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

"Su Huaiyuan, you don't know yet that you have been trapped in my chess game." Zhu Han smiled lightly and turned away.

After returning to the palace, Zhu Han immediately ordered people to strengthen the protection of the eunuch, and at the same time instructed spies to closely monitor Su Huaiyuan's movements.

The next day, Zhu Biao came to the palace again, his face pale: "Uncle, there is news from the palace that the eunuch was assassinated!"

"Assassinated?" Zhu Han was slightly stunned, then sneered, "What a ruthless Su Huaiyuan. However, the person who died may not be a real person."

Zhu Biao was surprised: "What the emperor's uncle means is..."

"The eunuch is still alive, and I have hidden him secretly. Now, Su Huaiyuan thinks that he has killed someone to silence him, and he will become even more outrageous."

Zhu Han's eyes were filled with a hint of coldness. "And I will make him sink deeper and deeper into this fog until he has no way out."

Zhu Biao showed admiration: "Uncle, you have great foresight. I admire you."

"Don't worry, the fun is about to begin." Zhu Han paced slowly, a sneer on his face, "I want Su Huaiyuan to take the initiative to tear off his disguise and expose him and the man in the old case. And you, just need to watch quietly."

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the eaves of the imperial city red. Zhu Han stood on the corridor of the palace. The breeze blew gently. His eyes passed through the courtyard and looked at the palace wall in the distance. His expression was as calm as water.

Su Huaiyuan thought that he could put an end to all his problems by getting rid of the eunuch, but he didn't know that the real hunter had quietly laid a trap.

"Your Highness, Su Huaiyuan is indeed desperate. Last night he summoned several of his confidants and seemed to be plotting how to protect himself." A trusted guard quietly came behind Zhu Han and reported in a low voice.

"What was the content of their conversation?" Zhu Han smiled slightly and spoke slowly.

"Su Huaiyuan is worried that the person behind the scenes will continue to investigate the old case, so he has decided to secretly contact several officials in the court and try to use their power to get himself out of this situation."

The guard continued, "In addition, he also planned to arrange for a assassin to pretend to be the eunuch and reappear in order to confuse Your Majesty and cut off any follow-up investigation."

"Interesting, a fake eunuch?" Zhu Han smiled lightly, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes. "He thought he could get away with it by being a fake eunuch. How ridiculous. However, the more he struggles, the more he will reveal his true colors."

"Your Highness, what should we do next?" the guard asked in a low voice.

Zhu Han's eyes darkened slightly, and he ordered softly: "Have the secret agents continue to monitor his every move, especially those officials in the court he contacted. Don't let any of them go. In addition, send people to keep a close eye on the assassins he arranged, and report back immediately if they make any moves."

"Yes!" The guard bowed and retreated.

Zhu Han stood with his hands behind his back, watching the sunset slowly sink into the horizon, a faint sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Su Huaiyuan, your chess game is messed up, and I will let you overturn this chessboard with your own hands."

Just as Zhu Han was waiting for the situation to develop, Zhu Biao hurried over with a somewhat anxious look on his face: "Uncle, my father mentioned the old case again in the court today and asked several important officials for their opinions. Su Huaiyuan seems to be secretly instigating and trying to lead this matter to other people."

"Provoking?" Zhu Han chuckled. "He was gambling that the court officials would bite back to protect themselves. But he was wrong. Doing so would only make people more suspicious, and he himself would be trapped in a quagmire."

"But what if he really directs his criticism towards us..." Zhu Biao asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, he doesn't dare." Zhu Han patted Zhu Biao's shoulder gently, "If he dares to point at you, he will be courting death. Besides, he can't even protect himself now, how can he have the energy to provoke the prince."

"Then what should we do next?" Zhu Biao frowned slightly, still feeling a little uneasy.

"It's very simple. Just wait and see what happens." Zhu Han said softly, "I will make him lose his composure. As for you, just stay calm in the palace and don't show any abnormality."

Zhu Biao took a deep breath and nodded solemnly: "Nephew understands, uncle."

As night falls, the imperial city is brightly lit, but in Su Huaiyuan's residence, there is a tense atmosphere.

Su Huaiyuan sat in the main hall, his brows furrowed, his hands clenched, and cold sweat oozing from his forehead.

"Lord Su, we must act immediately. If we delay any longer, and His Majesty gets really angry, we'll be finished!" a confidant said anxiously.

"Shut up! Do you think I don't know?" Su Huaiyuan shouted angrily, scanning everyone with a cold gaze, "We have no way out. The only way is to make His Majesty believe that the old case has been solved long ago, and anyone who brings it up again has ulterior motives."

"But, is that eunuch... really dead?" another confidant asked in a low voice.

"He's dead, he's been dead for a long time!" Su Huaiyuan gritted his teeth, "The assassins I personally arranged dealt with him secretly, and even burned his body to ashes!"

"But what if..." The man wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Su Huaiyuan who slapped the table.

