Zhu Yunwen never expected that Prefect Zhou would commit suicide so easily. Just a moment ago he was unwilling to admit his guilt, but when the real mastermind behind him was mentioned, he actually committed suicide.

This made Zhu Yunwen's face turn very ugly, which could only mean one thing: the person behind him was very powerful.

This instilled immense fear in him, so much so that he was willing to commit suicide rather than reveal the identity of the person behind him.

He wasn't even afraid of death, but he was afraid of that person.

This is enough to show that the person may have threatened Zhou's family members, or done something else.

Thinking about this, Zhu Yunwen was basically certain that it was his third uncle.

Otherwise, there probably wouldn't be many people in the Ming Dynasty who could threaten a fourth-rank official to this extent.

In the hall, the other officials were terrified by what they saw; none of them knew what had happened.

They couldn't understand why their prefect had committed suicide by running into a pillar.

Then Zhu Yunwen, with a stern face, spoke calmly:

"Prefect Zhou sent someone to assassinate me in an attempt to prevent the abolition of the land annexation policy. Now that he has committed suicide out of fear of punishment, let the Vice Prefect report to the court for a decision."

The second-in-command of the prefectural government, the Prefectural Assistant, quickly stepped forward and said to Zhu Yunwen:

"I will obey Your Highness's orders..."

Zhu Yunwen added, “Furthermore, the implementation of the abolition of land annexation must continue and be accelerated. Any official who obstructs the implementation of this decree should be severely punished. Any noble family that obstructs the implementation of this decree should also be severely punished.”

The officials all knelt down and agreed.

Zhu Yunwen knew that after the death of the prefect, these officials had realized the seriousness of the problem and would certainly not dare to be negligent.

Relatively speaking, they value their own lives more, so when faced with the choice of life, they will inevitably give up some of their interests.

Therefore, Zhu Yunwen believed that the implementation of the policies in Yongzhou Prefecture would proceed normally.

So they didn't linger there any longer, since the prefect had already committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

So next, Zhu Yunwen set off directly for Taiyuan.

Taiyuan is an ancient capital, where dynasties once established their capitals.

So it can be considered a relatively large and prosperous place.

Zhu Gang, the Prince of Jin, whose fiefdom was located here, was one of the more powerful princes among the many vassal kings.

Although he cannot be compared to Zhu Di, who held military power, he was not far behind.

Now, Zhu Di has lost his military power and is essentially a toothless tiger.

Among the many princes, Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang, and Prince Jin, Zhu Gang, were the most powerful.

After several days of travel, Zhu Yunwen entered Taiyuan Prefecture.

The Prince of Jin, Zhu Gang, resided in Taiyuan Prefecture. He had come openly, not secretly, so when he arrived, Prince Zhu Gang immediately went outside the city to greet him.

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhu Yunwen is now the crown prince, and even if Prince Jin, Zhu Gang, is unhappy with him, he still has to maintain appearances.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang was still alive, so these princes really didn't dare to cause any trouble.

Even outside the city, Zhu Yunwen met his third uncle.

Zhu Gang, true to his name, did indeed have a somewhat resolute appearance and a rather rugged physique.

His full beard gave him a somewhat carefree and easygoing look.

He quickly stepped forward, first bowing to Zhu Yunwen and saying:

"Your subject greets His Highness the Crown Prince."

After all, Zhu Yunwen is now the grandson of the emperor, the future heir apparent, and the hidden dragon of the Ming Dynasty.

Although the third prince, Prince Jin, Zhu Gang, was Zhu Yuanzhang's son, he was still just a prince, and the proper etiquette between ruler and subject still had to be observed.

Zhu Yunwen stepped forward and said with a smile:

"Third Uncle, there's no need for such formality. We're all family. Isn't this just making us sound too distant?"

Zhu Gang laughed heartily, then patted Zhu Yunwen on the shoulder and said:

“My dear nephew, what brings you here to visit your uncle’s Taiyuan? Taiyuan is neither a scenic spot nor a prosperous place. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed after coming all this way.”

Zhu Yunwen smiled and said:

"My nephew came this time not for the beautiful scenery, nor to see the prosperity of Taiyuan. He just wanted to visit his third uncle, after all, a lot has happened recently."

Assassination attempts are a never-ending cycle; I fear one day someone might suddenly be gone. Then, you and I, uncle and nephew, would be separated by death, and we would never have the chance to meet again.

Zhu Yunwen said these words with a smile, but Zhu Gang's eyelids twitched when he heard them. He realized that Zhu Yunwen's words had a hidden meaning and were not as simple as a joke.

He immediately suspected that Zhu Yunwen already knew about his secret assassination attempt on Zhu Yunwen.

However, he quickly composed himself and said to Zhu Yunwen with a smile:

“Nephew, you’re joking. Although we are members of the royal family, we often encounter assassination attempts, but they are usually just lowly scoundrels. How could they really harm us? So nephew, there’s no need to be so pessimistic.”

Zhu Yunwen laughed heartily and entered the city with Prince Jin, Zhu Gang, while continuing to speak:

"What my third uncle said is right, but this assassination attempt on me is really frustrating. I never expected that the person behind it was the prefect of Yongzhou Prefecture."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gang was taken aback at first, then smiled and said:

"In that case, it is indeed hateful that an official of the imperial court would dare to hire someone to assassinate the crown prince? It is truly unacceptable!"

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