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

The agent continued to report: "We have also noticed that a group of merchants with strange whereabouts have appeared near the capital recently. They appear to be doing business, but in fact they are collecting all kinds of intelligence. We suspect that these people are related to the Shadow Guards."

Zhu Kai became even more anxious after hearing this. "Merchants? It seems that the Shadow Guards have extended their tentacles to the common people. We need to immediately strengthen the security in the palace and notify the attendants around His Majesty to be on high alert."

"Yes, Your Highness." The agent bowed and accepted the order.

"Also," Zhu Kai thought for a moment, "send the order to all agents to keep a close eye on the movements of those merchants. We need to find their hiding place, and perhaps we can follow the clues and find the mastermind behind the Shadow Guards."

"I understand." The agent responded and prepared to leave.

"Wait a minute," Zhu Kai suddenly remembered something, "What has the minister who was related to the death of the previous emperor done recently?"

The agent hesitated, seeming to be in a dilemma. "Your Highness, that gentleman has been keeping a low profile recently, and there is nothing unusual on the surface. But we cannot rule out that he is secretly planning something."

Zhu Kai pondered for a moment and finally made up his mind. "No matter what, we must stop this assassination before the Harvest Festival. Go back and make arrangements immediately. I will find a chance to remind His Majesty to be careful."

"Yes, Your Highness." The agent saluted again and disappeared into the night.

Zhu Kai stayed alone in the study, lost in thought as he faced the secret document on the table. He knew that the days ahead would be the most tense and difficult times of his life. He not only had to protect the safety of the emperor, but also to uncover the conspiracy hidden in the shadows, avenge the late emperor, and eliminate harm for the country.

A few days later, the Harvest Festival arrived as scheduled. The entire capital was decorated magnificently, the streets and alleys were full of colorful lights, and the air was filled with a festive atmosphere. However, behind this prosperous scene, an invisible undercurrent was surging.

Zhu Kai changed into casual clothes and blended into the crowd of people celebrating. He wanted to observe in person and look for any possible flaws. Just as he was looking around, a familiar voice sounded in his ears: "Brother Zhu Kai, what are you doing here?"

Zhu Kai looked back and saw a young man in fancy clothes standing behind him with a smile on his face. This man was named Zhao Cheng, a young official in the court and a good friend of Zhu Kai.

"Brother Zhao," Zhu Kai forced a smile, "I just came to see the fun. Why don't you rest at home?"

Zhao Cheng shook his head, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes. "Alas, although this harvest festival is lively, I always feel that something is wrong. I heard that the palace has increased patrols recently. Did something happen?"

Zhu Kai was shocked. He didn't expect Zhao Cheng to have similar concerns. "Brother Zhao, you are worrying too much. It's just a routine matter. However, since you said so, I also think it is necessary to remind you that it is best to go out less these days, especially at night."

Zhao Cheng nodded, thinking. "Thank you for your advice, Brother Zhu Kai. I will be careful. However, if you really have something important to tell me, maybe I can help."

Zhu Kai looked at Zhao Cheng's sincere eyes and felt a little comforted. He knew that Zhao Cheng was a trustworthy friend, and perhaps his help would be crucial in this crisis.

"Brother Zhao," Zhu Kai lowered his voice, "Actually, something did happen in the palace, and it's a serious matter. I can't reveal too much, but please be careful and don't trust anyone easily."

Zhao Cheng's eyes turned serious. "Brother Zhu Kai, don't worry, I will be careful. If you need me, please let me know."

Zhu Kai knew that if he wanted to completely resolve the threat posed by the Shadow Guards, he had to uncover the true identities of these businessmen.

Therefore, Zhu Kai decided to personally lead a group of agents to conduct an in-depth investigation into the whereabouts of these merchants. He chose a clear morning and summoned several of his most trusted men to hold a meeting in the secret room of the palace.

"Everyone," Zhu Kai said seriously, "last night's incident made us realize the seriousness of the problem. The existence of those businessmen is by no means accidental. We must find out their background."

