Chapter 181

Several maidservants moved with nimble hands, carefully removing the battle armor and clothing for Zhu Ying.

As each piece of armor and clothing was taken off.

The shocking scars on Zhu Ying's upper body were gradually revealed in their entirety.

Knife wounds, sword wounds—the locations of the scars were clearly visible.

And there were the wounds from arrows; some had already healed, leaving behind only sunken scars.

In the eyes of ordinary people, these scars might appear gruesome and terrifying.

But for a battle general, they were the testament to Zhu Ying's years of campaigning on the battlefield, his medals of bravery and fearlessness; behind every scar lay a thrilling battle and an experience of life and death.

This was what Zhu Ying had earned through his fighting.

Even Zhu Di, who was well-informed and had experienced countless storms, could not help but have his eyes narrow slightly the moment he saw Zhu Ying's scarred body, a flash of imperceptible shock crossing his eyes.

"He actually has so many wounds on his body?"

"And he is actually still alive!"

Zhu Di thought to himself; if an ordinary person had suffered so many and such severe wounds, they would likely have long since returned to the battlefield of the afterlife.

Yet the Zhu Ying before him had not only stubbornly survived but had walked step by step to his current position, attaining the noble title of Marquis of Champions.

All of this was undoubtedly earned through his solid battle merits, forged in the baptism of blood and fire.

No one could question it!

After removing his armor.

Zhu Ying showed not the slightest bit of shyness or reserve; he walked slowly toward the bath.

His clothing and armor had all been removed, leaving only a jade pendant around his neck.

He just sat down, leaning against the bath like that.

"Soaking in a bath is indeed comfortable."

Zhu Ying remarked.

As soon as he soaked into the pool, Zhu Ying wiped his body, and the bloodstains left from the day's slaughter slowly blended into the water along his arms, instantly dyeing the water around him a faint red.

But since it was Zhu Di who had invited him here, Zhu Ying had no worries in his heart; his expression was calm, as if all of this were just an ordinary matter.

Subsequently.

Zhu Ying tilted his head slightly, a faint smile on his face, looked at Zhu Di, and asked, "Your Highness, Prince of Yan, you summoned me here today specifically—is there some important matter to discuss?"

Since he had come, he would get straight to the point.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di revealed a seemingly gentle smile and countered, "Why, can't I ask Brother Zhu to come over and reminisce without a reason?"

His tone was relaxed and casual, attempting to create an atmosphere of closeness and harmony.

Zhu Ying shook his head lightly, the smile still hanging on his face, and said, "Your Highness is joking; naturally, that is not what I meant."

"It is just that Your Highness is busy with official duties every day, managing a thousand things; if there were no urgent matter, I imagine you would not have specifically summoned this humble general."

Zhu Di wanted to be close, but Zhu Ying's words carried a hint of detachment; although his language was respectful, there was an invisible barrier.

Zhu Di sighed slightly in his heart, and the smile on his face also became a bit stiff, in a way that was hard to notice.

Looking at Zhu Ying, Zhu Di felt a sense of disappointment.

He had always hoped to interact with Zhu Ying in a purely military manner, treating each other with sincerity, just as he did with military generals like Zhang Yu.

But at this moment.

He could truly feel that Zhu Ying seemed to be on guard against him; this guard was not an obvious resistance in words or actions, but a vigilance hidden deep in his bones, making him feel that there was always a layer between him and Zhu Ying, making it difficult to truly get close.

Zhu Di took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, and said, "Ever since the merchants under my command began cooperating with the Marquis of Champions' distillery, the business has become increasingly prosperous."

"Now in Beiping Prefecture, our liquor has almost monopolized the entire market, and that Shen family's liquor business has long since ceased to exist."

As his voice fell.

Zhu Ying's lips curled into a cold sneer, a hint of chill flashing in his eyes, and he said, "That Shen family originally relied on my Zhu family's distillery to gain a foothold in the liquor business."

"Back then, they betrayed their trust and harmed me."

"Now that they have ended up like this, it is their own fault."

Mentioning the Shen family, Zhu Di's tone was still filled with intense coldness; after all, they were his irreconcilable enemies.

Zhu Di nodded slightly and continued, "This Shen family has indeed had a hard time over the past year."

"Not only has their liquor business plummeted, but other trade routes in Beiping Prefecture have also been almost completely severed."

"It is strange to say, but there is a group of mountain bandits that specifically targets the Shen family's caravans while turning a blind eye to other merchants; the reason for this is quite intriguing."

As he spoke.

Zhu Di's gaze was fixed tightly on Zhu Ying, his eyes carrying a hint of deep meaning; the probing was still continuing.

