Chapter 34: Why Would the Emperor Rebel?

The room fell into a dead silence.

Faced with a crisis concerning the very survival of the Great Ming and its countless commoners, Zhu Wushi momentarily forgot to even worry about the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom. Only one thought hammered away in his mind: this situation had spiraled into something massive.

The attitude of Zhu Jinzhen and the implications within that letter left Zhu Wushi unable to find any semblance of calm. He finally understood why Zhu Jinzhen had questioned him about the clandestine dealings between the Imperial Court and the Mongol Yuan.

Judging by the contents of the intelligence report, Temür, the new Emperor of the Mongol Yuan, seemed to possess immense confidence in his ability to push this plan forward—to join forces with Zhu Houzhao and eliminate Zhu Jinzhen. When combined with the various rumors circulating in the capital regarding the Prince of Su’s estate, and the ambiguous stance of the Emperor himself, Zhu Wushi felt a sudden, chilling inability to read his own nephew, the Emperor. Clutching the letter, a rough outline of the truth crystallized in his mind.

There were unknown, dark secrets shared between the Mongol Emperor and Zhu Houzhao—or perhaps, the Ming Emperor himself. The sudden intelligence reports received by all the major agencies in the capital were not the handiwork of other princely estates or the civil bureaucracy as he had suspected, nor were they related to the remnants purged in Shaanxi; they were the direct maneuvers of the current Emperor, Zhu Houzhao.

The Eastern Depot, Western Depot, Imperial Guards, and the Six Doors had arrived in Shaanxi one after another. This was likely not to investigate the truth of the rumors, but to fabricate evidence of Zhu Jinzhen’s guilt, allowing them to collaborate with the Mongol Yuan to remove this threat once and for all.

Many things that had previously baffled Zhu Wushi suddenly became clear. He had previously believed that no matter how foolish Zhu Houzhao might be, even if he knew of Zhu Jinzhen’s potential rebellion, he would only attempt to appease him, needing to bide his time. But after seeing the letter and connecting the events, he instantly guessed the reason and confidence behind Zhu Houzhao’s daring actions.

"Although the Prince of Su is a Land Immortals-level swordsman, possessing the world-shaking record of repelling three Land Immortals simultaneously, if the Emperor is determined to remove him, those two old monsters in the palace, combined with those from the Mongol side—killing the Prince of Su is not impossible."

"Even though the Prince of Su commands a million troops, they are, after all, the troops of the Great Ming. Once his guilt is confirmed, the Prince will be gone, Shaanxi will be leaderless, and the Emperor can then step in to restore order..."

Zhu Wushi was horrified to find that his deduction held firm. Zhu Houzhao had the status, the motive, and the backing to do this. He might have even started already!

Observing the shifting expressions on Zhu Wushi’s face—which cycled from struggle to horror, shock, and finally, resignation, much like a Sichuan opera mask-changer—Zhu Jinzhen was curious. While the letter was shocking, wasn’t Zhu Wushi’s reaction a bit excessive?

"It seems the Divine Marquis has already guessed the truth," Zhu Jinzhen asked calmly.

Zhu Wushi nodded heavily, then quickly shook his head. Even if the Emperor truly thought and acted in such a way, he could not...

"The Divine Marquis is not being honest," Zhu Jinzhen said, shifting his gaze toward the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom nearby, his threat clear.

Seeing this, Zhu Wushi gave a helpless, bitter smile. "Since the Prince of Su knows what is in my heart, why ask me?"

"I simply wish to verify if my guess was wrong."

Zhu Jinzhen looked at him indifferently, though in truth, he was merely curious about what exactly Zhu Wushi had imagined to perform such a dramatic display of changing expressions. Su Xin was Zhu Wushi’s Achilles' heel, and with the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom in Zhu Jinzhen’s hands, Zhu Wushi had no room to resist. He had no choice but to recount every detail of his inner suspicions.

The shocking nature of his theory made Zhu Jinzhen look at him with a different gaze.

"Clap, clap, clap!" Zhu Jinzhen could not help but applaud. "What the Divine Marquis thinks coincides perfectly with my own." Whether it was true or not, only Zhu Jinzhen knew.

"Then..." Zhu Wushi tentatively looked toward the Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom.

Seeing this, Zhu Jinzhen pushed the box toward him with a smile. "This Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom is yours."

Though he could hardly believe it, Zhu Wushi quickly tucked it into his robes. "Many thanks!"

"It is what the Divine Marquis deserves." Zhu Jinzhen’s smile was somewhat peculiar before he regained his composure. "There is another transaction I believe the Divine Marquis will find interesting."

"Please, speak." Zhu Wushi was now filled with joy; with this, his beloved woman would no longer need to sleep in the Tianshan Mountains, and his longing could finally be eased.

"The second Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom wakes the patient. However, the third must be administered within a year to bring them back to life completely. Otherwise, after a year, their life force will sever, and there will be no turning back."

"Coincidentally, I happen to have a second one."

Zhu Jinzhen’s words hit Zhu Wushi like a lightning bolt. He knew the properties of the item, but he never expected that the treasure he had hunted for twenty years was entirely in the hands of the very man the Emperor considered his greatest threat.

"What do you want me to do?" Zhu Wushi asked in a low voice.

"I need you to help me find out exactly when the Emperor intends to move against me, and how he and the Mongol Yuan have formed their alliance—and what the conditions are. This shouldn’t be difficult for you, should it?"

"Very well. I agree."

Zhu Wushi accepted immediately. With the cardamoms in Zhu Jinzhen’s hands, he was under his control and had no other choice. Besides, this task was not difficult for him.

A flash of playfulness crossed the depths of Zhu Jinzhen’s eyes. "Then I shall await the Divine Marquis’s good news."

"Farewell!" Zhu Wushi rose, cupped his hands, and turned to leave without hesitation.

Outside, Cao Xueyang and the others from the Tiance Mansion were astonished to see Zhu Wushi emerge. Knowing what that meant, Zhu Wushi walked even faster.

"Ni Shang, go tell Wang Qing to have the Four Ghosts of Xiangxi write down the Phantom Divine Art, then release them and Wan Sanqian as well."

"Understood." Although Lian Nishang found it strange, she obeyed.

Li Cheng’en, Cao Xueyang, and Zhu Jianqiu entered, looking puzzled. "Your Highness, that Zhu Wushi..."

"Let him go." Zhu Jinzhen knew what they were thinking and shook his head with a smile. "You heard Zhu Wushi’s speculations just now. What do you think?"

"Ah, this..." Li Cheng’en and the others exchanged glances with strange expressions.

"The wind rises from the duckweed, the waves form from the ripples. Zhu Wushi’s speculation is even better than I anticipated. Let us keep it going and turn it into reality."

"Does Your Highness mean...?"

Zhu Jinzhen’s expression was playful. "I don’t need to teach you how to fan the flames, do I?"

"I only fear that Zhu Wushi may not be willing to cooperate."

"He will."

"This Iron-Gall Divine Marquis is a man of deep affection."

"He knows I have another Heavenly Fragrance Cardamom; no matter how unwilling he is, he must bow his head. Besides, Su Xin has already been brought back by Ni Shang and the others. With this leverage, I hold Zhu Wushi in my palm for a lifetime." Zhu Jinzhen smiled meaningfully, hoping only that Zhu Wushi would be able to handle the truth when he finally discovered it.