In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 981

The atmosphere inside the hall remained somber, even though His Highness the Crown Prince's complexion was gradually regaining its normal color.
Zhu Yuanzhang did not relax at all, and kept a close eye on the three imperial physicians to carefully examine him.

At that moment, a eunuch's voice came from outside the hall:
"Your Majesty, Commander Zhang of the Embroidered Uniform Guard has arrived!"

"Let him in."

A short while later, a man dressed in black sleek clothing strode into the hall, carrying a black lacquered wooden box in his hand.
It was Zhang Wu, the most skilled member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in detecting poison and examining internal injuries.

This man served as a physician in the army in his early years, and later joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
They specialize in investigating difficult cases such as poisoning and assassination.

"Your subject Zhang Wu greets Your Majesty!"

Zhang Wu knelt on one knee, his voice booming.

"stand up."

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed to the dragon bed,

"His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly fainted, and the imperial physicians could not find the cause."
Use the methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate again. If anything is missed, you will be held responsible!

"Yes!"

"Where's Du Pingping? Tell him to come in and kneel down!"

If the Crown Prince makes any mistake, I will be the first to execute him!

Du Pingping strode into the palace and knelt down on both knees.

Seeing that the crown prince was safe and sound, he breathed a long sigh of relief.
As long as you're safe, you can kneel or even lie down, it's fine!

Zhang Wu got up and opened the wooden box, inside which were neatly arranged items such as silver needles, magnets, and medicinal wine.

He walked to the bedside, bowed to Zhu Biao, and said:

"Your Highness, I need to take a drop of your blood to test for poison, and then use a magnet to check for internal injuries. Please forgive me for any offense I may have caused."

Zhu Biao nodded and extended his left index finger.

Zhang Wu took out a small silver knife.

He gently traced a line with his fingertip, squeezing out a drop of blood.
Take a small amount by pricking it with a silver needle, and then heat the silver needle over a candle flame.

The silver needles were entirely silvery-white, and remained shiny even after baking, without any discoloration.

Then, he used more than ten methods of poison testing, spending nearly half an hour on it, until his forehead was covered in a fine sweat, before finally saying in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, there are no signs of poisoning."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded:
"continue!"

Zhang Wu put the silver needles back into the box, then took out a black magnet.
It moved slowly across Zhu Biao's chest and back.
Then, he pressed on Zhu Biao's ribs and spine with his fingers, asking questions at each point:
"Your Highness, is there any pain here?"

Zhu Biao shook his head one by one:

"No."

Zhang Wu then examined Zhu Biao's fingernails; the nail beds were rosy, without any bluish-purple or white spots.

Then they examined her armpits, hair, neck, ankles, and soles of her feet, checking every detail meticulously!
Finally, he bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has no wounds, no toxins, and no internal injuries or stagnation."

Zhu Yuanzhang finally breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense shoulders relaxed.

He walked to the bedside, reached out and touched Zhu Biao's forehead, his tone tinged with reproach:
"You scared your dad to death! You can't do that again."

He then gave the following instructions to the group:
"Okay, you all go down."

After the imperial physicians and the Embroidered Uniform Guards had all left, Zhu Yuanzhang added:
"By imperial decree, the Imperial Guards shall withdraw to their main camp, and the defense of the capital shall remain under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General's Office."

Two hundred imperial guards will be secretly stationed around the Crown Prince's residence; they must not slacken their guard.

"Yes!"

The chief eunuch quickly agreed and hurried off to deliver the imperial decree.

Zhu Biao looked at his father's tired face and said softly:
"Father, I am fine. You should rest early as well."

"No rush, nothing major is happening today."

Zhu Yuanzhang sat down by the window, looked into Zhu Biao's still somewhat weak eyes, and sighed:
“My son, I used to act impulsively just like you back then.”

When Zhu Wenzheng was about to join Zhang Shicheng, his father was nearly driven mad with anger.

After fighting their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, how could they change their minds at the last moment?

At that time, my father didn't understand either. One by one, his old brothers went to other people, and my father was heartbroken every day.

But later, after he became emperor, he was no longer sad. Do you know why?

Zhu Biao leaned back against the pillows, looking relaxed, and shook his head:
"My son, I don't know."

