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

Zhu Kai nodded to show his understanding. "Thank you for your reminder, young lady. I will be more careful."

After the conversation, Zhu Kai left Qingyun Tower, but his mood became heavy.

In the dead of night, Zhu Kai once again set out on the road to Qingyun Tower. This time, he did not bring any followers with him, but chose to act alone to reduce the possibility of attracting attention. He walked through the dim alleys, taking every step carefully so as not to disturb the silence of the night. The moonlight was like a wash, falling on the ancient bluestone road, illuminating the direction for him to move forward.

The lights in Qingyun Building were still on, but the guards outside the door seemed to be more vigilant than during the day. Zhu Kai changed into casual clothes and dressed up as an ordinary tea drinker, trying to blend in without being noticed. He gently pushed open the door, and a noisy voice and the fragrance of tea hit him. The whole building was still bustling, as if it was incompatible with the tranquility of the outside world.

Zhu Kai found a seat in a corner and sat down, trying to look like an ordinary visitor. He noticed that the guests around him gathered in groups of three or four, whispering something, and occasionally cast a vigilant look at the door. Zhu Kai secretly guessed that there must be a lot of secrets hidden among these people.

Just as he was thinking about how to start the investigation, the woman in blue appeared in his sight again. She seemed to notice Zhu Kai, and walked towards him slowly with lotus steps. "The young master is here again." Her voice was low and magnetic, as if it had a kind of magic that could easily penetrate people's hearts.

Zhu Kai smiled slightly, but there was a subtle sharpness in his eyes. "Young lady, you really have a good memory. I didn't have a good time last night, so I came again tonight."

The woman smiled slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. "Sir, you are such an interesting person." She paused and continued, "I wonder if you are interested in listening to the piano music upstairs tonight?"

Zhu Kai's heart moved, knowing that this was a rare opportunity. "Of course, it would be an honor to hear the music of heaven."

So, under the guidance of the woman, Zhu Kai came to a room on the second floor. This place was completely different from the noisy atmosphere downstairs. The furnishings in the room were simple and elegant. A guqin lay quietly on the table, and next to it sat a man with long hair draped over his shoulders. He had a thin face and a sense of otherworldliness between his eyebrows.

"This is Mr. Shen, the zither player," the woman introduced. "His zither skills are second to none."

Mr. Shen raised his head and looked at Zhu Kai with a gentle gaze. "Since you are here, how about listening to a song first?"

Zhu Kai nodded in agreement, and Mr. Shen immediately played the zither. The sound of the zither was melodious, like the sound of flowing water, refreshing the heart. In this sound of the zither, Zhu Kai seemed to see vivid pictures: mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, insects, fish, and all kinds of human life, all in it.

At the end of the song, Zhu Kai couldn't help but exclaim: "Mr. Shen's piano skills are superb and amazing."

Mr. Shen smiled and said, "Thank you for your compliment, sir. In fact, the sound of the zither is also a language that can convey a lot of information."

Zhu Kai's heart moved when he heard this, and he immediately understood the hidden meaning of the other party's words. "Oh? Then Mr. Shen, can you tell me something through the sound of the piano?"

Mr. Shen's eyes flickered, as if he was trying to gauge Zhu Kai's true intentions. "What do you want to know, sir?"

"I want to know," Zhu Kai looked directly into Mr. Shen's eyes, "about the strange things that happened in Hangzhou recently, and the relationship between Qingyun Tower and these things."

Mr. Shen was silent for a moment, then sighed. "What you are asking for is not trivial. However, since you are asking sincerely, I might as well tell you frankly. Qingyun Tower is indeed involved to some extent, but the specific circumstances are probably not something that outsiders can easily know."

Zhu Kai frowned slightly, obviously not satisfied with this answer. "Then, Mr. Shen, can you give me some hints so that I can get closer to the truth?"

Mr. Shen pondered for a long while, and finally said: "Young Master, you know that things in the world are often not as simple as they seem. There is indeed a powerful force behind Qingyun Tower, but this force is not entirely evil. The reason why it acts in secret is that the goal it pursues may be beyond your imagination and mine."

