《Fifteen Days between Two Capitals》 Prologue May 30th, 2023 Fifteen Days Between Two Capitals Author: Ma Boyong Translated from Chinese by Viv Published in 2020 by Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House Genres: action, adventure, anchient China, drama, historical, mystery, non bl, plot heavy, wuxia Title explained: The word ¡°Capitals¡± in the title of this book refers to Nanjing and Beijing, both of which have served as the capital city of China in the history. The term ¡°jing¡± in Chinese means capital, hence Beijing literally means ¡°the northern capital,¡± while Nanjing is known as ¡°the southern capital.¡± Summary: In the fifth month of the first year of Emperor Hongxi¡¯s reign, the Ming Dynasty, a shocking event occurred that spanned across the two capital cities, which forced the crown prince Zhu Zhanji to embark on a crazy and desperate journey. He had to travel over 2,200 miles in fifteen days from Nanjing to Beijing to save himself and the Ming Dynasty. It was an almost impossible task, but he had no choice¡­ Character Guide: Zhu Zhanji£¨ÖìÕ°»ù£©: the current crown prince. He enjoys playing crickets and can be arrogant and easily misled due to his privileged identity, often putting himself in danger out of complacency. Wu Dingyuan£¨ÎⶨԵ£©: the adopted son of Wu Buping, the chief constable of the Yingtian Prefecture. He enjoys drinking on the streets and appears to be a playboy. He was recruited by Yu Qian to join the team escorting the crown prince. Su Jingxi£¨ËÕ¾£Ïª£©: a female physician in a medical clinic who specializes in traditional Chinese medicine and can also use everyday medicinal materials to cause harm to others. Yu Qian£¨ÓÚÇ«£©: Appointed by the crown prince in a time of crisis as the Right Secretary. He was the glue that held together the ¡°Iron Triangle¡±, the group escorting the crown prince back to Beijing. Prologue Tonight in Jinling City1, things were not quite the same as usual. First, the weeping willows on the banks of Qinhuai River trembled as their branches fluttered. Then the colorful pebbles on the Rain Flower Terrace collided and rubbed against each other, emitting a faint mournful sound. At the same time, waves began to appear on the dark surface of the lake behind the city to the north for no reason, gently crashing against the walls and the other side of Qintian Mountain. Meanwhile, inside the Beiji Tower at the top of the mountain, the bronze astrolabe, which was supposed to be as immovable as the North Star, rattled its iron chains. Under the faint moonlight, the beautiful scenery inside and outside the city turned into one beacon after another, revealing disturbing omens. Suddenly, the great bells of Jiming Temple, Qingliang Temple, Dabao¡¯en Temple, and Chaotian Palace stopped ringing simultaneously, as if shaken by an invisible giant hand. The sound of the bells became anxious and chaotic, echoing throughout the city in an instant. The townspeople had barely opened their groggy eyes when the whole earth suddenly shook. According to Buddhist teachings, earthquakes have six stages: movement, emergence, surge, tremor, roar, and strike-and all six occurred at once. In an instant, Zhongshan Mountain shook, the Qinhuai River roared, and the city seemed to be overrun by thousands of mad horses with iron hooves. Whether it was the government offices along Chang¡¯an Street or the treasury and residential buildings at Xishui Pass, whether it was the Three Great Halls of the Imperial Palace or the shipyards of the Longjiang Supervisorate, whether it was the Baibican entrance at Jubao Gate or the unfinished glass pagoda at Dabao¡¯en Temple, everything trembled under the overwhelming force. The most magnificent and grand city of the Ming Dynasty was now like a prisoner prostrated on the ground, subject to the punishment of the divine power. Amidst the sound of the earthquake, a golden hourglass in the Hall of Supreme Harmony fell to the ground with a bang. Its buoy stopped forever at midnight on the 18th day of the fifth month, the first year of Hongxi¡¯s reign in the Ming Dynasty. Translator¡¯s Note: 1 Nanjing is known as ¡°Jinling City¡± in Chinese, which literally means ¡°Golden Capital¡± or ¡°City of Gold.¡± The name dates back to the Southern Tang dynasty (937-975 AD) when the emperor set up his capital here and named it Jinling. It is said that the name was inspired by a golden light that shone over the city during its founding ceremony. CH 1.1 A glossy cricket swung its antennae and uttered a series of crisp chirps. It was a high-quality male cricket with red whiskers and black teeth, clearly a brave warrior. At that moment, it was walking along a narrow section of the gangway, looking around proudly. The gangway was about fifteen feet long, a monstrous object to the cricket, but it was only the right side of the stern of a huge ship. The entire ship was thirty zhang (about 100 meters) long, painted in black and red, with a pointed bottom and a wide mast and sails, resembling the treasure ships used by eunuchs on their westward journeys. However, unlike real treasure ships, which had only a flat layer between two masts, this ship had a four-story carved colorful grid at the same position. With a raised ridge roof, flying corners and eaves, the glazed tiles shone brightly in the sunlight, making it much more grandiose than a treasure ship. But once it was out at sea, the waves would easily capsize it. Fortunately, the ship was now floating on the Yangtze River from west to east, impervious to the river waves. So the little cricket could lie safely on the protruding part of the gangway railing, chirping happily at the vast surface of the river. Suddenly, a small golden net fell from the sky and caught the cricket. Then the net lifted a corner and the frightened cricket jumped vigorously into a waiting purple sand pot. ¡°Haha, got it!¡± Zhu Zhanji quickly closed the lid and brushed the dust off the money-shaped air holes on top. He climbed up from the ground with a smile on his face. This cricket, named ¡°Outdo ZiLong¡±1, was his beloved companion that he had carefully trained along the way. Unexpectedly, this ¡°Outdo ZiLong¡± had just escaped from the pot. Zhu Zhanji wandered around on the big ship for half a day before he finally caught it and brought it back to his camp. Holding the drum in his left hand and pointing with his right finger, he muttered, ¡°Pass the message to the armies, I want to keep Zhao Yun alive, and don¡¯t let my cricket die.¡± Before the last sound of the line was finished, a eunuch in a cloud-shouldered robe stumbled over and shouted anxiously, ¡°Your Royal Highness¡­ don¡¯t lean on the edge of the boat. The wind is strong on the river, and if you fall over, I will not be able to save myself even if I die ten thousand times.¡± Zhu Zhanji laughed heartily, ¡°Big Companion, you are ignorant. This is a two thousand material treasure ship. How can it rock with only river water?¡± He lifted the pot and exclaimed, ¡°Look! My general has returned to the camp.¡± ¡°Good, good, it¡¯s good that you caught it.¡± The old eunuch walked over with a flattering smile, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back to the building. The masters of the Eastern Palace2 have asked several times, urging Your Highness to prepare.¡± Zhu Zhanji frowned when he heard this, ¡°Why are they in such a hurry?¡± The old eunuch advised, ¡°We will arrive in Nanjing soon. All the officials will be waiting at the dock. We must prepare early.¡± Seeing the crown prince¡¯s face gradually darkening, he quickly comforted him, ¡°Your Highness, just bear with it. When we arrive in Nanjing, you can play as you wish.¡± Zhu Zhanji looked at the rippling river waves and the smile on his face gradually faded, ¡°When we get to Nanjing, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have time to be carefree. We still have a few hours left, let me enjoy myself one last time.¡± He sounded pitiful, and the old eunuch¡¯s heart softened at first, but then he immediately kneeled down with a ¡°thud¡±, ¡°This time we come to Nanjing, it concerns the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, Your Highness, you have imperial orders in your hand, you cannot be so reckless!¡± Zhu Zhanji shook his head with a bitter smile and said nothing further. He knew that the old eunuch was half right, but that made him feel even more depressed. This imperial edict could be traced back to Zhu Zhanji¡¯s grandfather, Emperor Yongle. In the 19th year of Yongle¡¯s reign, the Emperor moved the capital of the Ming Dynasty from Jinling to Beijing, and since then there have been two capitals in the Ming Dynasty ¨C the main capital Beijing and the secondary capital Nanjing. Three years later, Emperor Yongle passed away and was posthumously named Taizong. His son Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne and changed the reigning title to ¡°Hongxi¡±. Emperor Hongxi had always wanted to move the capital back to Nanjing, but due to the importance of the matter, there was never a final decision. On the 10th day of the fourth month of the first year of Hongxi¡¯s reign, the Emperor suddenly issued an edict ordering the crown prince, Zhu Zhanji, to go south to Nanjing, act as regent, and take care of both the military and the people. This caused a great stir in the court and among the people. Everyone felt that this was a very clear signal: His Majesty the Emperor had finally decided to move the capital. This time, the crown prince¡¯s trip to the south was probably to prepare for the capital relocation, which was no easy task. When Emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beiping, he left behind a complete government structure in Nanjing, including the six ministries, the censorate, the Grand Secretariat, and the five military governorates, which were no different from those in the capital. In addition, most of the country¡¯s taxes came from south of the Yangtze River, and there were many local nobles and prominent families with complex relationships. A small change could cause a chain reaction that would shake the entire country. This was the first time that the 27-year-old crown prince had handled political affairs independently. To put it simply, the emperor was testing the crown prince¡¯s abilities; to put it more broadly, this was a turning point that would determine the rise and fall of the Ming dynasty for the next hundred years. The whole country was watching to see if he could handle the situation in the secondary capital. The old eunuch had no choice but to take a firm stance and give stern advice. Although Zhu Zhanji had a playful personality, he still knew how to prioritize and ease the situation. He picked up the cricket jar and said quietly, ¡°Zilong, Zilong, you always complain about being cramped in such a small space, but what about me? Anyway, we¡¯ve been through a lot together, so at least one of us should be carefree¡­¡± As he was about to open the lid, he looked around at the vast expanse of the river and realized that even if he released the cricket, there was nowhere for it to go. He sighed, ¡°You see, even if you leave the jar, what can you do? You¡¯re still trapped, unable to really escape¡­¡± Just then, three crisp explosions rang out from the north bank of the Yangtze River, ¡°Pop! Pop! Pop!¡± Zhu Zhanji¡¯s hand shook, almost knocking the cricket jar onto the deck. He turned his head angrily to see three clusters of yellowish-brown fireworks explode in the air, spewing smoke and disappearing in an instant. Below the fireworks, white reeds swayed, and the person setting off the fireworks could not be seen. Perhaps someone was getting married along the riverbank? The sound was still several miles away from the ship and was not worth paying much attention to. Zhu Zhanji hesitated for a while, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t bear to let the cricket go. He carried the drum with a grumpy expression and followed the old eunuch back to the building. Unbeknownst to the two of them, a ship¡¯s worker wearing a turban and a blue robe was also watching the three fireworks above their heads. This person had dark skin and a face that was no different from an ordinary shipworker. At that moment, he held onto the crossbar with one hand and raised the awning with the other, looking at the sky with no expression. After the smoke cleared, he skillfully tied the ropes and slid down the mast. There were a hundred or so like him on the ship, scattered around the various decks, running the ship. Unless they were too close to the building, the guards wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to them. This shipworker mingled with the busy crowd, carefully avoiding the view of the building, and went straight to the deck near the starboard bow. There was a small iron handle on the deck. He leaned down and grabbed it lightly, revealing a square hatch on the floor. A double-tiered wooden ladder extended downward. Holding on to the ladder with both hands, the shipworker slowly descended into the hull below the deck. Although the ship looked like a treasure ship, it was built for entertainment purposes, so the hull was quite large. There were four levels from the deck to the bottom of the ship. The first level below deck was the galley and the internal storage area for banquet ships; the second level below deck was the sailors¡¯ rest cabin and the sterncastle; the third level below deck was the large storage area for materials and food; and the bottom level was piled with hundreds of stones used for ballast. As he descended to the lower levels of the ship, the space became more confined and the light dimmer. The shipwright followed the wooden ladder down to the lower deck, where it was already pitch black. The air was filled with a mixture of damp mold, rotting wood, and pungent lime. There was no one around. Unless the ship was undergoing major repairs, no one would want to be in such a spooky place. This level was divided into more than a dozen closed compartments, each resembling a sinister beast¡¯s lair, and one could vaguely see many huge stone bodies cowering inside. The shipworker roughly determined the direction and went straight into the third compartment on the right. In the darkness, there were occasional strange cracking sounds and low, indistinct murmurs, as if some kind of prayer were being said. After about the time it took to burn an incense stick, the ship¡¯s worker emerged from the compartment, his footsteps much lighter. He climbed back up to the deck, blending in with the other busy sailors, and no one noticed his brief absence. Just then, a lookout observed a gust of wind blowing across the river and immediately signaled. The ship¡¯s crew quickly adjusted the sails to catch the oncoming wind. The boatmen felt the speed increase a few notches and rhythmically shouted, ¡°Yo-heave-ho!¡± as they accelerated their paddles. The big ship was racing toward Jinling. At that moment, the same cry could be heard in Jinling City. ¡°Yo-heave-ho!