Seeing that Huang Jin no longer dared to speak, the Emperor took over the conversation himself.
"Yes, the one the Great Ancestor personally designated back then was not of Emperor Chengzu's lineage, but Emperor Jianwen."
"And the Xiaoling Guard's loyalty indeed does not lie with Us. However, they are only responsible for guarding the Imperial Mausoleum and never interfere in political affairs. Furthermore, when Emperor Chengzu attacked the capital back then, they did not cause trouble, so successive ancestors never touched them, allowing them to remain."
The Emperor pondered for a moment, then said, "So, your meaning is that the Xiaoling Guard committed theft while guarding, colluded with the Ming Cult rebels, and deliberately released Emperor Jianwen."
"And their intention is to 'restore order' and 'purify the world,' is that it?"
The Emperor could speak so facetiously, but Huang Jin dared not truly follow the Emperor's words in his reply, so he took a roundabout approach and said, "Your Majesty, this matter can only involve either the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) or the Xiaoling Guard."
"And the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards)—"
The Emperor snorted coldly.
"That old fellow Zhu Zai has indeed had his own ideas in recent years, associating with court officials all day and harboring quite a few complaints about Us. We had already considered establishing another yamen to replace the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards)."
"But, he truly cannot do this."
"He is of low birth, so it's impossible for him to know what's inside the Imperial Mausoleum; his martial arts are only mediocre, and he cannot train someone capable of fighting Emperor Jianwen."
"Were it not for the court-sponsored cultivators, his Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) would have no capital to contend with the Ming Cult. Ji Tianrui was killed under his leadership, and it's truly hard to imagine the Ming Cult colluding with him."
"Therefore, it can only be the Xiaoling Guard."
"Zhu... Shou... Jing."
The Emperor enunciated the name word by word.
And Huang Jin added, "Your Majesty, last night I brought several Xiaoling Guards for questioning, and Zhu Shoujing was indeed very suspicious last night."
"When the Xiaoling Guard arrived that day, Zhu Shoujing and Emperor Jianwen looked at each other for a moment, and he actually directly attacked one of his subordinates, a Celestial, crippling him on the spot."
"Afterward, he himself caused his true qi to go astray, leading to qi deviation, and Emperor Jianwen took advantage of the time the Xiaoling Guards were checking on his injuries to escape in the chaos; the Ming Cult rebels also escaped during this time."
"Considering the events, Zhu Shoujing will likely find it difficult to refute."
Huang Jin hesitated for a moment, then continued, "It's just that there's one point I haven't figured out."
"If this person is from the Xiaoling Guard, why did he first assist the Ming Cult in releasing Emperor Jianwen, and then fight him to the death?"
"It's inconsistent."
"It's also because I couldn't figure this out that I didn't make things difficult for the Xiaoling Guard, but instead rushed back to report to Your Majesty for your decision."
The Emperor chuckled softly.
"Emperor Jianwen."
"After Emperor Chengzu ascended the throne, many literati and scholars criticized Emperor Chengzu, secretly writing many stories that portrayed Emperor Jianwen as a humble, benevolent, and magnanimous wise ruler."
"Emperor Chengzu revised the historical records, deleting all matters concerning Emperor Jianwen. Most of the information about Emperor Jianwen circulating outside the palace now are these fabricated stories."
"Presumably, Zhu Shoujing also believed these, which is why he assisted the Ming Cult in releasing Emperor Jianwen."
The Emperor said with a cold laugh, "But they didn't consider, if Emperor Jianwen were truly so virtuous, how could Emperor Chengzu have attacked the capital? The foundation the Great Ancestor left him was something ten Emperor Chengzu could not match."
"If he were truly so magnanimous, why would the imperial relatives respond one after another, bringing food and drink to welcome the royal army, and escort Emperor Chengzu into the Taihe Hall?"
"Do you think Emperor Chengzu wished to rebel?"
"It was out of helplessness; he had no choice but to try and fight for his own life."
The Emperor asked, "Did anyone see Emperor Jianwen's appearance last night?"
"Yes," Huang Jin replied.
"Aside from the Ming Cult and that person, many in the Xiaoling Guard also saw him and said he looked like a demon."
"Lord Yin and Lord Wang's bodies were also extremely gruesome."
The Emperor nodded and said, "That's how it is."
"Emperor Jianwen is not as good as Zhu Shoujing imagined. When he emerged from the tomb, he was 'hungry'."
"It's likely that after that person assisted the Ming Cult in releasing Emperor Jianwen, he discovered that he was not the wise ruler he imagined, but a man-eating demon. That's when he tried to mend the situation, wanting to force him back into the tomb."
"That's why he acted inconsistently."
"It's also laughable."
Huang Jin nodded in agreement.
"In that case, Your Majesty, should I lead troops to apprehend Zhu Shoujing?"
The Emperor waved his hand.
"No need."
"The Imperial Mausoleum's defenses are already weak, and the day after tomorrow is the ancestral worship ceremony. Removing the Xiaoling Guard now might cause chaos."
"First, recall the garrison to the Imperial Mausoleum. You take ten cultivators to watch Zhu Shoujing. Before the ancestral worship, apprehend him along with those Qianhu and Baihu. The remaining soldiers won't cause any trouble."
"Yes," Huang Jin responded.
"One more thing," the Emperor said slowly.
"Tonight, arrange a family banquet."
"Invite all imperial relatives in Shuntian Prefecture."
Huang Jin was surprised.
"Your Majesty, by custom, the family banquet is tomorrow evening—"
The Emperor waved his hand.
"You don't know Emperor Jianwen's true nature."
"His appearance is due to 'hunger'."
"For him, there's no more nourishing 'food' than people of the Zhu family."
The Emperor said languidly, "It's just right to lure the tiger into a trap."
Zhu Manor, study.
Zhu Zai's brows were tightly furrowed, his gaze fixed on the paper covered with names before him, his hand unconsciously rubbing the pen holder.
After conferring with Li Miao, it was already Chen Shi (7-9 AM). Li Miao was immediately overcome with sleepiness and went to find a side room to sleep.
Zhu Zai, however, had no mind to go to the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) for duty and returned directly to his study, staying there until now.
Li Miao spoke lightly.
Who to kill, how to kill, when to kill.
Yes, by now, Zhu Zai had a clear understanding of Li Miao's martial prowess and did not doubt for a moment that if he named a few names, Li Miao would truly rush over overnight and remove all those heads.
But, Zhu Zai was, after all, an imperial relative.
He might not be loyal to the Emperor, but he was truly loyal to the Zhu family and to Great Shuo.
Such a major matter, Li Miao had lightly handed it over to Zhu Zai, and he truly didn't know what to do, nor did he know if he could even take on this task.
He was not as heartless as Li Miao, who could still sleep at a time like this.
After a long while, Zhu Zai sighed deeply, crumpled the paper on the table into a ball, and threw it at his feet.
The ground was already littered with such paper balls.
Zhu Zai pinched the bridge of his nose, his face etched with worry.
Suddenly, there was a rapid sound of footsteps outside the door.
A servant quickly entered the study and said softly, "Master, Yellow Eunuch has arrived."
Zhu Zai abruptly looked up.
"Huang Jin?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"An imperial decree from His Majesty, inviting you to the palace for a banquet, a family banquet."
Instantly, Zhu Zai's hair stood on end, and he secretly thought, "Did Li Miao hide his identity well last night?!"
"This isn't a Hongmen Banquet, is it?!"
