Zhao Qingzhu didn't know what Zhu Yunzhu was thinking, but she felt that something was amiss.
But now it seems that His Highness the Crown Prince has other ideas?
"Your Highness, shall we go and take a look together?"
Zhu Yunwen nodded and strode towards the water prison.
The water dungeon was pitch black, with only one pool of water making a sound.
"Zhu Yunwen, I'm going to kill you!"
Hearing the woman shout like that, Zhu Yuntong revealed a sinister smile.
"Who sent you?"
The woman glared at him fiercely, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
"No one sent me; killing you was my own intention!"
Zhu Yuntong couldn't understand why the woman in front of him hated him so much, since he had no grudge against her.
Zhao Qingzhu reached into the water and suddenly felt as if she had touched a strange object.
The woman suddenly became somewhat panicked.
"Zhu Yunwen, you're a turtle bastard!"
Zhu Yunwen smiled slightly.
"Even if you don't tell me, I can guess who you are!"
The woman looked up at Zhu Yunwen; he was nothing like the legendary grandson of the emperor.
The man before me was wise and shrewd, with an unfathomable expression on his face. Even though I had observed countless people, I could not see through the emotions behind his expression.
Zhu Yuntong placed his finger on the woman's hand, but no one could see what he wrote.
"What? You!"
"That's right, I already know everything, including your purpose, but I won't say!"
"Zhu Yunwen, why are you doing this? Now that you already know, you might as well give me a quick death!"
"Have you ever wondered how I found out about you?"
The woman lowered her head and pondered for a moment, as if recalling some detail, then suddenly raised her head!
"You mean they did it on purpose?"
"Whether you succeed in this or not, you'll die; whether you fail or not, you'll die a much worse death. Think carefully about what's going on here!"
As he spoke, Zhu Yunwen stood up and patted the water droplets off his body.
"Some things, once done, will always leave a trace, just like when I come to the water, there will be water stains on my clothes and shoes!"
The woman never expected Zhu Yunwen to see things so clearly!
"Zhu Yunwen, in the next life, and the life after that, I will come back to kill you!"
Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly, then turned and left.
Zhao Qingzhu didn't know what the two people had discussed, but she knew that after Zhu Yunwen left, the woman bit her tongue and committed suicide!
The woman's death, though unexpected, was within Zhu Yunwen's expectations; even if he succeeded, she would still die.
This is her fate; no one will step forward to protect her!
This news quickly reached Zhu Yuanzhang's ears.
Zhu Yuanzhang saw through the trick at a glance, but it was always his habit to see through it but not say it.
It must be quite interesting for a high-ranking ruler to sit in his seat and watch these people put on a show.
Since the assassin was dead, the matter could not be verified, and Zhu Yuanzhang and his court officials hoped to continue the investigation.
However, Zhu Yunwen seemed to want to give up.
This grandson of the Crown Prince doesn't have His Majesty's decisive and ruthless character. Everyone has their own ulterior motives, and this situation only confirms their suspicions.
Zhu Yuanzhang understood his grandson's personality; this kid must have a better method.
The old eunuch was adjusting Zhu Yuanzhang's court robes when he heard His Majesty speak slowly.
"I always felt there was something fishy about this, but since even the Crown Prince isn't pursuing it, I don't need to hold onto it either!"
The old eunuch didn't speak, he just nodded.
"You've been with us for so many years, you must understand what we're thinking!"
"Your Majesty, His Highness is still young, and it is already quite remarkable that he has accomplished so much!"
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and strode out of the inner hall.
"It's time to train him. He needs to learn the principle that internal stability must precede external defense!"
The old eunuch took two steps to catch up with Zhu Yuanzhang.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Shall we hear what the Crown Prince has to say first?"
The old eunuch asked cautiously.
This matter is like a ticking time bomb. For the royal family, the crown prince is the most taboo subject!
Zhu Yuanzhang did not answer the eunuch's question, and the eunuch realized he had spoken out of turn and immediately shut up.
Upon arriving at the main hall, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the assembled civil and military officials.
"I believe everyone knows about the Crown Prince's encounter with the assassin. What do you think should be done to investigate this matter?"
In an instant, the assassin who had tried to kill the Crown Prince bit his tongue and committed suicide, but the Crown Prince did not intend to pursue the matter further, which caused another uproar.
"Your Majesty, this matter is of utmost importance; the assassination of the Crown Prince must not be overlooked!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, this woman's identity is suspicious. Although she is dead, we must continue the investigation!"
Zhu Yuanzhang frowned as he stared at these people. Did they really think Zhu Yunwen was a muddle-headed and stupid person?
Looking at all these civil and military officials, how many of them truly care about the Ming Dynasty?
They stir up trouble at the slightest provocation.
When it came time to donate money, he started complaining about being poor, saying he had nothing. But on the day the restaurant opened, he let his descendants buy such expensive drinks.
To say these people weren't greedy? Even if you beat Zhu Yuanzhang to death, he wouldn't believe it!
"Alright, let's discuss this later! Let's talk about the Japanese pirates. They're rampant now, and we've received several reports from Dongguang."
"In my opinion, as long as the Japanese pirates are not eliminated, we will never have peace!"
"I also support fighting. After all, the Dongdao people just lost face, and they might be deliberately creating chaos for those Japanese pirates!"
"Your Majesty, I second that proposal!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was very satisfied. He stroked his beard with his hand and spoke after a long while.
"Very well, then let's talk about military expenses. The Ming Dynasty's treasury is currently depleted, and we will need the help of our ministers to attack the Japanese pirates!"
Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang say this, everyone lowered their heads, and not a single person responded.
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression darkened further.
"We really can't stand you guys. You all fall silent when it comes to serious matters. So, are you going to donate or not?"
Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang was truly angry, the ministers then echoed his sentiments.
However, where there's a will, there's a way. The amount of money the emperor asked for would be deducted from the exorbitant taxes and levies. In any case, these officials always find a way to make up for what they've paid.
In the end, it's always the ordinary people who suffer, so they don't care!
How could Zhu Yuanzhang, who was so shrewd, not see through their thoughts?
"Furthermore, we need to reduce or eliminate exorbitant taxes and levies, otherwise the people will always harbor resentment. I understand the principle that water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it better than anyone else!"
He would never have rebelled if he hadn't been truly forced into that situation.
The current heavy taxes and levies are already a burden, and looking at how wealthy these people are, one can imagine that the lives of ordinary people are extremely miserable.
"Your Majesty, these exorbitant taxes and levies cannot be reduced!"
"I second that proposal!"
"Are you saying we were wrong?"
The officials all knelt down, not daring to raise their heads again.
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