Chapter Nineteenth: The Final Destination

  Zhu Houzhao's Happy Life

  Seeing Zhang Zhong return in disarray, Jiang Bin was furious.

  He couldn't understand why he, a high-ranking and powerful person, couldn't get the better of a lowly Wang Shouren.

  Can't just play around anymore, if you're going to do it, do it thoroughly!

  This time, with a spirit of hard work and seriousness, he prepared to plan a real conspiracy, a trap that would kill Wang Shouren.

  Just as Mr. Jiang Bin was studying hard, Mr. Zhu Houzhao was fishing.

  As for Jiang Bin's various actions, Zhu Hou didn't know and didn't want to know. He only knew that he was very free now and wanted to continue being free.

  Out of Shandong, he arrived in Nan Zhili (now Jiangsu and Anhui provinces), where there were many lakes. Zhu Houzhao was delighted and went fishing whenever he could. He was quite generous and gave the fish he caught to his ministers on both sides.

  The ministers were naturally very grateful and after thanking them a thousand times, they heard these words:

  "Where's the money?"

  Everyone was stunned, it turned out that Mr. Zhu's fish couldn't be had for free, and money had to be paid! It seems that this emperor has a very modern concept of labor, having paid labor must be rewarded.

  Zhu Houzhao didn't lack money, and doing so wouldn't earn him much either. In short, he just did it for fun.

  They went on like this until they reached Yangzhou, where they got into big trouble.

  At that time, Yangzhou was one of the largest cities in the country, with a population of over 1 million at its peak. It was very prosperous and had many beautiful women.

  But in December of the 14th year of Zhengde (1519), a strange phenomenon that was rare in Chinese history appeared on the streets of this famous city.

  The streets were in a state of chaos, packed with people everywhere, but these people maintained almost the same expression and movement - looking around, these people looked around in all directions, just to do one thing - grab people.

  The way to grab people is simple: a group of people go out, meet men, and without saying a word, pull them home, if they can't be pulled, carry them, in short, they must be taken back.

  When the person who was robbed finally arrived at the place, wondering whether these people wanted money or their lives, they saw a well-prepared drum and cymbal team and a beautifully dressed bride.

  Then someone came over and told him, "You are the groom."

  The reason for this dramatic scene is very simple - Zhu Houzhao likes beauties.

  The emperor was interested in things that someone would naturally go and take care of, and this self-motivated person who took the initiative was a eunuch named Wu Jing.

  Unfortunately, this Wu Jing was not a good person either. He arrived in Yangzhou one step ahead and occupied many civilian houses, saying that the emperor needed them. Then he also recruited (seized) many unmarried women, again saying that the emperor needed them.

  For Wu Jing's behavior, many historical books used a common term to describe it - "flattering and fawning".

  To put it bluntly, it means doing evil things in the name of the emperor and letting the emperor take the blame.

  Because Zhu Houzhao didn't let him do these despicable things.

  Objectively speaking, Zhu Houzhao indeed did many absurd things and had a rich private life. However, from his tolerance of ministers and ability to distinguish right from wrong, this person is still relatively reliable. But he couldn't tolerate a monotonous and rigid life, he liked freedom and roaming freely.

  But this hobby was difficult for traditional literati to accept, and he had no interest in playing with old bureaucrats, so in the end, those who stayed by his side were some unscrupulous people who knew how to have fun.

  These people have no sense of responsibility to take the world as their own, and they serve this big shot every day, just for money. They take advantage of doing things to make some extra profit for themselves, which is a very natural thing to do.

  So in my opinion, Zhu Houzhao's black pot is indeed many, but it is not unjustly borne, after all, others accompany you to play, and they also need to be paid wages.

  Wu Jing is just such a person who takes money for his work. He occupies the house, snatches the woman and then intentionally spreads rumors to let people come and pay ransom, which can also be considered as a way of making money.

