In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 1006 When planning something, do your best; when facing adversity, have a backup plan.

In front of the Second Prince's villa in the Crown Prince's residence

The moonlight was generous, enveloping the two tall figures completely in its glow.

Their shadows stretched long on the bluestone pavement.

For some reason, it looked rather ferocious.

Lan Yu's expression changed several times.
Shock, anger, disbelief, absurdity, helplessness, and finally, struggle.

Lu Yunyi didn't speak again, but stood there motionless, having figured something out.

When a person reaches a certain position, even if they want to be content with the status quo and no longer pursue a higher position, they will be pushed forward by their subordinates and will never stop for a moment.

The general before us is just like that.

Things have come to this point, and someone has to push him forward.

After a long while, Lan Yu's hands, gripping the long sword at his waist, were soaked with cold sweat, and his fingertips rubbed the hilt of the sword repeatedly.

The implied meaning in Lu Yunyi's words

He heard it clearly, and was furious, but his anger was stuck in his throat and he couldn't vent it.

It was only because he had been frequently visiting the Crown Prince's residence these past few days.
The Imperial Medical Academy has exhausted all its resources.

The Crown Prince's condition has not improved; it is fortunate that it has remained stable and not worsened.

"you"

Lan Yu's voice was a little hoarse as she turned to look at Lu Yunyi, her eyes full of inquiry.

"Do you know something? That the Crown Prince's poison is incurable?"

Lu Yunyi's heart clenched. Avoiding his gaze, he reached out and smoothed the wrinkles on his clothes, his tone deliberately light, yet unable to conceal his seriousness:

"I don't know, and I dare not guess."

However, my subordinates have been on military campaigns for many years and have seen too many unforeseen events.

The brothers who drank and ate meat together yesterday may be dead under a stray arrow tomorrow.
Even when victory seems imminent, unexpected setbacks can always occur.

His Majesty is getting old. His Highness the Crown Prince is the root of the Ming Dynasty, and His Highness the Second Prince is the sprout on that root.

This bud is too tender; a gentle breeze might break it.

My subordinates are highly regarded by the General and the Crown Prince.
He rose to a high position at a young age.
This kind of thing requires careful consideration, just in case.

Lan Yu fell silent. He leaned against a pillar and looked up at the bright moon in the sky.

His shadow stretched long, falling heavily on the blue bricks, as if weighing down a thousand pounds.

After a long while, he asked in a hoarse voice:

"In your investigation, what percentage of people poisoned by red tide algae have a chance of survival?"

Lu Yunyi's expression was solemn, his lips were tightly pressed together, and he sighed softly:
"General, the merchant guild has also found traces of red tide algae in Ningbo and Jiaxing prefectures."

According to the locals,
This substance is highly poisonous; once in contact with it, one will suffer from incessant diarrhea, and many people have died from it.

Although some survived.
However, he was also severely weakened and passed away a few years later.

Furthermore, even His Highness the Crown Prince suffered head injuries from the poison.

Fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince's poisoning was still mild, and he was still able to maintain his sanity.
Many people who contracted this poison experienced symptoms ranging from mild madness to sudden death.

After a pause, Lu Yunyi was somewhat speechless, and added softly:

"I have always believed that any illness can be cured."

The red tide algae comes and goes quickly.
It has not yet been valued by the imperial court or the common people, and even physicians have not had time to study it in depth.

"You mean, the Crown Prince is beyond saving?"

Lan Yu's voice grew deeper and calmer.
In stark contrast to his usual irritability, he seemed more like a solemn figure before a battle.

Lu Yunyi nodded, then shook his head, and ultimately said nothing more.

"call"

Lan Yu understood his meaning, put her hands on her hips, and began to pace around the courtyard.

The heavy footsteps made the bluestone slabs creak slightly.
A chilling atmosphere arose spontaneously.

The chill in the air seemed to transform into countless cold, sharp blades, constantly scraping against their skin.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying an unmistakable firmness:
"Don't worry, as long as I, Lan Yu, am here, anyone who dares to plot to seize the throne, I'll be the first to chop them down with my sword!"
As for the matter of transferring personnel, let's discuss it after the storm has passed.
Bringing people in now is too conspicuous and easily noticed by others.

At this point, Lan Yu suddenly turned around, looked at Lu Yunyi, and stared intently at him:

"Are your people reliable?"

