Chapter 168: Zhu Biao’s Cause Of Death, The Cruel Truth, Old Zhu Draws His Sword! Monthly Ticket Bonus Update 6
Old Zhu quickly regained his composure, his face revealing no trace of anger or joy, only a profound, unfathomable calmness.
“Mm, I understand.”
He leaned back slightly, his gaze sweeping over Yun Ming, his tone as casual as if arranging an ordinary family banquet:
“Convey my decree.”
“Prince Qin Zhu Shuang, you have traveled far. Go first to the Xiao Mausoleum to kowtow to our ancestors and calm your mind.”
“After you finish kowtowing, you will be housed in the Si Guo Yuan next to the Imperial Clan Court. You are not to leave, nor see anyone, without my decree. Let him reflect thoroughly on the ‘good deeds’ he has done in Shaanxi.”
“Prince Jin Zhu Gang…”
Old Zhu paused, his eyes growing slightly cold:
“Hasn’t he always considered himself a ‘virtuous prince’ and enjoyed reading? Then let him go to Da Ben Tang! Find the **Ancestral Instructions** and **Zizhi Tongjian** for me, and let him thoroughly review what it means to be a subject and a son!”
“Similarly, without my decree, he is not to leave Da Ben Tang by half a step.”
“Prince Zhou Zhu Su!”
Old Zhu’s tone seemed to soften slightly, but still carried an irrefutable authority:
“He is soft-hearted and timid; let’s not frighten him.”
“Let him return to live in his old Prince’s Mansion in the Capital City. Tell him to rest well and not to overthink things. However…”
Old Zhu’s tone shifted, his gaze sharp:
“Station heavy guards to ‘protect’ the Prince’s Mansion, inside and out. Not a single bird from the outside is allowed to fly in! If he asks why, tell him that the Capital City has been restless lately, and this is for his own good.”
Yun Ming bowed his head and listened respectfully, his heart filled with awe.
The Emperor’s arrangements, while seemingly ordinary, were in fact extremely ruthless.
Going to the Xiao Mausoleum? That was to make the irritable Prince Qin feel guilty before the ancestors and suppress his wrath!
Going to Da Ben Tang? That was to make the self-proclaimed intelligent Prince Jin have nowhere to hide before the books of the sages!
Returning to the old Prince’s Mansion under house arrest? That was to make the timid Prince Zhou suffer alone in a familiar environment!
Most importantly, he completely isolated the three of them, placing them in separate locations and guarding them with troops, thus completely eliminating any possibility of them colluding or agreeing on a unified story!
This was to break down their individual psychological defenses one by one!
“Your servant understands! I will carry it out immediately!”
Yun Ming bowed and accepted the order.
“And one more thing!”
Old Zhu added, his voice deep:
“Tell Jiang Huan to have his subordinates keep a close eye!”
“Record every word spoken by the servants attending the three princes, every person they meet, even their expressions when eating or sleeping. Report it to me verbatim!”
“Yes!”
After Yun Ming withdrew, Old Zhu picked up his vermilion brush again, but his gaze did not fall on the memorial. Instead, he looked out at the hazy sky outside the hall, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the desk.
Second Prince, Third Prince, Fifth Prince…
I shall see who among you three brothers cannot hold on…
Whoever has something to hide will give us a ‘surprise’…
…
On the other side, in the same dark room unknown to anyone.
“Your Highness! This is bad news!”
A subordinate dressed in black robes reported in a panic, his voice filled with fear:
“The Emperor… the Emperor did not heed the ‘petition of the common people’. Instead, he issued a decree… decreeing that a Drum of Voicing Grievances and a Drum of Hearing Petitions be set up at the Meridian Gate, encouraging people from all over to file accusations directly, pointing to matters in Shaanxi and the Eastern Palace!”
“Now the area outside the Meridian Gate is crowded with all sorts of people, a motley crew!”
“Several officials we secretly supported have been implicated!”
“Also… a line we had in the Five Military Commissions has been exposed by a Battalion Commander who retired and returned home! The losses are heavy!”
“Snap!”
In the darkness, something seemed to be crushed.
After a brief, suffocating silence, the Prince’s voice rang out again, still maintaining his composure: “Oh? Is that so? Interesting!”