"Your Highness," an agent asked, "What do you think is the relationship between these merchants and the Shadow Guards?"

Zhu Kai nodded and said, "Based on the intelligence we have so far, they are most likely providing material support to the Shadow Guards. We need to find evidence to prove this."

Another agent added: "But, Your Highness, these merchants look ordinary. How can we confirm that they are accomplices of the Shadow Guards?"

Zhu Kai pondered for a moment and replied, "The first thing we have to do is to follow them and see what they are doing. Second, we have to collect as much intelligence as possible about them, including their transaction records, contacts, etc. Third, if we find anything suspicious, we must take action immediately."

After the meeting, Zhu Kai led the agents to disguise themselves as civilians and secretly went to the southern suburbs of the capital. It was a place where merchants frequently came and went, and it was said that a lot of strange goods had been shipped there recently.

The group split up into smaller groups and spread out to monitor in different locations. Zhu Kai hid in a teahouse and observed the situation outside through the window. Soon, he saw several people in ordinary vendor clothes hurriedly walking into a remote alley.

"Strange," Zhu Kai thought, "They are in such a hurry, is there something important?"

Zhu Kai quickly stood up and followed those people. He carefully kept his distance so as not to alert the other party. After some twists and turns, he found that those people entered an abandoned warehouse in the south of the city.

"This should be their base." Zhu Kai judged secretly, and then he contacted the agents who were monitoring the periphery.

"Did you notice anything unusual?" Zhu Kai asked.

"Your Highness," the agent responded, "We found several strangers entering the warehouse, and there seemed to be a large amount of goods piled up inside."

"Okay," Zhu Kai ordered, "You guys continue to monitor, I'll be right over."

Zhu Kai came to the warehouse and met up with the agents. They decided to sneak into the warehouse under the cover of night to find out what was going on. As night fell, Zhu Kai and the agents approached the warehouse quietly and then entered through a hidden ventilation hole.

The warehouse was dark and damp, with many boxes stacked up. Zhu Kai and the agents split up and carefully checked each item. Just then, they heard a slight sound of footsteps.

"Someone is coming, hide quickly!" Zhu Kai said in a low voice, and everyone quickly hid behind the boxes.

The footsteps were getting closer and closer, and soon, several businessmen appeared. They were talking in low voices, as if they were discussing something.

"Boss," one of them said, "Have we settled all the goods we brought?"

"Don't worry," another voice replied, "I have arranged everything. Nothing will go wrong."

"But," someone else interrupted, "Recently, the situation has been tense. Will our frequent shipments of supplies attract the attention of the government?" "Don't worry about that," the leader said confidently, "We have already made preparations. Even if we are caught, we will only think it is an ordinary trade transaction."

Hearing this, Zhu Kai already had the answer in his mind. These merchants were providing weapons and other necessities for the Shadow Guards, and all of this was done in secret.

"It seems that we have obtained enough evidence," Zhu Kai thought in his mind, "Now we just need to find the right opportunity to destroy this den in one fell swoop."

At this moment, an unexpected situation occurred. A businessman suddenly turned around and seemed to have noticed something. Zhu Kai and others immediately held their breath and tried to reduce their presence as much as possible.

"Who's there?" the merchant called out.

Zhu Kai knew he couldn't wait any longer, so he stepped forward decisively. "Everyone, I'm Zhu Kai, and your actions have violated the law. Now, put down your weapons and surrender!"

The merchants were startled by this sudden change, but they quickly reacted and drew their weapons, ready to resist. Zhu Kai and his agents also quickly took action, and the two sides began a fierce confrontation.

After a fierce battle, Zhu Kai and others finally subdued all the merchants and took control of the scene. They searched the entire warehouse and found a large number of weapons and ammunition, as well as some confidential documents about the Shadow Guard.

"Your Highness," an agent reported excitedly, "We found these files, which record all of the Shadow Guards' recent activities and their transactions with these merchants."

Zhu Kai took the document and quickly read through it. "Great, with this evidence, we can completely expose the true face of the Shadow Guard."

