Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 268 Is it a coincidence?

The third day at the Tang Prince's Palace.

Just as the Second Grand Secretary Yan Song and the senior officials of the Six Ministries were summoning officials from the two lakes and two rivers to inspect the river defenses.

Zhu Houcong, dressed in casual clothes, led Prince Tang, Zhu Yuwen, back to the lake in the backyard.

Zhu Yuwen moved hesitantly, almost inch by inch, toward the lake.

He kept looking back, his face full of worry: "Your Majesty is the supreme ruler, the master of all people, why must you insist on going on a boat trip?"

Zhu Houcong stood with his hands behind his back by the lake, his robes fluttering in the breeze.

"Uncle, I have traveled a long way to the south to pay my respects at Xianling Mausoleum, fulfilling my filial duty as a son. However, the cabinet ministers in the capital are urging me repeatedly, wishing they could escort me back to the capital immediately..."

Gazing at the shimmering water, his tone suddenly turned desolate: "I had intended to tour Southern Zhili, but now that dream has vanished. Even this small patch of lakeside scenery is unattainable. How utterly boring is the reign of the Ming Emperor?"

Zhu Yuwen looked at the emperor, whose tone was full of weariness, and was deeply moved. He straightened his clothes and bowed deeply: "Since Your Majesty treats me with sincerity, if this old minister were to make excuses again, wouldn't I be betraying Your Majesty's grace?"

He straightened up, a determined look in his eyes: "This old minister is willing to accompany Your Majesty on a tour of this lake to relieve your worries!"

"now it's right!"

Zhu Houcong looked into the depths of the lake, a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes. He chuckled and turned around, saying, "Don't worry, I have people protecting me. How could I possibly fall into the water like Emperor Wuzong did back then?"

He was accompanied by his usual eunuch Huang Jin and Consort Kang Du, as well as two other eunuchs, two palace maids, and a team of sixteen capable bodyguards.

Upon seeing that the emperor had indeed arrived at the lakeside and was preparing to take a boat ride, the guards immediately stepped forward and carefully inspected the boat, not daring to overlook anything.

Just then, several figures rushed over: "Your Majesty—Your Majesty!!"

"Just in time!"

Zhu Houcong looked at the group of Imperial Guards rushing towards him, especially the leaders Wang Zuo and Lu Bing: "With the two of you here, the court officials should be at ease! It's just a boat trip on a lake, why are you all so terrified? Does the Emperor of the Zhu family have to be afraid of water from now on?"

Before Lu Bing could speak, Wang Zuo stepped forward, lifted his robe, and knelt on the wet ground: "Your Majesty, please allow me to travel on the lake with you. I am willing to hold the oar for you!"

Zhu Houcong reached out a hand to help him up and smiled, "Minister Wang, you are getting old. Let Wenfu row. This kind of strenuous work should be done by young men!"

Wang Zuo refused to get up, stubbornly saying, "I can still eat, and I am willing to serve Your Majesty by holding the oar!"

"That's all!"

Zhu Houcong chuckled and waved his hand: "Then come up here, otherwise I won't feel at ease leaving you on the shore, right?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Wang Zuo bowed his head.

As he knelt down, his gaze swept over the crowd on the lakeside.

Of all those present, he only trusted his disciple Lu Bing.

The rest, even Huang Jin who also came from the Xingwang Mansion, did not believe it.

As for those palace maids, personal guards, and even Prince Zhu Yuwen of Tang, they could all be "Emperor Yuan"!
Under normal circumstances, what the junior official says is not necessarily the truth.

As the head of the Liyuan Society, "Yuan Tianzi" might not necessarily take the lead and personally assassinate the enemy.

But this time it's regicide!

And this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

To this day, Wang Zuo still doesn't understand how Hu Sandao died, and he truly feels awe towards that mysterious "imperial death"!

Under various circumstances, even as the Junior Assistant confidently assured him that "Prince Yuan" would make a move, he also had a vague feeling that this person would really come!
'who? ’

Who exactly is it?

