Da Ming: I told you to die for your cause, why are you actually going to die?

Chapter 149 Rare Hailstorm, No One Knows an Old Friend Has Arrived [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Big brother! Big brother! Something terrible has happened! The sky has fallen!"

Zhu Gaosui practically burst through the study door, not even having time to bow. His face was filled with shock and a near-mad excitement.

Zhu Gaochi's heart sank suddenly, and his fingers, which were fiddling with the prayer beads, abruptly stopped.

He knew that something extraordinary could cause the third brother to lose his composure like this.

"What's the panic?! Speak slowly! Even if the sky falls, Father and Grandfather will hold it up!"

Zhu Gaochi suppressed his unease and whispered a rebuke, trying to calm Zhu Gaosui down.

Zhu Gaosui rushed to the desk, his hands gripping the surface, his breath quickening, his voice slightly distorted with excitement:
"I can't hold on any longer! Brother! The court assembly at Fengtian Hall has begun! The Dengwen Drum has sounded! An old litigious man, carrying a bundle, is pointing directly at the forbidden drugs in the palace and accusing the imperial heir of a plot to murder the crown prince! He's even implicated in an old case from Shaanxi..."

He paused, his mouth suddenly dry, and said, "The death of the Crown Prince's uncle."

"What!?"

Zhu Gaochi abruptly stood up from his seat, his fat face instantly losing all color, and hurriedly asked:

"Forbidden drugs in the palace?! An old case in Shaanxi?! The death of the Crown Prince's uncle?! Are you sure you didn't mishear?!"

"Absolutely true!"

Zhu Gaosui spoke extremely quickly, like popping beans:
"Grandpa Emperor was furious on the spot! Fu Youwen, Ru Chang, Zhai Shan, and Zheng Ci were arrested on the spot and sent to the imperial prison! Guess what? They were cornered and resorted to making false accusations in court!"

"They said the matter in Shaanxi was carried out under orders, and that there was someone else behind it! That old bastard Zhai Shan almost called him a 'vassal king,' though he did use the word 'vassal.'"

"He called out the word 'vassal'?!"

Zhu Gaochi felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand fell onto the table with a 'clatter'.

What he worried about most happened.

The secret Zhang Biao revealed was indeed like poisoned bait, not only luring out fools like Fu Youwen, but more terrifyingly, it began to spread the fire to all the vassal kings.

And their Prince Yan's residence was undoubtedly one of the most obvious targets.

"What was Grandfather's reaction?"

Zhu Gaochi's voice was extremely dry.

But then Zhu Gaosui, panting heavily, said, "What other reaction could there be? 'Treat them as treason, with zero tolerance!' Those eight words turned the entire court green with rage!"

"The outside world is in complete chaos! The Imperial Guards have been mobilized in full force, and the nine gates have been sealed off by the Five City Garrison Commands. Entry is permitted, but exit is not!"

"All those who gather to witness the petition drum must be registered. Anyone who dares to spread rumors will be punished as a traitor!"

"The nine gates are sealed off. Those convicted of treason will be registered and punished."

Zhu Gaochi murmured these words repeatedly, his face growing paler and paler.

Suddenly, as if stung by a scorpion, he grabbed Zhu Gaosui's arm with such force that Zhu Gaosui was startled: "Where's the second brother?! Where's Gao Xu?! Where is he now?!"

"Second brother?"

Zhu Gaosui was taken aback by the question and couldn't help but say:
"Didn't he follow your orders and leave the city early this morning to contact the people Father left in the capital?"

"broken!"

Zhu Gaochi slapped his thigh suddenly, his face ashen, cold sweat pouring down his back: "Quick! Think of something! Find the second brother immediately!"

"Huh? Why?"

Zhu Gaosui seemed not to have reacted yet, and said blankly, "Second brother went to take care of important business, and he is very skilled and quick-witted, so he should be fine, right?"

"Serious business my ass!"

Zhu Gaochi was so anxious he almost roared, abandoning all pretense of his usual gentle and refined demeanor:
"Times have changed. The letter my father sent earlier instructed us to act secretly and according to circumstances, and if necessary, to use our power to assist Zhang Biao and stir up the waters even more!"

"Then we'll find incriminating evidence against Fu Youwen and his associates!"

"But that's only true if the fire doesn't reach the vassal kings!"

"But what about now?! That madman Zhang Biao has literally ripped the sky apart!"

"Fu Youwen and his group implicated the character '藩' (fan), which put Grandfather at the height of his anger and suspicion. At this time, the Second Prince, along with people from our Yan Prince's Mansion, was running around outside investigating the case, making connections, and might even have used Father's undercover agents."

At this point, Zhu Gaochi's voice trembled with fear:
"Have you considered what the Embroidered Uniform Guard or Jiang Huan's men would think if they found out?!"

"Won't they think that our Prince Yan's Mansion is guilty and trying to destroy evidence?!"

