Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 97: Multiple parties involved, the secret guard's suspicion

The human heart is difficult to test.

Human nature is also the most unpredictable.

Even though Lu Wushuang had a pair of clear eyes that could see through good and evil and people's thoughts, he never expected that even though his own prince had treated him so well, the guards of the palace could not resist the temptation of money and power and chose to betray him.

"How was the dragon rider who was coerced dealt with?"

"Although there were reasons for this, he chose to betray rather than trust His Highness and the Dragon Riders. He has been removed from the team. All benefits for the Dragon Riders' families have also been suspended."

There is only one result of being expelled from the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry.

That is death!

"There are seventeen Dongchang thugs who took action this time, two of them are at the Zhixuan level, three are at the Vajra level, and twelve are below the first rank. All of them were killed."

Lu Wushuang reported truthfully.

Zhu Jinzhen glanced at her and shook his head, "Not enough."

"Since you've reached out, be prepared to have your hand chopped off. Order the secret guards in the capital to take action and uncover the mastermind behind the plot against the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and Prince Su's Palace, and exterminate their entire clan. If this news leaks out, all those involved and aware of it will be executed."

"Yes!"

Lu Wushuang and Yan Yimei bowed at the same time and accepted the order.

Seeing this, Zhu Jinzhen almost didn't need to ask about the treatment of the Great Snow Dragon Riders and the palace guards who couldn't resist the temptation of money and power. Anyone who betrayed the Su Palace must be put to death.

Even if there are many reasons, it is not a reason for them to choose to betray.

Zhu Jinzhen watched the fiercely contested martial arts competition on the training grounds and casually asked, "It's only been a few years since Liu Jin started selling official positions and titles, and yet he's resorting to such tactics again, even offering appointments to clerks from the Cabinet and six ministries. Are Hulong Villa, the Cabinet, and the six ministries all involved?"

"Yes, Lu San, the palace guard, said someone offered him 30,000 gold coins to record the daily ins and outs of the palace and uncover its secrets. Upon completion, he will receive another 100,000 gold coins."

"According to the investigation, it was the work of Wan Sanqian, the richest man in the Ming Dynasty, and the mastermind behind it was none other than the Hulong Villa."

"Another palace guard confessed, and one of them produced a letter of appointment, offering him the position of either the prefect of Huangzhou Prefecture or the deputy commander of the Guard Command, and offering him a thousand taels of gold."

"The other one received ten thousand taels of gold, the position of magistrate of a remote county, and ten beautiful wives and concubines."

Lu Wushuang spoke of this matter in a calm tone, because the guards of the palace had been infiltrated and tempted over the years, and it was not the first or second time that they had betrayed their own people. Every year there would always be one or two who could not resist the temptation.

Tremendous power, wealth and glory.

Even if Zhu Jinzhen treated the guards of the palace more generously and made an example of them more than once, it would not stop their greed.

"One hundred and thirty thousand taels of gold, Wan Sanqian is really a big spender!" Zhu Jinzhen couldn't help but sneer, looking down on Wan Sanqian who didn't know what he was doing. "Since he's spending money like that, why not give him a hand?"

"Send secret guards to make him hand over all his property in Shaanxi, or else send him on his way."

If someone dares to reach into Prince Su's Mansion and wants to rob it with money, then we'll see whether he has more money or is lucky.

Money can make you powerful, but it’s just a joke.

A big fat sheep who doesn't keep himself in shape but dares to jump around like this. Zhu Jinzhen didn't kill him because he could provide some help to Zhu Wusi and still had some value to him.

Yan Yimei stood up again, bowed, and said, "I will give the instructions later."

After what happened before, Wan Sanqian's secrets were almost completely exposed by the secret guards. Although he had many talented people under his command, none of them escaped the eyes of the secret guards.

Finding him is easy.

"Your Highness, the cabinet..."

"Let him die of illness." Zhu Jinzhen's words were understated, as if he was dealing with a weed by the roadside instead of a powerful cabinet minister. "Yes," Yan Yimei replied again.

In recent years, more than one or two court ministers have been dealt with.

For the secret guards, this is a piece of cake.

"Your Highness, besides this... I have something else to report."

"Hmm?" Zhu Jinzhen frowned slightly, "Why are you hesitating?"

Yan Yimei shook her head upon hearing this: "No, Your Highness, the secret guards discovered that during these five days, there were many people with mysterious identities, and..."

Zhu Jinzhen showed a look of doubt. As the deputy commander of the Xuanjia Secret Guard, Yan Yimei didn't need to be so embarrassed, not to mention in Shaanxi, even if he looked at the Ming Dynasty and the whole world, could it be possible?

"You're so hesitant, could it be related to me?"

"Yes!" Yan Yimei gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and replied with a bow, "According to the clues we found, several merchants from outside the Great Wall entered the Wu and Li families and stayed for more than two days. And according to the secret guards tracking their whereabouts, their merchant identities are false. They are most likely spies from the Mongols or the Liao Dynasty."

Changsun Wangqing, Li Chengen and others all had expressions of disbelief in their eyes.

The Wu family in Shaanxi and the Li family in Lanzhou, the former is the maternal family of Zhu Jinzhen’s grandmother, and the latter is the maternal family of Zhu Jinzhen’s mother. Are there spies from the enemy country entering their homes?

What do they want to do?
Collaborating with foreigners and betraying the country?

A similar thought flashed through Zhu Jinzhen's mind. He took a deep breath, his expression gloomy. "Have you figured out who the Wu and Li families are? Wu Yue and Li Zhao? Or maybe..."

The two are the current heads of the Wu and Li families.

In terms of identity, one is Zhu Jinzhen's cousin and the other is his uncle.

As for the last guess, it was what Zhu Jinzhen could not bear to see the most.

"Your Highness, Li Zhao was not involved. It was Li Shu, the second son of the Li family. As for the Wu family..." Yan Yimei hesitated before finally nodding slowly, "A secret guard personally saw Wu Yue, the head of the Wu family, greet them with a smile."

Although there is no direct evidence, even a fool can see that there is something wrong when the head of the Wu family smiles and welcomes a few second-rate foreign merchants.

"Now that we've investigated thoroughly, let's go straight to their house and ask for clarification."

"I don't care about the process, I just want the answer."

"If anyone obstructs me..." Zhu Jinzhen's eyes flashed with sternness, and he spit out a word coldly: "Behead!"

"Yes, the general will take your orders."

Yan Yimei breathed a sigh of relief. The suspected spy from Meng Liao should not be underestimated, even if it was just a possibility.

If it turns out not to be the case, or if there are other reasons, then it would be fine. But if it is true that the two families are colluding with outsiders, then the bloodshed in Shaanxi will never stop!
"The Li family, the Wu family." Zhu Jinzhen felt a little annoyed. He was not sure whether the two families had colluded with foreign countries, but the suspected spies from Mongolia and Liao had stayed for more than two days, but he did not receive any news from the two families.

Or the secret guard's investigation was wrong.

Either...

Zhu Jinzhen's eyes flashed with a cold light: "I hope you don't commit suicide, otherwise don't blame me for not caring about family affection."

Because of the relationship with his grandmother and mother, he has been very indulgent to both families in recent years, and has never lacked resources and benefits. If they are still not satisfied, don't blame him for being ruthless.

After this incident, Zhu Jinzhen no longer had the heart to watch the martial arts performance.

After watching for about half an hour, he got up and left.

(End of this chapter)