I play the role of Jiajing in Zongwu: What crime have I committed?

Lin Xie was his most respected elder brother, a man of unwavering loyalty throughout his life.

But he dismissed it with a casual remark: "We'll drink from the same golden cup, but we'll fight without mercy."

His chest heaved violently, as if a raging fire was burning within him, almost consuming the last shred of his reason.

He stared intently at Zhu Houcong's smiling face.

His teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding together, and the bloodshot veins in his eyes were terrifying.

Zhu Houcong, however, smiled and uttered his final, scathing words.

"Yan Que, don't you think Lin Leyao is a slut, and don't you think Lin Xie is a traitor?"

But as soon as these words were spoken, an eerie silence fell over the hall.

The sudden uprising that Zhu Houcong had expected did not occur; Yan Que did not even stir up the slightest ripple in his robes.

Yan Que slowly raised his eyelids. His eyes, which should have been filled with anger, were now as calm as a deep pool, without even a ripple.

Just at this moment.

He suddenly remembered the wronged souls of the 70,000 soldiers of the Chiyan Army, the rivers of blood that flowed in the Qi Prince's mansion, and the tearful eyes of Le Yao before her death.

No, he mustn't act impulsively.

Blood debts must be repaid in blood, but not now, not like this!

Xiao Shu is right. Even if a knife were held to the emperor's throat right now, or even if he were killed, he would never admit that he was wrong.

This stubborn and self-willed emperor insisted that he was right until his death.

He must be kept alive, made to witness his imperial authority crumble inch by inch, and made to admit his mistakes from back then.

Seventy thousand loyal souls, the entire Lin family, and Yue Yao... What they need is not just revenge, but more importantly, to clear their names.

Only by re-examining the case of the Chiyan Army, bringing the truth to light, and allowing history to record this injustice, can we truly understand the situation.

This is the only way to give justice to those who have been wronged.

Yan Que slowly loosened his clenched fist and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, I am old, and I really can't remember these old stories clearly."

Zhu Houcong stared at him, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

Yan Que was the eldest son of Grand Tutor Yan during the reign of the late emperor. The Yan family had been noble and distinguished for generations, and their students and former officials were spread throughout the court.

Many vice ministers and senior officials in the Six Ministries, and even many generals in the army, had received favors from the Yan family.

Such a deeply entrenched power made it impossible for Zhu Houcong to kill them at will.

Unless he rebels himself.

This is his real intention in constantly stirring up trouble today.

The goal was to force Yan Que to act in a fit of rage.

As long as he uses his true energy and leaves behind the aura of the Yan family's true energy, I can capture him for the crime of regicide.

At that time, even the most loyal ministers who defended the Yan family would be speechless in the face of irrefutable evidence.

Unfortunately, the old fox ultimately held back.

This old thing!

Zhu Houcong suddenly smiled, his tone affectionate: "Alright, let's not dwell on the past. It's good that you're back!"

"Thinking of your Yan family, a family renowned for its scholarship, which has produced three imperial tutors, two empresses, and two prime ministers."

"They served the nation and its people with utmost dedication, truly loyal and virtuous for generations."

At this point, Zhu Houcong suddenly sighed heavily, his face full of disappointment and frustration.

"Why is it that in your generation, instead of serving the country properly, you insist on seeking immortality and cultivating some kind of Taoist practice?"

"That fool Jinghuan doesn't understand your strength, but I know it perfectly well."

"Now that you're back, you shall join the cabinet and assist me."

He probed meaningfully, "With you keeping an eye on things in the cabinet, I feel even more at ease."

Upon hearing this, Yan Que lowered his eyelids slightly, concealing the glint in his eyes, and respectfully cupped his hands.

"Your subject, I shall obey your command."

"well!"

Zhu Houcong nodded in satisfaction, his smile growing even deeper.

He now fully understood what Mei Changsu and Yan Que were planning.

Yan Que's quick agreement to join the cabinet must have been a carefully planned move by Mei Changsu.

Through Prince Yu, he planted Yan Que, a spy, by his side.

A cold smile crept into Zhu Houcong's heart.

Keeping Yan Que by my side might actually be an opportunity.

This is a perfect opportunity to use him to convey some "carefully prepared" messages to Mei Changsu.

Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, let's see who is scheming against whom.

Moreover, there was another deeper meaning to bringing Yan Que into the cabinet: it was to keep Mei Changsu in line for the time being.

If that meticulous and brilliant strategist discovers that his spies have successfully infiltrated the emperor's inner circle, he will surely lower his guard.

This gives him the illusion that he is in control of the situation.

Therefore, it is most appropriate to place Yan Que in the cabinet.

Firstly, although the cabinet is located in the central government, it is in fact just the emperor's secretary. The appointment and dismissal of cabinet members are entirely up to the emperor's will.

This arrangement allows us to utilize his talents for our own purposes without allowing him to become too powerful.

Secondly, instead of letting Mei Changsu constantly plant people in the shadows, it would be better to let him put in an informant, which would give us the upper hand.