"The emperor is truly alone; apart from the common people who are busy toiling in the fields and have no time to care about anything else, everyone else is an enemy."

Former brothers, wise ministers and treacherous officials in the court,

Even those closest to him, his son and daughter, were enemies.

Over the years, my father has seen too many betrayals and is used to it.

You're still young. You'll understand when you experience it.
It's not worth getting angry about what Zhou Dexing did.

To become emperor, one must neither be impatient nor slow.

You absolutely cannot get angry, because everyone is waiting for you to get angry, waiting for you to be driven mad with anger.

Of course, you can't be too happy either, because being happy makes it easier to make mistakes.
If a mistake is made, the court officials will secretly gloat.

Crown Prince Zhu Biao leaned against his pillow, his expression complex.

This was the first time he had heard such blunt words, but after a moment's thought, he knew they were true.

He sighed softly:
"I know, Dad."

"Yes, take a good rest. There aren't many political matters to attend to these days, so it's a good time to rest. Things in the capital won't get chaotic."

Zhu Yuanzhang patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder, then picked up the last bit of ginseng soup and fed it to him.

"You rest first. Your father has sent Lu Yunyi to the Crown Prince's residence, so don't worry."

Zhu Biao nodded:

"Thank you, Father."

As the moonlight gradually brightened, in the houses on the street adjacent to the Crown Prince's residence...

Lu Yunyi stood by the window, a map of the ten streets surrounding the Crown Prince's residence laid out on the long table behind him.

His expression turned extremely grave upon receiving detailed information about the resident population from the capital government.

What's really going on in the palace?

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded from behind.
Xu Zengshou rushed in, his voice filled with excitement:
"My lord, His Majesty has ordered that the Imperial Guards in the city return to their camps, leaving only two hundred secret guards to protect the Crown Prince's residence!"

Lu Yunyi's tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
"Looks like everything's alright."

Xu Zengshou nodded vigorously.

The eunuch who came to deliver the imperial decree was beaming with joy, indicating that there must be good news in the palace.

Lu Yunyi nodded:
"Alright, let's go back to camp after curfew. Make sure the people left behind are reliable and don't cause any problems."

"Yes!"

Xu Zengshou turned to make arrangements.

At the beginning of Hai hour, Lu Yunyi and Xu Zengshou returned to the Central Military Commander's Mansion.

Xu Huizu was sitting in the main hall looking through documents when he saw them enter, and he quickly put them down.
"You're back? His Highness the Crown Prince has woken up and is alright."

Having received confirmation, Lu Yunyi finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart and asked:
Did they say what the illness was?

Xu Huizu shook his head:
"The Imperial Medical Academy said it was just a fainting spell caused by emotional distress, and nothing serious."
The Imperial Guards also sent people to investigate and confirmed that there were no signs of poisoning.

Moreover, they all said that His Highness the Crown Prince was in excellent health and would recover fully with just more rest.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yunyi's brows furrowed again, a hint of absurdity flashing in his eyes:
"How can someone who has fainted for several hours without warning be healthy? Are these imperial physicians afraid to tell the truth?"

Xu Huizu paused, looked up and stared at him in surprise:
"What do you want to say?"

Lu Yunyi stepped forward, took the teacup handed to him by Xu Zengshou, drank it all in one gulp, and said:
"His Highness the Crown Prince's sudden fainting spell for several hours suggests there must be something wrong with his health."

Either they have a hidden illness that hasn't been detected, or they're afraid to say it!

His voice was strong and resolute.

Xu Huizu's expression changed slightly:
"Be careful what you say! This has been confirmed by both the imperial physicians and the Embroidered Uniform Guards; they are trustworthy."

"Unbelievable!"

Lu Yunyi spoke again with unwavering resolve:
"This concerns the safety of the Crown Prince. How can we dismiss his sudden coma by saying he is physically unharmed?"

Xu Zengshou, who was standing to the side, thought for a moment and nodded repeatedly:

"That's right, brother! Who in their right mind would suddenly fall into a coma for several hours? These quack doctors must have failed to detect it!"

Xu Huizu's smile faded slightly.
The joy that had just welled up in my heart dissipated somewhat.

Although it sounds harsh, it makes perfect sense.

He paused, then pointed to the seat next to him:

"Please sit down. The Crown Prince may have truly fainted from anger. Do you know what the Embroidered Uniform Guard reported?"

