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

Chapter 141 Old Zhu got cuckolded? [Seeking monthly votes]

Fu Youwen's residence.

The atmosphere in the study was extremely heavy.

Fu Youwen, Ru Chang, Zheng Ci, and Zhai Shan met secretly again, their faces turning extremely grim, with even a hint of barely perceptible fear in their eyes.

"Rumors! Rumors are everywhere!"

Ru Chang wiped the cold sweat from her forehead:
"There are all sorts of rumors! They've even dragged the Crown Prince into it! The Emperor has started interfering with the Ministry of Justice too. Has he been listening to something?"

Zheng Ci's face turned pale, and he couldn't help but say:

"Could it be that Zhang Biao, that madman, was spouting nonsense in prison and it got out?"

"Rumors are more dangerous than tigers! Especially when they involve..."

Zhai Shan didn't explicitly point to the Crown Prince, but his eyes were filled with worry: "That kind of thing... Now the Emperor's attitude is unclear. Were we too hasty before?"

Fu Youwen's face was gloomy, and his fingers gripped the teacup tightly until his knuckles turned white.

He had planned everything meticulously, but he never expected Zhang Biao to have this trick up his sleeve.

Even more unexpected was the emperor's bizarre reaction.

"Why panic!"

Fu Youwen forced himself to remain calm, but his voice trembled slightly.

"Rumors stop with the wise! Without evidence, it's all just empty talk! That iron box still hasn't been found, has it?"

After saying this, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes:

"The most urgent task is to find Zhao Fengman immediately, retrieve the iron box, and destroy it!"

"Furthermore, stop Li Mo and Wu Naida from spreading rumors!"

"But...we don't know where they are right now," Zheng Ci hesitated. "How can we stop them?"

"Hmph! You can run away from the monk, but you can't hide from the temple!"

Fu Youwen's tone was chilling: "Aren't there still two people locked up in the Ministry of Justice's prison? Let's use the Ministry of Justice's name to thoroughly investigate accomplices and search their residences to deter those who are secretly helping them spread rumors! As for Zhao Fengman..."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over the other three, and he said in an unquestionable manner, "Use all the resources at our disposal, and dig three feet into the ground to find him!"

"You want to see people alive, you want to see corpses when you're dead!"

"If necessary, we must contact the Prince and the Duke. If they don't take action, we'll all die!"

Upon hearing this, the other three exchanged bewildered glances.

This matter is rapidly spiraling out of their control.

In the following period, Shen Lang and Sun Gui's time in the Ministry of Justice prison became increasingly difficult due to Lao Zhu's further interference.

The food was sometimes available and sometimes not, and it was always stale, cold leftovers.

The cell was cold and damp, with only a thin, musty-smelling tattered blanket at night.

Even more terrifying.

The jailers would interrogate them irregularly late at night, just sitting there bombarding them with all sorts of questions, not allowing them to rest, trying to break them down mentally.

In just a few days, the two of them became noticeably thinner and more haggard, with sunken eyes and chapped lips.

"Damn it... if you've got the guts, give me a quick death!"

Sun Gui leaned against the cold wall, cursing in a hoarse voice, but the ferocity in his eyes did not diminish.

Shen Lang's condition was worse; his injuries ached from the cold and malnutrition, but he still tried his best to stay conscious.

"They're wearing us down...trying to break us, to make us reveal the whereabouts of the iron box...or...accuse Brother Biao and Li Mo..."

"dream!"

Sun Gui spat, "I'd rather die than betray my brothers!"

Shen Lang nodded with difficulty, but a deep worry flashed in his eyes.

How long can they hold out? Where exactly is Fengman? Are Li Mo and Wu Naida safe?
the other side.

In Guansu Alley near Chengtianmen.

"Search! Search thoroughly for me!"

A senior official from the Ministry of Justice shouted sternly, "We have received a secret report that the wanted criminals Shen Lang, Sun Gui, and others are meeting in secret here to hide stolen goods and evidence!"

The constables rushed into the house like wolves, ransacking and looting, turning the already impoverished courtyard upside down in no time.

However, they found nothing.

"Sir! Nothing suspicious has been found!" the squad leader reported.

The official in charge of the Ministry of Justice had a gloomy face, his sharp gaze sweeping over every corner.

His orders were to find some 'conclusive' evidence of their crimes, but he never expected these little bastards to be so cunning.

"Seal off this place!"

He roared in a fit of rage:

"Send more men to keep a close watch on all the streets in this area! If any accomplices of Shen Lang, Sun Gui, or other wanted criminals are discovered, arrest them immediately!"