Lu Yunyi suddenly smiled and said softly:
"General, those who entered the pass were truly ordinary people and craftsmen of Daning."
They didn't know that their true purpose in entering the country was to build roads.

But after training, they were practically a militia.
Those who rushed to the forefront of road construction, even the craftsmen, all had military backgrounds.

They didn't even know they were soldiers.
But in terms of combat strength, they were already far superior to many garrison soldiers.

Lan Yu frowned, a hint of suspicion appearing in her eyes:

Why did you prepare so early?

He suddenly sensed a certainty in Lu Yunyi.
It's as if they knew all along that the court would be in chaos, which is why they hurriedly made preparations in advance.

Lu Yunyi chuckled softly, a helpless expression on his face:

"General, training militia to replenish the army and replace the old, weak, sick and disabled in the garrisons was originally the three-year plan of the Beiping Regional Military Command."

Training the militia was also to guard against bandits.
I never expected it would come in handy here.

If possible, I hope I'll never need them.

Let them work peacefully, earn money, and remain ordinary, unsuspecting laborers.

Lan Yu was not surprised upon hearing this; the three-year plan of the Northern Pacification Command...
It was placed in the Governor's Mansion on the tenth day after it was released, and court officials and military generals all saw it.

At first, most people thought this was nonsense.

It was merely a ploy to demand money and grain from the imperial court.

Two years have passed, and Da Ning has not taken a single penny from the imperial court.

They also voluntarily paid a considerable amount of taxes, and no one mentioned it again.

With a long sigh, Lan Yu nodded:

"I am very pleased that you have such a plan."

Seeing that his expression had softened slightly, Lu Yunyi felt that this matter could not be left unresolved and that the General must be made fully vigilant.

So he stepped forward, his expression solemn, and lowered his voice to a very low hue:

"General, you must also make preparations for this matter as soon as possible, and make sure that nothing goes wrong."

"If the Crown Prince were to seize the throne, the Grand General, his subordinates, and all the officials of the Crown Prince's residence would be doomed."

A night breeze swept a few fallen leaves across the corridor, causing the palace lanterns to flicker.

The shadows of the two people were superimposed on the wall, like a solid wall.

Lan Yu glanced at the sky, then looked towards the window of the Second Prince's room.
The candlelight inside was still burning, and he nodded slightly.
"I understand. It's getting late, you should go back now. Tomorrow morning, we'll go to the palace together to see the Crown Prince."

Lu Yunyi nodded and bowed respectfully.
"Then I shall take my leave. General, please take care."

Lan Yu waved her hand, said nothing more, and simply leaned back against the corridor pillar.

Lu Yunyi turned and left, followed closely by Basong and several guards.

As he passed through the gates of the Crown Prince's residence, he glanced back.
The palace lanterns shone brightly in the night.

The plaque gleamed with a cold light, exuding an invisible sense of solemnity.

He mounted his horse, and the sound of hooves echoed once more in the empty streets, heading towards the Lu residence.

Lu Yunyi's originally resolute face now showed a hint of confusion.

Although there were many changes in the details of how things unfolded.
Many events were also brought forward.

But the surging undercurrents and the overall trend, like an unstoppable torrent, continued to roll forward.

He didn't know if he could change anything.

Night fell, and the streets and alleys of the capital were quiet.

Only the sound of horses' hooves echoed in the empty space, like a series of alarm bells.

The next morning, as the morning light streamed over the palace walls,
The vermilion palace bricks were tinged with warmth, but the chill in the palace corridors could not be dispelled.

Lu Yunyi and Lan Yu walked side by side on the blue brick road.

Two bodyguards followed behind him, their armor plates clashing and making a soft clicking sound.

The imperial guards standing on both sides of the palace road stood straight, their silver armor gleaming coldly in the morning light. Upon seeing the two, they nodded slightly in greeting.

Before long, the two arrived in front of the Wuying Hall.

The bronze crane incense burner still emitted wisps of smoke, and several eunuchs were busy wiping the railings.

Upon seeing the two approaching, he quickly stopped what he was doing and bowed respectfully.

Lan Yu strode forward, but a eunuch in a dark blue palace robe quickly blocked his way, a cautious smile plastered on his face.

"General, Lord Lu, His Majesty is not in the palace today."

"Not here?"

Lan Yu frowned, and her tone instantly turned serious.