  He not only ruined the emperor's reputation but also created this unprecedented and never-to-be-repeated great panic that left people crying and laughing at the same time.

  Since the recruitment target is limited to unmarried women, the masses immediately came up with a countermeasure. No matter what, they must first find one to take the lead. At this juncture, education, diplomas, appearance, and family background are no longer important, as long as it's a man, it will do.

  Then the old bachelors' happy time arrived, originally couldn't find a wife, suddenly became a hot product, quickly snapped up, some with wives were also snatched away, but this problem is not big, in those days marrying two wives was also allowed by the country.

  Those famous and talented scholars who were well-known for their romantic escapades found themselves in trouble at this moment. Due to their reputation, they immediately became the object of contention among multiple families. It is said that a scholar named Jin was simultaneously pulled by three families, and eventually taken away by one family with more people. He himself had some backbone, taking advantage of the unpreparedness of others to climb over the wall and escape, but not long after landing on the ground, he was again taken away by another family.

  Many men can't help but feel a strong desire for this scene, but please hold back your tears, as it's absolutely impossible today. The latest data shows that the male-to-female ratio has reached 117:100, which means that out of over 100 people, 17 men are destined to remain bachelors forever.

  It is said that this ratio will be further widened, and it is believed that in the near future, brothers who marry a wife can proudly pat their chest and shout "Heaven blesses, Amitabha".

  Finally, I must warn everyone that this way of snatching people on the street may not work in modern times. Because on today's streets, relying solely on appearance to snatch someone can only guarantee that you'll get a person, but not necessarily a man. If you're lucky, you might even end up with a few supergirls.

  In any case, Yangzhou was thoroughly messed up. If the situation continued to get out of hand, a great disaster would occur. Fortunately, there was still a prefect named Jiang Yao in Yangzhou.

  Magistrate Jiang is usually kind to people, but things have come to this point and he can't just sit back, so he went to find Wu Jing, hoping that he would help him out and then stop.

  Wu Jing didn't put the local officials in his eyes and casually replied with a sentence:

  "Dare to disobey orders, I'll kill you!"

  Magistrate Jiang spoke kindly for half a day but only got this one reply. He was furious to the extreme and suddenly burst out:

  "I'd better tell you now, I'll naturally be put to death for disobeying orders, but the people are the imperial court's people. If they're forced into rebellion, when the time comes to investigate responsibility, you won't be able to escape either!"

  Wu Jing thought for a moment and realized that was indeed the case. He finally calmed down a bit, and the situation was brought under control.

  To say that this Jiang Zhifu is also a tough guy, after going through all this trouble, he has thoroughly opened up, and there's nothing to be afraid of in death. He made up his mind to let Zhu Houzhao get out as soon as possible.

  Zhu Houzhao really came, and the old man was still relatively honest, just holding a fishing rod to fish by the lake. Jiang Zhifu was also accompanying him on the side, at this time Jiang Bin had already received Wu Jing's report, saying that this Jiang Yao hindered their wealth. So Jiang Bin prepared to make things difficult for this prefect.

  Just then, Zhu Houzhao caught a big fish and jokingly said:

  "This fish can be sold for five hundred gold!"

  Jiang Bin heard it and immediately said:

  "Director Jiang, why don't you just buy this fish?"

  This is obviously a scam, but unexpectedly, Jiang Yao agreed to it. He not only agreed, but also immediately rushed back home to get the money.

  Before long, Jiang Yao came back with some jewelry and a pile of clothes in her arms.

  Zhu Houzhao was surprised:

  "What are you doing?"

  Jiang Ya'ang raised his head and said loudly:

  "The national treasury is empty! I have nothing left but these things."

  Jiang Bin was so scared that his face turned white, but Zhu Houzhao did not get angry.

  He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then smiled and threw the fish to Jiang Yao:

  "You can go now, this fish is given to you."

