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

Zhu Biao nodded, his expression showing a rare seriousness: "Don't worry, uncle, I will definitely get it done."

Zhu Biao disguised himself as an ordinary peddler and sneaked into the capital. According to the records in the documents, he quickly found the first address - a seemingly ordinary bookstore.

The bookstore was doing a dull business. The owner, a Confucian scholar in his 50s, was flipping through a yellowed old book behind the counter. Zhu Biao walked into the shop, pretending to casually flip through the books while secretly observing.

"Sir, are there any books you need?" The boss looked up and asked with a smile, but his eyes were filled with scrutiny.

Zhu Biao smiled calmly and picked up a book at random: "I heard that the books here are not only complete, but also often have some rare items?"

The boss was slightly startled, then his eyes became alert: "Who did you hear that from? We are just an ordinary bookstore. We don't have any rare goods."

Zhu Biao thought to himself: This place is not simple, I have to test it out. He said calmly: "A friend of mine found an ancient book about weapon manufacturing here. He said that the things in this bookstore are quite interesting."

The boss's face changed slightly, and after a moment's silence, he said, "Sir, you can't say these things carelessly. What I sell here are ordinary Four Books and Five Classics."

Zhu Biao pretended not to care and nodded: "In that case, sorry to bother you."

When he turned and left, he quietly left a copper coin with a special mark on the bookshelf. This copper coin was a signal Zhu Han had given him earlier. If someone touched this copper coin, it would mean that there was something fishy behind the bookstore.

That night, Zhu Biao sneaked back to the bookstore and observed from the dark. He saw the owner walk out of the bookstore and walk stealthily towards the south of the city, holding something in his hand.

"There is indeed a problem." Zhu Biao whispered to himself, and then followed from a distance.

The boss walked cautiously all the way and finally came to an inconspicuous teahouse. He talked in a low voice with a man in the teahouse, showing a cautious expression from time to time.

Zhu Biao held his breath and tried to get closer to the teahouse. He heard the man whisper, "This batch of goods must be sent away as soon as possible. I heard that the court is keeping a close eye on it recently. There must not be any mistakes."

The boss nodded: "I understand, the goods are ready and can be shipped at any time."

Zhu Biao quietly wrote down their conversation, and became more certain in his heart that there was indeed a huge conspiracy behind this bookstore. He quietly retreated to the dark alley and prepared to pass the message to Zhu Han.

At the same time, Zhu Han had quietly sneaked into a manor outside the city. The manor looked plain on the outside, but was heavily guarded inside. He hid his body all the way and finally found the entrance to the cellar where the weapons were hidden.

The cellar was filled with all kinds of weapons. Zhu Han looked grim as he quickly searched through the pile of documents. Soon, he found a secret letter that clearly stated the distribution plan for these weapons and the specific arrangements for a commander.

"Now it can be confirmed." Zhu Han's eyes flashed. He hid the secret letter and left quickly.

After the two operations were completed, Zhu Biao and Zhu Han met at the designated location. They integrated their findings and looked more solemn.

"Uncle, now the evidence is solid," Zhu Biao said, "but the forces involved behind this are probably more complicated than we expected."

Zhu Han nodded gently: "That's right. Next, we need to design a plan to catch all these people in one fell swoop. And this requires the use of your majesty's power."

After discussion, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao decided to submit the collected evidence to Zhu Yuanzhang as soon as possible.

Inside the inn at night, the lights were dim and the atmosphere was particularly solemn.

Zhu Biao said in a deep voice: "Uncle, these evidences are enough to uncover the entire conspiracy, but the question now is, how can we ensure that they will not be hijacked before they are delivered?"

Zhu Han smiled slightly, his eyes full of wisdom: "Biao'er, we need to make these people fall into the trap. Since they dare to make such a plan, they must think that they are in control of the overall situation. As for us, we just need to make them feel that the situation is still under control."

"You mean... we deliberately revealed some information to Zhou Wenqing?" Zhu Biao keenly grasped the key point in the words.

Zhu Han nodded. "That's right. Let Zhou Wenqing think that we already know part of the truth, but we don't have the whole truth. He will be eager to cover up the loopholes, and we can use his reaction to find the person behind him."

Zhu Biao frowned and thought, then slowly said, "Who will be responsible for passing the false news to Zhou Wenqing? If there is any mistake, he might notice it."

Zhu Han glanced at Zhu Biao and smiled. "Of course we will go by ourselves. Zhou Wenqing is already familiar with the steward's voice and behavior habits. Why not let him 'take the initiative' to spread the false news?"

