The First Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Zhu Chenhao, accompanied by Gongsun Jin, charged aggressively toward the villa where Tang Yin was staying.

Originally, he was going to confront his son, but now he seemed to have completely believed his son's story... not because of anything else, but because Zhu Yi's description was too detailed.

And everything makes sense.

He had previously suspected that Tang Yin was faking his madness, but he lacked evidence.

"Your Highness," Gongsun Jin interjected halfway through the journey, "the young master said that more than a hundred years later, the Jurchen Tartars were rampant, invading our Liaodong, and even trying to breach the Shanhaiguan Pass. However, the Ming Dynasty used a firearm called the 'Red Barbarian Cannon' to stop them. It seems that this firearm is extremely powerful, but I wonder where it came from?"

Zhu Chenhao calmed down a bit.

At this point, he seemed to realize that Tang Yin was no threat to his grand plan of rebellion.

He just hated himself for being made a fool of.

If you believe your son, you must believe his conclusion that "the Prince of Ning's rebellion failed after 42 days." If you want to defy fate, you must dare to be a pioneer and do what the times do not do.

Zhu Chenhao slowed his pace and said, "My son was just speaking casually. Even if this cannon really exists, does my son know its structure?"

Gongsun Jin immediately realized that Zhu Chenhao had vision.

Knowing that such a valuable thing exists, one must demonstrate the feasibility of its casting; this is the demeanor of someone who is destined for great things.

"Even if we don't know its structure or specific form, surely Young Master knows something about it? We can find people to help with the research then. I don't believe we can't build it... If such a formidable creature truly exists, what great things can't we accomplish?"

Gongsun Jin positioned himself in the position of the Prince of Ning's Mansion, showing a more responsible and loyal side than Liu Yangzheng.

"Hmm." After calmly considering it, Zhu Chenhao nodded.

Upon arriving at Tang Yin's villa, they saw a sedan chair parked outside and asked, "Has the Princess Consort been here?"

Gongsun Jin said, "Yes, recently the princess has been very concerned about Tang Yin's condition. She has visited him many times and invited many famous doctors, but he has not gotten better. Even those famous doctors cannot find the root cause of his illness."

Zhu Chenhao clenched his fist and said sternly, "Pretending to be sick, how can you find the cause of the illness? The Princess Consort is also unbelievable. She trusted Tang Yin so much, yet she was tricked by such a shameless madman. It's a shame that the Princess Consort recommended him to me in the first place! She misjudged him."

Gongsun Jin chuckled inwardly, but still pretended to be a good person. He said, "Isn't it still undecided? Has Your Highness thought about what to say after you go in? Expose me to my face? Or perhaps..."

Now it was Zhu Chenhao's turn to remain silent.

……

……

Inside the villa.

Tang Yin was lying on the bed with disheveled hair and a dirty face. Although his eyes were open, his gaze was unfocused.

Lou Suzhen, who had come to visit, was sitting on the stool next to her.

Besides the maids standing nearby, there were two burly men, seemingly to guard against Tang Yin suddenly attacking the princess.

Apart from Lou Suzhen, everyone present remained extremely wary of Tang Yin.

"You all go wait outside first," Lou Suzhen said, trying to dismiss everyone.

The maidservant cautioned, "Your Highness, you mustn't. Master Tang is seriously ill, and it might offend you."

Lou Suzhen's tone was authoritative and left no room for argument: "Mr. Tang is my mentor. Now that he is ill, it is only right for a junior to come and take care of him. How can it be said that an elder has offended a junior?"

The maids and others dared not insist any longer and could only retreat outside the door, but they did not dare to go far. They did not even close the door, just in order to rush in at any time and subdue Tang Yin.

"Thank you for your hard work, sir," Lou Suzhen said softly after the others had left.

Tang Yin, lying on the bed, showed no reaction whatsoever.

"I have already sent someone to contact your relatives in Suzhou. They will send a boat to pick you up soon. I have mentioned this to Your Highness several times. Your Highness will make arrangements to send you back to Suzhou soon."

Lou Suzhen was clearly not an accomplice in Tang Yin's feigned madness.

But how shrewd she was!

She had long suspected that Tang Yin was faking his madness, and she understood that Tang Yin did not want to associate with the Prince of Ning's mansion. She believed that a forced relationship would not be happy, and she would even consider things from Tang Yin's perspective, thinking that Tang Yin's actions were justifiable.

"I am powerless to help you achieve your goals, sir. This farewell may be the last time we meet. I have also specially arranged for some valuables to be prepared..."

When Tang Yin heard this, even the most hard-hearted man would be moved.

I was faking my madness, she knew I was faking my madness, she also knew that I knew she knew I was faking my madness... yet she still didn't forget to plan for her future, and gave me a parting gift...

Such kindness would make even a grown man feel ashamed.

"Please continue your recuperation, sir. I will not disturb you any further."

