Chapter 107: Life and Death, Corpses Everywhere

The first day of June is the Lesser Heat.

In a restaurant in Wugang Prefecture.

It was noon at this moment and the lobby was full of guests.

Wugang Prefecture was originally located at the junction of Huguang and Guangxi, where military households, foreigners, merchants, and all kinds of people mixed together.

In addition, after the beginning of the dog days, people feel restless and uneasy.

Therefore, most of the drinkers at each eight-immortal table were shirtless, with beaming faces, and the atmosphere was lively.

"That was really powerful! You don't know, at Master Wang's house, a group of people rushed in, saw someone, and cut him with one knife, leaving such a big scar!"

A bearded man stretched out his hands, touched his thumbs and index fingers together, and made a circle.

He stood up and gestured to his companions at the table, spitting everywhere.

In the middle of the process, he looked at himself and felt that the gesture was not big enough, so he simply changed to the middle finger.

One of his companions was very considerate and exclaimed, "Just kill people? No need to go to the government office for trial!?"

The bearded man sneered disdainfully: "Trial? Don't you even look at who it is? Do you know what Jinyiwei is?"

My companion shook his head cooperatively.

Another companion couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted: "Showing off doesn't even make sense."

"That's called the Northern Pacification Division! They tried and executed him on the spot. Don't say they didn't try him!"

"The owner of my third aunt's neighbor's daughter is a wealthy merchant in the county. I heard he is also involved in this incident and happened to be..."

He raised his palm and struck the air hard.

A few people were talking happily, and the guests at the next table couldn't help but join in the fun.

A short and fat middle-aged man leaned over and said, "Wealthy merchant? You don't get the point!"

"This time, the Jinyiwei fought all the way from Daozhou to Yongzhou Prefecture, and then to Wugang Prefecture!"

"Don't even mention the wealthy merchants. Even the retired officials, county and state government officials, and generals of the thousand households, anyone who had some involvement in that matter before..."

The man lowered his voice, made a silent gesture, and glared: "Those Jinyiwei rushed in and stabbed them on the spot!"

"Drag it like a dead dog and throw it into the vegetable market."

"That scene, tsk."

He smacked his lips, quite satisfied with his desire to express himself.

After finishing the job, he did not forget to give some pointers: "Those killers just arrived in Wugang Prefecture today, there are still some to watch, just in time for you to broaden your horizons."

As the topic became more and more dangerous, many of the drinkers who heard it were afraid of causing trouble.

Hearing this, he simply stopped drinking and quietly slipped away.

The bearded man was quite unconvinced when someone spoke to him in a pointing tone.

He stiffened his neck and shouted, "Experience? I don't know how much more knowledgeable I am than you. You are young and ignorant!"

"I have traveled a lot, what haven't I seen?"

"I might as well tell you that, in my opinion, we in Wugang Prefecture are probably the only ones involved in that matter..."

He pointed to the royal city in the center of the city in a pretentious manner, looking quite reserved.

The other drinkers were still waiting to hear the conversation.

The waiter hurried over and grabbed the bearded man by the collar.

He bowed and begged for mercy, "Everyone, everyone, don't talk about the noble man, don't talk about the noble man."

After saying this, he whispered and gave half a pot of wine to the guests, showing full courtesy.

As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person, after seeing the waiter's tactful demeanor, the drinkers finally calmed down.

The noise in the lobby stopped, but there were no such concerns in the private rooms on the second floor.

From behind the half-open door of a private room, muffled conversation could be heard.

"Brother, I really can't stand it anymore."

A burly man with a bandit-like appearance stood at the bottom and pleaded anxiously.

Although he was born into a royal family, he had been hanging out in a den of bandits for a long time, so his habits were naturally very different.

Zhu Dingjiong kept tapping the table with his fingers, and the displeasure on his face was obvious.

"Who is your clan brother? You were already dead on the clan disc! Remember who you are now!"

"Also, I've told you so many times, don't meet up these days! Wait until the storm is over!"

He slammed the table and scolded, "You insist on seeing me today. Do you not understand what I am saying, or do you not understand what is a fatal disaster?"