Although his words were casual, that laziness had vanished completely, replaced by a cold sharpness and a hint of annoyance at having his pacing disrupted.
Good… very good… My father… you are still so unpredictable…
Are you trying to throw the Great Ming into complete chaos?! Have you truly gone mad?!
No! You have always been a madman! A complete and utter madman!
He had not expected Old Zhu to break the deadlock in such a quasi-rascally manner.
This had completely disrupted his plan to quickly resolve the matter by leveraging the “general trend.”
Drum of Voicing Grievances… is this to dig up all the old grudges and dark dealings to expose them?!
For the sake of a dead son, are you going to turn the living empire upside down?!
An ice-cold sense of crisis struck him like lightning.
He instantly realized that he had made a fatal mistake.
Clearly, he had underestimated Old Zhu’s resolve, and he had also underestimated that “madman” Zhang Biao.
If, from the beginning, he had not bothered with Zhang Biao, not bothered with Zhang Biao’s subordinates, perhaps none of this would have happened.
But it was too late to regret it now.
The water is too murky, even if we wanted to silence them, we might not find the right targets…
No more actions can be taken!
Any attempt to intercept, remedy, or even investigate would be akin to walking into a trap under the Emperor’s current heightened vigilance and fury!
It would be explicitly telling the Emperor that I have something to hide! That I am involved in the eldest brother’s death!
“Do more, mistake more!”
The Prince almost gritted his teeth, squeezing these four words out from between them.
He slammed his eyes shut, forcefully suppressing the storm raging in his heart and that rare hint of panic.
A moment later, when he opened his eyes again, all emotion had vanished, leaving only extreme, cold rationality and ruthlessness.
He looked at his subordinate, who was still kneeling on the ground awaiting instructions, and his voice returned to its previous indifference, even colder than before, devoid of any earthly emotion:
“Relay the order: All plans are to be terminated immediately. Everyone is to enter the deepest state of silence. Never to be activated unless I personally arrive.”
The subordinate was stunned: “Your Highness, what about the people’s petition and the Drum of Voicing Grievances…”
“No need to bother with them anymore.”
The Prince interrupted him, his tone decisive: “That is already a struggle of abandoned pawns, irrelevant to us.”
“The primary task now is ‘tail-cutting.’ Utter and complete tail-cutting.”
His voice was terrifyingly steady, as if discussing a trivial matter unrelated to himself:
“First, arrange for our mole in Prince Qin’s Mansion, Wang Shi, to ‘pass away naturally.’ Make it look like an accident, like an illness that worsened from long-term suffering.”
“Second, arrange for the old eunuch in the Imperial Clan Court’s pharmacy to have an ‘accident,’ falling into a well.”
“Third, arrange for a ‘sudden illness’ and death for the shadow responsible for relaying messages to the Chief Clerk of Prince Jin’s Mansion.”
“Fourth, that signatory in the Shaanxi Military Commission knows too much; arrange for him to ‘perish in service’ while suppressing bandits.”
With each sentence he spoke, the subordinate’s body trembled imperceptibly.
These were individuals who had been cultivated for many years, deep-buried hidden stakes, and now they were to be ruthlessly and completely eliminated.
“Remember!”
The Prince’s voice was like ice from ten thousand years:
“It must be clean, natural, as if they themselves had bad luck, or were inadvertently caught up in this storm. Not a single trace pointing to us must be left behind.”
“After all this is done, you yourself will temporarily leave Yingtian and go back to your hometown in Southern Zhili to ‘recuperate’ for a period. You are not to return, nor contact any old acquaintances, without my command.”
“But Your Highness…”
The subordinate’s voice trembled, this meant that a large portion of their painstakingly built power base would be completely severed.
“Execute the order.”
The Prince’s tone was unyielding: “Cutting the tail is for survival. A tail that is cut can grow back. A person who is dead is gone forever.”
“Yes… your subordinate understands!”
The subordinate kowtowed heavily, his voice carrying a hint of sorrow and determination.
However, the Prince had not finished speaking.
