Ming Dynasty: Zhu Biao's younger brother, the most rebellious son in history

There were several oil lamps lit in the basement, and the weak light cast flickering shadows on the walls. In the center of the basement, several people in black were sitting around a table, seemingly discussing something.

"Who are you?" One of them noticed Zhu Kai and his friends coming and asked loudly.

Zhu Kai did not answer, his eyes were as sharp as a knife, staring at these people. He could feel the dangerous aura emanating from these people.

"Do it!" Zhu Kai shouted in a low voice.

The guards immediately launched an attack. Their movements were swift and accurate, and each strike went straight to the enemy's vital points. Although the men in black reacted quickly, they soon fell into a disadvantage in the face of Zhu Kai's sudden attack.

"Tell me, what is your purpose?" Zhu Kai asked coldly, his sword pointing at the throat of a man in black.

A trace of fear flashed in the eyes of the man in black, and he replied tremblingly: "We...we just want to restore the glory of the previous dynasty."

Zhu Kai sneered: "Restore the glory of the previous dynasty? You are creating chaos and destroying the stability of the Ming Dynasty."

The man in black lowered his head and stopped talking. Zhu Kai knew that he could not get more information from them, so he had to take more direct measures.

"Search this place and find all their plans and evidence." Zhu Kai ordered.

The guards immediately took action. They searched the basement carefully and finally found a box containing documents and letters in a hidden corner.

"Your Highness, please take a look at these." Gu Wen Zheng handed the documents to Zhu Kai.

Zhu Kai took the document and quickly glanced through it. His face became extremely solemn. These documents and letters revealed the true purpose of this force. They not only wanted to create unrest, but also had greater ambitions.

"It seems that our action has just begun." Zhu Kai said in a deep voice, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

Zhu Kai's eyes swept over the documents in his hand, and his brows knitted. The information revealed in these documents was much more complicated than he expected. It involved not only the unrest in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but also an undercurrent surging in the heart of the Ming Dynasty.

"Your Highness, these documents mention an organization called 'Shadow Alliance', and they seem to be controlling all of this in secret." Gu Wen Zheng's voice was low and solemn.

Zhu Kai nodded, a cold light flashed in his eyes: "'Shadow Alliance'? I have never heard of this name, but their methods are so cruel, we must be careful to deal with them."

"Your Highness, look here." Gu Wenzheng pointed to a line of words in the document, "They plan to launch a large-scale attack on the 15th of next month, when officials in the capital gather at the Imperial Ancestral Temple for worship."

Zhu Kai's face instantly became solemn. He knew that Taimiao sacrifice was one of the most important rituals of the Ming Dynasty. If someone really dared to launch an attack at that time, it would undoubtedly be a blatant provocation to the imperial power of the Ming Dynasty.

"We must take action immediately to stop their plans." Zhu Kai's voice was firm and powerful.

Gu Wenzheng nodded, and he immediately began to lay out an action plan: "Your Highness, we can use these captives as bait to set a trap and lure the top leaders of the Shadow Alliance to show up."

Zhu Kai pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly: "This plan is feasible, but we can't take it lightly. The top leaders of the Shadow Alliance are not easy to deal with. We must be fully prepared."

Gu Wenzhen took the order and left, while Zhu Kai continued to pace in the cellar, thinking quickly about countermeasures in his mind. He knew that this struggle was far more complicated than he had imagined, and he had to be more cautious to ensure the stability of the Ming Dynasty.

The next day, Zhu Kai returned to the capital quietly with Gu Wenzheng and several trusted guards. They did not return directly to the mansion, but came to a secret mansion. This was Zhu Kai's secret base in the capital, and it was also where he planned his actions.

"Your Highness, we have placed the prisoners here according to your instructions." Gu Wen Zheng reported in a low voice.

Zhu Kai nodded, his eyes swept over the prisoners, finally stopping on a seemingly ordinary middle-aged man.

"You, come here." Zhu Kai's voice was calm and powerful.

The middle-aged man walked up to Zhu Kai tremblingly, his eyes full of fear.

"Tell me, where are the top leaders of the Shadow Alliance?" Zhu Kai's voice was deep and powerful.

The middle-aged man trembled and answered: "I...I really don't know. I'm just a small messenger. They never tell me too much."

