Chapter 205 Many Surrenders
"Shen Hou, long time no see!"

Accompanied by a voice that Zhu Wusi was very familiar with, a person behind Zhu Chengwu slightly pulled open the hat on his head, and a familiar face came into Zhu Wusi's sight.

"It's you, Cao Zhengchun! Why are you here?"

Zhu Wusi instantly recognized this old rival who had been checking and balancing each other for more than twenty years.

He also instantly understood the origin of the Tianxiang Cardamom in Zhu Chengwu's hand.

Indeed, as the most powerful supervisor of the East Factory in the Ming court, it was completely reasonable for Cao Zhengchun to get a natural cardamom from Fang Huimin or Han Xiuying.

It is even possible that both of the Tianxiang cardamoms are in Cao Zhengchun's hands.

Of course, it is also possible that it is now in the hands of the seventh brother Zhu Chengwu.

Zhu Wusi is not the only smart person in this world.

Zhu Wusi can see the current situation clearly, and so can others.

Even as a eunuch with a thin skin, Cao Zhengchun acted much faster than Zhu Wusi, the uncle of the current Ming King, after seeing the situation clearly.

"Shen Hou, you can come, but I can't?"

After being exposed, Cao Zhengchun no longer remained silent and started to attack his old rival Zhu Wusi.

"you…"

Cao Zhengchun's words made Zhu Wusi choke immediately.

It was also at this time that Zhu Wushi turned his gaze and focused his attention for the first time on the increasingly large group of followers behind Zhu Chengwu.

Zhu Chengwu really attracted too much attention, and for Zhu Wusi, who was known as the best master under the Grandmaster, there was really no need for many people to care about him.

Therefore, Zhu Wushi had previously selectively ignored the increasingly large group of followers behind Zhu Chengwu.

No matter how strong they are, can they be stronger than Zhu Wusi?

No matter how powerful they are, can they be more powerful than the Huolong Villa?
Now that Zhu Wusi has decided to surrender, the others are not worth mentioning!
However, the slap in the face came quickly, Cao Zhengchun was actually hidden in it...

With this as a benchmark, Zhu Wushi can no longer ignore others!
Who are the other people wearing bamboo hats?
Zhu Wusi thought to himself.

When Zhu Chengwu reappeared, there were only Wang Taoshan, Yang Yanwu and Lu Shangjun by his side.

After Xuzhou City, the number of people following Zhu Chengwu did not change, except that Cui Shuyun, Zhu Chengwu's wife, replaced Lu Shangjun.

After Huashan, the number of people following Zhu Chengwu began to change for the first time, with Feng Buping and Yue Buqun joining.

Afterwards, Zhu Chengwu led a group of people to the Songshan Mountains and destroyed the Songshan Sect and Shaolin Temple. When Zhu Chengwu and his group left the Songshan Mountains, they resumed their operations in the Ming Dynasty. Except for Cui Shuyun who achieved Yangshen, there were not many changes in other personnel. The number of personnel also remained unchanged.

However, during this meeting, the number of people behind Zhu Chengwu saw a huge explosion.

Many of them covered their faces with bamboo hats.

Zhu Wusi understood that these people should be those who had recently surrendered to Zhu Chengwu. Some of them should have other identities that they did not want to expose for the time being, so they covered their faces with bamboo hats.

Zhu Wusi thought that the people behind Zhu Chengwu were those who had recently surrendered to Zhu Chengwu, but Zhu Wusi never expected that Cao Zhengchun, one of the pillars of the Ming Dynasty court, was also among them.

This is really unexpected.

The impact of Zhu Chengwu's destruction of the Songshan School and Shaolin Temple exceeded Zhu Wushi's expectations.

Zhu Chengwu's choice of taking it slow and waiting for the aftermath to develop also worked.

"We are not far from the capital! There is no need to hide our identities anymore, everyone take off your hats!
Thirteenth brother, please come with us to the capital!"

Zhu Chengwu's gaze passed Zhu Wusi and turned to the capital of the Ming Dynasty dozens of miles away, and he gave these instructions.

It's only a few dozen miles, and with Zhu Chengwu and his friends' walking speed, they can arrive there in no time.

But Zhu Chengwu will not arrive so soon. He will walk slowly and enter the capital of the Ming Dynasty tomorrow.

We must give Wang's wife Fang Huimin and Zhu Chengwu's nephew, the current Ming King, some time to be afraid, otherwise how can Zhu Chengwu face the destroyed Fu'an Marquis Mansion and offer sacrifices to the dead Zhao Xinghan, Gao Yao and others.

"Yes, Lord Marquis!"

As Zhu Chengwu gave the order, the people behind him took off their hats and bowed in response.

The "final battle" is coming, and there is no need for them to continue hiding their identities.

Moreover, Zhu Chengwu had given the instructions in person, and they did not have the courage to refuse Zhu Chengwu directly.

