Chapter 176: Assassination

At dusk, Chen Heng returned, his expression solemn.

"Prince, I've investigated: there's a Guanyin Temple in the east of the city, its incense is abundant, but the monks inside are off. My men have watched all afternoon and found that those entering and leaving aren't worshippers but some people with strange movements."

Zhu Yong stood up and said, "Take me to have a look."

"Prince, you going yourself? It's too dangerous; better wait for the Jinyiwei to send more men…"

"What are we waiting for? I'll go take a look too; it's not like we're going to fight." Zhu Yong said naively, but his eyes flashed with light.

Chen Heng knew he couldn't be persuaded, so he had to lead the way.

The two changed into civilian clothes and arrived at the Guanyin Temple in the east of the city.

The temple was small but well maintained, and a stream of worshippers kept coming to the gate.

It was already dusk; inside the temple the evening sutra was being recited, with Buddhist chants echoing.

Zhu Yong pretended to be a worshipper, entered, donated incense money, and walked around the temple once.

On the surface, it was just an ordinary temple.

But Zhu Yong noticed a small door in the back courtyard; people came and went intermittently, and they didn't look like worshippers, more like jianghu folk.

"Prince, over there..." Chen Heng whispered.

Zhu Yong looked in the direction he pointed and saw a monk leading two men toward the back courtyard; their waists were bulging, clearly hiding weapons.

"Interesting, let's go, follow them." Zhu Yong smiled.

The two quietly slipped around to the outer wall of the courtyard; Zhu Yong gave a light leap onto the wall top, and Chen Heng followed.

The back courtyard had three side rooms; one of them was lit, and silhouettes were projected on the paper windows.

Zhu Yong silently dropped into the courtyard and crouched beneath the window.

Voices could be heard from inside.

"Zhou Hufa has already left the city, letting us wait for the chance in Fengyang; Empress Ma and Prince Wu are still there, this is a heaven‑bestowed opportunity."

a hoarse old voice said.

"The Holy Mother's meaning is..." another voice asked.

"Assassinate Empress Ma and Prince Wu, frame the common folk, incite a rebellion; when the world falls into chaos, our sect can rise with the momentum."

"But Prince Wu is invincible in bravery, how to assassinate him?"

"A bright spear is easy to dodge, a hidden arrow hard to guard; even Prince Wu, however mighty, is still flesh and blood. Use poison, fire, gunpowder—there's always a method to take his life."

Zhu Yong felt his heart ignite and was about to smash the window, but Chen Heng held him back.

Chen Heng shook his head, indicating they should listen some more.

Inside it continued, "Empress Ma will tomorrow go to worship the Zhu Family ancestral tomb; that's the best chance, set ambushes along the route and shoot her with bows and crossbows."

"Bows and crossbows may not hit Prince Wu."

"If we miss Prince Wu but hit Empress Ma, that's fine; once Empress Ma dies, Zhu Yuanzhang will surely rage, vent his anger on Fengyang officials and the people, and popular resentment will boil…"

"Good! Then that's it! I'll go prepare the manpower now."

"Remember, we need Death Soldiers; after the deed, not a single survivor may be left."

"Understood."

Footsteps sounded; the people inside were about to emerge.

Zhu Yong and Chen Heng quickly hid in the shadows.

The door opened, three men walked out and hurried away.

Zhu Yong looked at their backs and said to Chen Heng, "Follow them, see where they go."

"Yes." Chen Heng whispered and followed.

Zhu Yong stayed put, waiting until the courtyard was empty, then pushed open the side‑room door.

Inside was empty, but a map lay on the table—a topographic map of outside Fengyang City, with several circles drawn in vermilion ink, marking the route Empress Ma will take for the ancestral rites tomorrow.

Next to the map was a letter; Zhu Yong picked it up and saw it was from Zhou Dexing to the "Holy Mother," dated three days ago.

The letter said he had already arranged an escape route, letting the White Lotus Sect cause as much trouble in Fengyang as possible, preferably killing Empress Ma and Prince Wu, so the court would have no time to pursue him.

"Well done, Zhou Dexing." Zhu Yong slipped the letter into his chest, turned, and left.

Returning to the temporary palace, Chen Heng also came back.

"Prince, those three went to a warehouse in the west of the city; inside are over twenty people, all armed, and the warehouse's back courtyard hides three crossbow carts."

