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

Zhu Biao said nothing, but his brows were already furrowed.

"I'm not saying this to ask for protection from His Highness." Liu Yin suddenly smiled, "I'm asking for self-protection. If His Highness ever sits on the throne of Heaven, I don't ask for wealth and honor, I just ask for a way to survive."

Zhu Biao looked at her with a complicated look in his eyes.

"I can promise you." He said slowly, "But I need to verify this matter. If it is true, are you willing to be the lead?"

Liu Yin smiled, her eyes clear, "If I didn't want to, I wouldn't be here today."

She bowed, turned and left, her back slender but determined.

Lin Hong stood in the mezzanine at the northernmost part of the library. In the wall cabinet in the corner with deep chisel marks on the blue brick, there was a small wooden box that had long been mottled.

He squatted down and stroked the thin layer of dust with his fingers, and his fingertips seemed to touch old dreams.

"No one has ever asked about this place." He whispered, as if to himself.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps behind me.

He didn't look back, and said calmly: "Why are you here again?"

A gentle voice sounded, "You know I will come eventually."

The speaker was Bai Qing, a woman who had worked in the Imperial Hospital, but resigned for unknown reasons and remained silent for three years. She appeared in the palace like fog, coming and going without a trace, but she could always find Lin Hong.

Lin Hong stood up, his expression calm, and looked back at her, "What did you find out?"

Bai Qing looked at him for a long while before saying, "The prince met Liu Yin last night at Guanzhu Pavilion."

Lin Hong raised his eyebrows slightly, as if smiling, "It turns out that she really couldn't help it and showed up."

"She did it to save her life." Bai Qing looked at him, "You knew the prince had set his sights on you, why did you deliberately keep her?"

"Intentionally?" Lin Hong's smile faded and turned cold, "I never keep anyone, only my shadow."

Bai Qing frowned, "But she is not a shadow, she is a living person, she can be afraid, and she can change."

Lin Hong said nothing, and after a moment he suddenly said:
"What do you think I am?"

"You are--" Bai Qing gritted his teeth but didn't say it out loud.

Lin Hong walked to the window with his hands behind his back and looked at an old locust tree in the yard, its branches tangled but lush and green.

"I am just a nail on the edge of power. I can't be driven upwards, but no one dares to touch me downwards."

"I thought you didn't want to be a thorn in this issue anymore." Bai Qing said in a low voice.

Lin Hong smiled, his voice was cold, "Does it matter to me whether I am the one or not?"

Silence flooded into the mezzanine of the library like a tide. Bai Qing leaned against the wall and whispered:
"So what do you want to do?"

Lin Hong looked out the window with an unfathomable look in his eyes, "I want to know what Zhu Han is doing here."

Bai Qing glanced at him, "Didn't he say that he was going to help the crown prince?"

"That's what he said." Lin Hong smiled slightly, "But if he really just wanted to help the crown prince, why didn't he push someone into the Secretariat? Why did he bypass the court and go around the palace, the music studio, and the Shang Pharmacy?"

Bai Qing was stunned. "You mean, he has other plans?"

Lin Hong did not answer, but just looked out the window and thought for a long time.

Suddenly, he asked, "Is the jade seal in your hand still there?"

Bai Qing was shocked, "Do you still remember it?"

"It's the last thing your father left you." Lin Hong said, "How could I not remember it?"

Bai Qing's eyes moved slightly, "What do you want it for?"

Lin Hong did not answer immediately. After a long while, he slowly said:
"That seal originally belonged to the Internal Affairs Supervisor. Although it has been abandoned for twenty years, it can still be used to access the seven warehouses."

"You want to enter the seventh room?" Bai Qing's voice trembled, "Even Zhu Biao doesn't dare to enter there rashly."

"That's why I need you." Lin Hong turned and stared at her, "I need someone who has no obvious connection with me and can verify the authenticity of the old books in the warehouse."

Bai Qing frowned and hesitated in saying nothing.

"I won't let you take the risk in vain." Lin Hong suddenly took out something from his arms and handed it to her.

It was an old silver bell with a dull sound and faint cracks.

Bai Qing recognized it and said in an almost inaudible voice, "Do you still have this bell?"

Lin Hong nodded, "You said back then that if I died one day, as long as this bell was in your hands, you would be willing to go to hell for me."

"I dare not let you go to hell," he said softly, "but are you willing to go to the Seventh Chamber for me?"

Bai Qing closed his eyes for a long time, then nodded gently.

"it is good."

Late at night, in the east wing of the palace.

Zhu Han was reading a book at his desk when Feng Jie walked in, with a look of alertness in his eyes.

"Lin Hong has been unusually calm lately."

“He’s always calm.”

"No, I mean, he is too calm." Feng Jie whispered, "He has not left the house for a few days. Surprisingly, he does not check on people or ask about things. He only reads books, drinks tea, and occasionally goes into the collection pavilion, as if he is waiting."

"What are you waiting for?" Zhu Han's eyes moved.

Feng Jie hesitated, "Maybe... I am waiting for someone to make a mistake, or maybe, I am waiting for a crack to appear."

