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

He said softly, "The Crown Prince has been regent for three months. Has there been any unusual activity in the palace?"

The boy replied, "The Empress Dowager is ill, and the Empress is still missing. Gu Qingping was ordered to return to the palace three days ago and is said to be in charge of the inner palace. Your Highness has rectified the court and eliminated the remaining followers of Prince Ping, which has been praised by all the court officials."

"Everyone praises it?" Zhu Han sneered. "The quieter it is, the more dangerous it is."

He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and whispered, "Tomorrow, I will enter the palace."

The next morning, before dawn, the palace gates were already filled with civil and military officials.

With the New Year approaching, the Crown Prince convened a court meeting under the pretext of overseeing the state.

Zhu Han, dressed in casual clothes, walked slowly towards them. Everyone was surprised to see him.

"Prince Jing'an is still alive!"

"How can you enter without His Majesty's permission before issuing a reply?"

The discussion was lively. Zhu Han ignored it and walked straight forward.

The golden plaque above the palace gate gleamed coldly in the snow.

The guards on both sides glanced at each other, unsure whether to stop them or welcome them.

Suddenly, a eunuch shouted in a shrill voice: "By imperial decree, His Highness the Regent summons Prince Jing'an to the palace for a meeting!"

One stone stirs up a thousand waves. All the officials fell silent and stood aside.

Zhu Han bowed slightly and stepped into the palace gate.

On both sides of the imperial road, red candles reflected in the snow, their flames as red as blood.

A gust of wind blew in, causing the candle flames to tilt. Zhu Han looked at the rows of candles, his heart sinking slightly.

"The burning is too neat," he thought to himself, "like it was deliberately arranged for people to see."

Chongwen Hall was brightly decorated today, but no one smiled. A white curtain, embroidered with gold, hung from the ceiling, a ritual performed when the Empress Dowager was critically ill.

The crown prince sat on the throne, his expression gentle, but his eyes held a sharp edge.

Gu Qingping stood to his left, dressed in light-colored clothes, her face calm.

Zhu Han stepped forward and bowed: "Your subject Zhu Han has come by summons."

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Uncle, it's been a long time. The southern border has been pacified, and you must be exhausted. Please have a seat."

Zhu Han sat down, but his gaze remained fixed on Gu Qingping: "With the Crown Princess here, is Feng San still here?"

Gu Qingping remained expressionless and took something out of her sleeve. It was a jade box, inside which lay the intact Phoenix Three.

"Your Highness, rest assured, the seal is in my hand."

Zhu Han stared at it for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Just as I thought."

The Crown Prince tapped lightly on the table: "Uncle, what do you mean by that?"

"Your Highness is in charge of the court, the Empress Dowager is seriously ill, yet Feng San has not returned to the inner palace—but is in her hands." Zhu Han's gaze was like a knife. "Do you really trust the Gu family?"

Gu Qingping's expression changed slightly, but she remained calm: "Does the Prince of Jing'an mean that I have secretly kept the national seal?"

Zhu Han slowly stood up: "You're not hiding, you're staying on orders."

There was silence in the hall.

The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow: "Does Uncle have a certificate?"

Zhu Han took out a thin copper rivet from his sleeve and placed it on the table: "Feng Er and Feng San both used this as a rivet. Last night, I found the third one at the Deshou Well. This one can be used to transform Feng San into Feng Si."

"Feng Si?" The officials in the hall all paled.

Zhu Han's voice was like iron: "Feng Si is not an official seal, but an order. Whoever holds this can alter imperial edicts and be executed without mercy."

Gu Qingping's expression finally changed: "How did you know—"

“Because I’ve seen it before.” Zhu Han interrupted her. “Before the fire at Deshou Bureau, Daoist Yuanfa carried a scroll called ‘Night Crossing Map Three,’ marked with the number four and signed with your name.”

The atmosphere inside the hall suddenly froze.

The Crown Prince's gaze was cold: "Qingping, are you aware of this matter?"

Gu Qingping looked up and calmly met the Crown Prince's gaze: "Your Majesty, I know."

Why did you hide it from me?

She whispered, "Your Highness wishes to preserve the world, and I wish to protect the Eastern Palace. I have Feng San in my hands and Feng Si in my heart—without Feng Si, Feng San will eventually fall into the hands of others."

The Crown Prince remained silent, but Zhu Han sneered, "What a fine act of 'protection'."