"Or perhaps, they are secretly plotting and conspiring to confirm the accusation of using the word 'feudal'! At that point, it won't be an investigation anymore."

"That's mud that fell into our pants, even if it's not shit, it's still shit! We can't explain ourselves no matter how hard we try! The entire Prince Yan's mansion will be branded as 'accomplices in treason'!"

"This"

Upon hearing his elder brother's analysis, Zhu Gaosui broke out in a cold sweat, and his face turned as pale as Zhu Gaochi's.

He then realized that the seriousness of the problem far exceeded his imagination.

At this time, Yingtian Prefecture had become a huge powder keg, full of spies from the Imperial Guards, where any spark could trigger a chain of explosions.

"Then what do we do?!"

Zhu Gaosui panicked: "All nine gates are sealed off, allowing entry but not exit! Even if Second Brother wants to come back, his identity will be exposed, and things will become even more complicated!"

"That's why we need to find him immediately!"

Zhu Gaochi forced himself to calm down, his mind racing:
"He hasn't been gone long, he shouldn't have gone far, probably still at a secret contact point near the capital. You immediately use our connections within the Embroidered Uniform Guard. No! Don't use them! The risk is too great!"

Zhu Gaochi offered suggestions while simultaneously rejecting them:
"You personally lead a group of absolutely reliable people, change into civilian clothes, and try to sneak out through the underground drainage ditch. I know an old road that might still be usable!"

"After finding Gao Xu, tell him that the entire plan is canceled! His father's orders are temporarily suspended! He must immediately go into hiding and sever all contact with his spies!"

"Once the storm has passed, or await my next instructions, whatever you do, whatever you do, don't let the Embroidered Uniform Guard find out!"

"Underdrain. Old road"

Zhu Gaosui's face showed a hint of difficulty, and he thought to himself, "My elder brother makes it sound so nice, but isn't it just making people crawl through a dog hole?!"
The place was dirty and dangerous, but seeing his older brother's unusually stern expression, he could only suppress his displeasure and nod emphatically: "Okay! I'll go right away!"

"Be careful! Be extremely careful!"

Zhu Gaochi grabbed Zhu Gaosui's arm again and instructed him:
"If we really can't find it, or the situation becomes critical, our own safety is the top priority! Remember! We can't do anything right now! It's better to stay still than to move!"

"I see!"

Zhu Gaosui nodded solemnly, turned around and walked away quickly, his figure disappearing swiftly into the corridor outside the study.

Zhu Gaochi remained alone in the study, sitting back down in his chair, feeling weak all over, his inner shirt soaked with cold sweat.

After a moment, he couldn't help but glance at Zhu Di's secret letter on the table. Then, thinking of the shocking changes at the court meeting and Zhang Biao, who was far away in the imperial prison but had stirred up the whole situation, a huge sense of powerlessness and chill welled up in his heart.

Father, your plans are likely to fail.

Zhang Biao, you've stabbed me too deeply.

[Yingtian Prefecture, no, the very heavens of the Ming Dynasty, are truly about to change.]

the other side.

The sedan chairs carrying Zhu Yunwen and his two siblings, surrounded by eunuchs and palace maids arranged by Lady Lü, moved silently along the streets back to the palace.

At this moment, the streets were filled with shouts of arresting people and registering them, as well as the clanging of weapons and armor that made one's teeth chatter and one's whole body tremble.

The oppressive atmosphere inside the sedan chair contrasted sharply with the subtle commotion outside.

Zhu Yuntong lowered his head, trying his best to appear extremely frightened, but his ears were perked up, picking up on everything that was happening outside.

suddenly!

"Moo-!"

A sharp, mournful moo suddenly rang out, accompanied by terrified screams from passersby and the chaotic sound of overturned goods. At the street corner ahead, a cart laden with hay had inexplicably become startled. The burly ox pulling the cart, its eyes bloodshot, had broken free of its reins, its head bowed, and was charging wildly towards the procession.

The driver was thrown aside and fell dazed.

"Protect His Highness!"

The eunuch's shrill cry pierced the air, and the guards rushed forward to try to stop him.

But the mad bull charged with tremendous force, instantly knocking over two soldiers who couldn't dodge in time, and heading straight for the sedan chair where Zhu Yunwen was.

"what--!"

Zhu Mingyue screamed in terror from inside the sedan chair.

Zhu Mingyu was also frightened, her face turned pale, and she instinctively grabbed her younger brother.

Zhu Yunwen suddenly raised his head, a genuine fear flashing in his eyes.

This unexpected turn of events was not what he had anticipated.

The bull's sharp horns were about to crash into the sedan chair.

At the critical moment!
"You beast! You're asking for death—!"

A thunderous shout came from the rooftop on the side.

Immediately afterwards, a figure as agile as a cheetah, like a god descending to earth, leaped down from the eaves of a nearby shop.

It landed with perfect precision on the mad bull's broad back.

