Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Zhu Qiyu said that Shi Heng was a rare genius in the Ming Dynasty, and he was absolutely right to say that.

The only thing to blame is that Shi Heng was born in the wrong era; if he had been born in a chaotic time, he would definitely have been a powerful and influential figure.

In the words of later generations, this man was a warlord.

After Shi Heng fled back to the capital, Zhu Qiyu opened the relevant files about him and couldn't help but admire him greatly.

In terms of warfare, Shi Heng was a brave and resourceful general who rose through the ranks from a deputy commander of a garrison to the Left Assistant Commander and Vice Commander-in-Chief of Datong, essentially becoming the second-in-command of this important town. His superior was Zhu Mian, the Marquis of Wujin, who had already died in battle, but in reality, Zhu Mian was powerless against him; Shi Heng was the top leader of Datong.

The only one who opposes him is the eunuch Guo Jing, who is currently on his way back.

For more than a decade, Shi Heng had never been defeated in Datong, whether fighting the Oirat Mongols or bandits. His only defeat was when Zhu Qizhen personally led an expedition against him, where he suffered a personal defeat at Yanghekou and fled back to the capital in disgrace.

The reason for the defeat remains a mystery to Zhu Qiyu to this day.

This man was exceptionally talented. In order to alleviate the burden on the people, he led soldiers to reclaim wasteland and cultivate land on the border. In order to protect these cultivated lands, he built fortified villages. In the end, thanks to his efforts, Datong was almost self-sufficient, and even its defenses became impregnable.

Secondly, he also had a unique approach to training troops, combining the training models of the Ming and Tang dynasties' militia. While maintaining the army's combat effectiveness, he also ensured that land reclamation was not neglected, and training was almost non-stop. Over the years, the army has basically not suffered any defeats, which shows that his army is quite formidable in combat.

He also suggested emulating the Han and Tang dynasties by establishing examinations to select combat-ready personnel and finding ways to promote military officers.

The imperial court did not permit it, so he simply implemented it in Datong, advocating "appointing people based solely on their talents."

As expected, he found many talented generals, and the army's combat effectiveness became increasingly formidable, proving that this person was not just a theorist but a pragmatic master.

They even suggested equipping the army with doctors and allocating funds for medicine production, in order to ensure the army's combat effectiveness and the safety of soldiers.

In addition, he rigorously investigated smuggling at the border, impeached and exposed the crimes of the garrison eunuch Guo Jing in smuggling military supplies and colluding with the Oirat Mongols, and regarded the Oirat Mongols as the most important enemy, urging the court to make preparations as soon as possible.

In short, this person was a well-rounded talent who deeply understood the hardships of the common people and soldiers, cherished talent, was proficient in border trade, and could fight on horseback and govern on foot.

However, this person was arrogant and domineering, and acted without any regard for rules, causing great destruction, which Zhu Qiyu could not tolerate.

Most of the soldiers in Datong were recruited by him. The purpose of fighting those bandits was actually to plunder people and fill them into the army. He even used his relatives and friends to serve in the army to "recruit soldiers and buy horses" for him.

This matter has led to numerous impeachments, but the court, seeing that he could increase troops, stabilize border defenses, and cultivate land for self-sufficiency without burdening the court, turned a blind eye and even hoped that he would train a strong army before discarding him and transferring him away.

Shi Heng rigorously investigated smuggling at the border, but not for the sake of the imperial court. Instead, he extorted taxes or directly seized other people's goods, especially those from the Oirat Mongols, which he did without hesitation.

Regardless of whether your border trade is legitimate or not, you have to leave money wherever you pass through his territory, otherwise you're breaking the law.

Forced by Shi Heng's power, these merchants obediently complied, and Shi Heng made a fortune.

The key is that this man truly loved his soldiers like his own children. He didn't pocket the money; he shared a considerable portion with his subordinates, and naturally, he didn't forget his superiors. This is also why Guo Jing's impeachment of Shi Heng over the years couldn't bring him down.

Almost all the officials in Datong, big and small, were defending Shi Heng. No conclusive evidence of his crimes could be found, and even General Zhu Mian was reluctant to let him leave Datong.

