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

He has a very close friendship with Zhu Han. He is cold and taciturn, but he is knowledgeable and can see through people's hearts.

When Zhu Han dismounted and entered the alley, he saw a man in white making tea beside the bamboos in the yard.

"You're late." Lu Cangyi said without even raising his head.

Zhu Han smiled: "You are still so cool."

"You are still causing trouble like this." Lu Cangyi raised his eyes, his gaze was like a knife, "I heard about Li Jing from the East Factory, how are you going to deal with him?"

"It's not me who wants to punish him, it's Zhu Biao." Zhu Han sat down slowly, picked up the teacup and took a sip, "I just want to know who is behind him."

"Although Li Jing was born in a humble family, he is extremely capable. He was just a medicine boy in the Imperial Medical Bureau back then, but he was able to rise rapidly in five years and control half of the people in the Inner East Factory. It was not because of his medical skills." Lu Cangyi said in a cold tone.

Zhu Han nodded. "I found out that he had studied in the Nanzhao Palace School in his early years. The school accepted the children of former officials who were exiled after the fall of the country. The training there was extremely strict. Later, he was dismissed by the court, but he was accepted into the inner palace, and was personally introduced by the empress dowager."

"Empress Dowager..." Lu Cangyi's eyes changed.

"That's right." Zhu Han whispered softly, "The Queen Mother seems to be in a lingering illness, but she secretly keeps her old subordinates. Li Jing is the person she planted, and her purpose is nothing else but to check and balance me."

"This palace... there is really no clean place." Lu Cangyi said slowly.

"That's why Zhu Biao must see clearly." Zhu Han's eyes were sharp, "This game was not set by me, but by the Queen Mother before he grew up."

"What about you?" Lu Cangyi looked at him slowly, "Do you want to break the game? Or join it?"

Zhu Han chuckled and looked towards the sky outside the courtyard. "If there is no bureau, where will the support come from?"

At the same time, in the Eastern Palace, Zhu Biao finally saw Li Jing's true face from a tip-off -

He had made three secret visits to the Empress Dowager's palace, and each time he entered and exited, he left no trace in the imperial records, and several eunuchs tipped him off. Four of them have been identified, and the rest are still lurking in the deep palace.

"Li Jing, Queen Mother, Mother..." Zhu Biao muttered to himself with a complicated tone.

"Your Highness." Xu Mu stepped forward in a low voice, "Should we ask for permission immediately to detain Li Jing?"

Zhu Biao suddenly waved his hand and said, "No. This matter cannot alarm Grandfather Huang."

"But if you delay any further——"

"It's not about delaying." Zhu Biao stood up slowly, his eyes deep, "It's about luring him into action."

"Lure the snake out of its hole?" Xu Mu hesitated slightly.

Zhu Biao nodded: "I will secretly investigate the Jiangbei salt tax case in the name of the Eastern Palace. On the surface, it is to rectify the salt administration, but in fact it is to transfer two important eunuchs from the Inner East Factory and force Li Jing to mobilize his own people. Once he makes a mistake... we can follow the clues to find the real culprit."

Xu Mu responded in a low voice and then left. Zhu Biao turned and looked outside the palace, his eyes gradually turning cold.

"Uncle Huang is right. This country cannot be maintained by hard work alone."

Late at night under the lights of the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang put down the memorial in his hand and looked at the beams on the roof of the palace.

"This Li Jing...if we don't get rid of him, he will become a future trouble."

He silently chanted Zhu Han's name in his heart, and thought of the calm and resolute Zhu Biao, and he sighed unusually: "Biao'er, if you really have a destiny... then you can take on this fire."

In the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang stared deeply at the memorial in his hand under the light, as if he read something unusual.

He slowly raised his head, and the cold gaze in his eyes swept across the documents on the desk, finally stopping at one corner.

Then, he waved his hand, ordered Gao Lishi to close the door tightly, and whispered: "Go, prepare everything immediately, without any mistakes."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Gao Lishi bowed and walked out of the palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang had already decided that the situation between Li Jing and the Queen Mother could not be dragged on any longer and that he had to end everything at this critical juncture. Otherwise, the situation in the East Palace would become more complicated and even out of control.

At this time, the lights in the East Palace were still on. Zhu Biao was sitting at his desk, with all kinds of documents piled in front of him. He held a pen in his hand, but he didn't put it down for a long time.

Although his face was calm, the anxiety and pressure in his heart were like a surging tide, constantly eroding his calmness.

"Your Highness." Xu Mu walked in quietly, holding a letter in his hand and handed it over.

Zhu Biao didn't look up. Just looking at the neat seal on the envelope, he could already guess what was inside.

Picking up the envelope, he calmly opened it and read every word inside carefully.

The message in the letter was not complicated, but it was enough to make Zhu Biao frown again - Li Jing, the eunuch of the Inner East Factory, had already begun to set up his own power network and seemed to be well prepared.

