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

Zhu Han gave a cold laugh and turned to leave.

Prince Qing suddenly spoke up: "Are you sure you can leave?"

Suddenly, footsteps sounded from the shadows, and more than ten shadow guards emerged from behind the wall, their blades flashing.

Zhu Han drew his sword with a backhand motion, a flash of cold light scattering shredded paper. The blade pierced flesh, blood splattering from the eaves.

In an instant, bloodshed and carnage erupted within the Eastern Depot.

Zhu Han fought against ten opponents, but was eventually cornered and stabbed in the shoulder.

Prince Qing approached, smiling: "Prince Zhennan, you're nothing special."

Zhu Han suddenly threw something out—the secret edict on yellow silk. The candle flames swirled, and the edict burst into flames.

"The imperial edict is in my heart, not on paper."

Prince Qing's expression changed drastically, and he rushed forward, only to be kicked over by Zhu Han.

The flames devoured the yellow silk, turning it to ashes.

"Take him down!" Prince Qing roared.

Zhu Han gritted his teeth, pushed himself up, flipped over and leaped out of the window, onto the roof.

The wind was as cold as a knife high up on the palace wall. He fell onto the rain-soaked stones, and blood flowed down the tiles.

The sound of pursuers rose from behind, and suddenly the palace bell rang—the third watch drum, deep and muffled like thunder.

Zhu Hanqiang struggled to his feet and dragged his injured body toward Fengtian Hall.

He knew that if he did not personally expose the plot of this secret edict, Prince Qing would seize the position of Crown Prince the next day under the pretext of "being ordered to punish the traitor."

The palace gates were tightly shut in the rain.

Zhu Han shouted, "Your Majesty—I have an urgent report to submit!"

The guards outside the gate tried to stop them: "His Majesty has already retired for the night; who dares to disturb him!"

Zhu Han said sternly, "If you obstruct me again, I will cut off my own arm to prove my loyalty!"

He drew his sword and slashed off his upper sleeve, blood gushing out. The imperial guards were terrified and hurriedly reported to the palace attendants.

A moment later, Zhu Yuanzhang put on his robe and left the palace.

"What's the matter?"

Zhu Han kowtowed, the rain and blood mingling together.

"Your Majesty, Prince Qing is plotting to seize the throne and intends to forge an imperial edict to assassinate the crown prince!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression changed drastically, and he turned around and shouted, "Guards! The Prince of Fengqing's residence!"

Before long, the Imperial Guards swarmed out.

That night, Prince Qing was taken to the Directorate of Ceremonial. A search of his residence revealed forged imperial edicts and secret letters.

Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and ordered him to be demoted to a commoner and imprisoned in the ancestral temple.

The sky will be bright.

Zhu Han stood outside the hall, the bloodstains still wet.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly walked to his side, his gaze complex.

"Brother Han, if it weren't for you, I would have been kept in the dark."

Zhu Han bowed his head: "Your Majesty is wise, I dare not deceive you."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed: "Do you know that if Prince Qing succeeds, the Crown Prince will surely perish, and my empire will also be in jeopardy?"

Zhu Han said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the Northern envoys have not yet been apprehended, and the court is not yet at peace. I urge Your Majesty to carefully trust those around you."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "You should recover from your injuries first."

Zhu Han bowed and withdrew.

The palace bell tolled three times, and the sky began to lighten.

The storm from last night has not yet subsided, and Zhu Han's wounds are still throbbing.

A secret message came from the palace—Prince Qing had been taken to the ancestral temple, and although the Crown Prince was safe, he had not uttered a word since.

Zhu Han stood under the corridor, gazing at the bloodstains remaining on the palace wall, his heart heavy with sorrow.

The wind swept through the corridor, lifting his clothes and carrying with it a lingering scent of blood.

Hao Duiying pushed open the door and entered, clasping his hands in greeting, "Your Highness, the ancestral hall has been sealed off, and Prince Qing refuses to confess. His Majesty has issued an order for the Ministry of Justice to close the case within three days."

Zhu Han said in a deep voice, "Closing the case? Such a hasty approach suggests there's more to it than meets the eye."

"I also find this strange. The case of Prince Qing has many connections. If it is rushed to a conclusion, someone will inevitably try to cover it up."

Zhu Han raised his eyes, his gaze deep: "Go and investigate—who mentioned the words 'expedited trial' in the memorial?"

"Yes."

Hao Duiying withdrew, her steps hurried.

The Ministry of Justice's dungeon was as damp and gloomy as ever.

When Zhu Han was imprisoned, the prison officials prostrated themselves to greet him, not daring to raise their heads.

