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

In the palace, East Garden.

Li Tingrui sat in a secret room, with a map in front of him and a file sealed with gold silk satin beside him. His eyes were gloomy, and his fingers slowly traced a secret passage in the palace wall.

"If the East Factory's troops can be mobilized within the palace, using this hidden passage as a guide, and with the help of internal forces, they will be able to capture the prince."

Feng Zongyao's words still echoed in my ears: "What you want is not to survive, but to turn things around."

He took a deep breath and slowly closed the secret file: "Let's bet on this one."

In the Prince's Palace, Zhu Biao looked at another list handed to him by the Queen with a complicated expression.

"These people were secretly ordered by the late emperor. Some of them were secret spies of the Imperial Guards, and some were former subordinates of the empress."

Zhu said slowly: "This is another line of defense your father left for you."

Zhu Biao held the list tightly: "Mother, I understand... Loyalty alone is not enough to protect this world."

Zhu nodded calmly, stood up and slowly walked out of the hall: "You finally understand."

"But remember, although you are the crown prince, everything is just a bargaining chip before you ascend the throne."

Night falls again, by the Qujiang River.

Zhu Han changed into a blue Confucian robe and walked alone on the bridge. He brought no followers, only a short sword.

He already knew that Li Tingrui was going to attack Dongyuan tonight, and he - was going to stop the first move.

The wind was blowing and the water was moving. Suddenly, a black shadow emerged from the river, stepping on the water. It was light and agile and rushed straight towards Zhu Han.

Zhu Han remained calm as the short sword in his sleeve flew out from the wind, slashing the moon with its cold light.

With a clang, the two figures passed each other and the sword light cut through the darkness like frost and snow falling suddenly.

When the black shadow landed on the ground, a bloodstain appeared on his chest.

"It's you." Zhu Han whispered, and saw the face of the person clearly - he was actually a third-class guard of the Eastern Depot and a close confidant of Li Tingrui.

He turned around coldly, looked up at the night sky, murderous intent in his eyes.

"Li Tingrui, since you have surrendered to the enemy, don't blame me, Zhu Han, for not remembering our friendship."

The next morning, the bells in the Imperial Ancestral Temple rang continuously, the sound shaking the whole area.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao came in person and announced:
"The Imperial Ancestral Temple secret spy case concerns the foundation of the country. All departments are temporarily closed and all officials involved in the case will be investigated one by one."

The capital was shaken and the whole court was in turmoil.

The night was as dark as ink, and the capital was silent. The sound of the Taimiao bells still echoed in my ears, as if telling of the coming storm.

Zhu Han stood in the mansion, looking at the palace in the distance with a frown on his face.

"Your Highness, Shen Tieyi has arrived in Beijing." Zhao Yutang reported in a low voice.

"Let him come here immediately." Zhu Han turned around, his eyes sharp.

A moment later, Shen Tieyi walked into the hall, his figure upright and his eyes determined. He was once a fierce general under Zhu Han, but was demoted to the border for speaking out. Now he has returned again, and he remains loyal.

"General Shen, I summoned you back to the capital for an important mission." Zhu Han looked at him directly, "The East Factory has colluded with the White Sparrow Society and intends to overthrow the government. You need to lead the elite troops to secretly monitor the movements of the East Factory and ensure the safety of the prince."

"I understand, and I will live up to your trust, Your Highness." Shen Tieyi clasped his fists and accepted the order.

At the same time, in the East Garden of the palace, Li Tingrui sat in a secret room with a map of the palace spread out in front of him, his fingertips gently sliding over a secret passage.

His eyes were gloomy, and he whispered to himself: "As long as we control this passage, the prince will be unable to escape."

"Master, the troops of the East Factory have been assembled and are ready to take action at any time." A confidant reported in a low voice.

"Very good, we will act tonight and make sure we hit the target with one strike." Li Tingrui said coldly.

In the dead of night, the Dongchang men quietly sneaked into the palace and approached the prince's bedroom along a secret passage. However, they did not realize that Shen Tieyi had already laid a net, waiting for them to fall into it.