"Where is His Majesty? We have important news to report!" "Reporting to the General, His Majesty went to the vegetable garden in the inner palace early this morning, saying that he wanted to personally plant some winter vegetables."

He even specifically instructed that no one was allowed to disturb them, not even when His Highness the Crown Prince sent someone to inquire after their well-being.

Lu Yunyi said gently to the eunuch:
"Please trouble you, sir, to inform them that we have urgent news and cannot be delayed."

The eunuch looked troubled and rubbed his hands together, saying:

"Lord Lu, it's not that I'm unwilling to go, but His Majesty declared yesterday that he will not see anyone."

Even when Minister Li came to deliver a memorial, His Majesty sent him away.

He stole a glance at Lan Yu's ashen face and added,

"How about you two go and take a look at the East Palace first?"

Lan Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in her heart.

Seeing this, Lu Yunyi said softly:
"General, let's go to the East Palace first."

His Highness the Crown Prince should also know about these matters. We can report to His Majesty after he has finished his business.”

Lan Yu kicked the stone steps in front of the hall hard and said in a deep voice:
"go!"

The atmosphere in the East Palace was much more somber than in the Wuying Hall.

The Imperial Guards numbered three times as many as usual, each with their hands on their sword hilts, looking on guard.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the hall, I heard a soft reading voice coming from inside. It was a sentence from the Analects, pronounced clearly and with a touch of elegance.

Upon seeing that it was two people, the guards at the gate quickly pushed open the palace door.

Lu Yunyi looked up and saw that Crown Prince Zhu Biao was leaning against the soft couch by the window.
She was covered with a thin blanket, her face was slightly rosier than yesterday, and she was holding a book in her hands.

Standing before the soft couch was a middle-aged man dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe.

He was pointing to the text on the page and explaining it softly.

When the crown prince saw the two enter, he suddenly smiled.

Helped to his feet by a eunuch, he pointed to the middle-aged man and introduced him:

"This is Fang Xiaoru, a student of Song Lian."

The two men's expressions suddenly turned strange, and Lu Yunyi's brows furrowed even more.

Fang Xiaoru turned around and bowed in greeting in turn.

When his gaze fell on Lu Yunyi, his brows furrowed slightly.
Lord Lu's eyes were too deep.

The undisguised scrutiny made him instinctively clench the documents in his hand.

Although he didn't know why Lu Yunyi was hostile towards him,
However, knowing that it was not advisable to linger, he bowed respectfully to the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, please rest for now. I will come back another day."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Fang. Please take care on the road."

Fang Xiaoru bowed again, his gaze sweeping over Lu Yunyi once more.
As he passed by Lu Yunyi, he could clearly feel the oppressive aura emanating from the other man, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace.

Only after stepping out of the palace gate did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The moment the palace doors closed, the composure on Zhu Biao's face vanished instantly.

He coughed twice and rubbed his temples.

His face turned pale at a visible speed, and even his breathing became rapid.

"Uncle, Yunyi, please have a seat."

The head eunuch quickly stepped forward, brought chairs for the two of them, and handed the crown prince a cup of warm water.

Zhu Biao took a sip, and only after recovering somewhat did he smile wryly:
"There were outsiders present just now. If they had seen me in this state, it would have worried the court officials."

Seeing his weak state, Lan Yu's anger surged up again.
But he forcefully suppressed it, his voice full of concern:

"Your Highness, why are you still pushing yourself? Didn't the imperial physician say anything?"

Zhu Biao shook his head, his gaze falling on Lu Yunyi:
"Yunyi, you must have found something out by coming to the palace today, right?"

Lu Yunyi stood up, took out a document from his robes, and handed it to the Crown Prince:

"Your Highness, it concerns the traitors who plotted to assassinate you."

Our investigation revealed that this matter not only involved Marquis Jingning, Ye Sheng,

He also colluded with civil officials, with He Zicheng, a Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Hall, leading the charge.

"He Zicheng?"

Zhu Biao took the document, his fingers trembling slightly. He opened it and the records inside made his brow furrow even more deeply:
He Zicheng's niece, He Yuru, was Ye Sheng's concubine.
The scholars of Mingdao Academy funded Hongye Shipbuilding through their business guilds.
Red tide algae have been found in fish ponds in Ningbo and Hangzhou.
Each seemingly unrelated point is, for people like them, doubt is often the truth.