Zhu Kai was even more confused after hearing this. "So, what exactly is this power? What is its goal?"

Mr. Shen shook his head, his expression becoming somewhat helpless. "I'm afraid I can't give you the answers to these questions. But I can tell you that if you want to solve the mystery, you need to find someone - 'Mr. Mist'."

"Mr. Misty?" Zhu Kai asked doubtfully, "Who is this person?"

"He is a mysterious figure. It is said that he holds a lot of important information. If you can find him, perhaps you can solve all the mysteries." Mr. Shen's voice was low and mysterious, as if he was telling a distant story.

Zhu Kai nodded. Although he still had many questions, he knew that in order to get more clues, he had to find this so-called "Mr. Mist" first. "Thank you Mr. Shen for your advice. I will do my best to find this Mr. Mist."

Mr. Shen smiled slightly, as if he had already anticipated Zhu Kai's choice. "Sir, I wish you success soon. However, remember, this road is not easy, you must be prepared."

Zhu Kai stood up and bowed deeply to the two of them. "I will remember your kindness in my heart. I will also remember what you said tonight."

Zhu Kai and Gu Wen traveled around Hangzhou for several days, trying to find Mr. Misty. However, they did not expect that their whereabouts had aroused the vigilance of some people. One evening, when the two were leaving a teahouse, a group of men in black suddenly emerged from all directions, moving quickly and well-trained. Zhu Kai reacted quickly and drew his sword to defend himself, but he was outnumbered and was soon surrounded.

"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?" Zhu Kai shouted angrily, dancing the sword in his hand tightly, trying to resist the enemy's attack.

"Hmph, stop talking nonsense! We are just following orders." The leading man in black sneered, "Just surrender yourself, or don't blame us for being rude!"

Gu Wenhu was beside Zhu Kai. Although he was nervous, he remained calm. "Master Zhu, it seems that they are well prepared. We have to find a way to break through."

Zhu Kai nodded, a look of determination flashing in his eyes. "Okay, let's split up. You go east, I go west. Remember, you must tell the constables in the city about this!"

However, the number of men in black far exceeded their expectations, and even a master like Zhu Kai could not escape unscathed under such a disadvantage. In the end, after a fierce fight, the two were captured.

When Zhu Kai woke up, he found himself tied up in a dark and damp dungeon. The walls were covered with moss and the air was filled with a musty smell. He tried to struggle, but found that his wrists and ankles were tightly bound. At this time, Gu Wen was also thrown into the same dungeon, and he had obviously just woken up. "Master Zhu, where are we?" Gu Wen's voice was a little flustered.

Zhu Kai said in a deep voice: "It looks like the hiding place of a secret organization. We need to calm down now and find a way to escape."

"But our hands and feet are tied, how can we escape?" Gu Wen asked, his tone full of helplessness.

"Don't give up hope," Zhu Kai comforted, "As long as we are still alive, there is a chance. Observe the surrounding environment first and see if there is anything that can be used."

At this time, the door of the dungeon creaked open, and a masked man walked in, followed by several men in black holding torches. The man walked up to Zhu Kai and looked down at him. "Zhu Kai, you are such a difficult person. You dare to come and ask about Mr. Misty's news. It seems that you are really not afraid of death."

Zhu Kai looked up at the other person. Although he couldn't see his face, he could sense an unquestionable majesty from his tone. "Who are you? Why are you stopping us from finding Mr. Misty?"

“Haha,” the man sneered, “That’s a good question. However, you are not qualified to know my identity. As for Mr. Mist, he is an existence that you absolutely cannot touch.”

"Why? Are you afraid that the truth will come to light?" Zhu Kai asked back, with a determined light in his eyes.

"The truth?" the man repeated. "The truth is often cruel, and not everyone can bear it. Especially for a self-righteous righteous person like you."

Zhu Kai did not show any weakness: "Even the cruel truth is better than lies and deception. If you have any concerns, why not let us reveal the facts that have been covered up."

The man was silent for a while, as if thinking about Zhu Kai's words. "You are brave and wise. However, bravery and wisdom cannot solve all problems. You and your companions will stay here for a while, until..."

