Chapter 29: Secret Intelligence from the Embroidered Uniform Guard! Old Zhu's Astonishment!

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It was the middle of the night. Inside the palace, the candle flames flickered, their faint light struggling against the darkness, illuminating only a small patch of the room.

Old Zhu sat before the desk, brows furrowed deeply, intently reviewing memorials. The dim candlelight stretched his shadow long and wavering against the wall.

Toiling day and night, rising before dawn and retiring late at night—this was the extent of his diligence.

Mao Xiang’s footsteps were as light as a whisper, barely making a sound as he followed closely into the hall. Upon reaching Old Zhu’s side, he knelt down abruptly with a “thud,” holding his breath in reverence.

“Your Majesty, the investigation is complete,” Mao Xiang spoke in a low, cautious voice. “Today, Crown Prince Changsun and Prince Gaozhi went to the Marquis of Yongchang’s residence to express gratitude for Lan Yu’s assistance.”

He paused briefly, sneaking a glance at Old Zhu’s expression. Seeing no change, he continued, “But it is unknown what they specifically discussed. Lan Yu left hastily before the two young princes departed, heading straight to the military camp.”

At this, Old Zhu’s hand holding the brush halted abruptly; the air seemed to thicken with tension. “What did he do at the camp?” Old Zhu asked sharply, his voice cold as a blade, slicing through the silence and causing Mao Xiang to tremble involuntarily.

“Upon arrival at the camp, Lan Yu immediately summoned all his sworn brothers, publicly severed ties with them, and, according to military law, severely punished two of the overbearing subordinate commanders...” Mao Xiang answered cautiously, eyes fixed on the ground.

Hearing this, Old Zhu suddenly rose, eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Mao Xiang, as if confirming he had heard wrongly. “What did you say?” he raised his voice. “Lan Yu, that brute, has come to such enlightenment?”

Mao Xiang swallowed hard, his throat dry, and ventured a reasonable guess: “If nothing is amiss, it should be that the two young princes warned Lan Yu. That’s why Lan Yu was frightened out of his wits, hastily dissolving his sworn brothers and even cleansing his ranks—it’s all a show for the Embroidered Uniform Guards...” He lowered his voice further, “and also a show for Your Majesty.”

Zhu Yuanzhang exhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling sharply as he sank into thought. He suddenly recalled what Zhu Gaozhi had said earlier that day: “Lan Yu can no longer be arrogant; the Embroidered Uniform Guards have scared him out of his wits. Grandfather will know in a few days.”

Combined with Lan Yu’s recent actions, the truth lay plainly before them. That brat Zhu Gaozhi had frightened Lan Yu with the Embroidered Uniform Guards, forcing him to disband his sworn brothers and behave as a loyal general.

The question was: how did he know Lan Yu was recruiting sworn brothers in the camp?

This was strictly forbidden, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards had only recently uncovered it. Zhu Yuanzhang had just received the news and chose to endure silence to avoid shaking troop morale during the campaign in Yunnan.

He had never expected Zhu Gaozhi to know as well, and to have used this knowledge to frighten Lan Yu so thoroughly!

“Mao Xiang, is there anyone in the Embroidered Uniform Guards in contact with Gaozhi?” Old Zhu asked abruptly.

Mao Xiang was momentarily stunned, caught off guard by the question. He quickly knelt, pressing his forehead to the ground and answered resolutely, “Your Majesty’s insight is profound; that is absolutely impossible!”

His voice trembled slightly with emotion. “Since I was ordered to establish the Embroidered Uniform Guards, I have selected men only from reputable families among the Forbidden Army. It is impossible for any to fraternize with court officials, let alone Prince Gaozhi.”

The Emperor was essentially suspecting that someone in the Embroidered Uniform Guards was leaking information to Zhu Gaozhi!

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Mao Xiang was well aware of the stakes, so he immediately declared it impossible.

But this left Old Zhu even more perplexed.

If not the Embroidered Uniform Guards, then how did that chubby brat learn of this matter?

Could he really possess clairvoyance or supernatural hearing?

One thing was certain: the one who frightened Lan Yu was indeed Zhu Gaozhi.

