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

Zhu Biao was shocked when he heard this, and anger ignited in his eyes: "How dare they plot treason?"

"Whether they are plotting treason or not still needs to be verified, but it is certain that their actions have threatened the stability of the court." Zhu Han said in a deep voice, "Biao'er, next you have to work with me to dig out this hidden line thoroughly."

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Don't worry, uncle, I will do my best!"

The night was as dark as ink, the lights in the Qinglong Mountain village were bright, and the atmosphere was particularly tense.

Wu Qing, the leader of the mountain stronghold, sat in the main seat, frowning: "The people below said that the prince's troops have been attacking frequently in Jiangnan recently, and they are almost at our door. What do you think about this?"

A lean man stepped forward and clasped his fists, saying, "Boss, the prince is just a rookie, why bother with him so much? As long as we guard Qinglong Mountain, what can he do to us?"

Another older counselor shook his head slowly: "Boss, this matter cannot be taken lightly. Zhu Han is the Prince of Jing, and his methods are unfathomable. Since he has intervened, things may not be that simple."

Wu Qing's eyes flashed with coldness, and he said in a deep voice: "Prince Jing? No wonder they have been so active recently. In this case, we should use stillness to control movement. Pass the order down, seal off the mountain completely, and no one is allowed to act without authorization."

The counselor hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice: "Boss, the batch of goods that are going to be sent to Jinling..."

Wu Qing waved his hand and said decisively: "Hide for the time being. Wait until the storm is over, and then make plans."

The counselor nodded in agreement.

However, just as the atmosphere in the mountain village was tense, in the distant darkness, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao were standing on a hilltop, looking down at the lights of the mountain village.

Zhu Biao whispered, "Uncle, it seems they are already alert. What should we do next?"

Zhu Han's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and a sneer rose at the corner of his mouth: "The more alert the enemy is, the more it shows that they are guilty. Biao'er, let's make them lose their composure next."

Zhu Biao nodded slightly, with a hint of fighting spirit in his eyes: "Tonight, let them see the methods of our Zhu family!"

The night in Qinglong Mountain was unusually quiet. The mountain wind blew through the layers of pine forests, making a low whimpering sound. The lighted mountain village was like a sleeping beast. However, this tranquility was quietly broken by the murderous intent hidden in the darkness.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao lay behind a rock on a cliff, calmly observing the layout of the village. They were surrounded by a dark jungle, with occasional birds singing, but their expressions remained unchanged.

"Biaoer, did you see it clearly?" Zhu Han asked in a low voice, his tone steady.

Zhu Biao nodded, his eyes swept over the gate and the guards of the mountain stronghold, and he lowered his voice and answered: "The defense of Qinglong Mountain is tighter than I thought. There are four people on duty at the gate, and there are also archers on duty on the sentry tower. If we attack by force, we will definitely alert the enemy."

Zhu Han smiled slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes: "Yes, defense is their strong point, but they overlooked one thing - the more closed they are, the easier it is to be surrounded and annihilated. We should make good use of the enemy's mistakes."

Zhu Biao frowned and whispered, "Uncle, do you mean to trap them?"

"Be trapped but not attack, and use stillness to control movement." Zhu Han said slowly, "The enemy sealed off the mountain because they were afraid that we would discover their secrets, which just shows that they have a weakness that cannot be moved. We don't have to rush to attack, but we should try to cut off their external aid and food supply, so that they will lose their composure."

Zhu Biao nodded, his eyes brightening: "Uncle, you are smart! However, our deployment will take time. If the enemy notices that we are surrounding the mountain, they may break out by force."

Zhu Han chuckled, looking confident: "Breakout? That's exactly what we want. They don't dare to confront the imperial army head-on, so they can only break out with light cavalry. There are only three ways out of Qinglong Mountain. We only need to set up an ambush at the key intersection and wait for them to tire themselves out."

After that, he took out a rough topographic map, spread it on the ground, pointed to a few key points and said: "Biao'er, you lead a team to ambush on the south side. This road is most likely their first choice. Huang Ming is responsible for the north side, and we secretly cut off the enemy's logistical supplies."

Zhu Biao looked at the map carefully, and suddenly raised his head and asked, "Uncle, what about you?"

Zhu Han's eyes were cold and his voice was low: "I will personally lead people to ambush in the dense forest on the west side. If the enemy really breaks through, I will make them lose miserably."

Zhu Biao's eyes flashed with fighting spirit, and he said solemnly: "Okay! I will arrange for manpower right away and never let the enemy escape from Qinglong Mountain!"

