Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 331 Yang Shiqi: Yu Qian, I defy the imperial decree!

Because Yu Qian saw a familiar ring on Fan Zhong's hand! What was going on? Fan Zhong, from the Imperial Guard, was also wearing the same ring as him? Could it be that Fan Zhong was also a confidant of the Crown Prince of Han?!
Suddenly, this terrifying thought flashed through Yu Qian's mind. Startled, Yu Qian froze, his expression blank.

"Lord Yu, you're not mistaken, I'm also wearing the same ring as you."

But don't be afraid. You probably didn't hear what I just said clearly.

This ring, besides representing the absolute trust of the Crown Prince of Han, also signifies the ability to know the earth-shattering secret of the Han Prince's mansion, a secret that could even affect the Ming Dynasty for generations to come.

Therefore, the person who possesses this ring represents not only the absolute trust of the Crown Prince of Han, but also...

Another explanation is that possessing the ring signifies that they all know the shocking secret of the Han Prince's mansion! Fan Zhong, of course, saw Yu Qian's stunned expression as he stared at his hand. Then, Fan Zhong openly showed Yu Qian the ring he was wearing. At the same time, Fan Zhong told Yu Qian something even more shocking: this ring also represented someone who knew the secret of the Han Prince's mansion!
“General Fan is right. With this ring, it means that the holder knows the hidden secret of the Prince of Han’s mansion!” After Fan Zhong finished speaking, Yu Qian saw Yang Shiqi silently extend his hand, revealing an identical golden ring!
"What secret~?" The moment Yu Qian saw the ring on Yang Shiqi's hand, his head felt like it had been hit by a giant hammer. He was dizzy and his brain seemed to have completely stopped thinking. He just subconsciously followed Yang Shiqi's words and asked what the hidden secret was.

At this moment, Yu Qian inexplicably recalled the strange smile and vague words of the Prince of Han when he gave him the ring: "Observe carefully everywhere, and you will find interesting things!"

Previously, Yu Qian hadn't taken the Prince of Han's words to heart, but now, seeing the rings on Fan Zhong and Yang Shiqi's hands, Yu Qian realized just how weighty the Prince of Han's words truly were! They were earth-shattering, enough to shake Mount Tai!

"Lord Yu, that secret is too shocking. It can be said that it is the top secret of our Great Ming Dynasty."

Before we withdrew our troops from Yumu River, the Oirat cavalry launched a surprise attack on our artillery positions. On the night our old camp was forced to retreat, I accompanied Emperor Taizong and Prince Han on a snowy night out. You should know about this as well.

At that time, His Highness the Crown Prince of Han single-handedly drove away more than 10,000 Oirat cavalrymen who were entrenched in the old camp! It was then that I learned of this secret! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed what I and Grand Secretary Yang said! And I believe that if you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, you wouldn't have believed anything I or Grand Secretary Yang said.

"Of course, this ring in my hand was also given to me by His Highness the Crown Prince of Han at that time." Fan Zhong told Yu Qian when he learned of this secret and some of the actual circumstances surrounding obtaining the ring.

Upon hearing Fan Zhong's words, Yu Qian involuntarily recalled the night when the artillery battalion was scattered by more than 10,000 Oirat cavalry, and the generals, along with Emperor Taizong, moved their camp. He remembered that night was the first time he had witnessed the terrifying power of the Han crown prince.

That same night, the Crown Prince of Han, along with Emperor Taizong, Fan Zhong, and the Crown Prince's uncle, braved the heavy snow and left the temporary camp. They returned just before dawn, and after returning to their temporary encampment, the generals led their troops back to the main camp. It turned out that during this time, the Crown Prince had led a few men to drive away the Oirat cavalry that had gathered at the main camp!

But how is this possible?!

His Highness the Crown Prince of Han actually managed to drive away over ten thousand Oirat cavalry all by himself?! Is Fan Zhong out of his mind and talking nonsense? Is Fan Zhong really not wrong?! Yu Qian, who had finally come to his senses, was momentarily stunned.

