The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Somersault Cloud, Old Zhu was so envious he cried!

Now that we've figured out what happened with the Li family, let's talk about Huang Zi'an!

Zhu Ming looked Huang Zi'an up and down several times.

This old guy looks cowardly and has no backbone.

But if you think about it carefully!

There was nothing in the entire county that he didn't know.

Qian Youde knew that his wife was secretly keeping a lover.

He knew that the man possessed magical powers and could conjure up endless amounts of white porridge and pickled vegetables.

Wang Defa knew that his wife was an undercover agent sent by Zhao An.

He even knew the deadly secret that Hu Wan had killed Wang Defa's son.

He had practically examined the underwear of all four major families in the city.

A pharmacy owner, instead of focusing on selling medicinal herbs, is doing such a thorough intelligence gathering job.

This guy is a genius!

Zhu Ming's eyes flickered, and a thought of recruiting him arose in his mind:

"Huang Zi'an".

Huang Zi'an tensed up and quickly lowered his body:

"This humble subject is here."

Zhu Ming looked at him and suddenly laughed:

"How do you, someone who owns a pharmacy, know everything that's going on in the city?"

Huang Zi'an was taken aback, not understanding what His Highness meant by those words, and could only manage a dry laugh:

"Your Highness is too kind. I'm a businessman, so being well-informed is never a bad thing."

Zhu Ming nodded: "Well said, being well-informed is definitely not a bad thing."

After speaking, he paused, leaned forward slightly, looked into Huang Zi'an's eyes, and said, word by word:

"Would you like to change jobs?"

Huang Zi'an was taken aback, not quite understanding: "Your Highness, what do you mean?"

Zhu Ming didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "You're a talented person, you shouldn't just stay in a small county town."

"I happen to be short of someone to handle intelligence. Since you're so good at gathering information, why don't you work for me from now on?"

"You help me gather information, and I'll bestow upon you wealth and honor, how about it?"

Huang Zi'an: "!!!"

He suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhu Ming with disbelief.

Did he hear that right?

What is Huang Zi'an doing here tonight?

They've come to surrender, to turn themselves in, or to beg Your Highness for mercy!

He had already told his family about his final arrangements before leaving home, and he came with the mindset that he was going to die anyway.

He had even considered the worst possible outcome: having his home ransacked, being imprisoned, and having his head chopped off by His Highness.

But who would have thought—

His Highness not only did not punish him, but also wanted to recruit him?

Huang Zian felt a sudden dizziness; the happiness came too suddenly, and he almost couldn't hold on and fainted on the spot.

The next second, he fell heavily to his knees with a thud, his head hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"Thank you for your appreciation, Your Highness. This humble subject is willing to serve you with utmost loyalty!"

"From this day forward, my life belongs to Your Highness!"

"If Your Highness commands me to go east, I will never go west! If Your Highness commands me to investigate someone's secrets, I will investigate that person's secrets!"

"If anyone harbors disloyalty, may they be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"

Zhu Ming was amused by his display and waved his hand, saying, "Alright, alright, stop kowtowing. Your head will get swollen if you keep doing that. Get up and talk."

Huang Zi'an then stood up, wiping away his tears. His smile was more painful than tears, yet it also revealed an uncontrollable ecstasy.

He knew that from this moment on, he, Huang Zi'an, had finally found a powerful patron.

And it's the thickest thigh in history.

The most favored sixth prince of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial envoy ordered to inspect the whole country, with the power to execute first and report later, and most importantly, His Highness is also an enlightened immortal who has successfully become a disciple of the Taoist patriarch!

With someone like that by his side, Huang Zi'an could walk with his head held high, not just in a small county town, but even in the capital!

Huang Zi'an became more and more excited as he thought about it, and his back straightened up involuntarily.

Zhu Ming looked at him and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Subduing Huang Zi'an was just a spur-of-the-moment decision he made on a whim.

But this deal is not a loss.

Inside the Li family mansion, in the inner hall.

As soon as Old Master Li entered the room, his humble and submissive demeanor at the banquet vanished instantly.

He swept the teacup off the table and onto the floor.

"Snap—"

Porcelain shards flew everywhere, and tea spilled all over the floor.