  Things have come to an end here, but Governor Jiang is like a dormant volcano that suddenly erupts, unstoppable once it starts. He has made up his mind and even if he dies, he will send Zhu Houzhao out of Yangzhou.

  Soon after, Zhu Houzhao sent someone to look for him and asked for local specialties - qiong flower.

  Mr. Jiang Yao replied as follows:

  "Jasmine originally existed, but since Emperor Huizong of Song went hunting in the north, this flower has been extinct, so there are no flowers to present to Your Majesty."

  This is a very vicious remark, as mentioned earlier, the so-called Northern Expedition was actually called Beixing, which means being taken captive. This is an open and brazen comparison of Zhu Houzhao to a ruler who lost his country.

  The person who spread the news was so frightened that he stared blankly and remained motionless for a long time.

  Jiang Yao immediately let out a loud shout:

  "What are you staring at? Just go back and repeat what I said! If there's anything wrong, I'll take responsibility!"

  However, contrary to everyone's expectations, nothing happened. Zhu Houzhao heard the words and just sighed, smiled, and expressed his opinion lightly:

  "It's all over now, let's leave this place."

  In this struggle between the Emperor and the civil officials, the determined Jiang Yao emerged victorious, and he prepared to bid farewell to Zhu Houzhao as he left the borders.

  However, Mr. Zhu was always unexpected, just as he was about to leave Yangzhou, he found Jiang Yao and told him straightforwardly: I couldn't come here for nothing, no matter what, you have to get me some local specialties.

  This is the legendary dark and terrifyingly tyrannical Ming dynasty emperor, who humbly asks for things in a low voice, which truly reflects the essence of his "tyranny".

  Zhu Houzhao's attitude was astonishing, but even more unexpected things were yet to come.

  In response to the emperor's request, Jiang Yao only replied with one sentence:

  Yangzhou has no local specialties.

  Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh at this, but the Emperor seemed to be making his way with empty hands, which didn't seem very dignified. As a result, he reluctantly accepted 500 bolts of white silk, which somewhat salvaged his dignity.

  Jiang Yao finally let out a sigh of relief, although he didn't like Zhu Houzhao, but basic courtesy was still necessary. Since everyone had to leave, they had to make some effort, so he ordered his subordinates to set up a banquet and invited Zhu Houzhao to dinner, as a way of seeing off the emperor.

  What happened at the banquet, however, was something that the governor would never forget for the rest of his life.

  Zhu Houzhao solemnly accepted the invitation, waved to the officials, and everyone was ready to listen to his instructions. However, this gentleman suddenly turned his face:

  "Why set up so many tables of wine and food? I can't eat that much, are you guys really so wasteful?"

  Jiang Yao pinched his own face, fearing that he was dreaming. Overnight, how did Zhu Houzhao change his nature and become a model of diligence and thrift?

  It seems that the Emperor is getting more and more angry, and said:

  "I'm full!"

  Watching the emperor get angry, the officials were at a loss, and the atmosphere on the scene was very awkward. However, there is no need to hurry, Mr. Zhu Zuo's sentence has not been finished yet.

  Before the officials could react, Zhu Houzhao had already put on a new smile and added the second half of his previous statement:

  "Just fold up these banquet bills into silver ingots and hand them over to me."

  The scene fell into an immediate silence, a deep silence.

  What's wrong with you? If you can't finish eating, just take it away and that's it. Do you also want a discount?

  This brother is really cost-effective!

  Looking at the stunned officials, Zhu Houzhao was pleased and burst out laughing, then swaggered away.

  His Majesty the Emperor naturally doesn't lack money, let alone the cost of these few banquets. The reason he did this is very simple - it's a very interesting thing to do.

  Entertaining all officials, their joy is boundless!

  In the 14th year of Zhengde (1519), on the 3rd day of the 12th month, Zhu Houzhao finally arrived in Nanjing. From August when he left Beijing, it took him four months to reach his destination, traveling and sightseeing along the way.

  Here, he will encounter the greatest crisis of his life.

