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

The spies nodded in agreement and continued to search for clues in the forest. After some effort, they finally found several suspicious figures in a hidden cave. These people were obviously hiding after the wildfire.

"Catch them!" Zhang's staff gave the order, and the spies rushed forward quickly and surrounded several suspicious people. After a fierce fight, they successfully subdued the arsonists and brought them back to the camp.

Inside the tent, candlelight flickered, Zhu Han, Zhu Biao and several important staff members sat together, the atmosphere was solemn and tense. Staff member Zhang hurried in, with a solemn look on his face, holding a cloth bag in his hand, which contained the arson suspect captured from the wildfire scene.

"Prince Han, Your Highness the Crown Prince, we have successfully captured the arson suspect, and he is now being escorted outside awaiting interrogation." Staff member Zhang reported in a deep voice.

Zhu Han's eyes shone, then he nodded and said, "Bring him in."

Soon, several guards escorted several ragged and panic-stricken suspects into the tent. These suspects still had traces of the wildfire scene on their bodies, and it was obvious that they had just experienced a fierce fight.

Zhu Han looked at them coldly and asked in a deep voice, "Tell me, who ordered you to set the fire?"

A suspect who seemed to be the leader, his eyes flickered, and after hesitating for a moment, he finally spoke: "Yes...someone gave us some money to set this fire."

"Who gave us the money? Tell me!" Zhu Han's voice became even more severe. Under the pressure, the suspect trembled and continued, "It was... a man in gorgeous clothes. We don't know him, but he gave us enough money to make us do what he said."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other and saw the doubt in each other's eyes. There was obviously a bigger conspiracy behind this.

"What does he look like? What are his characteristics?" Zhu Han asked.

The suspect recalled carefully and described: "He is not tall, has a small mustache, and has a mole under the left corner of his eye."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Han thought to himself that such characteristics were not uncommon in the capital, but since he already had a clue, he had to get to the bottom of it.

"Continue to intensify the interrogation and make sure to get more details." Zhu Han instructed Zhang Muyou, then turned to Zhu Biao, "Biao'er, this matter is of no small importance. We must report it to father immediately and strengthen the security of the capital to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the opportunity to cause chaos."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement: "Uncle, what you said is very true. I will write a letter right away and send it back to the capital as fast as I can."

Just as Zhu Biao was about to write a report, he heard hurried footsteps outside the tent. A guard rushed in with a nervous look on his face, "Prince Han, Your Highness, this is bad! An urgent report came from the capital, saying that someone is trying to assassinate my father!"

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the tent. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other, and saw shock and anger in each other's eyes.

"Tell me in detail!" Zhu Han asked sternly.

The guard quickly reported: "According to the spy in the capital, several assassins sneaked into the palace this evening with the intention of assassinating Your Majesty. Fortunately, the Imperial Guards discovered them in time and captured all the assassins after a fierce battle. But Your Majesty was slightly injured in the chaos."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Han clenched his fists, and a cold look flashed in his eyes: "What a bold thief, how dare you assassinate the king! Biao'er, we must set off immediately to return to the capital to protect the safety of our father."

Zhu Biao also looked determined: "Uncle, don't worry, I will give the order to reorganize the army and we will set off immediately."

Zhu Han nodded, and then instructed Zhang Mu'er, Mr. Wang and others: "You stay here and continue to interrogate the arson suspects. At the same time, strengthen the defense of the camp to prevent any accidents. Biao'er and I will go back to Beijing to deal with this matter first."

Everyone followed the order. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao quickly packed their luggage and led their personal cavalry to return to the capital overnight.

A few days later, outside the gate of Beijing, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao led their army back in triumph. On the city wall, Zhu Yuanzhang had been waiting for a long time, and seeing the two return safely, he was finally relieved.

"Han brother, Biaoer, you are finally back!" Zhu Yuanzhang walked down from the city wall to greet the two.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao quickly dismounted and saluted: "Greetings to Father (Your Majesty)."

Zhu Yuanzhang personally helped the two of them up, his eyes full of relief and love: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. I heard that someone was trying to assassinate me. Thanks to your timely return, I am very relieved."

Zhu Han said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I have ordered people to strengthen the defense of the capital and sent spies to track down the assassin's origins. Such audacious people must be severely punished!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, a cold look flashed in his eyes: "Okay, I'll leave this matter to you. You must find out the real culprit behind this and give me an explanation!"

