In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 998 The Secret Prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard

The meeting in the Wuying Hall ended in discord.

Lan Yu turned and left, ignoring the court officials who were bidding farewell to His Majesty.

His figure disappeared outside the hall, leaving the hall completely silent.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched his retreating figure, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of his chair. A complex emotion flickered in his eyes, but he said nothing more, only waving his hand.
"Let's call it a day, we'll discuss it again tomorrow."

The officials from the six ministries bowed and took their leave, their faces still showing lingering fear as they walked out of the palace.

Guo Ying lagged behind, and seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's exhausted appearance, hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"Your Majesty, Lan Yu has a fiery temper, and he might get into trouble because of the Crown Prince."

"I know."

Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted him, his voice low and deep:
"He is Biao'er's uncle, so it's only right that he protects Biao'er."

However, the situation in the capital is so complex that a single move could have far-reaching consequences; we cannot allow him to act recklessly.

Guo Ying remained silent, bowed, and withdrew.

Outside the hall, Lan Yu was striding down the steps.

The sound of armor plates clashing echoed through the palace corridor.
This caused passing eunuchs and palace maids to give way, not daring to even breathe loudly.

As he walked out of the palace, several guards came to greet him and followed closely behind.

Seeing his ashen face, no one dared to approach him and speak to him.

Once outside the imperial city, Lan Yu mounted his horse and flicked the reins.

With a neigh, the black steed galloped off towards the Duke of Liang's residence.

Upon seeing that it was an armored general, the people along the way quickly moved to the side of the road.
Watching the elite cavalry kick up a cloud of dust and disappear into the end of the street.

The Liangguo Duke's Mansion was located near Fudong Street, not far from the Kaiping Prince's Mansion.

Two stone lions stood in front of the vermilion gate.
A golden plaque bearing the name of the Duke of Liang's mansion hangs above the gate, exuding an air of majesty.

Lan Yu reined in his horse, flipped himself off, and jumped down.

Without waiting for the gatekeeper to announce his arrival, he strode inside, his voice filled with anger:

"Summon Lan Chun and Lan Bin to the front hall! And call all the scoundrels in the manor here!"

Upon seeing this, the gatekeeper dared not delay and hurriedly ran to deliver the message.

Before long, two young men walked over quickly.

It was Lan Yu's sons, Lan Chun and Lan Bin.

Lan Chun, dressed in a blue casual uniform, had a calm expression and was a lieutenant general under Lan Yu.

Lan Bin, dressed in a black outfit and with sharp eyes, was working in the Beijing Garrison.

Seeing their father's grim expression, the two brothers quickly bowed.
"Father."

"Do not talk nonsense!"

Lan Yu sat on a large mahogany chair in the front hall:

"A major incident has occurred in the capital. The Crown Prince has been poisoned and is now in poor health."

You two immediately take men to investigate.
People who have been involved with the Jingning Marquis's residence and the Jiangxia Marquis's residence during this period

Whether they are nobles or officials, investigate them thoroughly!

"Don't let anyone who's even remotely connected to this get away with it!"

Lan Chun was taken aback, then her expression turned serious:

"Father, won't this cause too much of a commotion? After all, it involves noble families."

Lan Yu slammed her hand on the table, splashing tea everywhere.

"The Crown Prince is almost killed, why are you afraid of making a scene?"

He looked at the dozen or so strong men who hurried in.

These were all his adopted sons, each holding a position in the military or the Beijing Garrison, and were his trusted confidants.

"You all go too! Distribute men to keep an eye on the merchants and post stations in the capital."
Especially keep a close eye on Lianbao Trading Company, anyone who does business with them!
Anyone who dares to stop us, arrest them first!

"Yes!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices loud and clear, revealing a fierce spirit.

Seeing that their father was resolute, Lan Chun and Lan Bin said no more and turned to make arrangements.

The godsons also took their leave, leaving only Lan Yu in the front hall.

He leaned back in his chair, his face extremely grim.

Every time the image of the Crown Prince's pale face appeared in his mind, his clenched fists tightened even more!
"Rebellious against the Party"

"I'll never let you get away with this!"

As noon approached, sunlight streamed through the window lattices, casting dappled patterns on the floor of the front hall.

Lan Yu had some dry rations prepared, and after taking only a few bites, the steward came to report:
"Master, the lords have arrived."

"Let them in."

Lan Yu put down her chopsticks and straightened her robes.

Soon, a group of people entered the front hall.