  Ominous omen

  When Zhu Houzhao swaggered into Nanjing City, Jiang Bin by his side was also shrouded in excitement.

  However, his excitement was for a completely different reason than Mr. Zhu's. After a long period of planning and preparation, his plan had been completed and was about to enter the implementation phase, with Nanjing being the best place to carry it out.

  But before this, he had to deal with a major threat - Wang Shouren.

  But Mr. Wang Shouren was not easy to deal with, so this time he designed a very vicious trap and ordered Zhang Zhong to execute it specifically.

  Not long after, Zhang Zhong was strolling in front of Zhu Houzhao when he suddenly sighed and said:

  "Wang Shouren is really not a loyal minister."

  Zhu Houzhao asked him why.

  "He has been in Jiangxi, southern Anhui for a long time and hasn't come to pay his respects to Your Majesty for so long. He really looks down on people. If Your Majesty doesn't believe it, you can summon him. This person will definitely not come!"

  It sounds like an interesting thing, Zhu Houzhao decided to give it a try.

  Jiang Bin was able to confirm that Wang Shouren would not respond to the summons, which roughly contained the principle of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf".

  In the past, Jiang Bin often forged Zhu Houzhao's name to issue orders and handle affairs. Everyone had a number in their hearts, but Wang Shouren was deeply conflicted with him and feared being deceived, so he came to receive his death sentence. However, given Mr. Wang's temperament, he would never have thought that this time the edict was truly issued by the Emperor himself.

  King's tour, rest assured, you have already borne the crime of contempt for the emperor!

  It wasn't long before he was stunned again, because someone told him that Wang Shouren had already arrived in Wuhu and was preparing to meet the emperor.

  You're invited but you don't come, and when you're not invited, you insist on coming! Jiang Bin wanted to bang his head against the wall.

  This was still thanks to Mr. Zhang Yong's blessing, he promptly notified Wang Shouren, letting him rush day and night, galloping over on horseback, giving Jiang Bin a boost of morale.

  It's really true that with someone on your side in a high place, things can be done more easily.

  Zhu Houzhao also knew that Wang Shouren had arrived, and he really wanted to see this legendary figure. This made Jiang Bin and Zhang Zhong anxious, they tried every means to stop him, preparing to drive Wang Shouren away, not allowing him to meet the Emperor.

  Wang Shouren had had enough, he knew that Jiang Bin would continue to bully him, this cat-and-mouse game was hard to end, in order to teach Jiang Bin a lesson, he prepared to counterattack.

  The next day, Zhang Zhong suddenly rushed to find Jiang Bin and told him a stunning news:

  "Wang Shouren is gone!"

  Another foggy day.

  "Where did he go?"

  "Someone was sent to look for him, but he couldn't be found anywhere."

  I'm seeing a ghost, it's not like I've become an immortal or something. When I see him, I find him annoying and get frustrated; when I don't see him, I worry he's plotting something and get anxious.

  "Go and find him for me quickly!" Jiang Bin's spirit was on the verge of collapse.

  Wang Shouren did not become an immortal, he took off his official uniform, changed into casual clothes, and went to Jiuhua Mountain. On the way there, he told everyone he met that he had seen through the worldly dust and no longer wanted to contend for fame and fortune, preparing to live out the rest of his life as a Taoist in the mountains.

  The news that Wang Shouren wants to become a Taoist priest! This shocking news instantly spread throughout the streets and alleys. Zhang Yong took advantage of the opportunity to find Zhu Houzhao and told him that Wang Shouren had put down the rebellion, but was unwilling to be an official and only wanted to live a good life, so he planned to abandon his post and cultivate Taoism for the rest of his life.

  Zhu Houzhao was moved.

  He found Jiang Bin and scolded him severely, telling him to be more honest in the future and not to cause any more trouble.

  Then he ordered Wang Shouren not to pretend to be a Taoist anymore and to return to his official duties.

