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

Chapter 162 Old Zhu panicked, afraid of the truth! [Seeking monthly votes]

Song Zhong staggered out of the suffocating torture chamber, his cold sweat soaking through the lining of his flying fish robe, clinging to his skin and bringing a chill.

The bizarre clues and the horrifying deduction kept echoing in his mind.

[Was His Highness the Crown Prince's death...related to him?]

This thought lingered like a nightmare.

Before long, he arrived at the prison guard room where Jiang Huan was located.

The flickering candlelight in the duty room cast an uncertain glow on Jiang Huan's perpetually cold face.

Song Zhong stood below with his hands at his sides, and in the most straightforward and emotionless tone possible, he reported on the strange timeline he had found regarding Wang Yue, Eunuch Li, and Lan Xin, as well as the discovery that all the orders ultimately pointed to Crown Prince Zhu Biao himself.

With each sentence he spoke, the muscles on Jiang Huan's face seemed to stiffen a little more.

When Song Zhong finally uttered that conclusion that even he found horrifying, the air in the duty room seemed to freeze completely.

Jiang Huan suddenly raised her head, and for the first time, her hawk-like eyes showed an expression of near astonishment and disbelief, even mixed with a trace of barely perceptible fear.

He stared intently at Song Zhong, as if trying to confirm whether he was talking nonsense.

"you sure?"

Jiang Huan's voice was extremely dry, even carrying a hint of hoarseness that she herself was unaware of:

"Have all the transfer orders, approvals, and handling records been verified to be correct? And are the dates indeed before the Crown Prince's serious illness?"

"I swear on my life that all the files, confessions, and seals have been repeatedly checked and there are absolutely no errors!"

Song Zhong lowered his head heavily, his back already soaked with cold sweat: "The timing is absolutely certain. When Wang Yue and Eunuch Li were dealt with, His Highness the Crown Prince was occasionally unwell, but he was by no means seriously ill."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan fell silent.

He slowly sat back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously and forcefully tapping the hard tabletop, making a 'tap, tap, tap' sound that was particularly jarring in the deathly silent duty room.

Unbeknownst to him, his brows furrowed more and more, and his eyes flashed with an extremely complex light.

Astonishment, confusion, bewilderment, and a deep, indescribable chill.

[Your Highness...is purging those around you yourself?]

This completely overturned all his previous speculations and imaginations.

If this is true, what does it mean?

Does this mean the Crown Prince sensed the danger long before the incident? Does it mean he might have known who wanted to harm him? Does it mean he even secretly plotted and resisted?

But... how is that possible?!

The Crown Prince's reputation for benevolence is known throughout the land. If he had discovered the conspiracy, why didn't he report it directly to the Emperor?

Given the Emperor's favor and trust in the Crown Prince, and his zero-tolerance policy towards conspiracies, he will surely eliminate all obstacles with swift and decisive action!

[Unless... unless the danger His Highness the Crown Prince senses originates from an extremely unusual source, so unusual that he cannot, or dares not, directly disclose it to the Emperor?]

[He even...he thought the Emperor wouldn't believe him? Or...]

An even more terrifying and absurd thought, like a venomous snake, crept into Jiang Huan's mind, sending chills down his spine.

He didn't dare to think about it any more.

After a long silence, Jiang Huan finally spoke, his voice low and menacing: "Who else knows about this?"

"Apart from me and a few absolutely reliable guards who directly handled the matter, no one else knew."

Song Zhong quickly replied, "All the files and confessions have been sealed."

"very good."

Jiang Huan nodded, his gaze becoming extremely sharp and serious:
"This line of investigation ends here for now. All your men are to be withdrawn and are not to be investigated further."

At this point, he looked meaningfully at his subordinate and continued:

"Especially the details of His Highness the Crown Prince's red-inked reprimands must not be mentioned again, much less recorded!"

"Yes! I understand!"

Song Zhong felt a chill run down his spine and immediately accepted the order.

He knew that this matter was far more complex than he had imagined, to the point that even Jiang Huan was terrified.

Jiang Huan waved his hand, signaling Song Zhong to step down.

Jiang Huan was left alone in the duty room once again.

He sat alone in the dim candlelight, his brow furrowed, pondering repeatedly the earth-shattering discovery brought by Song Zhong.

The Crown Prince, aware of the danger, took matters into his own hands, but remained silent...

Who is he wary of? Who is it that he fears so much, that he dares not even tell the Emperor?

[Is it the imperial harem? A feudal lord? A noble family? Or...]

