The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the Carpenter Prince!

Inside the threshold of the training institute, there was a wooden box, about the size of a palm, with a nanmu wood base and an elm wood lid. The mortise and tenon joints fit together perfectly, and a hidden lock was embedded in the side. Without knowing the trick, it was impossible to pry it open. This was something that Zhu Youxiao had spent two nights carving by hand.

He placed the wooden box on the table by the door, glanced at the six students, and calmly instructed them: "From now on, if any of you encounter anything that is inconvenient to talk about, just write a note and slip it in. You don't need to sign your name. I will only look at the matter and not ask anyone for help. I will open the box once every ten days."

The six men had different expressions, which Zhu Youxiao took in without offering any explanation.

Ten days later, he dismissed his attendants and opened the box alone.

The five slips of paper in the box were written in different handwriting. The first four were not important. Two were suggestions, one about a personnel dispute, and the other a request for a loan to pay for medicine. He wrote "Approved" on the edge of the loan slip and set it aside.

The fifth sheet was folded very small, and the handwriting had been deliberately altered; it contained only a single, dry line of text.

"Your Highness, Mr. Zhang secretly copies the ten-day newspaper every night and sends it out."

Zhu Youxiao's lips twitched slightly as he looked at the words. After waiting for ten days, the sound had finally arrived.

Mr. Zhang was an informant planted in the training institute by the Grand Secretary Fang Congzhe. He knew this perfectly well the day the roster was presented to the Emperor. The reason for not exposing him was extremely simple: in officialdom, known informants are always more useful than unknown assassins. It was like in his previous life when he placed a liaison officer in the government office. Everyone below knew him well, and he would deliberately add a few extra sentences to the reports to show that the work was progressing in an orderly manner. The leaders were reassured, and the liaison officer had completed his task. This was a win-win situation.

The principle remains the same here and now.

So Zhu Youxiao sat back down at his desk and calmly drafted the next ten-day report, deliberately adding a few extra ingredients: the second son of the emperor was making daily progress in mathematics, the newly purchased abacus cost one tael and two qian, and the sorting of old files from Liaodong had some discrepancies.

The combination of diligence, frugality, and the investigation of old accounts paints a picture of brotherly love and harmony in a poor school. As usual, Mr. Zhang would copy the records, and Fang Congzhe would also read them. What he wanted the cabinet to see was a prince who only knew how to teach his younger brother to read, and a poor but harmless school.

Duty officer at Wenyuan Pavilion.

Fang Congzhe received the copy of the ten-day report at dusk.

Outside the window, the locust leaves had all fallen, and the north wind blew into the hall, chilling him to the bone. The Grand Secretary, who had served seven years as Grand Secretary, unfolded the scroll, glanced at it once, and then put it down.

The second son of the emperor made daily progress in mathematics, purchased a new abacus worth one tael and two mace, and organized old archives in Liaodong. Compared to the previous ten-day report, this one was even more uneventful.

Fang Congzhe picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea had long since gone cold. The message from Mr. Zhang was exactly the same: the Crown Prince went to the training institute at dawn every day and returned to the Eastern Palace in the afternoon. In the evening, no foreign officials came to whittle wood. The six people in the training institute studied mathematics and copied old papers as usual without doing anything out of line.

However, his intuition, honed over years of managing the central government, subtly told him that something was amiss, but he couldn't produce any evidence to support it.

Fang Congzhe folded the copy of the ten-day report, locked it in a sandalwood box, got up, walked to the window, and stood silently for a moment, gazing at the withered locust tree in the courtyard.

If something's not right, then so be it. Since we can't figure out the political variables, let's just put them aside for now and wait for them to reveal their flaws on their own.

That evening at 9 PM, in the side hall of the East Palace.

As Zhu Youxiao was reviewing old files from the Ministry of War, the curtain was suddenly flung open. The usually composed Wang Anlian forgot to announce his arrival and strode in, his face ashen in the flickering candlelight.

"What happened?"