"Attack!" With Shen Tieyi's order, the ambushed imperial guards rushed out like a tide and surrounded the East Factory troops. For a moment, the palace was filled with the sound of killing and the flashing of swords and sabers.

Upon hearing the news, Li Tingrui's face changed drastically and he retreated in a hurry. He knew that if this operation failed, he would have no way out. He gritted his teeth and cursed in a low voice: "Zhu Han, you are really cunning!"

The next morning, Zhu Biao summoned the court officials and announced: "The East Factory acted on its own last night with ill intentions, and has now been stopped by the Imperial Guards. Li Tingrui colluded with the White Sparrow Society with the intention of subverting the government, and has now been ordered to be arrested."

The court was shaken, and the ministers were in an uproar. Zhu Biao looked determined and continued, "This matter concerns the foundation of the country. I will personally conduct an investigation and will not tolerate it."

The sound of the Taimiao bells had not yet faded, but the entire capital was like hot oil in water, with an undercurrent surging. The East Factory, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Ministry of War, the inner court, and all the forces were quietly mobilized, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

On the Imperial Street, the morning court had not yet begun, but the imperial city had been heavily blocked by troops. Eunuchs were running around outside the palace gate. Zhu Biao stood at the head of the Imperial Road with a stern look on his face, and the secret guards in brocade uniforms were guarding him closely behind him.

Kneeling before him were several civil and military officials, many of whom were once very popular. Their names were clearly on the list of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

"I have already suffered many plots against this palace before I ascended the throne." Zhu Biao said in a deep voice, with anger in his tone, "Today, those who investigate will be investigated, those who are tried will be tried, and no one will be released."

Queen Zhu stood quietly at the side, expressionless. She glanced at the people kneeling on the ground and said calmly, "No matter how well you hide the disaster in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, it cannot be hidden from the will of heaven. You have betrayed the emperor and violated the law, so you deserve this."

No one dared to say anything, but one person suddenly looked up with a look of panic on his face. It was the Minister of Rites Jia Qifeng.

"Your Highness, I am innocent! I am loyal to you, and all the strategies I have proposed are for the benefit of the country. Those secret files... those secret files are a frame-up by others. I hope Your Highness will investigate this matter!"

Zhu Biao's eyes moved slightly, but before he could speak, someone suddenly spoke up, "Master Jia, don't worry."

The crowd made way, and Zhu Han, dressed in a blue Confucian robe, walked slowly over with a gentle expression, a folding fan in his hand, but his eyes were like cold stars.

"Master Jia's words really saved your life. If you had denied it just now, I might have had more concerns."

He waved his hand, and Zhao Yutang held up a memorial high for everyone to see.

"Jia Qifeng, on the night of March 29, you secretly met with someone at the Qujiang Water Pavilion. The topic you discussed was how to use the power of the East Factory to lure the Second Prince's family into the palace, and then use the name of 'Palace Gate Incident' to depose and enthrone the emperor. The clothes you wore that day and the carriage that person rode are all on record."

Zhu Han's voice was calm, but Jia Qifeng looked ashen. His body trembled, and his lips moved, but he had no more strength to defend himself, so he just lowered his head.

"Take them away." Zhu Biao made the final decision. "From today on, all those on the Imperial Ancestral Temple list will be isolated for investigation. All court affairs will be temporarily handed over to the six ministers' deputies to handle."

Zhu nodded slightly, while Zhu Han slowly put away his fan and turned to look at the rising sun.

In the East Factory Office, Li Tingrui stood on a high platform holding secret files, his face gloomy.

"The prince is so decisive." He whispered to himself, "It seems that Zhu Han has already made some plans. As for Feng Zongyao... we can't delay any longer."

He turned around and called his trusted confidant Liu Shan, whispering: "Give orders to go down, at midnight tonight, according to the established plan, dispatch the secret guards of the East Factory to enter the palace to meet the internal forces to open the Zhaode Gate. I don't believe that even with the secret passage map and the golden order in hand, we can't break into the prince's bedroom!"

