Returning to Hualin Garden

October 28, night.

Jiankang Palace, the Southern Secretariat.

The imperial road before the palace.

Historically, the Southern Secretariat had never been a long-standing institution like the Department of State Affairs or the Secretariat.

Emperor Wu of Liang had established the Southern Secretariat in the seventh year of Tianjian, building it upon the Department of State Affairs as a temporary decision-making body directly under his own authority.

Its leading members were mostly drawn from the Xiao Liang imperial family.

For example, in the tenth year of Tianjian, Prince of Poyang Xiao Hui, Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan's younger brother, was summoned to the capital and given titles such as "Attendant Gentleman, General of the Protector Army, in charge of Shitou Garrison affairs, with assistants and clerks appointed, and transferred to the Southern Secretariat." He entered the court to assist with state affairs.

Zhu Yuanzhang arrived a little later than before.

By then, Yang Kan and Fu Qi had moved to the woods beside the road on the right, to avoid being seen by the sparse trickle of people emerging from the Secretariat.

This time, with no Minghe interrupting them,

their conversation went into greater depth than it had before.

"Hou Jing raised his army under the pretext of 'ridding the emperor's side of evil.' If we don't kill Zhu Yi, how can we ease the doubts in the soldiers' hearts?"

Under the thick canopy of overlapping shadows, the moonlight was faint, lending Fu Qi's expression a few more traces of ferocity.

"If we don't kill Hou Jing, Taicheng will sooner or later fall into enemy hands. By then, the Xiao Liang imperial family in the city will likely all be captured by Hou Jing."

"Commander Fu."

Wearing the Tiger-Skin Monk Robe and silently reciting the Sangqiwo Jataka Secret Mantra, Zhu Yuanzhang watched everything in silence.

Fu Qi was still trying to use Hou Jing's siege of the city as an opportunity to topple his political rival.

Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to understand what Fahui had meant when he said that "the games of gods and spirits" would eventually become "a contest of interests and desires between people."

At first, Zhu Yi had been one of the few Xiao Liang civil officials who defied the majority and supported Emperor Wu of Liang's decision to accept Hou Jing, a defector from Northern Wei, into his service.

He had even declared, "With Your Majesty's enlightened rule, you answer to the heavens above. Who among the people left behind in the north does not admire you? They simply lack the opportunity to make their feelings known. Now Hou Jing has taken more than half of Wei's territory and come from afar to return to the sacred court. If we refuse to accept him, we may extinguish the hopes of those who come after him."

In the end, he had successfully "persuaded" Emperor Wu of Liang to accept Hou Jing's allegiance.

And the strange thing was that this very man, who should theoretically have earned Hou Jing's gratitude,

had become the excuse Hou Jing used to launch his rebellion.

"Kill Zhu Yi! Rid the emperor's side of evil!"

The warrior whose label above his head read [Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince, Yang Kan] shook his head. He wore a full suit of armor, held his helmet in one hand, and had a sword at his waist.

"Zhu Yi is His Majesty's most trusted confidant and a pillar of the state. How can we kill him without authorization?"

At this, a trace of disappointment appeared on Fu Qi's face.

"General, you claim to be a loyal servant of the state! How can you stand by and watch the Xiao Liang imperial family perish?"

But Yang Kan's expression remained resolute.

"I cannot."

"Alas! If we don't kill Zhu Yi, Taicheng will fall! The state will be in peril!"

Fu Qi let out a long sigh and looked up at the sky.

Then, under Yang Kan's somewhat guilty gaze, Fu Qi shook his head as he spoke.

As if Yang Kan's refusal had forced him to make an extremely difficult decision.

"The only thing we can do now is send one of the Xiao Liang imperial princes out of the city, in case the worst happens."

"Among the princes in Taicheng, who does Commander Fu think would be the best choice?"

Perhaps hoping to make up for his mistake, Yang Kan asked urgently.

"The grandson of Crown Prince Zhaoming! Xiao Dong."

After giving his answer, Fu Qi stared unblinkingly at Yang Kan.

Yang Kan lowered his head, his expression shifting. He looked to be wrestling with himself.

"Very well."

"Good!"