Wang An lowered his voice, his throat tight: "Your Highness, someone has given His Majesty a dose of medicine."

Zhu Youxiao put down the scroll, his fingers tightening suddenly: "What medicine?"

"It's called 'Kidney-Nourishing and Foundation-Strengthening Pill,' a new formula. It was submitted to the Imperial Medical Academy for review, and the chief physician approved it as 'harmless.'" Wang An tried his best to suppress his panic. "His Majesty has already taken one dose tonight."

Kidney-Nourishing and Root-Strengthening Pills.

Zhu Youxiao's mind went blank. The previous "Nourishing Essence and Strengthening the Foundation Ointment" had been rejected by the Imperial Hospital because two of the ingredients were deemed inappropriate. Now, less than two months later, it had reappeared with a different name and prescription.

He was all too familiar with this tactic. In his previous life, when the same project was rejected within the system, he would change the title and data and resubmit it for approval. The people approving it would be a different batch, and the reasons for the previous rejection would be nowhere to be found. The new proposal would still pass the review without any fuss.

He abruptly stood up, grabbed a dark cloak and draped it over his shoulders, the armchair scraping against the blue brick floor with a piercing sound: "How is His Majesty's health now?"

"He's in excellent spirits and has a rosy complexion." Wang An's voice was bitter. "His Majesty is currently reviewing the drafts sent by the Cabinet in the warm pavilion, and he even laughed and said it was just a common tonic and that we were making a fuss over nothing."

He was in excellent spirits and had a rosy complexion.

A person so weak that they tremble even when holding a bowl of medicine suddenly becomes incredibly energetic and has a rosy complexion after taking one dose of medicine. Where did they get that rosy complexion from?!

Zhu Youxiao strode towards the warm pavilion.

The warm pavilion was brightly lit.

Emperor Taichang leaned against the soft couch, an empty medicine cup beside him. His complexion was indeed rosy and much better than a few days ago. His eyes even had a rare radiance as he held a vermilion brush and made marks on a small ticket written in ink.

Zhu Youxiao bowed and sat down, his expression showing no sign of distress: "Father's complexion has improved considerably."

"The Imperial Medical Academy sent over a new prescription; after taking it, I feel warm all over," Emperor Taichang said casually. "Just now, the Grand Eunuch rushed in, and I thought something terrible had happened. It's just a common tonic; why such a panic?"

Common tonic.

The red pill from last time was just ordinary, and so was Cui Wensheng's bowl of rhubarb.

Zhu Youxiao gritted his teeth and forced a smile: "I apologize for my concern, Your Majesty. But has the Imperial Physician personally examined this prescription?"

"It's been checked." Emperor Taichang waved his hand. "The Imperial Medical Academy approved it without any problems. The rules are all followed according to the regulations you established, without the slightest deviation."

Not a single step off.

The drug testing system has gone through the procedures, and the court judge personally reviewed and approved it as compliant. The drug, the person, and the procedure are all compliant. The rigid system stopped the previous case of Peiyuan Gubengao (a traditional Chinese medicine), but it couldn't stop this case with a different name. The system can only check whether the prescription itself is toxic, but it can't check who sent it, why it was sent, or what the long-term effects of continuous use would be.

Zhu Youxiao lowered his head and flipped through a few pages of the memorial without saying anything more. Advising too much about the matter of administering medicine would only provoke the emperor's rebellious heart. He had already learned his lesson last time, so he decided to leave it at that.

As Zhu Youxiao stepped out of the warm pavilion, the night wind, carrying shards of ice, lashed his face. He stood in the corridor, taking a deep breath of the bone-chilling air and forcefully suppressing the surging anger within his chest.

He knew he couldn't afford to panic, so he turned and headed straight for the Imperial Hospital.

The air inside the Imperial Medical Academy's duty room was filled with the aroma of medicine mixed with the smell of charcoal fire.

Judge Liu, who was over sixty years old, was urgently summoned late at night. He was wearing a blue official robe with a round collar that was slightly askew. The silver egret patch on the collar was slightly shiny from sweat. When he bowed, his forehead was covered with fine sweat.

