The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Once the sun comes out, it gets very hot in no time.

Li Jinglong arrived outside the Qianqing Palace, his waist bulging with a short flintlock pistol tucked inside.

"Eunuch Wang!" he called out to Wang Jinghong, "Come on, let's catch the murderer."

Wang Jinghong was shocked: "Who is the murderer?"

"Come with me, and you'll find out." Li Jinglong said without turning his head.

Wang Jinghong quickly caught up with him, and the two of them walked one after the other through the corridors of the inner palace, turning left and right.

After navigating the third corridor, Li Jinglong stopped: "Uh, where does Hesa'er live?"

"You don't know?" Wang Jinghong asked speechlessly.

"This is the imperial harem, how could I possibly know?" Li Jinglong shrugged.

"You didn't know you were going to walk in front?" Wang Jinghong almost fainted. "I thought you had investigated everything and were confident, but it turns out we've been wandering around three corridors blindly with you? Come with me, she and Princess Haili are staying at Yichun Courtyard."

Li Jinglong sighed, "Yichun Courtyard? That name sounds like an improper place."

Wang Jinghong ignored him.

The two walked around several more corridors, deeper and deeper into the palace walls, until they arrived at a small courtyard.

"Ordinary palace maids don't get to live in courtyards," Wang Jinghong said. "It's because Princess Haili's status is extraordinary that she has this courtyard."

Li Jinglong sniffed: "Old Wang, can you smell that? A fishy smell."

Wang Jinghong took a deep sniff: "Oh no!"

The two rushed into the yard immediately, and then went numb.

On the ground lay the corpses of two palace maids, blood spreading from beneath them.

"Don't move!" A sharp shout came from inside the house.

Li Jinglong and Wang Jinghong exchanged a glance, rushed in, and were immediately dumbfounded.

Haili was tied to a wooden chair, and Hesaer stood behind her, holding a short knife to Haili's neck.

"What kind of short play is this?" Li Jinglong exclaimed.

Khasar shouted, "Don't come any closer, or I'll kill her!"

Wang Jinghong was stunned: "Isn't she your master?"

"She is not! She doesn't deserve it!" Khasar shouted sternly. "Ever since she was captured and followed the late empress, she has become a Ming person."

Hai Li was tied to a chair and struggled for a moment.

The tighter the ropes, the more they accentuated her alluring figure, and with each twist, glimpses of her curves were revealed.

"Hassar," she whispered, "we can't go back."

Li Jinglong's gaze remained fixed on Hai Li, then unconsciously shifted downwards.

It was moved again.

"Don't be impulsive, young lady, let's talk." He called out to Hesaer, his gaze lingering on Haili.

Khasar snapped, "Where are you looking? She's a hostage, don't you understand?"

Li Jinglong withdrew his gaze and coughed awkwardly, "I was observing the hostages' condition."

"Li Jiujiang!" Hesa'er roared, "I know you've found out about me. You've come here today to arrest me, and I'm doomed."

"You've already confessed?" Li Jinglong raised an eyebrow. "You guys aren't just putting on an act, are you?"

Khasar asked, "What is acting?"

Li Jinglong shrugged: "Your identities are about to be exposed, and you two have to protect one of you, so you pretend to kill each other to protect the other, clear your names, and continue to lie low."

Hai Li's face darkened, and his eyes lowered: "If that's the case, then just call the imperial guards and kill us."

"Look," Hesa'er sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "Princess, I told you the people wouldn't trust us. What have you done all these years?"

"When the eldest grandson of the emperor and the empress contracted smallpox, everyone in the harem avoided them like the plague, and no palace maid dared to serve them. Only you, Princess, went. Smallpox is contagious. You could die from it."

"And what have you gained in return?"

"Hey, hey, hey, girl." Li Jinglong shrugged. "You're doing this on purpose."

Wang Jinghong, who was standing to the side, said, "Young Duke, when the eldest grandson of the emperor and the empress were suffering from smallpox, only Princess Haili served them."

"Old Wang, don't be fooled by them." Li Jinglong glared at him.

Hai Li let out a soft laugh, as if he were extremely disappointed: "Li Jiujiang, then call your men and kill us all."

Hesaer sneered, "Li Jiujiang, don't you like the princess? I'll kill her right here in front of you today."

"Then what do you want?" Li Jinglong said impatiently.

Khasar gave a cold laugh: "Come closer, and I'll tell you."

Li Jinglong did not hesitate and strode closer.

As they drew closer, Hesa'er's eyes lit up. He suddenly removed the knife from Hai Li's neck and lunged at Li Jinglong.

Li Jinglong was prepared. He reached for his waist with his right hand, pulled out a musket, and aimed it at Hesaer's face.

boom!

Khasar's body fell straight down.

Li Jinglong curled his lip: "Trying to play mind games with me."

He looked at Khasar, who was lying on the ground.

That shot was a shotgun blast, fired at close range, and it all hit Khasar in the face.

At this moment, that face was covered with countless black holes, and blood was gushing out from those holes.

Blood was gushing from that face.

"Holy crap, I sprayed it all over her face, and it's blood!" Li Jinglong finally realized what was happening. "Amitabha, I killed someone."

Clang!

He fell straight backward and passed out.

Wang Jinghong was terrified: "Someone, someone come quick!"

A dozen or so eunuchs rushed in.

Hai Li, who was tied up, had a drastic change in expression.

It turns out that the imperial guards were outside all along.

……

Li Jinglong slowly woke up and found himself lying on a large chair. The chair was very soft under his bottom and the backrest was wide and comfortable.

This chair is nice; I'll ask around where I got it.

Just then, a face with a rake-like shape peered over from above, filling the entire field of vision.

"Oh, you're awake?"

Li Jinglong was startled and instantly recognized that the face was Zhu Yuanzhang's, a unique one in the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, am I dead?" he asked.

Zhu Yuanzhang blinked: "It was Hesaer who died; you shot him through the head."

Li Jinglong suddenly recalled that face covered in blood, and his stomach churned.

"Still feeling nauseous?" Zhu Yuanzhang grinned mischievously. "Shall I get you a bowl of tofu pudding?"

Li Jinglong shook his head: "Your Majesty, please spare him."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily: "Look at your pathetic self! All you can do is kill someone? Your father fought alongside us back in the day, and he was always hacking people down with a knife. One slash and he'd be covered in blood."

"Your Majesty, could you please stop talking?" Li Jinglong covered his mouth.

Zhu Yuanzhang slapped Li Jinglong on the shoulder: "Get up if you're alright. This is our dragon throne."

Holy crap, it's a dragon throne! No wonder it's so comfortable.

I was thinking of printing one more.

Li Jinglong quickly got up, stood to the side, and stood with his hands at his sides.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly sat down, smiling slightly: "I didn't expect that you, lad, though cowardly, would act so decisively."

"I didn't want this either. She died before I could even ask her anything," Li Jinglong sighed.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised an eyebrow: "What do you want to ask?"

"Why did Hesaer kill Xiaohuan? Why did Xiaohuan write my name before she died?" Li Jinglong asked.

Zhu Yuanzhang remained calm: "She's dead, but Hai Li is still here."