Similar thoughts also echoed in Lu Bing's mind.

However, compared to Wang Zuo's direct contact with Li Yuanshe and his feigned compliance, Lu Bing played the role of being kept in the dark.

To avoid giving himself away, he could only follow silently behind, not daring to observe too much, lest he alert the enemy.

"Your Majesty!! Your Majesty!!"

Before they could board the ship, several more people came running from a distance.

Leading the group was Hai Yue, who still maintained a dignified appearance despite walking quickly.

Yan Shifan and Tao Dianzhen, who were on either side of him, were somewhat disregarding their manners.

Or perhaps they deliberately appeared breathless, all arriving in front of him to bow.

"You also want to stop me?"

Zhu Houcong's face darkened.

Haiyue, being a Hanlin scholar, naturally wouldn't bow and kowtow like the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Instead, she spoke firmly and forcefully: "A balance between work and rest is the way of both civil and military affairs. His Majesty is diligent in governing and loves the people, and has always been known for his virtuous rule. Occasionally indulging in leisure activities is not inappropriate. However, during this southern tour, first there were thieves setting fires, and then there were imperial guards who died tragically..."

"enough!"

Zhu Houcong flicked his dragon sleeve, his brows furrowed with impatience: "If there really are any thieves, you can go and capture them yourself, and I will reward you handsomely! But now you can't capture them, and you're just spreading alarmist rumors, only disturbing my mood!"

Wang Zuo stepped forward at the opportune moment: "Hai Hanlin is overthinking it. Everyone here is a loyal and devoted man. Your Majesty's safety will be protected by us with our lives!"

Haiyue ignored him and turned to the boats not far away. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Your Majesty wishes to go boating on the lake. Would you like to ride this painted boat?" The boats of the princes also had regulations. For example, the large multi-story ships used by princes were about ten to twenty zhang long and three to six zhang wide. They were divided into two levels, with carved beams and painted rafters. The cabins were luxuriously furnished and could accommodate a hundred people. They could set up more than ten banquet tables and were commonly used in official celebrations or royal tours.

Below that is a medium-sized pleasure boat, less than ten zhang long and two to three zhang wide, with open windows for easy viewing.

Smaller boats, such as lotus-picking boats, can accommodate a few people and have blue cloth canopies, used for private sightseeing.

There are also melon-skin boats, shaped like melon segments, which were mostly used for servants to follow or for transporting goods.

The boat that Tang King Zhu Yuwen moored on the lakeside was a medium-sized painted boat, about eight zhang long, which could carry about thirty people, just enough to accommodate the entourage that had come with him.

Wang Zuo looked at the guards who had finished inspecting the pleasure boat. Seeing them nod in agreement, he said, "The pleasure boat originally belonged to His Highness the Prince of Tang. Now that the inspection has been completed, we will all protect His Majesty."

Haiyue slowly shook her head: "This matter is of utmost importance and must be handled with utmost care. If anything goes wrong, we will regret it too late. I humbly request permission to take command—"

Zhu Houcong said, "Speak!"

"Please allow me to test the boat first, and once I confirm that there are no problems, I will respectfully invite Your Majesty to come!"

Haiyue's voice was clear and resonant.

When these words were spoken, everyone was stunned.

Zhu Houcong was both amused and exasperated: "Hemingway, Hemingway, are you really that worried that I will be harmed by bandits on the lake?"

Although his tone was unpleasant, everyone understood the emperor's attitude from the courtesy name he had personally bestowed upon him, coupled with his teasing tone.

Bo also wielded a spear and led the king's vanguard; such courage and loyalty truly deserve praise.

Seeing Zhu Houcong's change of heart, Prince Tang, Zhu Yuwen, also said, "Your subject is willing to board the ship first with Hai Hanlin."

"Okay!"

Zhu Houcong revealed a look of great interest: "I will watch you board the ship from here, just to pass the time and have some fun. Go! All of you go!"

