Daming: At the start of the showdown, Lao Zhu was stunned

Chapter 1040: Dog Bite Dog
Over there, the main hall of Bifeng Royal Manor was already filled with many merchants, generals, and even nobles and relatives who were engaged in business. There were about twenty of them, but because they all lived outside the city, there were no big shots who could shake the court with just a stomp of their feet.

Most of them are just marginal figures in the South China Sea pirate incident.

But even so, the imprisonment of Dong Ji and Zhu Junyu was enough to make them nervous. The two people in prison could be said to be the core of the criminals. One was the only son of Zhu Fu, the leader of the Yingtian Chamber of Commerce, and the other was a senior military officer they bought in the military to protect them.

The arrest of these two people made these people feel uneasy, worried that their crimes would be exposed one day. Some people even packed up their gold and silver and prepared to run away. It was not until they heard that Zhu Junyu was released and Dong Ji was only sentenced to murder without cause that these people felt relieved.

But he didn't expect that he would be "invited" to this royal estate after only a few days of sleep.

"His Royal Highness King Zhou wants us to come here. What exactly is your plan?"

"I don't know, maybe..."

Seeing that these "invited" people were all "accomplices" involved in the Nanyang incident that they had seen before, and that the entrances and exits of this hall were strictly guarded by armored soldiers, these invited people were really uneasy and kept whispering in the training ground.

"General, it's getting dark and His Highness hasn't shown up yet. Could you please let us go back first and come back to visit us tomorrow..." Someone plucked up the courage to ask Di Meng in front.

"I told you to wait for His Highness, why are you talking nonsense?" Di Meng frowned and shouted in a deep voice. Di Meng had no good temper towards these people who were about to become "prisoners".

"This... having the guards surround us is tantamount to detention!"

"That's right. Even if you are the Prince Zhou, you can't abuse lynching like this!"

"Let us go back! Otherwise, we will go to Yingtian Prefecture to sue you!"

As soon as someone came forward, others started to make a commotion.

They have realized that something is wrong and are now eager to leave this dangerous place.

"Want to sue me? Please feel free to leave. But before you leave, shouldn't you think carefully about what you have done?"

A group of people were making noises, and at this moment, the middle gate opened, and Zhu Su led his people back to the mansion. Zhu Su rode a tall horse and went directly through the middle gate to the courtyard outside the hall. Behind him, Cao Yuan and other personal guards were also like rainbows and horses like dragons, and they were full of murderous aura.

"Your Highness!"

"His Royal Highness is back!"

"Someone, take off the armor for His Highness!"

The personal soldiers who stayed in the mansion came forward to greet them.

Seeing Zhu Su in armor and with a bad look, as if he had just returned from a battle, the crowd was suddenly silent.

They dared to shout at Di Meng, a retainer of the Prince of Zhou's mansion, but they did not dare to seriously provoke Prince of Zhou Zhu Su.

"Cao Yuan, please invite our Mr. Zhu and Mr. Zhu to come in to discuss the matter." Zhu Su turned and said to Cao Yuan.

"Yes, Your Highness."

As Cao Yuan threw Zhu Fu and Zhu Junyu, father and son, who were tied up like dumplings, into the hall, half of the twenty or so people turned pale.

This was almost telling them blatantly that the purpose of inviting them here tonight was to settle accounts.

To settle accounts with them for their crimes of deceiving the imperial court and raising bandits for profit.

Zhu Su got off his horse with the help of his personal soldiers and took off his cool armor. Under the protection of Gou'er and Sanbao, he strode into the hall, and the more than 20 people in the hall made way for him. Zhu Su didn't waste any words, and sat on the armchair in the middle of the hall. He glanced at the people in front of him and said, "Why did I call you here? I think you have guessed it, right?"

"I don't need to tell you what you have done."

"You two can either confess your crimes yourself or I can help you come up with them. It's your choice."

"This king does not have much patience."

After saying this, he glanced coldly at the group of parasites who were making a fortune by parasitizing the Maritime Silk Road.

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. After a long while, one person came out and asked Zhu Su cautiously, "Zhou, His Royal Highness King Zhou."

"If what I said is correct, the court... doesn't seem to have issued an order to capture us?"

"Indeed, there is none." Zhu Su said. "I only have a list of your names given by Dong Ji."