Zhu Ying's expression did not change in the slightest; he was very calm.

Subsequently.

Zhu Ying smiled faintly and said, "Evil people are dealt with by evil people."

"This Shen family existed back during the time of the former Yuan; over so many years, who knows how many heaven-defying and people-angering things they have done. It is only reasonable that enemies have come knocking at their door."

Zhu Di's tone was flat, as if he were merely stating a most ordinary fact.

In short.

Everything that happened to the Shen family was self-inflicted, and they were targeted by enemies; it had nothing to do with him.

Listening to Zhu Ying's words.

Zhu Di narrowed his eyes slightly, a sharp glint flashing in them, and he continued to probe, "I have already ordered an all-out effort to capture this group of mountain bandits."

"Now, I have actually found some clues."

"How does the Marquis of Champions feel if I were to wipe them out completely and execute them all?"

It seemed.

This question carried a hint of inquiry, but in reality, it was still a probe.

Ordinary people would certainly find it difficult to handle such a gaze from Zhu Di.

But.

Zhu Ying remained calm and said without hesitation, "Mountain bandits act recklessly, disregarding the laws of the Great Ming and harming the people; they should be brought to justice."

"If they resist stubbornly and refuse to be arrested, they should be strictly punished according to the Great Ming law, executed completely, to uphold the national law and serve as a warning to others."

Zhu Ying's words were without the slightest hesitation, directly stating his position; anyway, it had nothing to do with him.

However, in his heart.

Watching Zhu Di's step-by-step pressure and constant probing into the matter of the mountain bandits and the Shen family, Zhu Ying's wariness of him grew even stronger.

"He is actually still probing me."

"Trying to find a handle on me?" Zhu Ying sneered inwardly.

What Zhu Di said about mastering the tracks of the mountain bandits was nothing but nonsense.

With the strict training and superb concealment methods of his own Black Guard, he had full confidence that the yamen runners of Beiping Prefecture could not do anything to them.

In Zhu Ying's view, this series of probes by Zhu Di was all to get a handle on him and take the opportunity to manipulate him, right?

In that case, how could Zhu Ying let Zhu Di succeed?

"The Marquis of Champions' words are very true."

Zhu Di nodded, a smile appearing on his face again, as if he were very satisfied with Zhu Ying's answer.

But in reality.

He seemed to have become completely accustomed to not being able to probe any useful information from Zhu Ying; although there was some unwillingness in his heart, he was helpless.

"Now in Beiping Prefecture, the liquor business is making a fortune."

"I wonder if the Marquis of Champions has any thoughts of expanding this business to other prefectures, letting our fine wine spread its fragrance throughout the Great Ming?"

Zhu Di changed the subject and threw out a new topic, his eyes carrying a hint of anticipation.

Zhu Ying shook his head lightly, a calm smile on his face, and said, "Your Highness, doing business requires steady progress; one cannot take too large a step, otherwise it is easy to stumble."

"Now my distillery and restaurants have already been opened in Daning Prefecture, Liaodong Prefecture, and Beiping Prefecture, and the business situation is good, and I have earned enough."

"As for expanding to other prefectures, we might as well slow down and make plans later."

Zhu Ying's tone was tactful, but his attitude was very firm; in reality, he was politely refusing to continue cooperating with Zhu Di.

With the continuous improvement of his own status, he had his own calculations in his heart; if he were to continue expanding his business in the future, he would prefer to rely on his own strength and did not want to have too much involvement with Zhu Di.

After all, he knew deeply that Zhu Di was deep in schemes; dealing with such a person, one might fall into an irrecoverable situation if not careful.

Although he was not afraid of anything, there was no need for this.

Hearing Zhu Ying's refusal, the smile on Zhu Di's face froze for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal.

However.

Deep in his eyes, a hint of dissatisfaction flashed.

In his view, Zhu Ying's refusal now was undoubtedly a slight toward him, which made him feel quite displeased.

"This time, the Marquis of Champions insists on going north to pursue the Yuan Emperor; do you know that the northern frontier is extremely dangerous and by no means an easy task?" Zhu Di's tone became serious, and he changed the subject again.

Regarding this.

Zhu Ying's eyes were firm, and he said without hesitation, "On the battlefield, there is no such thing as an absolutely safe place."

"If you want to completely eliminate the disaster of the northern frontier, the only way is to pursue the Yuan Emperor and capture or kill him."

"As long as he is not dead for one day, the northern frontier will never have peace."

"Although I, Zhu Ying, am not a great benevolent person, as a Han Chinese, protecting the home and country and expelling foreign enemies is my duty."

