Chapter Forty-Five: The Emperor's Sudden Surge of Lethal Intent

Zhu Houzhao gazed at the brilliant moon and let out a long sigh. "The thing I dreaded most has finally happened. The Prince of Su already harbors suspicions of me and the imperial court."

"And understandably so!"

"Put myself in his shoes, and if I were to hear such preposterous rumors, I would undoubtedly wonder whether the Emperor has grown deeply suspicious and intends to discard his loyal hounds once the hares are caught."

As he spoke, Zhu Houzhao gritted his teeth, evidently filled with bitter hatred for the person who had spread those rumors to frame and slander the Prince of Su.

In recent years, he had racked his brains trying to reclaim a portion of the military power. However, the obstruction from the cabinet and the civil official faction grew increasingly severe day by day—to the extent that even he, the Emperor, had to use the Leopard House as a front to cultivate new generals in order to consolidate his military authority.

The emergence of Zhu Jinzhen had offered Zhu Houzhao a glimmer of new hope.

Especially later on, when Zhu Jinzhen carried out a sweeping and decisive cleanup of Shaanxi, Zhu Houzhao had been so thrilled that he wished he could issue an imperial edict every single day to shower Zhu Jinzhen with praise.

Yet, in the span of just a few short years, Zhu Jinzhen had transformed into the most powerful border-guard prince in the Great Ming, commanding millions of troops, turning from Zhu Houzhao's favorite into his most formidable internal threat.

He had intended to bide his time and handle the situation gradually, but rumors were now swirling wildly throughout the capital.

This pressure forced Zhu Houzhao to make an immediate response.

The Eastern Depot, Western Depot, embroidered Uniform Guard, Six Doors, and Dragon-Protecting Manor, along with numerous other specialized agencies, had all simultaneously received fabricated accusations that the Prince of Su intended to rebel and commit treason with foreign enemies. For a moment, this truly threw Zhu Houzhao into a panic.

Fortunately, after investigations and a period of calm, Zhu Houzhao realized it was nothing more than malicious slander born of nothing.

It was precisely because of this that Lu Xiaofeng made his journey to Shaanxi.

Yet, Zhu Houzhao had still not anticipated that those people would be so ruthless, refusing to give him even a moment to handle the matter. Before Lu Xiaofeng had even departed from the capital, the news had likely already leaked out.

Regardless of whether Lu Xiaofeng ever reached Jiayuguan, the news was bound to reach the ears of the Prince of Su.

Such a brilliant and ruthless maneuver bore an uncanny resemblance to what happened four years ago!

Four years ago, the Northern Yuan and the Great Liao had joined forces to raid the borders, while the cabinet and the Six Ministries suppressed fourteen memorials for help, using them to force Zhu Houzhao to make concessions and halt his audits of the military, the imperial treasury accounts, and the salt and tax revenues.

That was the first time since ascending the throne that Zhu Houzhao had been driven to a dead end.

To advance meant the mountains and rivers would shatter, and the nation and home would perish; to retreat meant all the efforts he had made since ascending the throne would be wasted.

Had it not been for Zhu Jinzhen turning the tide single-handedly, Zhu Houzhao would have had no choice but to bow his head.

And now, those people seemed intent on repeating their old tricks.

The only difference was that back then, the border garrisons had colluded with barbarians to launch a mutiny, whereas this time, the goal was to drive a wedge between the Prince of Su, the Great Ming, and Zhu Houzhao, forcing him, the Emperor, to bow his head and make concessions!

At this thought, irritation surged in Zhu Houzhao's heart, and murderous intent arose on all sides. "A pack of parasites! Push me too far, and I will issue a decree of abdication directly to the Prince of Su, letting him hack the lot of you to pieces just like he cleaned up Shaanxi."

Back when he audited the Shaanxi granaries, a total of thirty-horns Ningxia garrison commanders were implicated. He executed a batch of scapegoats and implemented drastic rectifications, yet it remained difficult to alter the corrupt and chaotic state of Shaanxi.

As a result, after the Prince of Su inherited the title and repelled the allied forces of the Northern and Liao Yuans, he embarked on a massive killing spree.

Instead, the unwholesome tendencies and atmosphere of corruption within Shaanxi were thoroughly swept clean.

Zhu Houzhao wished to emulate this, but unfortunately, he lacked the ability.

Although he wielded the Eastern and Western Depots and the embroidered Uniform Guard, the truly usable men across the entire Great Ming were still merely a drop in the bucket. Especially the betrayal of the Minister of War, Yang Yuxuan, which made Zhu Houzhao keenly aware of what it meant for human nature to be utterly unable to withstand the test.