The next morning, there was a tense atmosphere in the Qinglong Mountain Stronghold. Although there were many bandits, they all looked solemn. The stronghold leader Wu Qing sat in the main hall, frowning, holding a secret letter in his hand.

"The food supply is cut off?" He looked at the counselor beside him, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

The counselor nodded slightly, his expression solemn: "Yes, Boss, the several teams we sent out last night failed to return. There is no news from the spies in the surrounding area, and they are likely controlled by Prince Jing's people."

Wu Qing slammed the table and stood up, his eyes sinister: "Prince Jing! What a Prince Jing! He thinks he can trap us like this? Humph, pass the order down, the whole village is on alert, and prepare to break out."

The counselor tried to dissuade him: "Master, Prince Jing is an experienced military commander, and there must be an ambush at the foot of the mountain. If we rush out rashly, I'm afraid it will play into their hands."

Wu Qing sneered: "If we don't break out, are we going to die? The food supply is cut off, and the supplies in the mountains can't last more than five days! Rather than waiting to die, we might as well fight to the death!"

The counselor lowered his head and thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Boss, perhaps we can test Prince Jing's bottom line first."

Wu Qing's eyes turned: "How to test?"

The counselor whispered in Wu Qing's ear, and Wu Qing nodded with a sinister smile: "Great idea! Then do as you say!"

Late at night, the gate of the mountain stronghold quietly opened, and several bandits wearing black cloaks and leading several fast horses quietly left the mountain stronghold. They moved quickly and blended into the night like ghosts.

Zhu Biao had already ambushed in the dense forest on the south side. He calmly watched the black shadow pass by and said to Huang Ming beside him in a low voice: "It seems that this is their scouting team."

Huang Ming nodded: "Your Highness, do you want to start now?"

Zhu Biao shook his head: "No hurry, let them go, let them think there is no ambush here. We want their large group of troops."

Huang Ming showed an admiring look: "Your Highness is indeed experienced."

Zhu Biao did not respond, his eyes were fixed on the direction of the enemy. He slowly clenched the hilt of his sword and murmured in a low voice: "Qinglong Mountain, how long can you hold on?" Inside the mountain stronghold, Wu Qing learned that the pathfinder team had successfully sneaked out, and the haze on his face dissipated a little. He said to his adviser: "It seems that Prince Jing is not invulnerable. Tomorrow morning, we will break out from the south and bring our most elite brothers!"

The counselor smiled slightly: "The boss is wise. As long as we break through the siege and re-occupy the stronghold, the situation can still be reversed."

Wu Qing nodded heavily, his eyes full of fierceness: "As long as we are alive, we have a chance to make a comeback!"

However, just as the stronghold was preparing to break out, Zhu Han was already standing deep in the dense forest on the west side, calmly staring at the vast darkness ahead. He whispered to Lin Chuan beside him, "Pass the order down, everyone get ready. If the enemy breaks out from the south, immediately encircle and destroy them, leaving no one alive."

Lin Chuan nodded and accepted the order, then disappeared into the night.

Zhu Han stood there quietly, his eyes like an eagle, his voice so low that it could not be heard: "Wu Qing, every step you take is under my control. After today, Qinglong Mountain will no longer be a scourge."

At dawn, the sound of fighting suddenly rang out in the dense forest at the foot of Qinglong Mountain. Zhu Biao personally led a team of soldiers to ambush the bandits who broke out from the south, and his swords were invincible wherever they pointed.

"Kill!" Zhu Biao led the way, his sword flashing like a rainbow, instantly killing two enemies. His voice was like thunder, resounding throughout the battlefield, "Capture the thief and the leader. Whoever captures Wu Qing alive will be rewarded with a hundred gold coins!"

Seeing this, the bandits lost their morale and fled in all directions. However, they were surrounded by ambushes, and anyone who tried to break through was shot dead.

Wu Qing fought desperately, but his men were getting fewer and fewer. Despair was revealed in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth and roared: "Prince Jing! Do you think this is victory? I, Wu Qing, will not surrender!"

At this time, Zhu Han walked out of the dense forest slowly, wearing iron armor and holding a long sword. He stared at Wu Qing coldly, and said in a low and majestic voice: "Wu Qing, you have no way to escape. If you surrender, you may still be able to save your life."

Wu Qing's eyes widened with anger, and he rushed towards Zhu Han with his sword madly. However, Zhu Han's sword flashed, steadily blocking the opponent's attack, and then he turned back and chopped off Wu Qing's weapon.

"Your era is over." Zhu Han said coldly.

Wu Qing collapsed to the ground, his face full of resentment, but he was powerless to resist.