Suddenly, a sigh was heard from within the room, and after a moment, he spoke with solemnity:
“Remind my Imperial Consort to burn less incense and recite fewer Buddhist scriptures, and to take care of her health.”
The subordinate was taken aback, then replied, “Yes,” and quickly vanished into the darkness.
In the room, the Prince was once again alone.
He slowly sat back into the shadows, his entire being seeming to merge completely with the darkness, without a sound.
Father Emperor… Zhang Biao…
Go ahead and fight, go ahead and investigate.
All the connections have been severed. All the traces have been erased.
Even if there is something in that iron box, all they will find are some rootless ghosts, or… ‘evidence of crimes’ pointing to my good brothers.
His lips curved into a cold, ethereal arc in the darkness.
And I am merely a prince who might be implicated, an innocent, law-abiding Prince.
Watching the play?
No, from now on, I won’t even watch the play.
True masterful concealment is not hiding behind the scenes, but completely disappearing from everyone’s sight and speculation.
The Prince chose the most thorough and the most dangerous method.
He turned himself into a void, waiting for the storm to pass, perhaps never to arrive, or waiting for the opportune moment for his next move.
…
The next day, in the early morning.
Dust billowed on the official road leading to Yingtian Prefecture.
Prince Qin Zhu Shuang’s procession was the most ostentatious, with elite guards and fluttering banners, but he himself sat in his spacious carriage with a grim expression, drinking alcohol irritably.
When he left Xi’an, that old fellow Feng Sheng bid him farewell with a forced smile, which he felt as a great humiliation and unease.
He knew that his fiefdom had been controlled, and this trip to the capital was fraught with danger.
Prince Jin Zhu Gang’s procession was much more low-key, but his narrow eyes flickered with shrewdness.
He continuously recalled his secret discussions with his advisors before leaving Taiyuan, contemplating how to respond upon entering the capital, how to shift the blame to others, especially that hot-tempered second brother.
Prince Zhou Zhu Su’s procession moved the slowest; he dawdled almost the entire way, his face pale, stopping frequently to “rest,” as if the capital were a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den.
His mind was filled with his collection of rare medical books and botanical illustrations, only hoping that this undeserved disaster would pass quickly.
Although Old Zhu’s decree was for them to enter the city separately and proceed directly to their designated locations, a brief encounter before entering the city was unavoidable.
From the moment he received the decree, Zhu Shuang had been seething with anger, and at this moment, everything he saw displeased him.
Just as his entourage was about to turn towards the road leading to the Xiao Mausoleum, it happened to meet another, slightly smaller but more elaborately decorated and solemn procession.
It was Prince Jin Zhu Gang’s procession.
Zhu Gang sat in an elegantly decorated carriage, a corner of its curtain pulled aside.
His face was thin, his eyes deep, and though he appeared calm, his tightly pressed lips and slightly furrowed brow revealed his inner turmoil.
Soon, he saw Zhu Shuang, who seemed to be waiting for him intentionally, and their gazes met briefly in the air.
In that instant, both brothers saw surprise, scrutiny, and a hint of indescribable vigilance and distance in each other’s eyes.
Zhu Shuang snorted coldly, raised his chin as a form of greeting, his eyes seeming to say, ‘Look what you’ve done!’
Zhu Gang merely nodded slightly, his expression indifferent, then lowered the carriage curtain, shutting out the outside world.
His thoughts were deeper, his considerations more extensive.
The second brother’s tribute… the fifth brother’s ‘elixir’… the Emperor’s intentions…
He had to maintain absolute calmness.
The two processions passed each other without any verbal exchange, but an invisible tension and suspicion permeated the air.
Further in the distance, Prince Zhou Zhu Su’s procession appeared low-key, even somewhat hurried.
He was almost curled up inside the carriage, his face pale, and he habitually fumbled with a string of prayer beads, murmuring to himself, unsure if he was praying or trying to calm his racing heart.
Seeing the processions of his elder brothers from afar, he was even more frightened, shrinking his neck and urging the coachman to speed up, as if fearing being drawn into their vortex.
He was filled with childlike fear of the Emperor he was about to face.
Before long, Zhu Shuang arrived at the Xiao Mausoleum Si Guo Yuan.
