sovbooks Chapter 118 A Storm is Brewing!
Chapter 118 A Storm is Brewing!
Chapter 118 A Storm is Brewing!
The soldiers guarding the city looked troubled when they saw the King of the South's ivory token.
"My lord, all carriages entering the capital are subject to inspection; it's the rule. Please understand."
Prince Zhu Chongyao of the Southern Kingdom put away his ivory token, narrowed his eyes, and said sternly, "So, you're deliberately trying to oppose me?"
The soldier guarding the city nervously replied, "I wouldn't dare, it's just my duty."
"How dare you! If you don't dare, why don't you get out of my way?!"
Just as the two sides were deadlocked, Cao Zhengchun approached Zhu Chongyao with a smile.
"Your Highness, the people below don't know the rules. Please don't be angry; it's not worth it."
Cao Zhengchun looked at Zhu Chongyao in front of him and clicked his tongue in amazement.
They look so alike, so incredibly alike.
Looking at their faces alone, Zhu Chongyao and Zhu Houzhao bear a striking resemblance, about seven or eight points.
This resemblance is rather strange for distant cousins.
It was precisely because Zhu Chongyao and Zhu Houzhao looked alike that the entire Nanwang Mansion took the risk and came up with this plan to substitute one person for another.
First, Ye Gucheng assassinated Zhu Houzhao, and then Zhu Chongyao, in Zhu Houzhao's name, became the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Fortunately, Zhu Houzhao had no heir at the moment and had not yet established a crown prince, so the imperial line of the Ming Dynasty could quietly complete the generational transfer.
They replaced the bloodline of Prince Yan, Zhu Di, with descendants of the Southern King lineage.
Looking at the white-faced, beardless old eunuch with a full head of silver hair and a fawning smile in front of him, Zhu Chongyao immediately understood the other party's identity.
"Could it be Eunuch Cao from the Directorate of Ceremonial?"
Cao Zhengchun's official position was Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, concurrently serving as Imperial Commissioner and Director-General of the Eastern Depot.
Zhu Chongyao referred to Cao Zhengchun as the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, which is a more formal way of addressing him.
Cao Zhengchun smiled and nodded: "It is truly an honor that Your Highness recognizes me."
"His Majesty specifically instructed that I wait outside the city to welcome the various regional princes who are coming to the capital."
"Your Highness, please come with us."
"Alright, thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Cao."
Thus, under Cao Zhengchun's leadership, the Southern King and his entourage moved into another vacant royal residence.
It's a bit of a distance from Nangong, but not far from Zhu Wushi's Prince Qing's residence.
After Cao Zhengchun led them into his residence, he took his leave.
Cao Zhengchun walked into the dark alley outside the mansion, where a chief executioner from the Eastern Depot emerged from the shadows: "Your Excellency, Director of the Eastern Depot."
Cao Zhengchun's cold gaze swept over the mansion behind him: "Keep a close eye on all of the Southern King's men."
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"Report any suspicious activity to us immediately. Be alert and don't let anyone find out."
"Yes, Your Excellency!"
The Prince of the South and his entourage searched the mansion thoroughly to make sure no one was monitoring them before they began unloading the goods from the carriages.
They were seen carrying boxes and boxes of silver off the carriages one after another.
Beneath the silver were a hundred suits of armor, a hundred longswords, and crossbows.
Money paves the way, armor and weapons are their insurance; in this battle, they will either succeed or die trying!
"Yao'er, have everything been settled?"
An aged voice came from a carriage. Zhu Chongyao quickly stepped forward, lifted the curtain, and whispered, "Father, everything has been brought in."
Zhu Junzhang, the Prince of the South of the Ming Dynasty, stepped down from his carriage and looked at the four sides of the border wall, feeling a sense of emotion.
"Go visit those friends; the plan will not succeed without their help."
Zhu Junzhang glanced at the silver on the ground, then turned around and went back into the house.
"Yes, Father."
After receiving the order, Zhu Chongyao led his men to check the silver and went out to visit officials at all levels in the capital.
Meanwhile, upon hearing that the Prince of Nan had entered the capital, the Prince of Ning, the Prince of Shu, the Prince of Chu, and others excitedly rushed to the Prince of Nan's residence, eager to meet him.
But like Prince Qing, Prince Nan directly shut these vassal kings out of the door, refusing to even meet them.
Prince Ning and his entourage were dumbfounded; both Prince Qing and Prince Nan had given them the cold shoulder.
Are they really that unpopular?
Meanwhile, Zhu Chongyao's attempts to visit officials in the capital were also not going smoothly.
Any official of a higher rank would make all sorts of excuses to refuse to see him when he came to visit.
Those lower-ranking officials, on the other hand, have limited influence and are not worth spending a lot of money to win over.
Zhu Chongyao was caught in a dilemma, but he still relentlessly searched for an opportunity.
Within the capital, various factions, each with their own objectives, are actively engaged in their activities.
The princes were on one side, the heir of the Southern King was on another, and the people of the martial arts world were on yet another.
At the renowned Yingkelou Restaurant in the capital, Hua Manlou was drinking alone when a sudden gust of wind stirred, and a person was already sitting down beside him.
Hua Manlou smiled broadly: "You're here too? I knew you'd come."
Lu Xiaofeng stroked his beard and laughed, "How could I miss such an exciting event as the Sword Saint versus the Sword God?"
"Even if it's just for my friend Sword God, I, Lu Xiaofeng, must come."