Zhu Biao stood in front of the ruins, his eyes calm and stern. He took a deep breath, turned and looked at Zhu Han: "Uncle, Wu Qing has been captured, but from his confession, I realized that he was just a pawn. The real person behind the scenes doesn't seem to be in Qinglong Mountain at all."

Zhu Han put his hands behind his back and looked at the morning light rising in the distance with a deep gaze: "Biao'er, this is just the beginning. Wu Qing has been able to take root in Qinglong Mountain for many years, and his subordinates are so elite. There must be a master behind him. What we have to do is to follow the clues and uproot this force."

Zhu Biao nodded, his tone showing a bit of urgency: "Wu Qing has already revealed some clues during the interrogation. It seems that some of the 'righteous men in Jiangnan' he mentioned are involved with the forces in the court. Their goal is to stir up local unrest and weaken the court's control over Jiangnan."

"Jiangnan has always been one of the lifelines of the Ming Dynasty. The ambition behind this cannot be underestimated." Zhu Han nodded slightly, then sneered, "It seems that someone is restless."

Zhu Biao hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice: "Uncle, do you think Zhu Di is involved in this?"

Zhu Han's eyes froze when he heard this, but he immediately regained his composure: "There is no evidence to suggest that it is related to Zhu Di. We need to investigate this matter carefully, and do not easily point fingers, otherwise we will alert the enemy."

Zhu Biao bowed his head and replied, "Yes, uncle, I understand."

In a temporary base near Qinglong Mountain, Wu Qing was detained in a dark room. Lin Chuan was on guard personally, keeping a close watch. He stared at Wu Qing with sharp eyes, playing with a dagger in his hand, and said coldly: "Wu Qing, is there anything else you want to confess? Otherwise, the days ahead will be difficult."

Wu Qing leaned against the wall, snorted stubbornly, "Confess? I've said everything I need to say. You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you."

Lin Chuan sneered: "You are so stubborn. Unfortunately, do you think we arrested you to kill you? Your brothers have already confessed a lot of things, including the letters and lists you hid."

Wu Qing's expression suddenly changed, but he quickly regained his composure: "The letter and the list? Humph, even if you get it, you may not be able to find the person behind it."

Lin Chuan raised his eyebrows, his eyes revealing a bit of contempt: "Do you really think that your tricks can deceive the world? Let me tell you, those letters have been deciphered by His Highness, and are just waiting for you to complete them."

When Wu Qing heard this, his pupils shrank slightly and cold sweat oozed from his forehead. He didn't dare to believe it, but he was already secretly terrified.

At this time, Zhu Biao slowly walked into the dark room. He was wearing a black cape, with a stern look on his face, and his eyes were as sharp as a knife, staring at Wu Qing: "Wu Qing, your so-called loyalty is nothing but loyalty to a group of ruthless people. Do you think they will really come to save you?"

Wu Qing gritted his teeth and said nothing, lowering his head, obviously weighing the pros and cons.

Zhu Biao continued, his tone low and full of intimidation: "You will have only two outcomes. Either you give out the mastermind behind the scenes and leave yourself a way out; or you die here and become someone else's abandoned pawn, worthless."

Wu Qing looked up at Zhu Biao, a struggle flashed in his eyes, but he quickly lowered his head and sighed: "I can say it, but there is a condition."

"Conditions?" Zhu Biao sneered, "Do you think you are still qualified to negotiate conditions?"

Wu Qing smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, I am not doing this for myself. I only ask that my wife and children who are left in the mountain village be spared. They are just ordinary people and have nothing to do with my affairs."

Zhu Biao's eyes darkened, and he said slowly: "If you cooperate, maybe I will consider it."

Wu Qing raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes: "Okay. I'll tell you - the man behind the scenes is a righteous man in Jiangnan who calls himself 'Ye Gong'. He controls several secret bases and has close contacts with a powerful official in the court. Qinglong Mountain is just a pawn in his hands, and the real base is in the water town in Jiangnan."

"Ye Gong?" Zhu Biao frowned. He had never heard of this name before. "What's his real name?"

Wu Qing shook his head: "I don't know either. We all call him Ye Gong. He never shows up easily and only conveys orders through letters. Everyone knows that there is a backer behind him who is more powerful than us."

Zhu Biao's eyes slightly stern, nodded and said: "Very good. Remember, as long as your information is true, I will consider your request."

Wu Qing breathed a sigh of relief and added in a low voice: "Also, those letters contain a list of Ye Gong's messengers. As long as we find the messengers, we can follow the clues to find him."

That night, Zhu Biao and Zhu Han discussed in the stronghold. Several letters and a list were spread out on the desk, and the densely packed names and place names were dazzling. (End of this chapter)