Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

The efficiency of the Embroidered Uniform Guard during the Hongwu era was frighteningly high.

Not to mention the mythological version of the Ming Dynasty.

Before dawn the next day, Jiang Huan knelt directly outside the study of the Eastern Palace.

When Zhu Biao came out wearing an outer robe, he presented a dossier with both hands, the ink on it still wet.

"Your Highness, I have investigated and found out that the seven assassins who carried out the assassination last night were assassins from the Broken Soul Pavilion in the martial arts world. This pavilion ostensibly runs a security escort business, but secretly takes on murders. Behind it all is... the Qingcheng Sword Sect." Jiang Huan's voice was very low.

Zhu Biao took the file and began to look through it by the light of the lanterns under the eaves.

His face remained calm, but his eyes gradually grew cold.

"Qingcheng Sword Sect... What a prestigious sect! What else?" he said, closing the scroll.

"The Broken Soul Tower had three hidden agents in the capital, all of which have been eliminated. Seven managers and twenty-three employees have been captured, and several account books have been seized."

Jiang Huan paused for a moment and then said, "The ledger... contains an entry from three days ago where the remnants of the Lü family purchased five thousand taels of silver and a thousand-year-old herb to teach the King of Wu a lesson."

"Are there still any members of the Lü family alive?" Zhu Biao looked up.

"He is a distant nephew of Lü Ben, who was hiding on a farm in the suburbs of Beijing. He was captured last night."

Zhu Biao nodded and handed the file back, saying, "Don't touch the Qingcheng Sword Sect yet."

Jiang Huan was taken aback and said, "Your Highness, they dared to lay a hand on the Second Prince..."

"I know, but this matter should be handled by Father," Zhu Biao interrupted him, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Jiang Huan understood instantly.

He bowed and withdrew, disappearing into the darkness before dawn.

Zhu Biao stood under the eaves, gazing at the pale dawn breaking in the east, and gently exhaled.

He suppressed the news of his second brother's assassination attempt last night, not daring to let Kunning Palace know.

But the truth will out.

……

Sure enough, just after Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Empress Ma's maidservant hurriedly came to the East Palace, saying that Her Majesty requested His Highness the Crown Prince to come and speak with her.

Zhu Biao straightened his robes and gave a wry smile.

What's meant to come will come.

The atmosphere in Kunning Palace was oppressive.

Empress Ma sat on the couch, her face pale.

Madam Chang was also standing by, her face also looking unpleasant.

As soon as Zhu Biao entered, Empress Ma looked up at him and said, "Was Li'er assassinated last night?"

"Yes, the seven assassins were killed on the spot by my second brother." Zhu Biao made no attempt to conceal anything.

"Kill them on the spot... Biao'er, tell your mother, who sent those people? Hasn't the Lü family already been wiped out? Why do people still dare to touch my son!" Empress Ma repeated these four words and suddenly stood up and said.

Her voice trembled, and her eyes reddened.

Madam Chang quickly helped her up, saying, "Mother, please calm down..."

"Calm down, how can I calm down! Li'er has only been back for a few days? Huh? Something happens every few days! She's already survived two assassination attempts in the street!"

"Is there no law left in this Yingtian Prefecture, in this palace? And that woman in your household, how long are you going to keep her here?" Empress Ma shook off her hand, walked up to Zhu Biao, and said coldly.

Zhu Biao lowered his head and said, "It is my dereliction of duty."

"You've failed in your duty, and your father has failed in his duty too! You're the crown prince, and he's the emperor! You can't even protect your own son and brother—what kind of crown prince are you, what kind of emperor are you!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Zhu Yuanzhang's voice came from outside the door: "Sister, you're right to scold me."

Zhu Yuanzhang strode in, still wearing his court robes, clearly having rushed over immediately after court.

He walked up to Empress Ma and reached out to wipe her tears, but was slapped away.

"Don't touch me! Zhu Yuanzhang, you'd better tell me clearly today whether you're going to take care of Li'er's affairs or not. If you're not going to, then I will. I'll go and gather the army and wipe out those guys." Empress Ma glared at him and said.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was grim, but he still spoke softly, "Sister, don't worry, we already know about this..."

"So what if you find out? You kill the murderer and that's it? What about next time? And the time after that? Li'er may be good at fighting, but he's simple-minded. How can he guard against those insidious methods!"

Empress Ma interrupted him.

She became more and more excited as she spoke, her voice echoing throughout the hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

His smile was somewhat cold.

"Girl, you're right. Killing just a few henchmen won't do. We need to let some people know what happens when they mess with our son." He turned and walked out.

Empress Ma was taken aback and asked, "Where are you going?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't turn around, but his voice came back: "Go and get justice for Li'er."

……

Half an hour later, at the Fengtian Hall.

The court assembly should have ended, but Zhu Yuanzhang issued an imperial edict recalling all officials of the fifth rank and above.

The officials stood in the hall, looking at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what had happened.

It wasn't until Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the dragon throne, sat down, and glanced down at those below that he saw the scene unfold.

That look made everyone's heart tighten.

"Jiang Huan," Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"Your subject is here..." Jiang Huan stepped forward.

"Has the matter of the assassination attempt on the King of Wu last night been investigated?"

"It has been determined... The seven assassins were members of the Broken Soul Tower, a Jianghu organization. Behind the Broken Soul Tower is the Qingcheng Sword Sect. Lu Wenhuan, a remnant of the Lu family, paid five thousand taels of silver to hire assassins to kill His Highness Prince Wu."

Jiang Huan said loudly.

An uproar erupted inside the hall.

Qingcheng Sword Sect...

