The Great Ming Demon Pill: Your Majesty, please address me as the Crown Prince!

Such an arrogant tone made Manager Wang feel a chill in his heart.

Under the emperor's nose, all sorts of monsters and demons can be found.

You could hit a sixth-rank official by throwing a brick.

Have we really run into a brick wall today?

Ashikaga Yoshikatsu frowned deeply.

"Master Wang..."

Manager Wang gritted his teeth, regardless of who this brat was.

His task today is to receive Ashikaga Yoshikatsu.

Even if this child is from a noble family, we can't let him mess up his mission.

Offending a powerful person's son doesn't necessarily mean you'll get into trouble.

If he ruins diplomatic relations between the two countries, he'll be finished.

Ashikaga Yoshikatsu was the younger brother of the King of Japan!

Wang, the steward, had a ferocious expression on his face and waved his hand.

"Grasp!"

Zhu Zhanjun snorted coldly, took a step back, and roared.

"The Imperial Grandson's Armor Combined!"

Zhu Di, who was just about to send Yang Rong out to end this farce, stopped abruptly and looked over in astonishment.

Yang Rong and Huang Huai were also dumbfounded.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhu Zhanqi, Zhang Mao, Liu Zhong, Zheng Yu, Li Heng, Zhu Yi, and others let out a strange cry, rushed to Zhu Zhanjun's side, and stretched out their hands.

Zhu Zhanqi was closest, so he grabbed the collar of the man's left shoulder with both hands and pulled it down forcefully.

Zhang Mao on the right was not to be outdone, and grabbed the right cuff and pulled hard.

Liu Zhong and Zheng Yu stood one in front and one behind. Liu Zhong grabbed the hem of his robe with both hands, while Zheng Yu grabbed the hem of his robe at the back.

Li Heng and Zhu Yi squeezed to the side, with Li Heng grabbing the fabric at the left side of his waist and Zhu Yi pulling at the right corner of his robe.

With a few sharp "rip" and "sizzle" sounds, the outer robe was torn to pieces by the combined efforts of the children, turning into several tattered pieces that fluttered to the ground.

Once the outer robe was removed, a striking crimson robe was revealed underneath, with a round collar and a wide front. The shoulders, chest, and back were woven with dazzling golden dragon patterns, and a jade belt was tied around the waist. It was the formal robe of a prince of the Ming Dynasty.

The crimson robe, illuminated by the surrounding lanterns, was dazzlingly bright, and the golden dragon on it was lifelike and majestic.

Zhu Yi roared angrily.

"His Highness the Prince of Jiyang of the Great Ming Dynasty is here. How dare you act so presumptuously?"

silence!

The entire street seemed to be choked by an invisible force.

The previously noisy sounds of people, music, and vendors were abruptly cut off, as if by a knife.

Countless gazes were fixed on that small figure and that brightly colored robe.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment.

"thump!"

The closest official, Wang, from the Court of State Ceremonial, suddenly collapsed to his knees, his face ashen, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The servants and yamen runners behind him were terrified and fell to their knees in a panic, touching their heads to the ground and trembling like leaves.

They wished they could drag out Wang's ancestors for eighteen generations and give them a good scolding.

If you want to die, don't drag them down with you.

After a brief moment of deathly silence, the surrounding crowd erupted in a tremendous uproar.

"A prince! It's a prince!"

"Good heavens! Such a young prince..."

"It's the Prince of Jiyang! I've heard of him; he's the second son of His Highness the Prince of Han, and he was just enfeoffed before the new year!"

"No wonder...no wonder he has such poise and skill!"

"His Highness the Prince is mighty!"

"..."

The crowd involuntarily stepped back, clearing a larger area. Many people knelt down, glancing at the young prince in the center of the arena with a mixture of fear and excitement.

The young man in plain clothes who had stepped forward earlier was also stunned. He stared blankly at Zhu Zhanjun, his eyes filled with disbelief and shock, and then he quickly bowed deeply.

Ashikaga Yoshikatsu's face instantly froze in gloom, somewhat taken aback.

Although he was not a Ming person, he still understood the rules and regulations of the Ming Dynasty.

A prince, whose status is already extremely noble.

Besides, he was granted the title of Prince at such a young age!

According to his intelligence, only Zhu Zhanjun, the third son of Zhu Gaoxu, the Prince of Han, received this treatment throughout the entire Ming Dynasty.

Prince Zhu Gaochi of Han has a chance to compete for the position of Crown Prince!

Ashikaga Yoshikatsu looked grim.

The attendants behind him looked at each other, at a loss for what to do.

Zhu Zhanqi, Zhang Mao, Liu Zhong, and their group of brothers all puffed out their chests, standing proudly behind Zhu Zhanjun, trying their best to appear dignified.