"Lure the snake out of its hole?" Zhu Biao whispered, his eyes becoming more serious. "It seems that our plan must be carried out in advance."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the rising moonlight outside.

The moon cast its silver light coldly, shining through the cracks in the window frame and onto his young but worried face.

"Xu Mu." Zhu Biao turned around, his eyes sharp as a knife, "Immediately send people to Jiangbei to find out the progress of the salt tax case. Everything related to Li Jing must be investigated one by one."

Xu Mu bowed: "Yes, Your Highness."

Zhu Biao lowered his head in thought, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

All these conspiracies were far beyond his expectations. If Li Jingzhen was secretly colluding with the Queen Mother, the power behind it must be very powerful.

"Empress Dowager..." Zhu Biao whispered the name with a frown.

At the same time, Li Jing was standing in front of a high window in another remote courtyard of the Inner East Factory, overlooking the increasingly prosperous capital city outside.

His eyes were calm, but a smug smile appeared on his face. Recently, the situation in the East Palace has become increasingly complicated, and he is the venomous snake lurking in the dark, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

"Your Majesty and the Crown Prince both overestimate themselves."

Li Jing whispered to himself and turned his back to the scenery outside the window. Behind him stood a man in black, who was the informant he had arranged in the East Palace.

"Li Jing, are you really going to act according to the plan?" the man in black asked in a low voice, with some uneasiness in his tone.

"According to the plan." Li Jing's voice was steady, but it revealed an unquestionable pressure.

"The prince has begun to take action. He has begun to suspect me. But if I don't take the initiative, I will expose myself. In this case, I might as well take action first and take the opportunity to tear apart the trust between him and Zhu Han."

He paused, turned around and said slowly: "At night, I will go to see the Queen Mother and tell her that everything is ready."

"Will the Queen Mother be personally involved?"

"If she doesn't get involved, then the situation in the East Palace will become increasingly chaotic."

Li Jing sneered, "The Queen Mother's goal is no longer to support the Crown Prince, but to make him her pawn. What she wants is complete control of the throne, not just the imperial power."

The man in black nodded and lowered his head in silence.

Late at night, inside the Qianqing Palace, the Empress Dowager's bedroom was still brightly lit, with palace maids and eunuchs following her everywhere.

However, the Queen Mother did not fall asleep, but sat quietly on the golden and wooden chair in the palace, with complex light flashing in her eyes.

She looked at the brocade box in front of her. The memorial in the box was her top priority in recent days.

Suddenly, there was a low knock on the door. The Queen Mother said nothing and continued to sit there.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened, and Li Jing walked in wearing a dark black robe, with his brows lowered and his eyes submissive, looking extremely respectful.

"Greetings, Queen Mother." Li Jing bowed, his voice low but clear.

The Queen Mother nodded slightly and motioned for him to sit down: "Li Jing, how is the plan going?"

"Everything is ready, just waiting for the Queen Mother's order." Li Jing sneered, "The Crown Prince has already made some moves. Zhu Han's attention has gradually turned to himself. I estimate that in a few days, he will completely lose control of this situation."

The Queen Mother nodded, a sneer on her face: "Okay. If you can guide the prince to make the wrong decision, I can make him fall into the abyss." A cold light flashed in Li Jing's eyes: "I will definitely complete what the Queen Mother has entrusted to me."

"You also know that you have only one goal." The Queen Mother said sternly, "That is to make this prince completely lose control of the Ming Dynasty and pave the way for me. Otherwise, you will have nothing."

A hint of nervousness flashed across Li Jing's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by calmness: "I understand."

The Queen Mother nodded slightly and said coldly: "Very good, proceed according to the plan. What I want to see is a completely lost prince, not an enemy who can threaten me."

Zhu Han, wearing a silver-white fox fur coat, stood in front of the palace.

The cold wind blew across his sleeves, but he remained calm, his eyes fixed on a secret letter that had just been delivered. The handwriting was delicate, it was Lu Cangyi's handwriting, just a few words:

"The East Factory recently sent people to secretly enter the Imperial College, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Imperial Household Department to check the files and secret books. The purpose is unknown. But there is one thing that caught my attention - the account books of the old salt warehouses in two places in Jiangnan, which are suspected to have a fake seal of 'the prince's signature'."

After reading it, Zhu Han's face darkened.

"Li Jing finally took action."

He tapped the desk with his fingers. "If you drag the prince into the false accounting case, and point the incident to Jiangnan - oh, you are killing three birds with one stone. Not only are you trying to discredit Zhu Biao, but you are also trying to test whether I can protect him."

He turned around and called his attendant: "Prepare the horses and go into the palace."

Today, Zhu Han took the initiative to meet the emperor.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the couch, holding the copper stove in his hand, and remained silent. In front of him, Zhu Han stood quietly without sitting down.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly smiled: "Why? Today, you, the prince, are willing to go out and pay respect to my royal brother?"

Zhu Han looked calm and said, "There is a storm in the palace, how dare I slack off?"

