The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

He did not see Zhu Youxin one last time, and Zhu Youxin had never told him these things before.

Could it be that Zhu Youxin had met Wang Zhi?

Wang Zhidao said: "In the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign, the late emperor secretly summoned me from Nanjing to the capital and spoke with me about this matter."

It turns out that during the reign of Emperor Xianzong, there were many skilled martial artists in the palace, including eunuchs and palace guards. Why is it that now the palace can't find even one skilled martial artist?

Because after Emperor Xianzong died, during the period when Zhu Youxin had just ascended the throne, the palace was subjected to a major purge. All the eunuchs and palace guards who knew martial arts were either purged or dismissed, so that the palace now has no guards at all.

Zhu Youxin was already seventeen years old when he ascended the throne, and he naturally understood these things, but he couldn't stop it.

It turned out to be the case.

Zhu Houzhao finally understood.

He never expected that Wang Zhi would bring so many secrets.

"What else did the late emperor say to you?"

Zhu Houzhao continued to ask.

Wang Zhi remained calm and said, "The late emperor did not say much to me. When he summoned me to the capital, he only asked me about Emperor Xianzong, and then sent me back to Nanjing."

"Since the late emperor knew everything, including that you were in Nanjing, why didn't he use you?"

Zhu Houzhao said calmly.

Zhu Youcheng knew that Wang Zhi was not dead, and he summoned Wang Zhi back to the capital. He knew Wang Zhi's abilities, so why didn't he use Wang Zhi?

Wang Zhi simply said, "The late emperor said he had no chance; the opportunity was not with him."

When Zhu Youcheng was in power, the Empress Dowager was still alive, and the court was full of old ministers from the reign of Emperor Xianzong. Zhu Youcheng had no power from the time he ascended the throne.

Zhu Youcheng certainly knew that Wang Zhi was very capable, but he also knew that all the civil officials in the court hated Wang Zhi to the bone. If he recalled Wang Zhi to the capital, it would surely provoke the civil official group to fight to the death. In order not to provoke the civil official group, Zhu Youcheng ultimately sent Wang Zhi back to Nanjing.

Wang Zhi never expected that his meeting with Zhu Youcheng would be the last.

Zhu Houzhao remained silent.

It turns out that his father knew everything, but neither the court nor the harem allowed him to make any moves, and he was controlled his whole life.

Wang Zhi's voice rang out.

"When the late emperor secretly summoned me, he ordered me to return to Nanjing and secretly take in orphans, teach them martial arts, and establish the Dragon Protector Clan, just so that when Your Majesty truly needs them, I can guard Your Majesty's side and let Your Majesty soar through the heavens like a true dragon."

"The Dragon Protectors... the Dragon Protectors..."

Zhu Houzhao muttered to himself.

Protecting the dragon... means protecting this real dragon.

Zhu Youcheng was also a dragon, but a dragon that was bound by shackles from birth, a dragon that did not want his children to be bound like himself.

Zhu Youcheng knew he was a puppet, but he didn't want his child to be one too. He left Wang Zhi to Zhu Houzhao, hoping that Zhu Houzhao would achieve great things.

Only now did Zhu Houzhao truly feel the deep love his father had for him.

Chapter 663: The Western Depot

"The late emperor once said that Your Majesty is exceptionally intelligent and that once Your Majesty ascends the throne, Your Majesty will surely eradicate deep-seated problems and clean up the bureaucracy. The late emperor had high expectations for Your Majesty."

Wang Zhi said.

Zhu Houzhao remained expressionless, his hand gripping the chair arm tightly under the table.

"I will not let my father down."

Zhu Houzhao said calmly, then looked at Wang Zhi.

"I have summoned you to the capital, and I am sure you know why."

Wang Zhi remained calm, head bowed, without uttering a word.

Zhu Houzhao's voice continued to ring out.

"You entered the palace at a young age, and in your teens you became the head of the Western Depot, serving Emperor Xianzong. Now, several decades have passed, and I have a question to ask you."

Zhu Houzhao paused for a moment, then continued.

"Lian Po is old, can he still eat?"

Upon hearing these eight words, Wang Zhi's face remained expressionless, but his heart, which had been dormant for many years, began to beat at that moment.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to give my life for you, even unto death!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Zhi knelt down directly before Zhu Houzhao.

well.

Wang Zhi's loyalty brought a slight smile to Zhu Houzhao's lips.

"You said the late emperor ordered you to establish the Protector of the Dragon Clan after returning to Nanjing. What is the current situation of the Protector of the Dragon Clan? How many people are there? What is their strength?"

Zhu Houzhao asked this question.