Every possibility sent chills down Jiang Huan's spine.

Especially when combined with the "forbidden drugs in the palace" and the "old case in Shaanxi" implicated in the Dengwen Drum case, as well as the "vassal state" character mentioned by Fu Youwen and others, and that mysterious iron box...

Countless fragments of clues collided, combined, and shattered wildly in Jiang Huan's mind.

He felt as if he had touched the tip of an iceberg of a huge conspiracy, and the darkness beneath that iceberg was unfathomable and could devour everything.

That night, the candlelight in Jiang Huan's duty room burned until dawn.

……

The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Jiang Huan carefully straightened his robes, took a deep breath, and, carrying the heavy weight of the investigation conclusions and his own analysis—weight enough to crush anyone—walked heavily toward the Huagai Hall.

He knew that what he was about to present might not be the 'truth' the emperor wanted to hear, but a more complex, more terrifying mystery that could even trigger an earthquake within the royal family.

Inside the palace, Old Zhu had just woken up and was reviewing memorials before even having breakfast, or rather, he was unconsciously torturing the vermilion brush in his hand.

The blood-stained iron box sat in a corner of the emperor's desk, like a silent curse.

"Your Majesty, Jiang Huan requests an audience."

Yunming cautiously stepped forward to report.

"Let him get in!"

Old Zhu's voice was hoarse and full of impatience.

Jiang Huan strode into the hall and knelt down: "Your subject Jiang Huan pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"How's the investigation going?!"

Old Zhu didn't look up, his voice was icy:
"Who silenced those damned bastards?!"

"And Liu Chun's confession, is it finished?"

"Has Zhang Biao caused any more trouble? Tell him not to push us to act recklessly!"

The three consecutive questions, laced with barely contained murderous intent and barely contained rage, sent chills down Jiang Huan's spine and shook him to his core.

He knew that what he was about to report was not any of the three issues, but the anger it would ignite would be far greater than any of the three.

But now, at this point, he has no choice but to back down.

"call……"

Suppressing his fear, Jiang Huan took a deep breath, lowered his body, and recounted Song Zhong's discovery in the most stable tone possible.

This includes all the time points, the Crown Prince's imperial edicts, and the bizarre fates of the three individuals.

As he narrated, Old Zhu's face grew increasingly grim, and the vermilion pen in his hand creaked under his grip.

"Crack!"

The vermilion brush could not withstand his force and suddenly broke.

He suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Jiang Huan, filled with extreme shock, astonishment, and a bewilderment that overturned his understanding.

"You...what did you say?"

For the first time, Old Zhu's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly. He even wondered if he had misheard due to exhaustion: "Biao'er... Biao'er handled it himself? Before he became seriously ill?"

"Your Majesty..."

Jiang Huan answered with a stiff upper lip, not daring to look up: "Based on all the documents, seals, and confessions that have been verified so far... that is indeed the case."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Old Zhu slammed his hand on the imperial desk, abruptly stood up, his voice hoarse with excitement:
"Biao'er is kind-hearted! If he discovered something, why wouldn't he tell us?!"

"How could he use such a... such a subtle method?! This doesn't make sense! Someone must have fabricated evidence to mislead the public!"

He could not accept this conclusion.

He panicked! He started to fear the truth!

This was even more incomprehensible and painful to him than hearing that someone was plotting to murder the crown prince!

This means that his most trusted and proudest son may have been hiding something enormous from him, his father, in the final moments of his life! He may have been bearing immense pressure and fear alone!
Perhaps... she even developed a distrust of him as her father!?
This made him feel a sense of betrayal and anger, but even more so, a piercing pain and bewilderment.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty initially also found it unbelievable..."

Jiang Huan prostrated himself deeply, his voice hoarse: "But all the evidence is clear, the timing matches, and the official seals and approvals are genuine... Your Majesty... Your Majesty dares not conceal anything."

"Whoosh..."

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu's chest heaved violently, and he gasped for breath like a wounded beast trapped in a cage.

He stared intently at Jiang Huan, then suddenly looked at the iron box, his eyes shifting between anger, suspicion, pain, and confusion—a multitude of emotions swirling wildly in his gaze.

Why?! Biao'er, why don't you believe your father?!

What exactly happened to you?!

Who is it?! Who pushed you to this point?!

The immense questions and pain nearly overwhelmed him.

After a long while, the raging anger seemed to be slowly replaced by a deeper, colder chill.

He sat back on the dragon throne with extreme slowness, as if he had aged considerably in an instant. His voice became unusually calm, yet more terrifying than any roar: "Jiang Huan."

