Chapter Forty-Four: What Is Zhu Yuanzhang Trying to Do?!

What on earth is going on?!

Did I... actually hear that correctly?!

With just a casual sentence, Zhu Yuanzhang instantly left Li Shanchang completely dumbfounded!

It struck like a bolt of thunder from the ninth heaven, exploding violently within his mind!

It caused his entire body to tremble uncontrollably.

It was not that his tolerance was weak, but rather that what Zhu Yuanzhang had just uttered was simply too unexpected, too terrifying!

Li Shanchang had just experienced the sensation of plunging instantly from the clouds into the depths of the netherworld.

Such a short sentence contained an overwhelming amount of information!

So much information that even he could not help but panic to his very core!

Xue Xiang, Li Cunyi, and Wu Liang, who were standing relatively close to Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Shanchang, also heard Zhu Yuanzhang's words.

Xue Xiang was instantly covered in a cold sweat. Wu Liang froze for a moment, and his expression turned unnatural as well.

Li Cunyi, however, failed to grasp the situation entirely.

He was still wondering inwardly: When did the Emperor's sons arrive, and why didn't I know about it?

Does this Emperor have some kind of serious problem? Clearly, he was the one coming to the Central Capital, yet he deliberately made his sons arrive here first.

Couldn't they have come together?

The crucial point was that after they arrived, he didn't even meet up with his sons immediately.

Now, right as the banquet was about to begin, he comes out with such nonsense!

Wasn't this just delaying matters?

Did he not know that everyone had been running themselves ragged to prepare for his arrival, hadn't even had time to eat, and were completely starved?

The dragon has nine sons, and each son is different.

Although Li Cunyi and Li Shanchang were full brothers, compared to his elder brother Li Shanchang, he fell short by a hundred thousand miles!

"Your Majesty, are you referring to Commander Xu?"

Li Shanchang forced himself to compose his mind, maintaining his composure as he looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and asked.

He was trying to steer the conversation toward the outcome he most desired to see.

"No, I am talking about my second, third, and fourth boys."

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head, his tone remaining calm.

Yet these casual words completely shattered all of Li Shanchang's illusions.

And they plunged him yet another layer deeper than the netherworld.

It actually... three imperial princes had all come together?!

What on earth is Zhu Yuanzhang trying to do?!

Li Shanchang felt his legs grow weak.

"Your Majesty, where... where are the three Highnesses? Your humble subject will go to receive them right now.

Their Highnesses have graced us with their presence, yet your humble subject was completely unaware—this is truly a grave sin."

As Li Shanchang spoke, he had already changed his self-appellation from that of an elder statesman to the humble subject of an official.

"There's no need for that. Let's all go over together and take a look at them.

It has been a while since I last saw them anyway.

We might as well go and see how they have been getting along."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved a hand to dismiss Li Shanchang's proposal, then chuckled as he grabbed Li Shanchang's arm and led him out of Xingfu Palace.

"All of you, come along with me to see my sons and meet with them."

After stepping out of Xingfu Palace, Zhu Yuanzhang turned back and smiled as he spoke to the gathered crowd inside the hall.

By this time, more people had begun to realize that something was amiss.

The joyous, harmonious atmosphere, along with the eager anticipation of receiving high praise and generous rewards from the Emperor, had largely vanished.

Zheng Shiyuan, the Magistrate of Linhuai, stepped forward at that moment to lead the way for Zhu Yuanzhang.

Upon witnessing this scene, Li Shanchang's inner anxiety intensified severalfold.

He only felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

As he walked, he kept praying silently to himself: Please, I beg of you, Zheng Shiyuan, do not lead the Emperor toward those places where the exhausted laborers are being secretly detained.

If that truly happens, this whole affair will be completely and utterly ruined!

At this moment, Li Shanchang could no longer force a smile.

Where was the high-spirited demeanor he had possessed while riding in the jade chariot earlier?

Looking at the Emperor, who still wore a faint smile on his profile, he felt a chilling sensation deep within his heart.

His gaze fell covertly upon Zheng Shiyuan leading the way ahead, his eyes turning ice-cold.

A murderous intent was surging wildly in the depths of his eyes.

Yet Zheng Shiyuan seemed completely oblivious, showing no awareness of the piercing gazes fixed upon his back as he marched forward with resolute steps to guide the Emperor.

Emerging from the imperial city, they walked onto Hongwu Avenue, and then turned toward another district...

...

"Why is there still no news from the Cult Leader?"

In a secluded spot thirty miles outside the Central Capital, a man with a thick beard and a fierce, rugged demeanor looked toward a man dressed in scholarly attire standing beside him, asking with a hint of anxiety and unease.

"There is no need to worry. The Cult Leader possesses supreme wisdom and his plans are infallible.

Nothing will go wrong whatsoever.

We just need to peaceably carry out our duties according to the Cult Leader's plan!"

The scholar replied.

His words conveyed absolute confidence in their Cult Leader.

The bearded man, however, lacked such confidence.

"This operation is too precarious!

The Central Capital is too tall and too fortified!

Aside from the outer city, there is also the imperial city.

Once that dog of an Emperor arrives here, he will definitely stay within the imperial city.

This time, he is also accompanied by the Four Guards of the Imperial Bodyguard, numbering a full twenty thousand men.

Coupled with the Four Guards troops already stationed here in Fengyang,

the Ming dynasty's most elite forces exceed forty thousand men!

What are we supposed to fight with?

We simply cannot win.

Even if the Cult Leader can successfully persuade the Chaohu Lake naval forces as promised and have them come along to strike together, it still won't work!"

As he spoke, his brow knitted tightly into a knot.

"That was only the first plan; now we need to execute the second plan.

