"My Lord," the Prince of Yi asked, still shaken, "what are the Yan father and son up to?"
Mu Chaobi was also deeply alarmed, feeling the Yan family had gone mad. What was their purpose in stirring up such a storm? After a moment's thought, he said, "Your Highness, it seems the Yan family intends to escalate the situation to an unmanageable point, aiming to cast the Crown Prince in a bad light... But why? Do they perhaps... wish to seize the throne themselves?"
As he spoke, he felt both astonishment and terror, lowering his voice.
The Prince of Yi had also entertained this thought but found it too far-fetched. "Old Mu," he said, "is that possible? Yan Song is eighty-three, and Yan Shifan, that devil everyone fears like a tiger, how could they be emperor? Besides, although the Yan family has great influence, if they were truly to rebel, most of their allies would scatter. Who would dare to accompany them to their deaths?"
"Hmm, I am also puzzled... but the current situation suggests the Yan family has some trump card... We originally thought the Yan family only wanted positions; Yan Shifan has entered the Privy Council, and his desire for a position is fulfilled. What more do they want? Escalating the matter to this point, what benefit does it bring them? Your Highness, don't you find it strange?"
The Prince of Yi's faction, like all other vassal kings, had once hated Jianwen, as Jianwen, following Huang Zicheng's policies, intended to reduce all vassal states to nothing. However, when the King of Yan's army marched south, although the ancestral system was maintained, it also led to a reshuffle. In the end, it was the meritorious officials of the Jingnan campaign who gained power, while other officials and vassal kings all suffered.
The then Prince of Yi did not actively lead troops to surround Nanjing. Afterward, he was severely reprimanded by the King of Yan. He visited the capital several times to report, but Zhu Di treated him coldly. Furthermore, local officials were adept at observing the emperor's mood. Seeing the Yongle Emperor's attitude towards the Prince of Yi, they naturally began to bully him. Over several generations, they made his situation quite dire. Later, during the Hongzhi era, Jianwen's rituals became popular south of the Yangtze. The previous Prince of Yi seized this opportunity and colluded with Jianwen's former vassals.
At this moment, recalling the cause and effect, he suddenly understood something and blurted out, "Old Mu, you said last time that Zhang Er went to Anlu to investigate? Is the Prince of Jing truly mad?"
Mu Chaobi also seemed to have a dawning realization and nodded. "Zhang Er should not be mistaken..."
"Old Mu, Zhang Er is a very cunning fellow. As far as I know, although he is a seasoned Embroidered Uniform Guard, he may not be entirely honest in his work..."
Mu Chaobi pondered for a moment and said with horror, "You mean? The Prince of Jing is not mad? He is pretending? The Yan family wants to support him?"
The Prince of Yi nodded slowly and sneered. "I think that's likely..."
At this thought, his train of thought became increasingly clear. He spoke slowly, "Old Mu, think about it. The Emperor believed Tao Zhongwen's nonsense about kings not meeting kings. What was the result? His own sons didn't fare well! Especially the Prince of Jing, falsely accused and confined in the capital, and soon after went mad... If, Old Mu, if the Prince of Jing wasn't mad, or if his madness had been cured, wouldn't the Emperor feel he had wronged this son?
As for this Emperor, you don't know, but we understand him best... He is a sentimental person, and these past years he has become disheartened. He has spoken several times with Zhu Xizhong and others about returning to Anlu in one year, even issuing an edict stating he lived a solitary life and advising people to treat their parents and children well... Old Mu, I dare say, as long as the Prince of Jing is well, and the Prince of Yu is disgraced, the Emperor will definitely let the Prince of Jing succeed to the throne. You don't believe me, just wait and see!"
"This?"
Mu Chaobi was suddenly somewhat dazed. How could Zhang Er be so careless? To gloss over such a significant matter so quickly? Couldn't he have stayed for three to five days at least... Could it be? Was Zhang Er connected to the Yan family?
At this thought, he suddenly exclaimed, "No! Your Highness, we cannot be negligent! I believe the Crown Prince is in mortal danger right now!"
The Prince of Yi asked in surprise, "In mortal danger? That might be an exaggeration, surely? After all, it wasn't a major incident. Can a confession from just Li Mingfeng and Huang Ying bring down the Crown Prince?"
Mu Chaobi cursed him as an idiot under his breath but said aloud, "Since Yan Song has made such arrangements, he naturally has more formidable trump cards. Your Highness, think about it, how many times has he fought fiercely with Zhu Mo, and how many of those times were simple? Anyone else would not have survived! Old Yan Song has governed the country for twenty years; the entire realm answers his call. When the time comes—"
He suddenly stopped and leaned closer to his ear. "When that happens, if something major occurs in Jingdezhen, and Yan Song's men, Ma Sen and Lu Wen, coerce Huang Ying into confessing that the Crown Prince incited everything from beginning to end... Meanwhile, Yan Song and Yan Shifan stir up trouble in court, clamoring for the abolition of the Crown Prince's regency, what then?"
"Your master?"
Pan Sheng was very cautious in Jingdezhen. He had recently received a secret letter from Zhang Juzheng, instructing him not to take the lead in anything and to simply watch the tigers fight. Therefore, he had not met anyone during this period, attending only to official duties and sleeping. He did not know any local people.
At this moment, he said calmly, "Sir, you have mistaken me for someone else..."
Saying this, he turned to leave.
The胖子 (fat man) however, quickly caught up and whispered, "Minister Pan, my master says that something world-shaking is about to happen in Jingdezhen these past few days, and he wishes to invite Minister Pan to discuss it..."
"Hmph!"
Pan Sheng was already annoyed. Hearing the other man's sarcastic tone and his mention of the situation, he became both startled and angry. He rebuked, "Be gone! Do not speak such nonsense!"
But the man maintained his smiling face and leaned closer, saying, "My master says he is an old acquaintance of Minister Pan and, seeing that Minister Pan is deeply mired in trouble, wishes to save his life..."
"You!"
Pan Sheng was greatly alarmed, his eyes fixed on the man like bolts of lightning. He said word by word, "Who is your master?"
The胖子 (fat man) leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Tu Hei."
"Tu Hei?"
"Shui Chi Tu Hei?"
Pan Sheng, who was also a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, was exceptionally intelligent and immediately thought of someone—Zhu Mo!
Why was he here? If he was here, wouldn't that confirm his rebellion? Why wasn't he in hiding? Was this person telling the truth?
While he hesitated, the man said again, "My master sincerely wishes to meet you. Please do not doubt him."
Pan Sheng thought: If it was in Xin Hu's territory, he could not go. He immediately asked, "Where is your master?"
The man replied, "At the Yunlai Inn in the town."