The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

The following day, at the Duke of Wei's residence.

Li Jinglong and Li Zengzhi, brothers, each carrying a large bunch of tonics, walked towards the gate, panting heavily as they went.

"Brother, didn't you say that the Duke of Wei wouldn't last long?" Li Zengzhi said between breaths. "We brought so many tonics, but he can't possibly eat them all. We should take them back; I think I need to replenish my energy more."

Li Jinglong was speechless: "If you dare to talk nonsense like this after we enter the Duke of Wei's mansion, I will kick you out of the house."

"Isn't my tendency to speak without thinking something all learned from you?" Li Zengzhi said.

The two brothers finally arrived at the gate of the Duke of Wei's mansion.

The guards standing at the door saw them, jogged over to greet them, and reached out to take the tonics.

"Young Duke, Second Young Master, please come in."

"How is Uncle Xu's health?"

"Master is in the backyard. I will lead the way for you two."

The two brothers followed the guards through the front yard and into the backyard.

Unlike other gardens, the garden of the Duke of Wei's mansion was not filled with artificial hills, streams, exotic flowers and plants; everything was simple and open.

Several old locust trees surround a pavilion, and a bamboo bed is placed under the pavilion.

Xu Da lay on it.

Xu Miaoyun stood on the left side of the bamboo bed, while a beautiful young girl, Xu Da's youngest daughter Xu Miaojin, stood on the right.

"Uncle Xu, we've come to see you." Li Jinglong quickly stepped forward.

He came to the bamboo bed and saw the emaciated Xu Da, and his heart ached.

The Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty is about to collapse.

"Uncle Xu, look what we brought you!" Li Zengzhi also came over and took out the tonics one by one. "This is old ginseng from Changbai Mountain, to replenish qi. This is deer antler from beyond the Great Wall, to replenish blood. And this, to replenish essence. If you drink this, you will not only get better, but you will also be able to have a son."

Xu Da chuckled: "Zengzhi, you're starting to look more and more like your older brother!"

Li Zengzhi said with a proud look, "Uncle Xu, my elder brother and I are just like our father."

"Don't talk nonsense, your father is a man of integrity." Xu Da sighed softly. "Ah, I'll be going to see your father soon too. It's good to think about it, I won't be lonely."

Tears welled up in Xu Miaojin's eyes: "Father, don't talk nonsense."

"Jin'er, why are you crying? Your father's life has been worthwhile," Xu Da said.

Li Jinglong spread his hands: "Uncle Xu, when you get to the underworld, don't say bad things about us to my father."

"Li Jiujiang, what nonsense are you spouting?" Xu Miaojin glared angrily.

Xu Miaoyun reached out and patted her younger sister, smiling, "We come from a military family; we don't care about these things."

"Yes, I'm happy that Zengzhi and his brothers from Jiujiang came," Xu Da said.

Li Jinglong said earnestly, "Uncle Xu, you definitely have to get better. Wang Baobao is dead, and my father will handle him down there. You need to live well; you still have to pacify the Northern Yuan."

"I have to go down and help your father," Xu Da laughed. "Wang Baobao, two 'Bao's'. Your father's name is Bao'er, one 'Bao''s. He can't handle it all."

"Uncle Xu, you don't understand," Li Jinglong said. "What do you compete for down there? You compete for the wealth of your children up there. I burn money for my father every day; he'd be a big landowner down there by now, and he probably already has several beautiful concubines."

"What about Wang Baobao?" Xu Da asked with interest.

Li Jinglong scoffed, "What does Wang Baobao have? His daughter is in the Ming Dynasty's imperial harem. Would she burn half a penny for him?"

Xu Da burst into laughter.

Xu Miaoyun stood to the side, a smile on her face.

……

Half an hour later.

Li Jinglong and Xu Miaoyun walked side by side in the back garden.

"Any progress on the case concerning the imperial harem?" Xu Miaoyun asked.