"Crossbow carts?" Zhu Yong's gaze hardened.

Crossbow carts are heavy military weapons, capable of firing three hundred steps, with massive power; Zhou Dexing even gave these to the White Lotus Sect, indicating the preparation had taken more than a day or two.

"Prince, what should we do, should we capture them now?" Chen Heng asked.

Zhu Yong thought and said, "No, wait until tomorrow; aren't they planning an ambush? I'll play along with their scheme."

"But that's too dangerous; what if we hurt the Empress…"

"With me here, she won't be harmed." Zhu Yong was very confident.

He went to find Empress Ma and laid out everything he had seen tonight.

Empress Ma listened, remained silent for a long while, then said, "Yong Er, are you confident?"

"Yes, Mother. Tomorrow you go as usual for the ancestral rites; I've arranged the manpower, and when they act, we'll catch them all in one net," Zhu Yong nodded.

Empress Ma looked at her son, then suddenly smiled, "Very well, Mother trusts you, but Yong Er, you must promise Mother to be careful."

"I know." Zhu Yong chuckled naively.

That night, dark currents surged through Fengyang City.

The White Lotus Sect was moving troops, the Jinyiwei were setting covert controls, and Zhu Yong's Imperial Troops quietly took over the city's defenses.

Meanwhile, Zhou Dexing and Wu Liang had already fled to Su Zhou a hundred li away and lodged in an inn.

"Brother Zhou, we just ran like this, those silver…" Wu Liang said with a pained voice.

Zhou Dexing sneered, "Is money more important than life? Empress Ma has already traced the Chaotic Burial Ridge, Liu San has also been captured. If we don't run now, are we waiting to die?"

"But where could we possibly run to?"

"First we go to Xuzhou, where I have men, then head south to Fujian, set sail by sea route, and go to South Sea." Zhou Dexing had already planned an escape route.

Wu Liang sighed, "What a pity, eight hundred thousand taels…"

"Don't worry, I have holdings in South Sea; once we're there we'll still eat and drink well, and the White Lotus Sect has already made arrangements. When Empress Ma dies and the world falls into chaos, we might even be able to kill our way back."

Zhou Dexing said.

He, Zhou Dexing, being a fellow native of Zhu Tufu, had followed Zhu Tufu in battle all his life; now he can only stay in Fengyang, unable even to enter the central court.

Wu Liang was then a little reassured.

Outside the window, the night was deep.

Zhou Dexing did not know that the letter he wrote to the White Lotus Sect was at this moment in Zhu Yong's hand.

He was even more unaware that his meticulously planned assassination had already been seen through.

The twelfth day of the third month, eighth year of Hongwu, at dawn.

On the official road outside Fengyang City, a convoy moved slowly forward.

Empress Ma sat inside the carriage, with Guanyin Nu and Zhu Huanhuan beside her.

Zhu Yong rode a horse alongside the carriage, appearing casual but actually keeping eyes on all directions.

The convoy had fifty Imperial Troops guarding the front and back each, while the Brocade Guard disguised themselves as ordinary attendants, mingling within the group.

The ancestral worship procession left the city, heading toward the Zhu Family ancestral tomb.

The tomb lay beside Huangjue Temple, thirty li north of Fengyang City, a mausoleum Zhu Yuanzhang built for his parents after ascending the throne.

After traveling roughly ten Li, they arrived at a valley.

Mountains rose on both sides, with a road in the middle—a perfect spot for an ambush.

Zhu Yong halted his horse and said to those inside the carriage, "Mother, the road ahead is narrow; please be careful."

"Understood," Empress Ma replied.

The convoy continued onward.

Just as they entered the valley, an anomaly suddenly erupted.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

A sound of slicing through the air rang out as dozens of crossbow bolts shot from the cliffs on both sides!

"Protect the carriage!" Zhu Yong shouted, his figure flashing as he moved to block the front of the carriage.

He swung the Double Hammers, deflecting all the incoming bolts.

The Imperial Troops quickly formed a formation, shielding the carriage.

"Fire!" someone on the cliff shouted.

More bolts flew in, three of them especially thick—heavy arrows launched from a ballista, aimed straight at the carriage!

Zhu Yong's gaze hardened; his left hammer flew from his hand, tracing an arc in the air that shattered all three heavy arrows!

He hurled his right hammer toward the cliff!

A physical bomb is coming...