Setting out to arrest Lan Yu

"Xu Xingzu went out of his way to apologize to him?"

After receiving Dongqing's report, Lü Shi gritted her teeth. "I knew that old thing couldn't be trusted. One scolding, and he went crawling to Zhu Yuntong. He took so many favors from us and still dared to betray us. He deserves..."

Before she could finish, her agitation made her move too sharply, aggravating the injuries from her beating that morning. She sucked in a breath of cold air while inwardly cursing Consort Guo as a filthy bitch.

The eunuch serving Consort Guo had actually dared to hit her-and had hit her so hard.

Damn it!

Lü Shi dared not curse aloud. She could only seethe inwardly.

All the advantages had originally been on her side. How had they vanished one after another once Zhu Yuntong began wrecking things? Lü Shi could not yet work out the exact reason. She only knew it was time to panic.

The image they had built would not hold, and their advantages were gone too.

What would happen next?

Lü Shi could not imagine.

What baffled her even more was when Zhu Yuntong had become so formidable.

He had stayed silent until he could stun the world with a single cry, then pinned them down and ground them into the dirt.

"Yunwen, why aren't you saying anything?"

Lying facedown on the cushioned couch, Lü Shi glanced at Zhu Yunwen, who had his head buried in a book, and felt deeply displeased.

Only then did Zhu Yunwen raise his head. After a long while, he said, "Zhu Yuntong is too formidable. Even at studying, he's better than me. He's already memorized all the Four Books. I can't fall behind. I have to memorize them too."

Then he went back to reciting.

But the more he recited, the more irritated he became.

He could not calm himself at all, and none of it would sink in.

Ever since Zhu Yuntong had turned up the pressure, Zhu Yunwen had been questioning his entire life. He no longer trusted himself, yet he refused to keep losing to Zhu Yuntong.

He had to fight back. He had to strike back!

Lü Shi gritted her teeth. "He won't be smug for long!"

She had already arranged for the incense to be delivered.

Now, all she had to do was wait for Zhu Yuntong to die without a sound. Once he was gone, Zhu Yunwen could still become the Imperial Grandson!

She wanted Zhu Yuntong dead. Then no one would be able to compete with Zhu Yunwen.

Early the next morning.

Once again, Xu Xingzu came over to curry favor with Zhu Yuntong, bringing him plenty of breakfast.

Zhu Yuntong handed a few clean steamed buns to Liu Liu, then headed toward the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Holding the large steamed buns, Liu Liu was moved beyond words. For someone like him, being treated with respect made him feel more like a human being.

His Highness treats me so well, yet I... I'm still going to hurt him! Liu Liu felt he was no human being at all.

Seeing the gratitude written all over his face, Zhu Yuntong thought, Isn't this fellow far too easy to hoodwink?

Putting that aside for now, Zhu Yuntong strode out toward the Palace of Heavenly Purity. But as he reached the main gates of the Eastern Palace, he saw Zhu Yunwen approaching too.

"Third Brother..."

Zhu Yunwen had to maintain his image and was about to greet him.

But Zhu Yuntong acted as though he had not seen him and strode away without looking back. Zhu Yunwen felt humiliated, yet could hardly lose his temper. He could only swallow it for now, yawn, and hurry after him.

After two steps, he felt the world spin and suddenly could not keep his footing.

To memorize his books and surpass Zhu Yuntong, he had stayed up very late the night before. Having to get up so early to pay his respects to Old Zhu, he had almost failed to rise at all. Now that he had finally managed it, his head was swimming and he could barely stand, terrifying the eunuch beside him.

Upon reaching the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Zhu Yuntong said bluntly, "Imperial Grandfather, you deliberately let me see that memorial about Lan Yu. I've read it, so let's both stop pretending."

The blunt remark startled Zhu Yuanzhang for a moment. "What do you intend to do?"

Zhu Yuntong said, "Lend me the Embroidered Guard. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the result!"

