Chapter 155

After a long silence, Old Zhu seemed to have made a momentous decision.

With shameless boldness, he roared at the crowd of remonstrance officials before him.

"Are you fools?"

"So what if Su Qiao had the thought of escaping prison?"

"All evil begins with lust; judge by deeds, not by thoughts; if judged by thoughts, no one in history is perfect."

"I ask you: so what if Su Qiao wanted to break out of prison? Did he run away?"

"Not only did he not run away, he almost gave himself up right here."

"Is it appropriate for us to punish him severely in this case?!"

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang shamelessly playing the role of a protective parent.

The chins of those remonstrance officials nearly hit the ground.

However, contrary to Zhu Yuanzhang's expectation, Jiang Huan looked at him shyly and said in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, let us return to the palace first."

For matters requiring shameless boldness, once the first step is taken.

The subsequent matters proceed smoothly.

Zhu Yuanzhang plopped down on a bench by himself.

"What is there to discuss? I ask you: yes, Su Qiao did have the thought of breaking out of prison, but did he run away?"

"Why must you cling so tightly to such a trivial matter?!"

"If he is guilty, we arrest him, sentence him, and execute him; none of that is an issue."

"The key is that he did not run away; how can we execute him?"

Jiang Huan looked at Zhu Yuanzhang awkwardly and said in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, he... he ran..."

Zhu Yuanzhang impatiently turned his face away.

"Don't buzz like a mosquito here; what ran away?"

Jiang Huan, with a mournful face, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said.

"Su... Su Qiao... ran away."

The moment the words fell.

Inside and outside the Zhaoyuda Sect, silence instantly descended like death.

Zhu Yuanzhang's old face darkened.

Gritting his teeth, he looked at Jiang Huan and asked in a low voice.

"What?"

Jiang Huan, with a mournful face, pointed toward Zhu Yuanzhang's deep Zhaoyuda Sect and said in a low voice.

"Just now, all the Embroidered Uniform Guard were busy and didn't notice; Su Qiao picked up a brick, smashed the lock, and ran away."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyeballs bulged round.

Looking at Jiang Huan in disbelief, he asked.

"Busy? What were you busy with?!"

"What matter in this Zhaoyuda Sect could make you so busy?"

Jiang Huan smiled bitterly.

"Busy... busy protecting the sovereign."

"You protect..."

Zhu Yuanzhang, momentarily at a loss for words, lifted his leg and kicked Jiang Huan in the chest.

The remonstrance officials in the distance looked at Zhu Yuanzhang far away, not understanding what was happening.

"Your Majesty..."

"Get out! All of you, get out!"

"Are you deaf? I told you all to get out!"

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang angered, these remonstrance officials instantly realized what had happened inside the Zhaoyuda Sect.

"Your Majesty! Has Su Qiao already escaped?"

"Your subject earnestly requests Your Majesty to immediately issue a coastal arrest warrant and immediately capture Su Qiao and bring him to justice!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's old face turned bright red.

"Nonsense! All of you, get out! I am annoyed!"

Having said this, Zhu Yuanzhang, disregarding the remonstrance officials before him...

Turned his head and walked deep into the Zhaoyuda Sect.

Meanwhile, a squad of Embroidered Uniform Guard firmly blocked these remonstrance officials outside the Zhaoyuda Sect.

To be honest, it was too shameful!

The prestigious Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Ever since this Viceroy Yamen was established.

Never before had they lost such a huge face.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the open Zhaoyuda Sect gate before him.

He could not help but erupt in fury and say.

"A living person so large, and you let him so openly smash the lock and leave the Zhaoyuda Sect?!"

"If this matter spreads, how will the people under heaven view the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and how will they view me?!"

"Do you have no shame left?"

"You may have no shame, but I do!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice echoed through the empty Imperial Prison.

Instead, the prisoners inside the prison stared fixedly, afraid to miss a single word.

Compared to the previous batches of prisoners dragged into the Imperial Prison,

this imprisonment was truly worth it.

Getting locked up and served such a huge scandal!

Jiang Huan, with a mournful face, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and said,

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will issue the coastal arrest warrant immediately; I guarantee Su will be captured within three days."

Hearing Jiang Huan's proposal, Zhu Yuanzhang's chest heaved violently.

"Why don't you just throw my old face on the ground?"

"Did you go deaf to what I just said?! Didn't you hear?!"

"Why are you just standing there? You Embroidered Uniform Guard caused this mess; tell me, how am I supposed to explain this to those censors outside?!"

"If those censors outside write this up as a piece of unofficial history, I will be laughed at for a thousand years!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the bewildered Jiang Huan before him, kicked out in a fit of rage, and struck Jiang Huan on the buttocks.

"Speak! What is that nonsense about 'if the ruler is humiliated, the minister must die' that you usually hang on your lips?!"

Jiang Huan, with a mournful face, looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and whispered cautiously,

"Your Majesty, if it really, really doesn't work, I have an idea."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Jiang Huan and asked,

"What idea?"

Jiang Huan whispered,

"If it doesn't work, just issue an edict and release Lord Su..."

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was momentarily stunned.

"Release him?"

"Yes, just say Lord Su made a meritorious contribution by developing new explosives..."

Anyway, you old Zhu don't intend to kill him; what kind of situation is keeping him locked in the Imperial Prison forever?

Zhu Yuanzhang's old face gradually grew gloomy.

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's expression, Jiang Huan immediately shivered.

He quickly clasped his hands and said,

"Your Majesty, just pretend I said nothing."