Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

"Your Highness... there's a teahouse ten miles ahead, shall we rest here...?"

At that moment... came Wang Gonggong's hushed voice from outside the carriage.

"Rest, send someone to check first, make sure it's clean," Zhu Biao said calmly.

"Yes."

Eunuch Wang turned his horse around to give instructions.

Zhu Biao lowered the carriage curtain and looked at the sleeping Zhu Hui, his gaze softening once more.

Regardless of who was behind it back then, and regardless of any conspiracy behind it.

Now his second brother is back.

They carry the legacy of Xing Tian, ​​and the power to split mountains and shatter peaks.

Those people had better hide well, otherwise…

Zhu Biao gently patted Zhu Hui's head, his movements tender, but a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

The carriage stopped in front of the tea stall.

This teahouse is located at a fork in the mountain road. It consists of three thatched huts with a awning outside and seven or eight tables.

The shopkeeper was a thin, old man who was so frightened when he saw the Imperial Guards that he almost dropped the teapot in his hand.

"Sir...Sir..." the old man stammered as he approached.

"Clear out a few clean tables, boil some water, and make sure everything is clean," said Eunuch Wang, tossing over a silver ingot.

"Yes, yes, yes..."

The old man hurriedly tidied up, invited the two merchants who had been resting to a corner, and personally wiped the table and chairs.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Li got out of the car and sat down in the shaded area.

The accompanying Imperial Guards spread out to maintain vigilance, their hands always resting on the hilts of their swords.

Zhu Li looked around curiously. He rarely traveled far; the farthest he had ever been was the county town.

Although the tea stall was simple, it was bustling with people, much more lively than the village.

"Brother, why do those people keep staring at us?" Zhu Li asked his older brother curiously.

Zhu Biao glanced around and saw that quite a few passersby were indeed secretly looking in their direction, mainly at the Embroidered Uniform Guard's flying fish robes and embroidered spring knives. In a place like western Zhejiang, the appearance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was big news in itself.

"It's alright, have your tea." Zhu Biao poured a bowl of coarse tea and pushed it towards him.

The tea is aged; it tastes astringent, but it quenches thirst.

Zhu Hui gulped down a large bowl of water, wiped his mouth, and said, "It's not as good as what my mother cooks."

Zhu Biao smiled and said, "When we arrive in Yingtian, I'll treat you to the best tea."

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose from the other end of the mountain path.

A caravan of镖车 (escort wagons) was coming this way, with the words "威远" (Weiyuan) written on their flags. There were seven or eight wagons, and about twenty men escorting the goods, each of them burly and carrying weapons.

The leader was a dark-faced man in his forties. When he saw the Imperial Guards in front of the tea stall, his expression changed slightly, and he raised his hand to signal the caravan to stop.

"Chief镖头, what's wrong?" asked the young镖师 next to him.

"There are Imperial Guards around, take a detour," the dark-faced man said in a low voice.

"But this is the only way..."

"We still have to go around that... That flying fish suit is not someone to mess with, hurry up and leave!" the dark-faced man said sternly.

The convoy turned around.

But it was too late.

Eunuch Wang squinted and made a gesture.

Two Imperial Guards mounted their horses and blocked the convoy in the blink of an eye.

Seeing them and wanting to turn around and leave is just like trying to hide something obvious...

"What are you doing..." one of the Imperial Guards asked in a cold voice.

The dark-faced man steeled himself and stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting, "Sir, I am from the Weiyuan Escort Agency. I'm escorting a shipment to Hangzhou and just stopping by for a rest..."

"The escort order." The Imperial Guard held out his hand.

The dark-faced man quickly pulled out the escort manifest from his pocket and handed it over.

The Imperial Guard glanced at them, then looked at the convoy: "What are they carrying?"

"It's...just some silk fabrics..."

"Open it and take a look."

The dark-faced man's expression changed: "Sir, this is against the rules. Escort agencies have their own regulations..."

Before the words were even finished, the Imperial Guard's sword was already half an inch out of its sheath.

Inside the pavilion, Zhu Yue frowned and said, "Brother, why are they so fierce?"

Zhu Biao slowly sipped his tea and explained, "Inspecting passing merchants is the duty of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In this desolate wilderness, what if there are weapons, smuggled salt, or... people hidden in the carts!"

The last two words were spoken very softly.

Zhu Li didn't quite understand, but he didn't ask any more questions.

Over there, the dark-faced man had already ordered one of the caravans to be opened.

Inside were indeed bolts of silk, neatly stacked.

The Imperial Guard reached inside and touched it, then tapped on the underside of the carriage.

empty.

"Open it." He pointed to the undercarriage.

Sweat immediately beaded on the dark-skinned man's forehead: "Sir, this...this really is silk..."

"I said, open it." The Imperial Guard's sword was fully drawn.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The men escorting the goods gripped their weapons tightly, while the Imperial Guards also gripped their sword hilts.

The traveling merchants in the tea stall were so frightened that they huddled in a corner, while the old shopkeeper crawled under the counter.

It looked like they were about to take action.

"Brother, do you need any help..." Zhu Hui asked softly, her hand already on her left arm.

Zhu Biao pressed down on his wrist and said, "Don't rush, just watch."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud bang came from the direction of the caravan.

It wasn't the sound of fighting, but the sound of the Imperial Guards kicking open the floor of the car.

Hidden beneath the floorboards was a person.

A middle-aged man, bound like a rice dumpling and with a rag stuffed in his mouth, looked like a scholar, and was staring wide-eyed in terror.

The dark-faced man's face was ashen.

"Very well! Weiyuan Escort Agency, kidnapping people, should be executed according to the law." The Imperial Guard laughed, his smile icy cold.