The leader was a tall man in purple official robes, none other than the founding duke Chang Sheng.

Following closely behind was Marquis Han Xun of Dongping.
He was the son of Han Zheng, the Duke of Yun, and had a resolute face.

Marquis Zhu Shou of Zhulu, Marquis Chen Huan of Puding, and Marquis Sun Ke of Quanning were all dressed in marquis robes and looked solemn.

There were also two men who looked like civil officials.

One was Zhan Hui, the Minister of Personnel, dressed in a scarlet official robe, with a calm and composed gaze.
The other is Yuan Tai, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief.

They were also dressed in scarlet robes, with serious expressions.

These people were all part of the Crown Prince's faction; some were relatives, and others were officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Chang Sheng, Han Xun, and other sons of noble families had been close to the Crown Prince since childhood.
Zhan Hui and Yuan Tai were civil officials promoted by the Crown Prince.

Everyone greeted Lan Yu with respect:
"General."

"sit."

Lan Yu pointed to the chairs on both sides:

"I have called you all here today because I have something important to discuss."

The crown prince was poisoned, and the toxins accumulated in his body.

I often suffer from headaches and thirst, and even the imperial physicians have no good treatment for me.

The room fell silent instantly upon hearing this.

Everyone looked shocked!

They knew that the Crown Prince had been poisoned.
However, judging from the recent turmoil in the palace and the court, it seems that nothing is wrong.
How could this be? Toxin buildup?

Chang Sheng's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Even the imperial physicians can't help? Oh no, this is terrible!"

Han Xun also frowned:
"Why didn't His Majesty and the Crown Prince mention such a thing? If we had known earlier, would we have let it go like this?"

Zhan Hui's expression was grave; he had just learned of this news himself.

"General, this matter is of great importance, is that true?"

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

Lan Yu let out a long sigh, trying to suppress the anger in her heart, but found that she couldn't suppress it at all.

Zhan Hui frowned, wondering whether the poisoning had left him unharmed or caused him chronic illness.

A difference of just one word can have vastly different consequences.

These princelings, all their honors and privileges are tied to the prince.

If anything were to happen to the Crown Prince, their careers would not only come to an end, but they might even lose their lives.

Zhan Hui looked at Yuan Tai:

"Lord Yuan, have you discovered anything unusual during your investigations of officials these past few days?"

Yuan Tai put down his teacup and said in a deep voice:

"Reporting to the General and Lord Zhan,"

The Censorate discovered that Zhou Ji of the Jiangxia Marquis's residence was keeping concubines outside the palace.
He also had ambiguous relationships with some female officials in the palace.

In addition, some of the money used to cause unrest in the capital a few days ago came from Fengyang, and the money exchange has been located.

However, they dared not continue the search, because the matter was too serious.

As everyone was talking, the steward came to report again:
"Sir, Lord Lu Yunyi of the Market and Commerce Bureau has arrived."

Lan Yu quickly said, "Let him in!"

Lu Yunyi strode into the front hall.
He was dressed in casual clothes, and his face showed a hint of urgency as he hurried on his way.

As soon as he entered the hall, he saw it was full of people.

A gathering of marquises and high-ranking officials was a sight rarely seen even at the morning court session.

Lan Yu beckoned him to sit beside him:
"Please sit down. I'd like to hear your opinion. How much did you find out about Lianbao Trading Company when you investigated it?"

Lu Yunyi composed himself, bowed to everyone, and then sat down and said:

"Reporting to the General, Lianbao Trading Company is an enterprise of the Jingning Marquis's Mansion, mainly dealing in seafood and silk."

The red tide algae was detected in the seafood products of Lianbao Trading Company.

Ye Qifeng, the manager of the business, has been arrested, but he is stubborn and insists that he did it himself and that no one else was involved.

However, I suspect that someone is directing him from behind the scenes.

"Is there someone behind you?"

Chang Sheng looked at him:
"Is it the Duke of Song? He stopped you from investigating a case in Jurong County before."

Chang Sheng's words were so blunt that they instantly intensified the tense atmosphere in the room.

Everyone was tense; if they were to truly confront the Duke of Song, the ensuing turmoil would be immense.

This is in no way inferior to the old story from last year's South Korean public affairs.

Lu Yunyi shook his head:
"It shouldn't be. The Duke of Song is already the head of the nobility and holds the highest position among officials."

What was his motive for poisoning the crown prince?
While there are advantages, if it's exposed, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, making it not worthwhile.

