Volume Two: The Great and the Small, Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Shocking Secret

Low, rumbling thunder echoed faintly from above. It seemed as if even the heavens were startled by the sudden exposure of the contents on the paper, prompting a rare early-morning storm.

Huang Ming was shaken awake by the thunder. After taking a sharp breath, he spoke decisively: "Captain Huang, have Feng Wu taken to the adjacent room under guard. Station the others outside and ensure no one approaches. You... stay here and examine this with me. Changfeng, you guard the doorway."

This series of commands made Huang Bingkun feel even more nervous and curious, yet he dared not delay. He acted immediately; his subordinates either secured Feng Wu in the next room or took up positions in the courtyard, not daring to come near the room where they stood. Qi Changfeng stood inside the doorway as instructed, ensuring no one could approach while also remaining privy to what was unfolding within.

As the others busied themselves, Huang Ming steadied his nerves and glanced at Imperial Physician Meng, who was still slumped on the floor. The man appeared as if he had lost his soul, motionless, muttering only, "It’s over... it’s all over..."

Huang Ming could now well understand the man’s reaction, for the contents of the paper were truly too shocking to be believed.

Huang Bingkun returned to the room and looked at Huang Ming with desperate anticipation: "Young Master Huang, what exactly is going on?"

"The matter is of grave importance. I had not intended to let you know, but since you are an officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and you were the one who apprehended him, you ultimately have the right to know." Huang Ming offered a preliminary explanation before warning, "However, you must steady yourself. Do not let yourself be frightened."

Huang Bingkun swallowed hard, nodded silently, and waited for what was to follow.

Huang Ming did not rush to explain. Instead, he looked down at Imperial Physician Meng on the floor: "Imperial Physician Meng Chuyao, you murdered Jiang Yi because he held this, didn't he? He used it to blackmail you repeatedly, draining your accumulated wealth until almost nothing remained." As he spoke, he shook the paper in his hand.

"It’s over, it’s all over..." Meng remained unresponsive, showing no sign of acknowledging him.

Huang Ming did not mind and continued his deduction: "Driven to a dead end, you chose to take a desperate risk, killing him to settle the matter once and for all. But beyond the murder, the most important thing was to obtain this and destroy it. Unfortunately, although you succeeded in the killing and found this, Captain Huang and his men arrived and took you into custody on the spot. You didn't even have time to destroy it, leaving you no choice but to keep it on your person."

He said this not to show off his investigative skills, but to steady his own mind and jolt the shell-shocked physician into reacting. The effect was immediate; as Huang Ming continued to speak and waved the paper near his head, Meng Chuyao finally lifted his gaze slightly: "You..."

Huang Ming seized the opportunity at once and said in a low voice: "So the contents here are true. You really are the murderer behind the death of the late Emperor Wuzong, Zhengde!"

*Boom—*

This sudden declaration exploded in the room like a thunderclap, causing the faces of all three men to drain of color. Huang Bingkun’s legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to his knees. He had never dreamed he would hear such a lethal, heaven-shattering secret. Had he known it was such a terrifying matter, he would have preferred to stay outside with the others.

Even Qi Changfeng staggered, reaching out to brace himself against the door, his face filled with terror and deep confusion. As for Imperial Physician Meng, his complexion turned ashen, like that of a corpse. His eyes, however, turned blood-red as he stared at Huang Ming: "You actually said it out loud..."

"If you dared to do it and dared to write it, what does it matter if I say it?" Huang Ming let out a long breath, feeling a significant weight lift from his shoulders. To be honest, the pressure of being the only one who knew the secret had been immense. Now that it was out in the open, he felt surprisingly relieved.

Yes, the contents of the paper were simple: Meng Chuyao was the murderer of Emperor Zhengde, Zhu Houzhao. He had tampered with the Emperor's medicine, causing the monarch to pass away in his thirties. The text was in his own handwriting, complete with his signature and thumbprint. This was not merely a death warrant; it was a trigger for the annihilation of his entire clan to the ninth degree.

Once reported and brought to the attention of the imperial court, the Meng family would be wiped out, and their ancestral graves dug up. Furthermore, if made public, it would stir an unprecedented storm in the capital, dragging thousands into the fray and costing countless lives. It was precisely because he understood this that Huang Ming had been so distraught upon learning the truth.

Otherwise, an imperial murder case would not necessarily have seemed more significant to him than any other homicide. Was a life not a life? Huang Ming had never expected that a small, easily captured target would lead to such a world-shaking case.

Yet, upon reflection, he realized this had always been a mystery. Whether from his vague historical knowledge before traveling to this era or what he had learned since, Huang Ming had always harbored a doubt: How exactly did the vigorous Emperor Zhengde die? His death was truly irrational—he fell into the water, caught an illness, and passed away within half a year. He was only in his thirties, in the prime of life. Unlike many of his predecessors or successors, Zhu Houzhao was physically robust, a man capable of leading troops into battle himself. Only the founding Emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang, and Emperor Chengzu, Zhu Di, could claim better health.

And yet, he died for a ludicrous and suspicious reason: catching a chill from falling into the water, perhaps combined with the shock of the event. It was as absurd as claiming someone committed suicide after being shot seven times in the back. Yet, for some reason, the entire court had ignored this glaring issue and defaulted to the official narrative.

Only now did Huang Ming understand that a massive conspiracy lay hidden behind Zhengde’s death. He had been murdered by this very official from the Imperial Academy of Medicine!

Of course, the case remained full of suspicious points. By habit, Huang Ming intended to uncover the full truth. Ignoring the reactions of the others, he suddenly bent down, hauled Meng Chuyao up, stared into his eyes, and demanded in a low voice: "Speak, what exactly happened? I know you must have had accomplices. Who were they? Do not try to deceive me, for you cannot. If you refuse to speak the truth, I will have this Embroidered Uniform Guard captain deliver this confession directly to the current Emperor, and then..."