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

Chapter 157 Is the Emperor going to launch an indiscriminate attack?! [Bonus Chapter 3 for Alliance Leader AyeSire7]

The Eastern Palace, the sleeping quarters of Lady Lü.

The incense burner emitted wisps of smoke, but they did nothing to soothe the anxiety in Lady Lü's heart.

She was fiddling with her prayer beads, trying to suppress the unease that had been lingering in her heart ever since the sound of the petition drum.

Suddenly, the palace doors were flung open, and a trusted maid she had sent to gather information rushed in, her face deathly pale and her voice trembling uncontrollably:

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

Madam Lü's heart sank, but she forced herself to remain calm and scolded, "What's the panic?! What kind of behavior is this! Speak slowly!"

The palace maid collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face, her words incoherent:
"It was Eunuch Sun! He was stabbed to death by the Third Prince! Right outside the Hall of Literary Glory! Blood was everywhere, Your Majesty!"

"what?!"

The prayer beads in Lu's hand snapped with a 'crack', and the beads tumbled to the ground with a series of crackling sounds.

She suddenly stood up, her vision went black, and she almost fainted, but fortunately, the old woman next to her caught her in time.

Sun Ren?!
Her most trusted eunuch! Killed by Zhu Yunwen?!

That illegitimate son who wouldn't even dare to raise his voice in front of her?! How could this be?!
"What on earth is going on?! Has Yun-hu gone mad?!"

Lu's voice became shrill, filled with shock and disbelief.

"This servant...this servant doesn't know the specific reason either."

"I only heard that the Third Prince, carrying that iron box, tried to force his way into the Hall of Literary Glory to see the Emperor, but was stopped by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Eunuch Sun."

"Later...later, for some reason, the Third Prince suddenly snatched the Embroidered Uniform Guard's knife and used it on Eunuch Sun."

The palace maid was so frightened she couldn't continue.

"Iron box?"

Madam Lü was slightly taken aback, and murmured, "Could it be that iron box?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered the missing iron box that Fu Youwen, Ru Chang and the others had frantically searched for as if facing a formidable enemy!
Could it be... could it be the iron box left behind by Zhao Qian?

How did it end up in Zhu Yunwen's hands?!
Just as Lady Lü was filled with doubt and uncertainty, another young eunuch, soaking wet and clearly having run back desperately, rushed into the hall, bringing more detailed and, more fatal, news:

"Your Highness! Your Highness! The Third Prince... he... he killed Eunuch Sun and then shouted outside the palace!"

"What are you yelling about?!"

Lady Lü shouted angrily.

The young eunuch hurriedly said, "Shout that the iron box contains evidence concerning the Crown Prince's cause of death! Say that the Crown Prince was murdered! We beg Your Majesty to uphold justice!"

"boom--!"

It was like a thunderbolt from the heavens exploding directly in my mind!

The Crown Prince's cause of death?! Was he murdered?!
Lady Lü was struck dumb, completely frozen in place.

The color drained from her face instantly, leaving only utter shock and bewilderment.

She had never imagined, never dared to imagine, this possibility!
How could Zhu Biao's husband, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, have been murdered?!
She vividly remembers how much Zhu Biao suffered during his final days.

The carbuncles on my back kept flaring up, causing excruciating pain. I also had a persistent high fever and was rapidly losing weight.
The imperial physicians said it was due to carbuncles entering the body, coupled with a cold, causing the condition to deteriorate rapidly, and no medicine could cure it.
She always thought it was fate! That Zhu Biao had overworked himself and exhausted his energy!

Although she was devastated, she could only accept this fact.
But now, some people are saying that he was murdered?!
"Impossible, absolutely impossible"

Lu muttered to herself unconsciously, her body trembling uncontrollably: "Who? Who is so bold?! Who is so vicious?!"

But the next second, boundless fear extinguished her shock and anger like ice water.

She suddenly remembered that she had just sent Sun Ren to stop Zhu Yunwen and threatened him with the lives of Zhu Mingyue and Zhu Mingyu.

Now, Sun Ren has died by Zhu Yunwen's blade. Zhu Yunwen, holding that deadly iron box, keeps shouting about the cause of the Crown Prince's death and the threats he faced...