"Bring me the prescription, let me see it."

Judge Liu presented a copy of "Yishen Guben Wan" with both hands. Zhu Youxiao was not skilled in medicine, but he had dealt with many old Chinese medicine doctors in his previous life, so he could roughly identify the properties of common medicines.

Ginseng, Poria cocos, Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa, and Angelica sinensis are all neutral and unremarkable ingredients, up to the seventh line.

He suddenly looked up and stared at Judge Liu: "What are the properties of this Polygala tenuifolia?"

With a slight tremor, Judge Liu replied respectfully, "Yuanzhi is warm in nature and enters the heart and kidney meridians. It calms the mind and improves intelligence; it is a common tonic."

He spoke the word "ordinary" with such certainty, as if he had memorized it a thousand times beforehand.

Zhu Youxiao didn't reply, just stared at him without any emotion. Silence spread in the cramped duty room. The candlelight flickered twice, and beads of sweat on Judge Liu's forehead slowly seeped into his temples along the wrinkles.

"I'm not asking about just one or two doses," Zhu Youxiao said, his tone low but carrying a sense of pressure. "What if it's more than ten doses?"

Judge Liu was taken aback. His lips moved as if he had something to say, but he swallowed it back. After a long pause, he finally murmured, "Yuanzhi is pungent and dry in nature. One or two doses will not cause any problems, but if you take ten doses in a row..."

He didn't dare to continue, but Zhu Youxiao didn't need him to finish.

"Is it right or wrong to secretly deplete one's vital energy, damage one's foundation, and drain one's marrow essence?"

Judge Liu bowed his head deeply, his forehead pressed firmly against the cold floor tiles, without uttering a sound.

This is tantamount to tacit agreement.

Zhu Youxiao stared at the flimsy medicine document, his expression as still as water.

The prescription itself was indeed non-toxic, and it was perfectly reasonable for the Imperial Medical Academy to verify and approve it according to regulations. However, for Emperor Taichang's depleted and weakened body, this prescription, combined with ingredients that generate heat, was like a blunt knife that could kill without drawing blood. He died suddenly after ten doses, and at that time, the coroner searched through the prescription but could not find a single poisonous ingredient.

In his past life, he had seen too many cases like this in government agencies that were difficult to resolve afterward. Every step of the procedure was complete and compliant, but things still went wrong. If you really tried to hold someone accountable, there was only one result in the end: no one was responsible.

"Who exactly sent this prescription to the Imperial Pharmacy?"

Judge Liu looked troubled: "The records indicate that the Imperial Pharmacy handled the report, and the person who dispensed the medicine was a minor official surnamed Zhao, who had been working at the Imperial Pharmacy for less than half a year."

"Bring them in for questioning."

"Your Highness," Imperial Physician Liu said, shrinking back even more fearfully, "Three days ago, that eunuch surnamed Zhao claimed to be ill and was sent to Anle Hall to wait for death. Now he has... disappeared without a trace."

Their whereabouts are unknown; they probably died in some ditch.

Zhu Youxiao's knuckles turned white as he gripped the prescription: "What's your name?"

"Zhao Laifu".

"When did you enter the Imperial Pharmacy? Who recommended you?"

Imperial Physician Liu kowtowed repeatedly: "We are only responsible for verifying prescriptions and examining medicines. The personnel and personnel of the Imperial Pharmacy are all under the control of the Directorate of Ceremonial. I am truly unaware of the inside story."

"So, where did this prescription originally come from when it was submitted to the Imperial Pharmacy?"

"The records state that it was transferred by the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. When I questioned the Imperial Pharmacy, they said it was issued by the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. But when I asked the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, they said it was reported by the Imperial Pharmacy itself."

Zhu Youxiao watched coldly, then slowly tossed the prescription back onto the table.

A broken chain, with its beginning and end interlocking, pushed and shoved until it had no source at all. The source of the medicine evaporated, and the origin of the prescription became a murky mess. Every link was cleanly removed, and there was no way to verify it.