After all, if they had the courage to reject Zhu Chengwu and the confidence to face Zhu Chengwu, they would not have taken the initiative to surrender to Zhu Chengwu.

As they took off their hats, their identities were not only exposed to Zhu Wusi, but also to each other.

You have to know that before, each of them met Zhu Chengwu alone while wearing a hat.

Apart from Zhu Chengwu, no one really knows all of their identities.

Duke Qi, one of the two great masters of the Zhu family, the master-Xibei Hou Chang Qingshan, the master who is unemployed at home, Jing'an Bo, the orphans of the Shandong Han family who were exterminated because of the former favorite concubine Han Xiuying-Han Mingxiang and Han Minghui, the head of the Ai family in Beijing, Ai Xiaopeng, and his sister Ai Jingxia, the top master of the Kunpeng Gang-Nie Dahai... Nearly twenty of them are either masters, junior masters, or top-notch masters. In addition, there are nearly thirty masterminds of important departments of the court such as the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War!
Zhu Wusi looked in shock at the people in front of him who took off their hats.

Zhu Wusi really didn't expect that so many people had secretly surrendered to Zhu Chengwu.

If we add in those who are not wearing hats and hiding their identities.

The people behind Zhu Chengwu have become extremely powerful in both strength and influence, and have even completely crushed the current Ming King.

With these people around, plus Zhu Chengwu's own super-dimensional force, it really doesn't make much difference whether Zhu Wushi changes his position and surrenders or not.

Not only is the current Ming Wang inferior in military strength, but even the forces under his command are falling apart. It is impossible for him to resist Zhu Chengwu.

It was only then that Zhu Wusi realized that he was the one who had barely caught the last train. If he had not shown up now and surrendered voluntarily, once his seventh brother Zhu Chengwu entered the capital, it would have been too late for Zhu Wusi to surrender.

After all, active and passive are two completely different concepts.

There are high-ranking officials of the imperial court who have not appeared here yet. No matter what their purpose is, whether they are waiting for Zhu Chengwu to enter the capital or changing their position after entering the capital to welcome the royal army, it is too late for them and they are no longer needed!

They will be destined to be swept into the garbage dump along with the current Ming King and classified as the remnants of the pseudo-king era.

Zhu Wusi was so shocked that his thoughts were scattered, and those surrenderers who took off their hats at Zhu Chengwu's order were also not at peace.

They also didn't expect that there would be so many "peers" with similar ideas.

When they took off their hats and looked at each other, they realized that many of them knew each other. They had previously sat together and discussed "never surrender" and "sitting on the mountain to watch the tigers fight"...

I didn’t expect to meet you here now!

However, they were all thick-skinned people, and they could all pretend that they had never seen each other and didn't know each other. "Seventh Prince, I don't know if Tianxiang Doukou..."

Looking at Zhu Chengwu who started walking slowly again after issuing the order, Zhu Wusi, who was invited by Zhu Chengwu to go to Beijing together, couldn't help but ask in a low voice while keeping up with Zhu Chengwu's pace.

Su Xin's influence on Zhu Wushi is indeed great. Even though Zhu Wushi knows that the current situation is that he is no more or less, Zhu Wushi still mentioned Tianxiang Doukou to Zhu Chengwu.

Although Zhu Wusi did not finish the rest of his words, everyone present knew what Zhu Wusi's purpose was in mentioning Tianxiang Doukou.

"Thirteenth brother, let's see how you perform!"

As Zhu Chengwu finished speaking, Zhu Wusi, unable to conceal his joy, bowed and stepped back, clearing the way for the others.

Zhu Chengwu did not make a clear promise, but there is not much difference between such words and a promise.

Moreover, as long as it does not conflict with Zhu Chengwu's plan to enhance his strength, Zhu Chengwu is famous for keeping his promises.

To Zhu Wusi, words like Zhu Chengwu's were much more credible than the specific promises made by Fang Huiqi.

Fang Huijue has long lost her credit with Zhu Wusi because he has been making promises but never delivering anything in return.

Zhu Chengwu led a group of people who took off their hats and slowly and openly headed towards the capital.

The major forces in the capital city soon received the relevant news.

"You bastard! You bastard! We have been brothers for decades, but he actually did this. Where does this put us?"

"Father, the current situation is that the enemy is strong and we are weak. Uncle's decision is understandable, but..."

"Stop it, idiot! Do you think I'm angry because your uncle surrendered to Marquis Fu'an? No, not at all! I'm angry because your uncle secretly left the city to surrender without taking us with him! Come on, idiot, take all the men and go with me to welcome the king's division! Oh, and don't forget to call your two sisters along as well!"

...

Similar conversations were constantly heard in the mansions of wealthy families in the capital.

While all the wealthy and powerful families were trying their best to show their style and make an impression when welcoming the royal teacher, the current Ming King was frowning in the court hall.