At the same time, purges were also quietly carried out within the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel, the Hanlin Academy, and the Censorate.

The old clerk in charge of the old archives of the Hanlin Academy that Li Mo tried to contact was forcibly "persuaded" to retire and "go home to enjoy his retirement" that afternoon because he was "too old and lacked energy." In reality, he was placed under house arrest.

Wu Naida's secret contact with his colleagues in the Ministry of Personnel was suddenly discovered to have embezzled office funds, and he was immediately thrown into the Ministry of Justice prison, his fate unknown.

Even the colleagues who had previously been in contact with Shen Lang and Sun Gui, including the street thugs who had been in contact with Zhao Fengman, had all disappeared without a trace.

Fu Youwen and his team's counterattack was precise, ruthless, and merciless, instantly severing Li Mo and Wu Naida's operational routes.

The news quickly reached Li Mo and Wu Naida, who had reunited, through clandestine channels.

"Grass mud horse!"

Wu Nai was so angry that he couldn't help but curse, and his face turned ashen.
“Our power in the government is too weak. With just a word from them, they can destroy us.”

"Now the Shuntian Prefecture and the Ministry of Justice are openly arresting us."

Li Mo said with deep concern: "The original operating lines have also been cut off, and we can hardly move an inch."

An atmosphere of despair once again enveloped the cellar.

"This is not the way to go!"

Wu Naida said anxiously in a low voice:
"Fu Youwen and his gang are like mad dogs! If we keep hiding, they'll be found sooner or later! And Shen Lang and Sun Gui probably won't last long in prison!"

Li Mo's expression was solemn. He had not expected Fu Youwen and the others to react so fiercely and quickly. The emperor's inaction also made him uneasy.

Just then, the wooden planks at the cellar entrance were tapped very lightly, three times rhythmically, then paused, and then tapped twice more.

It was a safety signal sent by the civilians who were on lookout duty, arranged by Wu Naida.

Wu Naida and Li Mo exchanged a glance, then silently climbed the ladder, peered out through the gaps in the wooden planks, and then whispered:
"Erhu, what happened?"

"Brother Wu, someone left a package in our house. I don't know what it is, but I think it has something to do with you!"

The man named Erhu, imitating Wu Naida, lowered his voice and spoke very quickly.

The cellar where Wu Naida and the others were located was actually the cellar of Erhu's family. Years ago, Erhu was begging on the street when he was bullied by other beggars. Wu Naida chivalrously rescued him, and the two became acquainted.

Over the years, the two have had little contact, but they have a very good relationship, and almost no one knows about their relationship.

Therefore, Wu Naida immediately went to Erhu's house and took refuge there temporarily.

But upon hearing Erhu's words, Wu Naida broke out in a cold sweat.

Someone left a package at Erhu's house?
Is it related to them?
Doesn't this mean their hiding place has been exposed?!
Thinking of this, Wu Naida hurriedly asked Erhu, "Did you see who that person was? Also, were there any soldiers nearby?"

"No, Brother Wu, I just went outside to check, and there was nothing unusual, nor were there any soldiers nearby. As for the person who threw the package, I rushed out as soon as I saw it, but I didn't find him."

"This"

Wu Naida was taken aback, wondering what was going on. However, he didn't hesitate for long and immediately asked Erhu, "Where's the package?"

"Here?"

Erhu opened the wooden planks of the cellar and handed the package inside.

Wu Naida took the package, frowned, and then instructed:

"Erhu, this place has been exposed. You can't stay here any longer, or you'll be implicated and lose your life!"

"And what about you guys, Brother Wu?"

"We'll move to a different location soon, so don't worry about us!"

"Okay!" Erhu nodded emphatically, "Then I'll go prepare some food for you, eat before you leave!"

Thanks.

Wu Nai laughed and nodded slightly, then quickly brought the package in and closed the wooden board again.

"What is it?" Li Mo asked nervously.

Wu Nai shook his head and carefully opened the package.

There were no letters inside, only a few fragments that looked like records of the inner palace's expenses.

Although the paper was of excellent quality, the edges were charred and curled, as if it had been snatched from a fire, and it carried a faint burnt smell and an extremely subtle, sweet, exotic fragrance.

In addition, there was a small, seemingly ordinary piece of silk scraps embroidered with an extremely delicate peony pattern, and a few strangely colored ashes that looked like the residue left after some kind of spice had burned.

"Where...where did this come from?"

Wu Naida picked up the tattered page, glanced at it, and his expression changed drastically:
"This...this is the filing format of the Imperial Household Department! It records...the usage of rouge, face powder, and fragrances in the palace of a certain concubine? How could this have been leaked?!"