¡± A dozen arms tensed simultaneously, lifting a thick wooden beam off the ground with a combined effort. Broken tiles and pieces of furniture were scattered everywhere under the beam, and in the middle was a bloodied adult male corpse. His head and half of his body were flattened, and blood and brain matter had coagulated into a shocking and filthy puddle on the floor. Clucking sounds of remorse could be heard from the surrounding area. Last night¡¯s sudden earthquake had caused buildings to collapse, and the dislodged beam had fallen directly on this unfortunate person sleeping in his bed. Wu Buping stared at the tragic scene in front of him, frowning and remaining silent. This mansion was located in the Imperial Corridor within Nanjing¡¯s Taiping Gate. This area was originally built as the official residence of the Court of Censors during Hongwu¡¯s reign. The deceased man before him was wearing a blue robe with a round collar and a vaguely visible purple duck emblem on his chest, indicating that he was an imperial censor. Last night¡¯s earthquake had caused many buildings in the city to collapse. The craftsmen from the Ministry of Works were overwhelmed, and the Yingtian Prefecture had to urgently deploy three shifts of patrol officers to provide disaster relief. As the chief constable, Wu Buping was responsible for patrolling various areas to prevent looting. When he heard that an imperial censor had died here, he immediately rushed over. Wu Buping was sixty-two years old and always wore a black official uniform. He wore a flat hat, carried a measuring ruler and a tin plate at his waist, and exuded a sense of strong power as he walked. He was the chief officer in charge of the three patrols and had solved many extraordinary cases. Although he was from the north, everyone in Jinling City knew him. Officials called him ¡°Head Wu¡±, while people in the martial world called him ¡°Iron Lion¡±. Most ordinary people simply called him by his real name-wherever there was injustice, there was Wu Buping.3 He had asked neighbors on both sides and found out that the deceased censor was named Guo Zhimin, originally from Taizhou in Yangzhou Prefecture. He was an imperial censor of the Guangdong Circuit stationed in Nanjing, and he had come alone without any family members to accompany him. Poor Censor Guo had only recently moved here and died like this. This was clearly an accident, and it did not take much effort to solve it. The body in the courtyard could not be moved for the time being, so Wu Buping ordered his officers to retreat to the outer courtyard to continue clearing the debris. It was already the fifth month, and the air was slightly sultry. A young officer wiped his sweat with his white undershirt and complained in a low voice, ¡°Chief Wu, do you think this Heavenly God will ever stop? How many times has Jinling been shaken by earthquakes?¡± Ever since Yongle moved the capital to Beijing, there had been a subtle resentment in the hearts of the people of Nanjing. They never referred to it as ¡°Nanjing,¡± but rather used ¡°Jinling. Wu Buping didn¡¯t say anything when he heard this question, but his colleagues around him started discussing it. Last night¡¯s earthquake was not the first time. Since the beginning of the year, Nanjing had been cursed with earthquakes every few days, and each time, many buildings in the city had collapsed. This had kept the officials busy and made the whole city anxious. Some officers said it had happened thirteen or fourteen times, while others claimed it had happened seventeen or eighteen times. Finally, an old official shook his head and bragged, ¡°I have a brother who works as a clerk in the Ministry of Works, where they keep records. Guess how many times Jinling and its surroundings have been shaken since last month? Five times! And in March? Nineteen times! And the month before that, five times! Including last night¡¯s earthquake, Jinling City has been shaken thirty times since the beginning of spring!¡± Thirty times? This unbelievable number scared everyone, and the debris fell silent. Someone muttered softly, ¡°When did Jinling ever shake so much? Could it really be the real dragon turning over?¡± The people around them all showed a deep sense of taboo. It was the first year of Hongxi¡¯s reign. There were frequent earthquakes in Nanjing, and rumors spread among the people that the Emperor was not a legitimate heir to the throne, which angered the True Dragon. When the True Dragon gets angry, he turns over and causes earthquakes. No one knew who started the rumor. However, the common people liked to blame gods and spirits for inexplicable things. So the rumor spread like wildfire, even among those officers who were now openly discussing it. ¡°Oh, I think this true dragon is not very smart. Instead of shaking Beijing, why bother Jinling?¡± ¡°If only the capital had stayed here, there wouldn¡¯t be so much chaos!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of the location, but¡­ ¡° ¡°Hey, you little brats, are you looking for trouble? Get back to work!¡± Wu Buping scolded them sternly, afraid that they would say something even more absurd. The officers quickly stopped chatting and continued to work diligently. Wu Buping looked around and was about to think deeply when he suddenly smelled a strong smell of alcohol. He looked towards the door and saw a person swaying into the courtyard from outside. The man was tall and thin, with thin eyebrows and a straight nose, as fair-skinned as a scholar. However, his steps were unsteady, his eyes were particularly hazy, and his face was full of exhaustion. ¡°¡®Dad, I¡¯m here,¡± the man yawned. The strong smell of alcohol came from a large patch of wine stains on his robe, indicating that he had drunk too much and had not yet sobered up. Wu Buping¡¯s eyebrows raised, and he replied in a muffled voice, ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°My sister said you didn¡¯t have breakfast this morning, so she asked me to bring you some freshly baked cakes,¡± the young man patted his pocket and then patted his head, ¡°Oh, it seems like I forgot to bring them.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Wu Buping said. The officers around him were concentrating on clearing up the debris, but their faces showed undisguised contempt. Speaking of which, this was also a big topic in Jinling. Wu Buping was a fierce man who was feared by both the city¡¯s frivolous young masters and violent bandits. Unfortunately, this man, whom even the governor politely treated as a guest, raised a useless son. Wu Buping was a widower with one son and one daughter. His daughter, Wu Yulu, was sixteen years old, and his son, Wu Dingyuan, was twenty-nine years old. This Wu Dingyuan was naturally ill-tempered and lazy, and was said to suffer from erysipelas. He often fell ill and remained unmarried to this day. He spent his days asking his father for money to drink in brothels. People called him ¡°bamboo pole¡± behind his back ¨C bamboo strips too thin and soft to be made into a boat pole, and therefore useless. A tiger father had indeed produced a dog son, which was pitiful. Out of respect for Wu Buping, the local government allowed Wu Dingyuan to serve as an honorary officer in the arrest team. However, that lazy guy never showed up and ate free food from the government. If it weren¡¯t for the governor¡¯s order to mobilize all personnel today, he would probably still be sleeping at home. Wu Buping also knew what kind of person his son was. He made a gesture and let him stay in the courtyard where there was only an unburied corpse and no one else. Perhaps Wu Buping thought that it was better for his son to be associated with the unlucky dead than to embarrass himself in front of the living. Wu Dingyuan didn¡¯t care either, and swayed toward the courtyard. Shortly after, a sound of vomiting came from inside, followed by a sour smell in the air. The officers outside looked at each other, thinking that if that bastard vomited on the Imperial Censor¡¯s body, it would cause big trouble. Not long after, a runner rushed out of the street: ¡°Chief Wu, there¡¯s news from the government that the crown prince has entered the Outer Qinhuai region.¡± Wu Buping replied with a muffled ¡°Hmm¡± and immediately called everyone together. He didn¡¯t forget to call out loudly to the courtyard, ¡°Dingyuan, come out for the roll call!¡± After a while, Wu Dingyuan finally walked out slowly, lazily leaning on a broken pillar and keeping his distance from most of the people. Wu Buping looked around and said in a deep voice, ¡°You guys are a bunch of troublemakers. When you go on duty later, show off your skills. This time, when the crown prince comes to Nanjing, the guards have strict orders. Everyone whose name is on the list and who is still alive must stand guard along the roads. From Dongshui Pass to the palace, not even a mosquito will be allowed to enter. When the officers heard that they had to go on duty, they all sighed in unison. Wu Buping sneered, ¡°If you want to be lazy, go ahead, but you¡¯ll be exiled three thousand miles later, so take your time walking!¡± Seeing that his subordinates didn¡¯t say anything, Wu Buping opened a piece of hemp paper and began to assign everyone¡¯s duties. The first person he called was his own son: ¡°Wu Dingyuan, you will guard the Fan Bone Terrace in front of Dongshui Pass. Upon hearing this order, the officers all heaved a sigh. Dongshui Pass was located southeast of Nanjing City and was the only wharf in the city. It was a prosperous place where merchants from the north and south gathered. After the crown prince¡¯s ship turned from the Yangtze River into the Outer Qinhuai River, it would dock at the Dongshui Pass, where Nanjing officials would greet him and escort him into the city. This Fan Bone Terrace was located on the east bank of the Qinhuai River, facing Dongshui Pass across the river. The name sounded elegant, but it was actually just a bare hill. It was only named after a few nearby families who made fans. There was no shade from the grass or trees, and it was unbearable in the hot and humid noon. It was really a bad sign. Wu Buping first assigned his own son to the worst post, and then no one could say anything about how he assigned the others. Wu Dingyuan burped behind the crowd, looking indifferent. After finishing their duties, the officers hurried back to their posts. Wu Buping looked at his son with a kinder expression, ¡°Dingyuan, it¡¯s all because of the earthquake. So no one can escape this task. Just bear with it for now.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of earthquakes, go worship the City God. What¡¯s the point of having more people? It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be buried with the crown prince as his dead soldiers.¡± Wu Dingyuan shrugged his shoulders and said sarcastically. Wu Buping was about to reprimand him when Wu Dingyuan leaned over to his father and whispered, ¡°This Imperial Censor Guo didn¡¯t die in the earthquake. Wu Buping was startled by his words. Wu Dingyuan continued, ¡°The earthquake happened at midnight. Who would wear official robes to bed?¡± Upon hearing this reminder, Wu Buping immediately realized. The dead man¡¯s blue robe with patched collars was a common outfit for officials at work, and he should have taken it off when he went home. He could not have worn it to bed. Wu Dingyuan continued, ¡°I just checked. If a living person was killed, there would be congestion around the wound where the blood was still flowing. But there was no blood congestion around the edges of the cracked head, so¡­¡± Wu Buping interrupted, ¡°¡­he was put on the bed after he died!?¡± ¡°Next, it¡¯s up to you how to handle it. I¡¯ll go to my post now.¡± Wu Dingyuan smiled and turned around, taking a few steps before suddenly turning back, ¡°We have to pass by the Apricot Tower on our way to Fan Bone Terrace. They recently brought in several jars of soju from Wuxi.¡± Before he could finish, Wu Buping took out a stack of banknotes, probably worth ten taels, from his waist pouch and handed it to his son with a complicated expression. Wu Dingyuan didn¡¯t take it, ¡°They only accept silver.¡± Wu Buping had to take some broken silver coins out of his pocket, and Wu Dingyuan put them in his pocket without hesitation. He walked away swaying, and Wu Buping called after him, ¡°Drink less. Alcohol can harm your health.¡± Wu Dingyuan didn¡¯t turn his head back, but raised his right fist and clenched it tightly, as if to say, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The Iron Lion watched his figure disappear around the corner, shook his head, and sighed deeply, but no one knew what he was worried about. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1 Zhao Yun (courtesy name ¡°Zilong¡±) was a prominent military general who lived during the Three Kingdoms period of ancient China. 2 The Eastern Palace is the crown prince¡¯s residence, often used to refer to the crown prince. 3 ¡°Buping¡± means ¡°not fair¡± or ¡°unfair¡± literally. As ¡°Wu¡± sounds the same as ¡°ÎÞ¡± (w¨²) in Chinese, ¡°Wu Buping¡± together means ¡°nothing is not unfair¡±. CH 1.2 ¡°Close the umbrellas!¡± A deep male voice rang out on the dock of Dongshui Pass. In an instant, dozens of large umbrellas with silk edges were quickly turned and closed, letting the scorching sunlight splash among a dazzling array of vermillion and purple colors. Only two people stood at the front of the dock. One was Xiangcheng Earl Li Long, dressed in a blue and red embroidered robe with a seven-beam crown on his head. He had just given the order to close the umbrellas. Standing next to him was the famous eunuch Zheng He, dressed similarly but with a crimson cloak. Both were old ministers of the Yongle reign. One was the Nanjing Guard and the other was the Nanjing Eunuch Guard. They were the two pillars of the city. Behind them were several rows of high-ranking officials from various departments in Nanjing. Looking around, there were many precious colors such as yellow, green, red, and purple, making the view dazzling. At the outer periphery, there was a grand procession of banners, flags, yellow fans, and golden melons, as well as guards, music bands, dance groups, charioteers, and so on, densely packed inside and outside. There was no place to stand in such a huge Dongshui Pass dock. Most of Nanjing¡¯s elite officials had gathered here. These high-ranking officials, who usually had their own streets to pass through, were now crowded together, their robes thick and hot. Amidst the magnificent sound of elegant music, they all stood solemnly and watched eagerly as the sailing ship gradually approached from afar. Under the huge sail, the treasure ship was rapidly approaching the dock. Through the large window, the crown prince could see the flat embankments on both sides of the river, with rows of willow trees standing tall on top. These wild willow forests were not as neat and uniform as the roadside willows, but they were thicker and more lush, with almost no gaps. They stretched along both sides of the riverbank up to the city wall in the distance, like two green ribbons embroidered on the Qinhuai River. This was only the outer Qinhuai near the river mouth, just an irregular wild charm. It was said that the inner Qinhuai on both sides of the city was even more beautiful, with ten miles of song towers and dance pavilions, and the sound of paddles and light shadows all night long. Compared to the cold and monotonous capital, this place was like a fairyland. Unfortunately, Zhu Zhanji was in no mood to appreciate it at that moment. He had just learned that there had been another earthquake in Nanjing last night. The capital was supposed to be earthquake-free, but since his father ascended the throne, especially after the proposal to relocate the capital, there had been thirty earthquakes in a row. The teachers in the East Palace always talked about the interaction between heaven and man, and how fortunes and calamities were related to human affairs. According to this theory, these abnormal and continuous earthquakes were like thirty slaps in his father¡¯s face. Especially last night¡¯s earthquake, which happened on the eve of the crown prince¡¯s arrival in Nanjing, what was it? Did god think that he and his father were incompatible? Originally, Zhu Zhanji had convinced himself that these were just coincidences and didn¡¯t need to be considered in detail. But as the big boat sailed deeper into the Qinhuai River, there were scattered houses near the willow bank, a third of which had collapsed and lay in ruins, like a good painting splashed with a few drops of ink. Those drops of ink fell on Zhu Zhanji¡¯s eyes like firewood on his heart. He was naturally carefree and was always criticized by others, both overtly and covertly, for not being like a monarch. This invisible pressure had accumulated, making Zhu Zhanji always feel uneasy, so he could only relieve it by playing with fighting crickets. Unexpectedly, when he arrived in Nanjing, there was another earthquake, as if even God was blaming him, making the crown prince¡¯s pressure even heavier. ¡°Your Highness, we are almost there. Let me help you change into your robes and crown.