"Nothing will happen!" Su Huaiyuan glared at him fiercely. "The fake eunuch's plan has been arranged. He will show up in the city early tomorrow morning and take the initiative to report to the city patrol officer that he was being chased and escaped. When the time comes, as long as Your Majesty sees him, he will think that the old case is still going on, and we can take the opportunity to guide and divert this disaster to other people."

"Great! Lord Su is very smart!" Several confidants echoed, with a look of relief on their faces.

Su Huaiyuan sneered: "You must understand that as long as this is successful, His Majesty will severely punish those who try to uncover the old case, and we can use this opportunity to eliminate the hidden dangers."

Just when they were feeling proud, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, and a servant rushed in in a panic, his face pale: "Sir, it's bad! That eunuch...that eunuch has appeared in the city again!"

"What?!" Su Huaiyuan stood up suddenly, his face suddenly pale, "Impossible! He is obviously dead!"

"But...but the city patrol officer has confirmed that it was him. He was crying in the yamen, saying that someone was chasing him!" said the attendant in a trembling voice.

“Damn it! Damn it!” Su Huaiyuan’s face turned pale, his mind in a mess. “No, this is absolutely not right… This is impossible. The assassins have already been arranged. How could this be… Could it be… Could it be…”

He suddenly remembered something and his expression changed suddenly: "Oh no! Someone is plotting against me!"

"Sir, what should we do?" The confidants were immediately in chaos.

Su Huaiyuan slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth: "Gather people immediately, go to the government office, and bring the fake eunuch back! No... No, we can't let him fall into the hands of others!"

However, just as he was giving the order in a panic, the troops Zhu Han had already deployed in advance quietly blocked the area around the yamen.

The people in the city did not notice anything unusual, they just felt that the city seemed unusually quiet tonight.

Zhu Han stood in the dark, quietly looking at the government office in the distance, with a faint sneer on his lips: "Su Huaiyuan, you think you are smart, but you don't know that all your struggles are under my control."

A moment later, there was a commotion in the yamen, and the fake eunuch was escorted out by several officials, while Su Huaiyuan outside the city was quietly approaching with a team of his men.

"Get started!" Zhu Han ordered in a low voice.

The guards who had been lying in ambush in secret immediately took action and quickly surrounded Su Huaiyuan and his group.

Su Huaiyuan was horrified: "Who are you? How dare you! I am the garrison commander of the imperial city, how dare you..."

"The Imperial City garrison?" The leading guard sneered, "Your Highness has ordered that all of Su Huaiyuan's men must be captured and no resistance is allowed!" Su Huaiyuan's face suddenly changed: "Your Highness? Is... is it the prince?"

"Crown Prince? Haha, do you think that no one in this world can control you except the Crown Prince?" The guard snorted coldly and swung the long sword in his hand, "Capture him!"

After a fierce battle of only a few moments, all of Su Huaiyuan's confidants were captured, and he was tied up and knelt on the ground, his face full of fear and despair.

"You... who are you... who is behind you..." Su Huaiyuan asked in a trembling voice.

Zhu Han walked out of the shadows slowly, his expression cold: "Su Huaiyuan, if you are smart, you should know that you have already lost."

Su Huaiyuan's pupils suddenly shrank: "You...you are..."

Zhu Han smiled slightly: "I am Zhu Han, the prince's uncle."

"Su Huaiyuan, I already knew that you were stirring up trouble in secret." Zhu Han's voice was calm and indifferent, as if he was narrating something very ordinary.

"Your Highness, it's unfair... it's unfair..." Su Huaiyuan kowtowed fiercely, his voice was mournful, "I am just a garrison commander of the imperial city, I am loyal and dedicated, and I have absolutely no selfish motives!"

"Loyal and devoted?" Zhu Han sneered. "You pretended to be a eunuch, tried to mess up the old case, and even secretly led troops to rush into the government office to rob people. Is this your loyalty?"

"That...that was a misunderstanding...I just heard that some bad guys pretended to be eunuchs and tried to deceive Your Majesty, so..." Su Huaiyuan's voice became smaller and smaller, with fear in his eyes.

"That's enough." Zhu Han patted his folding fan lightly, his voice suddenly cold, "Su Huaiyuan, I'll give you one last chance, tell me the truth. What is the old case, and who are you acting for?"

"Your Highness... I am your humble servant... I am your humble servant..." Su Huaiyuan rested his forehead on the ground, trembling, "I am just following orders. As for the old case... the old case is just a rumor... I don't know the truth..."

"Orders? Whose orders?" Zhu Han's voice was cold. "If you dare to continue to perfunctorily, I don't mind making you understand what pain is."

"Your Majesty, please spare me! Your Majesty, please spare me!" Su Huaiyuan begged in a trembling voice, "It was... it was a eunuch in the palace... He secretly instructed me to investigate the old case and asked me to forge a eunuch to mislead Your Majesty..."