Subsequently, Zhu Gaozhi proposed that Lan Yu’s only daughter be taken as a secondary consort to Crown Prince Zhu Biao...

Hiss... That brat was truly a master strategist!

Planning meticulously before making a move, leaving no room for refusal.

Old Zhu had deliberately suppressed Lan Yu because of his lawlessness and arrogance.

Now that Lan Yu had been scared witless, even if he were made the father-in-law of Crown Prince Zhu Biao, he would no longer dare to act so arrogantly.

Moreover, Lan Yu’s daughter entering the Eastern Palace was indeed a wise choice; at least the Lu family would behave obediently for a while.

With these thoughts, Old Zhu’s mind quickly settled on an answer.

“By the way, the matter of you spying on the Lu family—any results?” Old Zhu sat back down, his expression calm as he inquired.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, the Lu family seems normal. However, the Crown Prince severely reprimanded her today, which left Lu quite distressed,” Mao Xiang replied respectfully.

Relieved by this answer, Old Zhu’s face showed a trace of satisfaction.

This Crown Prince was indeed faultless.

When faced with matters of great right and wrong, he could still discern clearly.

The eldest grandson was the imperial heir; that position must be respected. No one could disrupt the established rites and order!

“Continue surveillance. If there is any abnormality, report immediately!” Old Zhu raised his voice with unquestionable authority.

Mao Xiang bowed and accepted the order, then cautiously withdrew. Only after stepping outside the hall did he stand upright and quicken his pace away.

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After Mao Xiang left, Old Zhu’s brow remained tightly furrowed.

A figure kept appearing in his mind—that chubby Zhu Gaozhi.

“Gaozhi, Gaozhi, what exactly are you scheming?”

“Is this truly for Ying’er? Or... for your own father?”

Meanwhile, within the Eastern Palace Crown Prince’s residence, silence reigned so deeply one could hear a pin drop.

Lady Lu sat on the soft couch with a sullen expression, her gaze fixed ahead, filled with frustration and doubt.

She could never have imagined that a seemingly divinely bestowed opportunity would instead backfire. Where had things gone wrong?

Seeing Zhu Yunwen silently beside her, Lady Lu immediately pressed, her voice sharp with anxiety: “My son, what exactly happened?” Her hands clenched the edges of her garment tightly. “Tell your mother everything in detail, without leaving anything out!”

Zhu Yunwen did not hesitate; he revealed everything he knew without reservation.

However, Lady Lu’s face changed drastically upon hearing it. Her once rosy complexion turned pale as paper, devoid of color, and her lips trembled slightly.

“My son, do you understand where you went wrong?” Lady Lu gripped Zhu Yunwen’s shoulders so tightly her fingers turned white, her face filled with bitter disappointment.

Zhu Yunwen shook his head, bewildered, truly not understanding his mistake.

“You erred by being too impatient!” Lady Lu sighed, her voice laden with helplessness as she explained, “Did you think that secretly informing Li Xiyan would topple your older brother? He merely burned the textbooks. Your brother is the eldest legitimate grandson and deeply favored by the Emperor and Empress. Even if it’s proven he burned the textbooks, what could the Emperor do? At most, a mild punishment—a beating to vent anger.”

“But what about you?” Lady Lu’s voice grew sharper, almost piercing. “As the younger brother, betraying your elder brother—that is unfilial and disrespectful. In the eyes of your grandfather, it becomes proof that you covet the throne!”

Her eyes reddened with emotion.

Pausing, Lady Lu forced a bitter smile: “I wondered why the Crown Prince was so stern today, refusing even to listen to his mother’s explanations. Now I understand—it’s because of this. Now not only your grandfather but probably your father too believes that we mother and son are power-hungry and ambitious!”

Hearing this, Zhu Yunwen panicked instantly. His hands clenched into fists involuntarily, and he shouted, stiff-necked: “It was clearly my brother who burned the textbooks! Why can’t I say so just because he is the eldest grandson?”

“That’s right!” Lady Lu suddenly rebuked sharply. “Because he is the eldest grandson, he alone receives all the favor, while you can only watch helplessly because you are neither legitimate nor eldest!”

Being neither legitimate nor eldest—that was the gravest fault of all!