Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

The man shook his head and said, "Sir, most of these weapons are packed in sacks, and some don't even have sheaths. They look like discarded supplies from the army."

Li Xing's face changed slightly when he heard this, and he said coldly: "Are you saying that these weapons may come from the military camp?"

The man immediately waved his hand and said, "Sir, I dare not say anything nonsense, but the style of these weapons is indeed different from those made by ordinary blacksmiths. They look like goods for marching."

Li Xing nodded, waved his hand to signal the bailiff to take the man away, then turned to another suspect and said coldly: "What about you? Do you have anything else to add?"

The suspect nodded quickly: "Sir, I heard from Mr. Du that his goods are all shipped from the Jiangnan area. He said there is a large workshop there that can provide a continuous supply of weapons."

Li Xing frowned, wrote down the information one by one, then stood up and reported to Zhu Biao.

In the evening, Zhu Biao's study was brightly lit. He flipped through the report submitted by Li Xing, his expression becoming more serious: "Workshops in the Jiangnan area? Tingsong, how likely do you think it is?"

Liu Tingsong thought for a moment and replied, "Your Highness, there are indeed many private workshops in Jiangnan, of varying sizes. If it is true as the suspect said, the workshop may specialize in providing weapons for certain forces, but which force it is, further investigation is needed."

Zhu Biao nodded and turned to Zhou Wei: "Do you have any new discoveries?"

Zhou Wei clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, I checked several blacksmith shops in Tongzhou, and they all said they had never seen such a large number of weapons. But one shop revealed that recently, strange merchants often came to ask if they could buy a large amount of iron materials. I suspect that these iron materials may be related to the workshops in Jiangnan."

Zhu Biao's eyes were sharp, and he said in a deep voice: "Very good. Since Jiangnan has surfaced, let's go straight to Huanglong. I will go to Jiangnan in person to see who dares to manufacture these weapons on the land of Daming."

"Your Highness, you must not do that!" Liu Tingsong immediately dissuaded him upon hearing this. "The journey to Jiangnan is long, and this matter is of great importance. If Your Highness goes there in person, I'm afraid it will cause more trouble."

Zhu Biao sneered: "Tingsong, you also know that this is a serious matter. If I don't go, how can I deter those who are secretly making trouble? Don't worry, I know what to do."

Zhu Han walked into the study at this time. After hearing what Zhu Biao said, he smiled and said, "Biao'er, with the emperor's uncle here, you don't have to worry about your safety on the trip to Jiangnan. I will go with you to see how deep the mastermind behind this is."

Zhu Biao looked grateful: "Thank you for your help, uncle. I will get to the bottom of this trip to Jiangnan!"

Zhu Biao decided to go to Jiangnan to investigate in person, so he ordered Liu Tingsong and Zhou Wei to lead a team to investigate in advance, and secretly arranged for messengers to inform the local authorities in Jiangnan to assist in the operation.

He and Zhu Han traveled lightly and quietly left Beijing from the South Gate. Along the way, the two of them rode their horses while discussing their next plan.

"Uncle, Jiangnan is a place where many merchants gather, and information flows quickly and secretly. If we go to investigate this time, I'm afraid it will be difficult to find a breakthrough for a while." Zhu Biao frowned slightly, with a hint of worry in his tone.

Zhu Han raised his hand to adjust the reins, his eyes far away: "Biao'er, Jiangnan is complicated, but because of this, any disturbance is difficult to completely hide. What we need is not to search aimlessly, but to grasp a clue and follow the clues to find the root of the problem."

Zhu Biao seemed to be thinking about something, and asked, "Uncle Huang means that we should focus on those special merchants?"

Zhu Han smiled slightly: "That's right. The clues in Tongzhou point to Jiangnan, which means that the source of the weapons has a certain scale and network. Such a large-scale transaction cannot be without core contacts between the buyer and the seller. We only need to find these people to catch the person behind the scenes."

Zhu Biao nodded, a hint of coldness on his face: "Although Jiangnan is far away, no matter where they hide, I will investigate them thoroughly!"

The first stop after arriving in Jiangnan was Yangzhou, where commerce flourished, ships were constantly coming and going, and the city was bustling with activity. Zhu Biao and Zhu Han disguised themselves as people from the underworld and quietly sneaked into the city.

The two sat down in a teahouse, and Zhu Biao asked in a low voice: "Uncle, there are many different kinds of information in Yangzhou City. Where is a good place to get intelligence?"

