My father, Zhu Di, was granted a second life by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Chapter 122 Whether you like it or not, you have to obey

Xuezhu's message was delivered through a messenger.

Of the six eunuchs initially given to him by his adoptive father, Han Da was the youngest. He was introverted and not good at talking. Although he looked a little thin, he had superhuman strength. He could easily move a stone that San Bao struggled to lift.

Han Da had an enormous appetite, almost three times that of his peers, and he was responsible for almost all the heavy chores in the vegetable garden, such as sweeping and cleaning.

He would get up before dawn every day, finish his work, and then go back to his room to read. He had a wide range of interests and read all kinds of books, but he preferred technical knowledge and rarely read Confucian classics. For example, he read the "Agricultural Treatise" written by Wang Zhen of the Yuan Dynasty, which Zhu Gaoxi had obtained from him last time.

It is said that Han Da's grandfather was a craftsman in the Yuan Dynasty. He worked in the government's handicraft workshops and did heavy labor under the strict supervision of the craftsmen. His food rations were pitifully small and were often cut off. In fact, he was a slave to the laborers. In order to survive, many people had to sell their children.

Han Da's father was given to a low-ranking old eunuch in the Yuan Shundi court.

On the day Xuezhu arrived in the capital, Li Hui went to the school for his routine inspection, and Zhu Gaoxi had Han Da temporarily fill the vacancy and went with him to the Prince of Wu's residence.

Of the eunuchs in the vegetable garden, Xuezhu had only met Sanbao and Handa.

Everyone in the palace knew that Sanbao was the King of Wu's man, and that Sanbao should not be allowed to handle such private matters as sending messages. Therefore, Yishiha sent Han Da to deliver the message.

As a long-term information channel, the staffing must be carefully and prudently arranged. Having only one person, Han Da, in contact with Xue Zhu would concentrate too much risk.

If the letter is discovered by the people of the Eastern Palace, Xuezhu will lose contact with the vegetable garden, so a foolproof plan must be devised in advance.

"Why not let Han Chen be the substitute, and have Han Da take him to meet Xue Zhu?" Zhu Gaoxi slowly made his suggestion.

Youdun nodded in agreement.

Lady Lü grew up in a scholarly family. Her father, Lü Benzeng, served as an official in the Yuan Dynasty and rose to the position of Minister of Personnel in the present dynasty. She was intelligent, diligent, and eager to learn, so it is not surprising that she had read several medical books.

After Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the position of prime minister, the Six Ministries were directly under the emperor's control, and their status and authority rose accordingly.

Among the six ministries, the Ministry of Personnel held the highest position and wielded immense power.

While this does not necessarily lead to suspicion that Ms. Lü acted improperly, it at least demonstrates that she had the opportunity and ability to do so.

Zhu Gaoxi's analysis was deeply appreciated by You Dun. After pondering for a while, he smiled and said, "The Crown Prince has recently been keen on sowing discord. I wonder if he truly trusts his birth mother."

"Given Lu's low-key and cautious nature, even if she had done some bad things, she wouldn't have told her son everything."

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and a faint smile appeared on Zhu Gaoxi's lips. "He is half-believing and half-doubting even his own birth mother. No wonder he always tries to stir up trouble. A person with a dark mind always thinks that everyone in the world is like him."

"The Crown Prince may not have suspected the Lü family yet. We need to find a capable person to stir up trouble and push things along at a crucial moment," Zhu Youdun said with a slight smile.

"Who are you looking for?" Zhu Gaoxi asked with interest.

"Of course, it's someone the Crown Prince trusts," You Dun deliberately kept everyone in suspense.

"Huang Zicheng, Qi Tai, and Fang Xiaoru are not capable of serving us," Zhu Gaoxi thought with some concern. Infiltrating the enemy was not an easy task. Princess Hanshan was only close to Lady Lü and the Crown Prince's wife, but she could not speak to the Crown Prince.

"Ideally, she should be a woman, as beautiful as a fairy, to make the grandson of the crown prince infatuated," Zhu Youdun joked.