  Then Wang Daoshi ate a few days of vegetarian food in the mountain, cleaned his intestines and stomach, and made another glorious comeback.

  Jiang Bin decided to give up because he finally came to his senses and realized that Mr. Wang Shouren was a formidable opponent who could not be defeated at all.

  But more importantly, he will soon be doing something earth-shattering, and if he is not careful, his head will roll, so he must concentrate all his energy and go all out.

  In January of the 15th year of Zhengde (1520), the action formally began.

  Nanjing's Minister of War, Qiao Yu, convened a meeting with officials from the Ministry of War to discuss recent defense situations. Although Nanjing was also the capital and had a full set of central government agencies, including the Six Ministries and the Censorate, it was nominal in nature. It had always been a place where officials who were being squeezed out or retired came to hide.

  But the Ministry of War was an exception, and the Minister of War in Nanjing was also known as the Defender of Nanjing, holding military power and being responsible for the defense of the Southern Metropolitan Area, which was a very important position.

  Therefore, although the regular meetings of other departments often become tea parties and chat sessions, the atmosphere of the Ministry of War's regular meeting is very tense. Any abnormal situation must be reported in a timely manner, otherwise, it will not end well.

  The meeting went smoothly, and after the situation report and analysis of the situation, Qiao Yu formally announced the adjournment.

  Just as he was about to leave, a qianhu caught his eye and winked at him.

  Qiao Yu remained expressionless and stayed behind, waiting until the crowd dispersed. Then, this thousand-household official approached him and told him something very strange - Jiang Bin had sent someone to find the gatekeeper and wanted to take the key to the city gate.

  Qiao Yu was stunned at the time, and he was very clear about the significance of this move.

  The city gate is open during the day and closed at night. If there is an emergency, the door can only be opened after reporting to the officer on duty at the Ministry of War and obtaining permission. What's strange about this matter is that if it were the emperor who wanted to enter or exit, he would naturally order the gate to be opened. Jiang Bin was a trusted aide to the emperor and stayed with him day and night, so what did he need the key for?

  The answer is simple: what he wants to do will absolutely not be approved by the emperor.

  Qiao Yu shivered, he had roughly estimated the severity of the situation.

  "Go and inform the gatekeeper that from today on, all city gate keys will be uniformly collected and kept by the Ministry of War. Without my permission, no one is allowed to borrow them. Those who disobey will be beheaded!"

  "What if Jiang Zhihui (Jiang Bin is the commander of the Brocade Guard) insists on it?"

  "Tell him to come find me!"

  Jiang Bin soon learned of Qiao Yu's refusal to cooperate, and he flew into a rage. Although Qiao Yu was the Minister of War and a high-ranking official, Jiang Bin didn't take him seriously.

  Jiang Bin's arrogance was justified, as he not only replaced Qian Ning to become the commander of the Brocade Guard, but also took charge of the Eastern Depot, making him the number one top agent in the imperial court, someone nobody dared to provoke. However, the reason he dared to be so arrogant was because of a title he had once obtained - Deputy General of the Martial Guards.

  This is a title that cannot be found in historical books, and it belongs to personal inventions. The inventor was General Zhu Shou, who was actually Comrade Zhu Houzhao himself.

  Zhu Houzhao is a capable person, he is a reliable second-in-command, it would be strange if he didn't make a show of himself.

  When Jiang Bin found Qiao Yu with a fierce momentum, he unexpectedly discovered that Qiao Yu seemed even more arrogant than him. No matter what he said, Qiao Yu only had one sentence: Not lending.

  No matter how hard he tried to persuade or entice, it was all in vain. Jiang Bin had no choice but to resort to vicious threats against Qiao Yu, hinting that he would report his misdeeds to the Emperor.

  However, Qiao Yu bluntly told him: Go ahead, see what you can do!

  Jiang Bin is not a fool, and Qiao Yu, an old hand in officialdom, is not afraid of him, but rather so tough, there must be a problem.