Zhu Kai stared at the middle-aged man's eyes, as if he wanted to see through his soul: "You'd better tell the truth, otherwise you will regret it."

The middle-aged man's body trembled even more violently, and a trace of despair flashed in his eyes: "I really don't know, I'm just an errand boy, they never let me get in touch with the core secrets."

Zhu Kai looked at him coldly and didn't ask any more questions. He knew that this middle-aged man knew only a limited amount, but the clues he provided were enough for him to continue his investigation.

"Continue the interrogation and make sure to find out the top leaders of the Shadow Alliance." Zhu Kai ordered.

Gu Wenzheng took the order and continued to interrogate the other prisoners. After a night of interrogation, they finally got some useful information.

"Your Highness, we have found a secret base of the 'Shadow Alliance'." Gu Wen Zheng walked up to Zhu Kai and said in a low voice.

Zhu Kai's eyes flashed with a gleam: "Where is it?"

Gu Wenzheng pointed to a mark on the map: "Here, in a valley outside the capital."

Zhu Kai nodded, his eyes became as sharp as a knife: "Send someone to investigate immediately, I want to meet this 'Shadow Alliance' in person."

Gu Wen Zheng took the order and left, while Zhu Kai continued to pace in the mansion, thinking quickly about countermeasures in his mind.

As the clues gradually became clear, Zhu Kai decided to go deep into the tiger's den and explore the secret base of the Shadow Alliance. He knew that the fact that this organization had been able to operate in the heart of the Ming Dynasty for so long showed that they were not easy to deal with.

"Your Highness, do you really want to investigate it yourself?" Gu Wen Zheng asked worriedly.

Zhu Kai nodded, his eyes full of determination: "I must go in person, only in this way can I ensure that everything is safe."

Gu Wen Zheng knew that he could not change Zhu Kai's decision, so he could only try his best to ensure Zhu Kai's safety: "Then I will arrange the most capable personnel to protect your safety."

Zhu Kai smiled slightly and patted Gu Wenzheng on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I will be fine."

The next day, Zhu Kai changed into ordinary merchant clothes, and quietly left the capital with Gu Wenzheng and several trusted guards, heading towards the secret base of the 'Shadow Alliance'.

They passed through the bustling town, crossed the rolling hills, and finally came to a hidden valley. In the valley, a seemingly ordinary manor stood quietly, surrounded by dense woods, which seemed particularly quiet. "Your Highness, this is the secret base of the Shadow Alliance." Gu Wenzheng said in a low voice.

Zhu Kai nodded, his eyes scanning the surroundings of the manor, looking for a possible entrance.

"We can't enter through the main gate. There are too many guards there." Zhu Kai said in a deep voice, "We have to find a secret route and enter the manor quietly."

Gu Wenzheng took the order and immediately began to look for possible routes. After some observation, they found a path leading to the backyard of the manor.

"Your Highness, we can enter from here." Gu Wenzhen said, pointing to the path.

Zhu Kai nodded, and they immediately took action, quietly passing through the path and coming to the backyard of the manor. They carefully avoided the guards and finally successfully entered the manor.

"Your Highness, the top leaders of the Shadow Alliance should be in the main building of the manor." Gu Wen Zheng said in a low voice.

Zhu Kai nodded, and they immediately headed towards the main building. However, just as they were about to approach the main building, a guard suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Who is it?" the guard shouted.

Zhu Kai did not answer. His figure flashed suddenly, like a black lightning, and instantly passed by the guard. A line of blood appeared on the guard's throat. His eyes were wide open, but he could no longer make any sound.

"Hurry, we don't have much time." Zhu Kai whispered, and they immediately quickened their pace and rushed towards the main building.

The door of the main building was closed. Zhu Kai gently pushed it open and his eyes immediately locked on a middle-aged man sitting behind the desk.

"Who are you?" Zhu Kai asked coldly.

The middle-aged man raised his head, a trace of fear on his face: "How...how did you get in?"

Zhu Kai did not answer. He walked up to the middle-aged man and asked in a cold voice, "Are you a senior member of the Shadow Alliance?"

The middle-aged man's face turned pale, and he trembled as he answered: "I... I'm just a housekeeper, I don't know anything."