Liu Shan's face was solemn: "Master, if Zhu Han takes action personally..."

"I will handle it myself." Li Tingrui's eyes were stern. "If we delay this any longer, our family will really become abandoned."

He suddenly smiled again and whispered, "Tell Feng Zongyao that my copy of 'Old Cases in Dongyuan' is ready and waiting to be released when the action is taken. Ask him to speed up as well."

At this time, inside the "Tinghezhai", Feng Zongyao had changed out of his official uniform and was wearing a white robe, sitting under a lamp with his hands behind his back.

In front of him were several White Sparrow Society warriors, all with black veils covering their faces and keeping silent. "Once this campaign is successful, the Crown Prince will fall, Zhu Han's reputation will be ruined, and the Second Prince will ascend to the throne. The White Sparrow Society can take advantage of the situation to support several important officials and completely rebuild the government." Feng Zongyao spoke slowly, his voice as calm as water, "You should know what you should do."

"As ordered."

He smiled slightly, then looked up at the bright moon hanging on the branches outside the window.

"Zhu Han, ah Zhu Han, you think you are in control of the situation, but you don't know that you are already in it."

He turned to Qian Hongwen beside him and said, "After tonight, the political situation will be turned upside down."

Qian Hongwen frowned and said in a low voice: "Li Tingrui...is he really reliable?"

Feng Zongyao shook his head and smiled: "Unreliable. But he can be used. After he is used up... someone will naturally take care of him."

In the palace, at the Prince's residence, Zhu Biao stood at the desk, carefully reading the second list submitted by the Queen.

He looked calm, and placed his finger on the name of a seemingly unknown official: "This man is called Wei Ping, Deputy Director of the Ministry of War?"

Zhu nodded: "On the surface, he has not made much achievements, but in fact, he has been in charge of military affairs for many years. He has always kept a low profile, but he has a close relationship with the White Sparrow Society."

Zhu Biao seemed to be thinking about something, and whispered, "If I use him now and lure him out, can I defeat the enemy with a sword?"

Zhu smiled and said, "You have finally started to think about how to 'employ people'."

Zhu Biao did not answer, but spread out the list and read it one by one, his eyes becoming more determined.

Inside and outside the imperial city, figures sneaked in one after another. Dozens of secret guards from the East Factory, under the personal order of Li Tingrui, entered through the secret passage and bypassed the inner palace.

Inside the Zhaode Gate, the two eunuchs who had been invited quietly took out the keys to the palace gate and gave a signal.

Li Tingrui, wearing dark armor and holding orders, led the team in.

Fire suddenly broke out in the palace. The Jinyiwei had already ambushed on both sides and attacked from three directions, with the sound of killing suddenly rising.

"Li Tingrui! You have been charged with treason, surrender!"

Zhao Yutang led his troops into the battlefield, with Zhu Han's green robe fluttering behind him, and his footsteps were as steady as a mountain. He took a step forward, unsheathed his long sword, and a cold light shone in all directions.

Li Tingrui's expression changed drastically: "You have already..."

"Do you think that I let you into the palace so that you can succeed in your sneak attack?" Zhu Han sneered, "I am luring you into a trap."

"Kill!" Li Tingrui roared, and the East Factory secret guards rushed forward.

The sword flashed like lightning as they met in close combat. Zhu Han seemed to be in an empty space, and turned the sword tip to go straight to Li Tingrui's face.

The two men fought to the top of the palace wall. In the light of the fire, Zhu Han's sword changed its momentum and slashed diagonally or straight, breaking the opponent's wrist guard and causing blood to spurt.

Li Tingrui took a step back, but did not surrender. Instead, he glared and said, "You, Zhu Han, are nothing more than Zhu Biao's lackey! You and I are the same kind of people!"

