Chapter 150: The Play Has Reached Its Climax! 【 Extra Chapter For Ding Yuan’s Ally 2 】
The hail stopped, and the heavy rain gradually ceased.
Zhu Gaochi and Zhu Gaochang, brothers, left the messy street without a word.
Around them were people in shock, still cleaning up the mess.
It wasn’t until they reached a secluded, deserted alley that Zhu Gaochang couldn’t help but lower his voice and say:
“Second Brother, what’s going on with you?! Weren’t you supposed to be out of the city? How did you end up here? And causing such a huge commotion!?”
After speaking, he warily scanned their surroundings.
“Don’t even mention it!”
Zhu Gaochi’s face was grim. He quickly and briefly explained the situation to Zhu Gaochang.
It turned out that he had indeed been ordered by their elder brother, Zhu Gaochi, to leave the city early that morning.
He had even changed into an inconspicuous blue cloth arrow robe, disguised as a traveling merchant, and led a packhorse carrying ordinary goods, blending in with the crowd leaving the city at dawn, heading towards Jubao Gate.
The hidden contacts and forces Zhu Di had left behind in the capital region were originally intended for transmitting messages or carrying out special tasks at critical moments.
However, Zhu Di’s latest secret letter regarding Zhang Biao’s actions was ambiguous, demanding caution while also implying that they could fan the flames if necessary, which put Zhu Gaochi in a difficult position.
Later, the stone Zhang Biao threw made Zhu Gaochi very wary, but filial piety was paramount, so he still had Zhu Gaochi take the risk.
However, just as Zhu Gaochi was nearing the city gate archway, and could even see the familiar tea stall awning by the official road outside the city, his gaze inadvertently swept over a resting tea stall on the side of the city gate.
A man wearing a wide-brimmed bamboo hat and a simple brown short jacket caught his attention.
The man’s posture, and his habitual action of instinctively bringing his fingers together when placing a tea bowl, with the veins on the back of his hand slightly bulging, made Zhu Gaochi’s heart skip a beat.
He had an excellent memory, especially for masters he had met, and always paid extra attention to them.
Finally, he vaguely recalled that when a prince came to the capital for a funeral, one of the prince’s guards’ captains seemed to have such a person.
As for which prince it was, he was not sure yet. But it was definitely a prince he was familiar with.
Although he was wearing the attire of a prince’s mansion guard at the time, this habit of holding a cup instantly filled him with a strong sense of caution.
Driven by an instinct, a mixture of curiosity and a hidden desire to cause some trouble for this prince, Zhu Gaochi immediately changed his mind.
He did not leave the city, but quietly led his horse, withdrew from the departing queue, and discreetly followed the man in the brown jacket from a distance.
The man in the brown jacket was very vigilant. After sitting at the tea stall for a moment, he got up and blended into the crowd within the city.
Zhu Gaochi, relying on his superb tracking skills, followed him all the way.
The man weaved through the city, finally slipping into a relatively quiet street and entering a second-floor private room at a teahouse called ‘Qingyuan Teahouse’.
But Zhu Gaochi did not immediately follow him in. He pretended to be waiting at a steamed bun stall opposite, his gaze locked onto the teahouse entrance.
However, after waiting for nearly a quarter of an hour, he never saw the man come out again.
Zhu Gaochi’s suspicion deepened, and he decided to risk going in to investigate.
But just then, as he stepped forward to cross the street, the Drum of Hearing Petitions suddenly rang out.
“After that, the entire city was under martial law. How could I dare to move rashly? I could only hide first, and then I ran into this mess!”
As he spoke, Zhu Gaochi subconsciously touched something in his pocket that had been thrust into it during the earlier chaos.
It was a cold, hard, palm-sized flat object, wrapped in oiled cloth.
“What is this?”
Zhu Gaochang immediately noticed Zhu Gaochi’s actions and the object in his hand.
Zhu Gaochi frowned, remaining silent, but he also cautiously glanced around. Then, he pulled Zhu Gaochang and they quickly hid behind a nearby doorframe, carefully unwrapping the oiled cloth.
Revealed inside was an iron box with no ornamentation.
The box had no lock, and seemed to be simply clasped shut.
The brothers exchanged glances, seeing uncertainty and surprise in each other’s eyes.
After a moment, Zhu Gaochi took a deep breath and, with force, pried open the clasp of the iron box.
Inside the box were no jewels or treasures, only a few letters of old color with yellowed paper, and a neatly folded, slightly scorched miniature account book.
This iron box…
Could it be that fatal iron box that had stirred up the entire court, enraged the Imperial Grandfather, and made Fu Youwen and others so frantic in their accusations?!
Upon seeing the iron box and its contents, the brothers’ pupils contracted sharply, and they instinctively looked at each other.