"only----"
At this point, Lu Xiaofeng looked puzzled: "This is really strange. Why would Ye Gucheng choose the Forbidden City as the site of the decisive battle?"
"Moreover, you should have sensed it too, right? There are spies from the Imperial Guards and constables everywhere in the capital, which means the court is certainly not completely unaware of this matter."
"But so far, the imperial court has not taken any retaliatory action—"
"Strange, something strange is going on everywhere."
Upon hearing this, Hua Manlou smiled slightly: "What, are you trying to get to the bottom of things again, looking for answers?"
Lu Xiaofeng laughed and said, "You know me. There are some things I can't eat or sleep if I don't understand them."
Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou spoke in relaxed tones, their smiles conveying everything without a word.
On the other side, in a secluded courtyard, Zhang Wuji, the leader of the Ming Cult, along with the Left and Right Protectors of the Ming Cult and the Four Guardian Kings, gathered together.
"Tomorrow is the night of the full moon. Have all the brothers in the sect arrived?"
Yang Xiao cupped his hands and said, "Reporting to the leader, a total of three thousand followers have gathered in the capital."
Zhang Wuji nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. When Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng have their final battle, everyone in the palace will be focused on the two of them."
"That will be the perfect time for us to make our move."
Zhang Wuji ordered, "On the night of the full moon, the two left and right envoys and the four Dharma Kings, all of you will come with me into the palace and await your opportunity to strike!"
"Yes, Master."
It wasn't just Zhang Wuji's Ming Cult that wanted to enter the palace on the night of the full moon.
Other martial arts practitioners in the capital also wanted to enter the palace to see the Sword Saint and Sword God up close.
In the minds of these martial arts practitioners, especially those highly skilled martial arts masters, they were free to roam freely and did not take the imperial court's precautions seriously at all.
They treated the palace like flat ground, coming and going as they pleased.
Mu Daoren, Huo Xiu, Abbess Miejue, He Taichong, and the Xuanming Elders—these people had already noticed the numerous secret police and constables in the capital when they first entered it.
But they didn't care.
They didn't take these government officials seriously at all.
Their biggest boast is that if they can't beat me, can't they at least run away?
Time passed slowly, and everything was progressing in the predetermined direction.
On the night before the full moon, Cao Zhengchun, Yu Huatian, Shen Lian, and Zhuge Zhengwo all came to the palace to report the situation in the capital to Zhu Houzhao.
Inside the Cining Palace, Zhu Houzhao sat on the dragon throne, listening to reports from the crowd.
"Your Majesty, all thirty-two princes of the Ming Dynasty have entered the capital, and not one of them is absent."
"The Prince of Ning, the Prince of Shu, the Prince of Chu, and others visited other vassal kings throughout the capital, trying to unite their opinions and prevent the Ministry of Revenue from conducting a nationwide land survey."
"Among them, King Zhou, King Qin, King De, and others agreed to King Ning's request, while King Qing, King Jing, King Su, King Min, and others refused."
"After entering the capital, Zhu Chongyao, the heir apparent of the Prince of Nan, constantly moved around the city and met with officials from various departments."
After hearing this, Zhu Houzhao said calmly, "I understand. Make a record of all the officials who have had contact with Zhu Chongyao, and we will settle accounts with them later."
"Notify all the vassal kings who have entered the capital that they shall enter the palace at 5:00 PM tomorrow. I will host a banquet in the Fengtian Hall to receive them."
The gate reads: "The concubines in the harem will hold a banquet at Yikun Palace, where they will all gather to attend."
Cao Zhengchun bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, Your Majesty."
Yu Huatian then said, "Your Majesty, according to the Western Depot's estimates, the number of martial arts practitioners in the capital has exceeded ten thousand."
"Among them are more than a dozen top masters, namely Mu Daoren of Wudang, Abbess Miejue of Emei, He Taichong and his wife of Kunlun Sect, Zhang Wuji of Ming Cult, Lu Xiaofeng, and Hua Manlou."
As Yu Huatian reported, everyone's expressions gradually became serious.
They knew in their hearts that these renowned masters of the martial arts world were their main opponents to face tomorrow.
Zhu Houzhao nodded: "I understand. Tomorrow, the palace will remain the same as before, easy to enter but difficult to leave."
"Tomorrow, each of you will lead 10,000 Imperial Guards into the palace and lie in ambush in every corner of the palace."
"Anyone who dares to enter the palace will never return!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Cao Zhengchun and the others looked extremely grim; tomorrow's battle inside the palace would be their most serious test.
Finally, Zhuge Zhengwo reported to Zhu Houzhao: "Your Majesty, Wang Shouren, Shenying, Qi Jingtong, and Ling Luoshi have completed the integration of their respective armies."
"Right now, the four of them are rushing to the four gates of the capital city overnight in preparation for tomorrow night's battle!"
"Very good."
Zhu Houzhao looked at Zhuge Zhengwo and said, "Zhuge Zhengwo, tomorrow I will also hand over command of the Tengxiang Four Guards and the Yulin Guard in my palace."
"Your primary task is to protect the concubines in the palace, understand?"
Zhuge Zhengwo instinctively puffed out his chest: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
In addition to being the top leader of the Six Doors, Zhuge Zhengwo was also the chief instructor of the Emperor's Twenty-Six Personal Guards.
Zhu Houzhao entrusted the Tengxiang Four Guards and the Yulin Guard to Zhuge Zhengwo, mainly for the safety of the concubines in the harem.
The defensive forces around him are absolutely excessive.
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