What will the Emperor think?!

Given the Emperor's suspicious nature... wouldn't he think that Eunuch Sun's obstruction was out of guilt? Wouldn't he think that Lady Lü sent someone to threaten the imperial grandson in order to cover up the truth?!

Could they even suspect that the Crown Prince's death was related to Lady Lü?!

These thoughts, like venomous snakes, instantly gnawed at Lu Shi's heart, leaving her feeling cold all over, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

"Where's Yunwen?! How is Yunwen?!"

She suddenly grabbed the old woman's hand and asked in a hoarse and urgent voice, her nails almost digging into the woman's flesh.

"The Second Prince was serving ginseng soup to the Emperor inside the palace at the time."

The young eunuch replied in a trembling voice, "He has also been ordered by the Emperor to be kept under guard, and is not allowed to leave or come in without an imperial decree."

[Yunwen has also been placed under house arrest!?]

Lady Lü felt dizzy and her last bit of strength was drained away. She collapsed onto the bed, her face ashen.

It's over. There's no way to clear my name now, even if I jumped into the Yellow River.

Overwhelmed by immense fear and regret.

Why did I go to the trouble of sending people to stop them?!
If I hadn't sent anyone, perhaps... perhaps Sun Ren wouldn't have been killed, and the Emperor wouldn't have suspected me and Yunwen!
But it's too late to say anything now!

However, after the extreme fear and regret, another emotion suddenly arose in her heart.

An uncontrollable resentment grew wildly like weeds.

【Yun Teng! Ming Yue! Ming Yu!】

These three little bastards!

Having obtained such a deadly item and learned such a tremendous secret, why didn't they tell their mother first?! Why didn't they discuss it with them?! Did they not trust them at all?

still is
They simply wanted to use this opportunity to bring down themselves and Yunwen, so that the deceased Lady Chang and the incompetent Zhu Yunwen could compete for the position of Crown Prince!
Especially Zhu Yunwen!

He actually dared to kill someone in public! And even dared to spill blood in the Huagai Palace!?
He made things completely out of control, drawing all attention and suspicion to the Crown Prince's Palace!
He's driving them, mother and son, to their deaths!

[A bunch of ungrateful wretches are impossible to tame!]

Madam Lü was so angry that she trembled all over, her nails digging deep into her palms, almost drawing blood.

All these years of pampering them have been for nothing! How could they harm me like this! Harm Yunwen!

But she knew in her heart that no amount of anger and resentment would help at this moment.

The emperor has already intervened in the investigation, and the iron box has been presented. It is now a fact that Zhu Yunwen is under surveillance.

She can't do anything now, and she dares not do anything.

Any unnecessary action could be interpreted as a guilty conscience and could lead to utter disaster.

She could only wait.

Awaiting the emperor's decision.

Waiting for the final outcome that might send her to hell, or it might... clear her name.

This feeling of completely entrusting her fate to others, of being on the brink of life and death, made her feel an unprecedented sense of helplessness and fear.

She gazed in the direction of the Huagai Hall, her eyes filled with an extremely complex mix of emotions: fear, resentment, regret, and a faint glimmer of hope, a plea for divine mercy.

The entire Eastern Palace was plunged into a deathly silence, a terrifying atmosphere awaiting final judgment.

On the other side, the Huagai Hall.

Time passed in a suffocating silence.

Tang He and Chang Sheng frowned more and more deeply, their expressions gradually shifting from initial shock to deep doubt and bewilderment.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang He put down the copybook in his hand, his aged face filled with doubt. He cupped his hands and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, the more I look at it, the more suspicious it seems."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Chang Sheng then spoke, his tone filled with intense confusion: "I feel the same way! This...this ledger seems...incomplete? Or rather...illogical?"

What's strange about it?

Old Zhu's gaze was sharp as a knife: "Speak!"

Tang He pointed to the section about Shaanxi in the copy, his tone extremely solemn:
"Your Majesty, please look at these records. These records show the unconventional allocation of military equipment and excessive losses of provisions in Shaanxi. The amounts are enormous, and the timing is sensitive. They are indeed shocking. However..."

