Chapter 41: Stunned! Completely Stunned!

Lady Lü walked step by step toward Zhu Xiongying, her face darkened with a terrifying gloom. Gone was the gentle, virtuous, and well-mannered demeanor she wore in public. In this room where only she and Zhu Xiongying remained, she discarded all her pretenses. Looking at the small infant in the swaddling clothes, her eyes were filled with nothing but revulsion. She yearned to reach out and strangle him to death.

That foolish woman, Lady Chang, had such incredible luck. It was one thing for her to have married the Crown Prince first, but to have given birth to a child first as well? And for her very first child to be a boy! The thought turned her eyes red with jealousy. She was merely a secondary consort, and there was an unbridgeable chasm between her and Lady Chang, the primary consort. She had pinned all her hopes on giving birth to a son before that fool, Chang, to gain the upper hand and perhaps turn the tide. Yet, who could have imagined that she would fall behind even in this?

Zhu Xiongying, that spawn of Lady Chang, was already nearly half a year old, while her own belly remained silent. This realization kept her awake at night with rage. If Lady Chang were someone superior to her, it might be bearable, but the key was that Lady Chang was utterly stupid! It was only because her father was that brute Chang Yuchun that she had become the Crown Prince's primary consort. Otherwise, in terms of appearance, figure, breeding, family lineage, or cleverness, that fool was not her equal in any respect. The one who should have been the primary consort was her! Lady Chang, that fool, let alone being a secondary consort, shouldn't even have been allowed into the Eastern Palace!

This was all because Zhu Yuanzhang, that cowherd and beggar-turned-emperor, lacked vision. Only such a man would choose the daughter of a common soldier to be the Crown Prince’s wife. Any emperor with a shred of intelligence would never have done such a thing! They would have chosen someone from a scholarly family like her!

A multitude of bitter emotions surged within her breast, twisting her face into a hideous mask. She hated Zhu Chongba, that beggar; she hated Ma Dajiao; she hated Lady Chang, that fool; and she hated Zhu Xiongying, that cursed child, even more! Looking at the sleeping infant, she longed to reach out and strangle him alive. It was this thing that blocked her own son’s path to advancement and usurped her son’s throne! As long as this little beast lived, her own son would never become emperor, and Lady Chang’s position as primary consort would only grow more secure. Although Lady Lü was not yet pregnant, let alone with a son, this did not stop her from hating Zhu Xiongying or finding him an eyesore. It did not stop her from plotting for the sake of her future son.

Footsteps sounded from outside, approaching. Upon hearing them, the cold malice on Lady Lü’s face vanished in an instant, leaving no trace. She sat beside Zhu Xiongying with a gentle, kind expression, watching the infant in the swaddling clothes. A moment later, Lady Chang, the Crown Prince’s consort, appeared. She was dressed in simple robes, her face glistening with a light sheen of sweat, clearly having just come from practicing with a heavy spear at the Eastern Palace’s training grounds. Lady Lü hurriedly stood up with light steps, flashing a sweet smile at Lady Chang.

...

Within the naval stronghold, aboard the great ship, the atmosphere was grim. Panic, restlessness, and indignation shrouded the entire base. The reason was simple: their leader was dead. The Chaohu Naval Fleet had lost several leaders since its inception, but never had there been such panic. This time, the leader had not died in battle, but had been executed by the Emperor himself! The charges were treason, usurpation of imperial symbols, trafficking in illegal salt, and subverting the state's salt laws. Most crucially, after Liao Yongzhong’s death, the Emperor’s investigation into the fleet’s illegal salt trade had not ceased.

This made them increasingly uneasy.

"If it comes to it, let’s just rebel! I think that Bright Cult doesn’t look too bad! Our Chaohu Fleet has braved life and death to achieve such great merits, yet the Emperor treats us like this!"

"If this place won't have us, we’ll find somewhere that will!"

In the tall command ship sat three men. The ones speaking were Liao Dingguo and Yu Tongyuan. The man sitting at the head remained silent. This was the Marquis of Nan’an, Yu Tongyuan. After the Marquis of Deqing, Liao Yongzhong, was killed, Yu Tongyuan held the highest status in the Chaohu Fleet. Naturally, he had become the new leader. But unlike the previous leaders, his decision-making seemed far less resolute. He remained hesitant about the path the fleet should take. However, Liao Dingguo and Yu Tongyuan could understand his hesitation. After all, when their fathers and brothers led the fleet, they faced external enemies. Now, they faced the Emperor! Fighting under the Emperor against an enemy required no second-guessing, but now that the Emperor was the enemy, one wrong move meant the total destruction of the fleet—it was a matter of life and death. Hesitation was only natural.

