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

"Your Highness is wise." Zhao Tiezhu echoed, "With these evidences, plus the confessions of those traitors, we will definitely be able to find the mastermind behind this."

Zhu Kai nodded, and then said to Gu Wenzheng: "You go and do it, I'll wait for your news here."

Gu Wenzhen took the order and left, leaving Zhu Kai and Zhao Tiezhu to continue discussing the next action plan. Zhu Kai picked up a draft of a memorial on the desk and read it carefully. This memorial not only recorded everything that happened last night in detail, but also included his ideas for future investigations.

"Zhao Tiezhu," Zhu Kai said as he watched, "We need more eyes and ears. Go pick a group of loyal and reliable people to form a special operations team to monitor those suspicious people."

Zhao Tiezhu nodded and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I will arrange it as soon as possible."

Zhu Kai continued: "In addition, we need to strengthen the monitoring inside the palace. Although we caught some people last night, I believe there are more fish that have not been caught."

Zhao Tiezhu thought for a moment and suggested, "Your Highness, why don't we use their trick against them and release some false news to lure them out."

Zhu Kai's eyes lit up: "This is a great plan! Zhao Tiezhu, do it immediately. Remember, be careful and don't alert the enemy."

"Yes, Your Highness." Zhao Tiezhu replied and then left the study.

Zhu Kai sat alone at the desk, holding the unfinished memorial in his hand. He closed his eyes, and his father's haggard face appeared in his mind. He knew that he not only had to solve the crisis at hand, but also had to find out the truth as soon as possible so that his father could rest and recuperate.

At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door. Zhu Kai opened his eyes and saw a guard hurriedly walk into the study: "Your Highness, something bad has happened!"

"What happened?" Zhu Kai asked hurriedly.

The guard panted and said, "Your Majesty's condition has suddenly worsened. The doctors are trying their best to treat him, but the situation does not seem optimistic."

Zhu Kai's face turned pale when he heard this: "How could this happen? Take me to see my father!"

Following the guards' hurried steps, Zhu Kai passed through the palace gates one by one, feeling uneasy. When he arrived at his father's bedroom, a heavy atmosphere enveloped the surroundings. The imperial doctors were busy, coming in and out, and everyone looked solemn.

"Father!" Zhu Kai rushed into the bedroom and ran to the dragon bed. He saw Zhu Yuanzhang lying on the bed, his face as pale as paper, his breathing weak, and it seemed that he might die at any time.

"Your Highness, His Majesty..." An old doctor came forward, hesitating what to say.

"Have you tried your best?" Zhu Kai asked anxiously.

The old doctor bowed his head and said, "Your Highness, we have used the best medicine, but your Majesty's pulse is still weak. I'm afraid..."

Zhu Kai gritted his teeth and tried hard not to let the tears fall: "Please think of a solution, my father must not be in any danger!"

The old doctor nodded in agreement, and then discussed countermeasures with several other doctors. Zhu Kai stayed beside his father, holding his hand tightly.

"Father, I'm back." Zhu Kai said softly, "You must hold on. I still have a lot to discuss with you."

Zhu Yuanzhang, who was lying on the bed, seemed to hear his son's voice and his eyelids moved slightly, but he did not wake up. Zhu Kai knew that no words could change the facts before his eyes at this moment, and he could only pray for a miracle to happen.

At this time, footsteps were heard outside the door, and Zhao Tiezhu hurried in with several guards. "Your Highness," Zhao Tiezhu reported in a low voice, "We have arranged spies according to your instructions, and there are no new discoveries so far."

Zhu Kai nodded, indicating that he would talk later. Seeing this, Zhao Tiezhu stepped aside and waited quietly.

After a long time, Zhu Kai finally stood up, turned around and said to Zhao Tiezhu: "Tiezhu, you go out first, I need to be alone."

Zhao Tiezhu hesitated for a moment, but finally obeyed the order and withdrew, leaving Zhu Kai to face it all alone.

As night fell, the lights in the palace gradually dimmed, but Zhu Kai was still sitting beside his father's bed. At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly opened his eyes and a faint voice sounded: "Kai'er...is that you?"

Zhu Kai immediately leaned forward and said, "Father, it's my child. How do you feel?"

Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head gently, with a trace of relief in his eyes: "Kai'er, I am relieved that you are safe..."

"Father, you will definitely get better." Zhu Kai comforted.

"Are you sure these are all true?" Zhu Kai carefully examined the secret letter brought by the man in black, trying to find clues from it.

The man in black nodded and said firmly, "Your Highness, I risked my life to gather this information, and I dare not let any of it be false."

Zhu Kai was silent for a moment, then looked up at the man in black: "In this case, we need to make a plan. We can't alert the enemy, otherwise all our efforts will be in vain."

In the following days, Zhu Kai still maintained his daily government affairs on the surface, but privately he worked closely with the men in black and began to gradually investigate the forces hidden in the dark. They found that the power struggle in the palace was far more intense than they had imagined, and the interests involved were intricate and complicated.

One night, Zhu Kai was processing an urgent memorial in the imperial study when a man in black quietly appeared at the door. He brought shocking news: "Your Highness, we have discovered a secret organization, and they seem to be planning a bigger conspiracy."

Zhu Kai put down his pen, his eyes sharp: "Tell me, what do you know?"

The man in black took a few steps closer and lowered his voice, saying, "This organization is called 'Shadow Guards', and its members are spread all over the government and the people. On the surface, they are loyal to the court, but in fact they are secretly manipulating the occurrence of various events."

"Shadow Guard?" Zhu Kai frowned, "I have never heard of this name."

"Because they act in a very secretive way," the man in black explained, "and their leader remains a mystery to this day."

Zhu Kai fell into deep thought. He knew that if he wanted to reveal the truth thoroughly, he had to go deep into the tiger's den. "We must find the core members of the Shadow Guard. Only in this way can we obtain more key information." The man in black nodded in agreement: "I have arranged for people to infiltrate the inner circle. I hope to obtain useful intelligence as soon as possible."

Zhu Kai and the man in black cooperated more and more tacitly. Through a series of carefully designed layouts, they gradually figured out the activities of the shadow guards. However, every time they thought they were close to the truth, they always found more fog.

One morning, when the first ray of sunlight shone into the imperial study, Zhu Kai once again stood in front of the window, looking at the gradually brightening sky in the distance. He knew in his heart that every action could lead to unpredictable consequences, but he also understood that only by facing it bravely could he protect this hard-earned peace.

"Your Highness," the man in black called softly, "We have made new progress."

Zhu Kai turned around, his eyes flashing with determination: "Go ahead, I'm ready."

The man in black stepped forward and presented the latest intelligence: "According to the tip-off, the Shadow Guards will hold a secret meeting in the Imperial Garden tonight."

Zhu Kai took the intelligence and quickly glanced through it: "This may be the best time for us to expose their conspiracy."

"But," the man in black warned, "the risk is huge. Once your identity is exposed, the consequences will be disastrous."

Zhu Kai did not hesitate at all: "No matter what, we must seize this opportunity. Arrange the people you trust most, and we will act together tonight."

As night fell, the lights in the Imperial Garden dimmed. Zhu Kai changed into casual clothes and sneaked into the periphery of the venue accompanied by the men in black. They carefully avoided the patrolling guards and approached the gathering place of the shadow guards.

In the darkness, Zhu Kai held his breath and listened to the whispers coming from the garden. Every word and every action may reveal the secret behind it, and he is getting closer to the mastermind who controls everything step by step.
In the tense atmosphere, the man in black suddenly mentioned a shocking fact - it turned out that one of the ministers who had always seemed loyal was actually a secret member of the Shadow Guard Organization, and this minister also had close ties with the royal family.

"You mean, that adult is actually a member of the Shadow Guard?" Zhu Kai asked in disbelief.

The man in black nodded solemnly: "Yes, Your Highness. The evidence is conclusive. Not only did this man participate in many of the Shadow Guard's actions, but there are even signs that he may have been involved in some unknown secrets surrounding the death of the previous emperor."

This news was like a heavy bomb, which made Zhu Kai fall into deep shock. If this was true, it meant that there was a huge security risk within the royal family, and such a betrayal was a serious challenge to the imperial power.

"How is this possible..." Zhu Kai whispered to himself, his face becoming extremely heavy, "Hasn't the reason for the late emperor's death been found out long ago?"