"Your Highness," another agent said, "What should we do now? Should we escort these people back to the palace immediately?"

Zhu Kai thought for a while, then said: "Detain them first. We will interrogate them as soon as possible to learn more about the inside story. At the same time, notify other agents to strengthen patrols inside and outside the capital to prevent the Shadow Guards from making a more intense counterattack."

"Yes, Your Highness!" the agents responded in unison.

Zhu Kai looked at the evidence in his hand and his heart was filled with determination.

Zhu Kai sat in the interrogation room, in front of him sat a businessman who had been arrested. This businessman did not seem to be as easily subdued as an ordinary person, and his eyes revealed an unnoticeable firmness. Zhu Kai knew that such an expression often meant that the other party had something to rely on, either with the support of a backstage or with some unspeakable secrets.

The interrogation room was so quiet that only faint breathing sounds could be heard, as if even the air was frozen. Zhu Kai looked at the businessman in front of him, like a falcon staring at a rabbit on the ground, trying to catch a flaw that could be exploited.

"Do you know why you were brought here?" Zhu Kai's voice was low and powerful, like an ancient bell in the mountains, which made people feel awe involuntarily.

The businessman remained silent, only glancing at Zhu Kai coldly, with a hint of disdain in his eyes. This attitude made Zhu Kai more certain that this man was no ordinary person.

"Your companions have confessed," Zhu Kai continued, "They said you were their leader and were responsible for contacting the Shadow Guards."

"Boss?" The businessman sneered, "You have arrested the wrong person, right? I am just a small businessman, how can I be a boss?"

Zhu Kai smiled slightly, with a hint of sarcasm and encouragement in his smile. "So, can you explain why there are so many weapons and supplies in your warehouse?"

The merchant's eyes flickered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. "That's for business. We buy and sell goods, so we naturally have to have inventory."

Zhu Kai shook his head and decided to try another way. "Well, since you won't admit it, I'll tell you a secret. We have found your communication records, and your name is clearly written on them."

Hearing this, the businessman's face changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "What does that mean? Maybe it's just a coincidence."

"Coincidence?" Zhu Kai sneered, "Do you think I will believe such an excuse?"

"If you want to believe it, that's your business," the businessman replied calmly.

Zhu Kai knew that a head-on confrontation was not the solution, so he decided to adopt a roundabout tactic. "You know, I don't really care if you're the leader or not. I only care about one thing, and that's what you're doing for the Shadow Guard."

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask the shadow guard about this question." The businessman still maintained his indifferent attitude.

Zhu Kai sighed, stood up, and slowly paced in front of the businessman. "You are a smart man, you should understand that the current situation is very unfavorable to you. If you can cooperate with us, you may be able to get leniency."

The businessman raised his head, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes. "Leniency? What can you guarantee me?"

Zhu Kai stopped and looked the businessman in the eye. "I can assure you that as long as you provide valuable information, I will do my best to plead for you. But if you persist, you will bear the consequences."

The businessman was silent for a moment, and finally nodded. "Okay, I'm willing to cooperate."

"Very good," Zhu Kai nodded with satisfaction, "Now, tell me, how did you come into contact with the Shadow Guard?"

The merchant took a deep breath and began to tell his story. It turned out that he was approached by the Shadow Guards a few months ago and was forced to become their agent. They promised him a generous reward on the condition that he provide weapons and other supplies for the Shadow Guards.

"I didn't know their real purpose at first," the businessman said. "I thought it was just ordinary smuggling. But later I found out that they were actually planning a conspiracy against the court."

Zhu Kai listened carefully to the merchant's narration and kept asking questions, trying to dig out more information. He learned that the Shadow Guard not only had bases in the capital, but also branches in other places, and this merchant was one of the key figures responsible for contacting various bases.

"What other strongholds do you have?" Zhu Kai asked.

“I don’t know much,” the businessman replied, “but I know they have operations in Beijing, Nanjing, and Hangzhou.”

Zhu Kai nodded, and he already had a general direction in mind. "So, who is your leader?" (End of this chapter)