Zhu Han sipped his tea leisurely and said slowly, "Biao'er, although Yangzhou is big, there are only two types of people who know the news. One is the boatmen at the docks. They travel all over the place and have seen and heard a lot. The other is the old-fashioned chambers of commerce in the city, especially those merchants with prosperous ironware businesses. The account books in their hands are often the biggest clues."

Zhu Biao seemed to have realized something and immediately called the waiter, "Brother, which ironware business is the most prosperous in Yangzhou City?"

The waiter was a smart man. Upon hearing this, he stepped forward and said with a smile, "You asked a clever question, sir. The most famous ironware business in Yangzhou is Zhenwu Iron Workshop. Not only are their products of various types, but the quality is also impeccable!"

Zhu Han took over the conversation and asked casually, "Who is the owner of this Zhenwu Iron Workshop? I heard he has a strong background?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter lowered his voice and said, "You are asking the right person! The owner of Zhenwu Iron Works is Gao Yan, one of the richest businessmen in Yangzhou. As for his background, it is rumored that he has contacts with many big shots, but I dare not say anything about this, you can think about it yourself!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao cast a meaningful look at Zhu Han and said, "Uncle, this Gao Yan is worth a look."

Zhu Han nodded slightly: "Yes. Since he is well-known in the iron business, he may be able to provide us with a lot of information."

That night, Zhu Biao and Zhu Han changed into night clothes and quietly sneaked into the warehouse of Zhenwu Iron Works. Under the moonlight, the iron door of the warehouse was unusually heavy, and there were strict guards on both sides.

Zhu Biao squatted in the shadows and whispered, "Uncle, the warehouse is well guarded. Any rash action may alert the enemy."

Zhu Han smiled: "That's why we have to win by wits. Look, those two guards over there, will they leave the iron gate for a short time when they patrol back and forth?"

Zhu Biao observed carefully and nodded, "Indeed. There is a quarter-hour interval between each of their patrols."

Zhu Han took out a packet of fine powder from his bosom and said softly, "This is a smoke. If used at the right time, it can make them fall asleep for a while. Let's take this opportunity to investigate."

Zhu Biao took the smoke and approached the guards quietly with Zhu Han. As expected, when the guards gathered again, the two used smoke, and within a moment, the two men collapsed to the ground.

"Let's go!" Zhu Han shouted in a low voice, and the two of them quickly opened the iron gate and sneaked into the warehouse.

The warehouse was filled with neatly arranged wooden boxes, each locked with iron chains. Zhu Biao pulled out his dagger and carefully pried open a box, and suddenly the cold light of the weapon came into view.

"These weapons... are indeed standard equipment!" Zhu Biao lowered his voice, his eyes flashing with a sharpness.

Zhu Han picked up a long knife, examined it carefully, and found a small mark engraved on the blade: "Biao'er, look here, this is the mark of the workshop."

Zhu Biao looked at it intently and whispered, "Is this... the logo of Jiangnan's 'Hanguang Workshop'? Isn't this workshop famous for making farm tools?"

Zhu Han sneered and said, "It seems that there is another mystery behind this Hanguang Workshop. Let's go there in person tomorrow." The next day, the two came to the Hanguang Workshop. Unlike the Zhenwu Iron Workshop, this place looks more like an ordinary farm tool workshop, where workers are busy making hoes, plowshares and other tools.

Zhu Biao lowered his hat brim, walked to a craftsman, and asked casually, "Brother, do you have any work making weapons?"

The craftsman looked up at him and then shook his head: "Sir, we only make farm tools here. We don't accept business of weapons."

Zhu Han pretended to joke: "If you don't accept the weapons business, then why are your goods still in the warehouse of Zhenwu Iron Works?"

When the craftsman heard this, his face suddenly changed and he hurriedly stood up and left. Seeing this, Zhu Biao said coldly: "Follow him!"

The two followed him and found that the craftsman walked around the front hall and went straight to the backyard. In the backyard, a short and strong middle-aged man was directing workers to move boxes. When he saw the craftsman running towards him in a panic, he immediately stopped his work.

"What's going on?" the man asked with a frown.

The craftsman leaned over and whispered something in his ear. The man's face changed and he suddenly looked up and around.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Han hid in the dark, observing silently. Zhu Han whispered, "Biao'er, this man should be the manager of the workshop. Since he is so nervous, it means he knows the truth we are looking for."

Zhu Biao nodded: "In that case, let him reveal his flaws himself."

As he was talking, the manager led several strong men out the door, seemingly to leave the workshop. Zhu Biao and Zhu Han looked at each other and followed quietly.

Along the way, the steward looked around cautiously and finally came to a remote small house. He pushed open the door and greeted in a low voice: "Boss Du, something happened."