The man in black explained: "It seems so on the surface, but through our recent investigation, we have found some new clues that point in a different direction. Now it seems that the reason behind the death of the late emperor may not be simple."

Zhu Kai frowned, realizing that things were more complicated than he had imagined. He needed to calmly think about what to do next. "We need more solid evidence. The current clues alone are not enough to shake the minister's position."

"Your Highness is wise." The man in black said respectfully, "I have arranged for people to continue the follow-up investigation. I hope to collect enough evidence as soon as possible."

Zhu Kai stood up and paced back and forth in the room for a few circles. Finally, he stopped and looked at the man in black with a firm gaze: "We must act cautiously and not alert the enemy!

The shocking news that Zhu Kai heard not only involved the power struggle within the court, but also pointed to the true face of a minister who was generally believed to be loyal and reliable. The man in black revealed that this minister was not only secretly affiliated with the Shadow Guard Organization, but also might be related to some major events in the royal family, including the secret of the death of the previous emperor.

"You mean, this minister is related to the death of the late emperor?" Zhu Kai's voice was almost trembling. He felt unbelievable, and at the same time filled with anger and sadness.

The man in black nodded in confirmation. "That's right, Your Highness. Our intelligence shows that this minister had a series of unusual actions before and after the death of the previous emperor, and had frequent contacts with the Shadow Guard Organization."

Zhu Kai felt dizzy. This news was too heavy for him. He knew that if this fact was made public, it would have a huge impact on the royal family and might even lead to political unrest. He had to act cautiously and ensure that all actions were based on solid evidence.

"We must find out all the details," Zhu Kai said, trying to suppress his emotions. "Before taking any action, we need irrefutable evidence to support it."

The man in black expressed his understanding: "Your Highness is absolutely right. I have deployed special agents to conduct an in-depth investigation and strive to achieve a substantial breakthrough as soon as possible."

Zhu Kai nodded, his mind full of thoughts. He thought of the late emperor's voice, his own responsibilities, and the future of the country. He knew that every step forward would be decisive, not only in terms of personal honor and disgrace, but also in terms of the safety of the country.

"Besides this, is there any other important information?" Zhu Kai asked, hoping to get more clues from the man in black.

The man in black thought for a moment and then answered, "There is one more thing worth noting at the moment. That is, the Shadow Guards seem to be preparing a major operation, but the specific details are still unclear. We are stepping up our investigation and hope to get more information as soon as possible."

Zhu Kai hesitated for a moment and made a decision: "Then we must redouble our efforts and try to uncover the truth before they take action. I will mobilize all available resources to cooperate with your work."

Soon after Zhu Kai's secret talk with the man in black, the agents finally made substantial progress. Late one night, an agent in black quietly appeared in Zhu Kai's study, bringing the latest intelligence about the Shadow Guard's major operation.

"Your Highness," the agent said softly, his voice low and serious, "We have discovered the secret operation of the Shadow Guards. This is an assassination plan against the current emperor."

Zhu Kai frowned when he heard this: "Assassination? How is this possible? Are there any specific clues?"

The agent handed over a secret document with a detailed action plan. "According to our intelligence, the Shadow Guards plan to take action at a grand banquet, and that banquet is the palace banquet held by His Majesty to celebrate the Harvest Festival."

Zhu Kai took the secret document and quickly read it through. His heart tightened. The Harvest Festival is a grand festival held every year. Officials and nobles from all over the country will gather in the capital to celebrate the bumper harvest. Such an occasion is the best time to carry out an assassination - the crowd is dense and difficult to guard against.

"The Harvest Festival Banquet is a grand event that the whole country is paying attention to." Zhu Kai said thoughtfully, "Are you sure that the Shadow Guard will really choose this time to take action?"

"Your Highness," the agent explained, "We have intercepted several secret letters. The code names mentioned in these letters match the intelligence we obtained earlier. In addition, we have found some suspicious people in the palace. These people are obviously not permanent residents of the palace, but they can move freely in the palace."

Zhu Kai nodded. He knew what this meant. The security of the palace had always been the responsibility of the imperial guards, and these unfamiliar faces had obviously not been officially registered. This meant that the shadow guards had already set up a secret plan in the palace.

"Are there any other clues?" Zhu Kai asked. (End of this chapter)