This was a courtyard adjacent to the Imperial Mausoleum, secluded and tranquil but exceptionally solemn.
Zhu Shuang kicked open the door and surveyed the room, which contained nothing but a bed, a desk, and an ancestral tablet. He was so enraged that the veins on his forehead bulged.
“Reflect? Reflect on what!”
He growled in a low voice and kicked over the prayer mat in front of him:
“I guarded the borders in Shaanxi, if I didn’t earn merit, I at least worked hard! Why should I be locked up here like a prisoner?”
He paced back and forth irritably, his mind in a mess.
He had indeed been less than scrupulous in Shaanxi, and he had tolerated many misdeeds by his subordinates, but he felt that he could not possibly be involved in his eldest brother’s death!
Who is the bastard stabbing me in the back? Is it the third brother? Or the fourth? Or that madman Zhang Biao?
This state of being isolated, interrogated, yet having no one to consult with, made his irritable nature almost explode.
The guarding soldiers were like wooden posts, and to any of his questions, they only had one reply: “Your Highness, please forgive me, your subordinate only obeys the Emperor’s decree.”
And on the other side, Da Ben Tang.
This was where Zhu Gang and the others used to study as children.
This place was filled with Zhu Gang’s memories.
The scholarly atmosphere in Da Ben Tang remained, but at this moment, it felt like a magnificent prison.
Zhu Gang sat in his former study spot, with the **Ancestral Instructions** spread out before him, but he couldn’t focus on a single word.
His fingers tapped lightly on the table, his expression chillingly calm.
He had guessed about his Imperial Father’s intentions, seven or eight parts.
【 Quarantine, interrogate, and break his spirit.】
【 Can’t panic, absolutely cannot panic.】
He meticulously reviewed every potential clue he might have left behind.
His connections with Fu Youwen and others? Cleaned up thoroughly.
Corruption and factionalism in Shaanxi? That was mainly the work of the Second Prince.
The Eastern Palace? Judging by the Second Prince’s demeanor just now, it didn’t seem like the fear and dread one would expect from killing his elder brother.
【 The only variables were that iron box, and Zhang Biao’s mouth…】
【 How much does he really know about the secrets?】
Zhu Gang’s current greatest worry was not being directly implicated himself, but being caught up in the foolish actions of Zhu Shuang or Zhu Su, or having his influence weakened by his Imperial Father.
He had to appear incredibly obedient and sincere, perhaps even… at the right moment, ‘reluctantly’ revealing some trivial issues about the Second Prince to divert attention?
This thought circled in his mind.
And Prince Zhou Zhu Su.
He returned to his familiar old prince’s mansion, but felt no sense of relief.
Looking at the obviously increased number of expressionless guards inside and outside the courtyard, he felt every gaze scrutinizing him.
He shut himself in his study, unable to sit still.
He had always avoided power struggles, preferring to study medicine and flowers, yet it was precisely his hobby that had now made him the prime suspect.
That matter of the ‘elixir’… he didn’t know who had leaked it, but precisely because of that, he couldn’t guarantee that someone wouldn’t use it to frame him?
“What to do… what to do…”
He muttered to himself, his face ashen.
He wanted to seek help from Prince Yan’s mansion… but feared implicating his elder brother.
He wanted to explain to his Imperial Father… but feared saying too much.
This extreme fear and isolation were driving him mad.
His greatest regret now was not firmly refusing to take up his feudal post and staying in the capital as a leisurely prince.
……
The Imperial Prison, the interrogation room.
Song Zhong, having received a new order from Old Zhu, began a thorough investigation with renewed fear.
With the direction provided by Old Zhu, he focused his target on the officials accompanying Crown Prince Zhu Biao on his inspection tour of Shaanxi.
Through the descriptions of these officials, he obtained astonishing news.
It turned out that Zhu Biao, during his tour of Shaanxi, had a relapse of an old illness and was in unbearable pain, forcing him to stay briefly at Prince Qin’s mansion to recuperate.
The illness Zhu Biao contracted was called ‘dorsal carbuncle’.
In modern times, it was simply a bacterial infection that could be cured with a few antibiotics, but in ancient times, it was a stubborn and incurable disease.