"The minister is here."

"Why do you think... the Crown Prince did this?"

Jiang Huan's heart pounded; she knew the most crucial moment had arrived.

He carefully chose his words and said cautiously:
"Your Majesty, I am foolish. But I suspect that His Highness the Crown Prince is benevolent and filial, and perhaps... perhaps he does not wish to cause turmoil in the court, nor does he wish to worry His Majesty..."

"perhaps……"

He paused, his voice even lower:
"Perhaps the danger Your Highness sensed... has a peculiar source, leading Your Highness to believe that even if reported to the Emperor, it might be... difficult to eradicate completely, and might even alert the enemy, bringing about even greater disaster..."

"Special origin?"

Old Zhu suddenly caught the word, his eyes flashing with a sharp light: "Explain yourself!"

Jiang Huan took a deep breath and said with a sense of recklessness:

"I dare to speculate that the one who makes His Highness the Crown Prince so wary, and even dare not... or is unwilling to speak openly, is definitely not an ordinary court official or concubine in the harem."

"Their influence must be deeply entrenched, deeply embedded in the court... or within the imperial clan, and their target is probably not just His Highness himself, but... to shake the foundations of the nation!"

"The clan... shakes the foundation of the country..."

Old Zhu muttered those words repeatedly, his gaze sweeping back to the iron box, then over the dossier presented by Jiang Huan, recalling Zhu Yunwen's crazed yet resolute figure...

All the clues seem to be gradually connecting in a terrifying way.

Forbidden drugs in the palace, old cases in Shaanxi, vassal kings' accusations, the mystery of the iron box, the crown prince's self-investigation... A vague yet chilling outline gradually emerged in Zhu Yuanzhang's suspicious yet perceptive mind.

His face turned incredibly ugly, a mixture of rage, heartache, and icy killing intent slowly replacing his previous excitement and confusion.

"I... understand."

Old Zhu's voice was eerily calm.

In an instant, the Huagai Hall seemed to have turned into a graveyard, completely silent.

What followed was a long, suffocating silence.

Jiang Huan bowed his head and dared not make a sound.

He could sense the increasingly intense, chilling killing intent emanating from the emperor on the dragon throne, and a profound silence that seemed to defy death.

After a long silence, Old Zhu's fingers tapped the imperial desk unconsciously again. His voice was hoarse as he spoke, but it was no longer the previous rage or excitement; instead, it was an extremely calm, chillingly calm interrogation:
"Jiang Huan, in your opinion, after Biao'er's self-examination, why did he ultimately still..."

He didn't finish speaking, but Jiang Huan instantly understood the emperor's unresolved question.

Since the Crown Prince had already sensed the danger and secretly begun to purge those around him, why was he ultimately unable to prevent the tragedy from happening?

Was the other side more cunning? Or was the Crown Prince too soft-hearted?

Or... there is some other force that even the crown prince cannot contend with.

Jiang Huan's heart was in his throat; he knew his answer was crucial.

He carefully recalled all the clues, his mind racing as he painstakingly pieced together the seemingly scattered fragments.

Suddenly, a detail he had previously overlooked flashed through his mind like lightning.

Wang Fu!

That old eunuch who has always served the Crown Prince!
According to previous investigations, he also had a brother named Wang An, who served Prince Zhu Shuang in the Prince of Qin's residence.

Song Zhong once sent people to investigate this eunuch named Wang An from the Prince of Qin's mansion, who also died suddenly before the Crown Prince died.

In addition, a thousand taels of gold were found in Wang Fu's ancestral home, which was located in the same county as the favored concubine of Prince Zhu Gang of Jin, Lady Deng...

Thinking of this, Jiang Huan suddenly raised his head, a glint of sudden enlightenment mixed with even greater fear flashing in his eyes. His voice was dry but exceptionally clear as he said:
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty... Your Majesty has just remembered a crucial point!"

“When we were investigating Fu Youwen and the other three, one of the leads we found was that of Wang Fu, the old eunuch who had been serving His Highness the Crown Prince in his daily life.”

"After he accidentally fell into the well, a thousand taels of gold were found in the basement of his family home in his hometown."

"In addition, he also has a younger brother, with whom he secretly met when the Crown Prince was inspecting Shaanxi."

"And their ancestral home is Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi!"

"Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi?"

Old Zhu frowned; the place name seemed to have touched a nerve with him.

"Exactly!"