Fu Qi replied at once, as if afraid Yang Kan might change his mind.

"Same old tricks," Zhu Yuanzhang thought, his energy concealed by the Sangqiwo Jataka Secret Mantra as the corner of his mouth twitched.

Real political struggles were so plain and dull.

"I still need three or four strong men to go to Hualin Garden and protect Prince of Yuzhang. Once we reach Sima Gate, I ask that you have elite cavalry ready to assist us from the side."

"Well... cavalry is no problem. But reliable strong men who can enter the inner city..."

Yang Kan trailed off, a troubled look passing over his face.

"That will be difficult..."

"I would be willing to escort Commander Fu to Hualin Garden."

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice came out of nowhere.

He gave Fu Qi a long look.

It was clear from their conversation just now.

In his previous life, Fu Qi had lied to him.

He had no reliable strong men or retainers at all.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to borrow men from Yang Kan.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised the Demon-Subduing Pestle and casually brought it down hard on the old locust tree beside him, which had stood for two hundred years.

In an instant, a head-sized hole appeared high in the trunk, which was as thick as two men.

The Demon-Subduing Pestle had plunged into the trunk and pierced straight through it.

"A true strong man indeed."

Fu Qi's expression shifted.

But then he abruptly put on an eager, welcoming look.

"Loyal servants emerge in times of national crisis. There's no time to lose, Zen Master. Please come with me at once to Hualin Garden to meet His Highness, the Prince of Yuzhang."

"As I should."

Maybe it was just his imagination.

Zhu Yuanzhang couldn't shake the feeling that the old fox was plotting against him.

Afterward, just as in his previous life, he quickly persuaded Yang Kan—who had already been persuaded by him—and then set off with Fu Qi.

Hualin Garden.

The same ghastly white lanterns, the same crimson shadows lining both sides of the road.

And Consort Ding, flying toward them with a white silk sash seemingly suspending her in midair.

Along with that eerie, ancient ballad describing an unhappy marriage.

From Fu Qi, Zhu Yuanzhang learned that the song was Imitating the Difficult Journey, written by Bao Zhao, a poet of the Southern Dynasties, in the style of Han dynasty Music Bureau verse.

In this era, it was probably the equivalent of... pop music?

Only this time, once Zhu Yuanzhang realized who she was, he revealed his identity without hesitation.

Gripping the Demon-Subduing Pestle, he stepped forward. Mountain-Shrinking Fist came into play, and Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Fire burst forth.

As he prepared for battle, he called out loudly,

"Traitors have infiltrated the Hualin Garden Office to harm the Xiao Liang imperial family! We've come to take His Highness, Xiao Dong, out of the palace to escape danger. Please take us to see His Highness, the Prince of Yuzhang, at once!"

At Zhu Yuanzhang's words, the venomous look in Consort Ding's eyes froze.

A moment passed.

She studied the young monk before her while also sensing the commotion coming from the Hualin Garden Office behind her.

Then countless ghastly white hands burst out of Consort Ding's body.

They shot toward the office.

The boss had entered her second form!

Zhu Yuanzhang's prediction had been right.

That enormous black eye and Consort Ding really were enemies.

And this time, knowing Fu Qi was a weakling,

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't put him in front of himself for protection.

Instead, he made him follow obediently behind.

In the sky, countless streams of black energy, ghostly shadows, and pale hands collided.

Their impacts rang out in a series of shrill howls.

By then, Consort Ding had transformed into a strange creature in a white robe, with countless long, slender hands.

The instant he saw the "Thousand-Armed Consort Ding" floating above him,

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly felt a discomfort in his throat.

Several pale, slender hands emerged from his stomach.

They clawed frantically at his mouth, trying to tear it open and burst through.

"Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Fire!"

True fire surged from every part of his body.

It burned Zhu Yuanzhang with a sizzling sound, like a salted fish on a barbecue grill.

It made stars dance before his eyes.

But the Dingguang Demon-Subduing True Fire was also especially effective against an evil creature like Consort Ding.

A moment later, Zhu Yuanzhang felt his abdomen relax.

The intense bloating vanished at once.

His stomach and the pale hands inside it were all reduced to ashes under the scorching true fire.