You Hid Him?

Zhu Yuntong did not know the man who dared shout his name, nor had he ever seen him before.

He was probably some noble, or perhaps one of Lan Yu's adopted sons.

Even a man like this dared address an imperial grandson by name. From that alone, Zhu Yuntong could tell how arrogant and overbearing Lan Yu's followers, or certain scions of the nobility, were in their daily lives. They held everyone in contempt, and habit had become second nature.

Sometimes, thinking it over, Zhu Yuntong felt that Lan Yu and the others really did deserve to die. No emperor would tolerate men like them.

Upon hearing Zhu Yuntong's order, the Embroidered Guard went straight forward to seize the man.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

The man who had shouted so arrogantly tried to struggle, but could not budge. The Embroidered Guard held him firmly in place.

Zhu Yuntong strode forward, snatched a saber from one of the guards, and lashed the man across the face with its scabbard.

Smack...

A sharp crack rang out. Blood filled the man's mouth, and his teeth flew out as he howled in pain.

"I am an imperial grandson of Great Ming. Who do you think you are?"

Zhu Yuntong said coldly, "Is my name something you can simply shout? You have no respect for rank and dare defy your betters. Drag him away."

The blow had stunned the man, but the Embroidered Guard soon dragged him off.

"Where is Lan Yu?"

Zhu Yuntong shouted again.

"Your Highness, Third Imperial Grandson, what is the meaning of this?"

Another man hurried out.

Behind him came a group of Lan household guards. All were military men who had fought on battlefields, seen blood, and killed. The moment they appeared, blades in hand, they brought an icy killing intent with them.

There were only a few dozen of them, yet their presence overwhelmed that of the entire Embroidered Guard force.

These few dozen Lan household guards were undoubtedly hardened soldiers. They obeyed only Lan Yu's commands. Even if he ordered them to storm the imperial palace now, they would dare do it.

"This subordinate, Zhang Zhou, greets Your Highness, Third Imperial Grandson," the man added.

"Zhang Zhou?"

Zhu Yuntong recalled the memorial. This was the very Zhang Zhou who had secretly sheltered the son of Ye Sheng, a remnant of Hu Weiyong's faction.

He was also Lan Yu's adopted son.

"Tell Lan Yu to come out."

Zhu Yuntong wasted no words on him.

Zhang Zhou blocked Zhu Yuntong's path and demanded, "The Duke of Liang is Your Highness's great-uncle. Why are you behaving so unfilially?"

Zhu Yuntong said, "Today, I am here as an imperial grandson, not a relative. There is no need to claim kinship with me. Lan Yu has secretly sheltered the son of Ye Sheng, a remnant of Hu Weiyong's faction. I have come to bring him to justice. Inform Lan Yu immediately and tell him to come out and see me."

At those words, Zhang Zhou's expression shifted slightly.

How did they know about this?

In Great Ming, Hu Weiyong was practically a taboo. Anyone who touched it was doomed to die. Zhang Zhou had thought his arrangements airtight, with no chance of word getting out. He had never expected Zhu Yuntong to arrive so quickly with the Embroidered Guard.

"Your Highness, Third Imperial Grandson, do you have any evidence?"

Zhang Zhou quickly recovered and challenged him. "The Duke of Liang is a duke of the reigning dynasty, with illustrious military achievements. To arrest him, you need not only evidence but an imperial edict. You cannot simply seize him because you say so."

Zhu Yuntong had known they would obstruct him. He said coldly, "You are not worthy of knowing the evidence. As for an imperial edict, I have none. Relieving my imperial grandfather's burdens is filial devotion. Arresting Lan Yu is placing righteousness above kinship, openly and honorably. Men, go inside and seize Lan Yu."

"No imperial edict?"

Zhang Zhou's eyes lit up at that.

If there was no imperial edict, everything would be easy.

Had Zhu Yuntong come bearing an imperial edict, Zhang Zhou would not have dared do anything. Without one, however, Zhu Yuntong did not have the final say.

He dared come to arrest a duke of the reigning dynasty without even an imperial edict?

