The Ming Dynasty started with caution

In the West Warm Pavilion,

The eunuch reached out to stop Qin Hong, while Emperor Hongzhi and the cabinet were discussing matters in the hall.

Qin Hong pushed open the door and strode into the hall.

Emperor Hongzhi and Li Dongyang were frightened, but saw a figure hurriedly walking into the hall.

"Your Majesty, an hour ago, the Crown Prince was assassinated in Mingfeng Mountain, and five Jinyiwei were killed."

Emperor Hongzhi wanted to blame Qin Hong, as a minister of the six ministries, he had to abide by etiquette.

But when he heard that the Crown Prince was assassinated, he felt that thousands of cold air had penetrated into his body, and his body was chilled.

"How is the Crown Prince?"

Liu Jian asked hurriedly.

Qin Hong bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, don't worry, the Crown Prince returned to the palace an hour ago."

"Why didn't he come to report to me? It's really unreasonable!"

Xiao Jing hurriedly trotted out of the Fengtian Hall and rushed to the East Palace eagerly.

When he arrived at the East Palace, he found Zhu Houzhao sitting peacefully on the Luohan couch, playing chess with great pleasure.

His Majesty was almost dying of anxiety, and you didn't even bother to report your safety.

If he had a son like this, he would be very angry.

"Your Highness, you are back, why don't you go to pay respects to His Majesty? His Majesty called you over."

Zhu Houzhao was stunned for a moment, and seeing Xiao Jing's panic, his father must have known.

He said to his companion beside him: "Go to the Censorate to find Lao Gao, and ask him to go to the warm room."

Soon, Zhu Houzhao came to the warm room very reluctantly.

After paying respects to Emperor Hongzhi, he stood aside obediently as if nothing had happened.

"What did your father call me for?"

Emperor Hongzhi had a stern face and acted as if nothing had happened: "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Zhu Houzhao lowered his head and thought for a long time. Last time, I got into a big trouble and was locked in the East Palace, guarded by Mou Bin's lackey himself.

If he confessed, his father would definitely use the same old tricks again and beat him up.

"My son... didn't."

Qin Hong sighed and shook his head.

The soldiers of the patrol had transported the bandits back to the capital and handed them over to the Jinyiwei for investigation.

Emperor Hongzhi said coldly: "You were assassinated in Mingfeng Mountain, and you still want to deceive me! Where are the people you brought back?"

Duchayuan, duty room.

It was almost spring, but there was no sign of warming up. The censors gathered around the charcoal fire to keep warm.

Zheng Qian came to inform Yan Chengjin.

Yan Chengjin listened to the details of the incident. Zhu Houzhao was assassinated in Mingfeng Mountain, and the assassin had a white lotus in his hand.

He was not panicked. It was not him who sent people to kill him. Why should he go to the warm room?

Besides, Zhu Houzhao was alive and well.

This guy asked him to go, just to plead for him, so he couldn't go.

The White Lotus split into several groups and joined the people. It would be as troublesome to completely wipe them out as the Qing Dynasty went to great lengths to catch the Heaven and Earth Society.

Moreover, living in poverty, the people need to have faith, which is a product of the environment of the Ming Dynasty.

If the White Lotus is destroyed, there will be Black Lotus and Yellow Lotus tomorrow.

West Warm Pavilion,

Mou Bin strode into the palace with a gloomy face. He searched the East Palace but saw no one.

Emperor Hongzhi frowned and said to Zhu Houzhao: "Where did you hide him!"

Zhu Houzhao bowed slightly and said seriously: "On the way back, he wanted to assassinate me, but I killed him."

Li Dongyang and Xie Qian looked at each other.

Emperor Hongzhi ordered people to search the East Palace again, but no one was found.

He also ordered people to ask the guards of the Meridian Gate. When they learned that Zhu Houzhao returned to the palace, there was only one person, so they gave up the idea.

But Zhu Houzhao was confined to the East Palace and was personally guarded by Mou Bin.

There was a big lock on the door. If the master of the Zhanshi Mansion wanted to give lectures, he could only come to the East Palace in person.

Others were not allowed to visit.

…

A quiet silkworm room in the Forbidden City.

Wang Ziran lifted the quilt, and the scrotum was cut cleanly, as if it had never existed.

Assassinating the prince not only lost his wife, but also his descendants.

He covered his face and cried.

The door creaked open, and the palace eunuch Wang Shan walked in: "Are you awake? Drink the porridge."

The silkworm room in the palace is an unlucky place, and few people ask about it.

There are eunuchs who need to be castrated every day, and Wang Shan is not surprised. He just reports the list to the Silijian.

"I... I don't want to be a eunuch."