How could one person possibly drive away, or even defeat, more than ten thousand cavalrymen?! Upon hearing this news, Yu Qian's mind went completely blank; he simply couldn't understand the logic behind it.

But as soon as Fan Zhong finished speaking, Yang Shiqi continued to speak.

"Yu Qian, back in the reign of Emperor Taizong, the Crown Prince of Han made great contributions, and Emperor Taizong bestowed upon him an entire ocean-going fleet. After the Crown Prince of Han was enfeoffed in Yunnan during the reign of Emperor Renzong, he demanded ships from the court and threatened to occupy Guangdong and Guangxi if the court did not provide them. Thus, I made my first mission to Yunnan, and it was also at that time that, with the Crown Prince of Han's permission, I witnessed that terrible secret and was given this ring by the Crown Prince of Han."

The reason I summoned you to Yunnan is to let you know this secret and prepare to succeed me as the next prime minister.

At the same time, it is also hoped that after you know this secret, you can try your best to restrain the Emperor's willful and reckless nature. Do everything possible to prevent the Crown Prince of Han from having any excuse to start a rebellion." Yang Shiqi also recounted when he first learned the secret and the process of obtaining the ring.

"That secret!" After hearing Yang Shiqi and Fan Zhong's words, Yu Qian also realized that this so-called secret might really be shocking, to the point that someone needed to restrain the emperor's behavior to prevent the Han Prince's Mansion from using this terrible secret in anger!

"However, now that you, Yu Qian, have received a ring from the Prince of Han, it will be much easier to find out this secret."

"Furthermore, given your status, you'll have an even better chance of speaking with the Crown Prince of Han." At this moment, Fan Zhong said to Yu Qian with a look of relief, his words full of joy.

"Not only that, but it will also make negotiations with the Crown Prince of Han easier."

Rumor has it that the Crown Prince of Han treated his brothers and sisters in the palace very well. He forced the men to study literature and martial arts, and the women required the steward to study literature.

"Minister Yu, this time, I'm afraid we'll have to take advantage of your status as the brother-in-law of the Crown Prince of Han." Yang Shiqi wholeheartedly agreed with Fan Zhong's words. Furthermore, Yang Shiqi greatly admired the Crown Prince's strict management of his siblings, believing that this truly embodied the principle of an elder brother acting as a father!

"no.,

"You two." Yu Qian was also a little confused at this moment, suddenly realizing that the ring on his hand was a token of trust from the Crown Prince of Han;
They also knew that this ring was the key to the ultimate secret of the Ming Dynasty;

Now, Yu Qian was being pressured by two colleagues who placed high hopes on his ability to persuade the Crown Prince of Han. The sheer volume of information flooding his mind overwhelmed him.

"Yu Qian, since we've come this far, let's be frank." Given the current situation, Yang Shiqi decided to tell Yu Qian some things he had been keeping hidden, so that Yu Qian could better navigate the court in the future. Because Yang Shiqi wasn't sure if he would even survive his journey to Yunnan!
"General Fan, keep watch around. I need to speak with Vice Minister Yu for a few minutes." Yang Shiqi asked Fan Zhong to help keep watch over the surroundings.

“No problem!” Although he didn’t know what Yang Shiqi wanted to say to Yu Qian, Fan Zhong wasn’t curious at all. After all, in officialdom, the more you know, the shorter your life often is! So, Fan Zhong obediently listened to Yang Shiqi’s words and turned to leave.

"Please speak, Grand Secretary Yang." Seeing Fan Zhong leave and the soldiers who had surrounded them disperse, Yu Qian asked Yang Shiqi with some curiosity. Yu Qian was also curious about what Grand Secretary Yang wanted to say to him.

"Yu Qian, we went through thick and thin together back in Yumuchuan, so there are some things I won't hide from you."

"Back then, at Yumu River, I, Yang Shiqi, the Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty, defied the imperial decree!" Yang Shiqi looked around to make sure no one was around before sitting upright on his horse and speaking to Yu Qian in a gentle yet serious tone.

(End of this chapter)