¡± The old eunuch smiled, followed by two maids, one holding a dragon-patterned silk robe, the other holding a winged crown. But Zhu Zhanji ignored him, still holding the cricket jar and absent-mindedly staring out of the window. The old eunuch gently nudged him again. Unexpectedly, Zhu Zhanji suddenly became angry and smashed the cricket jar on the ground, smashing it to pieces. The maids couldn¡¯t help but scream, and the clothes and crown in their hands almost fell to the ground. The freed cricket wiggled its whiskers on the ground, seeming not to understand the situation. The old eunuch quickly knelt down and tried to catch it with his chubby hands. Startled, the cricket suddenly jumped up and flew out of the window along the edge of the building. Zhu Zhanji was stunned for a moment, and then he walked out with a clouded face. The old eunuch hastily grabbed his thin sleeve, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to find my fighting cricket!¡± Zhu Zhanji replied. ¡°We will soon arrive at Dongshui Pass,¡± the old eunuch said. ¡°We must find it immediately! As soon as the ship touches land, it will run away!¡± ¡°Let me call some smart boys,¡± the old eunuch tried to stop him. Zhu Zhanji stomped his foot angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t trust those clumsy and careless servants!¡± ¡°But all the officials are waiting for us at the dock. You can¡¯t just¡­¡± An unnamed anger surged in Zhu Zhanji¡¯s heart, and his eyes suddenly became fierce, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with letting them wait a while? Does that mean my words won¡¯t work until we arrive in Nanjing?¡± The old eunuch trembled with fear and dared not stop him. The crown prince snorted coldly, waved his sleeve, and walked out of the room. At that moment, the teachers from the East Palace were busy inspecting the ceremonial guards and didn¡¯t know what had happened on the roof. Angrily, the Crown Prince descended the side stairs and walked through the busy boatmen to the deck at the back of the colorful building. This was the most likely place for the cricket to have landed. Zhu Zhanji took a deep breath, barely suppressing his anger, and patiently searched as if finding the cricket was the only way to find inner peace. He scanned the area for a moment and suddenly realized that crickets liked dryness. The deck was damp, so it should have run towards the high stern, just like its last escape. The distant sound of music grew louder, and Zhu Zhanji stood up straight, vaguely seeing the five-colored flags and the umbrella-shaped canopies arranged like scales floating above the dock. The treasure ship slowly retracted its sails, relying only on the eighty pairs of oars on either side of the hull to move at a controlled low speed, slowly passing the last watchtower. The lookout on the tower quickly waved the flying dragon flag, announcing that the treasure ship would soon arrive at Dongshui Pass. Zhu Zhanji knew that he didn¡¯t have much time left, so he gritted his teeth and ran towards the stern of the ship without hesitation. Meanwhile, a barefoot person with rolled-up pants stepped onto the wooden ladder inside the treasure ship¡¯s hull. Thick calluses pressed against the rung, making almost no sound. The other foot immediately stepped down to the next rung, but only the toes were used for support, leaving most of the sole bare. This was the climbing technique used by sailors in emergencies, and it was much faster than usual. The two feet took turns silently descending the wooden ladder. Soon, the boatman, with a cloth wrapped around his head, was back in front of the bottom compartment, deep in the belly of the treasure ship. The bottom compartment was still dark and cramped, but the noise outside could be heard faintly through the cabin wall, indicating that the large ship was approaching Dongshui Pass. The boatman crouched down on the floor, took a match from his pocket, took off the top cover, blew on it, and a small flame immediately appeared. A circle of faint yellow light spread in the damp air of the lower compartment, and the boatman¡¯s shadow was reflected on the cabin wall, flickering and ghostly, as if a fierce ghost had emerged from a grave crevice. Where the light touched, piles of cargo could be seen, neatly packed in the compartment. They were huge, filling almost the entire space of the partition, and they were covered tightly with rotten straw. The noise outside grew louder, and the boatman with the match slowly walked over. He stretched out his arm and lifted one of the pieces of straw¡­ Wu Dingyuan opened a wine gourd and took a sip, the spicy liquid going straight into his stomach, making him shiver. The sun was scorching now, and the moisture rose from the water surface, spreading from the river beach to the top of Fanbone Terrace. The entire slope had become one big steamer, and the people inside felt as if countless hot and sticky cowhide needles were piercing their clothes and penetrating their skin. Without freshly brewed liquor, it would be hard to bear. Actually, alcohol couldn¡¯t solve problems, but at least it could make people dull and numb to problems, this was Wu Dingyuan¡¯s experience. The alternating sounds of Zhong and Qin music came faintly over the river. Wu Dingyuan suddenly sensed something and put down the gourd to look ahead. He saw a black and red giant ship solemnly passing through the river channel in front of Fan Bone Terrace. What a huge treasure ship it was. Its massive body took up half of the river¡¯s surface, with its hull towering high and its masts standing tall like the majestic mountains carried by a deity. For a moment, Wu Dingyuan had the illusion that this mountain would collapse and crush him to pieces. Unconsciously, he stepped back, looked up, and saw a figure suddenly appear at the stern, as if looking for something on the rail. The two of them briefly made eye contact. For some reason, Wu Dingyuan¡¯s scalp tingled slightly, as if a fine needle had pierced his temple. Before he could understand what had happened, the other person had turned around and run away, as if looking for something. The large ship gradually left the Fan Bone Terrace and headed for the Dongshui Pass dock. Wu Dingyuan scratched his scalp, opened the gourd, and took another sip of wine. Before the spicy liquor had spread to his throat, he suddenly saw a seductive and magnificent sight. If we divide this brief moment by the Buddhist concept of ¡°kshana,¡± the image that Wu Dingyuan saw is as follows: In the first kshana the hull planks in the middle of the treasure ship¡¯s waterline began to bend outward. All of the ship¡¯s ribs bulged as if they were inflated, and they bent outward with a creaking and mournful sound, like a bow being gradually pulled tight. By the second kshana, the planks were bent to their limit, and numerous small cracks appeared on them, quickly spreading across the entire outer wall, like the cracks in porcelain. The nails, shovel nails, and leech nails used to hold the structure together could not withstand the pressure and flew out one by one. In the third kshana, the unleashed power quickly rushed out of the hut, revealing a deep red power full of grandeur. It was the essence of Zhu Rong, the treasure of Divine Master Suiren, and the most majestic fury of Yi, an extremely hot flame. This power erupted from the oar ports. Forty pairs of oars on the starboard side lost their steady rhythm. Some oars suddenly went forward, some oars jumped high, and some oars still drifted backward due to inertia. By the fourth kshana, the hull was completely shattered, but it was still not enough to appease the fury of the flames. The violent ball of fire rose from the lower compartment and smashed the keel axis, the wing beams, and the midship in turn, causing the mast to tilt and the central part of the treasure ship to rise to its limit, while the bow and stern sank down simultaneously, as if a giant scarlet hand had grabbed the entire ship and forcibly split it in two. In the fifth kshana, the treasure ship was completely split in two. The beautiful and colorful building suddenly lost its foundation and was pulled backward, but it was suddenly pulled backward by the sinking front half of the hull. As it swayed, the flames rose, turning the entire wooden building into a dazzling torch, and countless burning figures fell. It wasn¡¯t until after the fifth kshana that Wu Dingyuan, standing on the shore, felt a gust of wind touch his nose. His pupils suddenly contracted, and an extreme sense of crisis instantly blew away his despondent appearance. For a moment, he fell into an empty and stagnant state, as if the whole world had frozen, with only the enchanting and cruel firelight dancing in front of him. The huge fire was like a sharp spear piercing Wu Dingyuan¡¯s skull, causing his trigeminal neuralgia to erupt violently at an inopportune time. Wu Dingyuan convulsed and fell backward, and an unbelievably strong shockwave came and knocked him down hard. The wine gourd at his waist burst with a bang, and half of the liquor spilled onto the sandy surface and was quickly absorbed. It was an indescribably eerie scene: a person lying on the yellow-brown river beach, his limbs writhing, his eyes rolling back in helplessness, as if possessed by evil spirits. In the river beside him, a huge black and red ship was burning fiercely, slowly being swallowed by the deep blue water. The convulsions lasted for quite a while before gradually subsiding. Wu Dingyuan lay on his back on the muddy ground, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth, and his entire body drenched in sweat. As the madness subsided, the horrifying scene he had just witnessed reappeared in his mind. The prince¡¯s treasure ship exploded? At this thought, Wu Dingyuan didn¡¯t care to wipe the drool from his mouth as he struggled to stand up. His sight and hearing hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet, but for the first time, he smelled the pungent smell of gunpowder, so pungent that he could jump to a conclusion right away: Gunpowder explosion? The means to destroy a treasure ship in five kshanas could only be caused by a large amount of gunpowder stored in the cabin, except for earthquakes. The gunpowder depot in front of the Baichuan Bridge in Nanjing had an accidental explosion that knocked down houses for miles around, and the smell at the scene was exactly the same as it is now. But this was the prince¡¯s treasure ship. Who would store so much gunpowder there? At this point, Wu Dingyuan¡¯s vision slowly returned to normal, and the scenery in front of him became clear again. On the Qinhuai River, there was still half of the bow and stern of the treasure ship, both of which were raised high and gradually became more perpendicular to the water surface, and would soon disappear completely. Part of the ship and the colored pavilion had sunk first. A large amount of clothing, canvas, broken wood, and broken masts floated on the surface of the water, covering almost the entire river. No one saw it. With such a large explosion, it should be impossible for anyone to survive. As the tinnitus slowly subsided, Wu Dingyuan could hear that the elegant music on the distant pier had stopped, replaced by faint screams. It seemed that the explosion had also affected Dongshui Pass, which was closer to the treasure ship and densely populated with people. The scene there would probably be ten times more tragic than Fan Bone Terrace. Facing such an inhuman disaster, even the usually lazy and indifferent Wu Dingyuan was shocked and at a loss. He stared blankly at the surface of the river, but suddenly his eyes narrowed and he saw a black dot struggling in the distance. Wu Dingyuan hesitated for a moment before jumping into the river. He was very good at swimming, so he quickly swam to the side of the black spot. A drowning person cannot be rescued directly from the front. Wu Dingyuan pulled up a nearby half board and taught him to grab it firmly with both hands. Then he pulled the other end and swam to the shore. After the two of them reached the riverbank, Wu Dingyuan turned around and carefully examined the lucky guy. He was a young man with a blackened face, more than half of his hair was burnt off, and his clothes were all burnt and tattered. It was hard to tell that he was wearing a short robe. As soon as he landed on the shore, he vomited in desperation, spitting out a large puddle of sour and smelly paste. After catching his breath for a moment, Wu Dingyuan asked for his identity. However, when the young man opened his mouth, he could only make a ¡°heh heh¡± sound in his throat, presumably his vocal cords were paralyzed by the shock of the explosion. Wu Dingyuan had to take out his handkerchief and wipe his face with river water. Just as he was wiping it clean, Wu Dingyuan suddenly felt a sharp pain in his temple, fleeting but intense. This was close. He almost triggered a recurrence of his migraine. Wu Dingyuan frowned and studied the young man¡¯s face once again. He had a square face, a straight nose, and a pair of round eyes full of fear. Another wave of pain hit him ¨C what was going on? He couldn¡¯t remember seeing this face before. No, wait, he had seen it! The strange pain reminded Wu Dingyuan that when the treasure ship passed by Fan Bone Terrace earlier, he had looked up at the ship, and this face had appeared at the edge of the deck. They even made eye contact for a moment, and then the person immediately ran toward the stern. When the treasure ship exploded, the stern was the last area to be affected, so he must have been thrown into the water and luckily survived. As Wu