Chapter 151: Farewell Letter, I Am From The Future 【 Seeking Monthly Tickets 】
Grass! Dirt! Horse!
Zhu Gaochi cursed in his heart, a ‘noble curse’ popular in Yingtian Prefecture recently, and his corpulent body almost sprang from his chair.
He snatched the iron box that Zhu Gaoxu cautiously handed over, his fingers trembling slightly from excessive force.
Immediately, he opened the iron box without hesitation, and when his gaze fell upon the letters bearing a familiar yet fatal seal within the box, his round face instantly lost all color, becoming like xuan paper just pulled from water.
“Clatter!”
His hand went limp, and the iron box almost slipped from his grasp. Fortunately, Zhu Gaoxu beside him was quick-witted and quickly supported it.
“Big Brother—!”
Zhu Gao Sui also exclaimed in fright.
Zhu Gaochi staggered back a step, collapsing heavily back into the chair, his chest heaving violently, and a dense cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead.
He gaped, like a fish out of water, gasping for air, yet feeling as though not a single breath could enter.
【 It’s over! 】
This was the only thought in Zhu Gaochi’s mind.
How could this be an iron box? This was clearly King Yama’s death warrant!
It was a nine-nether thunderclap capable of shattering Prince Yan’s Mansion to pieces and consigning it to eternal damnation!
“You… you…”
Zhu Gaochi pointed at his two younger brothers, his fingers trembling, his voice so hoarse he could barely speak: “Do you know what this is?! How dare you bring it back?!”
“Big Brother, we…”
Zhu Gaoxu also knew he had caused a great disaster, and his face looked extremely grim as he said:
“The situation was chaotic at the time, I didn’t know who stuffed it into my hand. By the time I realized, it was already there…”
“Who stuffed it into your hand is no longer important!”
Zhu Gaochi interrupted him sharply, his voice shrill with fear: “What’s important is that it’s here now! In Prince Yan’s Mansion! In our hands—!”
Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gao Sui exchanged glances, unable to hide their shock.
Meanwhile, Zhu Gaochi stared intently at the iron box in Zhu Gaoxu’s hand.
He could instantly imagine it.
Right now, countless pairs of eyes, including those of the Imperial Guard, spies from other princes, and even the Emperor Grandfather’s informants, were hidden in the dark, watching every move of Prince Yan’s Mansion.
This iron box might be a test, or perhaps a trap!
No matter how they handled it, it could lead to utter destruction!
Destroy it? What if this was their Emperor Grandfather’s test, or if there were other backups, then destroying evidence would be an even greater crime!
Hand it over? To whom? How?
Hand it over to the Imperial Guard? How could they explain its origin? Would the Emperor Grandfather believe them? Would he think they were guilty and trying to save themselves by sacrificing a pawn?
Hide it? That would be like trying to hide something that’s obviously there! If it were discovered, they’d have no defense!
Zhu Gaochi’s brain raced at an unprecedented speed, weighing the immense risks of each option.
The cold sweat had completely soaked through his inner garment.
“Big Brother, what do we do now?”
Zhu Gao Sui looked at his elder brother’s pale face, realizing the gravity of the situation, his voice trembling with tears:
“This thing is a disaster! How about… how about I throw it into the Qinhuai River tonight?”
“Idiot!”
Zhu Gaochi cursed in a low voice, a glint of ruthless determination flashing in his eyes amidst desperation:
“Throw it? It’s too late to throw it now! From the moment it entered this door, we’ve been implicated!”
Having said that, he took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
He was the Heir Apparent of Prince Yan, the pillar of support when his father was away in Yingtian; he could not afford to lose control.
“This thing…”
Zhu Gaochi’s gaze fell back to the terrifying iron box, his eyes shifting uncertainly: “It’s a death warrant, but it might not necessarily become… a life-saving charm, or even a weapon of counterattack!”
“Big Brother, you mean?” Zhu Gaoxu blinked and couldn’t help but ask.
“Don’t rush!”
Zhu Gaochi raised his hand to interrupt his brother and then forced himself to calm down.
Next, he stood up from his seat, took the iron box from Zhu Gaoxu’s hand, carefully took out a letter from inside, and quickly scanned its contents.
His pupils contracted sharply.
This was not direct evidence pointing to the Crown Prince’s death, but it was even more deadly.
It detailed the abnormal allocation and destination of funds for a water conservancy project in Shaanxi. The recipient was vague, but the names and seals of several individuals who handled the funds vaguely pointed to a vast, deeply entrenched network of interests.
