Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 111 The mantis stalks the cicada, Lao Zhu is behind
"Breaking news, Wu Liang has probably already discovered that the stolen ships have been discovered."

At noon today, Gao Fushun, the head steward of Wu Liang's household, went to Taoyuan Residence to see Wu Liang.

A moment later, Wu Liang came out of Taoyuan Residence and got into the carriage without saying a word.

Gao Fushun boarded the carriage and traveled with Wu Liang.

Half an hour later, the carriage changed course several times before stopping at Panjia Lane.

Gao Fushun got off the bus.

Wu Liang traveled by carriage all the way back to the Jiangshui Waterway Administration Office.

Gao Fushun then summoned the three men to Niubidao Street.

One person boarded a speedboat and went downstream.

One person headed east by land.

One of them went to find a timber merchant, took some timber, and went to the Longjiang Shipyard…

After leaving the firearms camp, Liu Ying immediately lowered his voice and reported to Zhu Yuanzhang.

The voice sounded very serious.

This is an unexpected and unforeseen situation.

The extremely serious kind.

If not handled properly, it could lead to a major disaster.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang paused in his tracks.

That bastard Wu Liang reacted quickly.

It was worth all the effort I put into nurturing him!
Unfortunately, the things I learned back then are now being used against me.

These three groups of people, heading east by water and land, were likely all lying in wait for Wu Zhen and sending him messages.

As for those who took the timber to Longjiang Shipyard, their purpose was naturally to pass on the news to the shipyard's director.

Emergency measures were taken to destroy the evidence.

They were all heroes who had fought alongside him to conquer the world. They dared to collude with each other to cheat him out of the huge profits of the Maritime Trade Office, making him abolish the Maritime Trade Office.

They even dared to secretly sell a two-thousand-ton large ship, which is now considered a powerful weapon to suppress the seas, from the Longjiang Shipyard to pirates.

So now that they've discovered the shady dealings they've been up to, it's only natural that they would immediately set fire to the warehouse.

This method of dealing with audits and balancing accounts, though crude, has long been proven effective.

Otherwise, it wouldn't repeat itself time and time again.

"Immediately investigate where the problem occurred and how Wu Liang obtained the information."

Zhu Yuanzhang gave Liu Ying some instructions and continued on his way.

This matter was very important to Zhu Yuanzhang.

We need to figure this out.

It turns out that someone within the Embroidered Uniform Guard betrayed them, deliberately leaking information and causing the news to slip through their fingers.

During the operation, someone was inadvertently discovered by Wu Liang's men.

Or perhaps it was someone outside the Embroidered Uniform Guard who knew the inside story, or some clever person who guessed it, who leaked the information to Wu Liang.

Different outcomes naturally bring different meanings, and the corresponding solutions are also different.

As for anything else, Zhu Yuanzhang gave no instructions.

He seemed completely unconcerned.

It wasn't that Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care; rather, he had already made some arrangements beforehand.

Before considering victory, one must consider defeat. Having fought for half his life, and now possessing the ability of foresight, how could Zhu Yuanzhang not consider the fact that Wu Liang and others had already foreseen it?
How could Zhu Yuanzhang not have made contingency plans for such an important place as the Longjiang Shipyard?

Wu Liang wanted to make a move at this time and burn the warehouse with fire? How could that be possible?

The situation seemed to have taken an unexpected turn, but for Zhu Yuanzhang, it was not entirely unexpected.

……

After speaking to Chang Jinshu at the Longjiang Shipyard and receiving a positive reply, Zhao Tiesheng immediately told the merchants who had come to deliver timber to leave quickly.

He didn't want to stay in this troublesome place for even a second longer.

If possible, he wouldn't even want to come here to deliver a message to Chang Jinshu.

Once you get involved with this, your whole family could die if you're not careful!

Unfortunately, he had no choice at all.

Old Gao assigned him this task, and no matter how unwilling he was, he had to grit his teeth and do it.

Fortunately, the mission was completed smoothly without any mishaps.

"Sir, this... we haven't paid yet."

The leading merchant said with a troubled expression.

Merchants are indeed driven by profit!