Dingyuan¡¯s mind gradually cleared, he noticed more details. This guy¡¯s short robe was made of silk, not the kind of material worn by ship workers or laborers. He was probably not a servant or a guard either, and had a relatively high status on the ship. When the treasure ship was about to reach the pier, everyone should have been serving the lord at the front of the ship, so why did this guy run to the quietest stern? And just before the explosion? Could it be¡­ because he wanted to escape before the explosion? Wu Dingyuan suddenly noticed that when the man grabbed the plank just now, he used his left hand and right arm, but his right fist remained tightly clenched. Even now, his right fist had not relaxed. Wu Dingyuan pulled his right hand over, and the young man screamed something in his throat, refusing to let him see. Wu Dingyuan took out an iron ruler and struck the young man¡¯s elbow. The man screamed in pain, and his right fist opened, revealing a cricket that jumped out of his palm and landed on the sand. Stunned for a moment, Wu Dingyuan accidentally stepped back, and the sole of his shoe made a ¡°snap¡± sound, crushing the cricket and spilling its juice. The man roared and rushed towards him with unknown strength. Wu Dingyuan launched a vicious kick, hitting the man¡¯s chest and knocking him down. Then he took out a cow tendon rope from his waist and neatly tied his arms behind his back. The man struggled desperately on the ground, his expression extremely angry. Presumably annoyed by his fierce struggle, Wu Dingyuan nonchalantly stuffed a hemp core into his mouth, and soon only muffled grunts could be heard. He examined the man¡¯s face again, and as expected, he felt another sharp pain in his scalp. Wu Dingyuan untied the cloth bag containing the wine gourd from his waist, tore the seams on both sides, and quickly covered the man¡¯s head with it. Now he couldn¡¯t see anything, and of course, his head didn¡¯t hurt anymore. After solving the problem, Wu Dingyuan looked across the Qinhuai River from the other side. There were shadows and screams on the pier, the flags were crooked and chaotic, completely out of order. Most of Nanjing¡¯s officials had just gathered at the pier, along with the ceremonial guards, drummers, escorts, and onlookers. So many people were affected by the explosion of the treasure ship at close range, and the casualties were bound to be shocking. As for the dock, it was only a small part of the disaster. The crown prince and the Eastern Palace staff on the ship had probably been reduced to ashes long ago. Wu Dingyuan¡¯s face became stern. Such a tragic incident had never happened since the Ming Dynasty. One could imagine that Nanjing, South Zhili, and even the entire imperial court would be shaken to the core. Wu Dingyuan lowered his head and looked at the man again. He was the only survivor of the treasure ship and might be the only clue to solve this top priority case. The urgent task is to quickly send the prisoner to his father, Wu Buping. Wu Buping is the chief catcher, and this case will eventually be investigated by him. The sooner the prisoner is sent, the sooner the case can be solved. The sooner the case is solved, the more reward they will get. So he pulled the man up and pushed and shoved him forward. The man tried to resist, but he couldn¡¯t withstand Wu Dingyuan¡¯s kicks to his shins. He could only stagger forward. After the two of them left the Fan Bone Terrace, they walked directly north along the river beach, pushing and shoving. They had only gone about half a mile when Wu Dingyuan suddenly pulled the rope and stopped. Two soldiers, one tall and one short, came toward them. They were dressed in blue-trimmed jackets with soft armor inside, and a white ribbon tied around their waists to hold a goose feather knife. Judging by their clothing, they must be the Left Guard garrison. The various offices were responsible for overlapping areas of duty during the Crown Prince¡¯s entry into the city, so it was not surprising that there were guards here. However, Wu Dingyuan was suspicious: with such a loud explosion on the river just now, these two not only did not panic, but also looked around as if they were searching for something. The two soldiers also noticed them and ordered them to stop in a stern voice. Wu Dingyuan showed his silver plaque and said, ¡°I am from Yingtian Prefecture¡¯s4 arrest team. The tall soldier was taken aback at first, then smiled and bowed, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the son of Iron Lion on the other side?¡± The short soldier looked at him with a hint of contempt in his eyes. It seemed that he had also heard of the nickname ¡± Bamboo Pole¡±. Wu Dingyuan calmly replied, ¡°I still have to escort the prisoner back to the office, so I cannot accompany you. He didn¡¯t want to say more, but the two soldiers slowly approached. The tall one asked, ¡°There was an explosion on the Qinhuai River just now. Since Master Wu came from that side, can we take a look at this prisoner?¡± As he spoke, he moved closer to Wu Dingyuan¡¯s left side, while his short companion rudely reached out to pull the cloth bag off the prisoner¡¯s head. Wu Dingyuan¡¯s eyes flashed with a sharp light and he moved quickly, swinging his iron ruler violently at the short soldier¡¯s wrist. This was both a warning and a test. If they were only driven by greed to steal credit, they would retreat when they saw the iron ruler. If not¡­ Wu Dingyuan did not speculate further as a shining knife stabbed at his ribs from the left. Translator¡¯s Note: 4 Yingtian Prefecture refers to an administrative division of China during the Ming Dynasty, which was the largest prefecture south of the Yangtze River. Its jurisdiction included the present-day provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu and Shanghai. The government is located in Nanjing. CH 2.1 This is a clear intent to kill! Wu Dingyuan¡¯s eyes flashed, and he quickly swung his iron ruler back, blocking the attacking knife. Without hesitation, he turned his body and punched straight at the attacker¡¯s face. The tall soldier didn¡¯t expect the counterattack to be so swift, and his nose was instantly shattered, blood pouring out as he fell backward. Wu Dingyuan landed his blow and used his right shoulder to push the prisoner towards the shorter soldier on the other side. With his arms bound, the prisoner stumbled forward and fell into the arms of the shorter soldier. Taking advantage of the distraction caused by the two men grappling, Wu Dingyuan completed his turn and quickly stepped forward, drawing his dagger from the shorter soldier¡¯s waist. With a plop, he plunged it into the side of the soldier¡¯s chest and immediately pulled it out. The prisoner and the soldier fell to the ground at the same time, while the tall soldier came out of his stupor. He shouted loudly and brandished his knife. However, Wu Dingyuan had already drawn his knife and blocked the attack directly. The two blades clashed, sending a shower of sparks flying. The tall soldier had initially thought that Wu Dingyuan was a waste of a man consumed by alcohol and lust, but now he was shocked to discover that he was a hidden martial arts expert. This momentary lapse was enough for Wu Dingyuan. While using his goose feather dagger to block was a feint, his left hand, holding the iron ruler, silently approached the opponent¡¯s vital point. The tall soldier cried out in pain as the iron ruler struck his waist, causing him to contort in agony. Then he let out a pitiful scream as the blade of the dagger cut a deep gash in his neck, spraying blood several feet away. From the beginning to the end, this exchange of attack and defense lasted only a few breaths, flowing smoothly like water. Wu Dingyuan stuck the goose feather dagger into the riverbank and knelt on the ground, his chest heaving irregularly. Due to his long-term alcoholism and limited physical strength, he could only take advantage of his opponent¡¯s contempt and launch a surprise attack. If he were to engage in a standoff, he would have no chance of winning against two opponents. These two soldiers must be accomplices of the ship bombers. They were searching along the river to eliminate the surviving crew of the treasure ship. Now that the enemies are dead, there is no joy on Wu Dingyuan¡¯s face, only deep regret. The tall soldier recognized Wu Dingyuan, indicating that the ship bombers have bribed many locals in Nanjing. This means that from now on, anyone they meet along the way could be a henchman of the ship bombers; any acquaintance could turn against them. How many of these people are there? How can you tell them apart? Wu Dingyuan couldn¡¯t answer any of these questions. The madmen who dared to destroy the prince¡¯s treasure ship would never allow the only eyewitness to be turned over to the authorities alive. They would surely want to eliminate him as soon as possible. Wu Dingyuan looked at the towering city walls not far away, and behind the endless walls, he felt an infinite malevolence surging, quickly covering the entire sky of the capital. He realized that the person he had spared out of mercy had plunged him into a dangerous quagmire. But it was too late for regrets. He had already killed two people, and even if he left this person and ran away, he would inevitably attract more assassins. Wu Dingyuan looked down at the prisoner with disgust. He was still lying on the corpse of the short soldier, his head covered, but the stench of blood couldn¡¯t be blocked, and his body was still struggling in fear. If only he had let him drown in the Qinhuai River, Wu Dingyuan thought with regret. Unfortunately, there is no regret medicine in the world. Wu Dingyuan sighed and threw the bodies of the tall and short soldiers into the water before lifting the prisoner from the ground. At this point, the reward doesn¡¯t matter. This guy will attract countless pursuers, so it¡¯s best to get rid of this hot potato as soon as possible. After all, he has to find his father first. Wu Buping, as the chief constable of Ying Tian Prefecture, should be patrolling Chang¡¯an Street at this time, which is the mandatory route to enter the imperial city. The shortest route from Fan Bone Terrace to Chang¡¯an Street is to go north to Tongji Gate to enter the city. Tongji Gate is located next to Dongshui Pass and is one of the thirteen gates of the city. After entering the city, there is a wide Tongji Gate Street that runs north along the Qinhuai River. Turning right will take you to Chang¡¯an Street. But now the Dongshui Pass is blocked, and there is chaos in front of the Tongji Gate. Wu Dingyuan looked at the situation and saw countless people trying to run out and countless people trying to rush in, like a buzzing beehive. It¡¯s not only dangerous to approach, even getting close is risky. If the enemies could set off explosives on the treasure ship, they might have made preparations at the pier as well. After thinking for a moment, Wu Dingyuan decided to head east with the prisoner. Three miles to the east is another city gate called Zhengyang Gate, which leads to the south side of the imperial city and is not far from Chang¡¯an Road. No matter how powerful the other party is, they shouldn¡¯t be able to bribe every gatekeeper. The prisoner, perhaps frightened by the bloody battle just now, stopped struggling and obediently followed Wu Dingyuan. The two of them walked east along the moat and soon arrived at the Zhengyang Gate. Some time ago, there were frequent earthquakes, and part of the arch of the Zhengyang Gate collapsed. The gate was not safe, so it is currently being repaired. In front of the gray-black city gate are dense bamboo scaffolds, and under the porch are piles of mud buckets and blue bricks. The two large iron doors, their hinges just removed, lean against the side of the gate opening, revealing a large gap. A large group of guards and craftsmen have gathered outside the city gate, whispering anxiously. Even the foreman and the city gate general were restless, constantly looking to the west. They must have heard the loud explosion, but they still didn¡¯t know how serious the situation was. Wu Dingyuan showed his tin plate and said that he wanted to escort the prisoner into the city. An old soldier in charge of verification reminded him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take another gate? It¡¯s not convenient here today.¡± ¡°No, this prisoner must be taken to Yamen1 immediately, no delays!¡± Wu Dingyuan instinctively grabbed his iron ruler, fearing that this might be a trap set by the enemy. The old soldier wanted to advise further, but Wu Dingyuan sternly said, ¡°This person is involved in an assassination attempt on the Crown Prince. If we delay handing him over to the authorities, will you take the blame?¡± The old soldier trembled at the mention of such a serious matter, quickly returned the tin plate and made way for them, saying, ¡°If you insist on going through, don¡¯t blame us if anything happens.¡° Amidst the strange looks of the guards and craftsmen, Wu Dingyuan escorted the prisoner and stepped into the dark passage of the city gate. Before the capital was moved to Beijing, Zhengyang Gate served as the main entrance to the imperial city. It was built on a grand scale, with a wide archway that could accommodate two carriages side by side. The floor was paved with stone slabs, and the sides were decorated with green bricks. On top, fine blue bricks were used for the arch. However, at that time, the gate was being repaired, and various construction materials were piled up at the entrance, blocking out most of the light. Wu Dingyuan walked about seven or eight steps inside, and the surroundings became dark, like a deep tunnel. Although it was May outside, it was pleasantly cool inside the gate, and threads of shadows seeped out from the gaps between the bricks and the ground, wrapping around his legs. Halfway through, Wu Dingyuan suddenly felt something and looked up, finally understanding why the old soldier¡¯s reaction was so strange. Above his head was a huge stone slab, about three zhang2 in length and one zhang in width. The stone slab was not embedded in the arch, but was suspended in the air by a few hemp ropes. Beneath the arch was a pile of scaffolding debris. Obviously, the earlier explosion had caused the scaffolding to collapse, leaving the suspended stone slab hanging. Fearing another tremor, the craftsmen had fled outside the gate to avoid being crushed by the falling stone. This massive gray-blue stone was taken from Mufu Mountain, with a thick and blunt edge. Such a colossal body, slowly swinging like a pendulum in the darkness, posed a constant threat of imminent death, truly sending shivers down one¡¯s spine. For some reason, instead of quickly moving away, Wu Dingyuan revealed a bitter smile full of profound meaning. In this dark and gloomy city gate passage, both the way they came from and the way they were going were obscured, yet their lives were hanging by a thread. This ominous omen, tinged with a certain irony, captivated Wu Dingyuan for a moment. It is said that when faced with the inevitable threat of death, people do not avert their gaze, but continue to stare. The thought of being crushed into a pile of minced meat at any moment actually gave