The Ming King, who had received the relevant intelligence, had already issued an order for officials from all walks of life to come to the Ming Palace's Court Hall to hold an emergency court meeting to discuss how to deal with the threat posed by Fu'an Marquis Zhu Chengwu. However, until now, the number of court officials who came to the Ming Palace's Court Hall was still less than twenty people.

You must know that in order to deal with Zhu Chengwu and to win over and monitor this group of senior officials, according to the will of King Ming, the number of officials coming to the court hall of King Ming's palace to discuss matters should be more than a hundred.

It is precisely because of the large number of people that the current Ming King has the meeting place in the Chaohui Hall instead of the Qinzheng Hall.

"At this rate, I'm afraid that the traitor Fu'an Hou has already reached the capital, and my court officials have not yet reached the Ming Palace!

Cao Zhengchun, Cao Zhengchun, where have you gone, you damned slave? Come out and tell me which ungrateful and untameable flatterers have run to the other side! "

The current Ming King was furious when he saw the sparse court officials in the court hall, and he couldn't help but call on Cao Zhengchun, the knife he was most comfortable using.

"Cao Zhengchun, Cao Zhengchun~~"

However, no matter how King Ming called out, that familiar figure, the eunuch dog mentioned by his sister, Princess Yunluo, never appeared.

When things developed to this point, the current Ming King finally realized that something was wrong.

"Tell me, where did this eunuch Cao Zhengchun go?"

Zhu Chengwu's nephew, Prince Ming, walked up to a young eunuch and shouted urgently.

The angry King Ming seemed to have forgotten that he used to call him Zhengchun in order to show closeness in front of others. Even when he was angry, he would just add the surname and call him Cao Zhengchun directly.

Castrated dog, this name...

In the past, the King of Ming had never called Cao Zhengchun like this in public.

Perhaps this is the most real impression of Cao Zhengchun in the current Ming King’s mind!

After all, if someone hadn't influenced her, how could the inexperienced Princess Yunluo have always called Cao Zhengchun a castrated dog?

You should know that Cao Zhengchun is not only the powerful Chief Eunuch of the Ming Palace and the Supervisor of the East Factory, but also an absolute master of martial arts at the level of a junior grandmaster.

The previous person who had equal martial arts skills and similar status to Cao Zhengchun was Wang Chengen Wang Daban.

People with strength and status like Wang Chengen and Cao Zhengchun, even if they are eunuchs, must be given due respect by others, even the Ming kings.

Otherwise, who will obey you?
Who does things for you?
Perhaps it was because he sensed King Ming's true attitude that Cao Zhengchun chose to betray without hesitation!
Of course, Zhu Chengwu’s military deterrence must have been an important factor in Cao Zhengchun’s choice to betray.

"Your Majesty, the Governor, the Governor..."

Seeing King Ming approaching him and calling on him to answer, a young eunuch who was serving at the side knelt on the ground, stammering and not daring to answer.

As a personal eunuch, he was well aware of the King's mood swings.

Even the confidants of the King of Ming, who had previously reported to him that many important ministers and representatives of major forces had surrendered to Zhu Chengwu and stood on his side, did not dare to point out the names of people who would cause the King of Ming, who had become increasingly sensitive and irritable, to explode. They could only mention some unimportant figures, and finally used the word "etc." to pass over those important figures who might cause a strong reaction from the King of Ming.

This is not that Ming Wang’s confidant wants to conceal it deliberately, but that Ming Wang’s confidant does not want to seek death!
Once King Ming knew that too many important officials had defected to his uncle Zhu Chengwu, he would be so angry and feel hopeless that he might kill the confidant who reported the matter.

After all, recently, because of his poor performance and the king’s bad mood, more than one or two of his confidants have been killed by the king!

Even the confidant of Prince Ming was like this, so how could this little eunuch dare to say just like that that Governor Cao Zhengchun had betrayed the king, fled the capital, and sided with Zhu Chengwu, Prince Ming's uncle?
Wouldn't this cause Ming Wang to explode and vent his anger on him?

You know, it is not uncommon for the King of Ming to kill a few eunuchs to calm down when he gets angry.

This little eunuch doesn't want to die yet!
"What happened to Cao Yan Gou? Tell me quickly..."

Looking at the hesitant little eunuch in front of him, the already furious King Ming became even more impatient.

He looked ferocious and yelled at the young eunuch in front of him.

"Master, Master..."

However, the young eunuch still did not have the courage to tell the truth and could only repeat "Master" and "Master" over and over again.

"Say it! You should say it!"

King Ming stared at the young eunuch in front of him with his eyes wide open, as if to say, if you don’t speak again, I will kill you as a sacrifice.

You will die if you say it, and you will die if you don’t say it!

Seeing that this little eunuch is doomed...

"No need to ask him! Let me tell you! Your chief eunuch, the supervisor of the East Factory, Cao Zhengchun, has already left the capital and gone to my brother Chengwu's place!"

Just when the young eunuch was about to faint under the anxious, expectant and angry gaze of the King, a figure suddenly walked in from outside the court hall.

(End of this chapter)