Zhu Chong stared at the fragments of the jade pendant on the ground for a long time, and only came to his senses when the second concubine Deng called out to him.

"It's over. It's all over."

He muttered to himself.

"Your Highness, what are you talking about? It's just a jade pendant."

Deng said, then took a closer look at the jade pendant on the ground and said disdainfully: "It's not a very valuable thing."

As someone who came from a noble family, Deng still had a certain ability to appreciate things.

This jade pendant looks exquisite, but it is not rare, and it has nothing to do with being valuable.

You can buy it for just a dozen taels of silver.

That is why,

Only Deng would smash it directly. Sending something worth more than ten taels is an insult.

While Deng was speaking, Zhu Chong had already squatted down, took out a gold-thread handkerchief from his arms, and carefully collected the fragments one by one.

The more he touched, the colder Zhu Chong felt in his heart.

Seeing the King of Qin's abnormal behavior, Deng couldn't help feeling a little panicked.

"Master, what's so special about this jade pendant?"

No matter how stupid she was, seeing the King of Qin lose his composure like this, Deng realized that she had made a big mistake by smashing the jade pendant.

"This is the gift that my mother gave to my father when he got married. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, my father has always carried it with him and has never left it."

Zhu Chong's tone was trembling with a hint of panic.

At this moment, his mind was blank.

Hearing this, Deng was shocked as if struck by a bolt from the blue. She then hurriedly pulled Zhu Chong, who was squatting, and said hurriedly:

"Master, you can't just ignore me. I didn't mean it. I just thought it was sent by the teahouse. I didn't think too much about it."

"Yes, it's the teahouse. How could they be related to His Majesty? How could they take His Majesty's jade pendant? Maybe they stole it."

"These thieves should be arrested immediately and interrogated to find out where they stole your majesty's jade pendant from."

Deng's mind was working rapidly, thinking of various solutions.

"Perhaps, sir, we can have someone carve a similar one based on the style of this jade pendant. I think His Majesty may not be able to tell."

However, facing his favorite concubine, Zhu Chong said nothing at this time.

He simply picked up all the pieces of the jade pendant, wrapped them up in a handkerchief and put them in his arms.

"Master, you can't abandon me."

Deng didn't get a response, so she pulled Zhu Chong and said anxiously.

Zhu Chong turned around and said bitterly, "My eldest brother is gone. We were punished by our father and imprisoned in the capital."

"This jade pendant is extremely important to my father. It has been his only thought since my mother passed away."

"How could something that is in your hands day and night be changed without your knowledge? Don't commit the crime of deceiving the emperor again. Just wait and see how your father will punish you."

Zhu Chong said this and did not continue speaking.

Upon hearing this, Deng's face turned pale, her throat rolled, and her whole body began to tremble.

At this moment, a servant came quickly to report: "Your Highness, the Royal Guards are here to read out His Majesty's order."

"Please ask him to come in." Zhu Chong was shocked when he heard this, and then said.

"Master, please, please save me as I have served you for many years." Deng pulled Zhu Chong's sleeve and begged.

She already knew the consequences of this matter and how serious they were.

Zhu Chong wanted to speak, but didn't know how to say it.

Deng suddenly had an idea and pointed at the old housekeeper and said, "Master, this jade pendant was clearly broken by him. He broke it accidentally."

After saying that, Mrs. Deng glared at the old housekeeper and shouted, "Let me ask you, is it true or not?"

"If you agree, I will ensure that your family will be prosperous and wealthy."

After the big stick, Deng gave another sweet date.

The old butler was a little panicked when he heard this, but he reacted immediately. After a moment's hesitation, he knelt down and said in a sad voice:

"This jade pendant was clearly broken by this old servant accidentally. It has nothing to do with your Highness and the princess."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Chong turned around to look at Deng's beautiful face, and a trace of reluctance flashed in his eyes.

Then he said: "If this king were still alive, your descendants would be rich and worry-free."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

The old butler kowtowed and said.

At this time, the Jinyiwei had already arrived.

"Your Majesty has ordered that Prince Qin Zhu Chong be summoned to the palace to meet the Emperor immediately."

…

On the banks of the Qinhuai River, in Zhu Ying's yard.

In the study, Zhu Ying was checking intelligence from various places, with Zhang Bohou standing beside him.

Intelligence from all places will be fed back to Zhu Ying as soon as possible.

Although there will be some time difference due to the summons.

However, Zhu Ying, who has memories of his past life, can still recall some major events in history through some of the intelligence.

At this moment, Zhu Ying was turning to information related to Goryeo.

According to the intelligence, Lee Seong-gye of Goryeo had already arranged for an envoy to come and was on the way to the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

"What's going on with Lee Seong-gye now?"

Zhu Ying asked casually, many details were mainly handled by Zhang Bo, and it was impossible for him to keep an eye on the intelligence every day to understand it.

"Goryeo has been completely controlled by Lee Seong-gye, who has absolute power in Goryeo. Many ministers have petitioned to ascend the throne many times. This time, he must be preparing to establish a country and wants to gain the support of Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Ying nodded and asked again, "How are our people now?"

"Because of his service to the emperor, Lee Seong-gye has great trust in our people, and now the Goryeo Royal Palace is under the charge of our people."

"As for military positions, we have three people, serving as the Imperial Guard of the Goryeo Palace, Military Governor, and Naval Commander."

"As for the civil officials, there are two of the second rank, three of the second rank, and the remaining thirteen."

Zhang Bo reported in detail.

Hearing the data, Zhu Ying nodded with satisfaction.

As early as the 18th year of Hongwu, when Lee Seong-gye was still the commander-in-chief, Zhu Ying sent hundreds of people to join him.

These hundreds of people were all Koreans. They had been trained and cultivated by Zhu Ying. Some of them were elite soldiers and generals, and some were civil officials.

Under Zhu Ying's training methods that he borrowed from later generations, there was also enough meat supply.

The spirit and energy of these elite soldiers and brave generals were completely different from those of the Goryeo soldiers at that time.

Lee Seong-gye had no wariness towards him, after all, they were all native Koreans.

Zhu Ying knows the trajectory of history.

The twenty-first year of Hongwu.

Xin Rui sent the commander-in-chief Li Chenggui to cross the Yalu River to attack Liaodong.

After crossing the Yalu River, Lee Seong-gye found that marching was difficult, food and pay were insufficient, and morale was low.

Instigated by the generals arranged by Zhu Ying, he returned to Songjing, deposed Sin Bie and exiled Choi Yeong. Later, Lee Seong-gye made Sin Bie's son Sin Chang the king, but deposed him and replaced him with Wang Yao (King Gongyang), a member of the royal family of Goryeo.

Mastering the art of following the dragon, Zhu Ying's hidden men occupied high positions.

In addition, Lee Seong-gye ruled the country with Confucianism, and Confucianism replaced Buddhism as the country's ruling ideology.

The scholars of the Ming Dynasty were treated very well.

With such convenience, Zhu Ying arranged for a large number of trained talents to go to Goryeo.

It can be said that nearly one-third of the ministers in the Goryeo court today are hidden players sent by Zhu Ying.

In terms of the military, Zhu Ying arranged for court officials to make suggestions and implement a system of separation of soldiers and generals, with no fixed generals or fixed soldiers, similar to a reserve army that served in rotation, rather than a permanent army.

As a result, a large number of middle and lower-level military officers in Goryeo were infiltrated by Zhu Ying's men.

If Zhu Ying had not been very interested in Goryeo.

Perhaps the current founding king has nothing to do with Lee Seong-gye anymore.