Ming Dynasty: Summoning game players at the beginning

Chapter 369 The Forbidden City: Top Secret Operation

The emperor wants to collect taxes and provisions, while the players want to massacre powerful officials—Zhu Youjian and the players' interests are unusually aligned at this moment.

In an instant, comments like "Trampling the bones of officials on the streets," "Give Zhu Youjian a shock of recovering stolen goods and aiding the army," "Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill," "Sorry, I'm an undercover agent," "Chop up all the traitorous Shanxi merchants while I'm at it," "I say who is a traitor, and that's who! Execute first, report later, it's a special privilege of the emperor"... etc. filled the screen, making Li Wu's eyes hurt from the noise.

Li Wu thought to himself, "Can't you guys stop being so extreme?"

Why not keep the powerful and wealthy in captivity and torture them with all sorts of cruel methods, day and night? Why must they so cruelly take their lives?
How cruel!

Some viewers in the live chat said that if you broaden the scope of your attack and provoke everyone to resist, it will not be a simple act of revenge like poisoning the prince. In that case, the capital will be in chaos.

Upon hearing this, the comments section erupted once again, with some saying they couldn't wait to start a massive free-for-all so that the powerful and wealthy could see the fighting prowess of their 5,000 players.

Some say it's good that these people come forward, so that all evil can be wiped out at once.

As one commenter remarked, even if the powerful and wealthy were truly suppressed, wouldn't all the money, grain, and valuables confiscated from their homes have been given to Zhu Youjian for nothing?

Faced with this question, Li Wu, who is well-versed in the ways of infiltration, would say that even if Zhu Youjian managed to scrape together tens of millions of taels of silver from the capital, he would not have had time to train a new army, let alone the capacity to transport the money and provisions away. In the end, he would just be a "steward" for the players.

As for causing panic in the capital's officialdom, that's not a price players need to consider; apprehending the rebels is what players should do.

However, only a few players were online during this time, and those who were still in class or at work were shouting in the chat, "Don't eat alone!"

Li Wuyi was unable to gather his brothers to search for the rebels in time, so he had to wait until dawn to begin his operation.

Zhu Youjian could have simply sent a eunuch to escort Li Wu out of the palace, but he still sent Wang Chengen personally, which shows that he attached great importance to Li Wu and was looking forward to the secret operation to capture the rebel.

Li Wu thought to himself that Zhu Youjian was such a "foolish fool" with no ability to judge people.

He was almost superstitious in his dealings with his smooth-talking confidants, trusting Yuan Chonghuan, Wen Tiren, Yang Sichang, Xiong Wencan, Chen Xinjia, Hong Chengchou...

Instead, they looked down on Lu Xiang-sheng and Sun Chuan-ting, who were capable and had straightforward personalities.

Li Wu felt that Zhu Youjian was like a keyboard warrior. Even though he was over thirty years old, he still had a bad temper and couldn't stand any "unpleasant but honest advice." The more eloquent a person was, the more Zhu Youjian favored them.

Just as Li Wu had taken a few dozen steps away from the palace, he suddenly saw a lantern piercing through the night approaching, and the figure of a eunuch could be seen in the light and shadow.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in my ears, and a faint, panicked low voice escaped from his throat.

Li Wu couldn't help but look back, thinking to himself that these eunuchs looked hurried, perhaps they had come to report on the military situation because of an emergency at the border.
But that's not right. Li Wu thought about it and realized that all the "rebels" around him were his brothers' troops. He knew exactly where each of their troops was and that no large force had yet entered the capital region.

The live stream viewers also noticed something amiss, with some speculating whether the Tartars might have taken advantage of the situation and breached Xuanda.

Wang Chengen was quite perceptive. Upon seeing this scene, he knew that something big had happened. He quickly went over to intercept the messenger team and, after some investigation, learned that something terrible was going to happen.

So he couldn't bother sending the person out of the palace and could only lead Li Wu back to the old place.

The sudden major event was not a military emergency, but rather that the prince, who had previously been ill, had suddenly deteriorated and was now feared to die.

"..." Zhu Youjian let out a faint cry of sorrow, quickly shouted to clear the way, then glanced at Li Wu, as if remembering something, and hurriedly called Li Wu to come along.

Zhu Youjian's thoughts were simple—

The prince is seriously ill again. The danger here requires a strong and capable general like Li Wu to act as a temporary bodyguard. No, only a loyal minister like Li Zhongchen can live up to my expectations!

As the group passed through numerous palaces, the night patrol guards repeatedly knelt and bowed. There was even a group of people sitting on either side of the palace gate, eating dry rations and chatting, when they were unexpectedly spotted by the emperor himself, who looked utterly panicked.

At this hour, the emperor should have been asleep long ago. Why would he be rushing around the palace?

The guards were utterly devastated, kneeling on the ground and begging for forgiveness.

The comments section was abuzz with laughter, with almost everyone saying: "So even palace guards can't escape the mentality of working people, finding all sorts of ways to slack off."

