Zhu Zhanjun's calm and precise analysis brought everyone in the study back to their senses from the absurd farce that had just unfolded.
This had not been an accident, but a vicious assassination attempt that had been plotted for a long time, carried out beneath the Son of Heaven's feet, within the Imperial City!
And the target of the assassination was none other than the Crown Prince!
Zhu Di's expression was terrifyingly grim, and a tremendous imperial rage began to build within the hall.
"Embroidered Uniform Guard!"
With a furious roar from him, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Ji Gang, who had been standing guard outside the hall, immediately rushed in with his men and dropped to one knee.
"Your servant is here!"
"Investigate this for me!"
Zhu Di's voice sounded as though it had been forced through clenched teeth, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
"Seal off the entire city! Turn the whole capital upside down if you have to, but drag that assassin out for me!"
"I want his entire clan executed!"
"Your servant obeys!"
Ji Gang accepted the order and was just about to withdraw.
Just then, a strange, mocking voice came from outside the hall.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger. There's no need for so much trouble. The assassin... this old subject has already captured him for you."
Before the voice had even faded, Minister of War Fang Bin swaggered in, surrounded by a squad of Military Command soldiers.
Behind him, two soldiers escorted a black-clad man who was bound from head to toe and covered in blood.
Fang Bin walked to the center of the hall, first bowing respectfully to Zhu Di before speaking in an unhurried tone. "Your Majesty, the Eastern Palace was attacked, and the incident happened without warning."
"This old subject happened to be patrolling nearby. Upon hearing the commotion, I immediately ordered my men to seal off the surrounding area. By sheer coincidence, we caught this suspicious assassin outside the walls of the Eastern Palace."
His gaze meaningfully swept toward Zhu Zhanjun, who stood nearby, and an almost imperceptible cold smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"After an overnight interrogation by my Military Command, this assassin has confessed to everything."
As he spoke, he took a written confession from his sleeve and presented it.
"Your Majesty, please have a look. This is the assassin's confession, personally signed and sealed by him."
A eunuch took the confession with trembling hands and passed it to Zhu Di.
Zhu Di glanced at it, and his hawk-like pupils suddenly contracted.
The confession clearly stated in crooked, uneven handwriting that the person who had ordered him to assassinate the Crown Prince was none other than—Prince Zheng, Zhu Zhanjun!
The confession "detailed" how Zhu Zhanjun had found him, promised him high office and great wealth, and given him a military Repeating Crossbow and poison so that he could infiltrate the Eastern Palace and create chaos, thereby "clearing the obstacles" for himself.
"Utter nonsense!"
Before Zhu Di could speak, Crown Princess Zhang was already trembling with rage. Pointing at Fang Bin, she shouted harshly, "Fang Bin! What are you plotting?"
"My son Zhanjun only just saved his father's life. How could he possibly commit such an outrageous act of treason?"
"You're slandering him!"
"Crown Princess, please calm yourself."
Fang Bin bowed slightly, completely unruffled.
"This old subject is merely stating the facts."
"The confession is in black and white, and the assassin is right here. Whether it is slander or not will be clear after asking him."
He turned toward the captive assassin and demanded in a stern voice, "Brazen assassin! Say it again in front of His Majesty and everyone else. Who was it, exactly, who ordered you to assassinate the Crown Prince?"
The assassin lifted his head, revealing a face beaten until it was a bloody, mangled mess.
He glanced at Zhu Zhanjun. A trace of venom and fear flashed through his eyes as he shouted hoarsely, "It... it was him! It was His Highness Prince Zheng!"
"He gave me a thousand taels of gold and told me to kill the Crown Prince!"
"He said... he said that once the Crown Prince was dead, he could become the Imperial Grandson, and in the future, he could become the emperor!"
The moment these words were spoken, the entire hall was thrown into shock.
Everyone's gaze instantly converged on Zhu Zhanjun.
Even Zhu Zhanji, who had been filled with gratitude and trust toward him only moments ago, now had a trace of doubt and scrutiny in his eyes.
Colluding with foreign enemies and plotting against the Imperial Grandson.
And now, ordering an assassin to attack his own father.
Either of these two crimes alone would be enough to send an Imperial Prince into eternal ruin.
"Second Brother, this..."
Zhu Zhanji opened his mouth. He wanted to say something, but did not know where to begin.
The atmosphere throughout the study was oppressive to the extreme.
Only Zhu Zhanjun wore a playful smile from beginning to end.
He was like an outsider, watching Fang Bin and the assassin put on their earnest performance with great interest.
Only after everyone's gaze had gathered upon him did he saunter forward and take the so-called "confession" from Zhu Di's hand.
He did not even look at its contents. He merely brought the paper beneath his nose and gave it a sniff.
"Hmm. First-rate Hui ink, with a faint trace of dragon's salvia incense."
He then walked over to the assassin, crouched down, and carefully examined him while gripping his chin.
"Three broken teeth, a sunken left cheekbone, and obvious marks from having your fingers crushed in a splint."
"It seems the methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guard have been learned quite well by your Military Command."
He rose to his feet, casually tossed the confession onto the floor, and stamped on it with his foot.
"Lord Fang, after keeping yourselves busy all night, this is what you came up with?"
His tone was filled with undisguised contempt and mockery.
"Are you insulting my intelligence, or my grandfather's?"
"His Highness Prince Zheng, what exactly do you mean by that?"
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