"Moreover, if I can successfully pursue the Yuan Emperor and achieve the feat of sealing Mount Langjuxu, that will be the supreme glory of a military general; wouldn't that be gratifying!"

Zhu Ying was full of heroic ambition and full of determination for the northern pursuit.

These words were indeed the truth.

Of course.

There was one more thing he didn't say: the Imperial Jade Seal, the symbol of imperial power, was also something Zhu Ying wanted.

"Sealing Mount Langjuxu... yes, what man doesn't have such a dream in his heart."

Zhu Di muttered to himself, his eyes also revealing a deep longing.

That was a yearning for glory and a pursuit of power; in his heart, sealing Mount Langjuxu was not just a military achievement, but a symbol, symbolizing his ability and status.

"Speaking of which, after this northern expedition ends, if the Marquis of Champions returns triumphantly to Ying Tian, the Emperor and the Crown Prince will surely bestow heavy rewards upon you."

"I wonder if the Marquis of Champions would be willing to come to my Beiping Prefecture to serve as a general?"

"If you come, I am willing to fully recommend you; the Marquis of Champions could at least be promoted to Regional Military Commissioner, or even have the hope of becoming a Regional Military Commissioner-in-Chief, and perhaps even have the power to command the military power of Beiping Prefecture and Daning Prefecture."

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Ying with a serious face, his eyes full of anticipation.

When he asked this question, he was actually a bit uneasy in his heart, because this concerned whether he could win Zhu Ying over for his own use, which had a crucial influence on his future plans.

Zhu Ying sneered inwardly; he naturally heard the intention of winning him over in Zhu Di's words.

But how could he easily take the bait?

Zhu Ying smiled with a bit of apology, then cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

"It is just that after the northern expedition is successful and this humble general enters the capital to report on his duties, my future arrangements will likely still be to remain in Daning Prefecture."

"According to what the Prince of Ning revealed, the Crown Prince intends to hand over the Jianzhou Guard to this humble general to command."

"And, I heard that Daning Prefecture or Liaodong Prefecture might establish a military command in the future."

"Therefore, this humble general still wants to stay there and guard the northern frontier for the Great Ming."

Zhu Ying was polite and tactful, but the meaning of his refusal was very clear.

Upon hearing this!

The smile on Zhu Di's face disappeared without a trace, replaced by a look of obvious displeasure.

And the chill in his heart became even worse.

Zhu Ying's words were undoubtedly a refusal of his solicitation once again, and his attitude was firm, without the slightest room for maneuver.

In his view, Zhu Ying was pretending to be ignorant while knowing the truth, deliberately not taking his cue, which made him feel very frustrated.

At this moment!

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became oppressive, as if an invisible haze was hanging over the heads of the two.

Although Zhu Di had much dissatisfaction and unwillingness in his heart, he also understood that continuing to talk today would be futile.

Therefore.

Zhu Di suppressed the emotions in his heart and said faintly, "In that case, I wish the Marquis of Champions a bright future."

At this moment.

Zhu Di's tone was cold, lacking the previous enthusiasm and anticipation.

Zhu Ying naturally heard the displeasure in Zhu Di's tone, but he didn't care.

Zhu Ying replied calmly, "Then thank you, Your Highness, for your blessings."

"After a day of slaughter, this humble general is indeed a bit tired; if Your Highness has nothing else, this humble general will return to the camp to rest first."

After speaking.

Zhu Ying stood up slowly, preparing to leave.

This action of Zhu Ying was undoubtedly showing Zhu Di that he would not be swayed by Zhu Di's attitude.

Zhu Ying naturally heard the displeasure in Zhu Di's tone, but so what?

You have ambition!

You want to win me over.

But Zhu Ying would not take the bait.

And Zhu Di had been wrong from the beginning; Zhu Ying would not be loyal to anyone—neither Zhu Yuanzhang nor Zhu Biao would Zhu Ying be loyal to.

The current Zhu Ying was always using the Great Ming's warship to strengthen himself, obtain more treasure chests, and obtain more attributes.

Loyalty?

Ridiculous!

It doesn't exist.

"In that case, Marquis of Champions, please return."

Zhu Di's tone became increasingly cold, revealing a bone-chilling coldness.

Since it was already determined that Zhu Ying could not be won over, he no longer hid his emotions, and his attitude became indifferent.

Zhu Ying didn't say anything more and immediately stood up from the bath.

Water splashed everywhere.

However!

Just at this moment, Zhu Di's eyes narrowed sharply, staring fixedly at the jade on Zhu Ying's neck, his eyes full of shock and disbelief.