"Do you think I'd shortchange you?"

Zhao Tiesheng snorted in dissatisfaction.

He took out a money pouch from his pocket, took out a piece of silver from it, and tossed it to the merchant.

"Is it enough?"

The man could tell from the weight of the silver that it was substantial, and a quick glance revealed that there was nothing wrong with it.

"That's enough, that's more than enough. You're a very straightforward person, sir."

"It's truly a stroke of luck for us lowly servants to be able to work for the master."

Precious metals like gold and silver have historically been associated with monetary attributes.

The main currency of the Ming Dynasty is still copper coins.

However, for large transactions or for wealthy families who found copper coins too heavy to carry, they would carry some gold and silver with them.

It can still be used.

Zhao Tiesheng was eager to leave and didn't want to bother arguing with these shallow peddlers.

He simply told them to hurry up and follow him.

When he arrived at the gate of Longjiang Shipyard, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, feeling much more relaxed.

But the next moment, he changed his mind.

A rumbling sound could be heard.

A large cavalry force galloped in.

Judging from their flags, they are none other than the Embroidered Uniform Guard, whose infamous reputation has spread far and wide now that the Empty Seal Case has been settled!
Zhao Tiesheng's hair stood on end instantly!

I got goosebumps all over my body.

Jinyiwei?
It's actually the Embroidered Uniform Guards?

The Imperial Guards arrived so quickly!
Finished!

It's all over!

Terrified, he stood frozen in place for a moment before turning and running away.

He just wanted to hide far away, hoping that the Imperial Guards wouldn't see him.

Unfortunately, this idea is simply unrealistic.

The young Jinyiwei general at the head of the group had eyes that flashed like lightning.

His eyes were like those of a hawk.

Upon seeing his movement, he immediately drew his bow and nocked an arrow on horseback. As soon as the bowstring twanged, an arrow arrived and struck him squarely in the back of the knee.

Zhao Tiesheng screamed and fell to the ground.

He still struggled to get up, as a horse galloped by.

He was a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who had left the main force to arrive.

He bent down on the horse and reached out to scoop the man onto its back.

Before Zhao Tiesheng could react, the dizziness that had been making him spin around hadn't subsided when a sharp pain followed.

These were knights from the Imperial Guard, who had cleanly and efficiently dislocated both of his arms!

That wasn't all; they also roughly pried open his mouth to check under his tongue or inside his teeth for any hidden medicine pouches.

It's clear they are very professional.

They didn't even give him the chance to commit suicide.

"Who goes there? How dare you trespass on Longjiang Shipyard?"

The team leader, who was eager to make progress, was now personally seeing Zhao Tiesheng and the merchants who were transporting timber out.

Upon seeing this scene, he immediately stood in front of the heavy gate, shouted loudly, and appeared majestic.

He truly possessed the aura of one man holding off ten thousand cavalry.

One reason for this is that he was so eager to improve.

Another reason is that he was on duty today.

Guarding the gate here is my duty.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is ordered by the Emperor to investigate major cases, and no one is allowed to obstruct them!"
Otherwise, they will be punished as accomplices!
Get out of here!

The leading Jinyiwei general had already hung the bow back up.

Holding the horse's reins in one hand and a long spear in the other, he shouted orders.

As the magnificent warhorse gallops in, its imposing presence is truly awe-inspiring.

Faced with this situation, the captain was not afraid at all. He still stood in front of them, his face full of anger, glaring at the approaching Imperial Guards.

With his mind filled with thoughts of utter ruin and complete destruction, Zhao Tiesheng, who was also caught off guard by the sight before him, was taken aback.

Then, boundless admiration arose in my heart.

I misjudged him before.

I really misjudged it!
Who would have thought that this seemingly mercenary guy would be so courageous and reliable in a crucial moment!

He was ready to hear this loyal and righteous man angrily denounce the traitors at this moment.

He was determined to shout "Good!" even at the cost of his life.

Lan Yu's expression was also cold and stern, and he was ready to strike with his spear.

But then the fearless team leader roared angrily, full of momentum: "Fine, I'll get out of here!!!"