In the “Guo Que,” privately compiled by the late Ming and early Qing historian Tan Qian, a similar event was recorded.
It stated that before Zhu Biao’s tour of Shaanxi, he developed a severe dorsal ulcer and was once on the verge of death.
The original text read: “In the summer of the Gengwu year, in the sixth month, Yiwen suffered greatly from a dorsal carbuncle, crying out incessantly. His father, with tears, caressed him, never leaving his side day or night. Hearing his cries of agony, he was distraught as if he would not survive. He personally sucked out the pus, and after more than ten days, he recovered.”
From this description, Zhu Biao’s dorsal ulcer was quite severe, with the cries of pain even alarming Old Zhu.
Zhu Yunwen personally sucked the pus from his father’s wound, causing his father’s grave illness to heal, thereby earning Old Zhu’s favor.
Therefore, upon receiving this astonishing news, Song Zhong immediately rushed back to find Liu Chun, the hospital administrator of the Imperial Hospital, to inquire about Zhu Biao’s treatment.
Normally, such highly confidential information would be a capital offense even to inquire about, let alone investigate.
But this was different; he was acting on imperial orders to thoroughly investigate the matter.
“Liu Chun! I ask you! How has the Crown Prince’s dorsal carbuncle been treated historically? What medications were used?!”
Song Zhong stared intently at Liu Chun, his voice suppressed to a whisper, yet carrying a terrifying urgency.
“The Crown Prince’s dorsal carbuncle?”
Liu Chun was taken aback by the question, and replied blankly:
“It has always been carefully managed by the Imperial Hospital, primarily using external applications and internal medications for clearing heat, detoxifying, and promoting blood circulation, such as Coptis chinensis, honeysuckle, frankincense, and myrrh…”
“How effective are these medications?”
Song Zhong interrupted him: “What happened when the Crown Prince’s pain was severe?”
“This…”
Liu Chun showed a troubled expression and could not help but say:
“The pain of a dorsal carbuncle is extremely severe. Even with medication, it is difficult to completely alleviate it. When the pain is intense… His Highness mostly endures it… Sometimes… sometimes he would use some calming incense to help him sleep…”
“Calming incense?”
Song Zhong’s heart suddenly clenched, and he immediately stepped forward to press:
“Besides the imperial rations, were there… other things used? For example… for example, those offered by Prince Qin, Prince Jin, or other feudal princes?!”
“Ah?”
Liu Chun’s face instantly turned deathly pale, his lips trembling. He seemed to have thought of something extremely terrifying and dared not answer.
“Speak!”
Song Zhong grabbed his collar, his eyes about to spew fire: “If any word you speak now is false, you will die on the spot!”
Liu Chun completely broke down, tears streaming down his face, and stammered:
“Sir… Sir, spare my life… I vaguely recall… it seems… it seems that once… His Highness’s dorsal carbuncle was particularly severe, the pain unbearable… he couldn’t sleep at night… he did privately ask me… asked about the exotic Western fragrance ‘Dragon’s Saliva Warm’…”
“And the ‘Supreme Storax’ gifted by His Highness Prince Qin… whether… whether it had strong pain-relieving and calming effects…”
“I… I only said it might have a slight effect at the time… but His Highness… His Highness he…”
“What happened to His Highness?!”
Song Zhong’s voice was trembling.
“His Highness… afterwards seemed to… stop asking questions… but when I took his pulse several times later, I vaguely felt that His Highness’s spirit seemed slightly better…”
Liu Chun prostrated himself on the ground:
“But the pulse… became increasingly sluggish and strange… I had doubts in my heart, but dared not ask further…”
As he said this, he couldn’t help but weep bitterly:
“I am guilty! If I had thought a step further then, if I had dared to admonish him…”
BOOM!
Song Zhong felt as if he had been struck by lightning, stumbling back two steps and hitting the cold interrogation rack.
Everything made sense now.
If there was Dragon’s Saliva Warm, and Supreme Storax, there might also be ‘Red Lead Immortal Pills’!
Those ‘unusual tributes’ and ‘secret medications’ that seemed to point to a conspiracy were likely not the result of someone deliberately plotting murder, but of Crown Prince Zhu Biao himself.