He had no idea that his father, Emperor Zhu Youcheng, had secretly done such a thing, nor had Zhu Youcheng told him. If Wang Zhi hadn't told him, he probably still wouldn't know.

As for why Zhu Youcheng didn't tell him about this, Zhu Houzhao had no doubts, because after obtaining the confession, he already understood that Zhu Youcheng didn't have time to tell him.

The thought of that confession filled Zhu Houzhao with murderous intent.

"Liu Wentai..."

Zhu Houzhao thought of this name.

Wang Zhi's voice rang out.

"After receiving the late Emperor's order in the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign, I returned to Nanjing and immediately began this work. I took in a total of seventy-two orphans. During this period, through my training, thirty-eight of them reached the second rank. Now, the entire Baolong clan has come to the capital with me to await Your Majesty's instructions."

Cultivating top-tier experts is not so simple. Wang Zhi has been secretly working on the Baolong Clan for so long, and even with Zhu Youcheng's support, he hasn't been able to cultivate a single top-tier expert besides himself. But this doesn't mean that the members of the Baolong Clan are all useless. They each have their own strengths, such as poisoning, medicine, Iron Shirt, and tracking. They are all talented in various fields.

Upon hearing Wang Zhi's detailed introduction of the members of the Baolong clan, Zhu Houzhao realized that the Baolong clan possessed experts and talents in all aspects, capable of protecting the emperor and him, the true dragon, from every angle.

"Summon them to the palace tomorrow."

Zhu Houzhao gave the order.

Wang bowed deeply.

"Yes."

Zhu Houzhao looked at him and said, "You have been away from the palace for a long time and you don't know most of the people in the palace. Tomorrow I will arrange a position for you and let you get to know them."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Wang Zhi had no objection.

Zhu Houzhao said, "From now on, you will serve me. If you need anything, just tell me and I will try my best to meet your needs."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhi's expression shifted slightly, and he said, "Your Majesty, I have a request, and I hope you will grant it."

Zhu Houzhao nodded and asked, "What is your request?"

Wang Zhi calmly said, "I wish to know about the events of the twenty-third year of the Chenghua reign. I also hope that Your Majesty can entrust Shi Qin, Zhong Lan, Zhang Yuan, Ren Yi, and Liu Wentai to me."

Zhu Houzhao was taken aback when he heard the list.

"You want to investigate the cause of Emperor Xianzong's death?"

No wonder Zhu Houzhao was surprised, because the list that Wang Zhi wanted was the one of the heads of the Imperial Medical Academy during the reign of Emperor Xianzong.

"Yes."

Wang Zhi did not hide anything.

He was transferred away from the capital 20 years after the Chenghua era, leaving Emperor Xianzong behind, so much so that he was unaware of Emperor Xianzong's death for some time afterward.

No one knows what Wang Zhi's feelings were towards Emperor Xianzong, the emperor who had once discovered and promoted him. However, at that time, he had already aroused extreme hatred among the civil officials. Emperor Xianzong did not kill him to quell their anger, but instead sent him away from the capital. This may indicate that Emperor Xianzong did have feelings for him.

Zhu Houzhao fell silent.

Wang Zhi didn't say anything more.

After a long while.

"Liu Wentai cannot be handed over to you."

Zhu Houzhao said.

"As for the others, I don't know how many are still alive. If any are, you have full authority to deal with them."

Upon hearing this answer, Wang Zhi knelt down and kowtowed to Zhu Houzhao.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The next day.

Jiang Ning went to the Wenyuan Pavilion to exchange books, and Zhu Houzhao happened to summon Wang Zhi to meet with Liu Jin, Gu Dayong and other senior eunuchs.

"Today I want to introduce you to someone."

Zhu Houzhao addressed the assembled eunuchs.

Apart from Liu Jin, all the other chief eunuchs present looked at Wang Zhi with blank expressions, not knowing who he was.

"His name was Wang Zhi, a senior eunuch during the reign of Emperor Xianzong."

Upon hearing this name, all the chief eunuchs looked shocked.

Wang Zhi and his men knew all too well that this man's deeds were extremely rare among eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty.

They never imagined that Zhu Houzhao would actually find this old man from the Xianzong era.

"Wang Zhi".

Zhu Houzhao looked at Wang Zhi.

Wang Zhi stepped forward.

"The minister is here."

Although Wang Zhi was a eunuch, Zhu Houzhao did not address him as he would other eunuchs, but called him by his given name. Wang Zhi, in turn, did not refer to himself as a slave as a eunuch, but addressed him as "your subject".

"I am preparing to reopen the Western Depot. You once served as the director of the Western Depot, and you will continue to serve as the director of the Western Depot, while also taking charge of the Imperial Horse Administration."