"The strange thing is that these records are all isolated cases!"

After saying that, he further explained:

"For example, this record of military equipment involving the garrisons under the command of the King of Qin only shows expenditures, without specifying the recipient's approval seal, and there are no subsequent records of cancellation or supplementation, as if it disappeared into thin air."

"This does not conform to the accounting procedures of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War."

"If this were true, it would be impossible for it to leave no trace in the archives of the relevant government departments."

"There are also records of Shaanxi officials interfering in the affairs of the Crown Prince's palace or local matters."

Chang Sheng added, his brow furrowed:

"Its descriptions are vague, often using references to officials or local specialties, lacking specific names, positions, and details of events. It is more like hearsay and rumors than a rigorous accounting record!"

"Compared with the later sections that record the time, items, and quantities of expenses within the Eastern Palace in great detail, even down to the coin, this seems particularly abrupt and crude."

Tang He concluded, his eyes filled with doubt:
“Your Majesty, this old minister does not believe that the matter in Shaanxi is impossible, but the records in this account book have many loopholes and are difficult to trust directly, let alone use to determine the crimes of the vassal king.”

"On the contrary, it seems like..."

Their conclusion was: "Some people deliberately linked some rumors that are difficult to verify, or even the possible true issue of the Crown Prince, with these vague accusations from Shaanxi in an attempt to mislead the public!"

"The ledgers in the iron box contain detailed and highly credible records of unusual internal spending within the Eastern Palace, which are extremely dangerous."

"However, the parts concerning corruption, factionalism, and interference in the Crown Prince's palace in Shaanxi appear vague, isolated, and lack corroborating evidence, making them difficult to accept directly. They may even be deliberately added by someone with ulterior motives to muddy the waters or to use someone else to do their dirty work!"

This conclusion caused Old Zhu to furrow his brows deeply, and the doubts in his heart not only did not dissipate, but became even more intense!
It's not a simple question of truth or falsehood, but rather that there might be falsehood within truth, and truth hidden within falsehood?

Is someone mixing up real, fatal evidence about the Crown Prince with vague, unverifiable accusations about Shaanxi?
What method is this?
Is the intention to reveal part of the truth, lure us into investigating, and then use us to strike at the Shaanxi forces they want to target?

Or is it that the incident in Shaanxi did occur, but the person doing the accounting was not of a high enough rank to access all the information, resulting in incomplete records?
Or perhaps... these are two completely different things, deliberately put in the same box by someone with ulterior motives?

Countless thoughts raced through Old Zhu's suspicious mind.

He suddenly recalled Zhu Yunwen's screams of "being obstructed and threatened" and "being threatened with his sister's life" when he stormed the palace...

Could it be that those who are obstructing him are not afraid of the Crown Prince's affair being exposed, but rather that the matter in Shaanxi will be thoroughly investigated?

So they deliberately used this mix of truth and falsehood to both expose the undeniable problem of the Crown Prince and try to divert greater trouble elsewhere.
Or is this... a two-birds-with-one-stone scheme by the mastermind behind the scenes?!

After listening to Tang He and Chang Sheng's analysis, Old Zhu's facial muscles twitched slightly, and the anger in his eyes was gradually replaced by a deeper and colder cloud of doubt.

Truth and falsehood, reality and illusion!
What a brilliant tactic! Truly a brilliant tactic!
They actually tried to fool us with this half-truth!

The section on the Eastern Palace was so detailed and shocking that we had no choice but to investigate!
The Shaanxi section is vague and full of loopholes, is it trying to make us suspect the second and third brothers?

Or are they deliberately trying to create a flaw, making us think the entire metal box is untrustworthy?
A surge of fury at being mocked and used welled up inside him!
His gaze suddenly turned terrifying, shooting fiercely at Song Zhong, his voice as cold as the deepest hell:

"Song Zhong!"

"Your subject is here!" Song Zhong's heart skipped a beat.

"Go! Get that Zhao Fengman for us..."

Old Zhu's voice carried an undisguised, ruthless killing intent:
"Take us to the torture chamber immediately! We don't care what methods you use! Get him to talk! We want him to know what will happen if he dares to try to fool us with these fake and misleading things!"