In despair, he had secretly treated himself to relieve the unbearable pain of his dorsal carbuncle.
He dared not speak of it, for as the nation’s Crown Prince, he could not let anyone know he relied on these potentially toxic or even ‘potent’ substances for pain relief!
He had to maintain an image of health and stability!
Therefore, when he possibly sensed his body being harmed by these drugs, or feared exposure, he used various excuses to remove the knowledgeable old eunuch Wang Fu, and those who handled the medications like Wang Yue, Eunuch Li, and Lan Xin from the Eastern Palace!
This wasn’t to silence them, but to cover up!
To cover up the secret of him, the Crown Prince, using medication in private due to being overwhelmed!
The ‘tributes’ from the feudal princes might have been intended to please him, offering these ‘good things’ to curry favor, but inadvertently hastening his death!
In other words, this might not have been a meticulously planned murder.
It was a tragic self-destruction, brewed from illness, despair, forbearance, and the pressures of the court!
This truth made Song Zhong feel more horrified and chilled to the bone than any conspiracy!
The Crown Prince did not die by the hands of his brothers, but by his own unspeakable pain and the heavy burden of being the Crown Prince!
And it was exceptionally cruel.
He didn’t know how Old Zhu would react upon learning the truth; he could only report it truthfully.
………
Inside Huagai Hall, the candlelight blazed, yet could not dispel the bone-chilling cold.
Old Zhu sat like a stone statue behind his imperial desk, listening to Jiang Huan’s report.
When he heard that “hundreds of people have gathered outside the Meridian Gate to lodge complaints. Although most are commoners airing grievances or seeking personal revenge, several have mentioned Shaanxi provisions and old Eastern Palace retainers,” his wrinkled face remained impassive. Only in his deep-set eyes flashed a trace of extremely cold satisfaction.
【 Good, very good. The muddier the water, the more easily the fish will make rash moves.】
This was the effect he wanted.
To let those rats hiding in the shadows reveal themselves under the terrifying atmosphere of universal accusation.
“Keep an eye on those people.”
Old Zhu’s voice was hoarse and calm, yet carried an undeniable killing intent:
“Those whose words are true will be greatly rewarded according to the decree. Those whose words are untrue but excusable will simply be dispersed. If there are those who falsely accuse or disrupt public order…”
He paused, tapping his fingertip on the desk with a dull sound: “Investigate the instigators behind them and execute them on the spot, to warn against future offenses.”
“Yes!”
Jiang Huan’s heart tightened, knowing the Emperor intended to use the guise of ‘public outrage’ to carry out a purge.
After reporting the wave of complaints, Jiang Huan hesitated slightly, then, bracing himself, described the reactions of the three princes upon their arrival as objectively as possible.
This included Prince Qin Zhu Shuang’s enraged kicking of the door, Prince Jin Zhu Gang’s unusual calmness, and Prince Zhou Zhu Su’s panicked and unhinged state.
After listening to the descriptions of his sons, Old Zhu remained silent for a long time.
An suffocating silence fell upon the hall.
Only the occasional crackling of the burning candles and Old Zhu’s slow, heavy breathing could be heard.
Jiang Huan knelt on the ground, his head buried even lower, not daring to breathe heavily.
He could feel that the Emperor on the dragon throne was currently enveloped by extremely complex emotions.
Finally, Old Zhu slowly raised his head, his gaze directed towards the dark night sky outside the hall, as if he could penetrate the thick palace walls and see his three sons, who had been segregated separately.
A trace of extreme, almost imperceptible weariness and pain flashed across his face.
【 Shuang’er is still so irritable and quick-tempered, igniting with a touch, no improvement at all…】
【 Gang’er is indeed composed, his thoughts so deep that even I can’t see through them…】
【 Su’er… alas, this child has been timid since he was young, I’m afraid he’s truly terrified…】
For that moment, he was not a cold-blooded Emperor, but just an old father looking at his useless sons.
But this fleeting moment of softness lasted only an instant.
The next moment, Old Zhu’s eyes regained their ice-cold sharpness, even more so than before, and became utterly merciless.
The Emperor’s coldness and suspicion, like a surging tide, overwhelmed that sliver of paternal love.