Finally!

The Jiajing Emperor could drive Yang Jinshui crazy, and I can drive you, Yan Que, crazy too.

You stay by my side and watch how I torment you to death.

"I do have something I need you to do."

"Your Majesty, please give your orders."

Zhu Houcong turned around, took a memorial from the imperial desk, and slowly walked to Yan Que.

"Two days ago, around 3 PM, two ships carrying black fire were secretly transported into the capital."

He handed the memorial to Yan Que, his voice suddenly turning cold.

"Those useless bastards from the Eastern Depot still haven't found Blackfire's hiding place."

Yan Que took the memorial and glanced at the densely packed records on it.

The Eastern Depot's investigation over the past few days is clearly visible; from docks to warehouses, from shops to residences, they have already searched most of the capital.

Their movements have woven an invisible net that is tightening step by step.

"I never imagined that the henchmen of the Eastern Depot would be so capable."

Yan Que was secretly alarmed.

They originally thought the black fire was perfectly hidden, but at this rate, the investigation is likely to be exposed.

This batch of black flammable ...

Once this batch of black fire is found, the henchmen of the Eastern Depot only need to follow this clue to quickly find the person in charge of the Jiangnan Thunderbolt Hall who smuggles black fire.

At that point, I won't be able to hide it anymore.

Chapter 74 Before the copper coin landed

Yan Que forced himself to remain calm and closed the memorial, his face showing no emotion whatsoever.

But he had already decided in his heart that he must secretly transfer the black fire.

Zhu Houcong continued, "You've always been resourceful and wise; I'll leave this matter to you to investigate."

"We must find the Black Flame, otherwise, the entire capital city will be unsafe."

Yan Que looked somewhat troubled after hearing this.

"But I am outnumbered and powerless; I fear I am powerless to help!"

Zhu Houcong waved his hand.

"It's alright, I'll have Cao Zhichun at your command."

He snorted coldly, "That idiot, he could never figure it out even if he had a lifetime. You're the only one who can do it."

Before Yan Que could refuse again, Zhu Houcong said in an unyielding tone, "It's settled then."

He turned and walked into the depths of the curtained area, sat on the futon, and waved his hand with his back to Yan Que.

"I await your good news."

Zhu Houcong deliberately laid out all the details of the Eastern Depot's investigation in front of Yan Que, just to alert the enemy and make this old fox feel uneasy.

The relentless pursuit by the Eastern Depot's spies kept Yan Que from making any rash moves to move the Black Fire.

But now he has deliberately handed over command of the Eastern Depot to Yan Que, and that old scoundrel will surely mislead the Eastern Depot and take the opportunity to transfer the Black Fire.

As expected, Yan Que was ultimately unable to suppress his inner anxiety.

In the dead of night, he put on an inconspicuous gray-brown cloak and quietly left the mansion.

Zhu Houcong sat upright in his study, his mind reflecting on Yan Que's every move.

A cold smile played on his lips.

"Old fox, you've finally shown your tail."

At the same time, he controlled Suzaku to follow silently.

The two walked one after the other through the intricate streets and alleys of the capital.

After navigating through a maze of dark alleys, Yan Que finally stopped in front of an abandoned dye house in the west of the city.

Zhuque hid behind a locust tree ten zhang away. Yan Que looked around warily, then took out a copper key from his pocket and unlocked the rusty iron lock.

With a soft creak, the heavy wooden door was pushed open a crack, and Yan Que's figure quickly disappeared behind the door.

Zhuque's lips curled into a cold smile, but he did not make any rash moves.

His eyes remained fixed on the dyehouse gate.

A few breaths later, Yan Que reappeared at the doorway.

He cautiously looked around to make sure no one was following him before fastening the lock again and quickly leaving.

The gray-brown cloak quickly disappeared at the end of the street corner.

But the Vermilion Bird in the shadows remained completely still.

As soon as Zhu Houcong inside the study had a thought, Zhu Qi, who had already arrived, followed Yan Que like a shadow.

Only after confirming with his own eyes that Yan Que had safely returned to the Yan Marquis's residence, and watching the vermilion gate slowly close, did Zhu Qi silently retreat into the darkness.

Outside the dyehouse, Zhuque still waited quietly.

Zhu Houcong knew that the real secrets often only revealed themselves after the master left.

Sure enough, about fifteen minutes later, the small door on the side of the dye shop quietly opened, and a dark figure sneaked out.

Zhu Houcong waited outside the dyehouse until dawn, and finally, he heard the crucial news.

Just as dawn was breaking, several carriages bearing the banners of "Jinxiu Silk Shop" slowly drove up.

Two men dressed in coarse cloth and short jackets sat on the shafts of each carriage, looking like ordinary deliverymen.

Zhuque squinted as she watched the laborers filing out of the dye house and loading wooden boxes, each sealed with a "Suzhou Embroidery Brocade" label, onto the carriage.

The laborers moved with extreme caution, their arm muscles tense as they lifted the boxes, clearly indicating that the contents were quite heavy.