Volume 1, Chapter 11: An Explanation

“Marquis Huaining is not wrong; one Jiang Wan indeed cannot fully control the Embroidered Uniform Guard...”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Quan did not show any anger; instead, a grin spread across his face.

It wasn’t until his smile caused the nobles of Huai West to exchange confused glances that he continued, enunciating each word deliberately, “Therefore, I have arrested every member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital with a rank of a hundred households or above.”

A sharp intake of breath—

The nobles of Huai West could not help but draw in a cold gasp once more.

To have detained every member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the capital of rank over a hundred households—this was something even they, seasoned military commanders in possession of arms, dared not imagine.

The entire Embroidered Uniform Guard in Yingtian Prefecture numbered at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, and yet more than a hundred of those ranked above a hundred households had been silently subdued?

If before they thought Zhu Quan only had the support of a select few, thus compelled to dangle the lucrative maritime trade as bait, now even Lan Yu’s heart dared not entertain such a notion.

To have captured all these guards without any of them noticing demonstrated a level of power in the capital that none of them dared to conceive.

In other words, with such strength, Zhu Quan could just as easily have silently arrested them all and directly completed a regime change.

That they still stood here unharmed now perhaps meant that Zhu Quan was granting them an opportunity, not strictly dependent on them to ascend the throne.

Realizing this, the generals of Huai West began weighing their options inwardly, and the subtle shifts in their gazes toward Zhu Quan were unmistakable.

Their previous arrogance and greed were, in this instant, entirely reined in.

Moreover, from Zhu Quan’s face, which had worn a smile the whole time, they sensed a pressure they had only ever felt from Zhu Yuanzhang himself.

“Your Highness of Ning, since you have already made arrangements, we shall not linger further. To prepare for tomorrow’s affairs, we will first leave the palace and make the necessary arrangements. What say you?”

Lan Yu’s tone softened considerably at that moment, utterly shedding the imperiousness he had displayed upon entering the palace.

Behind the wall, Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

He was astonished by how Zhu Quan had managed to apprehend all his Embroidered Uniform Guard, and yet, he could not help but replay in his mind what Zhu Quan had accomplished this very night.

Had he not wished to think deeply about it, his frown might have remained uncreased, but contemplating Zhu Quan’s actions more profoundly stirred unease in him.

Granted, Zhu Yuanzhang had always looked down on his illegitimate son Zhu Quan, but after reviewing this sequence of events, he found himself admiring what Zhu Quan had achieved.

It had only been two hours since he sent Jiang Wan to the Eastern Palace, yet in this short span, Zhu Quan had not only exposed the true nature of the Lü family and taken control of his designated heir Zhu Yunwen but also summoned fierce soldiers by circulating a forged imperial edict, drawing allies to his side.

Finally, he had subtly displayed his strength, thoroughly swaying the generals of Huai West to his camp.

Zhu Yuanzhang reckoned that even if he himself were to act personally, he might not have accomplished so much so swiftly.

Once such a thought took root in his heart, it refused to be cast away.

As a result, Zhu Yuanzhang’s gaze toward Zhu Quan now held a touch of appreciation, and secretly, he resolved that after tomorrow’s court session, he might rescind the order to degrade Zhu Quan to commoner status and instead allow him to return to govern Daning Prefecture.

This was transformation—a silent, unseen shift in Zhu Yuanzhang’s attitude toward Zhu Quan.

At the moment this thought formed in the old emperor’s heart, outside, Zhu Quan once more revealed a sincere smile to Lan Yu and the others.

“Duke of Liang, hold on!”

“Your Highness, is there more?”

“Nothing pressing, just one instruction and a person I need to entrust to you, Duke of Liang.”

“Please, Your Highness, speak.”

Lan Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly, betraying a hint of anticipation as he looked at Zhu Quan.

Zhu Quan wasted no time and got straight to the point.

“Since Duke of Liang is the maternal uncle of my late sister-in-law, I entrust to you the punishment of the Lü family, who murdered her.”

With a whispered whoosh—

Lan Yu and Chang Sheng’s faces immediately brightened at these words.

But before they could respond, Zhu Quan’s expression darkened abruptly, his smile vanishing.

“As for the instruction, consider it the first task I assign to all of you uncles and elder brothers…”

“Please speak, Prince of Ning. We shall do our utmost,” Zhu Shou and the others eagerly stepped forward.

Perhaps to them, now that Zhu Quan had promised them maritime trade, he would not ask them to do anything to harm their own interests.

Yet the moment Zhu Quan spoke again, most of the Huai West generals’ faces changed.

“It is nothing major. I only ask that you temporarily restrain your household staff, and tonight, preferably send those troublesome servants and adopted sons who have caused so much havoc voluntarily to the Imperial Jail.”

“What?”

“Impossible! That cannot be!”

“Prince Ning, don’t joke. Those are brothers who have braved fire and sword with us. How could we possibly hand them over to the Imperial Jail?”

...

Zhu Quan’s face remained calm as he watched the Huai West generals instantly transform from meek lambs to restless sparks.

In truth, he did not wish to make such a demand at a time like this, but some things had to be clarified early, lest these men, emboldened by their support for him, later commit excessive acts.

Historically, Zhu Yuanzhang’s execution of Lan Yu and the nobles of Huai West was not merely to pave the way for Zhu Yunwen; these men often went too far, even Zhu Yuanzhang could barely tolerate them.

For instance, Lan Yu alone had over a hundred adopted sons.

Though publicly claimed to be the offspring of his old comrades, everyone knew the truth.

Moreover, these adopted sons, servants, and clansmen, either through bullying or with tacit approval, perpetrated numerous crimes in the countryside.

Their misdeeds had become notorious in Yingtian Prefecture and several surrounding counties.

The censors at the Imperial Secretariat, priding themselves on their integrity, daily submitted countless impeachment memorials to Zhu Yuanzhang.

“Heh! That unfilial son dares to make such a request at this moment, as if he were not ours. So many times over the years we have admonished these matters to no avail, and now he dares to voice it—truly foolish.”

At some unknown point, Zhu Yuanzhang found himself mentally stepping into Zhu Quan’s shoes, analyzing the pros and cons.

Muttering to himself, he then turned with a smile toward Tang He and Fu Youde, asking, “Do you think Lan Yu and the others will agree? Or will they seize that traitor and present him to me as a meritorious subject?”

When he said this, Zhu Yuanzhang was brimming with confidence, as if he already saw the very next moment when Lan Yu and the others would capture Zhu Quan on the spot.

...