The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 697 A Mysterious Letter
The next morning, Ye Qingzhou arrived at the Governor-General's Mansion in Jiangnan with several guards.

The governor's mansion was closed, appearing unusually deserted. Ye Qingzhou stepped forward and knocked on the door, but no one answered.

"What happened?" Ye Qingzhou wondered. Could it be that all the people from the Governor's Mansion had escaped?
Just as he was about to send someone to break down the door, he suddenly heard a cry coming from inside.

Ye Qingzhou's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately ordered the door to be broken down.

The gate was kicked open, and Ye Qingzhou rushed in with his guards.

The governor's mansion was in complete disarray, with signs of a struggle everywhere. Several servants lay on the ground, their fates unknown.

Ye Qingzhou was startled. Could it be that this place had also been attacked?

He hurried to the backyard and saw a woman holding a child's corpse, crying her heart out.

"Madam, what happened?" Ye Qingzhou stepped forward and asked.

The woman looked up at Ye Qingzhou with tear-filled eyes, choking back sobs, "My lord, the governor... the governor has been murdered! Our child... is dead too..."

Ye Qingzhou's heart sank; it seemed the situation was more serious than he had imagined. He immediately ordered the governor's mansion sealed off and an investigation launched.

After some investigation, Ye Qingzhou discovered that the death of the Governor of Jiangnan was not a simple suicide out of fear of punishment, but a murder! Moreover, the murderer was very likely the man in black who escaped!

Ye Qingzhou was filled with rage. He vowed to bring the murderer to justice and avenge the governor and his child!
Just then, a guard rushed over, his face filled with panic, and said, "My lord, something terrible has happened! His Majesty... His Majesty..."

"What's wrong with His Majesty?!" Ye Qingzhou's heart tightened, and he quickly asked.

The guard stammered, "Your Majesty... he... he's missing!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingzhou was struck dumb, as if by lightning. The Emperor has disappeared? How could this be?!
He forced himself to calm down and asked in a deep voice, "What happened? Tell me in detail!"

The guard quickly recounted the entire incident in detail.

It turned out that while Ye Qingzhou was investigating in Jiangnan, Zhu Xiong Ying suddenly received a mysterious letter. The letter claimed that there were other hidden reasons behind the death of the Governor of Jiangnan, and arranged to meet at a dilapidated temple outside the city to discuss the matter in detail.

Curious, Zhu Xiong Ying decided to go to the appointment himself. However, he never returned...

Ye Qingzhou felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. The Emperor had disappeared! Such a thing had happened right under the Emperor's nose! He took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Lead the way! To that dilapidated temple!"

The dilapidated temple was located on a remote mountain outside the city, crumbling and covered in cobwebs. When Ye Qingzhou arrived, the temple was deserted, with only dust covering the floor and a few burnt-out incense sticks. A faint smell of blood permeated the air, making Ye Qingzhou even more uneasy.

He carefully examined every corner of the temple, but found no signs of a struggle, nor any clues. Zhu Xiong Ying seemed to have vanished into thin air, disappearing without a trace.

"Damn it!" Ye Qingzhou slammed his fist into the dilapidated wall, sending pebbles tumbling down. He felt a sense of defeat and anger he had never experienced before.

Upon returning to the capital, Ye Qingzhou immediately reported the matter to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager was furious and ordered a city-wide search to find the Emperor at all costs.

In an instant, the entire capital was filled with fear and unease. Countless soldiers and imperial guards were mobilized to search every corner of the capital, but they still could not find any trace of Zhu Xiong Ying.

Ye Qingzhou was extremely anxious. He knew that once news of Zhu Xiong Ying's disappearance spread, the entire Ming Dynasty would be thrown into chaos. He had to find the Emperor as soon as possible, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

He returned to the dilapidated temple, hoping to find new clues. This time, he noticed a path behind the temple that wound its way into the deep mountains.

"Could it be..." Ye Qingzhou's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately led his men to chase after them along the path.

The path was rugged and difficult to traverse, overgrown with weeds. Ye Qingzhou and his companions struggled forward, following the trail until nightfall when they finally discovered a hidden manor in a valley.

The manor gates were tightly shut, and security was tight. Ye Qingzhou's heart sank; it seemed this was the mastermind's hideout!

He ordered the manor surrounded, preparing for a direct assault. Just then, the manor gates suddenly opened, and a man in black stepped out. "Lord Ye, how have you been?" the man in black said with a cold smile.

"Who are you? Why are you kidnapping the Emperor?" Ye Qingzhou demanded sharply.

"Hehe, Lord Ye, you'll find out soon enough." After saying this, the man in black turned and went back into the manor.

Ye Qingzhou was filled with doubt and anger, and he ordered a full-scale attack on the manor.

After a fierce battle, Ye Qingzhou and his group finally broke through the manor gates and rushed inside.

However, the manor was deserted, with only a few bound servants huddled trembling in a corner.

"Where is the Emperor?" Ye Qingzhou grabbed a servant and asked sternly.

"I...I don't know..." the servant stammered, his face pale with fright.

Ye Qingzhou's heart sank; it seemed they were a step too late again.

He searched the entire manor carefully but found no clues about Zhu Xiong Ying.

Just when he was about to despair, he found a letter in a room.

The letter contained only a few short sentences: "If you want to save the Emperor, take the Imperial Seal and come alone to the Ghostly Sorrow Mountain in the Western Hills."

After reading the letter, Ye Qingzhou's face turned terribly grim. He knew it was a trap, a trap aimed at him.

But he had no choice; to save the emperor, he had to take the risk.

He clutched the letter tightly in his hand, a resolute glint in his eyes. He immediately returned to the capital, retrieved the Imperial Seal of the State, and then rode alone to the Western Hills, towards the Ghostly Sorrow.

As its name suggests, Xishan Guijianchou is a steep and dangerous mountain peak, with a strategic location that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.

By the time Ye Qingzhou reached the foot of the mountain, it was completely dark. The mountain wind howled, creating an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

He took a deep breath, hid the Imperial Seal of the State in his bosom, and then climbed up the rugged mountain path step by step.

The mountain path was steep and overgrown with thorns. Ye Qingzhou nearly fell off the cliff several times, but with his tenacious willpower, he climbed upwards step by step.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally reached the mountaintop.

On the mountaintop, a man in black stood silently on the edge of the cliff with his back to him.

"You've arrived." The man in black slowly turned around, revealing a familiar face.

"It's you!" Ye Qingzhou exclaimed in surprise.

The man in black was none other than...

The man in black was none other than Zhang Xiang, the Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty!
Ye Qingzhou roared, "Prime Minister Zhang! How dare you kidnap the Emperor!"

Zhang Xiang sneered, "Ye Qingzhou, you're too naive! I've served the Emperor for many years, and now that he's powerful enough, he no longer needs me! How can I accept this?"

Ye Qingzhou gritted his teeth: "This is treason! What is your punishment!"

(End of this chapter)