The bandit looked depressed. He gritted his teeth and swallowed his anger.

Fortunately, he did not lose his composure, and only said in a muffled voice: "General Fuguo, you are right."

He just changed the way he addressed people, and I didn't know who he was making fun of.

"It's a serious matter. After that incident, I didn't hesitate to abandon my old nest and went into hiding with only the core members. I never thought of getting involved in any trouble."

"Even though several thousand households were driven crazy by Liu Zhen and were searching everywhere, I still acted cautiously, fearing that my tail would be exposed and implicate the government."

"But there's really nothing we can do now!"

"Those Jinyiwei have no regard for the laws of the Ming Dynasty. Any wealthy businessmen who might be involved will be directly destroyed!"

"I have hundreds of people under my command. Without these wealthy families to support them, they haven't had a full meal for several days!"

"If you continue like this, once they get agitated, I won't be able to control them, and it's only a matter of time before they get involved in the mansion!"

He said it was a plea, but his expression became somewhat fierce as he spoke later.

He was also a member of the Min clan. In his early years, he was careless and committed murder, which was reported to the governor.

When Sejong ordered the execution, the officials and eunuchs in the palace who gave the poisoned wine bribed a large sum of money and were able to fake their own death and get away with it.

Afterwards, he took over the pirates kept in the mansion and did some shady things.

The bandit problem on Dongting Lake was caused by him following orders from the government.

I thought it was just a fuss, but who knew it would lead to such a big thing!
Now I feel unprecedented pressure and can no longer handle it, so I have to ask for help from your house at this critical moment.

The auxiliary general Zhu Dingjiong looked unhappy.

The reason why King Min could entrust him with the task of raising bandits was naturally because he was King Min's right-hand man and the backbone of the Min vassal state.

He also knows more than the cousin in front of him.

Last month, King Min went to Wuchang to negotiate peace with Wu Jinghe, but the two sides parted unhappily.

Since then, Liu Zhen personally led the Beijing Camp and replaced the Yuezhou Guards. Under the pretext of training the Beijing Camp in accordance with the emperor's order, he followed Li Zaiting and bit people everywhere.

As for the Duke of Chengguo, he was a mysterious figure who was hard to find. He only let his son lead the Embroidered Uniform Guard to set up prisons privately and kill the people.

Under such circumstances, the Min clan did not dare to reveal any flaws, for fear of being caught.

The pirates secretly kept in the palace could only be supported by the wealthy families controlled by the palace.

Now that the Jinyiwei investigates cases without considering evidence and forces confessions under torture, thus cutting off the power of the royal palace, what can he do?
Do you really want to take the risk and come forward?

When he thought about this, he finally came up with a plan!

Zhu Dingjiong suddenly raised his head, gritted his teeth, and uttered: "A brave man should cut off his arm!"

Zhu Dingxun looked up in astonishment and asked in surprise, "Brother Zong!?"

His business was booming, so how could he just abandon it?
Then what about Zhu Dingxun's right to speak? Isn't he becoming a wild dog again! ?
Zhu Dingjiong shook his head, his expression serious: "Get rid of all your 'brothers' and hall masters who know about this."

"Let them fend for themselves as for the rest."

Seeing that his cousin looked reluctant, he frowned and was about to scold him.

After thinking about it, I was afraid that it would arouse rebelliousness and ruin things.

After a pause, he said in a gentle voice, "My brother, there is no shortage of bandits in our dynasty. As long as Min Fan is not in chaos, we can gather them at any time without these external things!"

Zhu Dingxun was unwilling, but he also understood this truth.

After thinking about it, he nodded reluctantly.

Zhu Dingjiong breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and patted him on the shoulder: "Now that you're done, go out and have some fun. You've worked hard over the years."

Over the years, this cousin had no idea how much he had handed in or saved through robbery and checkpoints.

Unfortunately, this cousin is not only needed for doing things, but he also always has a way out and a backup plan.

Otherwise, he would have wanted to get rid of the donkey after it had served its purpose.

Zhu Dingjiong shook his head, threw this idea out of his mind, and ordered his men to escort his cousin out of the restaurant through the secret passage - the restaurant was naturally also a property of the Prince of Min's Palace in secret.