At the same time, in a secret mansion in the capital, a man dressed in gorgeous clothes and with a mole under his left eye was listening to his subordinates' reports with a gloomy face.

"What? Zhu Han and Zhu Biao came back early? And they strengthened the defense of the capital?" The man was furious and slammed his fist on the table. "This bunch of rubbish can't even handle a few assassins!"

The subordinate replied tremblingly: "Master, please calm down. I have sent people to continue tracking down the whereabouts of those assassins, and I am also looking for new opportunities..."

The man snorted coldly and interrupted his subordinate: "Chance? Now that Zhu Han and Zhu Biao have returned to the capital, what chance do we still have? Tell everyone to be careful and don't let Zhu Han, that old fox, catch you by the tail!"

With the return of Zhu Han and Zhu Biao, the tense atmosphere in the capital did not ease, but became more serious due to the fermentation of the assassination incident. Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne with a stern face and a sharp gaze, scanning the ministers kneeling below.

"My dear ministers, I was attacked by an assassin recently. Fortunately, my brother Han and Biaoer rushed back in time and saved me. However, there must be a mastermind behind this. I swear to find him out and punish him severely!" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice echoed in the hall, shocking everyone.

All the ministers kowtowed, expressing their willingness to help His Majesty. At this time, Minister Li stood up and said firmly, "Your Majesty, I think this matter is of great importance and should be investigated as soon as possible. I suggest that a special investigation team be set up, with Prince Han in charge, to thoroughly investigate this matter."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Han bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to obey your orders. However, this matter involves a wide range of issues. I implore Your Majesty to allow me to mobilize the Jingji Guard, Jinyi Guard, Ministry of Justice, Dali Temple and other government offices to fully cooperate with the investigation."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and agreed: "Brother Han is right. I will leave this matter to you. Biao'er, you also need to assist and make sure to find out the truth in the shortest possible time."

Zhu Biao bowed and accepted the order: "I will obey your order and do my best to help my uncle solve the case as soon as possible."

After the court session, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao immediately summoned the commanders of the Jingji Guards, the Jinyi Guards, and other important officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple for an emergency meeting in Prince Han's mansion. "Everyone, His Majesty attaches great importance to this case. We must go all out." Zhu Han looked around at everyone with a sharp gaze, "First, we must look for clues from the assassins and interrogate their origins and the mastermind behind the scenes."

The commander of the Royal Guards stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Don't worry, Prince Han. I have ordered a strict interrogation. Those assassins are stubborn, but the Royal Guards have their own ways to make them talk."

The commander of the Jingji Guard added: "At the same time, we have also strengthened patrols and inspections in the capital, and any suspicious persons will be closely monitored."

The assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice proposed another direction: "In addition, we should also investigate those who have recently come into contact with people inside and outside the palace, especially those who have behaved abnormally recently or have a criminal record."

Zhu Han nodded, expressing his satisfaction with the arrangement. "Very good, you will each divide the work and make sure to pay attention to every detail and not miss any clues. At the same time, I want to emphasize that this case involves the safety of the royal family and must be kept strictly confidential. Anyone who leaks the case will be severely punished!"

After the meeting, everyone went their separate ways and the capital city suddenly became busy. Zhu Han stayed alone in the study, pondering the complex situation behind the case. At this time, Mr. Wang gently pushed the door open, holding a secret letter in his hand.

"King Han, there is an urgent secret letter." Mr. Wang handed over the secret letter with a serious expression.

Zhu Han took the secret letter and quickly read it through. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were solemn. He handed the secret letter to Mr. Wang beside him and said in a deep voice: "This letter mentioned that there seems to be a shadow of an important official behind the assassin. We must be careful."

Mr. Wang took the secret letter and read it carefully. He also said seriously: "King Han, if this is true, the power behind it is probably not small. We need to be more cautious to avoid alerting the enemy."

Zhu Han nodded, stood up, paced in the study, and thought about countermeasures: "Mr. Wang, you must immediately send an order to have the Jinyiwei and Jingjiwei secretly investigate the recent movements of all ministers in the court, especially those who have connections with the border or external forces."

Mr. Wang bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, King Han. I will immediately arrange for personnel to do it quietly."

At this time, there was a gentle knock on the door, and a guard reported: "King Han, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to see you."

Zhu Han and Mr. Wang looked at each other, and Zhu Han said, "Please ask him to come in."