In an instant, they saw in each other’s eyes unspeakable dread, shock, bewilderment, and countless complex emotions.
How could it… have ended up in Second Brother’s hands… in this way?!
Zhu Gaochang’s mind raced with possibilities.
Who had given it to Second Brother?! Was it someone from that prince’s retinue?! Or that disappeared Zhao Fengman?! Or some other force?!
Immense fear and a suffocating sense of being drawn into a vortex instantly overwhelmed the brothers.
“Bang!”
Zhu Gaochi abruptly closed the iron box, as if holding a bomb that could explode at any moment, his palms slick with cold sweat.
“Quick! Let’s go back! Find Eldest Brother!”
He said to Zhu Gaochang in a dry voice, a hint of imperceptible tremor in his tone.
This iron box was a death warrant, and perhaps their only shield.
But no matter what, they had to immediately hand it over to someone who could make a decision—
Their Eldest Brother, Zhu Gaochi.
Little did they know that from a private room window in a distant restaurant, a pair of indifferent eyes were quietly watching them disappear into the alley entrance through the misty haze after the rain.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side, in that unknown, hidden dark room.
A figure, almost merged with the darkness, silently entered the room and knelt on the ground, his voice sounding urgent and fearful:
“Your Highness! Urgent report! Urgent report from Yingtian Prefecture!”
“Speak.”
The voice from the darkness remained languid, but seemed to carry a subtle sharpness.
“The Drum of Hearing Petitions has sounded! A veteran litigator directly denounced the imperial palace, accusing them of using forbidden medicine to murder the imperial heir, and also implicating the Shaanxi old case and… and the Crown Prince’s death!”
“Fu Youwen, Ru Chang, Zheng Ci, and Zhai Shan were apprehended in court and sent to the Imperial Prison!”
“The four were in a panic and even began to incriminate each other in court. Zhai Shan almost uttered the word ‘Prince’! The Emperor has issued a strict decree, treating it as treason, with all nine gates sealed and a city-wide search!”
The breathing from the darkness seemed to pause for a moment.
【The Drum of Hearing Petitions… Forbidden palace medicine… Incriminations in court… Heh! 】
He sneered inwardly repeatedly.
【Zhang Biao, Zhang Biao, you truly know how to stir up trouble. And Li Mo and Wu Nai Da, those two fools, are even more daring than I expected. 】
The jailing of Fu Youwen and the other three was within his expectations, but the ferocity of the proceedings, the depth of the entanglement, and especially the fact that they dared to subtly implicate princes in court, made him frown slightly.
【A bunch of good-for-nothings, barking wildly even on the verge of death. 】
He thought even less of Fu Youwen and the others.
【Fortunately, they’re targeting Second Brother and Fifth Brother, which saves me some effort. 】
Although this move was risky, it was the fastest and most effective way to muddy the waters at the moment.
He needed to use something explosive enough, something that would fully capture Old Zhu’s attention, to conceal more fatal clues that might be revealed by the iron box.
For instance, his arrangements in Shaanxi.
【Inside that iron box… it had better just be the corrupt accounts left by Zhao Qian. 】
For the first time, a ripple of uncertainty stirred within him.
What if… what if it truly contained even the slightest, vaguely directed clue about Eldest Brother’s cause of death… Given the Emperor’s current frenzied state, he would undoubtedly pursue it endlessly.
In that case, even if he had cleaned up thoroughly, he couldn’t guarantee leaving no trace.
After all, there is no perfect plan in the world.
This trace of worry, like a viper, silently gnawed at his confidence.
But he quickly suppressed it.
【It won’t happen. 】
He told himself.
【Even if it does, it must be Second Brother’s dirty hands! Yes, it must be! 】
He almost immediately conceived a plan to frame his brother. Thinking of the mess Second Brother had made in Shaanxi, which one of them wasn’t enough to get him into serious trouble? Adding one more wouldn’t make much difference.
With this thought, his state of mind turned cold and hard again.
Worry was an emotion for the weak.
He didn’t need to worry; he only needed to calculate and control.
【Li Mo, Wu Nai Da… 】
The hiding places of these two minor characters flashed in his mind.
It was he who deliberately threw the package to them, and he who tacitly, and even secretly, pushed for all these events to happen.
【These two fools, just as predicted, eagerly found someone to bang the Drum of Hearing Petitions, becoming the fuse that ignited the situation. 】
【It saved me quite a bit of trouble. 】
He thought indifferently.
【Their lives, exchanged for the situation to develop in the direction I desire, are well worth it. 】
As for their lives and deaths, and that Zhao Fengman who was running around like a headless fly clutching the iron box, they were not within his considerations at all.
They were merely ants; it was their honor to be sacrificed for the greater good.
【Old man… 】
His thoughts finally returned to his father, the Emperor in Yingtian, who was currently in a furious rage.