"Until when?" Zhu Kai interrupted.

The man did not answer, but turned around and said to the people behind him: "Keep an eye on them, don't give them any chance to escape."

As the door closed again, the dungeon returned to silence. Zhu Kai and Gu Wen looked at each other, both with the same idea in mind - if they wanted to get out, they had to find the weakness of the masked man.

"Lord Zhu, what should we do now?" Gu Wen asked in a low voice.

Zhu Kai thought for a moment and said, "We need to understand the structure of this place, maybe we can find an exit. In addition, we have to pay attention to the leader, he is obviously the key figure. If we can convince him or find his weakness, maybe we will have a chance."

"But we don't even know who he is, how can we convince him?" Gu Wen expressed his concerns.

Zhu Kai smiled, his eyes full of confidence. "Then let's have a psychological battle. Since he doesn't want to reveal his identity, we can look for clues from his words and actions. Everyone has his own weaknesses, and as long as we are careful enough, we will definitely be able to find them."

In the following days, Zhu Kai and Gu Wen began to pay close attention to the people who delivered meals or made inspections, trying to find any useful information. At the same time, they also kept trying to communicate with the masked man, hoping to impress him.

One night, when the masked man came to the dungeon again, Zhu Kai decided to take the initiative. "Sir, I know you don't want to hurt innocent people. If we are really doing something just, why don't you give us a chance to prove ourselves?"

The masked man stopped and turned to face Zhu Kai. "You are really smart, but you underestimate the complexity of this world. Some things cannot be solved by intelligence alone."

Zhu Kai did not give up: "Then, Your Excellency, are you willing to give us a chance to prove ourselves? If we fail, we can do whatever we want; but if we succeed, will you promise to let us live?"

Zhu Kai and Gu Wen took advantage of the night shift change to carry out a well-planned plan. Zhu Kai first pretended to be ill, which attracted the attention of the guards, while Gu Wen took the opportunity to create chaos. The two cooperated tacitly and finally found a chance to escape in the noise. The air outside the dungeon was fresh and free, making them almost unable to believe that they had been reborn. However, they knew that the real challenge had just begun.

The night was as dark as ink, and the moonlight was like silver sand falling on the ground, illuminating the path for the two people. They moved quickly along the river bank, and every step they took was an expectation for the future. Zhu Kai stopped, and his frown showed his worry. "Gu Wen, we must find clues about Mr. Misty as soon as possible, otherwise everything we have done will be in vain."

Gu Wen nodded in agreement: "Master Zhu is right. But how should we proceed?"

"Remember 'Mr. Mist' mentioned by the masked man? I think we should go and find out some rumors about him in Hangzhou." Zhu Kai suggested.

The two decided to act separately, Zhu Kai was responsible for going to the teahouse in the south of the city, while Gu Wen went to the market in the north of the city. There, they hoped to capture some words about Mr. Misty from various casual conversations.

Zhu Kai entered the teahouse, where he had discussed the case with Gu Wen. At this moment, the teahouse was full of people of all kinds, some were businessmen, some were scholars, all enjoying their short leisure time. Zhu Kai found a corner to sit down and began to listen to the conversations around him. Soon, the voice of an old man attracted his attention.

"Have you heard? Recently there is a mysterious person in the city, known as Mr. Mist. It is said that he knows many unknown secrets." The old man said in a low voice.

"Oh? Then who is he? Why have I never heard of him?" a young man at the next table asked curiously.

The old man shook his head, as if he was keeping someone in suspense: "Mr. Mist's whereabouts are elusive. He only appears late at night, and every time he appears, he leaves a puzzle behind. Only those who solve the puzzle can see him in person."

When Zhu Kai heard this, he had an idea and immediately approached and asked, "Old man, do you know what the puzzle is that Mr. Misty left behind?"

The old man looked at Zhu Kai and saw that he was serious, so he whispered to him, "It is said that the most recent time was by the West Lake, where he left a poem: 'The bright moon shines on the pine forest, and the clear spring flows over the rocks.'" (End of this chapter)