Li Mo took the tattered page and carefully examined the blurred handwriting and numbers on it. His knowledge of literature and history came in handy at this moment.

As he watched, his brows furrowed more and more, and his expression became incredibly strange and terrified.

“This dosage… no… far exceeds the regulations… and…”

He suddenly picked up the few strangely colored spice ashes and carefully sniffed them.

Although most of the scent had dissipated, the lingering sweet and exotic fragrance sent a shiver down his spine, causing him to abruptly discard the item as if bitten by a venomous snake.

"Musk!! And...and red lead?!"

Li Mo's voice changed, filled with disbelief and horror:

"These things...are strictly forbidden in the palace!"

"Especially red lead, that's...that's an evil substance concocted by alchemists. It's said to be able to...to enhance arousal, but prolonged use will damage the body's foundation. It might even...even cause childlessness!"

"what?!"

Wu Naida's expression changed drastically.

The imperial concubine used a forbidden aphrodisiac in the palace? And now she has no heir?!

He felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and then, trembling, he picked up the piece of silk scrap with the peony pattern. The peony embroidery was extremely exquisite and could not have been made by ordinary people.

"This peony... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before..."

Wu Naida tried hard to recall, and suddenly, he remembered a distant palace procession last year, where the curtains of a favorite concubine's sedan chair seemed to be embroidered with a similar pattern.

A terrifying thought struck his mind like lightning!

A harem of debauchery?!
Someone is using these forbidden and evil medicines to defile the palace?!

And it's very likely that a highly favored concubine will be involved?!
This...this is no longer corruption, no longer treason!

This is a shocking scandal that could drag the entire dynasty into the ugliest and bloodiest abyss!

It is an absolute taboo that could drive the Hongwu Emperor to utter madness and slaughter everything!

With a "thud," Li Mo was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

The torn page in Wu Naida's hand fluttered to the ground, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

The cellar was deathly silent, save for the heavy, terrified breathing of the two men.

If the secret of the iron box has given everyone room for speculation, such as the mystery surrounding Zhu Biao's death.

But this package was undoubtedly a knife hanging over everyone's heads.

So, who sent this package? Was it a well-intentioned reminder? Or a ploy to kill someone? Or perhaps... a warning to silence them?

Regardless of the type, they have all been drawn into this terrifying vortex that could crush them and their entire clan to dust!
Li Mo looked at the few things on the ground that were like hot potatoes, and then at Wu Naida, whose face was ashen. A huge fear and despair almost swallowed him up.

But at that moment, he suddenly remembered Zhang Biao in the imperial prison, and the seemingly crazy yet all-seeing look in 'Brother Biao's' eyes.

[Brother Biao...did you already foresee...that if we continued investigating...we would find this out?]

[You've asked us to audit... just how many terrible things do you want us to uncover?]

The more Li Mo thought about it, the more panicked he became. He then bit his tongue hard, and the intense pain forced him to calm down.

Don't panic! If you panic now, you'll really be doomed!

He took a deep breath, using all his strength, his voice hoarse yet carrying a hint of determination:
"These things... were deliberately given to us by someone. They didn't want the secret of the iron box to be exposed, so they chose other methods to ignite the Emperor's anger in advance!"

"Then...what should we do?"

Wu Naida's voice was choked with sobs.

"How to do?"

A ruthless glint flashed in Li Mo's eyes:
"Isn't the Emperor abandoning us? Aren't Fu Youwen and the others pushing us to the brink? Then let's give them a good beating first!"

Takeshi gasped, "Isn't this too risky!? What if..."

"Nothing unexpected!"

Li Mo interrupted him: "Our location has been exposed. If we don't do this, we'll all die!"

"Only in this way can we force the Emperor to intervene immediately! Only in this way can we completely throw Fu Youwen and the others into chaos! This is the only chance to save Shen Lang and the others and force Fu Youwen and the others to reveal their true colors!"

Seeing the almost frantic determination in Li Mo's eyes, Wu Naida knew there was no way out and nodded heavily:

"Alright! I'll find a way to get the message out right away! I guarantee it'll scare Fu Youwen and the others to death! It'll make it impossible for the Emperor to stand idly by any longer!"

Asking for a monthly ticket~
　Requesting monthly votes, recommendation votes, follow-up subscriptions, and full subscriptions.

　　[Also, the case of Zhu Yuanzhang being cuckolded does exist in history; I'm not making this up. And it happened in the 25th year of the Hongwu reign.]

　　
　
(End of this chapter)