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

Chapter 797 How dare they poison my son!
"Your Majesty, it's absolutely true!" the eunuch said with a mournful face. "His Highness Prince Qin suddenly died at noon today, and the imperial physicians were helpless..."

Zhu Yuanzhang felt a sudden darkness engulf him, nearly falling off the dragon throne. He steadied himself on the throne, panting heavily, and it took him a long time to recover.

"Go! Go to the Prince of Qin's residence!" Zhu Yuanzhang ordered, suppressing his grief.

Zhu Yuanzhang led his entourage to the Prince of Qin's residence, where they found the entire place draped in mourning white, the servants all wearing mournful faces, and the Princess of Qin even fainting from crying.

Zhu Yuanzhang entered the mourning hall and looked at Zhu Shuang lying in the coffin, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

"Shuang'er, how...how could you leave like this?" Zhu Yuanzhang wept bitterly, heartbroken.

"Grandfather..." Zhu Xiong Ying was also dragged to the mourning hall. He looked at Zhu Shuang lying in the coffin and felt a pang of grief.

Although Zhu Shuang wasn't usually very kind to him, he was still his uncle, and his sudden passing inevitably saddened him.

"You unfilial son! How dare you show your face here!" Zhu Yuanzhang was furious when he saw Zhu Xiong Ying. "You killed your second uncle, and you still dare to come here to mourn?!"

"Grandfather, I didn't..." Zhu Xiong Ying tried to explain, but was interrupted by Zhu Yuan Zhang.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear your excuses!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared. "Guards, drag this rebellious son out and execute him!"

"Grandpa Emperor, spare me! I'm truly innocent!" Zhu Xiong Ying cried out, struggling desperately, but the Imperial Guards were unmoved and dragged him away.

"Xiong Ying!" Upon seeing this, Fang Xiaoru hurriedly stepped forward to plead, "Your Majesty, Prince Xiong Ying would never do such a thing! Please investigate thoroughly!"

"Fang Aiqing, are you also going to plead for this rebellious son?" Zhu Yuanzhang looked coldly at Fang Xiaoru. "Have you also been deceived by him?"

“Your Majesty, I dare not! I only feel that this matter is of great importance and should be thoroughly investigated before a decision is made!” Fang Xiaoru insisted.

"Investigate? What's there to investigate?" Zhu Yuanzhang roared. "The Prince of Qin died suddenly. Who else could it be but this rebellious son?!"

“Your Majesty, although Prince Qin died suddenly, there may be other hidden reasons…” Fang Xiaoru wanted to persuade him further, but Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted him.

"Enough! My mind is made up, no need to say more!" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand impatiently and said, "Drag this rebellious son away and execute him!"

The Imperial Guards dragged Zhu Xiong Ying to the Meridian Gate, preparing to execute him.

Zhu Xiong Ying looked at the gleaming knife, her heart filled with despair.

"Am I really going to die here?" he thought resentfully.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out: "Spare his life!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man in a Taoist robe slowly walking over.

The old man had white hair but a youthful face, and a dignified and otherworldly air about him. He held a whisk in his hand, giving him a rather otherworldly and otherworldly appearance.

"Who are you? How dare you obstruct my execution?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked the old man in an unfriendly tone.

"I am Zhang Sanfeng, and I have come here to plead for His Highness Xiong Ying," the old man replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Zhang Sanfeng?" Zhu Yuanzhang was startled upon hearing this. "You are the legendary founder of the Wudang School, Master Zhang?"

"It is indeed I, Zhang Sanfeng." Zhang Sanfeng nodded slightly.

"Master Zhang, why are you pleading for this rebellious son?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

“Your Majesty, Prince Xiong Ying is not the murderer,” Zhang Sanfeng said. “Prince Qin did not die suddenly, but was poisoned.”

"What? Poisoning?" Zhu Yuanzhang was furious upon hearing this. "Who? Who is so bold as to poison my son!"

"Your Majesty, the murderer is in the imperial court," Zhang Sanfeng said. "This person is none other than..."

Zhang Sanfeng stopped abruptly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on one person.

“It’s him!” Zhang Sanfeng said, pointing at the man.

That man was none other than... Li Shanchang, the Minister of Revenue!
That man was none other than... Li Shanchang, the Minister of Revenue!
Li Shanchang's expression changed drastically. He pointed at Zhang Sanfeng and roared, "You old Taoist priest, stop talking nonsense! I have no grudge against the King of Qin, why would I poison him?"

Zhang Sanfeng stroked his beard and said calmly, "Lord Li, do you dare say that the poison in the Prince of Qin has nothing to do with you?" "Nonsense!" Li Shanchang denied it outright, "I have no idea what poison the Prince of Qin has been poisoned with!"

"Lord Li, are you sure?" Zhang Sanfeng looked at him with a half-smile. "You should know that this poison is arsenic, which only you can obtain."

Upon hearing this, Li Shanchang was speechless.

Arsenic is an extremely potent poison that only a select few can come into contact with, and Li Shanchang was one of them.

"Li Shanchang, do you have anything else to say?" Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Li Shanchang, his eyes filled with anger.

Knowing he could no longer deny it, Li Shanchang decided to throw caution to the wind and said, "That's right, I poisoned the Prince of Qin! So what? He relied on being a prince to oppress the people and exploit the locals. He deserves to die!"

"How dare you!" Zhu Yuanzhang roared. "Guards, seize this traitorous minister!"

The Imperial Guards swarmed forward and captured Li Shanchang.

Zhu Xiong Ying felt a mix of emotions as she watched this scene.

He never expected that the murderer who poisoned Zhu Shuang was actually Li Shanchang.

"Xiongying, are you alright?" Fang Xiaoru walked up to Zhu Xiongying and asked with concern.

Zhu Xiong Ying shook his head and said, "I'm fine, Mr. Fang."

"It's good that you're alright." Fang Xiaoru breathed a sigh of relief. "We owe a lot to Master Zhang this time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, bowed deeply to Zhang Sanfeng, and said, "Thank you, Master Zhang, for saving my life."

Zhang Sanfeng waved his hand and said, "Your Highness, there is no need for such formality. I was merely doing my duty."

"Master Zhang, I will reward you handsomely!" Zhu Yuanzhang said.

“Your Majesty, I am a man of the secular world, and I do not seek wealth or glory. I only ask that Your Majesty treat the people kindly and bring blessings to all,” Zhang Sanfeng said.

"Master Zhang is truly virtuous!" Zhu Yuanzhang exclaimed. "I will certainly keep Master Zhang's teachings in mind."

Zhang Sanfeng nodded slightly, then turned and left.

As Zhu Yuanzhang watched Zhang Sanfeng's departing figure, he was filled with mixed emotions.

"Xiongying, come back to the palace with me," Zhu Yuanzhang said.

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded and followed Zhu Yuanzhang back to the palace.

Upon returning to the palace, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately ordered Li Shanchang to be executed.

After Li Shanchang was executed, Zhu Xiong Ying was finally exonerated.

"Xiongying, you've been wronged." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Xiongying, his eyes filled with guilt.

"Grandfather, I'm alright," Zhu Xiong Ying said.

"Xiongying, you must assist your father in governing the country from now on," Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"Grandson understands." Zhu Xiong Ying nodded.

……

In the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang died, and Zhu Biao succeeded him as the Jianwen Emperor.

After Emperor Jianwen ascended the throne, he worked diligently to govern the country and implemented new policies, which made the Ming Dynasty increasingly powerful.

Zhu Xiong Ying also became Emperor Jianwen's right-hand man, helping him handle state affairs.

(End of this chapter)