Lou Suzhen understood that she would not get a response from Tang Yin. After she finished speaking, she got up and was about to leave.

Before she reached the door, she still looked back with some reluctance. This was the bond between teacher and student, and also a special connection of mutual appreciation among intellectuals in this era.

Tang Yin may have felt at this moment that he would never have the chance to see Lou Suzhen again, and he glanced back at the door as if he knew it without saying a word.

When the two looked at each other, there were actually no secrets left.

He was essentially telling Lou Suzhen... Yes, Your Highness, I was just pretending to be crazy; I had no other choice.

"Your Highness, the Prince has arrived." The maidservant whispered as she approached Lou Suzhen.

"Um."

Lou Suzhen clearly thought her husband was just concerned about Tang Yin and didn't think much of it.

She led her people to the front yard, where she saw Prince Ning coming towards her.

Based on her years of understanding of her husband, she could sense a different aura emanating from him today; his eyes were sharp and piercing, displaying the unwavering resolve expected before a major event.

"Your Highness," Lou Suzhen stepped forward to greet him.

Lou Suzhen said, "The Princess Consort is here too? I've come to visit Mr. Tang, so please come in as well."

"I have already checked on her..."

"It's alright, I have something to tell him, you can listen to it too."

In Zhu Chenhao's view, I act with integrity and uprightness, unlike that despicable person in the story. I will expose him, and I will do so to your face, so that you will know how shameless and despicable he is.

……

……

Tang Yin had not expected that Lou Suzhen would return, bringing with her the person he feared most.

I put on this whole performance just for that one person...

"Your Highness, my master is ill and cannot rise to pay his respects," said a servant of the Tang family, kneeling down beside him.

"It's alright." Zhu Chenhao seemed very easy to talk to, with a friendly expression on his face. He even went over to Tang Yin and asked him about his well-being.

Tang Yin remained in the same lifeless state, lying on his back with empty, lifeless eyes, as if his soul had been taken away.

"Your Highness, Mr. Tang is so ill that it is really not appropriate for him to stay in Nanchang any longer. It would be better to send him back to Suzhou as soon as possible," Lou Suzhen said to her husband again.

Zhu Chenhao was much more agreeable this time, nodding and saying, "That's exactly what I was planning to do as well."

Gongsun Jin, standing behind, was filled with mischief. He glanced at Tang Yin's face and thought gleefully, "You dare to deceive the Prince and Princess and make a fool of everyone in the Ning Prince's mansion? You'll see what happens now."

"Your Highness, when will you send him back to his hometown?" Lou Suzhen was afraid that things might change if she delayed.

Zhu Chenhao sighed, "Mr. Tang fell ill here after arriving in my Nanchang. If he were to leave like this, others would think that I, Prince Ning, cannot treat my guests well. In addition to giving him a generous allowance, I will also send him carriages and servants to ensure that he can enjoy his old age in peace after returning to Suzhou."

At this point, his words were filled with resentment.

My son said that after you left, he became a poor and destitute old man. In the end, he couldn't even afford to eat, let alone enjoy his old age.

What are you after?

Lou Suzhen bowed and said, "On behalf of Mr. Tang, I thank Your Highness."

"Hey, we're family, why be so formal?" Zhu Chenhao said. "My dear consort, a distinguished guest has recently arrived from Nanchang. He has some connection with Mr. Tang, and I'd like to take him to meet this distinguished guest before I send him away. What do you think?"

Lou Suzhen asked, puzzled, "Your Highness, how can the gentleman receive guests in his current condition?"

Zhu Chenhao appeared very amiable and said, "Seeing an old friend might help his condition improve. Besides, this old friend is knowledgeable about astronomy and geography, and is omniscient and omnipotent when it comes to the rise and fall of dynasties."

Upon hearing this, Lou Suzhen knew that her husband had become obsessed with rebellion.

"Is there really such an extraordinary person in the world? Your Highness, you should carefully verify this."

Lou Suzhen was too embarrassed to say that he must be a liar.

"Mr. Tang is an old friend, so there's no need for me to be too formal. Wouldn't it be more convenient to bring Mr. Tang along when we meet?"

Zhu Chenhao's idea was that I also thought that person might be a fraud, but since he was an old friend of Tang Yin, I should take Tang Yin with me and let Tang Yin help me verify his identity.

See, if I take him to meet guests, it's not like I'm making things difficult for him, is it? This is perfectly reasonable, isn't it?

Before you send him away, wouldn't it be nice to help me identify a scammer?

"But Mr. Tang..."

Lou Suzhen glanced back at him, thinking, "Looking at him like this, how can he possibly help you?"

Zhu Chenhao smiled and said, "Since we've met, let's consider this a farewell party. After this, I will not try to keep him any longer. Carriages, boats, servants, and other necessities will be prepared for him so he can leave at any time."

If you, Tang Yin, can get through this one time, you will be free!

It's up to fate!

My son is no pushover!