After that, he turned to look at the steward who had been tied up beside him, and said coldly: "You have two choices. Either help us spread the news, or I will kill you right now to prevent future troubles."

The steward turned pale and shook his head hurriedly: "Your Highness, spare my life! I will listen to you and cooperate!"

Zhu Biao looked at the trembling steward and couldn't help but chuckle: "Uncle, this man is afraid of death, which is just right for him. But we have to be careful, don't let him turn against us at the last minute."

Zhu Han's eyes were stern: "Don't worry, I have already thought of how to prevent it. If he dares to have any other intentions, he won't even have the chance to regret it."

The next morning, in Zhou Wenqing's house, the steward walked into the hall with a big smile on his face and bowed to Zhou Wenqing, saying, "Sir, some boxes of goods in the warehouse were loose last night, and I sent someone to recheck and found some abnormalities."

Zhou Wenqing frowned slightly, put down the teacup in his hand, and asked coldly: "Abnormal? What abnormality?"

The steward looked respectful, but his tone deliberately revealed a hint of panic: "I discovered that someone might have secretly checked the goods, but didn't have time to take anything away. I have already sent more people to strengthen the guard, so there shouldn't be any big problems."

Zhou Wenqing narrowed his eyes, picked up the teacup and took a sip, then sneered: "Humph, if they really had the courage to peek, how could they return empty-handed? It was just a test. However, they were able to find the warehouse, which means there is a traitor."

The steward said quickly, "Sir, you are very observant! I think that perhaps someone among the boatmen leaked the news."

Zhou Wenqing pondered for a moment and said in a cold voice: "Find out about those people. Once they are confirmed to be the traitors, deal with them cleanly. In addition, move the goods immediately to avoid any complications."

The steward agreed in a low voice, but was secretly glad in his heart.

At the same time, Zhu Biao and Zhu Han hid in an attic not far away, closely monitoring Zhou Wenqing's every move through hidden guards.

"Uncle, look at his expression, he really believed it." Zhu Biao said softly, with a hint of excitement in his tone.

Zhu Han smiled slightly: "This is just the first step. Next, he will definitely contact the person behind the scenes to discuss countermeasures. What we have to do is to make sure he has nowhere to escape."

"What's the next step?" Zhu Biao asked.

"Planning." Zhu Han's eyes were cold. "We need to set up ambushes at several key locations in advance to ensure that he has no way to escape. Then, use the people on this list to lure out the bigger target."

Zhu Biao nodded and said in a deep voice, "There is no time to lose. I will arrange it right away." In the evening, Zhou Wenqing left the mansion in a hurry and headed straight for a small manor in the western suburbs of the capital with several personal guards. Zhu Biao and Zhu Han followed quietly and tracked to the outside of the manor.

"Biao'er, this is probably their temporary base." Zhu Han said in a low voice.

"The security is tight, how can we get in?" Zhu Biao asked with a frown.

Zhu Han sneered: "No need to go in. We just need to wait outside and wait for them to expose their people and plans."

The two hid in a big tree near the manor and waited patiently. Not long after, an inconspicuous carriage drove into the manor, and a middle-aged man in fancy clothes got out of the carriage.

When Zhu Biao saw this person, he immediately exclaimed: "It's Xu Chengde! He is indeed one of the masterminds behind the scenes!"

Zhu Han's eyes narrowed slightly, and he whispered, "It seems that Zhou Wenqing is indeed a chess piece in his hands. Next, it's our turn to close the net."

As the night deepened, bursts of arguments were heard in the manor.

"Sir Xu, if this batch of goods continues to be detained, it may be discovered by the court. I suggest that it be dispersed as soon as possible." Zhou Wenqing's voice came with a bit of anxiety.

"Why are you panicking?" Xu Chengde said coldly, "Although the court's actions are fast, they are far less secretive than ours. As long as the distribution is orderly, no matter how suspicious His Majesty is, he will not easily find me."

Zhou Wenqing bowed his head and promised: "Yes, I understand."

At this moment, a low command sounded from outside the manor: "Everyone listen up, seal off the manor, don't let anyone go!"

Zhou Wenqing's face changed drastically and he stood up suddenly: "What's going on?!"

Before he could finish his words, Zhu Biao and Zhu Han had already led the imperial guards in, swords in hand, pointing directly at Xu Chengde.

"Xu Chengde, Zhou Wenqing, your show ends here!" Zhu Biao shouted sternly.

Zhou Wenqing's face turned pale and he kept backing away: "Impossible! How do you know this place!"