As soon as the voice fell, the person had already moved aside.

It was so decisive and efficient.

Even after dodging to the side, it still exudes an imposing aura.

"Dry!"

Zhao Tiesheng, who was about to burst into applause, abruptly changed his demeanor.

Lan Yu, who was about to unleash his spear, forced himself to hold back.

"grass!"

Even though he was on official business, he couldn't help but swear.

He had never seen anyone with such a domineering air utter such cowardly words.

The key point is that after shouting those words and doing those things, this guy still stood to the side, still exuding the same imposing aura.

Damn it, when you live long enough, you'll encounter all sorts of weird people and weird things!
They ignored the timber merchants who had stepped aside and were cowering in fear.

Lan Yu slowed his horse down and quickly passed through the city gate and entered the shipyard.

The shipyard was built very solidly; it was like a fortress.

If the city gates are closed and there are soldiers guarding them, it will be difficult to get in, even by force, for a while.

But at this moment, Lan Yu chose the perfect time. Taking advantage of the city gates being wide open, he rode straight in, giving them no chance to close the gates.

A large contingent of Imperial Guards followed Lan Yu as he filed in.

As for the imposing troop leader and the dozen or so timber merchants who were completely terrified, the Imperial Guards following behind were in charge of controlling them.

Upon entering the shipyard, without Lan Yu giving any further instructions, the Embroidered Uniform Guards immediately split into several groups.

One group went to take over the city's defenses.

One team headed straight for the shipyard's dry dock and the area where materials were stored.

One team controlled the craftsmen and other personnel, maintained order, and prevented anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to cause trouble.

Lan Yu, on the other hand, led a group of people and went to the accounting office in person.

We must take control of these key areas as soon as possible.

This shows that Lan Yu had been planning this operation for a long time.

……

"In a moment, you will all listen to my command and immediately go and set the fire."

Make sure to light enough fires and make them burn big enough!

Chang Jinshu looked at the four people in front of him and gave them instructions with a serious expression.

"what?"

"No... why are they going to burn down the shipyard?"

This is a capital offense!

Upon hearing Chang Jinshu's words, the people present were instantly stunned.

Why burn down a perfectly good shipyard?

This is the foundation upon which they live and make a living!

"A capital offense? Not burning it now would be a capital offense!"

The emperor has already learned about our business of reselling ships, and I'm afraid it won't be long before someone comes to investigate.

Don't you know what kind of temper the current emperor has?

How many officials were killed recently?
If the emperor finds out about this, how can we possibly fare well?
Each and every one of them must have their entire family executed!

Chang Jinshu lowered his voice and growled at them with a ferocious expression.

It must be said that Zhu Yuanzhang was universally praised for his killing of corrupt officials.

Chang Jinshu's words immediately persuaded those who had been extremely surprised and unwilling to do these things.

"How...how did the emperor know about this?"

One of them asked, still somewhat unwilling.

"How would I know how the emperor knew?"
It's not surprising that the emperor, with his extraordinary abilities, would discover these things.
The key now is to quickly burn down the warehouses, docks, and accounting offices—these crucial locations—to destroy the evidence!

Chang Jinshu roared again in a low voice, his face contorted with excitement.

Upon hearing this, the others readily agreed and asked no further questions.

Chang Jinshu then assigned them tasks.

Some people went to burn down the warehouses, some went to burn down the shipyards, but he personally burned down the accounting office.

His face was contorted with rage. Since the emperor wouldn't allow them to live their lives, then they shouldn't live them at all!

If such an important place as the shipyard were to be burned down, I imagine the emperor would be heartbroken.
Just then, a commotion erupted, shouts and clashes of armor and weapons rang out from outside.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is acting on imperial orders to investigate and prosecute the theft and sale of ships!"

"No one is allowed to move! Anyone who violates this rule will be punished as an equal!"

A stern, authoritative voice followed.

Chang Jinshu's expression immediately changed drastically!
The ferocity on his face had disappeared.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has arrived?
Did the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrive so quickly?

"Quickly! Quickly! Carry out the order immediately! We must get the fire going, no matter what!"

He shouted loudly.