After a long silence, Yu Tongyuan took a deep breath, seemingly having made a decision, and prepared to speak. Just then, someone came to report and delivered a letter. Yu Tongyuan opened it with skepticism. At first, he was indifferent, but a moment later, his expression became agitated. He rose from his seat, shifting from holding the letter with one hand to clutching it with both. Seeing this, Liao Dingguo and Yu Tongyuan were stunned, exchanging curious glances. But Yu Tongyuan ignored them, his eyes fixed intently on the paper.

After a long while, he finally looked away, exhaling a long breath, his demeanor much more relaxed. "This matter ends here. The crisis for our Chaohu Fleet has passed!" he said to the two men, his voice filled with excitement.

"The Emperor is willing to let us go? Whose letter is this? Is it reliable?" Liao Dingguo asked, his voice full of distrust. The matter was too big and too important to be settled by just any letter. Yu Tongyuan, though silent, shared the same sentiment.

"It is from the Crown Prince."

The weight of Zhu Biao’s name was immense. Upon hearing this, their doubts vanished, and joy appeared on their faces. They immediately crowded around Yu Tongyuan to read the letter. Once they confirmed the contents and verified that it was truly the Crown Prince’s own handwriting, a heavy stone seemed to fall from their hearts. Their restless minds finally settled. The Crown Prince’s status was clear to all; though called the Crown Prince, he was essentially the Deputy Emperor of the Great Ming. Moreover, he was known to be kind, steady, and, most importantly, a man of his word who took responsibility. Whatever he promised, he would fulfill. Even if problems arose later, the Crown Prince would step in and handle them, never letting his subordinates take the blame. Truly, if the letter had come from the Emperor, they would still be hesitating, wondering if it were a delaying tactic or a trap for later retribution. But since it came from the Crown Prince, it was a different matter entirely.

This was the charisma of Crown Prince Zhu Biao. It was also the reason why Zhu Yuanzhang did not write the letter himself but instead let his son handle it. Among the civil and military officials, many held Zhu Biao in high regard. If this were any other emperor, he would have been unable to sleep at night. Zhu Yuanzhang, however, only felt joy, thinking that his son’s standing among the officials was still not high enough and seeking ways to strengthen it further.

"Second Brother, why... why stop the investigation only after two months instead of now? And why did the Crown Prince specifically instruct us not to leak this news ahead of time?" After the joy subsided, Yu Tongyuan asked.

Yu Tongyuan pondered for a moment, his voice low. "The Crown Prince must have his own reasons for doing this."

Yu Tongyuan rolled his eyes internally. What kind of nonsense was his Second Brother spouting? Everyone knew the Crown Prince had deep intentions, but what were those intentions?

...

Two days later, members of the Bright Cult secretly sent word that their leader wished to meet with Yu Tongyuan in person. Having spent the last few days racking his brain for over a dozen possible answers, Yu Tongyuan’s eyes suddenly lit up. He felt he had finally grasped the Crown Prince’s true intentions!

...

"Leader, perhaps... you should stay in the perimeter, and let me go in your place? After all, those under Yu Tongyuan have never seen your true face. If I go, they will never know."

In the reed marsh, on a small skiff, several people stood. One spoke to the black-robed figure in the center with concern.

"No," the black-robed figure shook his head. "Zhu Yuanzhang’s sudden intention to travel to the Central Capital is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end him. If we miss this, we may never have another chance. This matter is of great importance; I must go myself. To accomplish great things, one cannot cherish one's own safety."

After saying this, a smile suddenly appeared on his face. "Rest assured, Yu Tongyuan and his men are even more anxious than we are. They have been driven into a corner by Zhu Hongwu. Our arrival is exactly what they need; we are bringing them light. I am eighty percent certain I can persuade them to join us in eliminating Zhu Hongwu. Even if that fails, given their hatred for him, they will surely turn a blind eye to our actions. They will never move against me!"

As he spoke, the moonlight illuminated his face, and a flicker of wisdom seemed to shine in his eyes. The high-ranking members of the Bright Cult echoed his sentiments, praising the leader's profound insight.

"The time is near. Let’s go!"

At the command of the Bright King, the small boat glided out of the reed marsh, quietly heading into the distance under the cover of night. The Bright King stood at the prow with his hands behind his back, his stature exuding an aura of command.