"We need to know who exactly added these falsified accounts to Shaanxi!"

He was almost certain that Zhao Fengman or Zhang Biao behind him had mixed false accounts into the iron box.

"Yes!"

A fierce glint flashed in Song Zhong's eyes. Without hesitation, he turned around to carry out this blood-soaked order.

However, just as he stepped out of the palace gate—

"Your Majesty—!"

"Commander Jiang Huan of the Embroidered Uniform Guard requests an audience!"

Song Zhong paused, then looked at Old Zhu.

Old Zhu waved his hand expressionlessly: "Let him in!"

"Yes!

A voice answered from outside the door, and soon Jiang Huan strode in.

The entire hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the air was as heavy as lead.

Jiang Huan immediately composed himself, strode forward, and knelt heavily at the foot of the imperial steps, speaking as calmly as possible:
"Your subject Jiang Huan has completed his questioning at the Prince of Yan's residence as ordered, and has come to report back!"

His arrival seemed to slightly break the tense atmosphere inside the hall.

Old Zhu's gaze fell calmly and indifferently on Jiang Huan, making Jiang Huan feel as if she had been scraped by a real blade.

"The Prince of Yan's residence... what do you mean?"

Old Zhu's voice was hoarse and calm, but beneath that calm lay a volcano about to erupt.

Jiang Huan dared not conceal anything, nor dared to add any personal judgment at this time. He simply repeated Zhu Gaochi's answers to Zhu Gaoxu's recklessness, playfulness, and accidental rescue, his criticism of Fu Youwen and others as deserving of death, and his statement that Zhu Gaoxu should be disciplined instead of rewarded.

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu did not speak immediately, but remained silent for a long time before calmly asking, "How much of what Zhu Gaochi said is true, and how much is false?"

Jiang Huan was startled, knowing this was a fatal question that could cost him his life.

He bowed low and cautiously replied, "Your subject is foolish and dares not make a hasty judgment. The Crown Prince of Yan's answer seems comprehensive, but... being too comprehensive is actually..."

He dared not continue.

"It seems deliberate, doesn't it?"

Old Zhu finished his sentence for him, a cold smile curving his lips: "The fourth son raised a fine son, just like him, slippery!"

The implication in those words sent a chill down Jiang Huan's spine.

But he quickly added, "Furthermore, on my way back to the palace, I was stopped again by the Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi. He brought Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui, claiming..."

"What are you claiming?!"

Old Zhu asked impatiently.

"Go back to the emperor!"

Jiang Huan knelt down with a thud, her voice trembling as she said:
"The Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi claims that his second brother, Zhu Gaoxu, was given an oilcloth package containing an iron box during the chaos of subduing the mad cow today! They dared not keep it, so they are presenting it to me for Your Majesty's consideration!"

As he spoke, his hands trembled as he held up a square object tightly wrapped in ordinary oilcloth. "What?!"

"Another metal box?!"

Old Zhu, Tang He, Chang Sheng inside the hall, and Song Zhong at the door were all stunned!
Song Zhong suddenly turned around and looked at Old Zhu.

The impatience on Old Zhu's face froze instantly, as if replaced by extreme astonishment and even deeper doubt!

Another iron box? With Zhu Gaochi? Was it also stuffed in during the chaos?

What... what on earth is going on?!
"bring here!"

Old Zhu's voice carried a hint of urgency that he himself was unaware of.

The old eunuch immediately snatched the oilcloth package from Jiang Huan's hand, quickly checked its appearance and weight, and after confirming that there was no obvious danger, he hurriedly presented it to the emperor.

Old Zhu didn't touch it immediately, but instead said to Tang He and Chang Sheng, "You two come over here too!"

The three of them surrounded the imperial desk, their eyes fixed on the newly appeared oilcloth bag.

Old Zhu took a deep breath and personally untied the oilcloth.

What was revealed inside was indeed a simple, unadorned cast iron box!

It was almost exactly the same as the one Zhu Yunwen brought!
Everyone in the hall held their breath.

Old Zhu's fingers trembled slightly as he pried open the lid of the tin box.