  He endured and went back to dispatch special agents to monitor and investigate Qiao Yu, the result of which shocked him and made him feel fortunate. It turned out that this Qiao Yu not only had a good relationship with many high-ranking officials in the court but also had private dealings with Zhang Yong, who often visited his home.

  Qiao Shang's resume also made a perfect footnote - his teacher was Yang Yiqing.

  Jiang Bin found that Qiao Yu was right, he really couldn't do anything to this person. He didn't want to offend Zhang Yong, let alone dare to offend Yang Yiqing. The example of Liu Jin was right in front of him, and he still wanted to live a few more years.

  It's clear that this road is impassable and another method must be used.

  Jiang Bin's judgment was very accurate, Zhang Yong indeed had a close relationship with Qiao Yu, but he didn't know that while he was investigating Qiao Yu, Zhang Yong's eyes were also monitoring him.

  According to various signs, Zhang Yong and Qiao Yu have confirmed that Jiang Bin has a treasonous intention. However, this person's actions are unpredictable, and the time and method cannot be known, so they can only wait quietly.

  The Mystery of Disappearance

  Thick fog ahead.

  This is what Zhang Yong and Qiao Yu both feel. After all, Zhu Houzhao spends every day with Jiang Bin, and only heaven knows what will happen tomorrow.

  Although they had imagined what was going to happen and were mentally prepared, when that day finally arrived, the strangeness of things far exceeded their imagination.

  In the 15th year of Zhengde (1520), on the sixth month, Ding Yi day, Qiao Yu suddenly ran to Zhang Yong's mansion, panting and out of breath. His face was full of terror as he grabbed onto Zhang Yong's sleeve, only managing to say one sentence after a long while: "It's gone! It's gone!"

  Zhang Yong's face immediately turned pale. He didn't ask who was missing, because only the disappearance of that person could make Qiao Yu so panicked.

  Just a day ago, Zhu Houzhao went to Niu Shoushan near Nanjing for sightseeing. In the Southern Song Dynasty, General Yue Fei once defeated the Jin army here. Zhu Houzhao had long been fascinated by this place and specially ran over to play for a day.

  But just as night was falling, someone astonishingly discovered that Zhu Houzhao had vanished!

  However, strangely enough, the Emperor was nowhere to be found. His attendants and guards did not seem surprised by this, nor did they make a big fuss about searching for him; it seemed strange yet also normal - after all, Jiang Bin was in charge of guarding.

  Although Jiang Bin blocked the news, Qiao Yu had his own people and soon learned of it. He was so frightened that he hurried to find Zhang Yong and put forward his opinion.

  "The situation is urgent, in order to prevent any changes, I will immediately dispatch troops to capture Jiang Bin!"

  Zhang Yong was relatively calm, he told Qiao Yu that they couldn't take action yet, after all the situation was not clear, and Zhu Houzhao was a bit unpredictable, going out to play or camping was also normal, catching Jiang Bin, two days later Zhu would come back himself, that would be troublesome, besides if they acted hastily, they might push Jiang Bin to rebel.

  So currently the only thing that can be done is to send more people out to search.

  "Wait a minute."

  This is the most bizarre disappearance in Ming Dynasty history. What's puzzling is that historical records also seem to be deliberately vague about this incident, and it's likely that someone was secretly manipulating things behind the scenes, making it truly mysterious and unpredictable.

  One day passed, two days passed, more than ten days passed, and there was no sign of Zhu Houzhao.

  "Can't wait any longer!"

  Qiao Yu, who was already on the verge of madness, could no longer bear it. In these days of waiting, he felt as if he were living in hell. If Zhu Houzhao really came to harm on his turf, not only Jiang Bin but also Yang Tinghe and his men would not let him off.

  "What should I do?"

  He looked at Zhang Yong with eyes expecting a savior, but what he got was this answer:

  "I don't know either."

