Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

The mummy suddenly let out a hoarse laugh that shook the waves. "Does Prince Zhu know who the mummy wearing Japanese armor was in the tent of the King of Oirat during the battle in Mobei 20 years ago?"

Zhu Han's pupils suddenly shrank. Twenty years ago, he led his troops to encircle and suppress the Wala king's tent, and saw with his own eyes that the mummy was wearing Japanese armor, but now the mummy in this coffin was wearing the official uniform of the Ming Dynasty!

"It's Hu Weiyong!" Zhu Biao suddenly shouted, "The ironclad evidence of his collaboration with the Japanese pirates is inside the coffin!"

The prince's sword suddenly turned to the coffin lid. Sparks splashed on the bronze decoration, revealing a line of dark red characters: "Drive out the Tartars and restore China."

Zhu Han's blood froze. Twenty years ago, when the Hu Weiyong case broke out, the chief envoy of the Imperial Observatory reported that there was a secret letter from the previous dynasty in the tent of the Oirat king, and the same eight characters were written on it!
"Open the coffin lid!" He shouted, and slashed the bronze lock with the sword. The coffin lid burst open, revealing the yellowed paper inside - it was the secret letter of Hu Weiyong's collusion with the Japanese pirates twenty years ago!
Zhu Biao suddenly stumbled back, the bloody words on the letter paper reflected in his pupils: "Use the blood of the Huaixi army to feed the dragon vein's gluttons." He stroked the words with his bloody fingers, and they were exactly the same as the blood letter written by the prince before his death.

The mummy suddenly let out a deafening roar, and its sharp claws stabbed at Zhu Biao's throat. Zhu Hanjian picked up the torch and rushed towards the mummy, and the firelight illuminated the prince's pale face.

On that snowy night twenty years ago, the young boy also lay on the haystack covered in blood, using his last bit of strength to draw a bloody scar on the palm of his hand.

Zhu Han suddenly turned his sword towards the depths of the coffin. The firelight illuminated a jade box, which was engraved with Japanese wave patterns. He opened the lid of the box with trembling hands - inside was a strand of white hair, tied with half a jade pendant!

"This is..." His pupils suddenly shrank. The cracks in the jade pendant were oozing dark red, exactly the same as the jade pendant the prince wore before his death.

The white hair suddenly moved without wind, and in the light of the fire it transformed into the face of the Huaixi general who was silenced on that rainy night twenty years ago!
"Prince Zhu..." an illusory voice sounded beside my ears, "The blood of the Huaixi Army...will not be shed in vain..."

Zhu Han was shocked. He suddenly remembered the word "Huai" drawn on his palm by the fingertips of the young prince when he breathed his last in his arms on that snowy night twenty years ago.

"Biao'er..." His voice was hoarse like a blunt knife cutting bones, "We won..."

The prince suddenly started coughing violently, and the dark red blood stains on his handkerchief were exactly the same as the blood on the chest of the mummy.

His bloody fingers stroked the blood scar on Zhu Han's palm, which turned into the last words of the Huaixi general who was silenced under the west wall of the East Palace on that rainy night in the firelight.

"Tell His Highness..." an illusory voice sounded beside his ears, "The blood of the Huaixi Army... will flood Jinling..."

The huge waves in the Bohai Bay suddenly subsided, and the Taotie in the center of the vortex let out its last roar and turned into a blood mist in the sky.

Zhu Han was looking at the gradually calming sea when he suddenly heard familiar footsteps behind him.

"Uncle." Zhu Biao's voice was still trembling, "Let's go back to the palace."

Green smoke rose from the Coiled Dragon Copper Furnace in the Fengtian Hall. Zhu Han knelt on the Coiled Dragon Gold Brick, with Zhu Yuanzhang's violent coughing echoing in his ears.

Zhu Yuanzhang's skinny fingers tightly grasped the armrests of the dragon throne, leaving several white marks on the rosewood.

"The eight great Shanxi merchants will be destroyed." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was like a blunt knife cutting through iron armor. "Send an order to the six ministries to immediately search and confiscate all officials who have had dealings with Shanxi merchants."

He suddenly started coughing violently, and the dark purple blood on his handkerchief splashed into the pile of memorials, looking very much like the blood written by the prince before his death.

Zhu Han looked at the wet blood jade seal on the desk, his Adam's apple rolling twice: "Brother, the Shanxi merchants are just floating duckweed. The real deep-seated disease... lies in the six ministries."

His bloody fingers slid across the floor tiles. In the shadow cast by the solitary copy of "Salt and Iron Theory", the Minister of Revenue Zhao Mian was sorting out the account books with his head down. A half-crescent moon tattoo was faintly visible on the back of his neck.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his head suddenly, and the crown curtain swept across the pile of memorials on the desk: "Zhao Mian?"