He was just about to wait for the right time to leave the restaurant in a swagger. But at this moment, a eunuch rushed in from the private room with a panicked look on his face: "General Fuguo! The Jinyiwei has arrived at the mansion!"

Zhu Dingjiong's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously asked, "What?"

The eunuch was still in shock and added hastily, "Just now, Zhu Shitai led the Jinyiwei and broke into our house! He didn't even wait for the order to be issued, and broke into the house directly!"

"I dare not look any further, and I will come to report to the general immediately."

Zhu Dingjiong frowned, suppressed his anxiety, and said in a deep voice: "Speak clearly, is it the Prince of Min's Palace or our Prince of Lishan's Palace?"

The former is the Prince's Palace, representing the Min vassal state, and the latter is the Prince's Palace, just one of the more than ten Princes' Palaces.

The meanings represented are naturally completely different.

The eunuch came back to his senses and quickly replied, "Lishan Palace! It's Lishan Palace!"

Zhu Dingjiong breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it hasn’t reached the worst yet.

He forced himself to remain calm and instructed the eunuch, "I will return to the royal city now. You catch up with my cousin and watch him finish the job."

He then asked Dian Bo who was beside him, "Please appease those landlords and gentry for me, and keep a branch of their bloodline for them and send it back to Jinan."

"As for the big guys who forged weapons and coins for us, deal with them. If it's time to replace the clan leader, you can make the decision for them."

At the end, his voice gradually lowered, he looked at the chief secretary, and held his hand: "If anything happens to me, let the prince offer sacrifices to my mother on my behalf."

He spoke very quickly, giving instructions to the eunuchs, the registrar, the chief clerk and others, as if he was making arrangements for his last wishes.

Seeing this, several people were all moved.

Just as he was about to persuade him again, Zhu Dingjiong had already pushed the door, walked out of the private room and went downstairs.

There was a sharp-eyed drinker downstairs. When he saw a member of the royal family coming down from upstairs, he immediately shut up and gave a hint to his drinking buddies at the opposite table.

Some people of the same high status even took the initiative to stand up and salute: "General Fuguo."

Zhu Dingjiong responded slowly and with a smile, then left the restaurant leisurely.

It was not until he walked away that the drinkers began to talk in low voices.

"Isn't this the filial son of Lishan Palace?"

An experienced merchant explained: "This is the son of General Zhu Yuqi, who died early, and this man is a filial son who serves his mother."

"I heard that at the beginning of the year, King Min even made a memorial for this master, requesting that this auxiliary general be appointed as the general guarding the country."

At first the bearded man was dismissive.

He mocked: "Pure filial piety? Pure laughter is more like it!"

"He said his mother was seriously ill and he cut off some flesh from her thigh to treat her illness."

"If you believe it, this is where you'll end up in your life."

As soon as the words fell, the two sides started arguing again, their faces flushed.

Filled with the dryness of summer.

……

The summer heat is more than just a physical sensation.

Zhu Dingjiong's irritability was even worse, and he even ignored the fact that he was walking fast and sweating profusely due to the heat.

Especially when he just stepped into the Lingxing Gate and walked into the royal city.

A smell of blood wafted out from the direction of Lishan Palace.

Zhu Dingjiong's face changed drastically and his pace became faster and faster. The followers behind him could hardly keep up with him.

As soon as he passed Chengyun Gate and arrived in front of the Lishan Palace, he saw a scene that made him scared to death!
Soldiers, palace guards, and eunuchs gathered in front of the Lishan Palace.

The Jinyiwei stood on the steps in front of the palace gate, looking down on everyone and confronting them.

The gates of Lishan Palace were wide open, with several corpses lying inside.

Among them were Zhu Dingjiong’s familiar guards, servants, and even... brothers and nephews!
His favorite rockeries and palace gates were accidentally stained with blood, making the red bricks and red gates even more charming.

When Zhu Dingjiong saw this situation, his eyes turned red.

Regardless of everything, he rushed directly into the mansion!

