roared, "Guards—stop the bleeding!"

Empress Pei, however, smiled.

That laugh carried a sense of utter relief.

"With the Phoenix Seal destroyed, the secret edict is lost forever. The Zhu family's empire now belongs to the Zhu family."

Her body slowly fell, her eyes still fixed on Zhu Yuanzhang: "Your Majesty... the Phoenix Seal is ultimately your shackle."

The flames inside the hall crackled and popped.

Empress Pei's fragrance faded away.

Zhu Han stood silently for a long time, then lowered his head and sighed.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath.

"Put out the fire," he said hoarsely. "Seal the palace and do not let anyone know."

The following day, Fengyi Palace was designated as a forbidden area.

The Imperial Medical Academy, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Imperial Guard were all ordered not to enter.

The entire palace was shrouded in a repressive silence.

Zhu Han was placed under house arrest in the Jingsi Hall. Outsiders spread rumors that he had "broken into the Empress's palace at night and disobeyed orders, injuring guards," but there was no imperial edict, no punishment. Only heavily guarded armor stood outside the cold palace.

Three days of silence.

On the fourth day at dusk, a golden figure stepped into the hall.

Zhu Han looked up and saw Zhu Yuanzhang.

He was still wearing a golden robe, but a few strands of white had appeared at his temples.

"Your Majesty." Zhu Han stood up and bowed slightly.

"Sit down," Zhu Yuanzhang said in a low voice.

The two were relatively speechless.

The setting sun slanted outside the window, casting shadows on the ground, clearly resembling two cracks in the sky.

After a long silence, Zhu Yuanzhang spoke: "The Phoenix Seal is broken."

“Your subject knows.”

"The Empress has also left."

"Your younger brother also knows."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him and said, "I didn't want to kill her. She was too clever, clever enough to see through my heart. Unfortunately—clever people always forget who they are."

Zhu Han remained silent.

"Brother Han," Zhu Yuanzhang said slowly, "do you know why I'm keeping you here?"

Zhu Han shook his head.

"Because I cannot trust others." Zhu Yuanzhang looked out the window at the sky. "The crown prince is young, and the court officials are often self-serving. If you die, I will have no one to rely on after my death."

Zhu Han's expression changed slightly: "Brother... do you believe me?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked back, his gaze complex.

"I believe in your loyalty, but not in your heart."

Zhu Han gave a wry smile.

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed: "Regarding the Phoenix Seal, I will remove her from the list for the crime of 'spreading rumors and misleading the public.' Outsiders do not know the truth and only think that the female officials in the harem are plotting rebellion. Empress Zhaoning and Empress Pei both acted on private edicts. This case ends here."

Zhu Han looked up: "What about the Flying Crane Society?"

"I have ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct a thorough investigation, and all those implicated will be executed."

Zhu Han clenched his fist slightly: "Does Your Majesty know that those people are not rebels—they are merely those who uphold the imperial edict."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered: "Guarding the imperial edict? Whose edict? Whose empire? If I don't eliminate them, they will one day try to take over my throne!" (End of Chapter)