He then flung open the door and rushed outside.

But once they rushed outside, they discovered that things weren't as they had imagined.

Instead of immediately arresting people, the Imperial Guards headed straight for key locations.

They weren't even given a chance to take advantage of the chaos to start a fire!
"Prefect, what...what do we do now?"

One of them looked at Chang Jinshu and asked, his expression filled with panic.

“Go back inside immediately, climb out the back window, and wait for an opportunity to set the fire.”

I'll delay them!

Chang Jinshu made a decisive decision.

"Go!!!"

Seeing that the others were still hesitating, he roared in a low voice, his aura terrifying.

Several people, who had been bewildered by the series of unexpected events, hurriedly agreed and returned to the house to act as Chang Jinshu had instructed.

Chang Jinshu took a deep breath, took out a medicine bottle from his pocket, poured out a pill, chewed it hard, and swallowed it.

He strode forward.

"Who dares to cause trouble at my shipyard!"

He shouted angrily.

"Is there no law anymore?! Is there no law left?!"

His voice was impassioned and full of momentum.

However, the numerous Imperial Guards were all acting swiftly and systematically according to their orders, completely ignoring him.

Only five or six people came toward him.

"Who are you?"

The head of the Imperial Guards looked at Chang Jinshu and asked him a question.

"Chang Jinshu, Director of the Longjiang Shipyard!"

"Take it!"

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard waved his hand and gave the order directly, without saying a word of unnecessary nonsense.

Chang Jinshu paused for a moment.

Are the Embroidered Uniform Guards really that domineering?
Not even a chance to explain?
Five Imperial Guards immediately rushed forward and surrounded Chang Jinshu.

They shot Chang Jinshu out of the blue and captured him.

"I am a high-ranking official, what right do you have to arrest me?"

He struggled fiercely, glaring angrily.

"You know perfectly well why we arrested you!"
Stop bringing up official positions here. Even the Minister of Revenue can be arrested if he breaks the law!

The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard refused to yield an inch.

With a wave of his hand, he turned and headed towards Lan Yu, with several Imperial Guards following behind, holding Chang Jinshu back.

Chang Jinshu felt remorseful.

If he had known that the Embroidered Uniform Guard was so unreasonable, he would never have taken the initiative to step forward and try to buy time, given that his position as a high-ranking official was useless.

We should have climbed through the back window with those guys and waited for an opportunity to set the fire!

Lan Yu walked out of the accounting room, searched it, and after confirming that no one was hiding inside and that it would not catch fire, she came out.

He had someone lock the door, and he kept the key himself.

Arrange for people to surround the area.

Looking elsewhere, there was no sign of smoke or fire yet, which put my mind at ease.

Ignoring Chang Jinshu who was being escorted over, Lan Yu stood there straight and motionless, a sword at her waist and a spear in her hand.

He was as ruthless as the gun in his hand.

A moment later, several people came to report that they had completely taken control of the shipyard, warehouses, city defenses, and all the craftsmen, soldiers, and other personnel.

Lan Yu then stopped what she was doing and turned her gaze to Chang Jinshu.

"Why did you have to do this? There are so many other things you could do."

Not only did they steal from their own comrades, but they also sold the large ship to pirates.

You really dare to think of and do something like that!

“I…I didn’t want to do this either. My son got sick, and we spent a lot of money seeking medical treatment, but he still couldn’t be cured.”

Every day, huge sums of money are being spent, and he's only staying alive because of medication.

The day I run out of money, my son will be gone too.

What can I do?
What can I do?

Chang Jinshu's eyes were red and her voice was trembling with tears.

Lan Yu was slightly taken aback.

"That's no reason to sell the ship to pirates!"

He took a breath and hardened himself again.

“If I don’t do this, my son will be gone.”

So, what would you do if you encountered something like this?

He looked at Lan Yu and questioned her.

"I sympathize with your situation, but breaking the law is breaking the law, and the law does not tolerate leniency!"

If you do something wrong, you have to pay the price!

Moreover, aren't there other people involved? Like your boss, the Marquis of Jiangyin!

Lan Yu's expression turned cold again.