him the shivers that could be described as neither fear nor excitement. For some unknown reason, Wu Dingyuan did not hastily dodge away. Instead, he showed a hint of a wry smile. The prisoner next to him had been blindfolded the whole time, completely unaware of the danger they were in, and stood obediently in place. After an unknown amount of time, he finally made an uncomfortable noise, pulling Wu Dingyuan back from his thoughts of death. Wu Dingyuan took one last look at the stone slab above his head, shook his head, and then moved forward with the prisoner. The two quickly passed through the gate and were greeted by a bright light indicating their entry into Nanjing City. On the north side of Zhengyang Gate was a wide east-west street called Chongli Street, which intersected with Chang¡¯an Street at its western end. Chongli Street was not peaceful at the moment because it housed many government offices. The aftermath of the ship explosion had caused chaos here. Waves of infantry and cavalry rushed out of the garrison and rushed toward Dongshui Pass, causing clouds of dust to rise from the street due to the countless horse hooves and boots. Many clerks and scribes poked their heads out of the office gates and stood in the swirling dust, confused. Wu Dingyuan looked at the rescue teams and suddenly realized that he had made a mistake. After such a big incident, it was impossible for Wu Ping, as the chief constable, to still be on Chang¡¯an Street. He must have rushed to the scene at Dongshui Pass as soon as possible. However, approaching the Dongshui Pass pier was out of the question now. Wu Dingyuan thought for a moment. At first, he thought of simply taking the prisoner to the Ying Tian Prefecture, but he quickly dismissed the idea as impractical. Not to mention, the prefecture office was far to the west of the city, and there were too many variables along the way; even if they made it there, there would be no one to receive them. The high-ranking officials in Ying Tianfu had all gone to Dongshui Pass to curry favor with the Crown Prince, and their fate was currently unknown. As for other government departments, they faced the same problem. The security forces in Nanjing City were quite complex. The Five Garrison Command was under the Ministry of War, the Eighteen Imperial Guards were under the Five Army Command, the Ying Tian Prefecture controlled the shifts, the Garrison Gates held the keys to the city gates, and there was even a newly arrived Imperial Guards stationed in the capital. Each of these defense forces had its own superior and usually did not cooperate with each other. With the explosion at Dongshui Pass pier, the high-ranking officials were in disarray, and many government offices were leaderless. The entire Nanjing city was completely paralyzed. He now had a court-wanted criminal in his hands, but there was no place to hand him over. Wu Dingyuan looked around and suddenly noticed a yamen with a red gate and white walls on the north side of Chongli Street, between the Astronomical Bureau and the Office of Runners. The yamen had no plaque, and the pillars on both sides were painted black, giving it a distinct and imposing aura unlike ordinary yamens. An idea came to his mind. This was the Garrison Command of Nanjing¡¯s Embroidered Uniform Guard3, which was not under the control of any yamen in Nanjing. It reported directly to the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital, with no plaque or official sign. His position in Nanjing¡¯s official circles was superior. Wu Dingyuan clicked his tongue, feeling a little sorry for himself, but he decided to leave this delicate matter to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They might not reward him much, but at least he could get rid of this big trouble. He was afraid of trouble and just wanted to finish this unexpected task quickly and go home to have his sister brew a pot of wine and enjoy a peaceful time. Wu Dingyuan dragged the prisoner to the Garrison Command and knocked on the door, only to find that the door was slightly ajar and could be easily pushed open. As he took a few steps inside, he suddenly heard an angry shout coming from the courtyard: ¡°When the country is in trouble, how dare you all turn a blind eye?¡± The voice was as powerful as a resounding bell, making even the roof tiles rattle. Wu Dingyuan led the prisoner around the screen wall and saw a large square courtyard. A young officer in a light green robe stood in front of the courtyard gate, his arms outstretched, blocking a row of embroidered-uniformed guards on the opposite side. This young official appeared to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, not particularly tall, but with a straight nose, raised eyebrows, and a particularly square chin. When he pursed his lips, his entire face seemed to be as unyielding as a stone. An old Chiliarch with a white beard patted his blade and scolded, ¡°We were on our way to the pier to rescue the lords. How could you turn a blind eye?¡± The young officer stepped forward with an intense gaze. ¡°If Dongshui Pass is in trouble, the defense yamen will handle it. Your duty as the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not to rescue, but to quickly search for the traitors!¡± A Deputy Chiliarch standing next to him couldn¡¯t help but sneer, ¡°You, a mere runner, are speaking as if you were a high-ranking official! Instead of staying next door, you come here to give orders!¡± He made a move as if to push him away. The young official stood up with a flushed face and shouted, ¡°If you all rush to the pier like a swarm, the thieves will take advantage of the chaos and escape. If we miss this opportunity, the Crown Prince and the capital will be in danger! You¡­ don¡¯t you understand?¡± The Deputy Chiliarch hesitated when he saw his stubbornness. Although the runner was only an eighth rank official, he couldn¡¯t use force against a civilian official as a military officer. Both sides were in a stalemate for a while. Wu Dingyuan roughly understood what was going on. This official was supposed to be a runner from the Nanjing Office of Runners. After the ship exploded, he ran over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard next door and demanded that they not go to the pier for rescue, but instead start an investigation immediately. From the Embroidered Uniform Guard¡¯s point of view, this was indeed puzzling. The daily work of the Office of Runners was to issue decrees and conduct diplomatic missions, so why would they come here and give orders? However, the leader of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was currently trapped at the pier, while the rest of the Chiliarchs and Deputy Chiliarchs were blocked at the gate by this insignificant runner. To be honest, Wu Dingyuan agreed with this little runner¡¯s judgment. Instead of causing chaos at the pier, the Embroidered Uniform Guard should take the time to investigate the clues. But¡­ what does this have to do with you? The Office of Runners in Nanjing was just an idle office, destined to have no chance of promotion. It was nothing more than showing up for work and passing the time. With so many high-ranking officials in Nanjing, why would a small role be concerned with national affairs? That little runner was probably driven mad by eating stale rice. Wu Dingyuan didn¡¯t feel like listening to their argument, so he coughed loudly. The little runner and the guards turned their heads at the same time, their eyes filled with surprise. Wu Dingyuan pushed the prisoner forward and said, ¡°I am an official from Ying Tian Prefecture, responsible for guarding Fan Bone Terrace. I have captured a suspect who jumped off the prince¡¯s treasure ship and have come here to hand him over to your esteemed guard.¡± Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately stirred. Wu Dingyuan removed the hood from the prisoner¡¯s head and kicked him in the knee, forcing him to kneel on the ground. The embroidered-uniformed guards widened their eyes as they saw a dusty and exhausted face with wet, disheveled hair and pieces of rope hanging from it. Wu Dingyuan briefly explained his encounter at Fan Bone Terrace, but to avoid trouble, he did not mention the two assassins. The guards, who were experienced in solving cases, immediately understood that this person¡¯s actions were indeed suspicious. Just as the old Chiliarch was about to approach and ask more questions, the little runner rushed forward, frowned, observed for a moment, and then reached out to pull a betel nut from the prisoner¡¯s mouth. The prisoner¡¯s pent-up rage suddenly erupted, ¡°You damned murderers! Blind fools! I am the Crown Prince of the Great Ming! Release me immediately or your three generations will be executed! No, nine generations! Ten generations!¡± The little runner¡¯s eyes flickered as he hurriedly helped him up from the ground, untied the ropes binding his hands, and then knelt down, addressing him as ¡°Your Highness.¡± This sudden turn of events left the surrounding guards a bit stunned. The old Chiliarch asked suspiciously, ¡°As a mere runner, how do you know what the Crown Prince looks like?¡± The young official lifted his chin and replied, ¡°I passed the imperial examination in the nineteenth year of the Yongle era, and I personally saw Emperor Taizong during the palace examination. The person in front of us is indeed an exact match!¡± They were still somewhat skeptical, so Zhu Zhanji took off a blue lotus-shaped jade pendant from around his neck and waved it angrily in the air, saying, ¡°Look at this!¡± This jade pendant was given to him by the Yongle Emperor when he accompanied his grandfather on a military expedition. It was engraved with the words ¡°Only the Best and the One,¡± and he never took it off. Everyone in the world knew that it belonged to the Crown Prince. When the Embroidered Uniform Guards saw this token, they immediately had no doubts and hurriedly knelt down. Only Wu Dingyuan stood frozen in shock. The suspect of this explosion turned out to be the Crown Prince of Ming? This¡­ this is too illogical. The treasure ship was already near the Dongshui Pass, and the prince should have disembarked with the help of the Eastern Palace staff. How could he run to the stern by himself? It was only when his arms were suddenly grabbed by someone that Wu Dingyuan came out of his daze. It turned out to be several flagbearers that rushed up and forcefully pinned down Wu Dingyuan, the rebel holding the prince, rendering him immobile. He smiled self-deprecatingly and did not resist, slowly lowering his head. The old Chiliarch knew that leaving this person at the scene would only embarrass the prince, so he ordered, ¡°Throw this person into the inner prison for now, and we¡¯ll interrogate him later!¡± As he watched Wu Dingyuan disappear, the old Chiliarch personally brought out a round chair from the courtyard and kindly invited the prince to rest for a while. Zhu Zhanji sat down heavily, staring blankly at the wall, his chest rising and falling irregularly. His mind was still in a daze, everything had happened too suddenly ¨C first a devastating explosion, then nearly drowning in the icy river, then being blindfolded, kicked, and punched, with the stench of blood filling his nostrils. If this was a nightmare, it should be over by now. The young official picked up the jade pendant from the ground, inspected it, and found no damage, then respectfully handed it back to Zhu Zhanji. Zhu Zhanji raised his eyes and muttered, ¡°What exactly¡­ happened?¡± Translator¡¯s Notes: 1 Yamen was a governmental institution in ancient China, primarily responsible for the management and execution of local administrative and judicial affairs. ) 2 One zhang is approximately 3.33 meters.) 3 Embroidered Uniform Guard was an intelligence-gathering organization in the Ming Dynasty that engaged in activities such as surveillance, arrest, and interrogation. Its leader was typically a trusted military general of the emperor, directly accountable to the emperor. They had the authority to arrest and interrogate anyone, including members of the imperial family.) CH 2.2 Everyone looked at each other, unable to explain the details. Finally, the runner spoke up loudly, ¡°Your Highness, your boat was blown up by the rebels, and the officials at the Dongshui Pass pier were affected.¡± The surrounding chiliarchs and deputy chiliarchs gasped in shock. This brat is so bold, the situation is still unclear, yet he dares to make such a firm statement, will he take responsibility for his words? Zhu Zhanji glanced at the low-ranking official. He had covered his head just now, but he had heard someone shout, ¡°The Eastern Palace is in danger,¡± and he had a good impression of it. ¡°What is your name?¡± he asked. The official hurriedly replied, ¡°I am Yu Qian, a runner from the Nanjing Office of Runners.¡± As he spoke, his voice was loud and his eyes sparkled. The old chiliarch secretly sneered, ¡°You¡¯re not even thirty years old, and you¡¯re working in an idle yamen meant for retirees, what¡¯s there to be proud of?¡± Zhu Zhanji nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re good.¡± After that, he fell silent. Yu Qian took the opportunity to say, ¡°Since the situation in the city is not yet settled, I ask Your Highness to stay here temporarily. It won¡¯t be too late to move when Earl Xiangcheng and Eunuch Sanbao have an answer.¡± Zhu Zhanji frowned slightly, ¡°Where are they now?¡± Yu Qian replied, ¡°They are both waiting for Your Highness at Dongshui Pass, but the current situation¡­ um, is still unclear. Your Highness is precious, blessed by the heavens, it would be appropriate to send someone to inquire first and wait for them to come and assist.¡± Yu Qian has a dignified appearance and speaks with a direct gaze, which is quite convincing. Zhu Zhanji decided to listen to him and stay at the Embroidered Uniform Guard to observe the situation. The old Chiliarch was not happy with Yu Qian stealing the limelight, so he hurriedly volunteered to go to the pier himself to check on the situation before hastily leaving. After the old Chiliarch left, someone in the courtyard brought the Crown Prince a basin of well water and asked him to wash his face and hair. The Embroidered Uniform Guards were used to dealing with prisoners, and they were clumsy when it came to serving nobles. Zhu Zhanji reluctantly rubbed his face a few times and then curled up in a chair, his hands weakly resting on the armrests. Normally, servants would take care of such things, but now all those people, including his cricket, were dead, leaving him alone. The thought of this brought endless grief and sorrow to Zhu Zhanji¡¯s heart. Along with the grief came a wave of intense fear, like a whip lashing his nerves, constantly bringing back the horrifying images of the explosion. Yu Qian didn¡¯t dare to disturb the Crown Prince who was suddenly faced with such a drastic change. He needed some time to digest everything in silence. So Yu Qian went over to a deputy Chiliarch and asked him to bring the Crown Prince a cup of hot tea, preferably with some sour jujubes or pine nuts to calm his nerves. The Deputy Chiliarch widened his eyes, wondering who this little runner thought he was, barking orders at the Embroidered Uniform Guard. But then he remembered that the Crown Prince had just praised this guy by saying, ¡°You¡¯re good,¡± so he reluctantly turned around and ordered someone to prepare it. Yu Qian then asked about the location of the prison, saying that he wanted to see the person who had kidnapped the Crown Prince. The Deputy Chiliarch wanted to refuse, but he couldn¡¯t stand Yu Qian¡¯s piercing gaze, so he reluctantly answered. He called a flagbearer to lead the way and keep an eye on Yu Qian to make sure he didn¡¯t do anything unnecessary. Following the flagbearer, Yu Qian entered the second courtyard of the backyard. Behind the hanging flower gate was a cloister with a carved pattern in the shape of the Chinese character ¡°hui(»Ø)¡±. Surrounding it were various buildings, with the Yinyin Hall to the north, followed by the Signature Room, the Record Room, the Duty Office, and the Storeroom. The prison was located at the end of the corridor to the south, right along the central axis. This place was only used temporarily to hold prisoners, and most of the cells were empty. Although it was a bit dirty, the atmosphere of resentment was not particularly strong. The flagbearer kindly reminded Yu Qian as they approached, ¡°If you ask questions, stay further away to avoid being tainted by the stench of this ¡®bamboo pole¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you know him?