And the end of this network of interests vaguely pointed to several enfeoffed princes.
Among them, Prince Jin Zhu Gang’s connection was the clearest.
The letter even alluded to ‘superior’ instructions requiring ‘cooperation’ for certain ‘special expenses’ during the Crown Prince’s inspection tour.
After reading this letter, he picked up the account book with blurred edges. It recorded seemingly ordinary palace purchases and local tributes, but the quantities, prices, and timing revealed strangeness.
Especially the purchase records of several medicinal materials and spices, which faintly matched the circulating rumors of ‘forbidden palace medicine’.
And the final destination indicated, after his careful deliberation and pondering, actually pointed to the Eastern Palace.
Although there was still no direct evidence proving a connection to the Crown Prince’s death, the combination of these two items was enough to make anyone’s blood run cold.
Corruption in Shaanxi, princes meddling in local affairs, abnormal expenditures in the Eastern Palace… all of this happened around the time of the Crown Prince’s inspection tour in Shaanxi and his subsequent death.
This iron box was more terrifying than explosives!
It contained the fuse that could ignite the entire Great Ming Dynasty!
“Big Brother…”
Seeing Zhu Gaochi’s constantly changing expression, Zhu Gao Sui could no longer bear the oppressive atmosphere and called out softly again.
But Zhu Gaochi ignored him, instead looking sharply at Zhu Gaoxu and saying in a low voice:
“Second Brother, are you sure the habits of the person you were tracking resembled someone from Prince Jin’s Mansion?”
Zhu Gaoxu frowned slightly, then pondered:
“At first, I wasn’t sure, but after seeing this box, I think it’s highly probable, definitely someone from my Uncle Prince Jin’s side!”
“His people must have come for this box!”
“Uncle Prince Jin.”
Zhu Gaochi murmured, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
Prince Jin, Prince Qin, and his own father had always been at odds. Prince Jin was the most eager to curry favor with the Emperor Grandfather, and his enfeoffed territory bordered Shaanxi, making him close with Prince Qin. Their influence was intertwined…
If the Crown Prince Uncle’s death was indeed related to them…
Then if they fell, wouldn’t it be beneficial to his father?
A plan to redirect the disaster became clear instantly!
“What does the Emperor Grandfather want to know the most right now? The truth! Who is behind this scheme!”
Zhu Gaochi’s speech quickened, his thoughts gradually clearing: “Fu Youwen and the others are linking it to ‘enfeoffment,’ and this fire has already spread to all the princes!”
“But it’s not burning hot enough, not precisely enough!”
“We need to help the Emperor Grandfather make this fire burn hotter! And aim it more accurately!”
Having said this, he pointed to the contents of the iron box and calmly analyzed:
“This box has been tampered with. The contents should be more than just this, otherwise, some things wouldn’t make sense!”
“Big Brother means that besides us, someone else has an iron box?” Zhu Gao Sui asked in surprise.
“Yes! It should be!”
Zhu Gaochi’s eyes sparkled:
“That person is very clever. He divided the contents of the box into two parts. What we got is the part concerning corruption in Shaanxi, princes interfering in local affairs, and forming factions for personal gain…”
“Although it also contains some content about the Eastern Palace, it’s not detailed. If I’m guessing correctly, the other person received the detailed content about the Eastern Palace.”
“Why would he do that?” Zhu Gaoxu asked, puzzled. “Doesn’t he trust us?”
“It’s not about trust.”
Zhu Gaochi shook his head: “He’s saving our lives!”
“Ah?”
Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gao Sui were simultaneously startled.
Zhu Gaochi sighed, “This concerns the Crown Prince Uncle. If we get too deeply involved, even though we are imperial relatives, one mistake could lead to a fatal calamity. He had to give that part to someone the Emperor Grandfather cannot kill!”
“Someone the Emperor Grandfather cannot kill?”
Zhu Gao Sui tilted his head in confusion: “Who?”
“It’s the person I saved today!” Zhu Gaoxu said in a deep voice.
Zhu Gao Sui was instantly dumbfounded.
Zhu Gaochi then showed an unprecedented seriousness: “Remember! We only know about the part concerning ‘Shaanxi and Prince Jin’!”
“But… does that kid Zhu Yunteng have the guts to hand it over?” Zhu Gaoxu frowned.