"Wait." Zhu Di suddenly shouted, his voice carrying a hint of urgency.

Zhu Ying stopped, turned his head, and asked with a hint of doubt, "Your Highness, Prince of Yan, do you have any other instructions?"

Zhu Di's gaze remained fixed on that piece of jade, as if he had been hit by a freezing spell.

A moment later.

He came back to his senses and said with a smile, "This piece of jade around your neck looks extraordinary."

"I have seen countless rare treasures in this world, but I have never seen such a unique piece of beautiful jade."

Zhu Di's smile carried a bit of curiosity, attempting to cover up the shock and panic in his heart.

Zhu Ying looked down at the jade on his neck; it was a keepsake left by his grandmother and was of extraordinary significance to him.

Therefore, Zhu Ying replied calmly, "This was left by my grandmother."

"Perhaps my ancestors were high-ranking officials, which is why they left this piece of jade."

"In my view, it just carries the memories of my ancestors, and I don't feel there is anything special about it."

That was what he said.

But Zhu Di's eyes never left the jade, and the curiosity on his face grew stronger, as he said, "I wonder if you could let me take a look?"

"I have always had quite a bit of research on beautiful jade, and I really want to take a close look at the texture and carving of this piece."

As he spoke.

Zhu Di didn't wait for Zhu Ying to refuse; he wrapped a cloth around himself and walked toward Zhu Ying impatiently.

Zhu Ying complained inwardly: "This Zhu Di is really strange today; with his status, what kind of beautiful jade has he not seen? Why is he so interested in this piece of mine? Could it be that he is deliberately finding an excuse?"

But after all, Zhu Di was a prince with a noble status, and the other party didn't show any malice at the moment.

Looking at Zhu Di's enthusiastic and very interested appearance, Zhu Ying hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he did not refuse.

He thought that it was just letting the other party take a look, so there shouldn't be any problem.

Therefore.

Zhu Ying took a towel from the maid, wrapped it casually around his waist, then slowly took the jade off his neck and handed it to Zhu Di.

The moment Zhu Di took the jade pendant, he looked calm on the surface, but in reality, his pupils dilated instantly, and a stormy sea was stirred up in his heart.

"How is this possible? How is this possible?"

Zhu Di shouted wildly in his heart.

"This jade pendant... this jade pendant was clearly buried in the imperial mausoleum back then; how could it still appear here?"

"Could it be... could it be..."

At this moment, Zhu Di's heart was filled with terror—a fear he had never felt before, as if he had discovered a secret that could overturn the entire Great Ming empire.

On that jade pendant, the character "Yu" was clearly visible; it was the posthumous title that Zhu Yuanzhang had personally set for a certain ancestor. Zhu Di was more than familiar with this character; it carried a secret history of the royal family.

Now, this jade pendant, which should have been buried deep underground, appeared on Zhu Ying's body; how could Zhu Di not be shocked, how could he not be afraid?

"Your Highness, have you seen enough?"

Zhu Ying saw Zhu Di holding the jade pendant and not saying a word for a long time, and he couldn't help but feel a bit impatient, so he asked.

At this moment, he just wanted to get the jade pendant back, return to the camp to rest, and end the fatigue of this day.

Zhu Di woke up as if from a dream, raised his head, looked at Zhu Ying with a serious face, and said, "Marquis of Champions, I wonder if you would be willing to part with this jade pendant?"

"I am willing to pay a heavy price to buy it; no matter what price you set, I will never bargain."

Zhu Di's eyes were full of longing, as if he were truly interested.

Zhu Ying shook his head without hesitation, his tone firm: "Prince of Yan, this jade is an ancestral heirloom of this humble general; the steward in my family once gave instructions that this is an heirloom passed down through generations, and no matter how much money is offered, it cannot be sold."

"It has a special significance to me, and I hope Your Highness will understand."

Zhu Ying revealed an unquestionable firmness; this jade pendant was an heirloom and could not be exchanged for ten thousand gold.

Hearing this, a strong look of disappointment flashed in Zhu Di's eyes; he had originally held a glimmer of hope that his status would allow him to make Zhu Ying sell the jade pendant to him, but now it seemed that this hope had been completely shattered.

Looking at Zhu Ying's calm and somewhat indifferent gaze, he had no choice but to slowly hand back the jade pendant in his hand.

"Your Highness, Prince of Yan, this humble general will take his leave."

Zhu Ying took the jade pendant, hung it back around his neck, then turned and strode out of the hall.

Watching Zhu Ying's back gradually disappear from the hall!

Zhu Di's eyes were filled with complex emotions: shock, doubt, unwillingness, and deep worry.