“Uncle Wang—” the Crown Prince suddenly interrupted, his voice calm, “You’re right. But I summoned you here today not to interrogate you.”

Zhu Han was taken aback: "Why is that?"

The crown prince slowly rose, his robes trailing on the ground.

"Please be a witness."

"Prove what?"

"To prove that I am not the 'new ruler'."

He clapped his hands, and the screen behind the hall slowly slid open, bringing in a figure—

That was Daoist Yuanfa, his hands were chained, yet he looked serene.

"Your Highness," he smiled, "we meet again."

Zhu Han squinted: "You're still alive."

“Buddha said that one is neither dead nor indestructible.” Yuanfa chuckled softly. “I was ordered to protect the ‘Phoenix Seal.’ But that order was not given by the Empress Dowager.”

The crown prince asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

"Yes—the Empress."

Everyone in the hall was shocked.

"The Empress?!"

Zhu Han stepped forward: "She wasn't missing?"

“She hasn’t disappeared,” Yuanfa said. “She requested to leave the palace and traveled south incognito. She had already set up a trap at Jiangbei Pass, intending to test Your Highness’s heart with the chaos caused by ‘Feng San’. She said—only when Jing’an returns can the world be at peace.”

Gu Qingping exclaimed, "The Empress is actually..."

The crown prince closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"With the Empress Dowager ill and the Empress in hiding, the chessboard of the world is no longer in my hands."

He looked up at Zhu Han and smiled bitterly: "Uncle Wang, do you believe me?"

Zhu Han remained silent for a long time before finally speaking: "I believe you."

A hint of relaxation flashed across the Crown Prince's eyes.

Zhu Han added, "But if Your Highness betrays the country, I will be the first to kill you."

"That's only right," the Crown Prince said softly.

A sudden gust of wind arose outside the hall, causing the candlelight to flicker violently. Suddenly, a guard rushed in, kneeling and shouting, "The Empress Dowager has passed away!"

The expressions of everyone in the hall changed.

The Crown Prince stood frozen in place for a long time before slowly raising his head: "Issue the order—the palace will be sealed off for seven days, and the national seal will be entrusted to Prince Jing'an for safekeeping."

Zhu Han's heart skipped a beat. The Crown Prince looked at him, his expression complex: "If I ascend the throne one day, my uncle will be my advisor; if I die, the Phoenix Seal will belong to you. —The world is entrusted to you."

Zhu Han clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subject...accepts the order."

The north hall stands tall, its eaves covered with ice.

The palace lanterns were half-lit and half-dark under the weight of the snow, and the shadow of the golden beast flickered on the wall, wriggling as if it were alive.

Zhu Han stepped onto the jade steps, his feet sinking into the snow.

Each step felt like a knock on my heart.

The palace doors were tightly shut, their vermilion lacquer peeling off, but a black iron plaque was nailed to the center, reading "Silence".

He reached out and touched the door. The door opened silently, as if it had been waiting for him.

There was no one in the hall, only a very faint fragrance—not a strong fragrance, but a medicinal fragrance.

On the table was a palace lantern that had not yet gone out, and beneath it lay a scroll of books and a jade tablet.

The pages of the book are open, the ink still damp.

As he approached, a line of words caught his eye:

"The world has a master, neither an emperor nor a king. The Phoenix Seal is divided into three parts; when they are gathered together, the world will be unified."

He was startled. Just then, a soft laugh came from deep within the hall.

"Prince Jing'an has indeed arrived as promised."

The voice was clear and gentle, yet carried an undeniable chill.

A person emerged from behind the curtain, dressed in pure white, with a gold hairpin tucked into her hair. It was—the Empress.

Zhu Han was taken aback: "Your Majesty?"

The Empress's gaze was serene: "The Empress Dowager has passed away, and the Crown Prince has ascended to the throne to oversee the country. You think the world is settled, but in reality—it may not be just another situation."

Where does the problem lie?

She raised her hand and pointed to the scroll: "Feng San and Feng Si are merely keys. The true 'master' is in the North Palace."

"host?"

She turned and lifted the inner curtain. Behind the curtain was a huge mural depicting three phoenixes dancing in a circle. At the bottom of the wall were three square seals, with the center empty.

“Feng Yi is in the late emperor’s tomb; Feng Er, you have already seen; Feng San was once in my hands. If the three seals are put together, they can open the ‘Dragon Seal Box’—which contains the imperial edict to change the emperor’s decree.”

