Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

Halfway through the banquet, Jiang Huan quietly entered and whispered a few words in Zhu Biao's ear.

Zhu Biao remained expressionless, stood up and said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "Father, I have some official business to attend to, I will return shortly."

"Go ahead," Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand.

As Zhu Biao walked out of the side hall, the gentleness on his face vanished instantly.

"Where is he?"

"We've already questioned Wang Baobao in the imperial prison. He's stubborn, but nine of the forty-seven generals are willing to surrender and have revealed many of the Northern Yuan's spies within the pass."

Jiang Huan said in a low voice.

"List".

Jiang Huan handed over a roll of paper.

Zhu Biao finished reading by the lantern light, then pointed to several names and asked, "Which of these families have dealings with in the imperial court?"

"Chen Ning, Vice Minister of Rites; Tu Jie, Censor of the Censorate; and... the former subordinates of the Lü family."

Upon hearing the name "Lü family," Zhu Biao's eyes turned cold.

After Lady Lü's death, the Lü family was purged, but some always managed to escape.

These people dared not act openly, so they secretly stirred up trouble. Recently, there have been rumors in the court that the King of Wu is holding military power and acting arbitrarily, and the source of these rumors is here.

"Chen Ning, Tu Jie... I remember last year when Chen Ning was inspecting the river, he embezzled three thousand taels of silver. Tu Jie's son forcibly seized farmland, and the aggrieved parties complained to the Yingtian Prefecture, but he suppressed the complaint?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Biao asked.

"Yes."

"Is the evidence complete?"

"complete."

"Then let's do it! According to the Great Ming Code, we'll sentence them as appropriate. As for the former members of the Lü family... the Northern Yuan's spies colluded with rebels and attempted to assassinate a prince. The evidence is conclusive, so their entire families should be executed."

Zhu Biao said in a calm tone.

Jiang Huan's heart skipped a beat: "Execute three generations? What about His Majesty's side..."

"I'll talk to Father. Some people never learn their lesson. They think my second brother is simple-minded and easy to bully." Zhu Biao turned to look at the side hall. The lamplight shone through the window paper, illuminating the figures of a family eating and laughing inside.

He smiled, a smile that seemed somewhat chilly in the shadows.

"Then let them know that the foolish king's brother is not foolish at all."

Jiang Huan bowed and said, "Your subordinate understands."

"Go on! Be quick and don't spoil the fun tonight."

"Yes."

Jiang Huan withdrew.

Zhu Biao stood outside the hall for a moment, and only after a gentle smile returned to his face did he push open the door and return to the banquet.

"Big brother, I ate the crab in your bowl." Zhu Li pointed to the empty plate, looking completely innocent.

Zhu Biao chuckled and said, "We've already eaten. What else would you like to eat? Tell the imperial kitchen to make something else."

"That's enough, I'm full." Zhu Hui patted her stomach.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched the two brothers interact, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes widened with laughter.

Empress Ma said softly to him, "Biao'er and Li'er are truly a perfect match."

"Brothers should be like this. The proudest thing in our lives is not being emperor, but having these sons. Biao is kind and good at governing the country, Li is brave and good at expanding the territory, and the fourth, fifth and sixth sons each have their own strengths... That's enough, that's enough."

Zhu Yuanzhang said after taking a sip of wine.

The banquet ended at 9 PM.

Zhu Li escorted his adoptive parents and Daya back to their residence, while he strolled back to the Wu Prince's Mansion.

The night breeze was cool as he walked down the empty street, his left hand unconsciously pressing against the tattoo on his right arm.

The axe and shield were both asleep.

In my past life, the craft stall owner said this was a replica of Xing Tian wielding his axe and shield, and it cost fifty yuan a set.

Unexpectedly, he was reborn here with him and became a true divine artifact.

That's good. With this, I can protect the people I want to protect.

He looked up at the direction of the palace, then at the small courtyard where his adoptive parents lived, and smiled sheepishly.

"This is good."

……

Meanwhile, deep within the imperial prison.

Wang Baobao was chained to the rack, his body covered in wounds.

The prison door opened, and Jiang Huan walked in, followed by two Imperial Guards.

"King Qi, I have news for you. Your nine surrendered subordinates have revealed the seventeen secret agents of the Northern Yuan in Shanxi and Hebei. We have already sent men to raid them."

Jiang Huan said calmly.

Wang Baobao suddenly looked up, his eyes wide with fury.

"In addition, there are several officials in the court who have some dealings with your people. This is their statement, signed and sealed," Jiang Huan said, producing a statement.

Wang Baobao hissed, "Zhu Yuanzhang wants to kill me?"

"His Majesty has not yet made a decision, but His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to pass on a message." Jiang Huan turned to leave, stopping at the door before speaking.

"What did you say?"

"Those who harm his brother never have a good ending."

The prison door closed.

Wang Baobao was stunned for a long time, then suddenly struggled frantically, making the iron chains rattle.

"Zhu Biao! Zhu Biao...your Zhu family...are all lunatics!!"