"Dong Ji should have helped you deal with a lot of problems over the years, but he himself has no evidence to prove your crimes."

After hearing what Zhu Su said, many people immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"It doesn't matter." Zhu Su saw this and smiled for no apparent reason. "If he doesn't tell you, you will tell him. If you don't tell me, I will make you tell me tonight."

"Your Highness, are you planning to abuse private punishment?" After learning that Zhu Su only had a list of names, some people suddenly felt more confident. One of them stepped out and questioned Zhu Su. "The Ming Dynasty still has the majesty of law! If Your Highness wants to abuse private punishment, we will risk our lives and bear the imperial edict on our heads, and beat the drum to sue Your Highness for defaming our good names!"

"A good name?" Zhu Su narrowed his eyes. "You dare to claim a good name when you do such despicable things?"

"It was I who proposed the stationing of troops in the South Seas to the imperial court. I trusted you and entrusted your family with the management of the South Seas. But you secretly raised pirates and blocked the trade routes... What? Do you want to establish yourself as a king on those islands in the South Seas and build a country within a country?"

"This matter was caused by me, so I should solve it! Great edict? You guys are harming the country, and you still think that the Ming Dynasty is ashamed of you? Have you forgotten how humble and lowly you merchants were in the early years of Hongwu? Have you forgotten yesterday now that you have today?"

After being rebuked by Zhu Su, the guy who came out to question Zhu Su was speechless. Indeed, their family was able to operate in Nanyang because Zhu Su petitioned for them in order to develop Nanyang at that time. It was also because King Zhou Zhu Su vigorously promoted business in the court that their merchants were able to quickly gain a foothold in the new Ming Dynasty. To some extent, these merchants were actually considered to be King Zhou's party.

Now that the King of Zhou wants to settle accounts, the imperial court may not necessarily protect them.

"Crown Prince... His Highness the Crown Prince will never tolerate you doing such reckless things!" Perhaps out of desperation and sensing Zhu Su's determination to punish them, some people actually brought up the name of Crown Prince Zhu Biao in an attempt to suppress Zhu Su.

"Sure enough, even these merchants have vaguely sensed my threat to Big Brother!" Zhu Su thought to himself, and said, "The Crown Prince is my elder brother and has always been of the same mind as me. Even if I really punish you privately, do you think the Crown Prince will be willing to help you?"

"By beating and killing you, I can tarnish my reputation... so that those people will not think that I am famous and want to fight for the throne, thus damaging the brotherhood between me and the crown prince!"

After these words were spoken, more people looked ashen. The merchants present were all shrewd people, and naturally they were quite sensitive to the things in the court. Zhu Su's words of "self-desecration" made them believe that Zhu Su really dared to lynch them.

The imperial court issued an order to punish Zhu Su, but this was exactly what His Royal Highness the King of Zhou wanted... How could they threaten the King of Zhou with the imperial court's laws?

Everyone now felt that His Royal Highness the King of Zhou had come with ill intentions and was really going to settle accounts with them.

"Your Highness, we, we were just momentarily obsessed. When the imperial court attacked Japan and Goryeo, we worked hard to transport supplies. When the imperial court managed Southeast Asia, we also spared no expense... We have made contributions to the Ming Dynasty, Your Highness!"

Those who were quick to see had already started to confess and show their merits to Zhu Su. Soon, others also realized that His Royal Highness the King of Zhou was obviously not willing to take the hard approach today, so using some soft tactics might still work. For a while, the hall was filled with the sound of confession and begging for mercy. Zhu Su watched coldly and just sneered.

"Before, most of you were just small merchants who followed me and did some small things. Today, you have just become a little more prosperous, so why have you become like this?"

"It's only been a few short years, and it's already become so corrupt! How can I not be heartbroken!"

"...Never mind. I am not an evil ghost. Since you have repented, I will give you one last chance to redeem yourself and make meritorious contributions."

Everyone's eyes lit up, and someone hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, please tell me, what do you want us to do?"

Zhu Su smiled secretly in his heart, lowered his head, looked at Zhu Fu and Zhu Junyu, who were lying on the ground like dead fish, and said, "Wait a minute, who can give the details of those Nanyang bandits under Zhu Fu, or present evidence of Zhu Fu's family's abuse of power? The one who comes out with the best performance, I will let your family off the hook."