Zhu Chongba is certainly difficult to assassinate inside the Central Capital.

However, the Cult Leader said that after the dog of an Emperor arrives in the Central Capital and spends the Lantern Festival, he will definitely go to Linhuai to offer sacrifices to his ancestors.

That will be the true opportunity.

Here in the Central Capital, we will instigate the cult members to riot and seize the city.

When the dog of an Emperor receives the news, he will undoubtedly send reinforcements.

At that time, the Cult Leader will lead the Chaohu naval forces and our Cult's elites to strike while the Emperor's personal guard is thinly defended, and kill that dog of an Emperor in one fell swoop!"

"That plan is indeed viable."

The bearded man's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.

Yet intense dissatisfaction immediately flared up within him.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? You were even guarding against me?"

"Old Qian, it's not like that. Don't overthink it; this matter is simply too momentous.

The Cult Leader said that many grand enterprises fail precisely because of insufficient secrecy, leading to premature leaks.

The fewer people who know about this, the lower the chance of a leak.

Everything must be prioritized for the greater good.

It's not directed at you, Old Qian, nor is it directed at anyone else."

Hearing the scholar put it this way, although the bearded man remained somewhat dissatisfied, he grunted in acknowledgment and said no more on the matter.

"Old Qian, let's do a stellar job this time. Whether we can leave our names in the history books depends entirely on this gamble!

Once we kill the Emperor and let the Cult Leader ascend the throne, we will all be enfeoffed as princes!

Won't we have whatever we want then?

Zhu Yuanzhang served in the Ming Cult, and Li Shanchang also served in the Ming Cult.

Their status back then in the Cult was far below ours.

If they could become Emperor and Dukes of the realm, we can too!"

"Well said!"

The last remaining shred of dissatisfaction in the bearded man was completely swept away by this rosy prospect.

"When that time comes, I'll select ten thousand beauties, and I'll sleep with whoever I damn well please!

Never again will I have to wipe myself with dirt clods when I relieve myself!

I'll use those beauty-scented bamboo toilet spatulas too!

And I'll use beauty spittoons and beauty chamber pots as well!"

He declared with starry-eyed longing.

Just as the two of them were talking here, a chorus of miserable shrieks suddenly rang out.

Panicking, they looked over to see that at some unknown point, a large force of troops had charged in and slaughtered the sentries they had posted outside.

They were struck with sheer terror.

Careless of anything else, they immediately turned on their heels and ran.

But how could they possibly escape?

The scholar-dressed man had only run a few paces when, seeing the surrounding Ming soldiers swarming in like wolves and tigers, he very neatly dropped to his knees and surrendered.

The bearded man, however, showed some spine; he kept running until a stray arrow struck his leg, causing him to crash to the ground. Facing the Ming military officer who rode toward him on horseback, he still attempted a desperate counter-attack.

Lan Yu gave him a direct blow to the head with a mace, and he instantly quieted down.

He collapsed to the ground without a sound, his eyes wide open as he fell into a deep, permanent slumber.

"Is that really it?"

Lan Yu looked at the total of one hundred or so people he had rounded up in one fell swoop, curled his lip, and found it exceptionally dull...

Dozens of miles away in Linhuai County, a battle had just concluded.

The scale of the battle here was not small, involving no less than four thousand Ming Cult elites.

However, no matter how elite the Ming Cult troops were, when faced with the seasoned Ming forces led by Tang He, they were equally vulnerable and utterly crushed!

Several hundred heads were severed, and the rest surrendered entirely. The Ming Cult elites secretly gathered here had been wiped out in one fell swoop!

This strike could be described as clean and decisive.

Yet Tang He could not feel happy in the slightest.

Dealing with the Ming Cult was merely a trivial matter; going to meet His Majesty next was the true crucible.

He needed to explain certain matters to His Majesty.

It wasn't the fact that the Ming Cult was preparing to riot in the Central Capital, but rather the construction of the Central Capital itself.

Whenever Tang He thought about this matter, he felt as though his head was swelling to twice its size.

Even though he had made some preparations beforehand, his heart remained filled with trepidation.

Taking a few deep breaths, Tang He left behind a contingent of troops to handle the aftermath here and began making his way toward the Central Capital.

What must be faced had to be faced eventually; there was no escaping it.

The more one tried to evade certain matters, the more severe the consequences would become...

...

"All of you, behave yourselves! Get to work properly!

The people coming today are big shots! Even the Emperor is here!

If any of you dares to act recklessly and offend a big shot, wiping out your entire families won't even be enough!"

Inside the Central Capital, at a stonemason's workshop, Bao Ye lowered his voice to scold and warn the artisans under his supervision.

The threat was thick with intimidation.

Just as he was speaking, he caught sight of a man in a dragon robe, accompanied by a retinue of officials in red and purple robes, turning the corner and heading straight toward them.

The man instantly shivered, followed by a surge of ecstatic joy.

The Emperor was actually coming this way?!

He was actually going to lay eyes on the Heavenly Visage?!

This was a blessing cultivated over eight lifetimes!

If he could manage to make a favorable impression before the Emperor, it would undoubtedly mean a meteoric rise to wealth and power!

"Get yourselves ready, and don't let any mishaps happen!

Especially you, you big, clumsy, dark-skinned ox! Get to work properly!"

He pointed his whip at Zhu Shuang, the Prince of Qin, who was traveling under the alias Wu Tian, his words utterly devoid of courtesy.

"Whoever causes a disruption, even if the Emperor doesn't execute your whole family, I will execute your whole family myself!"

After delivering this venomous threat, he turned his head, instantly plastered on a smile, lowered his head, bowed his back, and waited in breathless anticipation for his stroke of good fortune to arrive...