The shouts echoed in the cell, but no one responded.

Meanwhile, in the study of the Eastern Palace, Zhu Biao had just finished reviewing the last memorial.

By candlelight, he rubbed his temples and looked out at the moonlight.

"My second brother should be asleep by now! I'll send him some lychees from the south tomorrow; he loves sweet ones," he murmured to himself.

Outside the window, a bright moon hangs high in the sky.

Winter nights in Yingtian Prefecture are quiet and long.

...............

At the end of winter in the tenth year of the Hongwu reign, Xu Da's army finally returned to Yingtian.

The triumphant return ceremony was grand, and Zhu Yuanzhang personally went to Zhengyang Gate to welcome him.

The army of 500,000 was arrayed, with banners waving and armor shining brightly. At the very front was a long line of Northern Yuan prisoners.

Zhu Hui, dressed in a prince's robe, stood beside Zhu Biao and tugged at his collar, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Brother, this shirt is too tight around your neck."

"Bear with it, you can change after the ceremony. Today, Second Brother is the main character, so he needs to look his best," Zhu Biao said softly as he straightened his clothes.

Zhu Hui sighed and stood obediently.

Zhu Yuanzhang accepted the prisoners on the city gate tower, and Xu Da knelt on one knee to present the victory report.

The ceremony was lengthy, and as Zhu Li listened to the flowery congratulatory messages, his eyelids began to droop.

It wasn't until Xu Da said, "...I have also captured Minmin Temur, the sister of the King of Qi of the Northern Yuan, whose Han name is Guanyin Nu. She is currently being held in the prisoner-of-war camp."

Zhu Li suddenly opened her eyes.

He had never heard of the name Minmin Timur, but Guanyin Nu... that's interesting.

The ceremony ended in the afternoon, and Zhu Yuanzhang held a banquet in the palace to reward the generals of the three armies.

Zhu Hui was supposed to be sitting at the Prince's table, but he slipped over to Xu Da's side and asked, "Uncle Xu, what does that Guanyin slave look like?"

Xu Da, who was drinking, was taken aback when he heard this and asked, "Why does Your Highness ask this?"

"I'm just curious, the name sounds like a Bodhisattva, so how come he's from the Northern Yuan?" Zhu Li asked, scratching his head.

Xu Da chuckled: "It's a woman, about twenty years old, with a rather stubborn temper."

I caught him while he was scouting camps in the northern desert; he didn't utter a single word the entire way.

"Can I take a look?"

"This..." Xu Da looked at Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao walked over with a wine cup in his hand. After hearing the reason, he laughed and said, "Second brother, if you want to see it, then go ahead. They're in the prisoner-of-war camp. Let Jiang Huan take you there."

"Now?"

"Now."

Zhu Hui got up and left, forgetting even to put down his wine cup.

Zhu Biao and Xu Da exchanged a glance, both finding it somewhat amusing.

This child is very straightforward about everything.

……

The prisoner-of-war camp was set up in the drill ground west of the city, where thousands of Northern Yuan prisoners of war were held in a makeshift wooden fence.

Jiang Huan led Zhu Hui to a secluded tent at the very back.

"Your Highness, the person is inside."

The curtain was lifted, and Zhu Li peeked inside.

The tent was small, with dry grass spread on the ground and a person sitting in the corner.

It's a girl.

He was wearing a Mongolian robe, his hair was braided, and his face was covered in ash, but his eyes were bright.

Her hands were tied behind her back, and her feet were chained. When she heard the noise, she raised her head, her eyes like those of a little wolf on the grassland.

Zhu Li squatted at the door, staring at her.

After observing for a while, he turned to Jiang Huan and asked, "Is she really Wang Baobao's sister?"

"Yes, she is a princess of the Northern Yuan Qi Prince's Mansion, with the Han name Guanyin Nu," Jiang Huan said in a low voice.

Guanyin Nu spoke coldly, surprisingly in Chinese: "Kill me if you want, what are you looking at!"

The voice was clear and crisp, with a northern accent.

Zhu Li didn't reply, but continued to stare at her.

The girl had thick eyebrows, a straight nose, tightly pursed lips, and her chin held high, looking defiant.

As he looked at it, he suddenly grinned.

"What are you laughing at!" Guanyin Nu shouted angrily.

"It's nothing, I just think you're pretty," Zhu Hui said honestly.

Guanyin Nu was stunned, her face flushed red, and then she became even angrier: "You...you're being insolent!"

Zhu Hui stood up, dusted off his robe, and said to Jiang Huan, "Tell my elder brother I want this woman."

Jiang Huan nearly choked, saying, "Your Highness, this...this is a prisoner of war..."

"I know, that's why I asked my older brother. If he doesn't give it to me, I'll ask my father," Zhu Li said matter-of-factly.

After saying that, he turned and left, but turned back at the door and said to Guanyin Nu, who was staring at him with wide eyes, "Wait here, I'll go tell Father."

The curtains fell.

Guanyin sat blankly on the haystack, unable to come to her senses for a long time.