  Zhang Yong, who was used to the storms, was finally at a loss this time. Such a strange thing, no one was seen alive, no body was found dead, who could be held accountable? Moreover, Comrade Zhu had no son, not even a plaintiff to report the case, and there was no plaintiff to be found in court, he was also at a loss.

  Suddenly, a bright light flashed in his mind and he thought of someone:

  "That person will definitely have a way."

  A few days later, Wang Shouren received an invitation from Zhang Yong.

  After he heard the detailed introduction of this bizarre incident, he immediately realized that the situation had become extremely dangerous.

  But at the same time, he also made an important judgment - Zhu Houzhao was not dead yet.

  "What makes you think so?" Zhang Yong was still completely bewildered.

  "There is currently no sign of mobilization in the troops."

  The so-called Imperial Guard was a crack force handpicked and trained by Zhu Houzhao from the capital garrison and frontier troops, who followed him in battle. It can be roughly regarded as his private armed forces, but most of the time, Jiang Bin was specifically responsible for mobilizing them.

  "If Your Majesty has indeed met with misfortune, Jiang Bin would certainly have made some move, and the Imperial Guards are his only available troops. But now the Imperial Guards show no signs of movement, it must be that Your Majesty was deceived by Jiang Bin and is hiding in some place."

  Zhang Yong and Qiao Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, since the person was still alive, it would be easier to handle.

  However, Wang Shouren was not optimistic because his habit was to say good news first and then bad news.

  He then told these two rejoicing gentlemen that although Zhu Houzhao was not dead, he was also not far from death.

  He raised a crucial question: it is very dangerous to hide the emperor, Jiang Bin has always been cautious and has long passed the age of playing hide-and-seek, why did he suddenly want to take such a risk?

  The answer is —— He's probing.

  Feeling out the consequences of a possible assassination attempt, feeling out the reactions of the officials and ministers, and after feeling them out, he would turn this scenario into reality.

  After stripping away layer after layer, Wang Shouren finally found the correct answer to this puzzle.

  It is now necessary to stop Jiang Bin and let him bring Zhu Houzhao out, but how can this be done?

  Facing Zhang Yong and Qiao Yu's bewildered gaze, Wang Shouren smiled.

  He always has a way out.

  The next day, the Nanjing garrison troops suddenly took action and launched a search in the vicinity of Nanjing. However, their search was very strange. Although there were many people involved and it was on a large scale, it seemed that they had neither a fixed target nor a fixed area to search.

  At this time, the garrisons of Southern Zhili and Jiangxi also began to tense up and prepare for battle, with a mighty and majestic momentum.

  As for all this, many people are in a fog, unable to understand what happened.

  But Jiang Bin knew, he understood that his conspiracy had been exposed. Suddenly coming out with such a big scene was nothing more than someone telling him not to be foolish and cause trouble, it's best to behave honestly.

  After disappearing for dozens of days, Zhu Houzhao finally appeared again. For him, this trip was an extremely unforgettable experience. As for the conspiracy issue, it was not within his consideration range.

  Enough play, Zhu Chenhao is also in hand, Zhu Houzhao finally prepares to go home.

  But before that, he still has to put on a good show.

  15th year of Zhengde, August, gui si day, Nanjing.

  In a vast square, Zhu Houzhao ordered his subordinates to release Zhu Chenhao, but Mr. Zhu's face did not show any joy, because all around him were soldiers with fierce eyes.

  After having obtained only a few seconds of freedom, Zhu Houzhao was caught again with one order, and he was locked up in prison once more.

  This was Zhu Houzhao's arrangement, he had to personally catch Zhu Chenhao once, even if it was just an act, and only he could think of such a trick.

  Finally pacified the "rebellion", Zhu Houzhao was satisfied and led all his troops on their way back.

  On the way back, Zhu Houzhao didn't stop either. When passing through Zhenjiang, he also went to Mr. Yang Yiqing's home and had a free meal and lodging for several days, making the old man restless for a long time before leaving with a slap on his butt.

