I was to be executed by Zhu Yuanzhang, and Empress Ma smashed Zhu Yuanzhang's jade seal.

Zhu Yuanzhang!

Do you think my million-strong army is all a joke?

A resolute madness flashed in Zhu Muying's eyes.

He raised his head, looked at Chen Wu, his voice hoarse but carrying an unquestionable command.

"Pass down the order: full speed ahead!"

"Let's head straight back to Beijing!"

Chen Wu was greatly alarmed.

"Your Highness! You absolutely mustn't! Her Majesty the Empress has already said that the capital is a den of dragons and tigers; if you go back now, you'll be committing suicide!"

"Sending them to their deaths?"

Zhu Muying sneered, a smile that appeared somewhat ferocious in the firelight.

"Who said I was going to my death?"

He slowly stood up, walked to the snow-white "Jade Lion of the Night," and gently stroked its soft mane.

"Didn't he lay a trap, waiting for me, this fish?"

"Then I'll do as he wishes and dive right in."

"I'll see whether his net is stronger, or my bones are stronger!"

He suddenly mounted the horse and pulled on the reins.

"drive!"

The Jade Lion let out a long roar, its four hooves flying, and like a white lightning bolt, it instantly rushed into the darkness ahead.

Without the slightest hesitation, the eighteen guards immediately mounted their horses and followed closely behind.

Chen Wu was left standing there, staring blankly in the direction they had disappeared, his face filled with horror.

He knew that His Highness had gone mad.

He also knew that the world was probably really going to descend into chaos.

Several days later, in Jinling City.

As the capital of the Ming Dynasty, this magnificent city remained as prosperous and bustling as ever.

However, beneath this prosperous facade, a tense and oppressive atmosphere is quietly spreading.

The number of Beijing garrison soldiers patrolling the streets was more than three times that of usual.

At the city gate, the checks became exceptionally strict.

Some astute businessmen have already sensed something is wrong and have closed their shops and stopped operating, no longer daring to show their faces in public.

Although the people did not know what had happened, they sensed an impending storm and hurried about, not daring to linger on the streets.

And all of this points to the same person.

Zhu Muying, the Prince of Ying of the Ming Dynasty.

The young war god who fought for three years in the northern frontier and struck fear into the hearts of the Northern Yuan Tartars has returned.

Moreover, she returned carrying an imperial decree from the emperor granting her the marriage.

This news, like a boulder thrown into the seemingly calm lake of Jinling City, stirred up countless ripples.

Some people were overjoyed, feeling that the war god of the Ming Dynasty had returned, and the country's borders were now even more secure.

Some people were worried that the return of this powerful prince might disrupt the fragile balance in the court.

Some people were even gloating, waiting to see a good show.

They all knew that His Majesty was extremely suspicious.

Whether His Majesty's return this time will bring good fortune or misfortune remains to be seen.

Amidst the discussions of the city's residents, a small procession slowly drove into Jinling City.

The leader rode a magnificent white horse, dressed in a brocade robe and wearing a golden crown. He had a handsome face and an arrogant expression.

It was Zhu Muying.

Behind him followed only a solemn-looking general.

It was Chen Wu.

As soon as the two entered the city, they immediately attracted everyone's attention.

"Look! It's His Highness the King of England!"

"It really is His Highness the King! He's even more dashing than in the portraits!"

"Why did he only bring one person back? Wasn't he supposed to have eighteen personal guards?"

"What do you know! This is called being low-key! His Highness simply doesn't want to be too ostentatious!"

The people on both sides of the street pointed and whispered among themselves about Zhu Muying.

Zhu Muying's face held just the right amount of emotion from a long-awaited reunion, and an almost imperceptible arrogance of a victor.

He nodded slightly in response to the cheers of the people, a posture befitting a monarch surveying his territory.

Chen Wu followed behind him, his palms sweating with nervousness.

He secretly observed his surroundings.

He could sense that in the crowd, in the teahouses and taverns along the street, and in those inconspicuous corners, countless eyes, like venomous snakes, were staring intently at them.

Embroidered Uniform Guard!

He knew that from the moment they entered the city, their every move had been under the emperor's surveillance.

Your Highness is now standing on the edge of a cliff.

One wrong step and you're doomed!

"Your Highness, shall we go straight back to the Prince's residence, or...?"

Chen Wu stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

"No."

Zhu Muying reined in his horse and looked towards the direction of the imperial city. "Let's go to the East Palace first and pay our respects to our elder brother."

The convoy turned and headed towards the Eastern Palace.

At the entrance of the East Palace, Crown Prince Zhu Biao was already waiting.