"The three thousand kilograms of sulfur purchased by the Ministry of Industry last month were handled by Zhao Mian's students." Zhu Han took out the blood-stained account book from his arms. The yellowed pages were densely marked with words such as "Zhangjiakou" and "Waguo Langwen". "The sulfur transported to the northern border by the Shanxi merchant caravan was recorded as 'relief for the victims of the Liaodong disaster'."

Outside the Fengtian Hall, locust flowers fell rustlingly, and a few snow-white petals floated into the hall and landed on Zhu Yuanzhang's gray temples.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly started to cough violently, and his jade belt jingled. "Go to the Jinshen Palace and summon the six ministers to see me."

Zhu Han was about to stand up when he heard the sound of hurried horse hooves outside the Fengtian Palace. A blood-soaked Jinyiwei broke open the carved wooden door and said, "Your Highness! The Shenjiying discovered... discovered... in the Jinshang Villa..."

"What did you find?" Zhu Yuanzhang stood up suddenly, and the armrest of the dragon throne broke with a loud bang.

"We found irrefutable evidence of collusion with the Japanese!" The Jinyiwei knelt on the ground, with frost condensing on his armor, "And... and Hu Ji'an's handwritten letter!"

Zhu Han's pupils suddenly shrank. When the Hu Weiyong case broke out 20 years ago, Hu Ji'an was just a child, how could he have correspondence with the Japanese pirates?
Zhu Yuanzhang stood up, his body trembling slightly due to the violent coughing, and a layer of gloomy cloud appeared on his old face.

Those deep wrinkles were like the scars of time, each of which revealed endless pain and cruelty.

"Ironclad evidence of collusion with the Japanese..." he muttered to himself, his voice so hoarse that it was almost inaudible. Then, he turned his head, his eyes as sharp as a knife, staring straight at Zhu Han, as if he wanted to find out all the secrets from him.

"Hu Ji'an! How could a little book boy like him be involved with the Japanese pirates? Could this really be the aftermath of the Hu Weiyong case?"

Zhu Han's heart suddenly sank, he lowered his head and held his breath. Every word Zhu Yuanzhang said was like a heavy hammer, hitting his heart.

Twenty years ago, the Hu Weiyong case was a hot topic and the fate of hundreds of people was changed. At this moment, the former Hu Ji'an was also involved in this unknown storm.

Hu Jian, who was ignorant in his youth, has now become a dangerous figure in the court.

"Royal brother," Zhu Han suddenly spoke in a low voice, trying to respond to the impatience that surged in his heart with the calmest tone.

"What Hu Jian did does not seem to be a personal decision. If he really collaborated with the enemy, there must be someone behind the scenes manipulating it, and what we are seeing now is probably just the tip of the iceberg."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly and looked at Zhu Han with cloudy eyes. "What do you want to say?"

"The Shanxi merchants, Zhao Mian, Hu Ji'an, all of this seems to be converging into a larger vortex, and the core of this vortex may not just be them. Brother Royal, we need a deeper investigation." Zhu Han's tone was firm, but there was a hint of imperceptible nervousness in his eyes.

"Investigation?" Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth curled up slightly, with a hint of mockery in his eyes, "Do you think this emperor doesn't know this?"

He took a deep breath and whispered, "But since you said so, just do it." Zhu Han nodded, but his heart was filled with even greater waves.

He turned around and prepared to leave, but at this moment, the urgent report from the Jinyiwei once again broke the silence in the hall.

A pale guard came in hurriedly, knelt on the ground, and said in a hurried voice: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince has an urgent matter."

Zhu Han was stunned and frowned slightly. "Urgent matter? What's the matter?"

"The letter from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince..." The guard seemed a little hesitant, and it was obvious that this matter was not simple. "The content of the letter involves Hu Ji'an, and some... other things."

Zhu Han's heartbeat quickened, and his lips tightened slightly. He couldn't help but look at Zhu Yuanzhang, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not react at all, but sat back on the dragon throne in silence, as if everything was under his control.

"Send an order! Bring the letter from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince as soon as possible." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was low and powerful, as if he had foreseen the significance of this letter.

Zhu Han was standing by, and he was already quickly deducing the possible plot in his mind. If the content of this letter was really related to Hu Ji'an, then there must be a bigger conspiracy.

And is Zhu Biao's current situation also like being caught up in this storm?
A moment later, the prince's letter was delivered to the palace. Zhu Han took the envelope, slowly opened it, and scanned the densely packed words in the letter. When he was halfway through reading, his eyes suddenly froze.