"……how?"

The scene was silent for a moment, and everyone present turned their eyes away from Zhu Su and looked at Zhu Fu who was lying on the ground. Feeling these malicious gazes, Zhu Fu's soul was scared and he said, "You...what do you want to do?"

"Don't believe him. As long as we keep silent, there is no evidence and the court can do nothing..."

"Opportunities are rare and will never come back. Everyone, there is only one Zhu Fu, so you should think carefully." Zhu Su interrupted at the right time. "Once the evidence of this man's crimes is fully confessed, this rare opportunity will be gone."

"As for whether or not to do anything about it... do you think I need to worry about that?"

After another strange pause, everyone suddenly became agitated at the same time, and a group of people rushed forward to report Zhu Fu's crimes to Zhu Su.

"Your Highness, I know! Zhu Fu hid the pirates on a reef island!"

"Your Highness! Zhu Fu is a thief with evil intentions. He secretly accumulates land and evades taxes!"

"Your Highness! Zhu Fu once peeped at the widow bathing!"

This group of Zhu Fu's former shipmates, beloved relatives and friends, quickly exposed Zhu Fu's crimes. Zhu Su found a clerk and recorded their testimonies on paper one by one. In Zhu Fu's eyes, they pressed their fingerprints to show their willingness to testify. Zhu Su glanced at Zhu Fu meaningfully and continued, "Don't worry if you can't confess to being Zhu Fu, there are still some."

"Well, Liu Tianen, the son of Marquis Yihui, is also one of you, right? You can also provide us with any charges against him, and also..."

Zhu Su took out the list given by Dong Ji and read out the names of the main criminals mentioned by Dong Ji in one breath. A few names represent a few opportunities to redeem themselves from their crimes, and a group of people rushed forward to confess the evidence of the main criminals, like hyenas fighting for meat.

Later on, the situation got out of control. The clerks wrote at a rapid pace, but still could not finish writing the confessions of these people. Three more clerks from the palace were transferred in, and only then were enough.

Zhu Su left on the pretext of something during the process. When everything in the hall was settled, Sanbao came to report the statistics of the confessions to him.

"Your Highness, the confessions of several main criminals are complete. The merchants who submitted the confessions said that they are willing to provide evidence to help us accuse the main criminals."

"Yes." Zhu Su nodded. This was expected. Since they secretly raised bandits to block the sea route, such a big thing could be concealed from the court, but it would be impossible to conceal it from other merchants operating in Southeast Asia. Therefore, Zhu Fu and others could only use the benefits to include all these people in their team.

However, companions formed for the sake of interests can easily fall apart. For example, today, Zhu Su just frightened them a little and then threw out a quota for pardoning them.

Their unbreakable alliance fell apart in an instant because of this mere pardon.

"Most of these guys in the outer city are just there to share the profits. Let them fight against the main culprits. As for them, help me tell them that as long as they 'donate' their ill-gotten gains to the court, the palace can temporarily spare their lives."

"As for the main culprits... we must control them so that they cannot send messages to Southeast Asia and catch those pirates off guard." Zhu Su said.

Sanbao nodded and wrote down Zhu Su's instructions. Suddenly he remembered something and looked up at Zhu Su and said, "An interesting thing happened. Your Highness, do you know who contributed the most information and helped us to restrain the main criminal Zhu Fu?"

"Hmm? Who is it?"

"It was Zhu Fu's son Zhu Junyu... Zhu Fu pushed his son off the carriage, and the relationship between father and son was severed. Zhu Junyu then revealed all the secrets of the Zhu family and was willing to send a message to the pirates they controlled, to help the Ming Dynasty eliminate the pirates."

"It's just dog biting dog. What a loving father and filial son." Zhu Su said with a sigh, and then continued: "Remember, control those merchants and collect all the confessions."

"Early tomorrow morning, we will take those merchants and confessions and go to the Ministry of Justice in the city."

"We must dig out the rotten flesh and restore peace and tranquility to the sea."

"Yes." Sanbao nodded, thought for a moment, and then hesitated, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince..."

"... I'll go and explain it myself, big brother." Zhu Su said. "It's okay. Big brother will understand me."

It doesn't matter if I don't understand. Anyway, I have made up my mind. After finishing the last few things, I will go to Fengmingzhou to be a vassal. Zhu Su thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)