Jiang Huan spoke faster:
"I immediately ordered an investigation into his younger brother, Wang An, who served His Highness Prince Qin in the Prince Qin's residence. It is said that he also died suddenly a few months ago!"

He paused, took a deep breath, and then dropped a bombshell connection:

"According to the records of the imperial family, the most beloved Consort Deng of Prince Jin was from Pingyang Prefecture in Shanxi Province!"

"It is said that she passed away from illness a few months ago..."

boom--!
These words struck the Hall of Literary Glory like a thunderbolt.

Old Zhu's pupils suddenly contracted! His body lurched forward.

Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi! The brothers Wang Fu and Wang An! Consort Deng, the favorite concubine of the Prince of Jin!

These three seemingly unrelated points were suddenly connected by Jiang Huan using the thread of 'place of origin'.

Furthermore, Wang An held a position in the Prince of Qin's residence! His elder brother, Wang Fu, was even the eunuch in charge of medicine for the Crown Prince!
Crown Prince Zhu Biao fell ill and never recovered after returning from his inspection tour of Shaanxi!
All the clues seemed to instantly find a terrifyingly clear direction!

Old Zhu's face turned extremely ugly, and his knuckles turned white from the force he exerted.

[Third brother!]

【It really was you?!】

[Did you condone, or even instigate, your favorite concubine's family members from her hometown to extend their reach into the Eastern Palace?! And even towards the Crown Prince?!]

An indescribable rage and the excruciating pain of being betrayed by his own son instantly overwhelmed Old Zhu.

But he was, after all, Old Zhu; after extreme anger came extreme calm and suspicion.

A connection based solely on place of origin? That could be a strong suspicion, but it's far from conclusive evidence!
The third brother is a scoundrel, a lecher, and a violent man, but does he really have the guts and brains to devise such a meticulously crafted and vicious scheme?

Is there someone else behind this?
"anything else?"

Old Zhu's voice was as cold as ice:
"A mere connection of place of origin proves nothing. Wang Fu fell into the well, Wang An died suddenly, and Deng passed away from illness—everyone who knew the truth is dead! Where's the poison? Where's the method of poisoning? Where's the evidence?!"

Jiang Huan sensed the emperor's suppressed rage and quickly lowered his head:
“Your Majesty is wise. It is indeed difficult to draw a conclusion based solely on place of origin. Moreover, this matter happened a long time ago, and the witnesses are almost extinct, while physical evidence is even more difficult to find.”

"The world of poisons is inherently secretive and difficult to investigate, let alone a long-standing cold case..."

He abruptly changed the subject, proposing an extremely bold yet relevant suggestion, which was also the only possible way he could think of to break the deadlock:
"Your Majesty, all the clues now seem to point to... a connection between the inner chambers of the vassal kings and the old affairs of the Crown Prince's palace. However, there is a lack of key evidence, and all the suspicions are indirect."

"Your Majesty, I dare to suggest that perhaps... perhaps we could use the Shaanxi corruption case or the current Dengwengu case as a pretext to issue an imperial edict urgently summoning the Prince of Qin, the Prince of Jin, and the Prince of Zhou to the capital for a report and questioning!"

“All three princes have served as princes or have been involved in Shaanxi affairs, so it is perfectly justified to summon them to the capital.”

"At that time, His Majesty may personally... inquire of them, observe their words and actions, and discern their expressions."

"Perhaps... we can find a flaw in it, or force some people to panic..."

"At the same time, with the three princes coming to the capital, their officials and associates will inevitably accompany them or be active, which may provide new opportunities for our Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate..."

Jiang Huan did not say it explicitly, but the meaning was clear:

Since we lack direct evidence, let's summon all the prime suspects to the capital and put them under the Emperor's watchful eye!

[Using the emperor's authority to personally interrogate, observe, and exert pressure!]

Perhaps we can find a breakthrough under pressure, or wait for them to make a mistake on their own!

After listening, Old Zhu fell silent.

He leaned back on the dragon throne, closed his eyes, and rubbed his throbbing temples with his fingers.

Summoning the princes to the capital…especially those princes who might be suspected of plotting to murder the crown prince…

This is undoubtedly a risky move!
It might alert the enemy, potentially triggering greater unrest, or even pushing them to the brink of desperation...

However, as Jiang Huan said, this seems to be the only possible way to break the current deadlock.

Otherwise, should we just let Biao'er die in such an unclear way? And let the real culprit continue to go unpunished?

The thought that Biao'er might be enduring fear and betrayal alone until his death made Old Zhu's heart feel like it was being torn apart!
He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze now devoid of hesitation, revealing only the coldness and decisiveness of an emperor.