¡± Yu Qian asked. Gossiping and spreading rumors seemed to be a common human trait. The flagbearer was quite familiar with the situation in Ying Tian Prefecture, and briefly explained the origin of the nickname ¡°bamboo pole¡±. After listening, Yu Qian remained silent and went to the last cell, where he saw the infamous prodigal son through the wooden bars. Wu Dingyuan was currently tied to a wooden cross, his body pressed tightly against the vertical bar, his hands spread apart and parallel to the horizontal bar. He couldn¡¯t move at all, as this was a measure taken only for important prisoners. The stone wall behind him was particularly thick, with only a small, palm-sized opening at the top. Two iron bars on the window split the sunlight into three rays, like three long golden knives pointing at the prisoner¡¯s back. Wu Dingyuan kept his head down, motionless, in a posture of waiting for execution. However, due to the sudden situation, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had only tied him up without taking off his clothes or putting a gag in his mouth. After all, who was going to save him, even if he cried out to the Embroidered Uniform Guard¡¯s prison? Yu Qian ordered the cell door to be opened and walked over to Wu Dingyuan. He wasn¡¯t tall, so he had to tilt his head up to see Wu Dingyuan¡¯s face. ¡°I know that you saved the prince¡¯s life, but due to the urgent situation, I had to take a temporary measure. As soon as the situation stabilizes, I will speak to the Crown Prince on your behalf,¡± Yu Qian said gently. ¡°I pulled him out of the river and made him suffer for no reason. I deserve the punishment, there is no injustice,¡± Wu Dingyuan replied hoarsely, still bowing his head. This callous reply made Yu Qian¡¯s brow furrow. He took a step closer and said, ¡°the Crown Prince went through a sudden change and lost his sanity. He didn¡¯t intentionally set you up. Quickly tell me in detail everything that happened before and after the prince fell into the water, leaving nothing out.¡± Wu Dingyuan lazily raised his head and said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the Embroidered Uniform Guard be the ones to interrogate? You little almond shouldn¡¯t interfere in matters that don¡¯t concern you.¡± He deliberately called Yu Qian ¡°little almond¡± instead of ¡°little runner.¡±1 A vein burst on Yu Qian¡¯s forehead, and he couldn¡¯t help but shout angrily, ¡°The situation is critical now, and the capital is in turmoil. Anyone who receives a salary from His Majesty has a responsibility to face danger and help in times of crisis. What do you mean by meddling in matters that don¡¯t concern me?¡± Wu Dingyuan laughed and said, ¡°Fine, fine. The emperor and the Crown Prince like to hear these words the most. If you take advantage of this opportunity, you¡¯ll rise to the top in no time. You won¡¯t be a little almond anymore.¡± Feeling insulted, Yu Qian grabbed his collar and shouted, ¡°Do not think that everyone is as despicable as you! Even though I, Yu Qian, have a low position, I am not a sycophant!¡± Yu Qian, from the Yu family in Qiantang2, couldn¡¯t stand being called a sycophant. His voice was naturally loud, and combined with his turbulent emotions, it shook the dust from the ceiling, causing a few strands to fall. Wu Dingyuan scoffed, looked at him sideways, and didn¡¯t say anything. Yu Qian realized that he had lost his cool a bit. He let go of the man¡¯s collar and sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be clueless. A constable from Ying Tian Prefecture catches a suspect involved in the boat explosion, but instead of taking credit and handing him over to our jurisdiction, you take him straight to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Obviously, you¡¯re worried about your own life and want to distance yourself from this matter. You must have discovered something, but you didn¡¯t mention it earlier, am I right or not?¡± Wu Dingyuan¡¯s mouth twitched. This ¡°little almond¡± was indeed sharp, hitting the nail on the head with just one sentence. Yu Qian glared at him angrily, ¡°I have never seen someone as stupid as you. When the prince fell into the water and you didn¡¯t know his identity, you went to great lengths to save him. But now that you know that he is the prince, you hesitate and resist. You are nothing but a stubborn fool!¡± He was too emotionally charged and spoke in the official language before bursting out with a phrase in the Qiantang dialect. Wu Dingyuan was able to understand a little, knowing that it described someone who was ignorant and stubborn. This kind of scolding reminded Wu Dingyuan of his own father. Every time they, father and son, solved a big case together, Wu Dingyuan would firmly refuse to show up and take credit, only taking money to drink and go to brothels. When his old man, Wu Buping, gave him money, he cursed him with the word ¡°fujimi silk¡±. It was a northern term similar to ¡°stubborn fool. Thinking of his father, Wu Dingyuan suddenly realized that if such a big mess happened at Dongshui Pass, his father, as the chief constable of Ying Tian Prefecture, would definitely be involved. If this case remained unsolved, knowing the nature of the authorities, they might even push him to take the blame. After all, he was responsible for maintaining security in Nanjing. With this in mind, Wu Dingyuan sighed, ¡°Alright, alright, can I speak now?¡± Next, Wu Dingyuan told Yu Qian about his experience in detail: how he guarded Fan Bone Terrace, how he saw the figure on the treasure ship, how he saved the Crown Prince, how he encountered the two murderous guards, and how he changed his mind and took the prisoner to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. After listening to Wu Dingyuan¡¯s account, Yu Qian was truly impressed by this so-called lazy constable. Although his speech was vulgar, his analysis of the incident was concise, accurate, and insightful, something even seasoned officials might not have. The ¡°bamboo pole¡± turned out to be a cunning person who hid his intelligence. Yu Qian despised Wu Dingyuan¡¯s habit of shirking responsibility in the face of danger, but he agreed with his judgment-the mastermind behind this plot clearly intended to annihilate both the Crown Prince and the Nanjing officialdom. The ambition, meticulous planning, and ruthless methods were truly astounding. In a stroke of luck, the Crown Prince miraculously escaped, and Wu Dingyuan spontaneously decided to take him to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. This series of unexpected events was beyond the foresight of anyone, let alone the rebels who blew up the ship. In other words, the Crown Prince was at least safe for now. When Wu Dingyuan saw Yu Qian¡¯s tense expression relax, he guessed his thoughts and couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°Do you think they went through all this trouble just to create a big explosion?¡± ¡°What?¡± Yuan Qian asked. ¡°Today is not over yet,¡± Wu Dingyuan added casually, raising his eyelids. Yuan Qian¡¯s eyelids suddenly twitched. Oh no, the old Chiliarch went to the Dongshui Pass to gather information. If he starts bragging about how they¡¯ve sheltered the Crown Prince, it¡¯s likely that the rebel spies will find out. As soon as he thought of this, Yu Qian lost no time in explaining it to Wu Dingyuan. He quickly left the prison and walked briskly towards the front courtyard. No matter how likely this scenario was, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had to take precautions in advance. When Yu Qian returned to the courtyard, he found that the chair was empty and the Crown Prince was missing. The various deputy Chiliarchs nearby were also nowhere to be found. Shocked, Yu Qian grabbed a nearby guard and asked him what had happened. The guard explained everything honestly. It turned out that shortly after Yu Qian left, the old Chiliarch at the dock sent back some news, both good and bad: The bad news was that Earl Xiangcheng was seriously injured. He was at the front of the dock and suffered the most. The good news was that Eunuch Sanbao was fortunately unharmed. In the moment before the explosion, half of his robe fell off, and several attendants hurriedly blocked in front of him, using their bodies to shield him from most of the impact. The eunuch Sanbao, Zheng He, who was used to crises, remained calm and commanded the situation at the dock. Under his coordination, Dongshui Pass and the various government offices in Nanjing gradually restored order, and the rescue efforts were carried out in an orderly manner. Just as the Old Chiliarch ran over to report the whereabouts of the Crown Prince, Zheng He personally rushed over to meet him and take him away. The old Chiliarch played a trick and deliberately did not inform Yu Qian, who was in the prison, that the Crown Prince had been taken away. When Yu Qian heard that Zheng He had taken the Crown Prince away, he couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Zheng He was an old loyal minister of the Yongle Emperor, known for his integrity and strategic skills. His successful travels to the West had earned him great prestige. As long as he was there, Nanjing would not fall into chaos. However, it was not the time to relax. Yu Qian felt that it was important to inform the higher-ups about Wu Dingyuan¡¯s encounter with the two guards as soon as possible. He asked for a writing brush and paper. With his fluent calligraphy, Yu Qian quickly filled a neat page with his official handwriting. In the letter, he warned the Crown Prince and the eunuch Sanbao that there were still enemies in Nanjing, and that they should investigate thoroughly and not take it easy. At the end of the letter, he also mentioned Wu Dingyuan¡¯s injustice, fearing that it would be forgotten amidst other important matters. After finishing writing, Yu Qian blew on the ink, folded the letter neatly, and put it in his pocket before hastily leaving. At that time, the scene on Chongli Street was still chaotic, with people standing everywhere, their faces filled with fear. Earlier, they had only heard a loud noise without understanding its cause, but now the news of the treasure ship¡¯s explosion had spread from Dongshui Pass, causing panic among the residents. Some people had even started to pack up and prepare to evacuate the city with their families. Yu Qian didn¡¯t know where the Crown Prince and the eunuch Sanbao were at this moment, but based on the situation, he predicted that they would first return to the Nanjing Guard Yamen, the safest place in the entire capital. The Nanjing Guard Yamen was located in the southwest corner of the Imperial City, and no matter which route the team took, they would have to pass through the Xian Gate on the west side of the Imperial City. All Yu Qian had to do was turn from Chongli Street to Datong Street, head north through the South Street in the western corner of the Imperial City, and hurry to the Xuanjin Bridge in front of the Xi¡¯an Gate to intercept the team. Yu Qian adjusted his hat slightly, tightened the belt around his waist, and quickly walked through the anxious crowd to enter a small alley. He had been in Nanjing for several years and was familiar with the city¡¯s landscape and knew where shortcuts could be taken. In less than an hour, Yu Qian had already reached the middle section of South Street in the western corner of Imperial City. As soon as he stepped onto the street, he craned his neck and looked north, only to see billowing smoke and a moving procession about a hundred paces away. The procession was quite mixed, with guards from the Guard Yamen wearing helmets and armor, and servants from noble families wearing short shirts. Some carried bows and arrows, while others held golden gourds, a chaotic mix with no order. There was no need to ask, this must be the team escorting the Crown Prince. The explosion at Dongshui Pass had affected too many people, so they had to temporarily assemble this chaotic group of people. The most eye-catching part of the procession was a dark red horse, whose rider wore a Goryeo crown and a crimson cloak. No matter how the horse moved, its shoulders remained steady. Next to it was a yellow silk sedan chair, carried not by bearers but by several flagbearers wearing colorful shoulder pads. The tall figure on the horse must be the eunuch Zheng He, and the sedan chair beside him could only be carrying the current Crown Prince, Zhu Zhanji. The procession moved quickly, and now the front of the team had already crossed the bridgehead and was about to step onto the Xuanjin Bridge. Yu Qian took a deep breath, quickened his pace, and caught up with them. Xuanjin Bridge is a three-arched white stone bridge with slopes at both ends and a high arch in the middle, resembling a mountain. It spans the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, with Xi¡¯an Gate on the opposite side. When Nanjing was still the capital, officials had to cross Xuanjin Bridge from Xi¡¯an Gate to enter the imperial city, making it the busiest intersection in Nanjing. The most distinctive feature of Xuanjin Bridge is the two stone lions guarding each end of the bridge. They were said to ward off evil spirits, but in reality they were meant to facilitate the flow of traffic. They divided the entrance of the bridge into three narrow lanes to prevent too many vehicles from crowding onto the bridge at once. Therefore, when the procession reached the bridge, they had to adjust their formation. The guards in front stepped aside, allowing the eunuch Sanbao and the wide sedan chair to pass through the narrow lane between the two stone lions, followed by the rest of the team through the side lanes. However, this hastily assembled team lacked coordination, and chaos ensued as they merged and separated. They collided and bumped into each other, creating a considerable gap between them and the two important figures at the front. Yuan Qian took the opportunity to catch up to the end of the procession. With his relatively short stature, he could only see the Goryeo crown and the yellow silk canopy of the sedan chair gradually rise in his field of vision as they climbed to the highest point of the Xuanjin Bridge. Suddenly, a feeling of extreme foreboding gripped him like the fangs of a poisonous snake piercing his heart. Wu Dingyuan¡¯s faint voice echoed in Yu Qian¡¯s ears, ¡°Today is not over yet.