Da Ming: I told you to die for your cause, why are you actually going to die?

Chapter 133 Old Zhu: Zhang Biao! Us! Damn it! [Bonus Chapter 2 for Alliance Leader S]

Inside the Hall of Literary Glory, the flickering candlelight cast the gaunt figure of Old Zhu onto the massive screen, making him appear somewhat lonely.

He was reviewing a memorial concerning the provisions and pay for the border towns, but his brow was furrowed and his brush remained in place for a long time, clearly indicating that he was restless.

Zhang Biao's confession was delayed, Fu Youwen and his cronies were making a ruckus, and Shen Lang and the other four were suspended from their duties...

Yingtian Prefecture was like a pot of oil about to boil, making him extremely irritable.

At this moment, Yunming quietly stepped forward and reported in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has sent word from the Eastern Palace... His Highness Prince Yunwen and the two princesses wish to visit Madam Chang's former residence in the capital tomorrow to pay their respects."

"Ok?"

Old Zhu paused slightly in his grip on the pen.

Lady Chang was his eldest daughter-in-law, the first wife of Crown Prince Zhu Biao, and the biological mother of the brothers Zhu Xiong Ying and Zhu Yun Tong.

He was a virtuous and kind person, but unfortunately he died young, which was a great regret in his heart for the Zhu Biao lineage.

It is only natural for Yun-hu and her siblings to pay respects to their biological mother.

But going to worship at this time...

A barely perceptible glint flashed in his eyes. Without looking up, he asked in a low voice, "What are the arrangements for the Lü family?"

"Your Majesty."

Yunming said calmly, "Consort Lü has prepared all the sacrificial offerings and ceremonial regalia. Everything is being done in accordance with regulations, without the slightest negligence."

At this point, he glanced cautiously at Old Zhu, then bowed and said:
"Consort Lü also specifically instructed that if Prince Yuntong and his siblings miss their mother and wish to stay at the Chang family's old residence for a while longer, or even for a day or two, to see the scene of their mother's former life and to remember the glory of the Chang family, it would be perfectly acceptable for them to fulfill their filial piety."

"Humph!"

After hearing this, Old Zhu let out a barely audible hum.

Lady Lü's arrangement was flawless, showing great thoughtfulness and consideration on the surface. It not only demonstrated her magnanimity and virtue as the current head of the Eastern Palace, but also fulfilled the filial piety of Yunhu and his sister, leaving no room for criticism.

But he was well aware of the subtleties of court intrigue.

The more 'virtuous' Lady Lü was, the more distant and repressed Yunhu and her brother probably felt.

After all, their biological mother was Madam Chang.

Even though Madam Lü was outwardly very considerate to them, she was ultimately not their biological mother.

Moreover, no one can say for sure how much of this kindness is genuine and how much is fake.

In addition, recent events have involved high-ranking officials and nobles, and may also implicate the Duke of the Founding Kingdom's mansion. They will not only not be happy, but may also be filled with fear.

Biao'er... if you and Madam Chang were still here, the children wouldn't have to go through this...

An indescribable grief and pity for the eldest son and direct descendants welled up in her heart, dispelling her previous agitation.

He lost his best son, and his virtuous eldest daughter-in-law, and all that's left are his grandchildren...

Thinking of this, Old Zhu thought of the 'prospective crown prince' on whom he had placed high hopes.

Well then, I'll do my part to show my filial piety.

"Yes, the Lü family has made proper arrangements."

Old Zhu's voice revealed no emotion:
"Let's do as she says. Send more reliable people to follow them and protect them well, so as not to disturb the children's filial piety."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Yunming bowed and accepted the order, but did not leave immediately. After a slight hesitation, he added:
"Your Majesty, should we give additional instructions... to keep an eye on the old residence, inside and out?"

He meant that covert surveillance was needed to ensure safety and prevent any other incidents.

After all, this has been a turbulent time, and it's inevitable that some people will use this matter to stir up trouble.

Old Zhu naturally understood Yunming's meaning. He remained silent for a moment, then finally waved his hand: "Approved. Go ahead, keep an eye on things, and don't disturb us unless necessary."

"According to the order."

Yunming was finally relieved and quietly withdrew to make the arrangements.

Soon, silence returned to the hall.

Old Zhu put down his vermilion brush, leaned back slightly, and closed his eyes.

The image of his eldest son Zhu Biao's kind yet slightly worried face, and the gentle Chang Shi standing beside him, involuntarily came to mind.

Biao'er, Chang Shi...

You are all good people; it's our fault for not protecting the children you left behind...

Over the years, we've always focused our attention on Yunwen. Even though Yunhuo isn't a good kid, we should still take care of him a bit more...

It's my fault for letting you down...
He had high hopes for Zhu Biao and loved him dearly.

The successive departures of Zhu Biao and Madam Chang left him with a deep and unhealed wound.

At this moment, his pity for his grandchildren and his remembrance of his deceased son and daughter-in-law intertwined, softening his hardened heart for a rare moment, and allowing him to temporarily set aside the disputes in the court.

However, just as Old Zhu was immersed in this brief, sentimental warmth, a series of extremely hurried, even frantic, footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

The footsteps were so unseemly that they instantly pulled Old Zhu back to reality from his grief, and he frowned in displeasure.

Jiang Huan, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, stumbled in as if he had lost his soul, without being announced.