  No matter how noisy or playful, Zhu Houzhao's Jiangnan trip has been quite smooth so far. The conspiracy seems to be non-existent, and those people lurking in the dark have no way with him.

  The emperor is about to return to Beijing, where no one dares to disobey him again. Jiang Bin's plan seems to have fallen through.

  But Zhu Houzhao would never have thought that the Grim Reaper's claws had quietly stretched out and were waiting for him ahead.

  The place that changed Zhu Houzhao's life was called Qingjiangpu.

  In September of the 15th year of Zhengde (1520), on a day with yisi as the heavenly stem and earthly branch, Zhu Houzhao arrived at this place, a land full of misty mystery and unknowns.

  That day, he got on a small boat and came to the pool of water, ready to continue his hobby - fishing. However, not long after, he suddenly fell into the water.

  Another ancient mystery unfolds.

  The attendants immediately jumped into the water and rescued him. Zhu Houzhao seemed to be unharmed, but what happened afterwards began to make people feel puzzled.

  Zhu Houzhao was not much of a reader, but he had a good physique. He practiced martial arts from an early age and was fond of bravery and fighting fiercely. He participated in military training for a long time, and his physical fitness was quite good.

  However, strangely enough, after this fall into the water, his body suddenly became extremely weak, and he no longer had his former vitality and spirit. He stayed at home to recuperate every day, but did not see any improvement.

  There have been many debates in historical records about this fall into the water, and there has never been a conclusion. I naturally cannot give a conclusion either.

  But the disappearance of Nanjing's city gate key and Niushou Mountain seems like it's not just a simple coincidence.

  There were also attendants and guards who followed him to fish that day, I only know that on the day of the Niushou Mountain disappearance incident, they, as Jiang Bin's subordinates, were also responsible for the same work.

  This enigma seems to be forever unsolved, all the truth has been thoroughly buried that day.

  From then on, Zhu Houzhao became a sick man. The majestic and heroic figure who galloped thousands of miles was gone, and he would step by step walk towards death under the pull of the god of death.

  In the 16th year of Zhengde (1521), on the third month, bingchou day, this wonderful and strange living drama finally came to an end.

  The dying Zhu Houzhao looked at the surrounding attendants and guards, left his last words in life, and ended his colorful legendary life.

  "My illness is beyond cure, please inform the Empress Dowager that state affairs are of utmost importance and can be discussed with the cabinet for handling. Past events were my fault and have nothing to do with others."

  Some people think that Zhu Houzhao's last words are fake, because in the eyes of many, Zhu Houzhao would never have such thoughts and awareness, his life should be muddle-headed to the end, debauched to the end.

  Actually I also hope this will is not true, but the motivation is completely different.

  If these words indeed came from Zhu Houzhao's mouth, it would be proof of his compromise. This personality that was so arrogant and pursued individuality, a rebel who struggled against the old men and institutional rules that restricted his freedom for a lifetime, yet in the last moment of his life, abandoned all efforts and chose to surrender.

  If this is true, then it's a thorough tragedy.

  Due to his legendary experiences and the intentional vilification by some people, Zhu Houzhao became one of the most well-known emperors in Chinese history. As the saying goes, "good news doesn't spread far, but bad news travels a thousand miles." He is more famous than his diligent and honest father. If he were to have his own entry in the dictionary, it's estimated that two words would be unavoidable: incompetent and absurd.

  By imperial standards, these two words are not unjustly used on him, he is indeed not a diligent worker.

  But by human standards, he didn't do anything wrong. He wasn't cruel or killing innocent people indiscriminately. He could tell right from wrong, so in my opinion, he was just someone who wanted to do his own thing and live a carefree life.

  As a man, he is normal; as an emperor, he is abnormal.

  So I drew an important conclusion from this:

  This emperor business is really not a job for human beings.