Zhu Han's heart trembled violently: "Change the imperial edict?!"

"The late emperor's dying wish was to establish this place. When the Empress Dowager obtained Feng Er, she altered it to 'establish a crown prince'; but the true edict—established you."

"Me?" Zhu Han could hardly believe it.

The Empress slowly said, "You are the late Emperor's younger brother, from the Jing'an lineage. That year, after the Northern Barbarians were quelled, the late Emperor secretly left an edict:"
"You were to guard Jing'an and act on my behalf." The Empress Dowager, fearing your growing power, conspired with the eunuchs to alter the imperial edict. Feng Er was an imposter, and Feng was sealed away. Only when Feng San reappeared did the edict's true meaning reappear. What you perceived as loyalty was, in reality—a forgotten imperial command.

Zhu Han remained silent for a long time. The sound of snow seeped into the hall through the crack in the door, like thousands of needles pricking him.

"So you caused chaos in Qi, the crown prince's ascension, and the death of the empress dowager?" he whispered.

"I did nothing," the Queen smiled gently. "I simply made everyone see their own greed."

"So what do you want from me?"

"Open the box." She took out a small key from her sleeve and handed it to him. "The phoenix seal is with you, the key is with me. When they are combined, the heavens will reveal the secret."

Zhu Han took it, his fingers icy cold. The three phoenix seal beneath the mural gleamed faintly in the candlelight. He pressed the seal into the center, and with a "click," the stone wall trembled, and dust and snow fell.

The stone gate slowly opened, and a blinding cold light flashed out.

Behind the door was a bronze box, as thick as a coffin.

Zhu Han reached out and opened the box, inside which lay a scroll of imperial edict written in gold silk.

The Empress said, "If you open the edict, the world will belong to you; if you burn the edict, the world will belong to the Crown Prince."

"What about you?"

“I obey the imperial edict, not the personal relationships.”

Her voice was like the wind, carrying an indescribable coldness.

Zhu Han stared at the scroll of gold silk, as if he saw the faces of countless dead people: Liu Ruo, Li Hu, Jing Yi, Zhao Chengsheng, Prince Qi... and the Empress Dowager.

“The world…” he murmured.

He slowly unfurled the imperial edict. The candlelight illuminated the golden characters:

“Prince Jing’an, Zhu Han, is loyal and cautious. I have appointed him to assist the state and act as regent to succeed to the throne. If I do not return, Prince Jing’an will become emperor.”

The imperial brushstrokes are faintly visible after the first line of text.

He closed the edict, looked up at the empress, and asked, "If I ascend the throne, how will you face the consequences?"

"I have nowhere to go," the Empress smiled slightly. "If you become emperor, I will become a nun. If you do not ascend the throne, I will be buried with this imperial edict."

Zhu Han's gaze was deep, and the firelight illuminated half of his face, making it appear both bright and dark.

"You know I won't sit in that seat."

"I know." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

He slowly placed the imperial edict into the box and closed it again.

"The throne has nothing to do with loyalty or treachery, only with life and death. If I sit on it, rivers of blood will flow; if I do not sit on it, perhaps there will still be a chance for life in the world."

He drew his sword, and with a flash of cold light, the imperial edict and its box were cleaved in two.

The Queen closed her eyes and gently exhaled.

You are still you.

Zhu Han turned and left. The wind and snow outside intensified.

As he approached the palace gate, he suddenly turned back and asked, "Your Majesty, if anyone asks in the future whether you have seen the imperial edict?"

I would say—the edict vanished with the snow.

He nodded and pushed open the door to go out.

The night was deep, and the rain in Jinling fell like silk threads, pattering softly on the glazed tiles at the corners of the palace.

Zhu Han stood under the corridor, his clothes fluttering in the wind, his gaze calm as he stared in the direction of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace in the distance.

A palace attendant hurried over and whispered, "Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince has retired for the night. The Crown Princess just sent a letter saying she has important business to discuss with me."

Zhu Han took the letter, the candlelight reflecting in his eyes, the handwriting delicate as willow branches: "Uncle, I am uneasy tonight and humbly request a moment to speak. Qingping."

He pursed his lips, sighed softly, and turned to say, "Prepare the sedan chair."

The rain outside the palace intensified, the night deepened to ashes, and the heavy gates of the East Palace gradually opened.

