Ming Dynasty: He was ordered to give lectures in prison, but Lao Zhu eavesdropped and made people nu

Chapter 733 Zhu Biao's Anger

Seven days later, the walls of Datong finally appeared on the horizon. This imposing northern town was magnificent, with banners fluttering on its walls and a heavily guarded garrison.

However, when Zhu Biao and his party arrived at the city gate, they found it tightly closed and the guards on high alert.

"Who goes down below the city walls?" a general on the city wall shouted.

The guard captain stepped forward and shouted, "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived! Open the city gates immediately!"

A commotion arose on the city wall. After a long while, the general finally replied, "Without the General's order, I cannot obey! Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I have already sent someone to fetch the General!"

Zhu Biao's face turned ashen: "That Liu Xun! How dare he make the Crown Prince wait outside the city!"

Lin Che squinted, observing the city defenses: "Your Highness, something's not right. Logically, when the Crown Prince arrives, the garrison commander should immediately open the gates to welcome him and then send someone to announce his arrival. Liu Xun's actions are either deliberate negligence, or..."

"Or there's something shady going on in the city!" Zhu Biao said coldly.

An hour later, the city gates slowly opened. A middle-aged general in armor led a troop of personal guards out of the city to greet them.

"Your subject, Liu Xun, General of Datong, pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Liu Xun knelt on one knee, his voice booming, "I was unaware of Your Highness's arrival and have failed to greet you properly; please forgive me!"

Zhu Biao suppressed his anger: "General Liu is a skilled commander; even the Crown Prince has to wait for your order to enter the city."

Liu Xun remained unfazed: "Your Highness, Mongol spies have been active recently, forcing me to take strict precautions. If I have offended them, I am willing to accept punishment!"

Upon entering the city, Zhu Biao found the streets clean and tidy, and the shops orderly, quite different from the border town he had imagined. Even more strangely, the garrison troops he saw along the way were all in high spirits and well-equipped.

"General Liu, the garrison in Datong looks quite formidable," Zhu Biao probed.

Liu Xun stroked his beard and smiled smugly: "Thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune, I have trained diligently over the years, daring not to slacken in the slightest."

Lin Che suddenly interjected, "May we take a tour of the military camp? His Highness's northern tour is precisely to inspect the condition of the border troops."

A flicker of wariness crossed Liu Xun's eyes, but he quickly smiled and said, "Of course. However, it's getting late today. How about I personally accompany Your Highness on the inspection tomorrow morning?"

That night, Liu Xun hosted a banquet at the General's Mansion to welcome the troops. After several rounds of drinks, Liu Xun suddenly clapped his hands three times, and a group of singing girls gracefully entered the hall.

"Having heard that Your Highness is fond of music, these are musicians I specially gathered from Jiangnan. I invite Your Highness to appreciate them."

Just as Zhu Biao was about to decline, Lin Che gently kicked him under the table. Zhu Biao understood and pretended to admire the gesture.

After the banquet ended and they returned to their guest room, Lin Che immediately whispered, "Your Highness, there's a problem with the garrison in Datong!"

"Oh? Those soldiers look very spirited."

“They look too energetic,” Lin Che sneered. “How could soldiers who are constantly preparing for war in this harsh border region all have rosy complexions and brand-new armor? I’ve observed that most of those 'soldiers' have smooth, delicate skin; they’re not hands that hold knives all year round!”

Zhu Biao suddenly realized: "You mean Liu Xun is putting on an act for us?"

“Excellent! He deliberately displayed an ‘elite’ force to make us think that Datong's military affairs needed no reform.” Lin Che’s eyes gleamed. “Tomorrow, we’ll conduct a surprise inspection and expose his trick!”

Before dawn the next day, Zhu Biao and Lin Che, accompanied by their guards, quietly left the general's mansion and headed straight for the military camp in the west of the city. However, when they arrived, the scene before them stunned everyone—

In the military camp, hundreds of ragged soldiers were huddled around several large pots, scrambling for thin porridge. These men were emaciated, some wounded, and their weapons were worn and tattered. They were a stark contrast to the "elite" troops seen the day before!
"This...this is the real Datong garrison?" Zhu Biao's voice trembled. An old soldier looked up at the sound of his voice, saw Zhu Biao's uniform, and knelt down in terror: "My lord, spare us! We'll go change right away!"

