EXECUTION 1

Xie Wang returned to his headquarters, which was evidently not far from the foot of Mount Laojun. Finding that Xie Wang's headquarters was closer than he thought, Zhu Su cursed in disgust, I think his den will be at the top of the mountain or in a hidden section of the forest. If only we know that its location is very close, we can catch this bastard easily... Huh! He is a real imposter!

Spacious and luxurious, Xie Wang designed his den as if it was the residence for a king. However, its design was unique. Splendor, but covered in dense trees. And this is what makes it hidden from our search, Zhu Su thought. When they entered, Zhu Su gasped with astonishment as its interior design was the same luxurious as his palace's in Kaifeng.

Yet Xie Wang did not let Zhu Shu enjoy the luxury of his residence for a long time. Once he arrived in Entrance Hall, he called one of his soldiers. "Put this Ming Prince in prison," He ordered the soldier who bowed in respect.

"Your Highness, what is your plan to punish the troublemaker?" Rumilie asked.

"Of course I want him sentenced to death," Xie Wang answered quickly. "But we must ask for Lan Yu's permission first. Well, this is indeed our destiny since we still work under the orders of someone. We must be patient and relentless. But it will end soon. Lan Yu is also planning to commit treason against Ming in the near future. And, that's when the war chariot we have been riding on, will be overturned." Xie Wang's eyes sparkled. "At that moment, we will reraise our great flag of Yuan."

***

Zhu Su had no idea that Lan Yu, the Ming general who rendered a service by conquering Yunnan together with Mu Ying, allied himself with Xie Wang and planned to fight against Ming. Let alone get that thought, his mind was full of worries for the safety of his life.

If someone asked him whether he was scared right now or not, of course, his answer was yes. He was so scared that he felt like he wanted to scream loudly, or even ran back and forth to make him less relieved. Zhu Su was less brave than his brother Zhu Di, and he was totally no compare with his father who had fought in fierce and bloody battlefields too much time. He was a kind of scholar who preferred to immerse himself in reading books and seeking knowledge. Therefore, he could not avoid his body from trembling violently and sweating so much. His body even still trembled badly when the soldiers pushed him harshly into the dungeon. As the soldier locked the dungeon door, Zhu Shu bowed his head deeply. Sinking alone, only with his chaotic mind, in this damp, musty, and horrible prison.

No need for Xie Wang to state it directly, Zhu Su already knew that the former Yuan prince would execute him for sure. He was the son of emperor, and the holder of the highest authority in the city the emperor had granted for him. Every emperor's son from all dynasties always became the main target for the enemies who wanted to eliminate the empire, the more emperor's sons they could kill, the broader way opened for them to conquer the empire. He was clear that he would lose his life, that was why he was scared to death right now. And the atmosphere of this dark prison and haunting silence added the horror Zhu Su felt.

How long he had been sitting down there, he did not know. Maybe hours, maybe more than that, the situation inside was so dark that he would not know the difference between day and night. One thing he only knew, the position of his head changed as he smelled a strange, disgusting odor that made him almost vomit.

"Yuck! What the hell is this odor?!" Zhu Su automatically closed his nose. The odor made him suffocated. A mixture of human's as well as various animals' feces and rotted food. The jailers were now busy shouting, "Eeekk! What the hell is it?!", and ran out of the dungeon.

Shortly thereafter, that strange odor disappeared. Zhu Su hurriedly took a very deep breath since he had covered his nose as tightly as possible and he did not wish to die from suffocating.

But, right now his eyes turned curiously to a man who was standing in front of the dungeon bars.