Inside the box were several ledgers and some letters.

Tang He and Chang Sheng immediately stepped forward, carefully picked it up, and quickly flipped through it by candlelight.

This time, their expressions changed from confusion to utter shock and horror.

Chang Sheng even exclaimed in a low voice, "This...this is..."

Tang He's hands were trembling slightly. He suddenly raised his head, looked at Old Zhu, and his voice was filled with disbelief:

"Your Majesty! This...this iron box contains all the accounts related to Shaanxi!"

"The time, place, people, officials involved, even the specific amounts and the flow of materials... everything is recorded clearly and perfectly matches the court archives and the report from the King of Qin!"

"This...this should be the missing part!"

As he spoke, he pointed to one of the pages, his voice trembling: "Look! This page records the 'unconventional transfer' of military equipment, complete with the receiving party's approval seal and write-off records!"

"Completely different from the lonely records in that previous metal box!"

"And these!"

Chang Sheng excitedly added:
"The records regarding Shaanxi officials forming cliques, interfering in local affairs, and even their dealings with certain officials in Beijing are extremely detailed, including names, positions, dates, amounts of bribes, and the content of conversations! This is not just hearsay!"

"Your Majesty! Look! The contents of the two iron boxes are completely different!"

Tang He's voice suddenly rose, filled with a mixture of excitement and fear at the discovery of a shocking secret:

"The portion brought by His Highness Zhu Yunwen from the Eastern Palace is genuine, but the portion from Shaanxi is fake and incomplete! The one submitted by the Prince of Yan's residence completes all the true evidence of crimes committed in Shaanxi!"

"Someone... divided the complete account book in two and gave one to each of the two imperial grandsons!"

boom--!
This conclusion exploded in Lao Zhu's mind like a thunderclap!

All the anger, suspicion, and doubt were shattered at this moment by the sudden truth!

It's not fake! It's not a frame-up! It's real!
Both copies are genuine! They were simply separated by someone!
Why did we separate?

In an instant, Old Zhu understood!

The purpose of handing over the evidence of "abnormal spending at the Eastern Palace" was to use Zhu Yunwen to uncover the truth about the Crown Prince's death, but he was also afraid of getting burned or that the Emperor would suppress the matter to protect the royal family's reputation.
So, just to be on the safe side, should the evidence from Shaanxi be handed over to the other party? And incidentally, a fragmented document stating "abnormal expenses of the Crown Prince's Palace" was provided, implying that the other party has another iron box!
Those who obtained the Shaanxi portion may not have originally wanted to get involved, but seeing that Zhu Yunwen had gone all out and exposed the truth, they knew they could no longer hide it and were forced to hand it over for self-preservation or for other purposes.

Regardless of the motive, at this moment, the two iron boxes together form a complete, clear, and shockingly detailed chain of evidence!

It points directly to the ugliness deep within the Eastern Palace! It also points directly to the darkness in Shaanxi and the disloyalty of the vassal kings!

good good!
What a meticulous thief!

Old Zhu was so angry that his vision blurred and his body swayed slightly, but Jiang Huan instinctively supported him.

But he shoved Jiang Huan away, his expression shifting between anger and rage, his whole body radiating murderous intent.

[Zhang Biao! What kind of people did you train?!]

Aren't they our subjects?! How much distrust do they have of us?!

[And another thing! You bastard, were you eyeing Yun-hu from the very beginning?! What kind of 'good brother' nonsense is this?! What about sending pig's head meat?!?]

[It's all a scheme!]

[You know we can't kill Yunhu, so I deliberately approached him and then figured out a way to give him the iron box.]

[You know it was Zhu Gaosui who delivered the food, so you want to drag the fourth prince into this mess?]

[If we don't believe Yunhuo, then the iron box in the fourth brother's hand is irrefutable proof that he brought down the second and third brothers!?]

"Ha ha ha ha--!"

Having figured everything out, Old Zhu was so angry he laughed instead.

[You son of a bitch! You idiot! How dare you scheme against us, scheme against our children and grandchildren to this extent!?]