Zhu Han was silent for a moment, then suddenly said:

"Let Liu Yin go see him."

Feng Jie was startled. "Your Majesty is saying—"

"If she wants to survive, she must offend both sides. Lin Hong knew that she had changed her mind, but he did not do anything to her. He was testing her. If I really believed in her, I would never let her do anything, and she would become an empty shell." Zhu Han slowly stood up and said with his hands behind his back:
"Now, it's time for her to walk on thin ice."

"Tell her that this time, if Lin Hongruo makes a move, she will have a chance to survive."

Three days later, the spring day began to clear up.

Lin Hong was sitting alone in the storage room when he suddenly heard familiar footsteps outside the door.

"Liu Yin?" His tone was calm, without any fluctuation.

A woman came in, wearing a green shirt and a white belt, with a solemn expression.

Lin Hong glanced at her and said, "Finally here."

Liu Yin stood quietly, "I thought you would kill me first."

"If you really betrayed me completely, you wouldn't have come here in person." Lin Hong put down the book in his hand, "You are a smart person, so smart that you know I must ask you a question before I kill you."

"Why did you carry me?"

Liu Yin looked at him, with a hint of sarcasm on her lips:

"Because you never believed me."

When Lin Hong heard this, a strange look flashed across his eyes. After a long time, he smiled.

"You've finally changed."

"You never knew that I had changed a long time ago." Liu Yin whispered, "You just never saw it."

"It's not that I don't want to look." Lin Hong stood up, walked slowly to her, and looked into her eyes, "I just don't dare to look."

Liu Yin's expression changed slightly, but she didn't say anything.

Lin Hong said softly: "Since you are here, please pass on a message for me."

"Tell Zhu Han - I am willing to return to the game and no longer hide the line."

"But I only trust one person." Liu Yin was startled, "Who?"

Lin Hong smiled and whispered, "Prince."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked out of the pavilion.

At the same time, Liu Yin slowly walked into a side hall in the southwest corner of the palace.

The lights were dim, and there was already a man waiting in front of the couch. He was wearing a scholar's robe, with a gaunt face, but his eyes revealed a fierceness that was inconsistent with his gentle manner.

"How is it?" the man in Confucian robes asked in a low voice.

Liu Yin slowly untied the zither bag and placed it on the table. "He didn't suspect anything, but Zhu Han... probably already noticed it."

"Zhu Han..." the man murmured softly, and suddenly sneered, "This person is too heavy and too steady. He is the biggest variable."

"Xu Yunshang has been exposed." Liu Yin said lightly, "What are you going to do next?"

"No hurry." The man in the Confucian robe waved his hand. "After tonight, the East Palace will definitely become suspicious. It's a good time for them to be busy with the internal investigation - and the real killing has not yet happened."

He slowly pulled out a vermilion secret letter from his sleeve and pushed it in front of Liu Yin.

"This is the next step," he said. "Send it to the man outside Jinchuan Gate. He knows what to do."

Liu Yin took the secret letter, her expression as calm as ever, but before leaving, she suddenly said, "If the prince doesn't die, our game will be meaningless."

"He will." The man in the Confucian robes smiled coldly, "We don't want the prince to die, we only want the fate to change."

A few days later, three secret envoys quietly arrived at the palace.

One was dressed in white as snow, holding a sword as sharp as a shadow; one was dressed in a gray cloth robe, spoke little but had eyes like an eagle; one was dressed in blue, had a handsome face and smiling eyes, looking like a businessman and a knight-errant.

Zhu Han met him personally, stood in front of the desk and said slowly:
"From today on, Bai Ying will protect the Crown Prince, Qin Ce will secretly investigate the inner palace, Shang Yun...you go to the Ministry of Rites and keep an eye on Zhou Qian for me."

The three of them responded in unison.

Zhu Han nodded and said calmly: "The net has been spread, just waiting for the wind to come."

Before the storm started, Zhu Biao summoned Xu Mu again.

"Sir, you said that the game is not about counterattack, but about lure." Zhu Biao's eyes were firm, "Then what if I put one person into this game and guide him?"

"Do you have a target?" Xu Mu looked at him.

Zhu Biao's eyes were slightly cold: "Zhu Di."

Xu Mu was stunned for a moment, then he stroked his beard and smiled, "If you really dare to touch him, Your Highness the Crown Prince will truly be on the path of an emperor."

Zhu Biao said in a low but determined voice: "If I don't move first, one day he will move me first."

Zhu Han stood under the bamboo corridor in the back garden of the East Palace, his long black gown hidden in the light and shadow, his hands hidden in his sleeves, his expression as calm as still water.

Not far behind him was an old ginkgo tree with new buds sprouting in early spring. A small copper bell tied with red silk hung between the branches.

When the wind blows, the bells sound crisp, like a whisper.

Chu Lingyan walked in slowly, wearing a plain green dress and a black jade belt around her waist. Her eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, but there was not the slightest hint of feminine gentleness in her eyes. Instead, there was a hint of coldness and sharpness.

"You still like waiting for people in the morning mist." She turned her eyes slightly, and her tone was full of a hint of teasing as if she had known each other for a long time.

