Volume 1, Chapter 9: A Death Without a Burial Place!

He lowered his head and looked at himself, noticing several bleeding scratches on his arms and thighs caused by tree branches, and his palms were raw and scraped from climbing the tree.

He leaned against a thick branch and slowly sat down, his back resting against the sturdy trunk, while the scimitar in his hand dangled loosely.

His head rested gently against the bark. As his chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

His body was still too frail. Zhu Xiongying slowly closed his eyes.

Curled up amidst the branches, his hunting attire was stained and tattered with blood, yet he maintained a defensive posture, his hand still gripping the scimitar.

The autumn wind swept by, scattering fallen leaves. The young man was all alone, drifting into sleep in the mountain forest where danger still lingered nearby.

Elsewhere, the Imperial Uncles, who had been dispersed for the hunt, gradually gathered together.

Beneath the hunting banners, the guards began a roll call to confirm the location of each Prince.

Zhu Shuang wiped the sweat from his forehead, his expression filled with concern.

His gaze swept across the group, only to realize a deep blue figure was missing from the crowd. "Where is Xiongying? Wasn't he setting out with us just a moment ago?"

Zhu Di tapped the guard beside him, frowning as he asked, "What is going on? Where is Xiongying?"

Upon hearing this, the guards immediately turned pale with panic. The lead guard hurriedly bowed his head to report, "Reporting to your Highnesses, the Grand Prince seemed to have become separated from us earlier; he may have headed toward the east side of the forest. I will take men to find him immediately!"

Zhu Shuang’s gaze darkened, and he coldly reprimanded, "You were tasked with protecting him, yet you lost him! If anything happens to Xiongying, none of you will keep your heads!"

Zhu Di also roared, "Hurry! Go find him, all of you!"

Hearing the fury of the two Princes, the guards dared not delay and quickly split up to search.

In the corner, Zhu Yunwen hid fearfully behind his guards; he had heard the wolf howls earlier and was terrified.

But what they did not know was that the guards specifically assigned to protect Zhu Xiongying personally had already slipped away quietly.

Taking advantage of the chaos, they had vanished into the deeper parts of the forest, leaving no trace behind.

The search parties in the woods gradually converged toward the east.

Accompanied by the rhythmic thud of hooves, a guard suddenly stopped deep within the forest.

He pointed ahead and shouted, "Your Highness! He is in the tree!"

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed and saw Zhu Xiongying curled up on a thick branch of a large tree, his hunting gear tattered and stained with blood.

His body leaned slightly against the trunk, and his closed eyes appeared utterly exhausted, yet his hand still clutched the scimitar tightly.

The guards approached quickly, and one climbed the tree to carefully lift Zhu Xiongying down.

He reported in a low voice, "The Grand Prince is injured, but there is no danger to his life. It appears he simply exhausted his strength and fell asleep."

Zhu Shuang rode his horse forward, his eyes sweeping over the wounds on Zhu Xiongying’s body, a flash of pain and pity crossing his face.

He crouched down and called out in a low voice, "Xiongying, Xiongying! How are you?"

Hearing the voice, Zhu Xiongying slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was vacant at first, but then quickly regained its composure.

Recognizing Zhu Shuang before him, he managed to force a faint smile. "Second Uncle... why are you here?"

Zhu Shuang sighed. "You suddenly disappeared, and it scared us into searching everywhere for you. What on earth happened?"

Zhu Xiongying frowned slightly, lowering his eyes in thought for a moment before speaking in a weary yet calm tone. "A guard said a wolf pack was scattering and told me to stay put and wait for them to return..."

"After those people left, the wolves suddenly closed in. I... I had no choice but to climb the tree to protect myself."

Zhu Di rode closer and, upon hearing this, flew into a rage. "What? They left you all alone?! Those pieces of trash, how dare they treat you like this!"

Zhu Xiongying shook his head slightly, his voice raspy. "Fourth Uncle, I am fine. The guards might have panicked in the rush and made such a mistake."