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes and said, "Tell me, who are you here for?"

Zhu Han said frankly: "Prince."

"He got into trouble?"

"No." Zhu Han paused, his expression slightly gloomy, "Someone wants him to get into trouble."

As soon as these words came out, the air in the hall suddenly became cold. Zhu Yuanzhang put the copper furnace on the table, sparks flew, but no one dared to move. Gao Lishi bowed and stepped back.

"You mean Li Jing?"

Zhu Han nodded.

"I knew it long ago." Zhu Yuanzhang smiled coldly, "I turned a blind eye to your sister-in-law's stay in the Imperial Hospital, but this Li Jing... is too impatient."

"If we act now, we might just alarm the snake."

Zhu Han said slowly: "It is better to lead him to self-destruction."

"You have a plan?"

"Yes." Zhu Han leaned over and whispered, telling him what he was thinking. When Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, his expression changed from gloomy to bright, then from bright to cold. Finally, he was silent for a moment and nodded: "OK."

"My dear brother, please retire."

He stayed awake all night, his eyes were bloodshot, and he kept thinking about the connection between Li Jing and the Jiangnan false accounting case in his mind.

"If this case is true, I will never be able to clear myself of the charge of 'privately printing a fake signature'."

At this time, Xu Mu came quickly with a serious face: "Your Highness, the news is accurate. Li Jing has privately sent someone to the Ministry of Revenue to retrieve your inspection documents from five years ago. Among them is a seal that overlaps with the old case of the salt warehouse..."

Zhu Biao closed his eyes and paused.

Xu Mu added: "However, the prince sent a secret letter, saying that a trap has been set up in the Ministry of Revenue, and we are just waiting for Li Jing to go and collect evidence."

"Uncle Wang..."

"The prince has arranged everything." Xu Mu said in a low and urgent voice, "He will lead Li Jing into a dead end, and he is just waiting for your cooperation."

Zhu Biao slowly opened his eyes: "Why does he always block for me?"

"Because he can see clearly." Xu Mu's tone sank, "You must break the situation yourself to be able to take on the responsibility of ruling the world in the future."

Zhu Biao was silent for a moment, then his eyes suddenly changed, and he whispered, "Send an order, have Chen Shun deploy important posts in the East Palace and the East Pavilion; also, secretly check the list of people coming in and out of the Inner East Factory, especially the dispatches in the Empress Dowager's Palace."

"Your Highness is going to take action?"

"Li Jing's counterattack is coming." Zhu Biao's eyes were cold as frost, "If I don't move first, he will win first."

Li Jing stood against the wall, with several trusted aides standing behind him.

"The Ministry of Revenue has already made all the arrangements, and the Crown Prince's old signature documents are ready. He can't make excuses."

One of the confidants whispered, "It's just that the prince seems to have made some unusual moves recently."

"Zhu Han?" Li Jing snorted coldly, "He has always pretended to be a carefree person, but I have long expected that he is the knife behind Zhu Biao. In this case - I will make both of you bear the stigma."

He took out a letter of proclamation: "This is a forged letter from a former vassal king who used the name of the East Factory to intercept and transfer military pay from the border areas. The signature is Zhu Han's seal."

Everyone was shocked: "If this leaks out..."

"It is the prince's crime of colluding with others for embezzlement." Li Jing's eyes showed sinisterness, "If both of them fall at the same time, no one in the world will be able to stop me from reorganizing the factory guards."

Lu Cangyi looked at the seal in his hand and said, "What a coincidence, what you thought was bait was actually hooked by yourself."

Zhu Han, wearing a nightgown, stood under the lamp and said, "It's time to invite the prince to join the game."

The Queen Mother looked at the brocade book in her hand with a stern expression.

"Li Jing has sent a letter saying that the game will be settled tonight."

"Okay." She said softly, "It's time to let the palace see who is the real manipulator."

She slowly stood up and put on the golden crane cloak.

"Pass on my order to summon Li Jing to the side hall to discuss matters."

However, she had never expected that someone had been waiting in the side hall for a long time tonight.

The man stood in the light, wearing a black brocade robe and a crown on his head. It was Zhu Han.

"The Queen Mother has arrived, Han dare not fail to welcome her."

The Queen Mother stopped suddenly.

"Why...are you here?"

Zhu Han cupped his hands, his smile not reaching his eyes: "Li Jing's plan and the Queen Mother's plan have all been finalized. I hope you still have the intention to turn back."

The Queen Mother snorted coldly: "You dare to stop me?"

"I didn't stop him." Zhu Han's voice sank, "Your Majesty already knew about it."

At this time, the side door slowly opened.

Zhu Yuanzhang entered wearing a dragon robe, his eyes gleaming coldly: "Queen... you played a good chess game."

The Queen Mother's face turned pale, her steps staggered, and she almost fell.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not blame him or ask any questions, but only said: "If you can't even control this little Li Jing, how are you going to suppress the evildoers in the world in the future?" (End of this chapter)