The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Seeing Li Dongyang and Li Dongyang looking at him in surprise, Yan Chengjin hurriedly bowed: "I have important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."

If Zhu Houzhao really wants to slip away to Yansui in the northwest, Your Majesty will not let the officials know.

It's better to go to the palace first to avoid causing chaos.

It was Xu time, the capital was under curfew, and the dark streets were deserted. It felt like a ghost town in Fengdu. I encountered bandits and no one answered my throat.

Fortunately, I had the foresight to send someone to invite Wang Shouren before coming.

"Brother Gao wants to enter the palace late at night?"

"I have something to confirm. I'm afraid His Majesty hasn't noticed it yet, so get up quickly."

Yan Chengjin guessed that if Zhu Houzhao slipped away to Yansui, he would have run out of the capital at this time.

His mount is King Ning's good horse. Half a day has passed and he has traveled more than a hundred miles without any problems.

When the prince sneaked away to Yansui to fight, one can imagine the reaction of all the officials in the court. I am afraid that Queen Zhang and Queen Mother Zhou would also be alarmed.

In front of the Meridian Gate, the imperial guards saw a sedan coming and blocked the way: "The palace gate is closed. No one is allowed to enter the palace unless summoned by Your Majesty."

At this time, the East Palace,

Mou Bin climbed up to the eaves of the East Palace with a panic look on his face, looking around, but there was nothing! After getting under Zhu Houzhao's bed and looking around, there was nothing there!

An opened brocade box lay on the quilt, empty.

"Tell me! Where is the prince?"

The silver sword light shone on his face, and the little eunuch knelt on the ground, so frightened that he almost cried: "I don't even know that this slave girl will go to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to ask Master Yan for money, and he will be gone."

Yan Chengjin hid His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?

But that's not right. Whenever the prince leaves the palace, he will be followed by the royal guards.

But the prince was no longer in the palace, and the royal guards had not left the palace. Mou Bin couldn't figure out how the prince got out of the palace.

"Speak to me carefully!"

The little eunuch said with a tearful tone: "Today, His Royal Highness went to Fengtian Palace to pay his respects to His Majesty. Then, he returned to the East Palace to get the white slips and exchange the silver with Master Yan. By the way, Zhang Banban and Liu Banban didn't come back either..."

Zhang Banban is the long-term attendant of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Mu Bin thought of Yang Yiqing's urgent report to Yansui in the northwest, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. His Highness, the Crown Prince, must have gone to the northwest frontier, right?

We must report to His Majesty as soon as possible and we can no longer hide it.

Qianqing Palace.

Emperor Hongzhi took off his golden dragon dress, soaked his bare feet in a copper basin, and prepared to wash himself and go to bed.

Xiao Jing held the fly whisk and walked in in a panic: "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has not returned to the palace yet."

"It's midnight, and you still need me to tell you when to remind the prince to return to the palace?" Emperor Hongzhi sighed lightly, mixed with anger.

Mou Bin walked in and reported in person, trembling with fear: "Your Majesty, the royal guards did not leave the palace with His Royal Highness today."

"What's the point of not leaving the palace?!" Emperor Hongzhi realized something was wrong, stretched his feet out of the copper basin and stood up.

"Just...ran away."

Run... run away? Emperor Hongzhi looked stiff and murmured in disbelief.

The palace was heavily guarded, like an impregnable birdcage. How could this scoundrel escape?

But Emperor Hongzhi believed that Mou Bin could not even joke and would not take this matter for fun.

At this moment, the young eunuch came in and reported: "Your Majesty, Master Yan wants to see you!"

Emperor Hongzhi was about to announce Yan Chengjin to the palace when this son came by himself, just in time to ask questions in person.

In the wide courtyard of the Meridian Gate, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse. The little eunuch is bowing and holding a lantern to guide the way.

Yan Chengjin thought as he followed.

As long as he leaves the palace, there will be Jinyi guards following him. If there are no Jinyi guards following him, it means that Zhu Houzhao has not left the palace.

In fact, Zhu Houzhao has already left the palace!

How on earth did this guy deceive Jin Yiwei?

When he arrived at Fengtian Hall, Emperor Hongzhi was wearing obscene clothes and sitting on a red sandalwood couch.

His eyes were focused on Yan Chengjin's face, and he gestured impatiently: Hand over that scoundrel quickly, I'm going to bed!

"I heard that the prince disappeared after he went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to look for you?"

"I entered the palace only after I found out."

Mou Bin turned to look at Yan Chengjin, confused: "But the little eunuch in the East Palace said that after His Highness went to your room, he disappeared."