That is one of the most prestigious sects in Sichuan, with a history of over three thousand years, more than ten thousand disciples, and a very high reputation in the martial arts world.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and then asked, "Who is in charge of the Qingcheng Sword Sect now?"

"The current sect leader, Qingxuzi, has been in seclusion for ten years, and the sect's affairs are being managed by the Grand Elder, Xuanzhen," Jiang Huan replied.

"Xuanzhen... issue the decree." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile as he read the name.

The Hanlin scholar quickly presented paper and pen.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not write anything, but slowly stood up, walked to the palace gate, and looked southwest.

"The Qingcheng Sword Sect colluded with traitors and assassinated a prince; their crime is equivalent to treason... This crime deserves death..."

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

The officials gasped in shock.

When to kill...

That's the number one sacred mountain in Sichuan, and its protective formation is said to be able to withstand an army of 100,000!

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, he turned to Zhu Biao and asked, "Elder brother, what do you think?"

Zhu Biao stepped forward, bowed, and said coldly, "The Qingcheng Sword Sect has existed for three thousand years, yet it dares to be so arrogant. Your subject agrees with Your Majesty..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand to interrupt him, saying, "Biao'er, do you know what your father hates most?"

Zhu Biao remained silent.

"What I hate most are those people who, just because they have some skills, think they can negotiate with the imperial court and challenge imperial power. Qingcheng Sword Sect? A prestigious sect... Bah!"

Zhu Yuanzhang walked back to the dragon throne and placed his hand on the armrest.

He suddenly raised his voice: "When we were conquering the world, these sects hid in the mountains and pretended to be high and mighty! Now that we are ruling the world, they've jumped out and are saying that matters of the martial world are none of the martial world!"

Now you dare to touch our son, good...very good!

He turned abruptly to face the outside of the hall.

His bright yellow dragon robe fluttered even without wind.

"Today, let the world see what happens to those who mess with the Zhu family!"

The moment he finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang stepped out of the Fengtian Hall.

The figure soared into the sky.

Zhu Yuanzhang possessed pure, domineering power.

He stood still in the air, and his body began to swell.

Ten zhang, a hundred zhang, a thousand zhang...

Finally, it transformed into a towering golden statue, wearing a flat crown and a twelve-symbol imperial robe, with a majestic face like a deity and eyes like the sun, looking down upon the human world.

The million people of Yingtian Prefecture looked up, dumbfounded.

Inside and outside the palace, everyone knelt down.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his right hand and gently pressed it down towards the southwest.

The movements were slow and gentle.

Like swatting a fly.

But in the blink of an eye, it got dark at Qingcheng Mountain, a thousand miles away.

The Qingcheng Sword Sect's protective formation was instantly activated, and the flowing light shield enveloped the entire sect, causing all the disciples within to look up in unison.

Suddenly, they saw a giant golden hand covering the sky slowly descending towards them.

"Enemy attack..." someone shouted immediately.

In an instant, sword light shot into the sky, sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands... tens of thousands of sword energies converged into a river of sword energy, rushing towards the giant palm.

It's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The giant hand descended and shattered like a bubble the instant it touched the light shield.

There was no loud noise, no explosion.

It simply pressed down quietly and irresistibly.

Main peak, side peaks, valleys...

With a single palm strike, they were reduced to dust.

Smoke and dust billowed into the sky, spreading for hundreds of miles.

When the dust settled, all that remained where Mount Qingcheng had been was a huge, bottomless palm print with smooth, mirror-like edges.

The entire mountain peak vanished instantly.

Even the sects were wiped out by his hand...

Three hundred years of foundation, ten thousand disciples, countless secret manuals and treasures, all vanished in a single palm strike.

Zhu Yuanzhang withdrew his hand, the image of the deity dissipated, and he returned to the front of the Fengtian Hall.

His face was a little pale, but his back was straight.

He glanced at the officials in the hall and said calmly, "Does anyone else think our son is easy to bully?"

No one dared to answer.

Dead silence.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to Jiang Huan and said, "Issue an edict throughout the land that all martial arts sects must register with the local government immediately, including a list of disciples, information on their martial arts traditions, and details of their land and property."

Those who conceal or fail to report such acts will be punished as treason.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Jiang Huan's voice trembled.

"Also, boss, those properties of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, confiscate them, and give half of the money to Li'er as a way to calm his nerves." Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao bowed and said, "Yes..."

Zhu Yuanzhang finally let out a breath, rubbed his temples, and muttered, "I'm exhausted... I have to go back and report to my sister."

He waved his hand, signaling the court to adjourn, and then walked towards the inner palace with his hands behind his back.

His steps were unsteady, but no one dared to help him.

The officials stood there, unable to recover for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, someone whispered, "Your Highness... His Majesty, he..."

Zhu Biao glanced at the man and smiled, "Father is just a little angry."

I'm a little angry...

Flattening a famous mountain with a single palm strike—is that what you call being a little angry?

The man dared not ask any more questions.

Zhu Biao also turned and left. As he walked out of Fengtian Hall, he looked up at the sky.

Clear skies.

He suddenly remembered what his father had said when he was a child and when he was teaching him martial arts.

"Biao'er, remember this: an emperor must have a sword in his hand. He doesn't necessarily have to use it, but everyone must know that he has one and dares to use it."

Today, Dad pulled out the knife.

Show it to the world.

Zhu Biao smiled and walked towards Kunning Palace.

My second brother probably doesn't know about this yet; I need to go and tell him.

By the way, does he want that piece of land belonging to the Qingcheng Sword Sect...?

Although it's just a pit now, the spiritual energy shouldn't have dissipated yet. Planting some fruit trees or something might be okay.