However, these guys are really in trouble. While others might just get expelled for slacking off, they're probably going to get a severe beating for slacking off in front of the emperor.

Zhu Youjian was too preoccupied with the guards' laziness to think about seeing his son as soon as possible, but the eunuchs around him would still write down the list of these guards.

The palace grounds were vast, and Li Wu felt like an ant that had wandered into a toy house. He followed Xiao Zhu for quite a while before finally arriving at the prince's location.

Countless newly lit candles flickered with light, like a hundred fireflies. Even so, the palace was still shrouded in darkness, as if draped in a thin veil.

The atmosphere inside was unusually oppressive. Dozens of palace maids and eunuchs all bowed their heads. The sound of a woman crying shone through the light, and a faint, musty smell permeated the palace.

The emperor and the strange man's appearance broke the sadness. After the eunuch Wang's whispered explanation, the concubines and palace maids instantly "accepted" Li Wu's identity.

Logically speaking, Li Wu, as an official outside the capital, should not meet the emperor's women, but Zhu Youjian was not concerned with formalities at the moment.

While checking on the prince's condition, Zhu Youjian angrily reprimanded the palace maids for their inadequate care.

He had already changed the prince's palace, yet he still suffered a terrible fate!
The mastermind behind this has repeatedly targeted the prince in order to achieve his goal. Does he really think I'm made of clay?
Initially, Zhu Youjian was worried about his personal safety when the prince fell seriously ill, so he dared not act directly at the "crime scene". However, now that he had the fierce general Li Wu by his side, he was not afraid even if there were villains trying to assassinate him.

Zhu Youjian's angry rebukes echoed throughout the palace, and he ordered the arrest of all the palace maids and eunuchs who had cared for the princes in both groups.

Li Wu's live stream chat exploded.

It is said that the emperor's women are all beautiful, and the emperor's sister-in-law Zhang Yan is especially captivating. Even the other palace maids have dignified and lovely profiles.

Some people told Li Wu to turn his head and look around, instead of always pointing it at the head of the bed. Others said that royalty was extravagant, using candles for lighting as if they were free.

There were also reports that the prince was defecating wildly, and what he was excreting into the latrine was mostly water.

At this moment, a comment caught Li Wu's attention—"Is this severe diarrhea a symptom of dysentery?"

Once someone brings up a serious topic, the players immediately enter discussion mode, and even the usually silly ones fall silent in unison.

Since the cause of the prince's illness could not be accurately determined and there were no modern effective drugs, they could only try to save him for the first time.

The only current method is to prepare a sugar-salt solution to replenish the prince's electrolytes. Whether he can be saved depends on his physical condition.

No one knew about the "little drama" that was happening to Li Wu; everyone was immersed in the impending death.

The Fifth Prince's pulse grew weaker and weaker, and as the imperial physician continued to shake his head, Zhu Youjian's expression grew increasingly gloomy.

If the prince were to die suddenly, it would truly fulfill the prophecy of the "mastermind" who had killed all of Zhu Youjian's young princes. The empress and concubines cried louder and louder, and the palace maids and eunuchs also knew that if the prince were to die, they would probably be buried with him, so they also began to mourn.

Is my son really going to leave me?

Just when the imperial physicians were at a loss and Zhu Youjian could only cover his face in grief, a voice rang out.

"In my hometown, there is a folk remedy that can cure vomiting and diarrhea. However, this remedy can only save poor children in the countryside. I don't know if it can cure the Fifth Prince's precious daughter..."

In the candlelight, Li Wu's figure seemed to grow taller, and everyone's eyes were instantly drawn to him.

As the Empress's sobs subsided, Zhu Youjian was slightly taken aback, while the Imperial Physician looked on with suspicion, his raised eyebrows seeming to say, "You, a mere military general, also know medicine?"
Consort Tian urged, "Speak quickly."

Seeing the hesitation in Li Wu's eyes, Zhu Youjian gritted his teeth and added, "No matter what fate has in store, I will pardon you."

Upon hearing this, Li Wu immediately recounted how sugar and salt water could replenish his strength.

Unexpectedly, the imperial physician immediately denied it, claiming that he had used the method of "adding salt to raw and cooked soup" according to the medical book, but it had no effect. Could it be that adding more sugar would have a miraculous effect?
Li Wu thought to himself that he had been asked a question, and quickly sought help from the comments section. Fortunately, there were many medical students in the comments.

After receiving remote guidance from many influential figures, Li Wu immediately sneered at the imperial physician.

He said the other party was not skilled in medicine and did not know that the ratio of sugar to salt water was extremely important; otherwise, taking it would not only fail to relieve the symptoms but would also worsen the condition.

Then, according to the Ming Dynasty's measurement of 37.3 grams per tael, a sugar-salt solution suitable for the times was quickly prepared.

Seeing that everyone around him was still in a daze, Zhu Youjian roared angrily, "Quickly go and make soup!"

Soon, servings of warm sugar and salt water were delivered.

As the one who offered the prescription, Li Wu naturally had to drink a bowl, and the imperial physician who supervised the preparation of the medicine also had to drink a bowl.