He was dressed in ordinary royal robes, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Fifth Brother!"

Upon seeing Zhu Muying, Zhu Biao quickly came forward and gave him a big hug.

"You're finally back! I've missed you so much, brother!"

"Brother! I miss you too! And how is Mother doing?"

His voice was loud and clear, carrying the heroic spirit honed on the battlefield.

Zhu Biao's eyes were slightly red.

"Good, all good. Mother talks about you every day. She was so happy to hear you were coming back that she couldn't sleep well for several days."

He took Zhu Muying's hand and looked him up and down.

"You've lost weight and gotten tanned. You must have suffered a lot in the north, right?"

"Hey, brother, what are you saying! What's a little hardship compared to serving your country!"

"Besides, those Tartars from the north are easy to deal with; they'll be taken care of in no time. They won't suffer much!"

He spoke lightly, but Zhu Biao felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

Over the past three years, Zhu Muying has fought countless fierce battles in the northern frontier, experiencing numerous near-death experiences. As the eldest brother, he knows better than anyone else how many times he has faced death.

But he couldn't say anything.

"Alright, alright, stop standing outside. Come in with me. Your sister-in-law has prepared a welcome feast especially for you."

Zhu Biao pulled him along and led him into the East Palace.

The banquet was held in the warm pavilion of the East Palace.

The Crown Princess Chang, gentle and virtuous, had already been waiting there with her palace servants.

She was also overjoyed when she saw Zhu Muying.

"Fifth brother, you're finally back."

Chang was the daughter of Chang Yuchun, a famous general who helped found the People's Republic of China. She grew up with Zhu Muying and Xu Miaoyun and they were like siblings.

"Sister-in-law!"

Zhu Muying gave a casual bow.

Chang was amused by him and gave him a reproachful look.

"Fifth brother is still as handsome as ever after all these years!"

"Please sit down. You must be hungry after traveling for so long."

The banquet begins.

During the meal, Zhu Biao and Madam Chang kept serving food to Zhu Muying and asking him about his life in the northern frontier.

Zhu Muying answered each question one by one according to the prepared script.

He recounted how he pursued the enemy through wind and snow, how he used three thousand soldiers to break through the enemy's ten-thousand-strong formation, and described the magnificent desert scenery of the north, where herds of cattle and sheep roamed.

He spoke with great enthusiasm and boundless pride.

Zhu Biao and Chang listened with a mixture of tension and admiration.

However, after several rounds of drinks, Zhu Biao dismissed his attendants, leaving only the three of them in the warm pavilion.

The smile on Zhu Biao's face gradually faded.

He poured Zhu Muying a glass of wine, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

"Fifth brother, what are your plans this time you've come back?"

Zhu Muying's heart skipped a beat.

He knew that the real issue was about to be addressed.

"Didn't Father bestow a marriage upon me? Of course, I'll obediently marry a wife and give Father a big, fat grandson to hold!"

Zhu Biao looked at him with a complicated expression.

"It's that simple?"

"What else?"

Zhu Muying retorted, "Brother, aren't you overthinking this? Father dotes on me so much, how could he possibly harm me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao let out a long sigh.

"Fifth brother, you...you're still so naive."

He lowered his voice, leaned close to Zhu Muying's ear, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Don't you think there's something fishy about Father Emperor's decree?"

"You are often away from home, holding considerable military power. This is what Father Emperor fears most."

"This summons to return is ostensibly for a marriage, but in reality... it's a ploy to relinquish military power over a cup of wine!"

"After you return, you must restrain your temper, be more tolerant in everything, and follow the Emperor's wishes as much as possible. In particular, do not get too close to the Duke of Wei and the others."

"Regarding your marriage to Miaoyun, I think... it would be better to postpone it for now."

Zhu Biao spoke earnestly, his words filled with concern.

Zhu Muying listened, but her heart felt ice-cold.

He knew that every word the Crown Prince said was true.

He also knew that the Crown Prince was genuinely worried about him.

But he couldn't listen.

His mission is to keep acting until the very end!

"Big brother!"

"If my father commands me to die, then I will die! The matter of Miaoyun's marriage, which involves the relinquishment of military power over a cup of wine, is entirely up to my father."

"I, Zhu Muying, have lived up to the expectations of Heaven and Earth, and I have done right by the Ming Dynasty!"

His words were "righteous and stern" and "passionate and impassioned".

Zhu Biao knew that his fifth brother had always had this temperament since childhood.

I'd rather break than bend.

But he didn't know that the court today was not the same as it was a few years ago.

The current father is no longer the father who used to roll around in the fields with them.

"Once you hand over military power, you'll face certain death!"