Wang Shan sneered: "It's already been castrated, how can I help you take it back? Drink the porridge and take it to the Silijian in a few days to enter the list."

To enter the palace as a eunuch, a document must be issued by the local government.

The people brought by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince naturally do not need these procedures.

…

Wang Shouren thought more and more that something was wrong. His Royal Highness said that he would report it after entering the palace.

But he did not report it. So it is speculated that he is still in the palace, but he does not know where he is hiding.

He went to Yan Chengjin to confide: "Brother Gao, the Crown Prince brought the White Lotus thief into the palace. Please check it out, Brother Gao."

Yan Chengjin was shocked. Seeing Wang Shouren's serious expression, he did not look like a joke.

Zhu Houzhao, you are really good at playing.

However, he did not move.

Yan Chengjin came to the East Palace, but Zhu Houzhao was a smart man. Even to him, he was not completely honest.

After deducing on paper for a long time and thinking for most of the day, he came to the East Palace.

"Your Highness, where did you hide the White Lotus thief?"

"I killed him, cut him into pieces, and fed him to the wild dogs in the suburbs of Beijing." Zhu Houzhao lied as naturally as drinking water.

The castration took place in the eunuchs' silkworm room, in a side hall of the harem, and officials would not go there.

The Censorate needed his father's order to conduct a thorough investigation of the palace.

Zhu Houzhao was not worried at all.

The assassination of the crown prince spread to the ears of all officials, and a voice of impeachment against Zhu Houzhao was raised.

If I stayed in the palace, would something like this still happen?

Not only Zhu Houzhao was impeached, but Emperor Hongzhi was also impeached.

"Your Majesty, there are still remnants of the White Lotus hidden in the capital. I beg you to send troops from five cities to clear them out."

"Shuntian Mansion has joined forces with the Five Cities Military and Horse Division. With the official dogs present, the thieves cannot escape."

All the officials gave advice one after another and wanted to clean up the white lotus.

Yan Chengjin said nothing, he knew several places where Bai Lian was hiding.

However, it may not be Bai Lian who did it.

After Yang Tinghe returned home, he kept the door closed and refused to leave.

When King Ning came to the capital, he asked when the prince would leave the palace, where he would go, and how many royal guards he would bring with him.

Do you want to report it to Your Majesty?

If this matter is really done by Prince Ning, I will also be implicated by Prince Ning.

Yang Tinghe was worried and sighed several times, hoping that it was not Prince Ning who did it.

"housekeeper!"

Not long after, the slightly stooped butler walked into the study, turned around and closed the door: "Master, what are your orders?"

"Return all these generous gifts." Yang Tinghe said solemnly.

Before Prince Ning entered the capital, he asked someone to send generous gifts to Yang Mansion.

They are five calligraphy and paintings from the Hongwu period, a pair of jade pendants with koi carps playing with pearls, and a piece of white jade paperweight.

"There is no need to avoid anything. Just say that I don't like it and ask him not to give me any more gifts."

The housekeeper responded and went out with the calligraphy, paintings and brocade box.

Yang Shen walked in from outside the house: "Why did dad draw down his beloved words?"

"Go back to your room and study!"

Ten days passed, but Shuntian Mansion and the Wucheng Army and Horses Division had not arrested anyone.

The news spread back to the court, and Emperor Hongzhi had to give up.

East Palace,

Zhu Houzhao looked at the eunuch in front of him seriously and said, "I will call you Wang Daban from now on."

Wang Ziran wanted to cry but had no tears. He had already been castrated.

In the Ming Dynasty, the most shameful profession was that of eunuch.

In his state, he didn't have the nerve to leave the palace to meet his brothers, "Your Highness, from now on the younger one will be your royal companion."

"You should hide it better and don't let Father know."

…

Superintendent of Ceremonies, on duty,

Xiao Jing sat on the wicker chair and took a short rest. The young eunuch came with the roster: "Master Xiao, this is the roster of new companions."

After serving the imperial chariot for most of the day, I was exhausted.

But he had to look at the eunuchs he selected from outside the palace one by one.

Choose smart eunuchs to study in the inner academy to train pillars of the imperial court.

"This Wang Ziran failed the examination of the inner academy. How dare you send him to the prince?! Who did this!"

The young eunuch glanced at the roster and said hurriedly: "It's Wang Shan."

Not long after, Wang Shan came to the ceremonial supervisor's room and knelt down with a bang: "Master Xiao, he is the person brought by His Highness the Crown Prince. After the slave is castrated, he will be sent to him."

Damn it, the prince really dares to bring the remnant of White Lotus into the palace.

Xiao Jing dropped the book and hurried to Fengtian Hall.