Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 197 Mother Zhu Lin's Suggestion

'This is the first time I've heard someone describe kidnapping so euphemistically...'

'Well, that doesn't seem very tactful either.'

Haiyue silently complained to herself, readjusting her perception of Qionghai's number one warrior, and then looked at Mo Guangqi: "This man also has one of Mo Dengyong's Thirteen Bodyguards by his side, right? Have they all been killed?"

Upon hearing this, Hai Hao immediately showed a look of relief and nodded: "There was indeed a formidable guard who took three punches from me before dying. What was his name? You! Speak!"

Mo Guangqi was in a daze, but at this moment he subconsciously shuddered: "Wu Hu! His name is Mo Wu Hu! He was sent by Father to protect me, sob!"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened and tears streamed down her face.

I don't know if it's because of Mo Wuhu's fate or because of my own current situation.

Upon hearing that Mo Wuhu was also dead, Haiyue nodded and then asked, "Where is the body?"

Hai Hao laughed and said, "These guys are too clever for their own good. They're trying to pretend to leave the city. They've all boarded the ship in Tongzhou this time, which makes things easy. They can just strip the bodies naked, throw them into the water, and be done with it!"

Mo Guangqi was not considered an envoy of Annam; at most, he was a visitor from a foreign vassal state. He was even less popular than an ordinary merchant. After all, traitors and regicides were despised by the Ming government.

Of course, the court still paid attention to them, wanting to find out about Mo Dengyong's background. So, from the day the results of the provincial examination were announced, when this group of Annamese entered the capital, until now that the metropolitan examination has been over, they have been maintaining a tug-of-war for several months.

For example, the Ministry of Rites consistently refused to allow Mo Guangqi and his entourage into the Huitong Hall. Mo Guangqi and his party would seize the opportunity to pretend to leave the city, only to be persuaded to stay. They would reluctantly return each time, make demands, and then, after being refused, try to leave again.

Both sides are constantly testing each other's bottom line.

But the Ming Dynasty ultimately held the initiative.

As the front lines pressed ever closer, Mo Dengyong, who had originally intended to pass the throne to his son and live a pretentious life as the retired emperor, could no longer contain himself. He spent his days patrolling the border between the Ming Dynasty and Jiaozhi, sometimes making conciliatory statements, willing to cede large tracts of land to show respect to the Ming Dynasty, and sometimes sending spies to secretly communicate with the chieftains in Guangxi who were not under the control of the court. But overall, he was becoming more and more panicked.

As preparations in Guangdong and Guangxi gradually became more complete, the imperial court gradually lost interest in Mo Guangqi's group. Hai Hao seized this opportunity and made his move decisively.

He murdered and disposed of the body in one swift motion.

Haiyue was indeed relieved. He certainly wouldn't have the slightest pity for the Mo Dengyong faction in Annam. If it weren't for Mo Zhengyong's slander, who was impersonating an envoy, he would still be studying at the Qiongshan County School. Even though the Imperial Academy now offered a wider world, the two sides were already mortal enemies, and he was determined to destroy Mo Dengyong and the Annam faction.

However, Haiyue also knew that Haihao's sudden move was probably not just for revenge for what happened back then. Without beating around the bush, she asked, "Father, what is the purpose of 'inviting' this person here?"

Hai Hao said, "To verify some rumors, you! Speak!"

Mo Guangqi asked in a daze, "Say...say what?"

Hai Hao said, "Haven't you been spreading rumors that the Li siblings who were sent on envoys are not of royal blood at all?"

Mo Guangqi then realized, "Yes...yes..."

Hai Hao's voice deepened, his eyes not cold, but his tone carried a chilling intent: "Tell me carefully, what exactly happened!"

Mo Guangqi shuddered and began to stammer as he started to speak.

The founding monarch of the Later Le Dynasty was named Le Loi. He was originally a local gentryman who later rallied various regions to resist the Ming Dynasty and establish independence. This led to a ten-year war against the Ming Dynasty. In the end, Emperor Xuanzong of Ming decided to abandon Jiaozhi (Vietnam) and withdraw the Ming army. Annam regained its independence, and soon after, Le Loi established his own country and proclaimed himself emperor, thus establishing the Later Le Dynasty.

Haiyue knew about this matter and did not agree with Emperor Xuanzong's decision. In those years, Jiaozhi was indeed plagued by rebellions, which had become a quagmire and brought great burden to the Ming army. However, Annam, as a typical example of recklessly challenging the suzerain state, was punished and brought under the direct jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty. This served as a warning to other countries.

Zhu Di repeatedly used the Annam incident to warn and deter the restless vassal states, using the "punishment of the army" and the "Annam lesson" as examples. The results were remarkable. However, the sudden withdrawal of the good grandson not only rendered all previous efforts futile but also exposed the weakness of the Ming Dynasty.

A great power's prestige, if preserved, will command the submission of all nations without the need for war; if lost, it will lead to repeated turmoil, like a dam bursting. Emperor Xuanzong of Ming's rash abandonment of Jiaozhi was considered a wise move at the time, but in the long run, it actually had many drawbacks and was a losing proposition.

Haiyue's primary considerations were those of a major power strategy; he was unaware of the specific situation within Annam.

It was only through Mo Guangqi's description that he learned that the turmoil in the royal power of Annam had been going on for quite some time.