Xu Chengde calmed down and looked at Zhu Han with a sneer: "Your Highness Zhu Han, it is indeed you."

Zhu Han's eyes were cold, and he said slowly: "Master Xu, you thought your conspiracy was flawless, but you didn't know that it was doomed to fail since you first revealed a flaw."

Late at night, the manor was completely controlled by the imperial guards. The bright torches illuminated the surroundings like daytime, and the air was filled with tension.

Zhu Han stood in the center of the courtyard, his eyes like torches, scanning Zhou Wenqing and Xu Chengde who were escorted to him. Zhu Biao, holding a long sword, stood guard beside him with a stern look.

"Xu Chengde, at this point, you're still not going to confess?" Zhu Han's voice was low but full of pressure.

Xu Chengde smiled slightly, seemingly fearless: "Your Highness, I am just a local official, how can I talk about any conspiracy? You said I have many flaws, but do you have any evidence?"

Zhu Biao snorted coldly: "Evidence? We have already obtained your weapons transportation route map, transaction records, and even those secret imperial edicts are here." As he spoke, he took out a scroll of documents from his sleeve and held it high.

Xu Chengde's face changed, but he quickly regained his composure: "Documents? There are many forged things in this world. Can Your Highness use these to slander me?"

Zhu Han sneered: "Forgery? How dare you say that you don't recognize any of the names on this list?" He handed over another record, which was densely filled with related names.

Xu Chengde glanced at them, his eyes flickering, but a sneer still hung on the corner of his mouth: "Your Highness, of course I have heard of these people, but what do their affairs have to do with me?"

Zhou Wenqing saw this, cold sweat dripped down his forehead, and he immediately knelt down and shouted: "Your Highness, spare my life! Lord Xu is the mastermind behind this, I am only following orders, and I would never dare to go against the court!"

"Shut up!" Xu Chengde shouted angrily, "Zhou Wenqing, how dare you frame me like this!"

Zhu Biao stepped forward and shouted angrily, "False accusation? We have already seized all your goods and ships, and the evidence is on the way to the capital. How long do you want to quibble?"

After hearing this, Xu Chengde's face darkened completely. After a moment of silence, he said coldly, "Since Your Highness said so, I would like to ask, even if you arrest me, what can you do? How can the court allow you to convict me based on your one-sided words?"

Zhu Han took a step forward and looked down at him, his tone full of meaning: "You are right, there is indeed no absolute fairness in this world. However, as long as Your Majesty sees the facts clearly, do you think you will still have a chance to turn things around?"

Xu Chengde lowered his head and remained silent, as if he was thinking secretly.

At this time, a hurried sound of footsteps was heard in the distance, and a soldier of the Imperial Guards ran in, clasped his fists and reported: "Your Highness! During the search, a large number of secret letters and account books were found, which recorded many details of transactions!"

Zhu Biao smiled coldly: "Xu Chengde, is this your 'innocence'?"

Zhou Wenqing was so frightened that he almost fell to the ground, begging, "Your Highness, I am willing to confess everything, just to save my life!"

Zhu Han raised his hand to stop Zhu Biao from speaking, his tone calm and dignified: "Zhou Wenqing, you'd better confess the truth, otherwise, no matter how high your status is, don't expect to walk out of here alive."

Zhou Wenqing nodded hurriedly and began to speak: "It was Lord Xu who instructed me to transport the weapons to Jiangbei and trade with those local tyrants. They have already set up a network of relationships and controlled the docks and granaries along the way..."

Hearing this, Xu Chengde interrupted him harshly: "Nonsense! You are just a villain, how dare you speak nonsense!"

Zhu Han looked at the scene coldly and said softly: "It seems that the show is almost over." He waved his hand to signal the imperial guards to temporarily separate the two men.

Zhu Biao's eyes were filled with worry, and he asked in a low voice: "Uncle, although the evidence of these people's crimes is solid, the forces behind them may not be limited. How can we ensure that there will be no future troubles?"

Zhu Han smiled slightly: "Biao'er, it is indeed difficult to eliminate the troubles, but as long as we grasp the key figures, we can follow the clues to find the root cause. Next, we just need to wait for His Majesty's decision."

A few days later, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao escorted all the evidence and the criminals back to the capital. In the morning court, Zhu Yuanzhang carefully read all the secret letters and account books, his face becoming more and more gloomy.

"What a Xu Chengde! I have always trusted you, but I never expected that you would betray the court!" Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and slammed the imperial desk.

Xu Chengde knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty! I am innocent! These evidences are not reliable at all. I was framed!" (End of this chapter)