"Eunuch?" Zhu Han narrowed his eyes slightly, "Which eunuch?"

"Yes...it's Eunuch Xu, Xu Wensheng..." Su Huaiyuan shouted out the name with almost his last bit of strength, his voice full of despair.

A cold light flashed in Zhu Han's eyes: "Xu Wensheng...it's him."

"Your Highness, I am only following orders and have no intention of rebelling!" Su Huaiyuan kowtowed repeatedly, his voice full of pleading.

"No intention at all?" Zhu Han snorted coldly, "Do you know that you have been secretly manipulating the old case and have made His Royal Highness the Crown Prince the target of public criticism? If you continue to conceal it, even Xu Wensheng behind you will not be able to protect you."

"No, no!" Su Huaiyuan screamed in horror, "Your Highness, please understand! Xu Wensheng... Xu Wensheng asked me to do this because... because he suspected that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was not the real Crown Prince!"

"Oh?" Zhu Han raised his eyebrows slightly, with a sharp flash in his eyes, "How dare he talk nonsense like that?"

"Yes... He said that when the Crown Prince was born, there were rumors in the palace that the Crown Prince and the former Crown Prince were switched..."

Su Huaiyuan's voice trembled, "He used this as an excuse to secretly investigate and tried to use the old case to shake the prince's position..."

"Ridiculous." Zhu Han sneered, "The former crown prince died young, and your Highness has been intelligent and kind since childhood, and is deeply loved by your Majesty. How can you allow others to cling to you at random?"

"Yes... yes..." Su Huaiyuan kept kowtowing, "Your Highness is wise, all of this is Xu Wensheng's conspiracy, I was just used by him, I have no ulterior motives!"

"Are you saying this because you want me to spare your life?" Zhu Han said in a cold tone.

"Your Highness is merciful. I am willing to reveal everything. I only ask that you save my life..." Su Huaiyuan raised his head, his eyes full of pleading.

"Save your life?" Zhu Han smiled gently. "It's not impossible, but you must write a confession immediately, detailing how Xu Wensheng instructed you to investigate the old case and how you tried to subvert the crown prince's position. As long as what you say is true, I will plead for you."

"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Your Highness!" Su Huaiyuan was as if he had been pardoned. He immediately lay on the ground and hurriedly wrote his confession on the confession paper that Zhu Han had someone pass to him. His handwriting was crooked and messy, obviously due to fear.

Zhu Han watched quietly, his eyes as cold as ice. After Su Huaiyuan finished writing, he slowly closed his folding fan and said, "Come here, lock him up in the backyard and keep him under strict surveillance. Don't let anyone get close to him."

"Yes!" The guard immediately stepped forward and dragged Su Huaiyuan out.

Silence returned to the study. Zhu Han picked up the teacup, took a sip, and looked deep in the eyes.

"Uncle, why don't you just hand Su Huaiyuan over to father?" Zhu Biao walked out from the side door with a puzzled look on his face.

"Leave it to your father?" Zhu Han shook his head gently. "No hurry. Su Huaiyuan is just a pawn, and Xu Wensheng is the real manipulator. What we want to catch is the head of this venomous snake."

"Xu Wensheng actually dared to try to sow discord between me and my father. How despicable!" Zhu Biao clenched his fists, his eyes burning with anger.

"Don't worry." Zhu Han smiled calmly, "Anger can't solve the problem. Only by completely uncovering this conspiracy can you truly explain to your father."

"Uncle, what should we do next?" Zhu Biao calmed down and asked Zhu Han for advice.

"Since Xu Wensheng dares to stir up trouble, he must have other accomplices in the palace. What we need to do is to lure them out of their hole."

Zhu Han's eyes were sharp and his voice was deep, "I will let Xu Wensheng think he has won, and then I will expose his disguise myself."

"How to lure the snake out of its hole?" Zhu Biao frowned slightly.

"It's very simple." Zhu Han smiled gently, "You will go to the palace tomorrow and report to your father. Tell him that you accidentally learned that the old case is still being investigated secretly, but you have no intention of investigating it further. You only want to serve your father wholeheartedly."

"Will my father believe it?" Zhu Biao hesitated.

"Of course." Zhu Han said softly, "Your father trusts you the most, and the more you show that you have no intention of fighting, the less he will doubt you. As long as you remain calm, those who try to provoke will be unable to sit still."

Zhu Biao suddenly understood and showed joy on his face: "Nephew understands, uncle is wise!"

"This is just the first step." Zhu Han's eyes were deep. "I will also arrange spies in the palace to keep a close eye on Xu Wensheng's every move. As long as he makes a move, he will fall into the trap."

Zhu Biao nodded solemnly: "Uncle, rest assured, I will do as you say."

Zhu Han looked at him with a hint of relief in his eyes: "You just need to keep a normal mind, don't be impatient, and don't show any abnormality. Leave the rest to me."

"Yes, uncle." Zhu Biao bowed deeply and turned to leave. (End of this chapter)