After a while, Zhu Biao pushed the door open and walked in, looking worried: "Uncle, I just learned that my father was assassinated, and I feel very uneasy. Who is behind the assassin? Do you have any clues?"

Zhu Han sighed, briefly informed Zhu Biao of the contents of the secret letter, and explained his plan. After hearing this, Zhu Biao clenched his fists and said, "How dare these treacherous villains be so bold! Uncle, rest assured, I will do my best to help you find out the truth."

Zhu Han patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Biao'er, this matter is of great importance. You must not only assist me in the investigation, but also pay attention to your own safety. Remember, you are the future of the Ming Dynasty, and you cannot make any mistakes."

Zhu Biao nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination: "Uncle, rest assured, I will be careful. By the way, is my father okay?"

"Father suffered some minor injuries, but it's not serious. The most important thing now is to find out the real culprit behind the scenes and stabilize the court." Zhu Han replied.

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and made a suggestion: "Uncle, maybe we can start with the emperor's meals and daily necessities to see if there are any abnormalities. After all, not many people can get close to the emperor."

Zhu Han's eyes lit up and he praised, "Biao'er, your suggestion makes sense. I will send someone to investigate immediately and strengthen the security measures for my father to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

As the three were discussing, a Jinyiwei rushed in and knelt on one knee to report: "King Han, we found in our investigation that several ministers have been in frequent contact with merchants from the border recently, and one of them is the suspected suspect mentioned in the secret letter."

Zhu Han's eyes were stern. "Okay, arrest this man immediately and interrogate him secretly. At the same time, continue to investigate the connection between him and the assassin."

The Jinyiwei took the order and left, and the study room fell into deep thought again. Zhu Han looked at Zhu Biao and Mr. Wang: "This case is complicated, we must proceed step by step and not be impatient. Mr. Wang, you will continue to be responsible for intelligence collection and analysis; Biaoer, you will be responsible for stabilizing the situation in the court and preventing anyone from taking advantage of the opportunity to cause chaos."

At the same time, in a secret mansion in the capital, the suspected minister was anxiously waiting for news. A confidant rushed in, looking panicked: "Sir, it's bad! The Jinyiwei suddenly surrounded our mansion, and several accomplices have been arrested."

Upon hearing this, the minister's face suddenly changed. He stood up abruptly and angrily shouted, "What a bunch of rubbish! Exposed so soon? Quick, pack up your things. We must leave the capital immediately!"

The confidant hesitated and said, "But sir, the whole city is under martial law now, how can we escape easily?"

A fierce look flashed in the minister's eyes. "I can't care about that anymore! Go and prepare the carriage and money immediately. We will leave from the back door and split up to escape as far as we can!"

However, their conversation had already been heard clearly by the Jinyiwei spy hiding in the dark, who quickly left and passed the news back to Zhu Han.

That night, Zhu Han personally led the Jinyiwei to surround the minister's residence. With a command, the Jinyiwei rushed in like a tide and quickly took control of the entire residence. The minister and his confidants tried to escape through the back door, but were intercepted by the Jingjiwei who had been ambushed outside.

Zhu Han walked into the hall of the mansion, looked at the ministers who were escorted out, and said coldly: "Do you have anything else to say?"

The minister turned pale, but still tried to remain calm: "King Han, what do you mean? I am an important official in the court, how dare you treat me like this?"

Zhu Han sneered, "Important official in the court? I'm afraid you have already forgotten your identity. Tell me, what is your relationship with the assassin? Who is behind this?"

The minister kept his lips tightly shut and said nothing. Zhu Han waved his hand to signal the Jinyiwei to use the torture instruments. After a scream, the minister finally broke down and trembled as he told the truth behind it.

It turned out that this minister was discovered by Zhu Han for his corruption on the frontier, which made him resentful. He colluded with external forces to assassinate Zhu Yuanzhang in order to frame others and seize power.

After hearing this, Zhu Han's face turned pale: "You are so brave! Come, take him to the prison and wait for your majesty to decide his fate!"

The next morning, the sun shone through the clouds onto the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, making it look magnificent.

During the morning court session, all officials stood in a solemn and dignified atmosphere. Zhu Yuanzhang entered the Golden Palace, wearing a dragon robe and looking extremely majestic. He slowly sat on the dragon throne, his eyes swept over the officials, and finally stopped at Zhu Han and Zhu Biao, with a hint of approval in his eyes. (End of this chapter)