The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 75 Your Majesty, were you thrilled?

Deep within Yongchangfang lies a courtyard.

A young man rushed in, his face pale and his eyes filled with panic, and was about to knock on the door.

A dark figure flipped down from the courtyard wall and landed in front of the young man.

"Who is it?"

The young man was startled: "It's me, Hong Qi. I need to see Uncle Li."

The gatekeeper recognized him; Hong Qi was Master Hong's only son.

"What happened?"

"My father was just murdered!"

The gatekeeper's expression changed drastically. He stopped asking questions and led Hong Qi through the front yard to the back yard.

There is an old locust tree in the backyard, with a canopy that can cover the ground.

There was a bamboo couch under the tree, and an old man was reclining on it.

The old man was burly, with broad shoulders and a wide back. His left sleeve was empty, fluttering gently in the night breeze. Yet, he exuded an aura of menace.

"Seventh boy, what's wrong in the middle of the night?" the old man asked.

Hong Qi immediately knelt down: "Uncle Li, my father was murdered at the roast chicken feast!"

"How could he have been suddenly killed?" The old man abruptly stood up.

Hong Qi quickly recounted what had happened at the banquet.

"What about Li Chongliu?" A murderous glint flashed in the old man's eyes.

"He ran away in the chaos," Hong Qi said through gritted teeth. "That kid is a madman. Nobody expected him to dare to do it in front of so many people."

The old man frowned deeply: "This is no simple matter. Anyone who dares to make a move at the roast chicken banquet is either a brainless idiot or someone with powerful backing. Go see Lord Guo of the Ministry of Revenue tomorrow. The identity of a beggar leader requires approval from the government. Li Chongliu has no evidence, so Lord Guo will naturally know how to handle it."

"Let the authorities deal with him first and see what his true colors are."

Hong Qi asked urgently, "What about my father's revenge? Are we just going to let it go like this?"

Uncle Li glanced at him, his gaze calm: "Don't rush. The person who killed your father at the roast chicken banquet is no ordinary person. If you rush up now to seek revenge, you'll fall right into their trap."

"Look carefully before you take revenge."

Hong Qi nodded: "Yes, I will listen to Uncle Li."

The following day, at the Qianqing Palace.

Li Jinglong knelt in the main hall, his back ramrod straight.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked around him with his hands behind his back.

"Your Majesty, last night was incredibly exciting, wasn't it?"

"You're something else! Last night you completely disregarded our lives." Zhu Yuanzhang paused, glaring at him. "One fire and you took down Lord Hong, his blood splattered all over our faces."

Li Jinglong smiled and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Your Majesty, please listen to my excuses."

"I shot Master Hong, everyone saw it, who cares about anyone else? You're just an insignificant follower behind Mao Xiang, who would pay attention to you? Besides, with Mao Xiang there, with his skills, he would definitely grab you and rush out immediately."

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes: "So, we should praise you for being meticulous?"

"No need for that."

-

"Pah!" Zhu Yuanzhang's face fell. "But we haven't even had roast chicken yet! Beggar's chicken, the real deal, you know?"

Back when I was begging, I only had it once. The taste, wow, the chicken wrapped in yellow mud and roasted, the aroma when you cracked it open was incredible.

"You fired the first shot, the chicken flew away, and the person ran away too."

Li Jinglong raised his head: "Your Majesty, so you went there because of your stutter?"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand speechlessly and said, "Alright, alright, tell me, what are you planning to do next?"

"I want to replace Master Hong," Li Jinglong said.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled slightly: "With your small force, you think you can handle it?"

"That's definitely not going to work," Li Jinglong said, spreading his hands. "That's why I've come to Your Majesty. With Lord Hong dead, the beggars are leaderless, so they've sent the Imperial Guards to pose as beggars and help me become their chief beggar."

Zhu Yuanzhang took two steps with his hands behind his back and said decisively, "Alright, as long as you can find the Darughachi in the north room of the scout headquarters, you can ask Mao Xiang to transfer the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"It's not just the Embroidered Uniform Guard; I also need money," Li Jinglong said.

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately became wary: "What do you need the money for?"

"Your Majesty, look at how stingy you are." Li Jinglong was speechless. "I won't let you suffer a loss, so listen to me. To replace Master Hong, having people isn't enough; you also need to demonstrate strength. Besides fists, it's all about money."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head: "We have no money."

Li Jinglong rolled his eyes: "Your Majesty, let me finish. As long as I replace Master Hong, all his properties will be mine. I will repay you with interest."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up instantly. After a moment of contemplation, he waved his hand and said, "We'll support you with the money. Master Hong's assets are ours."

"Your Majesty, you are the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, do you have any shame?" Li Jinglong sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't care at all: "Let's compromise. We'll take 50% of Hong Ye's assets."

"On what grounds?" Li Jinglong was agitated. "Doesn't it cost money for me to run his businesses? Doesn't it cost money to bribe officials and subordinates? You just talk the talk and get 50%?"

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment: "Forty percent."

"Twenty percent!" Li Jinglong began to haggle.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes widened: "Twenty percent, no less than that."

Li Jinglong looked speechless: "Your Majesty, you possess the wealth of the entire world, why would you lack such a small amount of money?"

"You'll understand later," Zhu Yuanzhang said impatiently, waving his hand.

An hour later, at the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters.

Li Jinglong stood in the courtyard, looking at the large group of people standing in front of him.

They were all dressed in tattered clothes, some with patches upon patches, and some with their elbows exposed.

No matter how tattered his clothes are, his sharp edge can't be hidden.

"Mao Xiang, is this much? Just over a hundred people?" He turned to look at Mao Xiang beside him.

Mao Xiang retorted irritably, "Young Duke, who do you think you are? They were all handpicked by me from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Let alone seizing territory, if you took them to the north, they could crush two thousand Tartars."

"Commander, you're always reliable when you get things done." Li Jinglong smiled and leaned closer. "Commander, you also disguised yourself as a beggar leader and mingled in there. Did you find out anything? Tell me!"

Mao Xiang pondered for a moment and said, "Master Hong is in cahoots with Guo Huan, the Vice Minister of Revenue. Guo Huan helped him get his position as the Chief Beggar."

"Guo Huan? Why is he everywhere?" Li Jinglong frowned.

Mao Xiang shook his head, his expression indifferent: "The Young Duke has misunderstood. Guo Huan looks down on Master Hong, a beggar leader, who is nothing more than a dog in his eyes. What he really has his eye on is Master Hong's caravan. That caravan, with documents stamped by the Ministry of Revenue, travels all the way from Yingtian to the Northwest. Guo Huan has used Master Hong's caravan to transport countless goods."

"You mean, Guo Huan doesn't know about the scouts?" Li Jinglong understood.

"Yes." Mao Xiang nodded. "Master Hong is a very shrewd man, and he also took advantage of Guo Huan."

Li Jinglong pondered for a moment and asked, "Now that Master Hong is dead, will Guo Huan step forward?"

"Probably. With Master Hong dead, his caravan became easy prey. Guo Huan has invested so much effort into it; he can't just stand by and watch someone else take it away," Mao Xiang said.

"This is getting more and more interesting." Li Jinglong waved his hand. "That's perfect. I'll use Li Chongliu's identity to meet this Vice Minister of Revenue."

Mao Xiang said solemnly, "Young Duke, do not be careless. If that Darughachi is really hiding in the beggars' village, he must have a master by his side."

Li Jinglong nodded slowly, muttering, "I'm getting more and more curious. Who exactly is this Darughachi? He's met His Majesty and Wang Baobao, yet he doesn't even put them in his eyes. There are very few people like him."

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