A hint of doubt flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes as he slowly sat down:

"Please, Duke of Wei, speak frankly."

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard arrested a silk merchant from Hangzhou."
This person spent hundreds of thousands of taels of silver this time, and now he has lost it all.

Upon interrogation, it was discovered that 70,000 taels of this money were related to the Zhongdu Garrison Command and were given by Zhou Ji, the son of the Marquis of Jiangxia.

Lu Yunyi's pupils suddenly contracted:
"Marquis Jiangxia? Zhou Dexing?" "That's right."

Xu Huizu sighed.
"Zhou Dexing is a founding nobleman and also commands 50,000 elite troops in Zhongdu."

He is one of the people His Majesty trusts most, and the Crown Prince is someone he watched grow up.

Now even the garrison commander of Zhongdu is involved.

It is understandable that His Highness the Crown Prince would faint from anger and distress.

Lu Yunyi and Xu Zengshou were both deeply shocked. Although they often joked that everyone in the capital was a rebel,

But when it really comes to this, it's still hard to accept.

The garrison commander of Zhongdu actually spent money to obstruct the relocation of the capital?
Lu Yunyi didn't believe Zhou Dexing wouldn't know about such a large sum of money.

At the same time, his brows were furrowed.

Thinking back to the incident involving the Duke of Han, Zhongdu also encountered problems.
Upon closer examination, it becomes quite terrifying.
They even began to doubt their initial judgment.
Was it really only Duke Feng Sheng of Song who was secretly helping the rebels?
When His Majesty was carrying out a large-scale purge of the founding nobles

Did Zhou Dexing, who was also a nobleman, secretly help?
What exactly was his attitude towards the actions taken in the palace?

Lu Yunyi collected his thoughts, ceasing to delve deeper, and revealed an expression of relief at surviving a close call:

"Now that His Highness the Crown Prince is safe and sound, I am relieved."

Having said that, he stood up and bowed deeply:
"I will take my leave first."

Xu Huizu was surprised to see how quickly he had changed.
He hesitated several times before finally waving his hand:
"Go ahead and go back to your residence to rest early. There are still many troublesome matters to be dealt with."

Lu Yunyi stopped abruptly at the entrance of the yamen, turned back to look at Xu Huizu, and asked:
"Duke of Wei, now that there is progress in the matter of the rebels in the capital..."

Yesuder of the northern frontier is also dead. When will this humble general be able to return to the borderlands?

Xu Huizu's expression was somewhat solemn, and his tone was filled with doubt:

"Shouldn't we wait for the General? A letter from Sichuan says that the General might return to the capital after winter."

Lu Yunyi smiled:

"The affairs outside the pass still await my attention. The roads to Liaodong and Goryeo have not yet been fully sorted out, and I am always concerned about them."

Xu Huizu nodded:
“That makes sense. How about this, I will ask His Majesty in a few days.”

Yesuder is dead. His Majesty might take this opportunity to further suppress the Northern Yuan.
If war really comes into play, I'll need your advice and strategies.

"Thank you, Duke of Wei. This humble general will take his leave now."

"Um"

Lu Yunyi turned and left the Governor's Mansion.
As soon as he stepped out of the yamen, his gentle expression instantly turned grim and extremely serious.

He instructed Basong, who had followed him:

"Go and deliver a letter to Du Pingping. I need to see him at Qingshuiyuan. Be sure to keep it discreet. Deliver the letter to Wang's Grocery Store in the south of the city."

"Yes!"

Qingshui Garden is a secluded villa built by the Yingtian Trading Company to entertain distinguished guests.

It is located in a small alley next to Xi'anmen Street, not far from the Imperial City.

From the outside, it looks like an ordinary house, nothing special.

The interior, however, is extremely luxurious, with nearly ten courtyards connected together.
The pavilions and towers are all exquisite, and many big business deals are made here.

Near midnight, in a secluded courtyard at the innermost part of Qingshui Garden,

Lu Yunyi sat at the head of the main hall, sipping his tea gently, his gloomy expression undiminished.

"The weather is dry, so be careful with fire."

The faint call of the night watchman could be heard, followed by soft footsteps in the courtyard.
A slightly overweight figure strode in.
His posture was somewhat strange, and he was limping.