After the chilling laughter came extreme indifference and overwhelming killing intent, but then Old Zhu immediately said, "Jiang Huan!"

"Chen is here!"

"Go! Go to the imperial prison immediately! Tell Zhang Biao! We need his confession!"

"We're giving him one last chance! Tell us the whole story! If he doesn't, he and his five men will die together!"

Jiang Huan was taken aback, but then he understood.

The Emperor has acknowledged that the intelligence Zhao Fengman and others risked their lives to send out was true.

"Yes!"

"besides!"

Old Zhu's gaze swept over the two iron boxes placed side by side on the imperial desk, his eyes raging with fury:
"First, immediately and secretly obtain all the lists of personnel from the Shaanxi Military Command who have entered Beijing in recent years, especially all personnel from the beginning of the 25th year of Hongwu's reign to the present, without missing a single one!"

"Secretly investigate all their dealings with the Prince of Qin's residence and various government offices in the capital! Keep a close eye on everything the Prince of Qin's residence does in the capital!"

"Secondly, investigate! Thoroughly investigate the Eastern Palace Pharmacy!"

"For all those who were on duty in the 25th year of Hongwu's reign, whether they are alive or dead, dig up their backgrounds, their relationships, and even their ancestral graves!"

"Especially Wang Fu, who fell into the well. Who was he close to during his lifetime? Where are his family members now? How could a mere eunuch like him bypass layers of supervision and smuggle in so much stuff?!"

"Third, secretly hand over the piece of bright yellow silk in the box to the most experienced craftsman in the Imperial Wardrobe for inspection. We need to know its specific place of origin, the year it was woven, and... which prince or nobleman's allowance it was originally supplied to!"

"fourth!"

He glanced at the two metal boxes again and said:

"Send more reliable personnel to 'protect' Yunwen and Lady Lü. No one is allowed to contact them without our permission. We must ensure that no more 'accidents' occur in the Eastern Palace."

"at last!"

He paused, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes:

"Put all the princes in the capital, as well as the sons of the princes who have been enfeoffed, under strict guard. Without my order, no one is allowed to leave or contact anyone!"

hiss!
Upon hearing these four orders, everyone secretly gasped.

Is the emperor going to launch an indiscriminate attack?!

"All right!"

After issuing a series of menacing orders, Old Zhu sat as still as a stone statue on the dragon throne and waved his hand:

"You all... step back first. I need to be alone."

"I'm waiting to retire."

Tang He, Chang Sheng, Jiang Huan, and Song Zhongru, having been granted a general amnesty, bowed and withdrew with heavy hearts.

However, just as Chang Sheng and Tang He were about to leave the palace, Old Zhu casually added another sentence, his voice steady yet carrying a barely perceptible hint of inquiry:

"Chang Sheng".

Chang Sheng paused, then quickly turned around and bowed, saying, "Your subject is here."

Old Zhu's gaze fell on him, as if it were just casual conversation, but deep in his eyes was a sharp glint: "Yun Tong... went to pay respects to his mother today? Did you know?"

Chang Sheng felt a sudden tightness in his chest, and a chill crept up his spine.

Why did the Emperor suddenly ask this at this juncture?
He dared not be negligent, much less conceal anything, and answered honestly:

"Your Majesty, I am aware. Prince Yuntong's filial piety is commendable. He went to the Chang family's old residence early this morning to pay respects to my sister."

He deliberately emphasized filial piety in an attempt to characterize his behavior.

"Ah."

Old Zhu gave a noncommittal reply, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest of the dragon throne, his tone remaining indifferent.
"This child is indeed very sincere and passionate. However... his emotions seem a bit too intense."

He paused, as if mentioning it casually, but his gaze, like that of a hawk, locked onto every subtle change in Chang Sheng's expression:
"There was such a commotion outside the palace just now. He kept shouting that he wanted to seek justice for his father, and he even brought out some things. He said that he had them after returning from the place of worship."

boom!
Chang Sheng felt a buzzing in his head.

What did Your Majesty mean by that?!

Is it suspected that the Chang family, taking advantage of Yuntong's memorial service, said something to Yuntong to incite him to file a complaint with the emperor?
It might even be implying that the Chang family is the mastermind behind this iron box of evidence, intending to use his nephew to carry out a deliberate act of murder?