He knew perfectly well that this flawless situation, uncovered through investigations in officialdom, was not a mere coincidence or a case of shirking responsibility, but rather that someone had secretly shredded the clues long ago.

"Zhao Laifu." He clenched the three words between his teeth. "He's been in the Imperial Pharmacy for less than half a year, and his whereabouts are unknown."

Judge Liu lay prostrate on the ground, barely daring to breathe.

"Judge Liu, I do not want you to reject this prescription."

Judge Liu looked up in astonishment.

"Since His Majesty has already taken one dose, if you reject the prescription now, it would be tantamount to saying that His Majesty has taken the wrong medicine. You cannot bear such a sin that would alarm His Majesty, nor can I." Zhu Youxiao's voice was extremely calm, as if he were giving an order for a routine matter. "You only need to do one thing: next time this prescription is sent, reduce the dosage of Polygala tenuifolia to the bare minimum, to the point that it is practically non-existent. Do not change the name of the prescription or the ingredients, only the dosage. Can you do that?"

Judge Liu, feeling as if he had been granted a general amnesty, repeatedly bowed his head and said, "Your subject obeys."

"Get up. You need not mention tonight's events to anyone." Zhu Youxiao turned and walked out of the Imperial Hospital.

The cold wind in the Forbidden City was biting in the dead of night.

The lights in the warm chamber were still on, their dim yellow light slanting through the windows onto the gold bricks of the passageway.

Zhu Youxiao gazed at the halo of light from afar without approaching it.

Emperor Taichang was probably still enthusiastically reviewing and approving drafts, in high spirits, completely unaware that the Polygala tenuifolia he had just swallowed was a death warrant, unaware that the eunuch who prepared the medicine had vanished into thin air, and unaware that the source of the prescription was a deliberately severed deadly chain.

But the Crown Prince knew that someone was using the most proper methods of the Ming Dynasty to slowly erode his father's life force.

But he couldn't find out who it was at all.

Zhao Laifu has been in the Imperial Pharmacy for less than half a year. Who put him in there half a year ago? Who among the many powerful eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial is secretly pulling strings? Although Wang An is the Grand Secretary, he has no control over the radish pit at the bottom of the Imperial Pharmacy, which is under the jurisdiction of the Grand Secretary.

The investigation had stalled; the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was now facing an impenetrable wall.

Zhu Youxiao stood in the windy spot for a long time.

The training center was dealing with the mess in Liaodong, the ten-day report was feeding Fang Congzhe a false sense of peace, and the armor inspection revealed a hole in the Ordnance Bureau. Every move he painstakingly made had an absolutely fatal premise: the lamp in the warm pavilion must not be extinguished.

If Emperor Taichang were to die now, he, the still-developing crown prince, would instantly become a sitting duck. Fang Congzhe, Consort Li, the Donglin Party, and the hidden hand would not hesitate to pounce on him and tear him to pieces. At that time, everything would be reduced to nothingness.

The so-called system can stop a sharp blade, but it can never stop a blunt one.

He didn't turn around until the lights in the warm room were completely extinguished.

Back in the side hall, the five slips of paper in the letter box on the desk still lay quietly. The handwriting on the fifth slip of paper was slightly yellowed in the flickering candlelight: "Mr. Zhang secretly copies the ten-day newspaper every night and sends it out."

Half an hour ago, he was still leisurely drafting the ten-day report, planning how to present the Grand Secretary with a picture of brotherly love and peace. Now, looking at this note, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He could use the rules to feed false information to the cabinet, and the hand in the shadows could use the rules to feed the emperor a death-dealing poison. He could control the mouths of the six people in the side hall, but he couldn't control the severed chain of the Imperial Pharmacy.

Zhu Youxiao carefully folded the note and locked it in the deepest part of the drawer. He then picked up a vermilion brush and wrote three characters heavily on a blank sheet of Xuan paper before crossing it out with a single stroke.

Zhao Laifu.

He had memorized the name perfectly.