【 Irritable? Perhaps it was for my benefit, to hide guilt!】
【 Calm? Even more terrifying, indicating prior preparation, or… so innocent that it’s suspicious!】
【 Fear? Hmph, if he had nothing to hide, why would he be so terrified?!】
In his eyes, every reaction of his sons could be a disguise, could be evidence of guilt.
He abruptly retracted his gaze, no longer looking at the bothersome night, and instead fixed his eyes on Jiang Huan, his voice suddenly becoming sharp:
“Tell the guards!”
“Keep a close watch on them for me!”
“Prince Qin is irritable, isn’t he? Let him rage! See how much he can smash! Record every complaint he makes, every single word!”
“Prince Jin is calm, isn’t he? Then let him ‘study’ properly! Pay attention to the number of times he turns a page, the duration of his daze, even the lightness of his breathing!”
“Prince Zhou is afraid, isn’t he? Then let him be afraid! But also guard against him cornering himself in desperation, or… being silenced!”
His tone grew colder with each sentence, carrying an almost cruel scrutiny:
“I want to see who breaks first, them or the people behind them!”
“Your subordinate obeys the decree!”
Jiang Huan felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet.
The Emperor was going to put his own sons on the fire and slowly roast them, using their torment and loss of composure to verify his suspicions or force out the truth.
“Go.”
Old Zhu waved his hand, as if exhausted, and leaned back into the dragon throne, closing his eyes.
Jiang Huan, as if granted amnesty, quietly withdrew from the main hall.
The empty Huagai Hall was once again occupied only by Old Zhu.
He closed his eyes, but his furrowed brow and slightly trembling fingers revealed that his inner turmoil was far from the calmness he projected.
The complex emotions towards his sons, the persistent pursuit of truth, the cold calculations for the stability of his empire… all sorts of emotions clashed fiercely in his chest.
Finally, all of this turned into a very light, very cold sigh, dissipating into the cold air:
“Biao’er… if you are in heaven, protect your father… and don’t let me lose any more sons…”
This whisper, bordering on a prayer, was filled with the Emperor’s helplessness and a deep melancholy.
But immediately, when he opened his eyes again, only absolute coldness and determination remained.
【 But if they truly participated in harming you…】
【 Then don’t blame Father… for being heartless!】
The Emperor’s throne was, after all, forged from bones and blood.
And at this moment, Song Zhong appeared outside the hall.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, Battalion Commander Song requests an audience!”
“Hmm?”
Old Zhu’s heart skipped a beat; he had a vague premonition of something bad.
He had previously ordered Song Zhong to re-investigate Zhu Biao’s cause of death. If Song Zhong had no results, he would not come to request an audience.
This meant that Song Zhong’s request for an audience signified that the truth had been revealed?!
Somehow, he suddenly found that this truth he had yearned for day and night, and wanted to investigate at all costs, made him feel a little hesitant at the moment it was about to be revealed.
【No! We can’t back down! We must know the truth! Otherwise, how can we face the deceased Biao’er? 】
“Let him in!”
Old Zhu forced himself to calm down, his tone carrying a tension he himself hadn’t noticed, and gave the order.
Soon, Song Zhong, with heavy steps and trembling with fear, entered the Main Hall, holding up the memorial and saying:
“Your subject has the latest investigation into the Crown Prince’s cause of death, to report to His Majesty!”
Just as expected!
The truth has indeed been revealed!
“Present it!”
Not long after, an old eunuch took the memorial from Song Zhong’s hand and carefully passed it to Old Zhu.
Old Zhu took a deep breath, then flipped it open to examine it.
With just one glance, his eyes instantly turned blood red, his face filled with astonishment, shock, fear, and bewilderment.
“Hahahahaha ho ho hahahaha—!”
A mad, beast-like laugh, unlike human sounds, suddenly resounded through the Main Hall.
“Yun Ming, where is our sword?!”
Asking for monthly tickets~
The cause of Zhu Biao’s death is my reasonable speculation based on historical data. This plot is from a book, so don’t take it seriously.
Although I had a draft in my mind, it was still quite strenuous to write, so it’s a bit late. My apologies~