Zhu Shuang noticed the implication in Zhu Xiongying’s tone and frowned slightly.

Just as he was about to ask more, Zhu Xiongying spoke first. "Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, the wolves may not have gone far. Let us leave this place quickly and discuss this when we return to the capital."

Seeing his pale face and clear lack of strength, Zhu Shuang decided not to press him further and nodded. "Very well, let us return to the camp first."

Along the way, Zhu Xiongying was carefully helped onto a horse by the guards.

On the journey back, Zhu Di remained indignant, occasionally shouting to berate the derelict guards.

Zhu Xiongying, however, remained silent, leaning against the horse to conserve his energy.

His expression was calm as he pondered.

He knew very well that the wolf attack was no coincidence.

Someone had deliberately lured the wolves into the hunting grounds, and the withdrawal of the guards at the critical moment was clearly a calculated arrangement.

The methods were crude and obvious, and the goal was to eliminate him.

Yet, what made Zhu Xiongying even more vigilant was that the guards truly responsible for protecting him in the shadows had never appeared from start to finish.

Logically, these guards were dispatched by Zhu Yuanzhang himself; it was impossible for them to be so irresponsible.

His gaze turned cold. "There is only one possibility: they were... taken care of before I was even attacked."

Thinking of this, dark undercurrents surged in his heart.

Just how far could the Lady Lu’s reach extend?

Inside the Yangxin Hall of the Imperial Palace, the atmosphere was as cold as the depths of winter.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat rigidly behind the dragon desk, clutching a memorial so tightly that the veins on his hands stood out.

Although the desk was covered in official documents, his gaze was fixed on a eunuch who had hurried into the hall, his eyes as sharp as blades.

The eunuch knelt on the floor, his forehead nearly touching the cold brick, reporting with trembling fear, "Your Majesty, I have just received news that the Grand Prince was injured in the hunting grounds..."

"The guards failed to perform their duties, nearly resulting in a catastrophe!"

"What?!" Zhu Yuanzhang stood up abruptly, his voice like a thunderclap, causing all the palace servants in the Yangxin Hall to tremble.

"Xiongying is injured?! Say that again!"

Cold sweat broke out on the eunuch’s forehead, his voice trembling. "Your Majesty, the Grand Prince is indeed injured, but fortunately, there is no threat to his life. The Imperial Uncles have already escorted him back to the camp, but..."

"But the guards were derelict in their duties; they left the Grand Prince alone when the wolf pack approached."

This remark was like pouring oil onto a fire, and Zhu Yuanzhang’s rage burned even brighter.

He slammed his hand onto the dragon desk, sending the documents scattering across the floor.

"Scoundrels! A bunch of useless trash!"

Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes widened in fury, his voice deep and thundering. "What are the guards for? They are there to protect my grandson, not to save their own skins!"

"They actually abandoned Xiongying to a pack of wolves? Do they still have me, their Emperor, in their eyes? Do they have any sense of order left at all?!"

The eunuchs and servants in the hall all prostrated themselves, not daring to draw a breath.

Zhu Yuanzhang’s temper was well-known; when he was angry, the light punishment was a scolding, and the heavy one was the loss of one’s head.

Moreover, this matter concerned his beloved eldest grandson; everyone knew this rage would not easily subside.

Zhu Yuanzhang paced back and forth in the hall, breathing heavily in his fury.

Suddenly, he stopped, his sharp gaze sweeping toward the head eunuch, Gao Ming. "Gao Ming! Immediately convey my order: conduct a thorough investigation into the deployment of the hunting ground guards!"

Gao Ming hurriedly bowed and replied, "I obey the order, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang’s gaze was icy, his tone laced with murderous intent. "I want to know how the guards were arranged! Who gave the orders, and who removed the guards from Xiongying’s side!"

"If I find anyone engaging in favoritism or daring to neglect their duty, hmph... I will ensure they suffer a death with no place to be buried!"

Gao Ming dared not delay and turned to hurry away.