Gu Qingping, dressed in plain white clothes, stood in front of the door, with a magnolia flower tucked into her hair.

Upon seeing Zhu Han, she gave a slight bow and said, "Uncle, it is truly presumptuous of you to come so late at night."

Zhu Han waved his hand: "If it were anyone else, I would not have come. You call me Uncle King, and I will call you Qingping."

Gu Qingping's eyes flickered, as if she had something difficult to say, and she said in a low voice, "Your Highness has been worrying too much lately and cannot sleep at night. I fear that something bad may happen to you."

Zhu Han glanced sideways, his expression changing slightly: "Why? The Crown Prince is usually so composed; he has never acted like this before."

Gu Qingping sighed softly, then turned and led him inside.

The lights in the hall were dim. Zhu Biao was sitting on the couch, whispering with his page. When he saw Zhu Han enter, he forced himself to sit up and said with a smile, "Uncle, you really came at night. I'm sorry to trouble you."

As Zhu Han approached, he noticed that the man's face was pale and his eyes were dark, unlike his usual spirited demeanor.

He frowned slightly and asked, "Are you sick?"

Zhu Biao shook his head, his eyes dimming: "It's not illness, but worry."

Gu Qingping withdrew, leaving only the uncle and nephew. Zhu Han slowly sat down beside the couch, his voice low: "Is it about matters of the court?"

Zhu Biao remained silent for a long time before saying, "The accounts recently submitted by the Ministry of Revenue differ from those I have investigated. There is a shortage of 400,000 strings of cash. If Father Emperor discovers this, he will surely punish me for corruption. I have been investigating for three days, but the clues point to the Secretariat—which is under the jurisdiction of Yang Xian and Hu Weiyong."

Zhu Han's expression hardened slightly, his gaze as deep as a still pool.

"Has the Crown Prince discussed this matter with Hu Weiyong?"

"No." Zhu Biao smiled bitterly. "He is Father's favorite minister. Father trusts him. If I speak recklessly, I will be suspected of being suspicious. Uncle, in this world, the only one I can speak to is you."

The sound of rain outside the hall grew louder, seemingly adding a touch of melancholy to the words.

Zhu Han listened quietly, and after a moment asked, "Has anyone seen the original account books?"

"Of the two people I've met, one died suddenly and the other went missing."

Zhu Han's gaze turned cold: "It seems someone is secretly closing in."

He stood up and paced slowly through the hall. His footsteps were steady and rhythmic, as if he were orchestrating an invisible game of chess.

"Does Qingping know about this?" he asked.

Zhu Biao shook his head: "I didn't tell her, for fear she would worry."

Zhu Han smiled and said in a low voice, "She is much smarter than you. She can read between the lines and avoid confrontation. If this matter is to be investigated, she needs to start with the internal affairs of the palace. Although the account books come from the Ministry of Revenue, the money leaving the palace must pass through the hands of the eunuchs."

Zhu Biao was stunned: "Uncle, you mean..."

“Someone is using the Secretariat as a front to transfer money through the Imperial Household Department. If you target the Ministry of Revenue, it will easily arouse suspicion. But if you start the investigation from within the palace, outsiders won’t notice.”

Zhu Han turned his head, his gaze intense, "I'll make connections for you from the outside, and you can have the Crown Princess investigate the inner workings of the palace."

Zhu Biao stared at him for a long time before saying, "Uncle, your plan is extremely dangerous."

The rain stopped the following afternoon. The moss on the palace walls was still dripping water.

Gu Qingping, dressed in a light green dress, walked to the front of the Department of Internal Affairs.

She was always gentle and kind, and everyone respectfully addressed her as "Your Highness the Crown Princess," with no one daring to utter a word. She quietly inquired about the treasury accounts, and the old eunuch in charge bowed his head and replied, "This year's spring offerings have not yet been settled, and the silver has been slightly adjusted."

"Where will it be transferred?"

"Ahem... By imperial decree, the project was allocated to the Secretariat for construction work."

Gu Qingping smiled nonchalantly: "Who delivered the imperial decree?"

The old eunuch was taken aback: "Lord Hu."

Her eyes flashed, and she secretly clenched the handkerchief in her sleeve.

As he turned to leave, the wind blew the bronze rings on the palace gate, producing a low, muffled sound, like a faint alarm bell.

That night, Zhu Han summoned Yin Yan, a secret agent stationed outside the palace. (End of Chapter)