Chapter 114: Heading to Zhejiang

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hao immediately offered his assurance: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Though I am lacking in talent, I will certainly get to the bottom of this matter. If I cannot uncover the truth, I shall not return!"

Zhu Hao’s resolute tone was not entirely out of loyalty; he was thinking of that wretched system and the impossible task it had assigned him. He could not afford to fail. He spoke with such determination because he had no choice but to give his all; otherwise, the penalty was something he truly could not bear.

Zhu Youxiao nodded in great satisfaction at Zhu Hao’s firmness. "In that case, I will leave it to you, Royal Brother. Since you are departing soon, go and bid farewell to Consort Dowager Liu. I will not keep you any longer. Once the Cabinet delivers the drafted imperial decree and I have affixed the Great Seal, I will have it sent to your bedchamber." The "Consort Dowager Liu" whom Zhu Youxiao referred to was, of course, Zhu Hao’s mother, Consort Liu. With the passing of Zhu Hao’s father, the Taichang Emperor, his mother had naturally transitioned from Consort Liu to Consort Dowager Liu.

Hearing his imperial brother’s words and realizing his goal had been achieved, Zhu Hao had no desire to linger. He bowed deeply and said, "I take my leave, Your Majesty." With that, he slowly backed out of the Qianqing Palace.

Although Zhu Hao had fulfilled his wish and been appointed Commander of the Jinyiwei, he had no time to visit the Jinyiwei to take command. He did not think much of it, considering his position. Yet, he did not anticipate that due to his current negligence—and the time constraints—by the time he finally arrived at the Jinyiwei, he would find himself a Commander in name only. This would lead to a series of political struggles, but that is a story for another time.

Zhu Hao visited his mother’s palace to inform her of his impending departure. Though Consort Dowager Liu was reluctant to let him go, she understood that her son had grown, knowing what should and should not be done. She did not attempt to hold him back, merely urging him to take care of his health. Zhu Hao nodded in agreement.

After spending some time in his mother’s palace, Zhu Hao returned to his own quarters, instructed his staff to prepare his travel belongings, and warned those staying behind to be cautious and diligent in his absence.

Just as he was issuing these instructions to the attendants, an eunuch arrived from outside carrying a scroll of yellow silk. Recognizing it as the imperial decree from his brother, Zhu Hao stepped forward to meet him.

Seeing Zhu Hao approach, the eunuch smiled, quickened his pace, and announced, "Prince Xin, the imperial decree has arrived!"

Zhu Hao bowed to await the reading. Since his imperial brother had exempted him from the standard kneeling ceremony, he remained bowed. The messenger, aware of this, opened the scroll and read in a high-pitched voice: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have heard that there was malpractice in the Zhejiang civil service examinations this year, and my heart is deeply troubled. I intended to summon the chief examiners for questioning, but the court officials are in an uproar, making it difficult for me to discern the truth. Fortunately, Prince Xin is righteous and willing to share the burden, requesting to travel to Zhejiang to uncover the facts. I am greatly comforted. I hereby appoint Prince Xin, Zhu Youjian, as Imperial Envoy and Commander of the Jinyiwei. You shall depart for Zhejiang immediately to investigate the truth for me! This is the decree!"

Zhu Hao bowed and replied, "I thank His Majesty for his grace. Long live the Emperor, long live, long live the Emperor!"

After the expression of gratitude, the eunuch rolled up the decree, handed it to Zhu Hao, and smiled. "Your Highness, the decree has been delivered. I shall not intrude further. His Majesty asked me to convey a message: he will not be able to see you off tomorrow, but he looks forward to welcoming you at the city gates upon your triumphant return." With that, the eunuch bowed and departed.

After the eunuch left, Zhu Hao held the decree and muttered to himself, "This servant is really..."

His unfinished sentence referred to the subtext of the eunuch’s words. While the message seemed caring, the entire decree—and the messenger’s tone—carried only one meaning: Zhu Hao was to leave immediately and not linger in the palace.

Realizing this, Zhu Hao thought, "Wei Zhongxian, oh Wei Zhongxian, what kind of spell have you cast on my brother? He trusts you so completely that he is in such a rush to drive his own brother away. Not only did he hint at it in the decree, but he even had the messenger push me as well. If this continues, won't you, this scourge, eventually turn the world upside down?"

Zhu Hao sighed, thinking, "This is not a good omen."

Though he wanted to check Wei Zhongxian’s power, his departure was imminent. With no time to spare, he could only instruct the Central Intelligence Agency to keep a close watch on Wei Zhongxian’s movements. He summoned the two high-ranking officials of the agency, Wei Xiaobao and Shi Qian.

With the interim head, Gongsun Ce, having been appointed Prefect of Shuntian by the Emperor, and the chief instructor, Hua Rong, appointed Commander of the Imperial Guard, the only remaining high-level officials were the head manager, Wei Xiaobao, and the second manager, Shi Qian. Once they were inside, Zhu Hao closed the door.

"I am departing for Zhejiang tomorrow to investigate the case," Zhu Hao stated. "During my absence, you two must monitor Wei Zhongxian closely. If there are any major developments, send word to me in Zhejiang immediately. Do you understand?"

"As you command, Your Highness!" they replied in unison.

Satisfied, Zhu Hao gave further instructions before dismissing them. As they turned to leave, Wei Xiaobao lingered, looking as if he had something to say. Zhu Hao noticed and asked, "Xiaobao, is there something else?"

Wei Xiaobao hesitated no longer. "Your Highness, you will be away for some time. I was wondering if I might accompany you to serve you and attend to your needs."

Zhu Hao pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I will have an official escort and palace attendants. You should remain here and oversee the Central Intelligence Agency for me."

After being refused, Wei Xiaobao looked disappointed but persisted. "Those people will certainly not be as attentive as I am. Besides, didn't you ask me to develop intelligence assets outside the palace? I rarely have the chance to leave, and accompanying you would be the perfect opportunity. I beg for your permission!"

Wei Xiaobao was undeniably sharp, and his words swayed Zhu Hao. Laughing, Zhu Hao said, "Xiaobao, you are truly thoughtful. You know exactly what to say to move me. Very well, you may accompany me on this trip!"

Overjoyed, Wei Xiaobao knelt down. "I thank you for your grace, Your Highness!"

Zhu Hao smiled. "Rise." He turned to Shi Qian. "With Xiaobao joining me, the affairs of the agency are now entirely in your hands. Do not let me down."

Shi Qian knelt and vowed, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will do my utmost to serve you and ensure there are no mishaps."

After dismissing them, Zhu Hao prepared for bed. He knew that once he reached Zhejiang, a peaceful night’s sleep would likely become a luxury.

He slept soundly until he was awakened the next morning. By the time he had washed and prepared to leave, the imperial escort was already waiting outside the palace gates.

Zhu Hao left the Imperial City with Wei Xiaobao. As they progressed, he ordered Wei Xiaobao to stop at the Yuelai Inn to pick up Qin Hui.

Zhu Hao knew that Qin Hui was the key to unlocking the Zhejiang examination scandal. Whether for his own safety or the role he could play, Qin Hui could not be left in the capital. Furthermore, Qin Hui was a high-level talent capable of being upgraded to four stars; bringing him along might yield unexpected surprises. With this in mind, Zhu Hao took Qin Hui with him to Zhejiang.