"He really is Zhu Xiongying."

"The first time I saw him, I felt his eyes and temperament were familiar; now it seems I was not wrong."

"But how is this possible?"

"He was clearly already dead, and I even watched him being buried with my own eyes."

"How could he come back to life?"

"Is there really such a thing as immortals in this world?"

"Or... or did the Empress do something unknown back then?"

At this moment.

Zhu Di's heart was a mess; countless questions swirled in his mind, and he couldn't figure out what was going on at all.

Originally!

Zhu Di just wanted to take advantage of today's opportunity to properly probe Zhu Ying and see if he could win him over for his own use.

But he didn't expect that this unintentional glance would lead him to discover this earth-shattering secret.

If this news were to spread, it would surely cause a shock to the entire Great Ming empire—an unimaginable shock.

Zhu Di was very certain that the jade pendant was Zhu Xiongying's from the past.

Back then, he saw with his own eyes this jade pendant being buried in the imperial mausoleum along with Zhu Xiongying; now it appeared on Zhu Ying's body, which was by no means a coincidence.

Thinking back to Zhu Ying's various circumstances!

His age when he joined the army was deliberately increased by the Shen family; his real age matched Zhu Xiongying's perfectly, and those eyes were exactly like Zhu Xiongying's, as if they were carved from the same mold.

All the clues pointed to a shocking conclusion: Zhu Ying was Zhu Xiongying, his nephew, the eldest son of his eldest brother Zhu Biao, the former Imperial Grandson of the Great Ming empire, and also the grandson most favored by Zhu Yuanzhang.

At this moment!

Zhu Di stood alone in the bath, his whole person as if frozen, motionless.

His eyes were empty, and his thoughts had long since drifted away.

Everything around him seemed to have nothing to do with him; he was completely immersed in his own world, shocked and troubled by this huge secret.

The maidservants serving on the side all lowered their heads, their eyes dodging, not daring to breathe loudly, let alone make the slightest sound, for fear of affecting Zhu Di, who was lost in thought.

These maidservants were all originally palace maids in the Yuan palace.

But as the Ming army's iron cavalry broke through the Yuan capital, their dynasty collapsed instantly.

Now, they were controlled by the Ming army, and as palace maids, what awaited them would be the status of slaves.

They knew deeply that the Zhu Di before them, as a prince, held the power of life and death and had an unpredictable temperament.

If they were not careful and angered this prince, what awaited them would surely be a dead end.

"All of you, withdraw."

Just in this suffocating silence, a low voice came slowly from the depths of the inner hall.

"Yes."

Hearing this, the several maidservants felt as if they had been granted amnesty and hurriedly bowed their knees.

Their movements were panicked and hurried; they didn't even have time to look up at the source of the voice before they turned and walked hurriedly toward the outside of the hall.

When they exited the hall, they closed the hall door slowly, still cautious, for fear of making the slightest sound, and it was only after they withdrew.

That Yao Guangxiao was seen holding Buddhist beads, dressed in a black monk's robe, walking slowly out of the inner hall.

When he saw Zhu Di standing motionless in the bath, he frowned slightly, a hint of concern flashing in his eyes.

Yao Guangxiao coughed lightly, stepped forward a few steps, stood by the bath, and said slowly with a tone of persuasion, "Your Highness, since this person is difficult to win over, you should make a decision early and make up your mind."

"Your Highness has always been worried that he holds military power in the northern frontier and will become a serious threat to Your Highness in the future."

"In this humble monk's opinion, if you want to deal with this person, there are two paths to take."

Yao Guangxiao paused slightly, carrying deep thought and calculation: "First, find a way to make him die on the battlefield of the northern frontier; in this way, you can naturally remove a serious threat."

"Second, find a way to make him stay away from the northern frontier; it is best if he never sets foot in the imperial court and just becomes a powerless official in the capital; in this way, you can firmly control him, and he will not be a threat."

As Yao Guangxiao spoke, he observed Zhu Di's expression.

But.

Zhu Di was still standing there blankly, his eyes empty, seemingly turning a deaf ear to his words.

"What is wrong with Your Highness?"

Yao Guangxiao couldn't help but wonder to himself.

In his view, although Zhu Di was frustrated because he couldn't win over Zhu Ying, he would never be so absent-minded!

But Yao Guangxiao had no idea at all.

At this moment, Zhu Di's mind was already occupied by that earth-shattering secret, and it was not because of the fact that he couldn't win over Zhu Ying.

Zhu Di was lost in thought and completely stunned; everything was because of that jade pendant, because of Zhu Ying's identity!

(End of chapter)