Zhu Di, watching from afar, took in all of this, feeling both amused and exasperated.

He whispered to Yang Rong and Huang Huai beside him, "This little monkey... he certainly knows how to show off in front of people."

Yang Rong and Huang Huai looked at each other in bewilderment.

They originally wanted to criticize Zhu Zhanjun for revealing his identity in such a place, as it was undignified.

However, upon seeing Zhu Di's appearance, they decisively chose to remain silent.

In the arena, Zhu Zhanjun's gaze calmly swept over the slumped-together Wang Zhushi, then over Ashikaga Yoshikatsu's shifting expression, and he spoke clearly:

"Now, can we proceed according to the Great Ming Code?"

He looked at the trembling constables and officials from the Court of State Ceremonial.

"What crime should be committed against those who commit violence in the street, abduct women, or injure people with weapons?"

"What should be the punishment for those who bend the law for personal gain, fawn over foreign powers, and harshly criticize their own people?"

Several people looked at each other.

The young man in plain clothes cupped his hands in greeting.

The Ming Dynasty Code states: "Any soldier or civilian who beats or injures another without cause shall be punished with sixty strokes of the cane and one year of penal servitude."

According to the "Official Law - Departmental System" and the "Criminal Law - Accepting Bribes": those who collude with foreign powers to curry favor with foreigners or leak military secrets shall be beheaded; those who abuse the law and harm the people through diplomacy shall be punished for dereliction of duty, and shall be punished with one hundred strokes of the cane and dismissed from office without further appointment.

Wang, the steward, trembled violently and almost fainted.

Zhu Zhanjun said calmly.

"Let's get started."

The constables quickly got up and prepared to drag Wang, the head steward, and the Japanese envoy away.

Ashikaga Yoshikatsu's face was extremely pale, and he took a deep breath.

"So it was His Highness the Prince of Da Ming. It was all a misunderstanding."

"My subordinate was rude and offended your people and Your Highness. I apologize for this."

"However, they are, after all, our country's envoys. Could Your Highness please consider the diplomatic relations between our two nations and show leniency?"

"I am willing to compensate this young woman and strictly discipline my subordinates."

Zhu Zhanjun shook his head.

"Your subordinates have violated the laws of my Great Ming Dynasty and harmed my people."

"Diplomatic relations should be based on mutual respect and adherence to each other's laws, not on privileges and exemptions."

"If we give them a wide berth today just because they are envoys, will all foreigners be able to act with impunity on our Great Ming territory tomorrow?"

"The person must be handed over to the Yingtian Prefecture government for processing according to the law. Compensation is a must. As for how to 'strictly discipline' him... that's a matter for you after you return home. In the Ming Dynasty, you must abide by the rules of the Ming Dynasty."

Ashikaga Yoshikatsu's face turned red and white as he was silenced by these merciless words. Some of his attendants behind him showed indignation, but Ashikaga Yoshikatsu stopped them with a stern look.

He gritted his teeth, finally bowed, and said, "Your Highness's words... are reasonable. It is my fault for not managing my subordinates properly. This person... shall be handed over to your country's government for punishment according to the law."

Zhu Zhanjun nodded, no longer looking at him, and instead said to the leading constable, "Did you hear that? Bring all the involved criminals, including these few..."

He glanced at Wang, the head of the department, and the others kneeling on the ground. "Officials who neglected their duties, flattered foreign envoys, and nearly caused a diplomatic miscalculation should all be escorted to the Yingtian Prefecture Office for detailed statements and reported according to the law. This young lady is the victim and needs to be properly comforted and her case recorded."

The foreman, no longer hesitating, kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Yes! Yes! We will obey Your Highness's decree! We will certainly handle this impartially!"

Having said that, he quickly ordered his subordinates to grab the Japanese envoy and his two attendants like wolves and tigers, and then took away the ashen-faced Master Wang and the others.

Ashikaga Yoshikatsu gritted his teeth and left with his envoys.

Zhu Zhanjun then turned to the young man in plain clothes and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Sir, your courage in speaking out against tyranny is truly admirable. May I ask your name?"

The young man recovered from his shock and quickly bowed again, saying respectfully, "I am a student from Wu County, Suzhou Prefecture. My surname is Yu, my given name is Qian, and my courtesy name is Tingyi."

"To stand up for what is right is the duty of a scholar, and I do not deserve Your Highness's admiration."

"Your Highness, despite being of imperial lineage, is compassionate towards the common people, enforces the law with unwavering resolve, and protects the dignity of my people. I am utterly in awe of you."

Yu Qian?

Zhu Zhanjun's eyes lit up!

What the hell!

SSR!

Lao Tzu's top minister has finally arrived!