These words were spoken to those around him. Huang Jin looked up in astonishment: "Your Majesty?"

"Everyone, get on the ship!"

Zhu Houcong waved his hand and said, "Consider it an occasion for me to travel with you all!"

Not to mention Huang Jin, even Consort Kang, Du Shi, who was standing next to her, was stunned.

She was one of the nine concubines in the Jiajing Emperor's harem. Apart from Consort Li Yan, who was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort because she gave birth to a prince, among the other concubines, Du, who was beautiful and gentle, was the most favored. During this southern tour, Du accompanied two other concubines, but most of the time, it was Du who served the emperor.

Even the usually low-key and cautious Consort Kang couldn't help but bite her lips and say softly, "How could I abandon Your Majesty and go boating on the lake alone?"

"Why not?"

Zhu Houcong patted his beloved concubine's soft hand and said with great interest, "Aren't you all worried about my safety all day long? I've been trying to persuade you so much these past few days that my ears are calloused. Now, I'm just watching you enjoy your boat trip on the lake. Isn't that a bit of fun? I want to see what's going on on the lake! Go! Go quickly!"

Huang Jin and Consort Kang looked at each other in bewilderment, and could only lead the palace servants to slowly board the boat. For a moment, they didn't know whether they should feel fortunate.

Haiyue was quite decisive. She cupped her hands in greeting and led Yan Shifan and Tao Dianzhen onto the ship. The Tang Prince's Mansion members hurriedly followed.

Wang Zuo walked at the back. Without needing to give a signal, Lu Bing had already come up behind the emperor and said with his neck stiff, "Your subject requests to stay and guard!"

Zhu Houcong chuckled: "This is the Tang Prince's residence, and it's broad daylight... Fine, Wenfu can stay here, are you at ease now?"

Wang Zuo was indeed relieved.

Even a son of a wealthy family would not sit under a dangerous roof, let alone the emperor.

Their scheme was intended to lure out the traitors of the Liyuan Society, but they would not actually put the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty in danger.

Therefore, in the plan, Zhu Houcong would not actually board the ship, otherwise even if Wang Zuo's betrayal was fake, there would still be a risk of harming the emperor's health.

However, the emperor could not remain alone on the shore. If the bandits took a risk and directly attempted to assassinate him, it would backfire.

Therefore, Lu Bing left behind guards, and his trusted elites were stationed nearby to ensure that nothing went wrong.

Now that there are no more worries, I can focus on searching for the whereabouts of "Yuan Tianzi" among the crowd boarding the ship.

The prime suspects aren't the people from the Tang Prince's residence, but rather the palace staff and guards within the Forbidden City!

'If it weren't for these close associates, how could Li Yuanshe have known in advance that His Majesty would be staying at this villa? And the Junior Assistant Minister certainly couldn't have been certain that His Majesty would decide to go boating on the lake, thus creating an opportunity!'

"Haiyue is indeed extraordinary. With her first move of testing the waters, she has given us the upper hand. Now that His Majesty's safety is guaranteed, once we reach the center of the lake, even if 'Emperor Yuan' has three heads and six arms, he won't be able to escape my grasp!"

Wang Zuoqiang suppressed the pounding in his heart and carefully inspected the interior of the pleasure boat.

Single-deck pleasure boats have a simple structure, open views, and few places to hide.

Just as he was thinking about how to interrogate and pressure everyone once they reached the center of the lake, he turned back to the bow of the boat and saw Haiyue standing by the porthole, her eyes fixed intently on the boarding area.

"what happened?"

Wang Zuo followed his gaze and saw three women returning to the shore, two of whom were maids supporting Consort Kang, whose face was deathly pale.

"Consort Kang suddenly felt unwell and was nauseous. She has returned to shore to rest..."

Haiyue tapped her fingers lightly on the window frame, her tone thoughtful: "Quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

(End of this chapter)