His face was ashen, his official hat askew, and his breathing was rapid, as if he had just been pulled out of the water. He had completely lost his usual cold and composed demeanor.

Several guards followed behind him, looking terrified, wanting to stop him but not daring to.

Old Zhu's heart sank.

Jiang Huan was a trusted confidant whom he had personally promoted, known for his ruthlessness and composure. What could possibly frighten him so much?!

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Jiang Huan knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling violently with extreme fear, even tinged with sobs: "This sinful subject deserves to die... that Zhang Biao... he..." Seeing Jiang Huan's terrified appearance, and recalling his earlier longing for Zhu Biao and Chang Shi, the ominous premonition in Old Zhu's heart suddenly magnified to its extreme.

He sat bolt upright, his eyes instantly bloodshot, and shouted sharply:

"What's wrong with him?! Tell me!"

Jiang Huan lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to look directly at Old Zhu. He could only muster all his strength to utter, haltingly and with immense difficulty, the earth-shattering words:

"He...he asked His Highness the Crown Prince...how exactly did he die back then...did he...just...die of illness..."

Boom——!
Thunder!

It was like a thunderbolt from the heavens!
At that moment, it struck Old Zhu precisely on the head.

That flippant, malicious question formed an incredibly cruel and sharp contrast with his earlier recollections of his beloved son and daughter-in-law.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

Old Zhu's expression froze instantly.

He was completely petrified!
He was completely taken aback!
It was as if I had heard it wrongly!
Those eyes, which had just been immersed in grief and remembrance, suddenly widened to their limit!

The sorrow, weariness, and forgiveness within...

All emotions were instantly torn apart and annihilated by an indescribable, immense shock, a deep-seated pain, and a forcibly awakened, extremely secretive suspicion that even he himself feared!
The vermilion brush in his hand fell with a 'snap' onto the memorial, staining a large area of text red, as if it were weeping blood.

The entire Huagai Hall fell into a deathly, suffocating silence.

The only sounds were Old Zhu's suddenly unusually heavy, labored breathing, like a broken bellows, and Jiang Huan's uncontrollable trembling as she lay prostrate on the ground.

Tick tock!

Water droplets kept falling from the eaves!
The leaves outside the window rustled in the wind.

The candlelight was almost extinguished in the last wisp of air.

It seemed like a century had passed.

Old Zhu slowly, extremely slowly, stood up.

His body was trembling slightly, the muscles in his face were twitching, and his eyes had turned bloodshot as he stared intently at Jiang Huan kneeling on the ground.

After a moment, his voice was hoarse and low, as if it came from the deepest hell, filled with endless killing intent and a kind of almost insane obsession, as he asked, "What else did that bastard Zhang Biao say?"

Every word seemed to be ground out from between teeth, carrying a bloody smell.

That's all.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan trembled even more violently:
"This guilty subject dared not let him continue... and immediately came to report to the Emperor..."

"Humph!"

Old Zhu snorted coldly, but didn't say anything more.

He simply stood there, like a statue whose soul had been instantly drained, or like a volcano accumulating all sorrow and anger, about to destroy everything.

The tender memories he had previously cherished of his son and daughter-in-law now felt like the sharpest knife, repeatedly ripping at his heart.

In the twenty-fifth year of the Hongwu reign, after returning from an inspection tour of Shaanxi, Crown Prince Zhu Biao fell ill and eventually passed away.

Although the official cause of his death has been determined, whether there are other hidden reasons has always been the biggest pain and mystery buried in Lao Zhu's heart.

And now, Zhang Biao, this madman, this monster!

How could he know?
How much does he actually know?!

Is he toying with us? Or... does he really know something?!

Countless thoughts, suspicions, fears, and anger... exploded wildly in Lao Zhu's mind!

"Get out—!"

Old Zhu's voice was unusually calm, yet more terrifying than any roar.

Jiang Huan felt as if he had been granted a pardon and scrambled out of the room.

The empty hall was now empty except for Old Zhu.

He slammed his fist hard onto the hard imperial desk.

His hand instantly split open, bleeding profusely, but he seemed completely oblivious.

In his eyes, there was only a frenzied killing intent and an obsession with uncovering the truth.

"Zhang—Biao—I! Damn it!"

A low growl, suppressed to the extreme yet powerful enough to make even ghosts and gods weep, echoed through the Hall of Literary Glory.

This stone not only muddied the waters, but also directly pierced through the most vulnerable and untouchable taboo in his heart.

How could he not know that this was Zhang Biao's scheme!
How could he not know that Zhang Biao had absolutely no conclusive evidence to prove that Crown Prince Zhu Biao died from any other cause!
But he simply couldn't ignore the mystery surrounding his beloved son's death; he was utterly incapable of ignoring it!

This is a naked conspiracy!
A ruthless and vicious scheme that had his Achilles' heel!

Therefore, he was extremely angry, frustrated, and even wanted to go completely insane!

"Hahahaha-!"

A burst of indescribable, maniacal laughter, followed by angry curses, suddenly echoed from the main hall. Jiang Huan, who was outside the hall, and the imperial guards guarding the gate turned pale and couldn't help but kneel down with a thud, trembling.

……

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　Thoughts came flooding in, so I had no choice but to type this chapter on my phone! I probably won't be able to add any more chapters in the next day or two!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)