¡± Yu Qian gritted his teeth, lifted his robe, and suddenly accelerated, overtaking three or four guards behind him. He shouted, ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± The nearest soldier, seeing someone charging through, immediately grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground. Yu Qian was immobilized, but his booming voice could not be silenced. The words, ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± echoed from the side of the stone lions to the top of Xuanjin Bridge. The eunuch Sanbao heard the sound and just glanced back before continuing forward. However, the curtain of the yellow silk limousine beside him was suddenly lifted by a hand. Zhu Zhanji stuck his head out and looked back in surprise. He recognized the voice; it belonged to the young official from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. How did he manage to catch up here? Seeing the crown prince lift the curtain, the sedan chair bearers quickly stopped. This momentary pause created a distance of about half a horse¡¯s length between the sedan chair and Zheng He. Zheng He pulled on the reins and was about to urge the sedan chair bearers to move faster when his nose suddenly caught a strange odor in the air. This smell was something he had encountered many times during his long voyages at sea. It was always closely associated with the battlefield, and he had smelled it at the Dongshui Pass just now. Eunuch Sanbao reacted quickly, pulling on the reins and causing his horse to recoil and kick toward the sedan chair. The horse, a strong and fierce Qinghai breed with iron-shod hooves, acted like a battering ram and crashed heavily into the bat-shaped copper corner of the canopy. The bearers were thrown in all directions, and the tremendous impact propelled the carriage, which panicked and tumbled down the sloping stone surface. At the same time, a muffled explosion came from under the bridge. The entire stone bridge shook, and a large crack appeared in the middle. The crack quickly widened into a crevice, and the crevice turned into a deep chasm. Soon, the whole bridge collapsed and fell apart. The scattered stones turned into countless gaping mouths, carrying Eunuch Sanbao and his horse as they plunged into the Qinhuai River, creating a huge splash. Translator¡¯s Notes: 1 In Chinese, the words ¡°almond¡± and ¡°runner¡± have similar pronunciations. ¡°Almond¡± is pronounced as ¡°x¨¬ngr¨¦n¡± (ÐÓÈÊ) and ¡°runner¡± is pronounced as ¡°x¨ªng r¨¦n¡± (ÐÐÈË). 2 Qiantang, today¡¯s Hangzhou.) CH 3.1 The sudden change left everyone under the Xuanjin Bridge stunned. Only one-third of the group were well-trained guards from the security office, their immediate reaction being to rush onto the bridge to rescue their commander. The remaining two-thirds were a makeshift assembly of musicians, ceremonial attendants, doorkeepers, sedan carriers, and errand boys. They screamed and scattered, trying to distance themselves as quickly as possible. Each person went in a different direction, and the three pathways between the two stone lions instantly fell into chaos. Yu Qian struggled and shook off the distracted soldiers, charging straight to the overturned sedan under the bridge steps. Before he could extend a helping hand, Zhu Zhanji had already struggled to climb out by himself. With furrowed brows and fierce eyes, his gaze brimming with a fierce determination. Zhu Zhanji wasn¡¯t the kind of delicate prince raised within the confines of the palace. He had accompanied his grandfather on campaigns against the Northern Yuan, and within him lay the spirit of a valiant warrior. In less than an hour, he had faced two attacks, both occurring in the heart of the Ming Empire. This audacious provocation, pushing him beyond his limits, brought forth Zhu Zhanji¡¯s fiery temperament. He first kicked over a flagbearer who had been incessantly shouting on the ground, then shouted with authority, ¡°Get into the water and save people!¡± The guards snapped out of their stupor, swiftly removing their armor and dropping their weapons, and splashed into the water to retrieve Zheng He. Beside him, Yu Qian also raised his voice in the name of the Crown Prince, ordering the onlookers to take their places. His volume far surpassed that of Zhu Zhanji, resonating like a resounding bell, commanding the restless crowd to gradually retreat and make way. The situation at the bridgehead, now more aptly referred to as the Broken Bridge, slowly regained order. The rescue operation in the Qinhuai River quickly yielded results. A scarlet cloak was lifted from the water by the swimming personal guards. Among the group, there was a medical officer who quickly examined Zheng He and found that his breathing was still ongoing, and he had no apparent injuries. However, he seemed to have been suddenly impacted, with his eyes tightly shut, unable to respond to calls at the moment. Yu Qian did not let his guard down due to Zheng He¡¯s rescue. He anxiously protected Zhu Zhanji, but his eyes were fixed on the wreckage of the Xuanjin Bridge, as if searching for some clues. When Emperor Hongwu entered Jinling, the threat of the Mongolia invasion hadn¡¯t been completely resolved. Therefore, numerous hidden military tunnels were dug throughout the city gates, fortresses, inner and outer walls, and important river bridges. Under the Xuanjin Bridge, craftsmen ingeniously constructed a hidden tunnel using an arch structure. However, after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, these hidden tunnels were no longer needed and gradually sealed off. Clearly, the explosives used to blow up the bridge must have been stored in one of these hidden tunnels beneath it. Fortunately, due to the humid environment, the gunpowder became damp, resulting in a partial explosion that only caused the collapse of the stone bridge structure. If it had exploded fully, Eunuch Zheng He and everyone around would have perished. However, there was one thing that puzzled Yu Qian. The route and timing of the ship¡¯s journey were carefully planned, allowing the rebels to make advance arrangements. But they couldn¡¯t predict when the crown prince would pass through the Xuanjin Bridge. How could they have prepared so much gunpowder in advance? Unless¡­ Unless this was a well-calculated contingency plan. As long as high-ranking officials in Nanjing managed to survive the ship explosion, they would quickly enter the capital city, and the Xuanjin Bridge was a must-pass route. By arranging a follow-up attack in advance, they could ensure that any escaped fish would be struck down. The layout of these attackers was unexpectedly meticulous, displaying an unwavering determination to kill! Yu Qian suppressed his shock and quickly realized another problem. While the contingency plan was clever, its timing couldn¡¯t be predicted. Therefore, someone had to be hiding in the hidden tunnel beneath the bridge, ready to ignite the explosives when the target arrived. This meant that during the recent explosion, there must have been someone who saw the procession passing by and hastily ignited the explosives. That person must still be nearby! Yu Qian raised his head and scaned the surface of the river. He soon noticed a dark spot rising and sinking about fifty or sixty steps away from the right side of the Xuanjin Bridge in the Qinhuai River. Squinting his eyes and looking carefully, he could see that it was a person swimming against the current, struggling to reach a distant point. ¡°There¡¯s the culprit! Quickly!¡± Yu Qian urgently called some personal guards, instructing them to chase after the swimmer along the banks of the Qinhuai River. Zhu Zhanji heard Yu Qian¡¯s shout and glanced in that direction. With a serious expression, he extended his thumb, gesturing the distance, and then picked up an bow on the ground. He took out a long arrow from a guard¡¯s pouch, drew back the string, and aimed. His posture was that of a standard military archer. The bowstring twanged, and the arrow pierced through the air like a shooting star, heading towards the dark spot. Unfortunately, the aim was slightly off, missing the swimmer¡¯s head by half an inch as it plunged into the water ahead. Zhu Zhanji¡¯s eyes filled with even stronger killing intent as he reached for another arrow to take aim. Yu Qian hurriedly reminded him to leave him alive. But before he could finish speaking, the bowstring twanged again. This arrow carried a sense of grievance and anger, flying across the surface of the Qinhuai River and piercing directly into the back of the dark spot. The person¡¯s chest suddenly jerked forward, struggling for a moment before slowly sinking into the river. The personal guards who had already rushed to the riverbank quickly extended long poles and hooks, dragging him ashore. Yu Qian hurried over, only to see that the arrow shaft had pierced through the back and right side of the person¡¯s chest, causing instant death. The archery was truly remarkable, but it was also a pity. After all, this may have been the only lead they could grasp. The deceased was a man in his twenties, with a small bun hairstyle and a wide-brimmed deep-net hat. He wore a blue cloth shirt and pants, along with straw sandals, which weren¡¯t different from the common people of Nanjing. Yu Qian searched his body thoroughly but found no belongings except for a set of fire scythes. Reluctantly, he tore open the dead man¡¯s collar and shockingly discovered a white lotus flower tattooed under his left armpit. The lotus flower was divided into three petals, resembling a gathering flame. ¡°The White Lotus Sect?!¡± Yu Qian¡¯s eyes widened in horror. These three words were a nightmare that haunted the court. Originating from the Song Dynasty, this sect proclaimed the advent of Maitreya and aimed to purify the world through the flames of the white lotus. They frequently incited unrest among the masses, persisting for hundreds of years. From the Song to the Yuan and then to the Ming Dynasty, each dynasty had vigorously suppressed and prohibited the sect, yet it continued to thrive among the people. The most recent major incident occurred in the eighteenth year of the Yongle reign when the White Lotus Sect launched a massive rebellion in Shandong. Emperor Yongle had to exert great effort to suppress it, demonstrating the sect¡¯s tenacity and obstinacy. The enmity between the White Lotus Sect and the court could be described as deep as the sea. If they were responsible for this, it would explain their insane intention to exterminate the crown prince and all the officials. At this moment, Zhu Zhanji also arrived by the corpse and asked in a low voice, ¡°Who is this person? Can you discern any clues?¡± Yu Qian pointed to the tattoo and whispered a brief explanation. Zhu Zhanji took a sharp breath, having long heard of the infamous cult, causing a slight tingling sensation on his scalp. ¡°Are they responsible for all of this?¡± ¡°The situation is unclear now, anything is possible,¡± Yu Qian looked around, feeling anxious. They didn¡¯t know which corner still harbored fanatics from the White Lotus Sect. Every moment spent outside increased the danger. He urged, ¡°These culprits have grand ambitions; they must have follow-up plans. I implore Your Highness to quickly return to the imperial city and rally the people¡¯s support.¡± Zhu Zhanji let out a bitter laugh. Rally the people¡¯s support? His loyal followers in the Eastern Palace were crushed, reduced to ashes. The two great pillars he could trust in the capital, Li Long and Zheng He, were both severely wounded and unable to act. In an instant, the once-mighty Jinling city was filled with dangers, and Zhu Zhanji found himself isolated and without any familiar allies. Standing by the flowing Qinhuai River, the mighty crown prince of the Ming felt momentarily lost and helpless. There was nothing Yu Qian could do in such a situation. He could only instruct a few personal guards to collect the cultist¡¯s body and send it to the nearest shelter for investigation. Then he pulled Zhu Zhanji back to the Xuanjin Bridge. Now, only the remnants of the bridge foundations remained, slightly tilting upwards like two broken finger bones, completely impassable. Xuanjin Bridge was the only route to enter the imperial city. With it broken, one would have to detour either northward to the Bamboo Bridge or southward to the Baihu Bridge, taking a large detour. However, in this situation, who could guarantee that there were no ambushes under those two bridges? Even if the bridges were safe, what about along the way? This area was filled with shops, restaurants, and residential houses. It would be too easy to hide a dozen assassins. After careful consideration, Yu Qian believed that the best choice was to stay in place and wait for other influential officials to come for rescue. However, now that all the higher-ranking officials in Nanjing were left uncertain about their fates at Dongshui Pass, it required some thought as to whom to seek help from. At this moment, one of Zheng He¡¯s personal guards reminded them that when the incident occurred, Eunuch Zheng He immediately sent word to the imperial city, ordering the Commander of the Imperial City Defense, Zhu Buhua, to close the city gates tightly and prevent the enemy from launching a surprise attack. He should be safe and sound. Zhu Zhanji¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing this. He knew this Zhu Buhua, the eunuch who served as the commander of the imperial horse stables in the capital. He had been transferred to Jinling earlier in the year, bringing with him a special force called the Warrior Battalion to guard Nanjing. This unit was different from other military forces. It was established during the Yongle Emperor¡¯s reign and mainly consisted of young men who escaped from the grasslands, known for their excellent horsemanship. Emperor Hongxi assigned this unit to serve the crown prince, indicating how much thought was put into it. During the explosion on the ship, Zhu Buhua remained in the city and was unharmed. Therefore, Zhu Zhanji immediately wrote a letter on the spot, instructing someone to quickly deliver it to Zhu Buhua, requesting him to bring the Warrior Battalion to provide support. The guard took the order and left. Yu Qian was still not at ease and commanded the others to disperse, using the bridge as the center point, guarding the area, extending their defense perimeter to the shops along the street, about a hundred steps away. He also sent a few agile individuals to climb up to the rooftops nearby, preparing for possible crossbow attacks. Although Yu Qian was just a small runner, he distributed tasks and commands in an orderly manner. With the authority of the crown prince, both the guards and Embroidered Uniform Guards, as well as the sedan bearers and buglers, all obediently followed his orders. In no time, a tightly sealed barricade area was set up at the bridgehead. Now, unless the White Lotus Sect called forth a cavalry charge, it would be extremely difficult to threaten the crown prince. As the commotion gradually subsided, onlookers emerged from nearby shops, peering over with curiosity. Zhu Zhanji didn¡¯t want them to witness his disheveled appearance, so he stumbled and sat down on the steps between two stone lions, his eyes resembling that of an abandoned puppy. With everything arranged properly, Yu Qian approached the crown prince before reporting. However, Zhu Zhanji suddenly looked up and asked, ¡°How did you know that the White Lotus Sect had set up an ambush on Xuanjin Bridge?