"Take me to see the former guards of Xianning who were brought in last night."

"Your Highness, His Majesty has issued an edict... forbidding foreign officials from interfering."

Zhu Han's gaze turned cold, and the prison officer immediately fell silent, saying in a trembling voice, "Please come with me, Your Highness."

When the cell door opened, a stench of rotting blood wafted out.

In the cell, a man huddled in a corner, his eyes cloudy, his clothes covered in blood.

Zhu Han leaned down and whispered, "Li Ce."

The man raised his head slightly, a dry laugh escaping his lips: "Heh... finally someone remembers my name."

"Aren't you already dead?"

“Death…? His Majesty wants me dead, how dare I really die? I’ve just been given a different name.”

Zhu Han's expression remained unchanged: "Why are you at the Eastern Depot?"

Li Ce's gaze was like a snake's: "I'm following orders."

"Whose life?"

"No one's life matters...except for the emperor."

Zhu Han's gaze suddenly turned cold: "Nonsense!"

"Nonsense?" Li Ce chuckled, revealing his broken teeth. "Does Your Highness really think that 'Prince Qing's plot to establish himself' was your own idea?"

Zhu Han frowned.

“Prince Qing is nothing but a chess piece. Even if the chess piece falls, there is still someone holding the piece. That person… has always been in the Fengtian Hall.”

Zhu Han's heart skipped a beat, his gaze turning cold and sharp: "You mean—"

"Your Majesty knew everything all along."

The air froze in that instant.

Zhu Han slowly stood up, his voice low and deep: "If you speak recklessly and slander the emperor, I will not save you."

Li Ce's laughter was low and hoarse: "Save me? I've already died once, what harm is there in dying again... But Your Highness, have you ever considered what if the 'Northern Envoy' had never disappeared?"

Zhu Han's heart tightened: "What do you mean?"

"The title of 'Northern Envoy' is actually a code name for secret agents within the inner court. After each Northern Envoy dies, the next one is chosen through an imperial edict. His Majesty... has never abolished this position."

Zhu Han's pupils contracted slightly.

"The chaos caused by Prince Qing, Prince Chu, and the Empress—"

"It was all a scheme orchestrated by the Northern envoys."

Who is the current envoy to the North?

Li Ce lowered his head, his lips twitched a few times, and finally uttered, "Guess."

The next moment, his pupils dilated suddenly, and a muffled sound came from his throat. Blood gushed from his mouth.

Zhu Han stepped forward to help him up, but noticed a thin black line as fine as a hair on the back of his neck.

"Poison needle."

A chill ran through him, and he turned around, shouting sternly, "Seal off the prison! Investigate everyone who entered or left today!"

The jailers fled in panic.

Li Ce's body lay on the ground, his eyes vacant, yet he seemed to still be smiling.

That night, Zhu Han returned home and pondered for a long time.

The rain started falling again, dripping onto the windowpane.

Hao Duiying pushed open the door and entered, holding a scroll in her hand.

"Your Highness, we've found it—the one who wrote 'expedited trial' in the memorial is Grand Secretary Lu Qing."

Zhu Han was taken aback: "Lu Qing? He was originally at odds with Prince Qing, why is he helping him now?"

"I don't know either. But Lu Qing has been entering the palace frequently lately, always summoned at night."

Zhu Han raised his hand: "Prepare the sedan chair."

"If Your Highness enters the palace at this time, it may alarm His Majesty—"

"If I don't go, someone will die tomorrow."

The night was deep, and the palace gates were half-closed.

Zhu Han walked to the side gate of Wende Hall. The guards recognized him and silently let him pass.

The candlelight flickered in the hall, and Lu Qing sat alone at his desk, writing a memorial.

Hearing footsteps, he was slightly startled and turned around to ask, "Your Highness, is there something urgent that you've come to visit so late at night?"

Zhu Han stepped forward slowly, his eyes as cold as frost: "Grand Secretary Lu has quite the nerve."

Lu Qing's smile remained unchanged: "What makes you say that?"

Zhu Han threw the imperial edict in his hand onto Li Ce's desk; it was Li Ce's confession.

"Why did you request a 'swift trial' for the case of the former Xianning Garrison?"

Lu Qing said calmly, "His Majesty appointed me to assist in governing, how dare I act arbitrarily? Besides, this case involves members of the imperial clan, the sooner it is resolved, the better."

"Whom?"

"To bring peace to the world."

Zhu Han said in a deep voice, "Is it to secure peace for the world, or to appease the emperor's heart?"

Lu Qing raised his eyes, his expression suddenly turning sinister.