Seeing that the two had finished drinking without any problems, the sugar and salt water was then given to the prince.

After taking the medicine for several hours, perhaps it was the right medicine for the symptoms, or perhaps the prince had cleared the "residual toxins" from his intestines, as the frequency of diarrhea decreased and his originally weak pulse stabilized.

As the dim sky tore through the bright curtain, the Fifth Prince finally survived the danger and weakly cried out that he was hungry.

This brief call was like heavenly music, and Zhu Youjian was overjoyed and burst into tears.

He not only saved the prince's life, but also regained control of the palace.

That damned villain couldn't bring himself to attack him, yet he tried to harm his defenseless child. His crime is utterly unforgivable!
Faced with the great benefactor who saved her son and guarded the child all night, the exhausted Consort Tian almost knelt down before Li Wu on the spot to express her gratitude for his great kindness.

The imperial physician, having changed his previous dismissive attitude, bowed solemnly to Li Wu, saying that doctors have the heart of parents, and that he had learned a new and wonderful method to save lives, which he considered a great lesson.

Feeling the grateful and admiring gazes of the crowd, Li Wuming, though burning with pride, remained calm and composed, suppressing the smile on his lips, and addressed the emperor and concubines, "This humble subject merely offered a minor prescription, not worth mentioning..."

Zhu Youjian ignored Li Wu's "humble words" and intended to reward him handsomely.

However, since I have just given Li Wu more authority, it would be inappropriate to promote him further. It would be better to use the opportunity of searching for rebels to give Li Wu a chance to make some money, which would also be a reward.

Zhu Youjian immediately ordered that Li Wu be granted the privilege of traveling inside and outside the palace, and also granted Li Wu full authority to search for the mastermind behind the "murder of the prince".

Let's start the investigation from within this palace!
Although the character "Li Wu" didn't sleep all night, it didn't stop him from starting to hunt down "rebels" after breakfast.

Thanks to the numerous privileges granted by the emperor, he was able to lead players in and out of the palace.

He's like the administrator of the Forbidden City, able to collect entrance fees from players and make a fortune.

However, he has never liked to do things alone. After all, this game relies on everyone working together to make things better. Without the support of his brothers, how could he hold his position as the vanguard commander?
Once you lose your reputation and good character, you can never get it back.

So he waved his hand and said that all those who were willing to enter the palace with him could join him.

"Great!" Almost half of the Black Flag Camp players entered the palace with him.

If Li Wu hadn't informed Zhu Youjian beforehand, the guards protecting the palace would have thought a coup had broken out.

Even if you can't bring armor and soldiers into the palace, it doesn't matter. For many players, it's the first time they've witnessed so many details of the Forbidden City, it's like traveling back to the capital in 1640.

The literature and history students were stunned. The style of the palace walls and the architectural complex was so realistic that it was enough to write a brilliant paper that would amaze their teachers.

Of course, you need to write your paper quickly, otherwise it will be terrible if it gets checked for plagiarism with other students.

Many people brought paintbrushes in advance, and from time to time, they would sneak away from the guards' sight to quietly sketch a few strokes of the craftsmen's exquisite masterpieces, or pose for photos.

There are no tourists, no litter, and no loud tour guides here. There are only silent guards, eunuchs, and palace maids. All that remains is an empty square and a magnificent palace.

Some even dream of lying down at the palace gates and sleeping alongside history. Of course, there are also those silly people who want to sit on the dragon throne, but for now, that's just a dream.

Some of them posed as palace guards, but in reality, they became tourists in the Forbidden City, while others followed Li Wu to the location of the investigation.

A desolate courtyard was filled with kneeling palace maids and eunuchs, surrounded by rings of Imperial Guards holding knives.

Upon seeing the arrival of the "imperial envoy" to investigate the case, the leaders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot tried to curry favor with him. Some even took out a silver note from their pockets and quietly slipped it into Li Wu's clothes.

Li Wu looked down and seemed to be scorched by flames, then quickly pulled out the silver notes and handed them back.

He thought to himself that it wasn't that he didn't want to be greedy for money; after all, all his weapons and equipment had to be prepared with real money. If he died on the battlefield and there was no "corpse collector" to take back his equipment, he would have to buy it all again next time, which would be very expensive.

Unfortunately, players are watching their every move. If they fail to resist the "corruption" and are reported, they will be banned for short periods or even permanently.

Many brothers who took chances have already been "blacklisted." With such bloody lessons before them, how could they dare to touch this hot potato?

The commander of the Imperial Guard thought the "Imperial Envoy" was not giving enough, so he quickly added a few more silver notes, saying that it was all a token of the brothers' goodwill.

Li Wu's lips curled into a bitter smile as he politely declined, saying, "We're all serving the country, so there's no question of 'you' and 'me.' I understand the proper etiquette."

He kept pushing away the tempting silver notes, thinking to himself, "Don't ruin me! I want to play this game for a few more years and become a nobleman in an overseas country!"

(End of this chapter)