A tremendous sense of fear and injustice instantly gripped Chang Sheng.

He fell to his knees again with a thud, his face deathly pale, and he desperately tried to explain, his voice trembling with fear:

"Your Majesty, please be wise! Your subject would never dare! The Chang family is utterly loyal to Your Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince, as Heaven and Earth can attest!"

"Your Majesty, my sister passed away early. We can only do our best to take care of Yun Tong and his sister in order to comfort her spirit in heaven. How could we dare to have any improper thoughts, let alone do such a rebellious thing as framing the royal family!"

He kowtowed repeatedly, and beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

"Your Highness's offering of sacrifices today is merely a routine act of filial piety. I truly have no idea where Your Highness obtained those items! If I have uttered even the slightest lie, I am willing to be torn to pieces, and the entire Chang family is willing to be executed by thunder!"

His reaction was intense and fearful, a natural fear and defense after being suddenly smeared with a torrent of accusations, not a pretense.

Tang He, standing to the side, quickly bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Kaiguo has always been loyal, brave, and upright, and he is especially devoted to His Highness the Crown Prince. He would never do such a shady thing. There may be something else going on in this matter. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."

Old Zhu watched silently as Chang Sheng kowtowed and swore in a panic, listening to Tang He's pleas for mercy, his face remaining expressionless.

His words were both a test and a warning.

To test whether Chang Sheng and the Chang family were aware of the situation and whether they were involved.

This serves as a warning to Chang Sheng and all his relatives by marriage: whatever the truth may be, they should not try to take advantage of this situation to cause trouble.

Chang Sheng's reaction, though seemingly panicked, was actually quite reasonable.

Old Zhu's suspicious nature prevents him from fully believing Chang Sheng, but at least for the time being, there are no obvious flaws in Chang Sheng's performance.

"Get up."

After a long silence, Old Zhu finally spoke, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "I was just asking casually. We know the Chang family's loyalty."

He casually brushed aside the terrifying question he had just posed, as if it were just a casual remark.

"only!"

He changed the subject slightly, his voice turning cold again: "We will definitely get to the bottom of Biao'er's matter."

"Before that, keep an eye on the Chang family and take good care of Yunhu. We don't want to see anyone take advantage of his grief over losing his father to cause trouble. Understand?"

This statement is both a warning and an order.

He warned the Chang family to behave themselves and ordered Chang Sheng to keep a close eye on Zhu Yunwen and prevent him from causing any more trouble.

"Your Majesty, I understand! I obey your decree! Thank you for your trust!"

Chang Sheng felt as if he had been granted a pardon and immediately kowtowed, his back already completely soaked with cold sweat.

He knew that the Chang family had just narrowly escaped death.

"Go."

Old Zhu waved his hand again, then closed his eyes wearily.

Tang He and Chang Sheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and almost staggered out of the Huagai Hall.

It wasn't until they stepped outside the hall and were hit by the cold wind that they felt alive again. They looked at each other and saw the shock and lingering fear in each other's eyes.

Inside the hall, Old Zhu slowly opened his eyes, looking at the hall door that was closed again, his eyes flashing with cold light.

His gaze fell on the metal box again.

After a long while, he let out a very soft sigh, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant.

[Biao'er, Dad seems to know who hurt you.]

His voice was low and deep, carrying endless weariness and an unprecedented desolation.

The truth took an unexpected turn, and it was pieced together in the most unforeseen way.

Meanwhile, at the Censorate, a censor on night duty was on duty.

The candles were still lit.

A middle-aged censor, who looked worried and was writing a memorial impeaching Zhang Biao overnight, heard three hoots of an owl outside the window.

His pen paused, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes.

He quickly took out another draft that he had prepared beforehand, which was more aggressive and inflammatory, and replaced the one on the table.

The title of the article was—

"A Letter to the Scholars Requesting the Execution of the Traitor Zhang Biao to Settle Public Opinion and Secure Peace for the Nation"

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　[One more chapter, it'll be a little late. I just got home, going to have dinner first~]

　　
　
(End of this chapter)