"What does Your Highness mean? Do you even intend to question His Majesty?"

"I only have one question—where did the poison Li Ce received before his death come from?"

Lu Qing's expression shifted slightly, then he sneered: "Your Highness, do not forget that Li Ce is a death row inmate, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. How could the Cabinet be in charge of administering his medicine?"

Zhu Han's eyes darkened: "So you knew he was poisoned after all."

"..."

The air seemed to freeze, and the candlelight flickered. Zhu Han slowly drew his sword, the blade reflecting Lu Qing's face in the candlelight.

“Tell me, who ordered you to silence me?”

Lu Qing suddenly chuckled, his voice hoarse: "Your Highness is truly clever, but unfortunately—clever people always die young."

Before the words were finished, footsteps sounded outside the hall. More than ten imperial guards entered, carrying halberds; the leader was the eunuch Li Shan.

"By imperial decree—the Prince of Zhennan has entered the palace without authorization, intending to commit treason; arrest him!"

Zhu Han's expression remained unchanged. With a flick of his sword, he pressed it against Lu Qing's throat.

"Who gave you the imperial edict?"

Li Shan sneered and took out an imperial edict from his robes: "Imperial edict from the Fengtian Hall—'Zhu Han is plotting rebellion and is hereby imprisoned to await trial.'"

Zhu Han looked at the imperial edict, the blood fading from his face.

—The handwriting is indeed that of Zhu Yuanzhang.

Lu Qing gave a cold laugh: "Your Highness, it seems that this time, the chessboard has changed hands."

Zhu Han released his grip, and the sword fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

The guards rushed forward and pressed him down.

He did not struggle, but only looked up at the sunlight outside the hall.

The imperial prison was reopened.

Zhu Han was taken to the same cell, where the King of Chu's bloodstains were still visible on the walls.

He sat leaning against the wall, gazing at the withered mark, as if he could see the dying eyes of the King of Chu.

In the middle of the night, the prison door creaked open, and a figure silently entered.

It was Hao Duiying.

"Your Highness, I managed to infiltrate the area. His Majesty has ordered an interrogation tomorrow on the charge of 'plotting to depose the heir apparent.'"

Zhu Han sneered: "I see."

"Does Your Highness have any way to escape?"

Zhu Han slowly raised his head, his gaze icy: "Unless someone deserves to die more than me."

"My subordinate understands."

"go."

Hao turned and left.

The following morning, at Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on his desk, his face ashen.

"Zhu Han entered the palace without permission and took Lu Qing hostage; his intentions are despicable."

The assembled officials shouted, "Your Majesty, please demonstrate the punishment!"

Lu Qing knelt at the foot of the steps, his face full of obedience.

Suddenly, an urgent report came from outside the palace: "Your Majesty—a fire broke out in the Imperial Household Department's warehouse. One person has been rescued and claims to have something to report!"

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned: "Who is it?"

"The inner guard Hao met his shadow."

"Xuan."

Hao Duiying staggered into the hall, covered in soot, and knelt down to kowtow.

"Your Majesty—please look at this!"

He presented a half-burnt silk scroll.

Zhu Yuanzhang unfolded it and his expression changed drastically.

Several lines of red annotations were written on it—

"Secret decree: Lu Qing may issue an edict to set a trap for the Prince of Zhennan in order to test his loyalty."

There was a dead silence in the hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang's fingers trembled slightly: "Where did this come from?"

Hao, prostrating himself before Ying, said, "It was obtained from a hidden cabinet in the fire scene of the Imperial Household Department. The seal and imperial brush are genuine. If it weren't for fate, it would have been reduced to ashes long ago."

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly turned to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing's face was deathly pale, and he murmured, "Your Majesty, please understand, I—"

"Someone, take it!"

The guards pounced on Lu Qing and pinned him to the ground.

Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth, his voice low and menacing: "I thought you were loyal, but I never expected you would dare to forge an imperial edict even to test my loyalty! ... Drag him out and execute him at the Meridian Gate!"

A thunderous response came from outside the hall.

When Zhu Han was brought to the palace, he saw Lu Qing being escorted out of the palace gate, about to be executed.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him with a complicated expression.

"Brother Han, I... I misunderstood you."

Zhu Han bowed his head: "Your subject dares not."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed, "In this world, even testing someone can lead to disaster."

Zhu Han said in a low voice, "The political situation is like a game of chess. If Your Majesty is to trust the game itself, you should trust the people."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.

After a moment, he waved his hand: "Go. Zhennan Prefecture will be sealed off for three months from today. The case of the Northern Envoy must not be mentioned again."

"The minister obeys the order."