Even an imperial grandson could not do that.

Unless it was Zhu Biao who had come. But the crown prince was gone, and Zhu Yuntong was not the crown prince.

"Stop!"

Zhang Zhou shouted, "Your Highness, Third Imperial Grandson, without an imperial edict, you have no authority to arrest the Duke of Liang. If you do not withdraw at once, do not blame me for showing you no courtesy."

With that, he took a step forward.

The dozens of hardened soldiers beside him stepped forward as well.

Their icy killing intent intertwined, barring the Embroidered Guard's way and pressing down upon them.

The Embroidered Guards were capable men, but compared with hardened veterans who had returned from the battlefield, they still fell somewhat short. They were cowed in an instant.

"Your Highness, what should we do?" Jiang Jue asked.

If it came to fighting their way in, the Embroidered Guard would not flinch. They were also confident they could break through.

But this was the Duke of Liang's Residence, and they had no imperial edict. Even with His Majesty's authorization, they could not recklessly force their way inside. Once fighting broke out, the consequences would be far more serious.

"Kill anyone who stands in our way!"

Zhu Yuntong had already thrown caution to the wind.

This was a test, and he had to complete it. Only then could he save Lan Yu's life and win Old Zhu's recognition.

Otherwise, everything would belong to Zhu Yunwen, and they would gain nothing. Their eventual fate would surely be miserable. There had long since been no retreat.

"Fight your way in."

Jiang Jue waved a hand.

The Embroidered Guards in the front rank immediately raised their crossbows, while those behind drew their blades, ready to fight their way inside.

Zhang Zhou frowned at the sight. Even this had failed to frighten Zhu Yuntong into retreating. But remembering that there was no imperial edict, he feared nothing. At worst, they would fight!

They had fought their way back from the battlefield and seen through life and death. Mere Embroidered Guards were not enough to frighten them. As for what happened after they fought their way out, with the Duke of Liang there, everything would surely be fine.

Just as swords were drawn and crossbows leveled, an angry shout rang out, breaking the standoff.

"Stop!"

Lan Yu strode over. He was about to say "Zhu Yuntong," but remembering the difference in their status, as well as that slap the other day, he changed his words. "May I ask what brings Your Highness, Third Imperial Grandson, here?"

Zhu Yuntong said, "Lan Yu, you have secretly sheltered the son of Ye Sheng, a remnant of Hu Weiyong's faction. I have come to arrest you and bring you to justice. I advise you to surrender without a struggle and offer no futile resistance."

"Ye Sheng's son?"

Lan Yu raised an eyebrow and turned to his adopted son, Zhang Zhou. "Did you shelter him?"

Ye Sheng and Lan Yu were related by marriage.

But anyone connected to Hu Weiyong was certain to die. Thus, when Ye Sheng was executed, Lan Yu could do nothing even if he wished to save him. His only choice was to stay out of it.

He had not sheltered Ye Sheng's son, but that did not matter. What mattered was that if anyone around him had done so, he could not escape being implicated.

"Duke of Liang, this subordinate did not."

Zhang Zhou shook his head.

Thud...

Lan Yu kicked him to the ground and roared, "I want the truth! Did you shelter him?"

"I... I..."

Zhang Zhou was not afraid of Zhu Yuntong, but he feared Lan Yu.

If Zhu Yuntong ordered Zhang Zhou to do something, he could refuse. But if Lan Yu spoke, he would dare obey even an order to kill Zhu Yuanzhang.

"The Duke of Liang and Ye Sheng, the Marquis of Ningjing, are related by marriage. I have an old friendship with Ye Sheng's son," Zhang Zhou said, lowering his head.

That amounted to an admission.

"You damned bastard!"

Lan Yu viciously kicked Zhang Zhou again. How dared he shelter a remnant of Hu Weiyong's faction?

Even Lan Yu himself would not dare do such a thing.

Anyone who touched it was doomed to die.

It could even implicate Zhu Yuntong. Hiding someone away did not mean the Embroidered Guard knew nothing about it.

Zhang Zhou did not dare speak. He merely knelt on the ground with his head lowered.