The Crown Prince firmly believed that excessive indulgence was harmful to health. His wife had been pregnant for so long, yet he hadn't even taken a concubine. His scheme of using a beautiful woman was simply not going to work.

Zhu Gaoxi shook his head in rejection and suggested a less-than-ideal solution, "How about we go find Li Jinglong instead?"

"He almost hates us to death," Zhu Youdun worried about his loyalty.

"During the past few days since Father returned to the capital, he has been praising Li Jinglong and even presented him with several rare treasures. If we sincerely ask him for help, he shouldn't refuse outright," Zhu Gaoxi said with a glimmer of hope, though he was actually quite anxious and uncertain.

"He's a smart man. If all else fails, get the Flying Eagle Guards moving."

The Flying Eagle Guard is now under Zhang Fu's command. You Dun can only offer suggestions, but cannot directly issue orders or dispatch personnel.

Legend has it that at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, a leader with a hundred or so men occupied a mountain and became a bandit king. He would take a wife as his concubine. If he took a fancy to her, he would send someone to invite her. If the woman was willing, then everyone would be happy. If she did not comply, he would simply kidnap her, take her up the mountain, and force her to comply, whether she wanted to or not.

Zhu Gaoxi's thoughts drifted, and he suddenly thought of these seemingly unrelated things, yet he seemed to have gained some insight.

Otherwise, we should also teach Li Jinglong a lesson, so he won't always be so hesitant and coy. We should just give him a swift and decisive victory, completely suppressing him and forcing him to submit.

"Li Jinglong lives such a luxurious life, is his daily salary enough?" Zhu Gaoxi asked meaningfully.

The old emperor never showed favoritism or leniency in cracking down on corruption.

"I've also had my suspicions about this. I had the Flying Eagle Guards keep an eye on things for a few days before, but they didn't find anything unusual. However, I heard that Li Jinglong has been a big spender all year round and has already squandered almost all of the family fortune left by his father. My grandfather has been very generous in his rewards to the Princess's Mansion and the Duke of Cao," You Dun analyzed.

Li Jinglong's grandmother was the old emperor's sister and was granted the title of Princess of Cao. His grandfather, Li Zhen, was posthumously granted the title of King of Longxi after his death.

"With his extravagant spending habits, he's likely living beyond his means. Even if he's wealthy, isn't he afraid of running out of money? Hasn't he considered other ways to make a living?"

Zhu Gaoxi refused to give up easily, believing it was still necessary to investigate further, as there might be a major discovery.

As long as the slightest clue is discovered, all of Li Jinglong's assets can be confiscated and put to public use.

Valuable jade artifacts, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings...

Just thinking about it makes my heart race and my mouth water. I have to pull off a big heist, get some key evidence, and force Li Jinglong to make a choice: surrender or be disgraced. It's a choice between two options.

"Of course, I'm not after his money," Zhu Gaoxi reminded himself silently.

"Who has Li Jinglong been associating with lately?" Zhu Gaoxi asked with great interest.

"Let's send the Flying Eagle Guards to keep an eye on things for a few days," Zhu Youdun said, unsure of what to say.

"Alright, I'll go tell Zhang Fu," Zhu Gaoxi said, humming a little tune as he walked out of the secret room.

The bright prospects brought him joy without him even realizing it, and Zhu Gaoxi felt extremely comfortable and at ease, but a hint of worry flickered in Zhu Youdun's eyes.

For some reason, he always felt that ever since the Prince of Yan returned to the capital, Zhu Gaochi seemed to have become more wary and suspicious of him.

She used to talk to Zhu Gaoxi about everything in front of him, but now she speaks less and is more cautious, keeping her distance unconsciously.

Hopefully, Gao Xi will not be affected by this.

The Crown Prince's divisive tactics are pervasive. How long can his current trust with Gao Xi last? Will they drift further apart?

Once a rift develops between him and Gao Xi, Zhu Youdun's position becomes quite awkward and unpopular. Perhaps the day Gao Xi ascends the throne will be the day he leaves. Zhu Youdun does not want to be involved in the bloody struggle for the throne.

Leaving early and becoming a leisurely and carefree wealthy prince is certainly a good choice.