The man was tall and burly, yet his movements were exceptionally agile.

He gripped the bull's belly tightly with his legs, grabbed its horns with one hand, and with his other fist, as big as a bowl, filled with terrifying power, he pounded down on the bull's head like raindrops.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Every punch landed squarely, the dull thud of the impact making your teeth ache.

The mad bull, in pain, let out an even more ferocious bellow, wildly shaking its body in an attempt to throw the person off its back, and its momentum was momentarily halted.

The man remained as still as a rock, his eyes fierce, his fists never stopping, displaying the ferocity of someone fighting a beast on the battlefield.

This sudden scene stunned everyone.

“It’s…it’s the second young master of the Prince of Yan’s mansion!” Someone recognized Zhu Gaoxu.

The Zhu Yunwen siblings inside the sedan chair were also stunned, staring at the fierce figure fighting the mad bull on its back, momentarily forgetting their fear.

In the chaos, no one noticed that in the shadows on the other side of the street corner, a cloaked man unconsciously clenched his fist.

However, he quickly relaxed his fist and took a deep look at Zhu Gaoxu, who was fighting with the mad bull.

Then, with a turn, he entered the corner of the alley.

Meanwhile, a young man dressed in inconspicuous civilian clothes with ash smeared on his face was also attracted by the commotion.

As soon as he poked his head out, he saw his second brother displaying incredible prowess on the back of the mad bull.

"two……"

Zhu Gaosui almost blurted out, then quickly covered his mouth, his eyes wide with shock. He thought to himself, "Second brother, weren't you supposed to be contacting Father's people?! How did you end up here arguing with the mad bull?! And causing such a commotion?!"
Just as Zhu Gaoxu was about to beat the mad bull to death and the situation was about to be brought under control—

“Crackling—!”

The sky darkened without warning, and then, large, cold, and hard hailstones began to fall densely, as if the heavens were pouring beans.

"Oh! It's hailing!"

"Hide now!"

"my head!"

This sudden natural disaster completely threw the already chaotic streets into chaos.

Countless pedestrians fled in panic.

Even the vendors abandoned their goods and scrambled to find places to hide.

The hailstones pounded on the rooftops, the ground, and people, making a chilling sound.

Zhu Gaoxu was also stunned by the sudden hailstorm. His movements slowed down slightly, and the dying mad bull beneath him let out a final moan before collapsing to the ground and finally coming to a complete stop.

The guards and eunuchs, disregarding the ceremonial procession, scrambled for cover or used their bodies to shield the sedan chair, creating utter chaos.

"Second Brother! Over here!"

Taking advantage of the hail and the chaos, Zhu Gaosui finally found an opportunity to shout to Zhu Gaoxu in a low voice while waving frantically.

Zhu Gaoxu shook the icy water off his head, looked in the direction of the sound, and was taken aback when he saw his third brother. He clearly did not expect to meet him here.

He strode through the chaotic crowd toward Zhu Gaosui.

But as I passed a figure frantically dodging the hail, it felt like something had been stuffed into my elbow.

"Third brother? What happened to you..."

Zhu Gaoxu had barely opened his mouth when he instinctively caught the object. When he turned around, the person who had given him the object had vanished.

"Second brother, eldest brother will let you have him."

Zhu Gaosui hurriedly tried to convey Zhu Gaochi's instructions.

But Zhu Gaoxu frowned and interrupted him: "Wait, this isn't the place to talk..."

Before he finished speaking -

"Protect His Highness and return him to the palace! Quickly!"

The eunuch's shrill voice rang out again.

An elderly nanny rushed forward and asked, "Your Highness? Are you alright? Were you frightened?"

“It’s okay”

A trembling voice, clearly startled, came from inside the sedan chair.

The sudden hailstorm came quickly and went quickly.

Before long, the force of the impact began to weaken, and it gradually turned into heavy rain.

"The hail has stopped! Quickly check everything! Prepare to return to the palace in the sedan chair! This place is not safe to stay any longer!"

The head of the guards urged.

The sedan chair was lifted again and hurriedly continued towards the palace.

It left behind a mess and the dead mad cow.

The brothers Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui stood there, watching the departing sedan chair procession, then looked at each other, both feeling somewhat bewildered.

The sky soon began to brighten again, but the chaos in the streets and the fear in people's hearts lingered for a long time.

Inside the sedan chair, Zhu Yunwen's fingers trembled as he quietly picked up the cold oilcloth bag at his feet.

His heart was pounding even harder than when he was facing the mad bull.

[Was that guy...the voluptuous older brother?]

What is this thing?

Asking for a monthly ticket~
　[This chapter is a little late today because I analyzed Zhao Fengman's character. He's the kind of person who's clever and passionate, and also aspires to be as reckless as Zhang Biao. Given the chance, he wouldn't just choose one, but all of them! As for why the second brother didn't leave the city, that will be explained later.]

　　
　
(End of this chapter)