The Duke of Song is a wise man and would not do such a foolish thing. His Highness the Crown Prince previously said that the Duke of Song's purpose was to protect the nobles, especially Zhou Dexing.

I think that if we want to investigate the case, we should start with Marquis Jingning.
Whether he did it himself or was instructed by someone behind it, investigating him first will definitely not be wrong.

Zhan Hui frowned:

"The Market and Commerce Bureau oversees the merchants in the capital. Could we start by investigating the money shops and find out who owns the Lianbao Trading Company?"

"Lord Zhan, the investigation is already underway."

Behind every money shop in various places are powerful figures, and their accounts are extremely secretive and not easily accessible.

In addition, I have sent people to various places in the southeast to look for fish farms and trading companies where red tide algae are distributed.

If we can't break through on the Marquis of Jingning's side, we can still investigate along this line.

"Yeah, very good!"

Lan Yu slammed his hand on the table:
"Investigate like this! Zhan Hui, coordinate with the Six Ministries to allocate some manpower to the Censorate, and start the investigation from Ye Sheng outwards!"
Chang Sheng and Han Xun, keep an eye on the mansions of nobles in the capital and don't let them take the opportunity to cause trouble!

"Yunyi, continue investigating the merchants. If you need anything, just let me know!"

"Brother Lan."

Zhu Shou hesitated for a moment:
"If His Majesty knew about our large-scale operation, wouldn't he be furious?"

Lan Yu's eyes darkened:
"The Crown Prince is his son, and also the heir apparent of the Ming Dynasty!"

If even the crown prince cannot be protected, what use is the Ming Dynasty?

He paused, his voice softening slightly:
"Don't worry, I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!"

As long as we can expose the traitors and protect the Crown Prince, I'll accept His Majesty's punishment!

Seeing his resolute attitude, everyone stopped hesitating.

Chang Sheng stood up:
"Alright! I'll take men to investigate the residences of all the nobles right away!"

Han Xun also stood up:

"I will go to the Beijing Garrison to transfer some personnel to cooperate with the Censorate in its inspections to prevent the rebels from escaping."

Zhan Hui and Yuan Tai also nodded:

"We'll go and make arrangements for the Six Ministries and the Censorate right away."

Lu Yunyi breathed a sigh of relief as he watched everyone busy at work.

With the general in charge and the crown prince's team working together, things are always easier to handle.

In the front hall, everyone took their leave one after another to go and be assigned tasks.

Soon, only Lan Yu and Lu Yunyi remained in the hall.

Lu Yunyi said softly:

"General, I'm worried that the people behind the rebels are not simple."
There might be even more key figures who haven't shown up yet; we need to be careful.

"I know."

Lan Yu leaned back in her chair, her eyes deep and thoughtful.

"No matter who it is, if they dare to touch the Crown Prince, I will never let them off the hook!"

Even if it's some old fogies among the nobility, I dare to investigate them. Come on, follow me to a place.

Lu Yunyi was taken aback and stood up:

"Yes!"

The midday sun slanted across the eaves, casting the capital city in a half-light, half-dark atmosphere.

Lan Yu reined in his horse and rode deep into the alley.

The high walls on both sides rise upwards, squeezing the sky into a narrow slit.

Lu Yunyi followed behind and noticed that he deliberately chose to walk into storefronts without signs.

Occasionally, a man leaning against the wall would see Lan Yu's horse, but he wouldn't even lift his eyelids; he would simply retreat quietly into the shadows.

Lu Yunyi frowned. He could tell that these people were all undercover sentries!

"arrive."

Lan Yu stopped in front of a black wooden door.

The wooden door was embedded in the high wall, and even the door knocker was made of black iron, without any decoration.

If you don't look closely, you won't be able to tell that this is a Taoist sect.

He raised his hand and knocked three times, then spoke directly:
"Open the door, it's me, Lan Yu!"

Before long, the dark door opened a crack.

A member of the Imperial Guard peeked out, saw it was Lan Yu, and quickly pushed open the door, his face somewhat embarrassed.

"General."

Lan Yu ignored him and walked straight in.

Lu Yunyi was shocked by this.
where is this?
He searched for the secret outposts of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for three years and only found a dozen or so.

But in this place, there has never been the slightest trace!
The courtyard is square and symmetrical, paved with bluestone slabs, with moss growing in the cracks between the stones.

Four Imperial Guards stood under the eaves, all wearing black soft armor, their hands resting on the daggers at their waists.