"Sir, spare my life! I was paid to do this job..." The dark-faced man knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Whose money are you receiving...and what are you doing?" the Imperial Guard asked.

"It's...it's Master Liu from Hangzhou. He said this man is his runaway slave and asked me to take him back on my way..." The dark-faced man's eyes flickered as he spoke.

The Imperial Guards could easily see through him, and with the tip of their blades pressed against his throat, they said, "Tell the truth."

Inside the pavilion, Zhu Biao put down his teacup and gave Eunuch Wang a wink.

Eunuch Wang understood and got up to go over.

"What happened?" he asked.

The Imperial Guard bowed and reported, "Your Excellency, there is a person hidden in the carriage. This fellow claims to be a runaway slave, but judging from his clothes and demeanor, he doesn't seem like one at all."

Eunuch Wang glanced at the bound man a few times, then suddenly said, "Tear the cloth out of his mouth."

The cloth was ripped off, and the man immediately shouted, "I'm not a runaway slave! I'm an instructor at the Yuyao County School! They've tied me up; they're going to send me..."

Before he could finish speaking, the dark-faced man from the escort agency suddenly sprang up, a dagger sliding out of his sleeve and thrusting it straight at the man's throat!

This happened so suddenly and unexpectedly.

But someone is faster.

A dark shadow flashed by; it turned out to be the teacup that Zhu Biao had casually tossed aside.

The bowl spun in the air and smashed precisely onto the dark-faced man's wrist, cracking his wrist bone instantly.

The dagger fell to the ground.

The dark-faced man screamed and was pinned to the ground by the Imperial Guards.

Zhu Biao got up and walked over slowly.

He still had a gentle smile on his face, but the coldness in his eyes sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"Kidnapping an official of the imperial court in broad daylight, Weiyuan Escort Agency... what audacity!" Zhu Biao's voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

The dark-faced man struggled to lift his head and saw Zhu Biao's brocade robe and jade belt, as well as the respectful attitude of Eunuch Wang and the Imperial Guards towards him. His mind went blank.

"You...you are..."

Zhu Biao ignored him and turned to the bound instructor, asking, "You said you're from the Yuyao County School?"

"Yes...yes! I am Chen Lian, an instructor at the Yuyao County School. Half a month ago, I went to Hangzhou to visit a friend. On my way back, I was kidnapped by these people..." Chen Lian's voice trembled, but his words were still relatively clear.

Why did they kidnap you?

"Because...because when I was in Hangzhou, I overheard some things...about the Taiping Rebellion and Chen Youliang's former subordinates..."

Chen Lian hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice and said.

Zhu Biao's pupils constricted slightly.

He couldn't help but glance at his younger brother. He had just said he wanted to see those guys as soon as possible, and now he had received the news.

My younger brother's mouth must be blessed!

After regaining his senses, Zhu Biao waved his hand, signaling the Imperial Guards to take Chen Lian aside, and then looked at the dark-faced man.

"Who ordered it..." Zhu Biao asked slowly.

The dark-faced man gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Zhu Biao was not in a hurry. He said to Eunuch Wang, "Investigate the Weiyuan Escort Agency. There are 76 people in total. Don't miss a single one. The main culprits should be executed by slow slicing, the accomplices should be beheaded, their property should be confiscated, and the female relatives should be sent to the brothel."

He spoke casually, as if he were talking about what to eat for dinner.

The dark-faced man finally broke down: "I'll talk... I'll talk! It was Liu De, the wealthy man from Hangzhou. He gave me five hundred taels of silver and told me to tie up Instructor Chen and send him to a place he designated..."

What was the relationship between Liu De and Chen Youliang's former subordinates?

"This...this humble one doesn't know, I've only heard that Master Liu has someone backing him, apparently a big shot in the capital..."

Zhu Biao was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

His smile was gentle, but the murderous intent in his eyes was almost tangible.

"Eunuch Wang."

"This servant is here."

"Pass on my message to Jiang Huan: investigate Liu De in Hangzhou, investigate everyone behind him, take them all down, one by one. Tell Jiang Huan that I will personally report this to the Emperor and let him carry it out."

Zhu Biao said, emphasizing each word.

"yes!"

Eunuch Wang bowed deeply, his back already soaked with sweat.

He knew that bloodshed was about to break out in Hangzhou.

This Crown Prince is usually gentle and refined, but when he gets angry, he is more frightening than Emperor Hongwu.

After finishing his business, Zhu Biao returned to the gazebo.

Zhu Li looked at him expectantly and asked, "Brother, what happened to that person just now?"

"Bad guys kidnapped good guys. Brother Li, remember what I just said? Those who harm others should be cut down." Zhu Biao sat down, poured himself another bowl of tea, and his tone returned to calm.

Zhu Hui nodded vigorously: "Got it! Just like slaying monsters!"

"right."

Zhu Biao smiled and ruffled his hair, saying, "Let's go, keep going. Our parents must be getting impatient."

"Brother, I'm the same age as you. You can't pat my head like that. I'm a grown-up now..."

"Hahaha...right, right, you're all grown up now, you can get married..."

The convoy resumed its journey.

Zhu Hui glanced back at the tea stall. The dark-faced man had already been taken away by the Imperial Guards, while Instructor Chen got into another car.

He suddenly realized that this older brother was even more capable than he had imagined.

It's not the kind of strength that makes someone powerful.

It's a different kind of... indescribable power.

"Brother, if I encounter bad people in the future, can I be like you?" he asked in a low voice.

Zhu Biao looked at him, his eyes gentle: "Yes...and you'll do even better than me."

Because you have an axe in your hand.

There is a very simple sense of right and wrong in my heart.

This is enough.