Unexpectedly,
This generation's prince was truly cowardly.
Just moments ago he was filled with righteous indignation, but in a blink, he suddenly became timid. After waiting for a long time, expecting him to be furious, he instead stammered after several mood swings:
"Lord Zhao, this prince has always adhered to the ancestral teachings. It is best to keep royal matters separate from local affairs... Although Zhu Mo committed heinous and shocking acts, it is ultimately unrelated to local matters... I believe it would be best to report this to the imperial court for the宗人府 to decide. Of course, I will personally speak with Commander Yu of the Imperial Guard."
Damn it!
Isn't this too cowardly?
They say you're a turtle king, and it turns out to be true!
Zhao Zi wished he could curse out loud on the spot, but then he put on a stern face and said:
"Your Highness, you only know half the story. At this moment, Anda's army is pressing in, and yet Zhu Mo commits such an act? This clearly indicates something is amiss... We all discussed it and fear that something will happen within Datong city... What if Zhu Mo is colluding with those from the north? Wouldn't that be a huge disaster?
Besides, it is we who are apprehending him, not Your Highness! Your Highness is doing this for the people of Datong! Your Highness is highly respected, and by simply standing on the city wall, the Datong army and its people will naturally be encouraged, and with united strength, perhaps this catastrophe can be averted..."
These words seemed to come from the bottom of his heart,
The Prince of Dai's heart immediately became heavy—
Indeed!
If I can achieve some merit at this time, it might offer some protection when the Emperor is enraged...
After much deliberation, fearing being enfeoffed, he finally agreed:
"Alright! Lord Zhao, but this prince states his terms beforehand: I am only coming forward to resist the Tatars, and I have nothing to do with Zhu Mo's affairs... You must keep this clear, understand?"
Zhao Zi said joyfully, "No problem at all! Then, in the next couple of days, we will send someone to invite Your Highness. All the commanders of the thirteen guards will be at the North Gate Tower, and Your Highness only needs to boost their morale."
...
At noon,
Zhu Mo and Li Wenjin arrived at the Prince's mansion, only to find that soldiers from the Governor's Yamen were already patrolling. Li Wenjin, in his capacity as the Grand General, was refused entry by the steward.
Looking at the indignant expression on the steward's face, both of them guessed—
Yang Xuan and his group had gotten there first and had already persuaded the Prince of Dai.
And this,
For the current situation, was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.
Zhu Mo lamented, "I've seen fools, but never a fool like this... Even a three-year-old child wouldn't be deceived like this... They clearly bully him, yet he helps them attack good people? Brother Li, do you think this Prince of Dai is an idiot?"
Heh heh,
Li Wenjin also sighed, "Brother Zhu, think about it. If the Governor and the Grand General say it's true, can it be false? It seems that a chorus of voices can indeed melt metal... Let's go. I think the previous plan is still the best: we'll claim it was an assassination attempt and forcibly arrest him. Shall we just arrest those four household guards?"
Mm-hmm,
Zhu Mo also said, "It seems that's the only way..."
But inwardly, he cursed a hundred times—
The imperial family of the Zhu lineage indeed has more pigs than people!
The founding emperor was right about everything, except this one ridiculous decision... He wants to grant them wealth but prevent them from participating in military and political affairs. Setting aside what the common people would think, after several generations, who will be capable? With such ability, they are not even as good as ordinary people, so what else can be said?
When he wrote the "On the Imperial Dynasty" proposal, he became even more convinced. If drastic reforms are not made, the Zhu family's fate will be miserable...
But thinking was one thing,
The current situation was extremely critical.
As Zhu Mo thought, he felt the situation was somewhat similar to the scene at Huayan Temple—
Yang Xuan and his group held the Prince of Dai hostage, claiming to arrest the villain who insulted the princess;
On our side, they claim the Prince's household guards are White Lotus members and intend to assassinate the imperial envoy;
One right guard against twelve guards,
How could there be any chance of victory?
Zhu Mo calmed himself and thought for a while, saying, "Brother Li, the closer Anda presses, the more powerful Yang Xuan and his group become... I think we must be swift, strike fast against slow, and if we delay, there will be no more opportunities. Then we can only retreat to the Right Guard, and Datong will be finished..."
"Yes, I think so too. Anda's momentum this time is so great, and they are marching south after breaking camp. I think they are likely targeting Datong, or perhaps they will attack Datong first and then observe the reactions from Xuanfu and Jiliao... In any case, a fierce battle in Datong is likely unavoidable..."
Li Wenjin's words matched Zhu Mo's observations, and he understood that they had reached the most critical juncture of their lives.
Zhu Mo snorted and suddenly became incredibly resolute, saying:
"Therefore, we must strike first. I am the imperial envoy, you are the Grand General of Xuan-Da, and the imperial decree clearly states that the Right Guard is the chief of the thirteen guards, which is enough! We will be bold and resolute. Let's simply use the excuse of arresting White Lotus collaborators to dismiss Yang Xuan, Wu Ying, and Li Chong from their posts, and then replace the staff officers of the twelve guards. Anyone who opposes will be arrested as a White Lotus member! I refuse to believe that those chiliarchs and captains would dare to continue serving the Yan family!"
This time,
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and with the situation as it was, only this kind of widespread crackdown could control the situation.
When Li Wenjin heard this, he was genuinely startled—
This is too ruthless!
If this happens, half of the military officers in the twelve guards will likely be replaced...
He immediately stopped him and asked, "But what if that Imperial Guard officer comes out to stop us?"
His intention was to use the Imperial Guard to suppress them.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Mo said word by word, "Then we will place Yu Zhen under house arrest as well... After this is over, I will ask two friends to find the Divine Immortal Lan to explain things..."
This?
You?
Alas...
Li Wenjin sighed at length, thinking:
You are the imperial envoy, so whatever you do is up to you, but will the Emperor and the court let you off later? How will we explain this to Brother Yu?...
...
The two returned to the North Gate Tower,
The sky had already darkened.
Li Wenjin immediately personally took up his brush and wrote a stern warning, about to have it posted everywhere.
Zhu Mo also played with the bronze seal of the imperial envoy in his hand, recalling the events in Jiangnan, and felt that he had overthought things this time. If he had acted decisively from the beginning, like last time, by eliminating a major figure, where would all these troubles have come from?
Just as he was pondering,
He heard hurried footsteps, and Ma Fang was already shouting:
"Found him! Found him!"
The few of them rejoiced and went out to meet him.
Ma Fang panted and said, "Brother Zhu, I went to the Tiger Mountain Iron Smelting Station. There is indeed a secret storehouse in the cave, filled with many weapons and arrowheads... I captured his confidant, and under interrogation, he confessed that as soon as Prince Raoyang left, he went..."
He suddenly leaned in and whispered in everyone's ear:
"He went to Guanyin Temple behind the Prince of Dai's mansion... for an tryst with that whore."
Ah?
Now it was Zhu Mo's turn to be overjoyed, and he blurted out:
"Let's go! Let's catch them in the act!"
While everyone was still considering, Ma Fang suddenly said again, "Brother Zhu, I think it's best if I go catch him myself. You should still go see the Prince of Dai and tell him clearly: his whore of a wife has been stolen by someone else! Don't be sold and still help count the money! Hmph!"
Right, right,
Zhu Mo couldn't help but laugh: Ma Fang is the most straightforward and also the most agile in his thinking. People like Li Wenjin and Wang Chonggu are too hesitant...