When Zhu Han left the palace, the sunlight was blinding.

Outside the palace walls, the tiles of the Golden Palace reflected a dazzling light.

Hao asked Ying in a low voice, "Your Highness, the mystery of the Northern Envoy... should we just let it go?"

Zhu Han looked back at Fengtian Hall, where a ray of golden light trembled slightly in the wind.

"The Northern envoy is not dead, only replaced by another person."

He turned and stepped into the long street.

After the gates of Zhennan Prefecture were sealed, outsiders were not allowed to enter.

Zhu Han was recuperating in his residence, but he did not have a single day of peace.

Three days after the rain, the capital city was neither fully sunny nor cloudy. The north wind whipped up dust, and pedestrians in the streets fell silent.

With the matter of the imperial prison settled, several versions of events have already circulated among the people: some say Lu Qing plotted a rebellion, others say the Prince of Zhennan secretly aided the Crown Prince. The news is mixed, and it is impossible to distinguish the truth from the falsehood.

Zhu Han was going through old cases in his study when a long-forgotten secret document fell out, the cover of which read "Salt Transport in Western Liaoning".

Hao entered and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, you should rest."

Zhu Han did not look up: "Have you seen this piece before?"

Hao stepped forward and glanced at Ying: "It seems to be an old case from ten years ago. During the chaos of the Liaoxi salt transport, more than thirty corrupt officials were found, but they were all pardoned."

"Where did the pardon come from?"

"Imperial brush."

Zhu Han's gaze was icy: "That was the earliest shadow of the Northern Envoy."

Hao Duiying was slightly taken aback: "Does Your Highness suspect that the Northern Envoy system was established during the reign of the late Emperor?"

"The Northern envoy is merely a shadow, not an official post. As long as an imperial decree is carried out secretly, the shadow will not disappear."

The wind howled outside the window, and the candle flame flickered.

Zhu Han slowly stood up: "His Majesty ordered me to rest for three months, and now is the perfect time to move."

"Move? Move what?"

"Nine Gates".

The capital city has nine gates, from Chengtian Gate to the left of the palace gate, heavily guarded, each commanded by a thousand soldiers. If the northern envoy is still alive, he must have delivered his decree through one of these gates.

"Hao Duiying, send me people—spy agents from three places: the old Eastern Depot, the Censorate, and the Northern City Treasury."

"Subordinates take orders."

Zhu Han said, "We will meet at midnight three days from now."

Three days later, in the outskirts of Beijing.

The night was moonless. The secret gate of Zhennan Prefecture quietly opened, and several riders silently emerged.

Zhu Han, dressed in black, rode at the head of the group, his face covered by an iron mask.

"Leave through the south gate."

Hao whispered to Ying, "Your Highness, if this trip is discovered, it will be tantamount to disobeying an imperial decree."

"This decree should have been resisted by someone."

Horse hooves splashed through the puddles, sending up a cold glint.

Upon reaching the south gate, they were stopped by the guards. The leader, brandishing a halberd, demanded, "The curfew has not yet been lifted; who dares to trespass?"

Hao Duiying stepped forward and showed his token: "By order of the Prince of Zhennan, investigate deserters at the border."

The guard hesitated, but Zhu Han said in a deep voice, "Anyone who delays will be punished according to military law."

The guard chief dared not say anything more and hurriedly let them pass.

The group sped out of the city.

As we left the city gate, it grew even darker.

Zhu Han reined in his horse and turned around, whispering, "Let's go around from the south gate to the north, and first check the old route of the Eastern Depot."

The old road was abandoned by the previous dynasty, and now it is overgrown with weeds.

The four characters "司礼通衢" (Si Li Tong Qu) are carved on the stone wall, hidden in the moss.

Hao lit a tinderbox and used it to illuminate the copper pieces embedded in the cracks in the stone.

Zhu Han pulled it out; the bronze piece was engraved with a crest—a crane with outstretched wings.

His expression changed slightly: "This is the old emblem of the Northern Envoy."

"Your Highness, this emblem should have been destroyed long ago."

"If the Northern envoy does not die, how can the Hui dynasty be destroyed?"

Zhu Han tucked the copper piece into his sleeve, turned around and said, "Go to the North Gate."

Outside the North Gate, a night fog shrouded the area. Historically, military power over this gate rested with the North City Commander.

In recent months, the garrison commanders have changed frequently, and there is no fixed command.

Zhu Han saw the flickering lights on the gate tower from afar and felt uneasy.

Hao whispered to Ying, "Your Highness, that garrison commander seems to be... a former subordinate of the King of Chu." (End of Chapter)