Li Jinglong gave a brief account of what happened at the East Palace yesterday.

"Hesa'er?" Xu Miaoyun's eyes narrowed. "Hai Li's maid."

Li Jinglong nodded and said in a deep voice, "This girl knows martial arts. When I was little, I once secretly ran away from the martial arts field and went around to the backyard, where I happened to see her attacking a palace maid."

"You suspect her?" Xu Miaoyun asked.

Li Jinglong frowned: "If we're going to suspect her, then we should suspect Hai Li even more. She's Wang Baobao's daughter, and she has the best reason to become a scout."

Xu Miaoyun was silent for a moment, then said, "If you say that, then I have a letter that I can show you."

"What letter?"

Xu Miaoyun took out a letter from her sleeve: "It was just delivered from Beiping this morning. The Prince went to the northern desert again and won a battle. He found some things in the tent of the Northern Yuan Grand Commandant."

She handed him the letter, and Li Jinglong took it, unfolded it, and quickly scanned it.

"The Darughachi in the south room of the scout headquarters is the Princess Consort of Qin?" Li Jinglong exclaimed in surprise.

Xu Miaoyun nodded slightly: "Back then, when my father's marching route was leaked, it was she who did it."

"This must be reported to His Majesty," Li Jinglong said solemnly.

"The Prince must have submitted memorials to His Majesty, including those original letters that were found," Xu Miaoyun sighed softly. "But after all, she is the Princess Consort of Qin. If His Majesty finds out, it will be difficult to handle."

Li Jinglong pondered for a moment, then asked in confusion, "How has the Princess Consort of Qin managed to control the palace spies all these years while she's been in Xi'an?"

"So, the scout commander in the capital has been replaced by a Darughachi. Who could it be?" Xu Miaoyun asked, her beautiful eyes fixed on him.

Li Jinglong immediately realized: "The most suitable candidate is Hai Li."

"If it were Hai Li, the Empress Dowager would probably be very sad in heaven," Xu Miaoyun sighed. "It was the Empress Dowager who took Hai Li in back then and trusted her all along, which is why she became the palace lady she is today."

Li Jinglong snorted: "Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different hearts. I now suspect that it was Hesaer who killed Xiaohuan. The day before yesterday, Xiaohuan had a fight with Eunuch Liu, and it was Hesaer who dragged her away."

Xu Miaoyun frowned: "Why would she kill Xiao Huan? What could a mere palace maid possibly know that would warrant silencing her?"

"have no idea."

"Why did Xiao Huan write your name before she died? If the murderer was Hesar, why would she write your name?"

Li Jinglong smiled wryly: "I have even less to say about that."

"What are you planning to do?" Xu Miaoyun asked.

Li Jinglong shrugged: "His Majesty hasn't given me any new decree yet. If he doesn't issue a decree, I'll proceed at my own pace. Tomorrow, I'll go directly to Hesaer."

Xu Miaoyun smiled and nodded.

Just then, a commotion came from not far away.

The chubby Zhu Gaochi is pursuing Zhu Gaoxu.

"Second brother! That's a musket, you can't touch it!"

Zhu Gaochi, holding a short musket, declared, "I'm going to hunt birds!"

Xu Miaoyun was terrified when she saw it and immediately chased after them.

"Gao Xu! Stop right there!"

Zhu Gaoxu was afraid of his mother after all; his short legs suddenly stopped, and he almost tripped over himself.

Xu Miaoyun snatched the short flintlock pistol away: "If you take this again, you'll be punished by having to stay in your room all day and you can't go out."

Li Jinglong stepped forward, his gaze falling on the short musket: "Your Highness, where did this come from?"

"Oh, the new prototype guns made in the armory, the prince left me a few for self-defense," Xu Miaoyun said.

Li Jinglong blinked: "Your Highness, could you give me one of these?"

Xu Miaoyun handed over the short flintlock pistol she was holding: "Take it, I have a few more."

Li Jinglong took the musket with both hands, overjoyed.