Yan Chengjin realized that Zhu Houzhao had disappeared from the Metropolitan Procuratorate, so the Metropolitan Procuratorate would definitely leave traces.

"I think the key is to check the room at the Metropolitan Procuratorate, so it's better to send someone to search."

Mou Bin went to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to search, and soon found something.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, we found the kidnapped young eunuch in the side room of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, but he doesn't know where His Majesty has gone."

Emperor Hongzhi's face showed panic. Although this rebellious son is disobedient, he is my only heir who can inherit the throne.

"Yan Qing's house, where did he go?"

"I guess I went to Yansui to fight."

Emperor Hongzhi's face twitched slightly: "Impossible!"

Your Majesty, it seems that you still don’t know what kind of son you have given birth to.

The news that the prince had not returned to the palace reached Kunning Palace.

Empress Zhang came to Fengtian Hall in a panic. When she saw Emperor Hongzhi losing his usual composure, she knew she had not found the prince.

Emperor Hongzhi helped her to the couch: "Queen, don't worry, as long as the prince is still in the capital, he won't be far away."

"What if you are no longer in the capital?"

Emperor Hongzhi couldn't answer, so he had to order people to search. The royal guards and eunuchs carried lanterns, and the official dogs of the Five Cities Military and Horse Department were dispatched.

The capital, which was originally under curfew, was suddenly brightly lit and bustling.

When all the officials heard the news, they could not sleep. The first ones to enter the palace were Li Dongyang and Yang Yiqing.

Immediately, the cabinet and the nine ministers all arrived. After asking, everyone could only stand in the main hall and wait for the news.

Yan Chengjin lowered his head and thought, what was Zhu Houzhao doing at the Metropolitan Procuratorate?

Xiao Jing walked in in a panic, carrying a baggage: "Your Majesty, the prince stole the cloth from the Shang Yi Prison, and I know how he got out of the palace."

Emperor Hongzhi opened his bag and found two crimson brocades from official robes.

A flying fish given by the emperor.

He is wearing the second-grade golden pheasant official robe of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.

There are also five ivory fluorene tablets, all of which, without exception, are engraved with six characters: Du Yushi Yan Chengjin.

Yan Chengjin was stunned when he saw these crooked words...

Zhu Houzhao, you are really a talent.

You can come up with such ideas!

"Your Majesty, there is another piece of paper." Xiao Jing picked it out from the package with sharp eyes.

Emperor Hongzhi opened the note: Lao Gao, you piece of shit, I regard you as my brother, but you always want to cheat me!

"Yan Qing's family, do you have a deal with the prince?"

The officials looked over unkindly, as if they wanted to see through Yan Chengjin's clothes and see into his heart.

Collusion and bribery of the prince are serious crimes!

Yan Chengjin took the note and thought for a moment: "I don't want to bribe the prince, so I don't give him any money."

Now it’s good, there’s no need to give thirty thousand taels.

Emperor Hongzhi stood up and knew why the traitor had left the palace.

Yan Chengjin likes to wear a human muzzle on weekdays. Even if he puts on official robes and hats, the guards won't recognize him.

The officials were furious, with dozens of pairs of eyes eager to eat this guy Yan Chengjin.

"If you hadn't been wearing a human muzzle, how would His Highness have the chance to leave the palace."

Emperor Hongzhi took a deep breath: "The factory guards came out of the palace and chased the prince back!"

Mou Bin looked troubled: "Your Majesty, in which direction are you chasing?"

"I guess he went to Datong. In order to hurry, he should have taken the official route." Yan Chengjin bowed.

…………

Outside the capital, there is an official road.

Zhu Houzhao patted the black and strong horse, and there was a person lying down behind him.

The little eunuch woke up in a daze. He only remembered leading the prince's horse outside the palace, when he was knocked unconscious and there seemed to be a strange taste in his mouth.

"Your Highness...where is this?"

"Outside the palace, we are almost at the boundary marker of Datong Mansion." Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed, like a wild horse running loose, getting happier as he ran.

The little eunuch was frightened to death, why was he outside the palace: "Your Highness, it's midnight, why don't you find a place to rest first?"

He knew that he could not persuade the prince, but as long as he delayed, his majesty would send the royal guards.

"No! We changed carriages later and continued on our way. We will sleep in the carriage tonight."

Zhu Houzhao knew that if Lao Gao could guess that he was going to Yansui, his father would definitely send someone to chase him.

No matter how fast Jin Yiwei's horse is, he still has to rest for several hours at night.

If you want to reach the northwest, you must travel day and night.

"I must see Master Yan!"