Zhu Gaochi took a deep breath and said:
“Whether he has the guts or not is his business. As for us, we need to wait for an opportunity, or… wait for further instructions from Father King!”
Upon hearing this, the brothers Zhu Gao Sui and Zhu Gaoxu exchanged glances once more.
They knew that even though he said that, they might not have much time left.
On the other side, in the Eastern Palace, Zhu Yunteng’s sleeping quarters.
The candlelight flickered, casting Zhu Yunteng’s face in a shifting light.
His fingers dug deeply into the cold account book, the blood drained from his young face.
The elegant handwriting, in his eyes now, resembled twisted poisonous insects, each word gnawing at his memories of his father’s death, constructing a chilling and terrifying truth.
“No… impossible…”
Zhu Mingyue was the first to notice Zhu Yunteng’s abnormality and also caught a glimpse of some of the contents in the account book.
She suddenly covered her mouth, her gentle eyes instantly filling with immense fear and tears. Her body trembled uncontrollably, her voice quivering:
“Father King died from overwork… the Imperial Physicians’ records even have the pulse diagnosis… how could this… this must be a frame-up! It’s fake!”
She instinctively wanted to deny it, the immense fear almost making her faint.
She had lived cautiously in the palace since childhood, deeply understanding the terrifying nature of such palace secrets, and once entangled, it meant utter destruction.
“What is it? Let me see!”
Zhu Mingyu snatched the account book without regard. Although she wasn’t very sensitive to numbers, scattered words like ‘Eastern Palace,’ ‘forbidden medicine,’ and ‘Shaanxi’ made her realize it was no good.
Her almond-shaped eyes, so like her mother Consort Lü’s, instantly blazed with anger: “Which black-hearted bastard did this?! Was it Consort Lü, that wicked woman?! I knew she had no good intentions!”
“Yunteng! Eldest Sister! Let’s take it to the Emperor Grandfather and let him chop off their heads! Like Zhang Biao cursed, let them go to death!”
As she spoke, she excitedly waved the account book, about to rush out of the hall.
“Mingyu! Come back!”
Zhu Mingyue was terrified and grabbed her sister tightly, her voice choked with tears: “We can’t go! We have no evidence, who will believe us?!”
“Besides, Consort Lü couldn’t have done this, think about it!”
“Given Father King’s favor towards her, towards Zhu Yunwen, and even elevating her to Crown Princess! How could she do such a thing?!”
“Then Father King died mysteriously! Should we pretend to be ignorant?! Should we wait for them to poison us too?!”
Zhu Mingyu struggled forcefully, her eyes turning red, but more out of anger and unwillingness: “Cowards! You’re all cowards!”
“I’m not a coward! I want to protect you!”
Zhu Mingyue’s tears flowed like rain: “I promised Uncle that I would look after you.”
“If Uncle knew Father King didn’t die of illness, but was murdered, he would probably be even more impulsive than us!”
“Mingyu, don’t be rash…”
“Stop arguing!”
Zhu Yunteng suddenly roared, his voice hoarse.
He clutched his head in pain, squatting on the ground, his body trembling slightly.
His eldest sister’s fear and his second sister’s impulsiveness were a reflection of the fierce struggle within him.
Hand it over? Report to the Emperor? How he wished he could! He wished he could rush to the Emperor Grandfather’s side immediately and dismember the murderer of his father!
But… was the evidence enough? Would the Emperor Grandfather believe it? How deep were the connections behind it?
Could the three of them, orphaned and without protection, truly withstand the consequences of uncovering the truth?
Would they fail to avenge their father and instead bring about their own demise and that of their two sisters?
Don’t hand it over? Endure it in silence? Watch the hatred for their father’s killer be buried, and live on in a cowardly way? This was worse than killing him!
Besides, did Zhao Fengman risk his life to send this just so he could continue to feign ignorance?
The immense pain and struggle almost tore the young boy apart.
Just as he was caught in a dilemma, his heart filled with despair and anger—
“Clatter!”
With a slight sound, a small scroll of thin paper slipped from a hidden compartment in the account book in Zhu Mingyu’s hand.
Zhu Mingyu, quick with her hands, immediately picked it up and began to read.
The handwriting was messy, some strokes even crooked, indicating the writer was in a difficult situation and under time pressure, yet it exuded a determined force.