He walked to the doorway, where the candlelight inside finally illuminated him from the darkness.

It was Du Pingping, the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

He was much thinner than he was four months ago, and looked much more capable.

The exhaustion in his expression was almost impossible to hide, like that of a porter who had been working non-stop at the dock for months.

"sit."

When Lu Yunyi saw him arrive, he pointed to the seat next to him and said in a cold voice.

Du Pingping didn't stand on ceremony and strode in, laughing as she went:

"Lord Lu, didn't you say last time that we should have less contact to avoid trouble?"

"The situation is urgent, and I have no choice but to see you. Please forgive me, Lord Du."

Du Pingping was somewhat surprised to hear this warm tone.

This was the first time he had heard this person speak so politely, so he couldn't help but ask:
"What's the matter?"

"The Crown Prince's coma."

Du Pingping frowned:
"Hasn't he already woken up? He's fine."

"I do not believe."

Those three simple words caused Du Pingping's pupils to contract sharply, and her hand gripping the teacup tightened abruptly, oblivious to the tea spilling out.

"Hehe. Lord Lu, the Imperial Hospital and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have all checked, and His Highness the Crown Prince is indeed fine."

"I told you, I don't believe it."

Lu Yunyi's voice was extremely flat.

Yet it carried a chilling undertone, making Du Pingping's hair stand on end.

"What does Lord Lu mean?"

Lu Yunyi did not answer immediately, but sat upright at the head of the table, silently watching the light cast by the candlelight above his head flicker in the hall.

After a long silence, he said in a deep voice:

"Could the Imperial Guards conduct another examination of His Highness's health to rule out any potential problems?"

"It has been checked, and Zhang Wu's skills are among the best in the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Zhang Wu?"

Du Pingping clenched her fists tightly at her sides, a hint of embarrassment flashing in her eyes.
Damn it! Is the Embroidered Uniform Guard still the most mysterious government agency in the Ming Dynasty?
Are there still any secrets left?

He took a deep breath and replied:
"Yes."

"Zhang Wu's words should be fine, but I still don't believe it."

Check His Highness the Crown Prince's daily diet, expenses, and even his residence.

"I know that some poisons don't need to be ingested or ingested; ordinary contact can cause poisoning!"

Du Pingping's pupils contracted again:
"Lord Lu, what are you saying?"
Zhang Wu has already checked; His Highness the Crown Prince is unharmed and has not been poisoned!

A hint of helplessness flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes, and he shook his head:

There are too many hidden methods in this world.

Can you guarantee that no unseen methods have been used against His Highness the Crown Prince?

"This"

Du Pingping stared wide-eyed, shocked by the audacity of the person before her.

They are incredibly audacious, daring to say anything.

"Lord Lu is overthinking it. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will not go looking for trouble."

"call"

Lu Yunyi let out a long sigh, paused for a long time, and then said softly:
"I will help you find the missing murder weapon."

Du Pingping was taken aback, then her face showed shock:

"Flintlock?"

"Ah."

"Lord Lu, you're not joking, are you?"
"The entire capital has been searching for that thing for so long, but there hasn't been a single trace of it."

Lu Yunyi turned his head, his dark eyes fixed on Du Pingping, his expression subtle:

Do you think I'm joking?

For some reason, Du Pingping felt a murderous aura emanating from her.

It sent chills down his spine; it was a kind of indifference that came from having witnessed countless deaths and carnage, and who didn't care about human lives.

"If I say I can find it, I will definitely find it!"

Seeing his certainty, Du Pingping no longer doubted him. After thinking carefully for a moment, she looked troubled:

"Lord Lu, I have only recently been transferred to the capital and am not familiar with His Highness the Crown Prince. If I were to rashly suggest investigating this matter again, I fear it might..."

"Ten thousand taels of silver."

"land"

"Twenty thousand taels."

Du Pingping's voice stopped abruptly, and she stood there with her mouth agape, stunned.

After a long while, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes:
"I will go to the palace tomorrow to report this matter to His Majesty!"

Lu Yunyi suddenly laughed and said calmly:
"I will report this matter to His Highness the Crown Prince and investigate it together with you. The silver will be sent to the Embroidered Uniform Guard after the matter is settled."

(End of this chapter)