"Boss Du?" Zhu Biao murmured in a low voice, with a gleam in his eyes. He and Zhu Han looked at each other and secretly prepared to arrest him.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Han quietly hid in a bamboo forest outside the small house, listening to the noise inside. The manager's voice was a little flustered: "Boss Du, it's bad. Someone came to the workshop today to inquire about weapons."

A low and somewhat oppressive voice came from inside the house: "Come to the workshop to inquire? What's your background?"

The manager replied, "From their attire, they look like gangsters, but their question is too direct. I'm worried they have ulterior motives."

Zhu Biao heard this and said softly, "It seems that this Boss Du is not a simple person. He might be the key figure behind the scenes."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, signaling Zhu Biao to wait and see. The conversation in the room continued.

"Where are the workshop's latest goods? Where have they been delivered?" Boss Du's voice was full of vigilance.

The steward replied: "The latest batch of goods has been delivered to the Zhenwu Iron Workshop in Yangzhou, and several boxes were sent directly to Nanjing by water."

Boss Du pondered for a moment and said, "It seems that these people are coming for Zhenwu Iron Works. Inform Yangzhou to keep a low profile in the near future and be sure to destroy all records so that no traces are left."

"Yes! I'll do it right away!" The manager agreed hurriedly and turned to leave.

Seeing that the time was right, Zhu Biao whispered, "Uncle, Boss Du seems to be the mastermind behind this. How about we take him down now?"

Zhu Han shook his head, a glimmer of wisdom flashing in his eyes: "Biao'er, the fact that Boss Du can maneuver so well in Jiangnan shows that there is someone else behind him. If we arrest him directly, we might alert the enemy. It's better to follow the manager first and find out their bigger plan."

Zhu Biao nodded: "Uncle is still a man of foresight. Let's take action."

Zhu Biao and Zhu Han hid in the shadows of the bamboo forest, their eyes fixed on the movements in the dock. Several sturdy workers were moving boxes of goods, occasionally talking in low voices, but the sound was blown away by the night wind.

"Uncle, look at those boxes. The marks on them seem to have been deliberately painted over. Could it be that there are weapons inside?" Zhu Biao lowered his voice and pointed at the blurred patterns on the goods.

Zhu Han nodded slightly, his eyes as sharp as an eagle: "It's almost certain. If these goods are really weapons, they must be cautious. If we want to track them, we can't act rashly."

At this moment, the steward came out from the depths of the dock, and the people around him immediately stopped what they were doing and stood up straight. He scanned the area with a cold gaze, then walked to a larger boat and whispered to the boatman, "Tomorrow morning, all these boxes will be shipped to Jinling Wharf. Be careful on the way, don't ask too many questions, and don't let anyone target you. Do you understand?"

The boatman nodded quickly and answered in a low voice: "Don't worry, steward, we are familiar with this road and we won't make any mistakes."

The manager snorted coldly: "Don't take it lightly. The situation is tense recently. If something goes wrong, no one can bear the responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao patted Zhu Han's arm and whispered, "Uncle, there is obviously something wrong with this batch of goods. Since they are going to Nanjing, why don't we just get on board and follow the clues to find out what's going on."

Zhu Han thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay. However, these people are very vigilant, so we need to disguise ourselves perfectly."

Zhu Biao's eyes lit up and he pointed to a corner in the distance: "There seem to be a few boatmen resting over there. Why don't we borrow their clothes?"

The two quietly walked around the main road of the dock and came to a corner. Several boatmen were dozing on wooden boxes, snoring one after another. Zhu Biao approached carefully, holding a bamboo pole tightly in his hand, and signaled Zhu Han to outflank the other side.

Zhu Han smiled slightly and whispered, "Don't make any noise, just stop when you're done."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Biao made a quick move, and the bamboo pole drew an elegant arc in the air, gently touching the neck of a boatman. The man groaned, and his body went limp and fell to the ground. Zhu Han made a move at the same time, knocking down another boatman in a lightning speed.

The two dragged the boatman to a secluded place and quickly changed into their clothes and hats. Zhu Han looked down at his coarse cloth clothes and smiled bitterly: "Biao'er, I haven't worn such clothes for many years."

Zhu Biao pressed down his bamboo hat and couldn't help laughing: "Uncle Huang's outfit is quite unique."

Zhu Han smiled and patted his shoulder: "Don't talk nonsense, business is more important."

The two of them boarded the ship among the passengers, and the ship slowly sailed away from the dock under the cover of night. The river breeze was blowing, the water reflected the sparkling moonlight, and there was silence all around, with only the occasional sound of oars breaking the water. (End of this chapter)