"Ye Sheng. He Zicheng."

Zhu Biao's voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with confusion and a hint of heartache.
"He is a respected elder statesman in the literary world, and I have treated him well. Why would he do this?"

"I suspect it is to obstruct the relocation of the capital."

Lu Yunyi said in a deep voice,

"He Zicheng is backed by many southern gentry families, whose ancestral property and business are all in Jiangnan."

If the capital is moved to Beiping, their interests will be harmed.
They then joined forces with nobles like Ye Sheng, who opposed moving the capital.

They used red tide algae to poison His Highness, attempting to prevent the relocation of the capital and even plotting to change the heir apparent.

Lan Yu added from the side, her tone laced with anger:

"That newly appointed top scholar, Xu Guan, is a pawn they've put forward!"

He achieved the highest honors in six consecutive imperial examinations, appearing not early or late, but precisely when the court was in turmoil.

"Your Highness, this is no coincidence; these people are all cut from the same cloth!"

Zhu Biao stared at the document, his hands gripping the pages tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

He coughed a few more times, and his face turned even paler.
I knew the relocation wouldn't go so smoothly.

Unexpectedly, the opposition was so strong, and the methods used were so insidious.

Lan Yu leaned forward, her tone urgent:

"Your Highness, now that the evidence is conclusive, why not immediately order the arrest of He Zicheng, Xu Guan, and all the scholars from Mingdao Academy!"

The mastermind behind this will be identified, and all those involved will be executed to prevent future troubles!

Zhu Biao shook his head, leaned back on the soft couch, and closed his eyes to calm himself down.
"No. He Zicheng is a Grand Secretary who has been established in the literary world for many years and enjoys a very high reputation."

If he is arrested without sufficient evidence, scholars across the land will be disheartened.

If local government officials outwardly comply but inwardly defy the orders, the imperial court will only become more chaotic.

"Now that I'm in this situation, I must prioritize the bigger picture."

Lan Yu was somewhat anxious:
"Your Highness, others have already come knocking on our door; we can no longer tolerate this!"

Giving in time will only embolden them, making them even more unreasonable and demanding!

Zhu Biao opened his eyes, looked at the two of them, his eyes filled with weariness, yet also with a hint of determination:

"Yunyi, continue to keep an eye on He Zicheng's movements and make sure you find solid evidence."

Uncle, please send some Imperial Guards over.

Strengthen the defenses of the Eastern Palace and the Crown Prince's Residence.
Especially Yunwen and Yunwen, absolutely no more mistakes can be made.

"Yes!" the two replied in unison.

Zhu Biao took another sip of warm water and said softly:

"My body can still hold up."

From now on, we will have to rely on you more for matters of state.

In addition, the matter of the princes taking up their fiefs should be finalized as soon as possible, and the Governor-General's Office should submit the relevant documents promptly.

The capital is in chaos right now. While I can still hold on, I need to settle things as soon as possible.

The two looked at each other, and Lan Yu quickly said:

"Your Highness, please don't say that! The imperial physicians will definitely be able to cure you!"

"Once we catch the traitors and get the antidote, you'll get better!"

Zhu Biao smiled and turned his gaze to the morning light outside the window.
The voice carried a hint of gentleness, yet also a touch of helplessness:
"There is no cure for this poison. The Embroidered Uniform Guard has already interrogated everyone they could, and even torture has yielded nothing."

The hall fell silent instantly, with only the sound of the Imperial Guards' patrolling footsteps coming from outside.

The occasional chirping of birds slightly eased the somber atmosphere.

Looking at the Crown Prince's weak state, Lu Yunyi felt a mix of emotions.

He knew the Crown Prince's fate, but he couldn't say it aloud. He could only do his best to investigate the case and try to turn the tide.

Lan Yu clenched her fists, her eyes filled with determination.

After a moment, Zhu Biao waved his hand:
"You all go back first. Report any news immediately. I'm tired and want to rest for a while."

The two wanted to stay a little longer, but didn't know what to say.
They could only bow respectfully and quietly leave the hall.

The moment the palace doors closed, Lu Yunyi glanced back.
The crown prince was seen leaning against a soft couch, and the head eunuch was tucking a thin blanket around him.

His slender figure appeared particularly fragile in the morning light.

"Walk"

Lan Yu's voice turned cold, filled with suppressed anger.

(End of this chapter)