The Jinyiwei naturally performed their duties conscientiously and tried to stop them from entering.

As soon as he took a step forward, a voice came from inside the mansion: "Let him in."

No matter how clever Zhu Dingjiong was, he had no intention of figuring out this matter.

He pushed away the Jinyiwei who were blocking his way in anger and rushed in!
As soon as we entered the mansion, the smell of blood became stronger.

Several bodies were lying in the courtyard, corridors, and lobby, and the blood was even steaming.

Zhu Shitai saw the visitor standing in the courtyard in a daze, his hands not vague.

He pulled the long knife out of a man's abdomen, took out the portrait in his arms, took two steps closer, and compared it with the man.

After a while, Zhu Shitai nodded with satisfaction, looking very frivolous: "Zhu Dingjiong, right?"

"Don't be afraid. These people are fighting back stubbornly. As long as you just sit back and wait to die, you don't have to lie down among these people."

After saying that, he looked at Zhu Dingjiong with anticipation, hoping that he would also say something popular, such as "Do you know who I am?", "You are so brave", etc.

As expected, Zhu Dingjiong was silent for a while, closed his eyes tightly, raised his head and took a deep breath.

He asked calmly, "Commander, please tell me what crime the people in the Lishan Palace have committed that you have slaughtered them without your Majesty's judgment."

His eyes were still red, but his expression remained calm. He asked seriously, "You killed the royal family without the Eight Deliberations. Are you, the Jinyiwei, planning a rebellion?"

Zhu Shitai had never seen such a member of the royal family before, and was a little at a loss for a moment - it was okay to let him do some simple work like killing people, but forget about debating.

He thought about it and simply didn't respond. He nodded to his left and right and said, "Take him back to the Jinyiwei Qianhu Office."

Just then, there was a commotion outside the mansion.

A roar was heard, taking the lead: "Who dares! Who dares!"

Prince Min Zhu Dingyao finally arrived.

Wearing armor and carrying a sword, he strode into the Lishan Palace.

Seeing this, he lost his composure on the spot, pointed his sword at Zhu Shitai, and said tremblingly: "You have come to bully my Min clan! I will kill you! I will kill you!"

Having said that, he was about to chop.

Zhu Shitai quickly stepped back and hid behind his left and right hands, shouting, "Prince Min! The Jinyiwei is investigating the case by order! Don't make mistakes!"

He came to handle the case at the Prince of Lishan's Mansion. Bullying the Prince was his father's instruction.

He couldn't bear it if this prince showed up.

Zhu Dingyao didn't want to hear anything more. When he failed to chop, he simply snatched Zhu Dingjiong away.

With red eyes, he ordered his guards to kill the Jinyiwei in Prince Min's palace: "Kill! What are you standing there for! Kill them! Ten taels of silver for each head!"

He was dealing with other matters today and left the royal city less than half a day ago. When he came back, he saw this situation!

In the royal city, he was actually killed on the spot!
Even if it was not his Prince Min's Palace, but a mere Prince Lishan's Palace, it would still be him, the vassal lord, who would be targeted!
How could he care about the Jinyiwei at this moment!

Even if the emperor comes, he will be hacked to death in his mansion!

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were on high alert, while the palace guards were hesitant.

That's when.

"Cough...cough..."

A weak cough was heard.

The voice was faint, but it was like a bucket of cold water, dousing the tense situation.

Everyone turned around.

I saw a figure in a wheelchair being slowly pushed out of the study room of Lishan Palace.

Zhu Xizhong sat in a wheelchair, holding a stack of envelopes in one hand and covering his mouth with a towel with the other hand as he coughed, his back arched.

He was pushed into the courtyard, between the Jinyiwei and the palace guards.

Looked around.

He took away the handkerchief, revealing a face full of wrinkles, and looked up at Zhu Dingyao, whose eyes were red and moist.

He said softly, "Prince Min, don't cry yet... I will come again after I find out the truth about the collusion between the Lishan Palace and the pirates."

He paused and put the handkerchief stained with blood from coughing into his sleeve.

Zhu Xizhong continued sincerely, "When I have finished killing them, King Min will cry together with me then."

(End of this chapter)