"What a pity the Prince of Su does not belong to our lineage; otherwise..." Zhu Houzhao thought with secret regret. If Prince of Su Zhu Jinzhen did not belong to the lineage of the Prince of Yan—if, through the passage of several generations, their bloodlines had not grown distant—had he been his cousin or someone of the sort, Zhu Houzhao certainly would have entertained the thought of ceding the throne and joining forces with Zhu Jinzhen.

He suppressed the anger and murderous intent in his heart and looked toward Lu Xiaofeng standing before him.

"Although the Prince of Su is aware of this matter and has guessed that certain people are maliciously framing and slandering him, I venture to think that even though the Prince may hold some lingering estrangement in his heart, things have not yet reached an irreversible point."

When one's life and property are at stake, no one can remain indifferent.

It is only natural that there would be estrangement and suspicion.

Zhu Houzhao gave a non-committal hum and calmly said, "Lu Xiaofeng, you say, if I were to arrange a marriage between my imperial sister Yunluo and the Prince of Su, would it be able to alleviate the situation to some extent?"

Lu Xiaofeng let out a cry of surprise. "Princess Yunluo?"

"Indeed!"

Zhu Houzhao nodded. "My imperial sister, reckoning by her age, has reached the age suitable for marriage, and she is of a similar age to the Prince of Su. If this union can be brought to fruition, I believe it would undoubtedly be a match made in heaven."

The corner of Lu Xiaofeng's mouth twitched, revealing a bitter smile. "Your Majesty is making things difficult for this humble subject. I am merely a commoner; how would I dare to presumptuously discuss the marriage of the imperial family? It is best for Your Majesty to make the sole and complete decision on this matter."

With that Princess Yunluo, Lu Xiaofeng had never dealt and dared not make reckless comments.

Yet, as for the Zhu Jinzhen he had laid eyes upon, he did not believe that a pampered princess could possibly catch the eye of His Highness the Prince of Su. After all, apart from status and identity, the latter was also the youngest Land Sword Immortal in history!

However, regarding the Emperor's mention of a marriage alliance, Lu Xiaofeng offered a word of caution: "Your Majesty, this humble subject believes that you should perhaps pay closer attention to whether the Northern Yuan Emperor Tiemuer actually harbors some unknown conspiracy in his intention to dispatch envoys to propose a marriage alliance with the Great Ming."

"Ha!"

Zhu Houzhao shook his head with a faint smile. "Although the Prince of Su and I are not particularly close, I know full well that he would never consent to a marriage alliance with the Northern Yuan. Just as you mentioned a moment earlier, every year he travels alone deep into the grasslands to preemptively eradicate threats like Basba, and he is deeply aware that he is the thorn in the Northern Yuan's side and the flesh in their eye."

"Nor does the Prince of Su seem like the type to humor others with empty pleasantries."

"Therefore, this talk of a marriage alliance must simply be Tiemuer's wishful thinking."

Ever since inheriting his title, Zhu Jinzhen had acted in an overbearing and forceful manner, tolerating no sand in his eyes. While possessing a compassionate heart, he also wielded iron-fisted methods; it was simply impossible for him to bow his head to the Northern Yuan for the sake of mere beauty or temptation.

This much confidence, Zhu Houzhao still possessed.

Hearing this, Lu Xiaofeng shrugged. He had merely fulfilled his duty by offering a word of warning; as for how to decide, the choice still rested with the Emperor himself.

"The Prince of Su already knows the purpose of my coming. Does Your Majesty still wish for me to continue investigating?"

"Investigate!" Zhu Houzhao answered very decisively, the murderous intent on his face undisguised. "This matter concerns the very foundations of the Great Ming's realm. If we fail to root out the mastermind behind the scenes, leaving such groundless malicious slander to drive a wedge between myself and other royal kinsmen..."

"If this continues unchecked, I fear I shall repeat the tragic path of Emperor Jianwen and find myself opposed by all the imperial clan and royal relatives."

It was even quite likely that another Jingnan Campaign would occur!

Only, that final sentence remained unspoken by Zhu Houzhao.

"Then this humble subject shall continue the investigation." Lu Xiaofeng hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. By nature, he was unrestrained, fond of freedom, and partial to female beauty, but he was no villain. Naturally, he could not bear to witness the fires of war engulfing the Great Ming and its people scattered and displaced.

With the Emperor backing him and holding the secret guard's golden token bestowed by Zhu Jinzhen, Lu Xiaofeng had no fear whatsoever of the threats posed by certain rats hiding in the dark.