The letter clearly stated: "Regarding Hu Jian's matter, this matter involves too many things and cannot be controlled by me alone. If this matter is not completely resolved, it may cause chaos in the Ming Dynasty court."

Zhu Han stared at the prince's letter. The shock and anxiety in his heart made it almost difficult for him to breathe.

"Brother," Zhu Han finally raised his head and whispered, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince seems to have noticed the strangeness in this. He is willing to go and investigate the matter personally, but... I'm afraid it's not simple."

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Zhu Han closely, with a sharp light flashing in his eyes, as if everything was under his control.

"Biao'er's perception ability is much stronger than you think. Since he already knows, he must have his own plan. Do you think there is any deeper connection behind this letter besides Hu Ji'an?"

Zhu Han's heart shuddered. At this moment, he realized that he could no longer simply rely on this sign-in system that he had traveled through time and space. He had to be cautious in every step.

"Brother, the Crown Prince's determination may be stronger than we thought. If he goes to investigate this matter personally, I'm afraid there is a hidden meaning behind it."

"How do you plan to deal with this?" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was low, with a certain majesty that could not be ignored.

Zhu Han took a deep breath, put down the letter in his hand, walked to Zhu Yuanzhang's dragon throne, and bowed his head respectfully.

"Royal brother, if we let Biaoer go in person, it will definitely attract the attention of the court, especially the six ministries and those officials involved with the Shanxi merchants. If they notice the prince's movements, they will definitely take action. At this time, if we can't seize the opportunity, I'm afraid they will take the initiative."

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at Zhu Han deeply. “What do you want to do?”

"Although Biao'er is willing to investigate, it would be too hasty to think that he can find out the truth of the matter based on just a letter. I plan to take the lead and investigate those forces hidden in the dark."

Zhu Han's voice was low and firm. "During the investigation, we must remain vigilant and not let any clues be exposed to the enemy."

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up, his steps slow and heavy. Every step he took seemed to be stepping on Zhu Han's heart. "Where are you going?"

"Go to the Sixth Department and look for Zhao Mian." Zhu Han's eyes flickered and his expression was stern. "That man is not an easy person to deal with. If we are not careful, he might take advantage of us."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent, standing there, staring deeply at Zhu Han, as if trying to see something from his eyes.

"If you go, be careful. Zhao Mian is a man of deep thoughts. If he is really behind all this, even the slightest negligence on your part could ruin the entire plan."

Zhu Han nodded, his heart throbbing. Zhao Mian, the Minister of Revenue, seemed steady and silent on the surface, but he was a complex and unpredictable figure in the Ming court.

"Royal brother, if I can find a breakthrough, perhaps I can solve this problem in the bud." Zhu Han's voice carried a hint of determination that could not be ignored.

“But if there is a real connection between Zhao Mian and Hu Ji’an, and if this matter involves a lot of people, I’m afraid we need to seek more support.”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, remained silent for a moment, and finally spoke. "Since you have such a plan, I will not stop you. I just hope you can remember that the Ming Dynasty cannot be easily shaken by others!"

Zhu Han bowed deeply and turned to walk out of the hall. As soon as he stepped out of the door, he ran into Gu Qingping who came in a hurry. The Crown Princess's face was still as beautiful as jade. Although her makeup was simple, she was still elegant and refined.

Her brows were furrowed, as if she had just received urgent news.

"Your Highness, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has something for you to tell him." Gu Qingping's voice was filled with a hint of suppressed anxiety. "He said that if you go to find Zhao Mian, you must be careful. The Six Departments are in the limelight recently. Don't let the enemy see your flaws."

Zhu Han was stunned for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Biao'er is very thoughtful and he really noticed the worries in my heart."

He paused and looked at Gu Qingping deeply, "You should also be careful. Those people in the six departments are quietly making plans right now."

Gu Qingping nodded, her face slightly pale, as if she also felt this invisible pressure.

She gently pulled Zhu Han's sleeve and whispered, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince is now eager to find out the truth, and this matter is of great importance. If you go to the Six Departments, can you ensure your safety?"

Zhu Han smiled slightly and whispered to comfort her, "Don't worry, I know what to do." He looked into Gu Qingping's eyes and said firmly, "No matter what, I will not let go of any trace of uneasiness in this palace."

Gu Qingping slowly loosened her hand and looked at Zhu Han deeply, with imperceptible worry in her eyes.

After Zhu Han said goodbye, he set out on the road to Liubu alone. The sun outside shone through the clouds, and a faint red hue could be seen on the horizon.

The atmosphere in the lobby of the Sixth Ministry was oppressive and silent. Zhao Mian sat on a high seat, his face as calm as water, his hands gently holding a book, as if he didn't care about anything around him. (End of this chapter)