"Change clothes?" Lin Che keenly grasped the key phrase. "Change into what clothes?"

The veteran, realizing he had spoken out of turn, turned ashen-faced and dared not reply.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar. Liu Xun arrived at full speed with a troop of personal guards, his face extremely grim.

Why didn't Your Highness inform me?

"Liu Xun!" Zhu Biao roared, pointing at the emaciated soldiers. "Is this the Datong garrison under your command? And what about those 'elite' soldiers from yesterday?"

Seeing that his plan had been exposed, Liu Xun suddenly grinned maliciously: "Since Your Highness has already seen it, then I have nothing left to hide." With a wave of his hand, his personal guards immediately surrounded Zhu Biao and his entourage.

"Liu Xun! How dare you be disrespectful to the Crown Prince?" The guard commander drew his sword and roared.

Liu Xun said ominously, "Datong is located on the frontier, and Mongol spies often infiltrate there. If His Highness the Crown Prince is unfortunately killed, it will be a sacrifice for the country!"

Zhu Biao was both shocked and furious: "You...you want to rebel?"

"Rebellion?" Liu Xun laughed loudly. "I am eliminating a scourge for the country! The Crown Prince listened to slander, recklessly altered ancestral rules, and shook the foundation of the nation! Today, I will purge the court of these treacherous officials!"

Just as tensions were about to rise, Lin Che suddenly pulled out the bronze token from his pocket: "Liu Xun! Look at this!"

Sunlight shone on the token, making the words "Jinyiwei Northern Garrison" particularly glaring. Liu Xun was struck dumb, staggering back several steps: "You...you are..."

"Lin Che, the secret agent of the Northern Garrison, is here on imperial orders to secretly investigate a case of embezzlement by the border troops!" Lin Che's voice boomed. "Liu Xun, your crimes of embezzling military pay, falsifying troop numbers, and colluding with the Mongols are irrefutable!"

Liu Xun's expression shifted rapidly, then he suddenly burst into wild laughter: "So what if you're a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard? This is Datong! If I kill you all, who will know the truth?"

“He knows.” Lin Che pointed behind Liu Xun.

Liu Xun turned around abruptly and saw that the camp had been surrounded by soldiers—the real Datong garrison that he had oppressed for many years! They held weapons and their eyes burned with anger.

"You...you want to rebel?" Liu Xun shouted sternly.

A one-armed veteran stepped out of the crowd: "You're the one who rebelled, Liu Xun! All these years you've been exploiting your soldiers, drawing salaries without working. How many brothers have died under the Mongol swords because of insufficient equipment and provisions? Today, we demand justice!"

The situation reversed instantly. Seeing that all was lost, Liu Xun suddenly drew his sword and thrust it at Zhu Biao! Lin Che was prepared, and with a swift step forward, he deflected the sword with a flick of his folding fan. The two exchanged more than ten blows in an instant, and finally, Lin Che subdued Liu Xun with a grappling move.

"Tie them up!" Zhu Biao ordered. "Thoroughly investigate military affairs in Datong!"

That day, with the assistance of the garrison in Datong, Zhu Biao took control of the entire city. A large amount of evidence was found in Liu Xun's secret chamber—not only ledgers detailing embezzlement of military funds, but also secret letters exchanged with Mongol nobles!

Seven days later, as Zhu Biao and Lin Che stood atop the city wall of Datong, watching the newly renovated garrison drill, a messenger hurriedly arrived.

"Your Highness, an urgent report from the capital! Zhang Huan, Ma Wensheng, and others have jointly impeached you and Mr. Lin, accusing you of arbitrarily altering ancestral rules and forming cliques for personal gain! The Emperor is furious and summons you back to the capital immediately to explain!"

Zhu Biao and Lin Che exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness in each other's eyes. They knew that the real contest had only just begun.
(End of this chapter)