There's nothing I can do!

With Shi Heng around, Datong is stable, and Zhu Mian can reap the rewards of his war efforts. How can winning without lifting a finger not count as a victory?

In short, this person is a being who is both a god and a demon, who turned Datong into a country within a country. If it were a chaotic era, this person might be able to carve out a territory and become an emperor. He is definitely a great talent.

This is why Zhu Qiyu, even though he knew that this person in history could help Yu Qian win the defense of the capital, still acted cautiously and wanted Chen Mao to return to the capital.

If used well, this person is an invincible sharp knife; if used poorly, they can hurt people.

Zhu Qiyu arrived at the entrance of the Northern Garrison Prison.

Lu Zhong hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty is of noble status. The imperial prison is a filthy place, and I fear it may contaminate Your Majesty's body. I order the prisoners to bathe and change their clothes before bringing them to the main hall to pay their respects to Your Majesty."

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand, smiled, and said, "Since it is a sacred body, it is naturally immune to all poisons!"

Lu Zhong was momentarily speechless: "This..."

"Lead the way!"

"Here you go!" Lu Zhong was quite helpless and had no choice but to bite the bullet and bring Zhu Qiyu inside.

This was Zhu Qiyu's first time visiting the Imperial Prison. He looked around carefully and noticed that it was slightly different from other prisons. The Imperial Prison was a semi-underground structure. The upper part was better, but the cells below were basically airtight.

Each cell was separated by thick walls, making it virtually impossible to whisper to each other.

Without stepping down the steps, Lu Zhong hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, the three who fled south have been placed on the left. As for the officials who committed crimes in the court, I have placed them in the main prison. Fearing that they might commit suicide, I did not keep them in separate cells, but put them all together. I have given them some books of sages every day to study diligently."

Zhu Qiyu's eyes lit up; this was a good idea.

"Whose idea was this?"

Lu Zhong was startled. Had he done something wrong?

He hurriedly bowed and begged for forgiveness, saying, "I heard that Eunuch Xing had conveyed His Majesty's decree, so I acted on my own initiative. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

"I have no intention of blaming you, this matter is quite proper!" Zhu Qiyu glanced at Lu Zhong with surprise, noting his quick thinking in handling matters.

During the Yongle era, Yang Pu, one of the "Three Yangs," was imprisoned in the imperial prison by Zhu Di for ten years. During these ten years, Yang Pu thoroughly studied the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections, an achievement that has been widely praised.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhong breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, saying, "Your Majesty, please do not go any further. The place is dark and damp. It would be better to wait a moment here, and I will bring the prisoners here."

Zhu Qiyu didn't insist this time and nodded.

Lu Zhong hurriedly brought over a stool, wiped it several times, and after confirming that it was spotless, he respectfully invited Zhu Qiyu to sit down.

After Zhu Qiyu was seated, Lu Zhong went inside.

Hearing the commotion, Shi Heng and the others approached the cell door and listened intently.

When Lu Zhong arrived at the cell door where Shi Heng was, Shi Heng quickly sat down with his back to the door, seemingly unaware that someone was coming.

Lu Zhong opened the prison door directly, glanced at Shi Heng, and said, "Shi Heng, His Majesty wishes to see you. Come with me immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Heng was extremely shocked.

He was naturally unaware of Zhu Qiyu's ascension to the throne while in prison, and subconsciously assumed that Zhu Qizhen had returned from the north.

Shi Heng was caught in a dilemma: should he be held accountable or pardoned?

"What are you all standing there for? Don't keep His Majesty waiting!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Shi Heng came to his senses, tidied his clothes and hair, and after confirming that his appearance was not frightening, he quickly followed Lu Zhong.

Gu Xingzu and Li Xian, who were in the two adjacent cells, also thought that Zhu Qizhen had returned when they heard the words "Your Majesty," and their feelings were particularly complicated, a mixture of joy and sorrow.

When Shi Heng arrived at the main hall of the imperial prison, he was about to perform a sliding kneeling gesture to beg for forgiveness and pay his respects when he saw who was sitting on the throne. He was immediately stunned and stood there.