"Wrong." Zhu Han put away the sword in his hand, his eyes as cold as ice, "I am not a lackey like you who only knows how to kneel and lick the power. I want to leave people who can be trusted for this world."

The sword flashed, and Li Tingrui was stabbed in the knee. He fell to the ground, dying.

"Take him away and interrogate all the insiders of the White Sparrow Society."

The next day, the court was shaken, and Crown Prince Zhu Biao issued an edict:

"The evidence of East Factory Supervisor Li Tingrui's conspiracy to rebel is proven, and he will be stripped of his post and imprisoned. The East Factory will be temporarily placed under the supervision of the Ministry of War to reorganize its structure."

"All officials involved in the White Sparrow Society will be purged one by one."

The situation suddenly changed, and all the officials in the court felt threatened, except Zhu Biao, who looked calm as a mountain.

Zhu Han returned to the palace and sat alone in the study.

"System sign-in successful, reward: one volume of 'Military Classic'."

The corners of his mouth raised slightly.

Feng Zongyao and Qian Hongwen disappeared after the fire in Tinghezhai overnight.

"You came so quickly." He said calmly without even raising his head.

A man walked out from behind the curtain. It was Zhao Yutang. He looked solemn and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, we have found the people in the Imperial Clothing Bureau. Those three people were not originally from their hometowns and entered the palace. They were suddenly selected by the inner court three years ago. Their origins are unknown. We have taken them under control."

"Is there anyone else around the prince who is worthy of suspicion?" Zhu Han's voice was not loud, but it was sharp and tolerant.

Zhao Yutang hesitated for a moment and said, "There are two lecturers in the Hongwen Academy. They entered the academy at the same time as the prince's enlightenment. They are called Ruzhong, but in fact their words and deeds are often extreme. I would like to ask if..."

"No hurry." Zhu Han put down the pen in his hand, raised his eyes and looked at him, his eyes were like knives, "The prince needs to establish his authority now, and not be described as a puppet relying on the hands of foreign officials. If you want to move people, the prince must speak personally."

Zhao Yutang nodded: "I understand."

Zhu Han stood up and walked to the window. The palace lanterns outside the window were as small as beans, and the dim light was reflected between his deep eyebrows, adding a bit of coldness.

"Feng Zongyao has been missing for three days. Although Li Tingrui has been captured, the people behind this have not yet surfaced. The White Sparrow Society acted too early, so they must have a backup plan. Their real target... may not be the Crown Prince."

Zhao Yutang was shocked: "Your Highness, are you saying that they... have other intentions?"

"That's right." Zhu Han said solemnly, "You arrange for people to secretly check the old files of the Ministry of Rites, and then check the list of palaces and gardens that the Ministry of Works has not compiled, especially those that are connected to the inner court. This matter must not alarm the Crown Prince."

Zhao Yutang took the order and left.

Zhu Han stood in front of the window for a long time without moving, his brows furrowed.

The side hall of the East Palace was brightly lit.

Zhu Biao held an inkstone in his hand and remained silent for a long time. His expression was solemn, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

"He even inserted someone next to you."

Queen Zhu, who was standing by, whispered, "But you were not angry."

Zhu Biao smiled bitterly, his voice hoarse: "It is useless to be angry. The people in the court are not settled now. If I get angry, I will be a coward and lose my moral integrity. Although my father has not said anything, he has pushed me into the fire."

"But you are not alone." Zhu said softly, "Uncle Zhu Han is always by your side."

Zhu Biao looked up at her, and after a while, he nodded. He stood up and put on his outer robe, "Let's go, I want to go to Yongle Palace."

"at this time?"

"The later it gets, the less likely we are to let them feel at ease." Zhu Biao smiled softly, but his eyes were clearer and sharper than ever before.

Before Zhu Han turned around, a clear voice came from outside the door: "Uncle."

He raised his brows slightly and turned to look.

Zhu Biao has already entered the palace, followed by only one eunuch, and he is obviously traveling lightly. The two men look at each other, and a tense and solemn atmosphere suddenly fills the air. (End of this chapter)