Zhu Han smiled faintly: "Morning mist hides the edge, it's the best time to talk about old things."

Chu Lingyan snorted softly, walked to the corridor and leaned against the pillar, her eyes passing over the copper bell: "You actually still kept this."

"You left in a hurry that year and didn't have time to take it." Zhu Han said calmly, "I will keep it for you, thinking that if you look back one day, there must be an old thing to let you know that there are still people in this world who have not forgotten you."

Chu Lingyan lowered her eyes, tightened her fingers slightly, and then slowly loosened them.

"I came back," she raised her eyes, "not to look back."

"I know you're not doing this for love, nor for justice." Zhu Han glanced at her, his eyes seemed to be turbulent, "You're doing this for the 'game'."

Chu Lingyan raised the corner of her mouth and smiled slightly, "You are still so smart."

The two of them were silent for a long time. The breeze blew through the bamboo leaves, making a rustling sound like a constant whisper.

"That child - Zhu Biao, how is he?" Chu Lingyan asked.

Zhu Han turned and looked towards the end of the gallery not far away. That was the prince's study. The door was closed, but it seemed to hide mountains and deep seas.

"He is more stable than I thought." Zhu Han said in a low voice, "But he is also more lonely."

"If you want him to become an emperor, you can't teach him to be greedy for gentleness." Chu Lingyan said in a slightly cold tone.

"But I don't want him to be as cold as iron." Zhu Han sighed, "I want him to have power like a mountain, but still have human feelings in his heart."

Chu Lingyan looked at him quietly for a long time before saying, "The way you teach him is very much like you."

Zhu Han said nothing, but tapped three times on the porch pillar, the sound like bones hitting stone.

Not long after, a tall middle-aged man walked slowly over, with sharp beard and steady steps. It was the Qin Baizhou mentioned by Zhu Han. He bowed, but there was a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.

"Your Highness, Li Siwei is missing."

Zhu Han's eyes darkened slightly: "When?"

"He didn't come back last night. He said he was going to meet someone, but he didn't tell his name. He didn't show up this morning, and there's no sign of his followers either." Qin Baizhou said in a deep voice.

Chu Lingyan sneered: "If you want to use the heart mirror to read people, you must first prevent him from being read and seduced by others."

Zhu Han pondered for a moment, then turned and walked into the front yard of the study.

Zhu Biao was practicing calligraphy in the courtyard, each stroke was steady and calm. He heard footsteps, put down his brush, stood up and bowed, "Uncle."

"The handwriting is good." Zhu Han glanced at it, "but there are too many distracting thoughts in my mind, and my pen is not steady."

Zhu Biao was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "The emperor's uncle has seen through it."

"Li Siwei is missing." Zhu Han said bluntly, "Do you remember who he mentioned yesterday?"

Zhu Biao frowned and thought, "Yesterday he mentioned that 'the person in the mirror is the hardest to recognize'. I didn't quite understand it at the time. He said that there are people in the capital who are good at using masks and can act like ordinary people in the court, but their hearts have already been with him."

Chu Lingyan interrupted coldly: "It's an inside line."

Zhu Han raised his eyes and looked at the water in the courtyard: "This game is deeper than I thought."

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and said, "Uncle, if the enemy is in the court, with no eyes or ears, it is better to set a trap to lure the enemy out."

"What do you want to do?" Zhu Han raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I want to set up a fake situation." Zhu Biao's tone gradually turned cold. "I want to appoint the Eastern Palace as the assistant governor and publicly recommend Qin Baizhou to the palace for military lectures, so as to disturb those hiding in the dark."

Chu Lingyan stared at him for a long time, and suddenly chuckled: "You actually want to use yourself as bait."

Zhu Biao said calmly: "Since I am the crown prince, how can I be afraid of danger?"

Zhu Han remained silent, but his expression became extremely complicated. He remembered that ten years ago, he had said to Zhu Biao: "If you can make your own decisions one day, the emperor's uncle will step back three steps for you."

Now, Zhu Biao took this step earlier than he expected.

The night is getting darker.

The East Palace held a banquet to entertain several civil officials. During the banquet, Zhu Biao looked gentle, talked and laughed, occasionally made profound remarks, but did not show his sharpness. The only thing he mentioned was that "Duke Qin entered the palace to assist in the administration".

The next morning, the Secretariat suddenly sent a report - the younger brother of the Minister of Rites had a seizure at home and was talking nonsense, saying that "Li knew people", which had alarmed the Imperial Hospital.

Zhu Han leaned against the long corridor in the courtyard, looking towards the center of Beijing and muttering, "The wind has finally moved."

Chu Lingyan walked over slowly, holding a small bone fan in her hand, and whispered, "Someone in the Inner East Factory has made a move. Go check the case files of the Ministry of Rites."

"It's you." Zhu Han said softly.

"You guessed it long ago." Chu Lingyan put away the fan, her eyes slightly cold, "No matter how deep I hide it, it's not as good as you can reveal my thoughts in a few words."

"You haven't changed your mind." Zhu Han chuckled, "You just don't want to admit it."

"What about you?" Chu Lingyan raised her eyes to look at him, "You have never been tempted?" (End of this chapter)