【Investigate to your heart’s content, kill to your heart’s content. The cleaner you cleanse the court, the fewer obstacles there will be for me in the future. 】
The corners of his mouth curved into that familiar, languid, and mocking smile again.
【As for us sons… 】
【No matter how angry or suspicious you are, you ultimately won’t deliver a fatal blow. Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. 】
【Furthermore, you still need us sons to guard the borders and protect the Zhu family’s empire. With Eldest Brother gone, you’ll cherish us even more, won’t you? 】
【At most… it will only be reprimands and confinement for a few years. It doesn’t matter, I can wait. 】
All worries, calculations, and risks ultimately transformed into this almost ruthless confidence.
He saw through his father far too clearly.
Suspicious and violent, but also attaching great importance to family and lineage.
Thus, the last trace of unease caused by the potential uncertainty of the iron box completely subsided.
Before long, he issued new orders.
This time, the speed was astonishing, carrying an undeniable decisiveness:
“Plan changed. Fu Youwen and the others are beyond saving; they cannot be allowed to speak any further.”
“First, immediately deploy all our people in the Censorate and Imperial Academy to incite the ‘pure stream’ scholars!”
“Not just in Yingtian Prefecture, but also in the surrounding prefectures. No matter how much money it costs.”
“I want them to stir up the general trend!”
“Say that Zhang Biao, that villain, deceived the masses with demonic words, framed ministers, disrupted the court order, and shook the foundation of the state!”
“Have them submit a joint memorial requesting an imperial decree to immediately execute Zhang Biao!”
“Absolutely must not let him utter another word!”
“Emphasize his wild talk of ‘Dismissal of Confucianism’ to incite the public outrage of scholars across the land!”
“Ensure that the focus of public opinion is shifted back to Zhang Biao! Quickly! Make the momentum grand!”
“Second!”
The prince’s voice was as cold as ice: ” ‘Accidentally’ leak the hiding places of those two insects, Li Mo and Wu Nai Da.”
“Neither the items they possess nor their lives are to be spared.”
“Have the Five City Patrols find them and then… make them shut up forever. This tedious investigation should come to an end.”
“Third, inform our people in the Imperial Prison that if… if Fu Youwen and the others cannot control their tongues, help them out and make them ‘commit suicide’.”
“Remember! It must look like they couldn’t bear the interrogation or committed suicide out of guilt.”
The kneeling subordinate trembled but immediately replied, “Yes! Your subordinate understands!”
“Heh! I don’t believe my father can resist the general trend!”
From the darkness, a disdainful cold laugh echoed: “Go. Stir the waters even more. So murky that he feels the only best choice is to cut the Gordian knot quickly, execute the main culprit, and quell the public anger.”
“Yes!”
The subordinate bowed again and then quickly disappeared into the darkness.
Inside the room, silence returned.
Only the prince, hidden in the darkness, tapped his fingertips lightly on the armrest of his chair, making an almost inaudible sound.
【Zhang Biao… you truly exceeded my expectations, but you really cannot be kept alive. Originally, I wanted to see how madly you would bite… What a pity, you’ve gone too far. 】
His eyes once again became deep and calm, like a still ancient well, silently looking towards the south.
The play, had entered its climax.
And he, remained the calmest spectator.
Unconsciously, the last trace of emotional fluctuation in the room vanished, leaving only absolute, heart-pounding darkness and indifference.
…
At the same time, Zhu Yunteng, having returned to the palace, curled up in his own sleeping quarters, carefully opened the iron box.
“Hmm?”
He paused, as if what appeared was not what he had expected.
However, he gently picked up an account book and, by candlelight, slowly opened it.
The handwriting was delicate and slightly hurried, recording not ordinary financial transactions.
Instead, it listed numerous seemingly ordinary, but in reality extremely secret, ‘medicinal material purchases’, ‘imperial physician bestowments’, and ‘Eastern Palace expenditures’.
The timing precisely revolved around the 25th year of Hongwu, before and during Crown Prince Zhu Biao’s serious illness.
Suddenly, a terrifying thought that sent a chill down his spine struck his mind like a bullet!
Could this iron box contain the true cause of Father King’s death?!
Did Father King not die of illness?! Was he murdered?!
Boom!
Zhu Yunteng was struck as if by lightning, his mind blank.
The iron box in his hand, and the unfinished account book, fell due to the immense mental shock.
Anger!
Unimaginable anger!
Finally converging into an uncontrollable hatred!
【I will kill you all—!! 】
Requesting monthly tickets~
【Requesting monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, continued subscriptions, full subscriptions, and automatic subscriptions 】
I’m almost done with the extra chapters for the alliance leaders. The monthly ticket count is pathetic, I don’t even know how to calculate the extra chapters. Please, give me some monthly tickets!