¡± He still remembered the shout from this low-ranking official as they were about to cross the bridge, causing him to hesitate for a moment. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been just Zheng He who fell into the water. Yu Qian took out a piece of paper from his pocket and respectfully handed it over. ¡°After Your Highness left the Embroidered Uniform Guards, I received information that there might be hidden enemies in the city, posing a threat to Your Highness. That¡¯s why I caught up to warn you. Worried about strict palace restrictions, I prepared a letter to be delivered, but I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± Zhu Zhanji glanced at the letter and felt warmth in his heart. Although it was the duty of officials to be loyal and diligent, for a mere small runner to go to such lengths, he could truly be called a loyal and pure servant. ¡°In your opinion, what should we do next?¡± The Crown Prince, unconsciously, had already regarded this eighth-ranked official as a counselor for consultation and strategy. Yu Qian replied, ¡°The situation at hand is unprecedented and catastrophic. I believe the immediate priority is to dispatch trustworthy confidants to investigate. We must understand that the enemy has made meticulous preparations. If there is any delay or indecision, we may never have another chance to uncover the truth.¡± Yu Qian had urged the Embroidered Uniform Guard to proceed with the investigation promptly because he feared that a slight delay would cause many clues to vanish without a trace. Zhu Zhanji shook his head. As for the first matter, he had some ideas in mind, but sending trusted confidants to investigate? He was now all alone, where could he find such confidants? Yu Qian understood his predicament and quickly reassured him, ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t worry. The Five Army Command, Nanjing Guard Yamen, the Five Garrison Command, Ying Tian Prefecture, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard all have experienced investigators who can be employed under your command.¡± Zhu Zhanji remained silent for a while before uttering four words through gritted teeth, ¡°I don¡¯t trust them.¡± Yu Qian was initially startled but quickly understood. It wasn¡¯t surprising that the crown prince was so wary. Since the White Lotus Sect was able to infiltrate the treasure ship and smuggle gunpowder, bribe the guards of the Left Defense Battalion to cover up their actions, and set an ambush on the Xuanjin Bridge, who could guarantee that they didn¡¯t have insiders within the government? In fact, one of the reasons why the White Lotus Sect persisted despite repeated crackdowns was that they always had devotees working as insiders within the government, including high-ranking officials. Now, in the city of Nanjing, there was probably no one who dared to guarantee that they had no connection to the White Lotus Sect. On one hand, there was a shocking major case that required a thorough investigation. On the other hand, the entire city was filled with suspicion, and there was no one trustworthy. Both of them sighed simultaneously, looking towards the imperial city across the flowing waters of the Qinhuai River. Although it was already past noon, the scorching heat from the sun showed no signs of easing. The rows of glazed tiles on the vermilion walls shimmered with radiant colors, exuding a majestic and dignified aura. However, as the brightness intensified, the contrasts grew stronger. Amidst the crowded alleys and bridges, the areas where sunlight couldn¡¯t reach were particularly conspicuous. Deeply embedded within the fabric of the capital, they outlined an indescribable malice. However, at the edge of the palace walls, there was still a grey area that existed in the transition between light and shadow, neither fully black nor white, quite ambiguous. Yu Qian gazed into the distance, and suddenly a figure flashed through his mind. ¡°I recommend someone who is suitable for this task,¡± he said. ¡°Hmm?¡± raised an eyebrow the crown prince. ¡°It¡¯s the constable from Ying Tian Prefecture who saved Your Highness under the Fan Bone Terrace. His surname is Wu, and his name is Wu Dingyuan.¡± Upon hearing this name, Zhu Zhanji¡¯s hand trembled, and a mix of embarrassment, shame, and anger surged onto his face. Yes, that guy did save his life, but he had also insulted the Great Ming¡¯s Crown Prince. Zhu Zhanji had never experienced such mistreatment before in his life, sparing him was already showing tremendous grace¡ªwhat on earth was going through Yu Qian¡¯s mind? Yu Qian, seeing that the Crown Prince was about to get angry, remained composed. ¡°Your Highness, think carefully. How many people in the entire capital can be confirmed as having no connection to the White Lotus Sect?¡± Zhu Zhanji made a hesitant sound. If they were to consider who was least suspicious in the entirety of Nanjing, it was indeed Wu Dingyuan. If he was a member of the White Lotus Sect, he could have just waited for the crown prince to drown in the Qinhuai River without going through all this trouble. Seeing Zhu Zhanji¡¯s silence, Yu Qian took the opportunity to continue, ¡°I had a conversation with him in prison. It is true that he has a peculiar personality, but his insights are quite extraordinary. The reason I was able to rush to Xuanjin Bridge is because he warned me that Your Highness was still in danger. This shows that he is a capable individual.¡± ¡°If he is so capable, why is he only a constable? Why isn¡¯t he the chief constable?¡± Zhu Zhanji asked. ¡°Your Highness sees things accurately. Wu Dingyuan¡¯s father is none other than Wu Buping, the chief constable of Ying Tian Prefecture. With his family background and scholarly heritage, can a tiger father beget a dog son?¡± Yu Qian deliberately downplayed Wu Dingyuan¡¯s ¡°reputation¡± to avoid increasing the Zhu Zhanji¡¯s concerns. ¡°But even if he is resourceful, what can a minor character like him uncover?¡± Zhu Zhanji frowned, still unable to get over that hurdle in his mind. ¡°White Lotus Sect has many spies. If we send the guards everywhere, it might startle the snakes in the grass. We must let the lowly criminals deal with the rats hiding in the city,¡± Yu Qian suggested. Zhu Zhanji was about to find another excuse when Yu Qian suddenly became serious. ¡°In the past, Guan Zhong pulled a bow and tried to kill the Duke Huan of Qi. Although Duke Huan had grievances with him before, he put it aside and employed him, leading to his domination of the Central Plains. Your Highness is intelligent and astute, you should learn from history.¡± Zhu Zhanji stared at Yu Qian. This low-ranking official had a straight nose and a wide chin. Although he was around the same age as Zhu Zhanji, his tone and demeanor were as old-fashioned as an elder from the Council of State. After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Zhanji couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Alright, for now, I will temporarily appoint you as the Right Deputy to the Chancellor of Youchun District, allowing you to act freely.¡± The position of the Right Deputy to the Chancellor of Youchun District was only one rank higher than that of a runner. However, this position involved accompanying the crown prince closely and being responsible for impeachment and reporting matters. It held much greater prospects than being a runner. But Zhu Zhanji only granted Yu Qian a title and didn¡¯t mention Wu Dingyuan at all, evidently still harboring resentment. Yu Qian understood that Zhu Zhanji wanted him to monitor Wu Dingyuan¡¯s actions, so he bowed to the ground and said, ¡°I will not disappoint Your Highness¡¯s trust.¡± Zhu Zhanji unwillingly wrinkled his nose. ¡°I hope neither of us is mistaken today, or else¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, the sound of galloping hooves came from the distant street. Soon, a large group of shining-armored imperial guards rushed in, stirring up clouds of dust. The leader of the cavalry was a man with a broad face, his features mostly concealed by a white cloth covering half of his face and his narrow eyes. At first glance, it seemed like a criminal about to commit a crime. However, the banners on both sides indicated that the arrival was none other than Zhu Buhua, the Eunuch in charge of guarding the Nanjing. Zhu Zhanji remembered that he was a Mongolian who had been living in Yunnan. His original name was Tuotuo Buhua, but after entering the palace, he received the bestowed surname Zhu and took charge of the Imperial Guards. He was one of Emperor Yongle¡¯s trusted confidants. Now that Eunuch Zheng He and Earl Xiangcheng were absent, Zhu Buhua naturally became the person in charge of the city. Seeing him rushing over, Zhu Zhanji stood up from the stone steps, his expression relaxing slightly. This ordeal could finally come to an end. He lowered his arm and gently waved his hand. Yu Qian understood and knew that Zhu Zhanji didn¡¯t want to expose this thread too early, so he tactfully stepped back a few steps and blended into the crowd. The cavalry of the Warrior Battalion arrived at Xuanjin Bridge in an instant. These knights were strong and well-trained, honed on the grasslands. When they galloped, their momentum was astonishing, leaving people breathless. Without waiting for his horse to steady, Zhu Buhua rolled off the saddle and approached thecCrown prince with a fearful expression, apologizing. Zhu Buhua explained that he had developed ulcers on his face recently and had to cover it with cloth, fearing it would startle His Highness. It was fortunate that he fell ill and couldn¡¯t go to Dongshui Pass to receive Zhu Zhanji. This allowed him to escape disaster. Zhu Zhanji maintained a calm expression as he reassured Zhu Buhua and suggested proceeding to the Imperial City first. Zhu Buhua bowed and personally helped him onto his horse, while also having the unconscious Zheng He lifted into a carriage with thick curtains. The surrounding knights immediately formed a dense guard. Zhu Zhanji, on his horse, pointed at Yu Qian with the tip of his whip and said to Zhu Buhua, ¡°This person has meritoriously protected me. Reward him with a horse and plaque.¡± During Emperor Taizong¡¯s reign, it was common to bestow horses and plaques to deserving officials. The ¡°horse¡± referred to a palace horse adorned with purple brocade reins, allowing one to ride freely within the city. The ¡°plaque¡± referred to the iron pass plaque with the words ¡°Passing the City¡± inscribed on its front. With these two items, apart from the Forbidden Garden of the Imperial City, there were no restrictions on where one could go within the capital. By granting this reward, Zhu Zhanji was following ancestral customs, which didn¡¯t seem out of place. Zhu Buhua thought to himself that most likely this low-ranking official had coincidentally saved the crown prince¡¯s life, and he didn¡¯t want any further involvement, hoping to settle this favor cleanly on the spot. So he instructed the knights beside him to give up a piebald strong horse and handed Yu Qian a bell-shaped iron waist plaque taken from his belt. Yu Qian bowed to the Crown Prince to express his gratitude, and Zhu Buhua quickly mounted his horse again. The large group of people then surrounded Zhu Zhanji and thunderously left. In front of Xuanjin Bridge, a group of onlookers remained, exchanging puzzled glances. Yu Qian was about to leave when he encountered an embarrassing situation ¨C he didn¡¯t know how to ride a horse. Growing up in Hangzhou, he was familiar with boats and ships, and had often ridden donkeys and mules, but riding a horse was a completely new experience for him. Yu Qian intended to avoid the gaze of those around him, but time waits for no one. He had no choice but to find a mounting stone from an unknown mansion nearby and clumsily climb onto the saddle. The well-trained horse felt the weight on its back and started moving forward automatically. Before Yu Qian could put his feet into the stirrups, he was frightened and almost fell off. The key to horseback riding is to tighten the hips and keep the legs close together, while keeping the buttocks slightly lifted and leaning forward to lower the center of gravity and maintain balance. Yu Qian had no knowledge of these techniques and did the opposite. His legs were spread apart, his buttocks firmly pressed against the saddle, causing his whole body to sway from side to side. His hands clung tightly to the reins like a drowning person grabbing at straw, making the horse unsure of what to do. With Yu Qian swaying left and right, he and the horse continued along the street towards the south, presenting a comical sight. However, compared to the awkwardness of riding the horse, Yu Qian¡¯s mood was even more fluctuating and uneasy. He had only intended to warn Zhu Zhanji of the danger, but unexpectedly ended up in the Council of State, receiving an imperial mission. This imperial mission was not an easy task. The brutality and cunningness of the enemy, as seen from the explosion of the ship, far exceeded Yu Qian¡¯s imagination, and the court was currently unable to provide any support. Trying to stop a heavy vehicle with the strength of a mantis arm was likely to result in being crushed into pieces before receiving any reward. As a small official without power or influence, Yu Qian suddenly bore such a heavy burden, naturally feeling fearful. However, he was inherently naive and stubborn, firmly believing that someone had to step forward in times of crisis. Otherwise, Yu Qian wouldn¡¯t have left the Office of Runners to meddle with the affairs of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. ¡°In times of defeat, I am entrusted; in times of danger, I am commanded¡­¡± Yu Qian softly recited these two lines which he liked the most from the ¡°Memorial of Departure.¡±1 It was strange, but as soon as the words left his lips, his anxious mood gradually calmed down. As the ancients said, aspirations arise from words, and thoughts are expressed through writing. Truly, it wasn¡¯t deceiving him. With these thoughts, Yu Qian¡¯s eyes ahead became brighter. His hands, tightly gripping the reins, slowly relaxed into a loose grip. From the tension of the reins, the horse beneath him sensed the determination of its master. It moved more steadily and resolutely than before. Translator¡¯s Note: 1 ¡°The Memorial of Departure¡± is the document that Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, wrote to Emperor Liu Shan before deciding to lead a northern campaign against the kingdom of Wei and recapture the Central Plains.