Putting aside other things, it has only been a century since Le Loi died, yet the Later Le Dynasty has already had sixteen monarchs, four of whom reigned for less than a year, and three of whom were assassinated...

The first three generations of the founding monarch were relatively better off, but things started to get chaotic by the fourth generation. This was a pattern in many dynasties, and even the Central Plains dynasties could not avoid it, let alone a small country like Annam.

The key issue is that such a chaotic succession to the throne resulted in equally chaotic records within the royal family. Before assassinating the emperor and usurping the throne, Mo Dengyong undoubtedly wiped out the legitimate bloodline of the Li clan, leaving only the most distant and collateral branches. Mo Guangqi had also conducted an investigation before his departure and concluded that the Li siblings were not of legitimate Li blood. "According to Mo Yaoxian's investigation, the siblings' ancestors were not actually surnamed Li; they were adopted by outsiders. Their fathers lived in the royal palace, and when the Li clan was in turmoil, they assumed the surname and claimed to be royal descendants. They also bribed more than a dozen Li officials to spread the word and establish their legitimacy."

Who is Mo Yaoxian?

"He was the sixth among the Thirteen Protectors, and was in charge of intelligence gathering. Almost everything he said was true."

"So, according to this person, what is the specific background of the Li siblings?"

"I don't know... Mo Yaoxian investigated for half a year, but eventually couldn't find a way to continue. Some of the people involved were dead, and some had disappeared. What is certain is that someone deliberately erased their ancestral origins!"

Hearing this, Haiyue was both amused and exasperated.

When he first met Li Yuying, he felt that her appearance was not like that of an Annamese, but it was just a compliment, and he also looked down on Annamese. He never expected that Li Yuying might actually not be Annamese.

Moreover, it doesn't seem like a simple case of someone taking over another's place; it has quite a history.

Looking at the fate of the Mo family's son before her, Hai Yue roughly understood why Hai Hao had "invited" him over.

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. Mo Guangqi's claim that the Le siblings were not legitimate members of Annam was seen by others as a result of internal strife in Annam, with the two factions attacking each other. The Le family called the Mo family traitors, and the Mo family accused the Le family's envoys of not being of legitimate blood. Such slander was not very credible.

But Haihao interpreted it differently. He actually agreed with what they said, which is why he ruthlessly eliminated the group.

Therefore, Li Yuying's possible identity is extraordinary and she may have some connection with Hai Hao.

Otherwise, what does it matter to them whether the Li family is the legitimate successor?
Haiyue looked at her father and asked directly, "Father, do you know the true origins of the Li siblings? Are they connected to my Hai clan?"

"These are just some speculations, and they have nothing to do with my Hai clan, but they are indeed of great importance!"

Haihao answered directly: "I brought this person here to tell you that Lady Li is not just a princess of a fallen kingdom! If you only think the title of princess is special and have no feelings for her, then don't choose this woman as your wife. There may be other troubles in the future!"

"I have no curiosity about the title of princess. On the contrary, it would be better if she weren't a princess. What's so commendable about the consort? If Annam hadn't fallen, that would have been the real obstacle..."

Haiyue did not hesitate and firmly expressed her thoughts: "I said before that we have been through thick and thin together, and my child's achievements today are inseparable from her help. How could we not have feelings for each other? If we were to separate like this for no reason, wouldn't I be an ungrateful person?"

"Tsk!"

Hai Hao frowned: "This is troublesome! The key is that she's come to the Central Plains. If she had stayed in Annam for the rest of her life, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but now that the truth has come out, there are quite a few people who want to silence her..."

Mo Guangqi listened from the side, his eyes darting around. When he heard this, his expression changed immediately, and then a hand covered his entire field of vision.

Hai Hao casually pressed him unconscious: "I'll go take care of this first, you wait here!"

This son of Mo Dengyong was clearly destined to be drowned. Haiyue watched her father's broad shoulders as he disposed of the body, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

Just then, accompanied by light footsteps, his mother, Zhu Lin, came out and smiled at him, saying, "My son is loyal and righteous; he is truly a fine son of the Hai family!"

Facing her mother, Haiyue's emotions changed again, and she whispered, "Mother!"

Zhu Lin said somewhat apologetically, "Child, don't blame us for going to unnecessary trouble. Her identity is a potential problem, especially after you enter officialdom. It will inevitably involve many things. We need to think things through carefully before getting married and deal with the issues that need to be addressed..."

Haiyue hesitated, but didn't ask rashly. She simply asked, "Is there any solution?"

Zhu Lin hesitated for a moment, then asked in return, "I heard you say before that Yu Ying had rendered meritorious service in protecting the emperor and saved the life of the emperor's birth mother?"

"Yes!"

Haiyue nodded: "These days, Empress Dowager Jiang often summons her to the palace, treating her like her own daughter..."

Zhu Lin raised her beautiful eyebrows: "Since we're so close, why not have her become my godmother?"

Haiyue was slightly taken aback: "I'm afraid that's inconvenient. Taking a princess from a foreign vassal state as a princess of our Great Ming is no small matter!"

"There's no need to formally bestow upon her the title of princess of our Great Ming Dynasty. A private kinship arrangement will suffice!" Zhu Lin said with a smile. "Changing her surname to Zhu in the future would be better than the Li surname!"

(End of this chapter)