【 Your Highness Yunteng: When you read this letter, I have already gone to my death generously with my brothers. 】
【 Do not be afraid, and do not panic. 】
【 Brother Biao told us in prison: Tomorrow’s matters are for tomorrow’s people to handle. We are today’s people, let’s do today’s work well. 】
【 My mission is to deliver this box into your hands. 】
【 Now, my mission is complete. The contents of this box are heavy and hot to the touch. How to handle it, you decide for yourself. 】
【 But do not forget, you are the direct descendant of the Crown Prince. 】
【 — Guilty soldier Zhao Fengman, last words. 】
“Yunteng…”
After reading the contents of the letter, Zhu Mingyu’s tears flowed uncontrollably. She then slowly handed the letter to Zhu Yunteng.
Zhu Yunteng was slightly stunned upon seeing this, then carefully took the letter.
Just one glance at the contents of the letter made him tremble all over.
“Go to death generously…”
Zhu Yunteng murmured these words, his fingers trembling as he traced the rough surface of the paper, as if he could feel the calm determination of Zhao Fengman as he wrote this letter.
Tears blurred his vision again, but this time, they were no longer tears of fear and anger, but a clarity born of profound shock and purification.
Yes… Zhao Fengman and the others, their mission for today was complete.
They used their lives to hand over this heavy ‘today’ to him.
Then what about him?
Should he continue to hide under his sisters’ wings, trembling in fear?
Should he cower and retreat due to potential danger, letting the hatred for his father’s killer be buried, and live on in a cowardly way, betraying those who risked their lives to bring the truth to him?
Or should he bravely take up this mission, become the ‘person of tomorrow,’ and do the ‘work of tomorrow’?
Suddenly, Zhu Yunteng raised his head sharply, the hesitation and fear in his eyes blown away like by a fierce wind, replaced by an unprecedented resolve and determination.
“Eldest Sister! Second Sister!”
“I am a ‘person of tomorrow’!”
“I am going to see the Emperor Grandfather!”
“I am going to hand over this iron box!”
“Whether the Emperor Grandfather believes it or not, no matter what happens afterwards!”
“This is something that must be done!”
“Yunteng?”
Zhu Mingyu looked at him, the impulsive anger in her eyes transformed into support: “You’ve decided?”
Zhu Mingyue grabbed his arm in terror: “Yunteng! Don’t! Think again! It’s too dangerous!”
Zhu Yunteng looked at his sisters, his gaze gentle but unquestionable: “Eldest Sister, we cannot live in fear forever. Zhao Fengman and the others were not afraid of death, and neither can we be.”
“Perhaps, I will disappoint Uncle…”
“Perhaps, I will never be able to contend for the throne again.”
“But some things are more important than contending for the throne, more important than living. This is Father King’s blood feud.”
Having said that, he turned to Zhu Mingyu and managed a faint smile: “Second Sister, you’re right, we cannot be cowards.”
“Hoo…”
He took another deep breath, his gaze resolute as he looked towards the hall: “I am going to do the ‘work of tomorrow.’ I am going to see the Emperor Grandfather. Hand this iron box to him.”
“No matter the outcome.”
As his voice faded, he picked up the iron box and the account book and turned resolutely.
“Wait—!”
Zhu Mingyu suddenly called out, rushing to Zhu Yunteng’s side, her eyes shining:
“I’ll go with you! We’ll die together! It’s meaningless to live a life of shame anyway! It’s better to go mad like Zhang Biao!”
“Mingyu!” Zhu Mingyue exclaimed.
Zhu Yunteng looked at his second sister and shook his head, his tone exceptionally calm: “No, you stay here and accompany Eldest Sister.”
“If I really don’t come back, at least you and Eldest Sister can offer incense to our parents. Our family’s lineage must not be broken, right?”
This last farewell caused Zhu Mingyue and Zhu Mingyu to burst into tears.
Zhu Yunteng no longer hesitated, clutching the iron box that could stir up a storm, and walked step by step, with unwavering resolve, towards Huagai Hall.
His back was still slender, yet it seemed to possess the strength to carry mountains.
Zhu Mingyu watched her younger brother’s retreating figure, wiping her eyes, not crying, but raising her head, like a small beast ready to face the storm.
Zhu Mingyue collapsed on the ground, weeping silently. Fear still clung to her, but as she watched her brother’s departing back, a faint hope, one she dared not believe herself, quietly bloomed in her heart.
【 Tomorrow’s matters… are for tomorrow’s people… 】
【 Yunteng, you must succeed! 】
Requesting monthly tickets~
There’s still one chapter, it will be a bit later. The current climax is very taxing on the brain.