Zhu Kai sneered. He knew that the middle-aged man was lying. His eyes became sharp as a knife: "You'd better tell the truth, otherwise you will regret it."

The middle-aged man's body trembled even more violently, and his eyes were full of fear. Finally, under Zhu Kai's coercion, he finally told the truth.

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you!" the middle-aged man cried, "I'm a member of the Shadow Alliance, but I... I really don't know where the top leaders are."

Zhu Kai frowned slightly, and he asked, "Then do you know their plan?"

The middle-aged man nodded: "I know they plan to launch an attack on the day of the Taimiao sacrifice, but I really don't know the specific details of the operation."

Zhu Kai's eyes became sharper: "Do you know who their target is?"

The middle-aged man shook his head: "I really don't know, I'm just responsible for delivering the message."

Zhu Kai looked at him coldly and didn't ask any more questions. He knew that this middle-aged man knew only a limited amount, but the clues he provided were enough for him to continue his investigation.

"Continue the interrogation and make sure to find out the top leaders of the Shadow Alliance and their targets." Zhu Kai ordered.

Gu Wenzheng took the order and continued to interrogate the middle-aged man. After some interrogation, they finally got some useful information.

"Your Highness, we have found one of the top leaders of the 'Shadow Alliance'. His name is Li Yan, and he is a remnant of the previous dynasty." Gu Wen Zheng walked up to Zhu Kai and said in a low voice.

Zhu Kai's eyes flashed with a gleam of light: "Li Yan? Where is he now?"

Gu Wenzheng pointed to a mark on the map: "Here, a secret base in the capital."

Zhu Kai nodded, his eyes became as sharp as a knife: "Send someone to investigate immediately, I want to meet this Li Yan in person."

Zhu Kai stood in the study, looking deeply at the night outside the window. His heart was surging. The interrogation just now made him realize that the inside of the Shadow Alliance was far more complicated than he had imagined. The struggle for power and the entanglement of interests might be the motivation for their actions.

"Your Highness, what are you thinking about?" Gu Wen Zheng asked softly, with a hint of concern in his eyes.

Zhu Kai turned around slowly, a trace of fatigue on his face: "I think the power struggle within the Shadow Alliance may be more intense than we thought. This Li Yan may just be the tip of the iceberg."

Gu Wenzheng nodded, his brows furrowed. “Your Highness, if we can take advantage of their internal conflicts, perhaps we can find a breakthrough.”

Zhu Kai's eyes flashed with a gleam of light: "Yes, this is a good idea. We need more information to make a perfect plan."

He walked to the desk, picked up a piece of intelligence that had just been delivered, and read it carefully. The intelligence mentioned some factional struggles within the Shadow Alliance and the movements of some key figures.

"This Li Yan is said to be an influential figure among the remaining ministers of the previous dynasty. His actions may affect the nerves of the entire 'Shadow Alliance'." Zhu Kai said in a deep voice.

Gu Wenzheng thought for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, perhaps we can use some means to cause Li Yan to have conflicts with other factions, thereby weakening their power."

Zhu Kai nodded, his eyes sharpened: "Okay, let's start with Li Yan. You go and prepare immediately, we need a detailed plan."

Zhu Kai sat in the shadow of the study, the candlelight in his hand flickering, reflecting the determination on his face. His eyes fell on a piece of paper on the table, which was a secret letter found in Li Yan's mansion. The handwriting was sloppy, but it revealed an unusual atmosphere.

"Is Li Yan connected to the Western Factory?" Zhu Kai's voice was low, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. "There must be something hidden behind this."

Gu Wenzheng stood beside him, frowning, "Your Highness, the Western Factory has always been mysterious. If Li Yan is really colluding with them, then the power of the Shadow Alliance is probably much more complicated than we imagined."

Zhu Kai nodded, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, making a crisp sound: "We must be careful and not let this news leak out."

He stood up, walked to the window, looked out at the night, and thought to himself: The internal conflicts of the Shadow Alliance and the mysterious intervention of the West Factory may be the key to his attack on the enemy.

"Your Highness, should we take action to spread this news and further intensify the conflicts within the Shadow Alliance?" Gu Wenzheng suggested in a low voice. (End of this chapter)