“I did all of these things myself. I deceived my superiors and subordinates. I have let down the Marquis and His Majesty…”

He said this through tears.

His body was trembling uncontrollably.

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Stop pretending. You're just a scapegoat who's been pushed out to die."

Things have come to this point, there's no need to think about covering for anyone or making excuses for anyone anymore.

Say everything that needs to be said.

If you have a good attitude, I might be able to plead with His Highness the Crown Prince to have the imperial physicians treat your son.

"real?!"

Chang Jinshu straightened up considerably after bending over.

Looking at Lan Yu, his eyes shone brightly.

"of course it's true."

Lan Yu nodded.

“My brother-in-law is the Prince of Kaiping.”

Upon hearing this, Lan Yu unconsciously tilted her head upwards.

Upon hearing Lan Yu introduce himself, Chang Jinshu immediately believed what Lan Yu said.

He knew who the Prince of Kaiping was.

The famous Chang Shiwan.

The current Crown Princess is the daughter of the Prince of Kaiping and also Lan Yu's niece.

According to kinship, even His Highness the Crown Prince must call Lan Yu "uncle".

If Lan Yu were to personally plead with His Highness the Crown Prince to have the imperial physician treat his son, it wouldn't be a lie.

But... the Marquis has treated me just as well...

Chang Jinshu was caught in a fierce internal struggle, his body trembling more and more violently, and sweat pouring down his forehead.

His lips also turned bluish.

After a moment of silence, he finally made up his mind.

"Okay, I...I'll talk about it, this is...wow..."

He opened his mouth in a hoarse voice, but before he could finish speaking, he suddenly vomited a large amount of dark blood.

Blood was also constantly gushing from the eyes, nose, and ears.

The highly toxic substance I ingested not long ago has taken effect.
"Who is it? Speak up!"

Lan Yu called out a question.

But it's unknown what kind of drug this person had taken before, because once it took effect, it became so domineering.

They didn't even give him a chance to speak!
Chang Jinshu tried desperately to speak, but only black blood kept gushing out of his mouth.

It can only make some useless noises.

And after just a few breaths, the person went silent.

His bleeding eyes held endless regret and pleading.

Upon seeing this, Lan Yu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly stepped forward and kicked Chang Jinshu twice.

"You son of a bitch, couldn't you have died a little later! Couldn't you have spoken sooner!"

He shouted angrily.

Although Chang Jinshu didn't say it, he knew that this matter was inextricably linked to the brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang.

However, if one could hear the names Wu Zhen and Wu Liang from Chang Jinshu's mouth, the meaning would naturally be different.

After kicking and cursing, Lan Yu took a deep breath and looked at Chang Jinshu, who was now completely still, and said:
"You did such a thing and then took all the blame upon yourself."

Your son, and the rest of your family members, I'm afraid they won't be able to survive either.

"If...your family can be spared, I will speak to His Highness the Crown Prince about this matter and request the imperial physician to treat your son."

After saying this, he took his gun and walked to the side.

Soon, several more people were arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, all acting on Chang Jinshu's orders to set fires as the opportunity arose.

Lan Yu held his gun and looked toward the gate of Longjiang Shipyard, his expression cold.

The fire at the shipyard didn't start as expected. Wu Liang must be worried, right?
This old guy should be panicking now, right?

Even with His Majesty still alive, they dare to be so arrogant and domineering, they really don't know what death means!

Did he really think that his status as a founding marquis was enough to allow him to do whatever he wanted?
……

At the Jiangshui Waterway Administration, Wu Liang, who had just returned, was drinking honey water in large gulps.

I feel much more relaxed now.

Although things were unexpected, fortunately, I had already made arrangements.

Next, if the shipyard catches fire, all the blame will be placed on Chang Chin-shu, and he will be accused of committing suicide out of fear of punishment.

Then everything will make sense...

"Master, not long after Zhao Tiesheng went in, a large contingent of Imperial Guards poured into the shipyard."

The fire at the shipyard didn't break out!

"Clap!"

The bowl in Wu Liang's hand fell to the ground and shattered into several pieces...

(End of this chapter)