At this moment, the curtain of the main room was lifted.

A man of medium build walked out.

He was wearing a navy blue casual suit, with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his strong wrists, and he was holding a file in his hand.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes were extremely bright, sweeping over Lan Yu and Lu Yunyi like a hawk.

After sighing, he quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:

"This humble general, Da'erma, greets the General and Lord Lu."

Lan Yu stared at him, showing no surprise that he was still alive, and snorted coldly:
"They act all mysterious, but the work they do is appalling!"

"The Crown Prince has been poisoned, what are you Imperial Guards doing?"

The pediatrician lowered her head:

"General, this matter is due to the negligence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
The three squads of Imperial Guards responsible for protecting the palace have been dealt with.

"Alright, he's about to pass out, what's the point of saying all this nonsense!"

Lan Yu interrupted him: "Where is Ye Sheng? I need to see him."

Da'erma frowned slightly:
“General, Ye Sheng is a serious criminal accused of treason and is imprisoned in the secret prison. According to regulations, he can only be interrogated with His Majesty’s permission.”

Lan Yu turned to look at him, her voice icy:

"The Crown Prince is still in bed suffering from a terrible headache. The toxins from the red tide algae have accumulated in his body, and the imperial physicians are helpless!"

I'm investigating a case on my own, why should I follow your ridiculous rules?
"Can you bear the responsibility for delaying the Crown Prince's treatment? Or are you saying that even your Embroidered Uniform Guard harbors rebellious intentions?"

Da'erma's expression changed.

He knew Lan Yu's personality: arrogant, domineering, and ruthless.

If this is the case during wartime, it will only be more severe when the crown prince is involved.

He hesitated for a moment, sighed, and placed the file on the table:
"General, come with me. The Secret Prison is a forbidden area; we cannot bring too many people."

Lord Lu may come along, but the rest of you must stay outside.

Lan Yu nodded, and Lu Yunyi followed behind.

Da'erma pushed open a stone door in the corner of the main room.
Inside was a downward stone staircase, wet, slippery, and cold, with oil lamps hanging on the walls.

The flames flickered, casting long shadows of the three people that swayed back and forth on the wall.

After walking about a hundred steps, the musty smell in the air grew stronger and stronger, mixed with a faint smell of blood.

The dull, oppressive sound of chains dragging on the floor filled my ears.

Lu Yunyi subconsciously held his breath.
This secret prison is more hidden and sinister than the imperial prison outside.

Even the light was pitifully scarce, with only an oil lamp spaced a few feet apart.

"It's just ahead."

Daerma stopped in front of an iron gate with a large padlock on it.

He took out his key, clicked open the lock, and pushed open the iron gate.

An even stronger musty smell wafted out.

The cell was small, only about ten feet square.

The ground was covered with some moldy straw.

There was a broken earthenware jar in the corner, half-filled with murky water.

The iron bars were made of solid iron and were twice as thick as those in ordinary prison cells.

Sunlight streamed in through a small window, no bigger than the palm of your hand, overhead.
It landed on the straw, forming a spot of light.

A person sat on the straw, wearing a gray prison uniform, with disheveled hair.
Most of her face was covered, but her posture remained upright.

Hearing footsteps, he slowly raised his head, revealing a haggard face; it was none other than Marquis Jingning, Ye Sheng.

His eyes were sunken, his cheekbones were prominent, his lips were chapped, but a hint of arrogance remained in his eyes.

Upon seeing Lan Yu, he didn't get up, but leaned against the wall and sneered:
"A rare guest indeed. What, are you here to see a joke?"

Lan Yu walked to the iron bars, gripped them with both hands, and the armor plates scraped against the bars, making a piercing sound.

"Ye Sheng, don't play dumb with me!"
"Did you poison the Crown Prince? Where is the antidote?"

Ye Sheng closed his eyes, then slowly opened them after a moment, his tone calm:
"Lan Yu, you and I are both people who followed His Majesty in conquering the world."

His Majesty has granted me the title of Marquis, so why would I poison the Crown Prince?

It's just a frame-up.

"frame?"

Lan Yu exerted force suddenly, and the iron bars creaked.

“Your son Ye Xing is in charge of Lianbao Trading Company. Red tide algae were found in the company. Do you dare to say you were unaware of this?”
"So that's why you retired so early! You had something to hide!"

"I simply don't know."

Ye Sheng chuckled, leaned against the wall, and stopped looking at the two of them.

(End of this chapter)