But then he said calmly and indifferently, "Jiang Huan."

"The minister is here."

Jiang Huan stiffened. He could clearly feel the almost tangible killing intent and scheming emanating from the emperor. His scalp tingled, and he became even more respectful.

"Draft three imperial edicts."

Old Zhu's voice was calm and without a ripple: "Use the 800-li express courier service to send them to the Qin Prince's Mansion in Xi'an, the Jin Prince's Mansion in Taiyuan, and the Zhou Prince's Mansion in Kaifeng respectively."

"Just say that I have been worrying about the Crown Prince lately, my old illness has relapsed, my health is not good, and I miss my son very much."

"I hereby summon Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang, and Prince Jin, Zhu Gang, to immediately relinquish their duties in their fiefdoms, travel lightly and simply, and return to the capital to attend to my illness, so as to ease my mind."

"As for King Zhu Su of Zhou..."

He hesitated for a moment and said:
"Tell him that we've heard he's made great progress in compiling 'The Compendium of Famine Relief Herbs,' and have him take the manuscript back to the capital for us to review. We want to see it for ourselves!"

Waiting for illness?

Reading the manuscript?
Jiang Huan felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

What a fine way to care for someone who is ill! What a fine way to read a manuscript!

This was the most respectable and irresistible reason for the feudal lords.

Filial piety is of paramount importance; who would dare to utter a word against it?

But everyone knew that this was clearly a trap!

"Draft three more secret edicts."

Old Zhu continued, his tone still calm, but every word was filled with murderous intent:
“Send one to Duke Feng Sheng of Song, one to Duke Fu Youde of Ying, and one to Marquis Ye Sheng of Jingning. Instruct them to take over the defense of Xi’an, Taiyuan, and Kaifeng immediately after receiving news of the departure of the Prince of Qin, the Prince of Jin, and the Prince of Zhou from their fiefdoms, under the pretext of ‘exercising defenses and protecting the capital.’”

"And protect the residences of the King of Qin, the King of Jin, and the King of Zhou; they are allowed to enter but not leave!"

"All officials, guards, and family members of the Prince's residence are to remain in place and await verification!"

"Any resistance will be treated as treason, and the execution will be carried out without prior notification!"

[Openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass!]

Jiang Huan immediately realized what was going on.

Using the seemingly gentle guise of "attending to the sick" and "reading manuscripts," the prince was transferred away from his stronghold. Then, an absolutely loyal veteran general, under the pretext of military force, instantly took control of his fiefdom and palace, completely eliminating any possibility of resistance or destruction of evidence!

When Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, and Zhu Su arrived in the capital, bewildered and perhaps still harboring a sliver of hope, they were met with an inescapable net and irrefutable evidence that had been prepared long ago!

This is the Emperor's style!
Either don’t do it or never do it!
When it moves, it is with overwhelming force, leaving no room for retreat!

Jiang Huan felt a cold sweat trickle down his back and immediately accepted the order: "Your subject obeys! I will carry it out immediately!"

"besides!"

Old Zhu added, his gaze deep and unfathomable:

"Tell Feng Sheng, Fu Youde, and Ye Sheng to act quickly and discreetly! Before Zhu Shuang, Zhu Gang, and Zhu Su leave their fiefdoms, not a single word must leak out!"

"What we want is for you to be able to successfully care for me during my illness and present my manuscript, understand?"

"I understand!"

Jiang Huan kowtowed deeply and quickly withdrew from the arrangements.

He knew that an extremely dangerous political storm targeting the vassal kings had already begun, with the emperor's few casual words setting off the most deadly prelude.

After Jiang Huan left, the palace doors were closed heavily again.

Inside the palace, Old Zhu sat alone on the dragon throne.

He reached out and slowly stroked the cold iron box, his gaze as deep and unfathomable as a bottomless abyss.

Biao'er...my son...

What exactly are you hiding from Dad...?

What exactly... drove you to this dead end...?

A single, murky tear silently slid down the cheek of this emperor who had spent his life on bloodshed.

But the next second, the tears were replaced by an incomparably terrifying, chilling killing intent that could freeze everything.

No matter how cruel the truth may be, no matter who is involved.

He wants to get to the bottom of this.

He wants everyone who killed his son to pay the heaviest price.

Even a tiger, though fierce, will not eat its cubs, but if a cub were to attempt to murder its brother... it would shake the very foundation of the nation...

Then don't blame me, as the father, for being heartless!

(End of this chapter)