"Very well!"

As though he could guess something, Zhu Yuanzhang took out the command token he had prepared long beforehand. "You can stir things up however you like, but I won't give you an imperial decree. You'll have to rely on your own abilities!"

He was still pleased that Zhu Yuntong had thought of this.

"Your grandson will take his leave!"

Zhu Yuntong took the token and walked out of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, adding, "I'm dead tired. I'll go back and catch up on sleep first, then get to work later."

Zhu Yuanzhang: "..."

That little rebellious grandson truly was unlike anyone else. He always managed to surprise him.

"Pass down my command. Today's morning court is canceled."

Zhu Yuanzhang also needed to keep Lan Yu at home while he waited for Zhu Yuntong's performance.

It was nearly noon before Zhu Yuntong left the imperial palace. With the command token in his hand, the palace guards did not dare stop him. Once outside, he asked where the Embroidered Guard's Military Investigations Office was and headed straight there.

He produced the token again and showed his face, gaining entry without trouble.

The current commander of the Embroidered Guard was Jiang Jue. Upon hearing that Zhu Yuntong had arrived, he hurried out to greet him.

"What brings Your Highness, the Third Imperial Grandson, here?" Jiang Jue asked, thoroughly puzzled.

In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang had given Jiang Jue no advance notice. He had merely handed the token to Zhu Yuntong and left them to handle what followed.

All of this remained within Zhu Yuanzhang's control. He had no fear of matters getting out of hand.

"Do you recognize this?"

Zhu Yuntong took out the command token and held it up for Jiang Jue to see clearly.

"Please give your orders, Your Highness!"

Jiang Jue's manner instantly became respectful.

Of course he recognized that token. Its bearer stood in the emperor's place and could order the Embroidered Guard to do anything.

Having spoken, Jiang Jue was deeply puzzled. What did His Majesty need His Highness to do? He could not make sense of it.

"Assemble all the Embroidered Guard."

Zhu Yuntong declared loudly, "Come with me to make an arrest!"

Jiang Jue thought for a moment before asking, "Your Highness, whom are we arresting?"

"The Duke of Liang, Lan Yu!"

At those words, Jiang Jue froze on the spot.

Jiang Jue certainly knew about the investigation into Lan Yu. He had submitted that memorial himself. But why was Zhu Yuntong leading the Embroidered Guard to arrest him?

Wasn't he His Highness's relative?

A grandnephew arresting his great-uncle-this truly turned the heavens upside down!

Jiang Jue was bewildered, but dared neither disobey nor ask further questions. Every member of the Embroidered Guard without an assignment assembled, then followed Zhu Yuntong as he bore down on the Duke of Liang's Residence.

With so many members of the Embroidered Guard on the move, the commotion immediately drew countless eyes throughout Jinling. Everyone wondered what the Third Imperial Grandson intended to do, parading through the streets with so many guards.

Were the skies about to change again?

Zhu Yunwen felt miserable that day. He had fainted after staying up late memorizing his books and had been unable to pay his respects to Old Zhu.

He went back to rest for quite a while and only reached Great Ben Hall when lessons began. There, he discovered that Zhu Yuntong had not returned all morning.

At first, Zhu Yunwen was delighted.

He wondered whether Zhu Yuntong was skipping lessons. But soon he decided that probably was not it. Could Imperial Grandfather have kept Zhu Yuntong with him?

If that was really the case, Zhu Yunwen would fall apart again. He spent the entire morning brooding.

Having stayed up late the night before, he was also unbearably sleepy and nearly nodded off several times. But the image he had to maintain told him he absolutely could not sleep. The moment he did, he would no longer be a good student.

"Your Highness!"

Just then, Qi Tai hurried in. "There's some new information that may help us. Our opportunity may have arrived."

At those words, Zhu Yunwen's sleepiness vanished, and he hurried into the rear hall of Great Ben Hall.