"Little beast!"

Old Master Li was trembling with rage. Pointing in the direction of Magistrate Wang's residence, he cursed, "A mere brat, not even weaned yet, dares to swagger in front of this old man!"

"What kind of imperial envoy is this? He acted first and reported later..."

"When I was ruling this county for decades, he was still in his mother's womb!"

He got angrier and angrier as he cursed, and kicked over the stool next to him.

"If it weren't for that imperial edict, I would have..."

"Master, what has happened?"

A hurried and worried voice came from the doorway.

Shortly after, Li Fu, the old steward of the Li family, pushed open the door and walked in.

He was Old Master Li's confidant, having served the Li family for decades with unwavering loyalty. There was nothing about the Li family, big or small, that he didn't know.

After Li Fu entered the room, he silently bent down to pick up the shards of porcelain from the ground and whispered:

"Please calm down, sir."

"It's not worth getting sick from getting angry."

Old Master Li took a few deep breaths, then plopped down in a chair, his chest heaving violently.

After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and asked:

"How is Miss doing?"

Li Fu lowered his head and said in a low voice:

"Reporting to Master, Miss is still being held by the Sixth Prince."

"During the banquet just now, His Highness showed no sign of opening up."

Old Master Li's face instantly darkened.

"Keep it closed?"

"He dares!"

He slammed his hand on the table and roared:

"I've already given him 100,000 catties of grain, what more does he want?"

"Do you really think I'm a pushover, someone you can bully however you want?"

Li Fu, standing to the side, also sighed:

"Master, this Sixth Prince seems rather difficult to deal with."

"Young in age, but incredibly ruthless."

"Qian Youde killed without hesitation, without even blinking an eye."

"And the maid next to him doesn't seem like a simple person either."

"Master, have you noticed that the Sixth Prince seems somewhat wary of her?"

Old Master Li snorted coldly:

"So what if we're wary?"

"She's just a woman."

"I refuse to believe she can turn the world upside down. Does she really think she's the Empress?"

Li Fu nodded, then asked:

"Master, what should we do now?"

"The young lady is still in his hands; we can't just keep dragging this on forever."

Old Master Li squinted his eyes and pondered for a moment.

Suddenly, a sinister smile appeared on his lips.

"Should we just wait it out?"

"Why should I waste my time?"

He looked at Li Fu and said, word by word:

"Tomorrow, we will open the granaries and distribute the grain."

Li Fu was taken aback:

"Distribute grain?"

"That's right."

Old Master Li nodded, a calculating glint in his eyes:

"Open all three granaries in the west of the city."

"Tomorrow morning, set up soup kitchens at the city gate to distribute soup for disaster relief."

Li Fu was even more puzzled:

"Master, why is this?"

"Our grain didn't come from a blizzard, why should we let those lowly people benefit from it?"

Old Master Li waved his hand, interrupting him:

"Foolish, what do you know?"

"When distributing the grain, remember to spread the word."

"Take this grain for example, it was Miss who cared about the people and specially asked me to release it."

"The young lady is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see the people starving. She has long advised me to open the granaries to provide disaster relief."

"Now that she has been unjustly detained by the Sixth Prince, shouldn't the people... speak up for justice?"

Li Fu's eyes lit up, and he instantly understood.

"Does Your Excellency mean... to use the people's voices to force the Sixth Prince to release the prisoners?"

Old Master Li sneered:

"That's right. Isn't His Highness the Sixth Prince supposed to be an imperial envoy? Isn't he supposed to tour the country and uphold justice for the people?"

"I'd like to see if he'll release them when the entire city's inhabitants are kneeling and begging him to do so!"

"If he doesn't release them, he'll be making enemies of the people. What's the difference between him and corrupt officials like Qian Youde?"

"When the time comes, I won't even need to lift a finger; someone will speak up for me!"

Li Fu nodded repeatedly, a look of admiration on his face:

"Master, you're brilliant! That was truly a masterful move!"

Old Master Li leaned back in his chair, the anger on his face gradually fading, replaced by a sly smile of certainty.

"You little beast, you dare to fight me?"

"You're still too green."