The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 80 Nephew, don't do it! I'm your father's brother!

On the other side, Xu Da and Deng Yu were imprisoned in a secluded woodshed, unattended, with nowhere to escape.

Deng Yu raised his hand and patted the dust off his clothes, looking both ashamed and annoyed, and sighed with a low, bitter laugh.

"What a disgrace! I've fought alongside you for half my life, in countless battles, and we've never been defeated on the battlefield."

"To have fallen into this mere trap in this courtyard today, and been captured like a bandit, is utterly absurd!"

Xu Da also looked helpless, his brows furrowed with frustration, and he let out a long sigh.

"The traps and mechanisms in this mansion are so intricate and sophisticated, with layers of defenses and interconnected mechanisms, that it is impossible to defend against them all."

"You and I were once the founding dukes of this dynasty, yet we have fallen into such a wretched state. This matter must never be revealed to anyone."

"If this gets back to Jinling, it will surely become a laughing stock among the entire court, and we will lose all face in the future."

Deng Yu nodded repeatedly, suppressing his embarrassment, and whispered to Xu Da to discuss the matter.

"There's no point in saying more now. Guess how the owner of this mansion will deal with us?"

Xu Da pondered for a moment, then replied firmly, "Entering a private residence late at night is a crime punishable by law and should be handed over to the authorities for investigation."

"It's highly likely that we'll be handed over to the local county government after dawn to await further action from the authorities."

A hint of composure flashed in Deng Yu's eyes as he spoke calmly.

"It's alright. As long as we hand them over to the authorities, we can secretly reveal our identities. The local officials will certainly not dare to neglect us and will handle the matter properly."

Just as the two had agreed on their strategy, the wooden door to the woodshed was slowly pushed open, and several tall, stern-faced servants stepped in.

"Gentlemen, please come with us."

Deng Yu and Xu Da exchanged a glance, their hearts unmoved, assuming they were about to be escorted to the government.

The two men calmly got up and followed the servants, but as they walked, the surrounding paths became increasingly remote and secluded.

Instead of heading towards the official road outside the city or towards the county government office, they went straight to the underground passage deep inside the mansion.

As you descend, a cold, damp atmosphere washes over you, the dim lights flicker, and the overall atmosphere is somber and oppressive.

Deng Yu paused, a strange sense of unease creeping into his heart. He turned to Xu Da and whispered, "Old Xu, something's not right. This is definitely not the way to send someone to the authorities."

Xu Da's expression turned completely serious. His gaze swept over the cold stone walls around him, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he spoke in a deep voice.

"Doesn't this layout and atmosphere seem strangely familiar?"

Deng Yu looked around at the neat prison cells, the tight shackles, and the sealed stone chamber, and his scalp tingled instantly.

"This...this is exactly the same as the secret interrogation cell in His Majesty's personal guard headquarters!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a tall and aloof figure slowly walked out from the end of the corridor. It was Mu Yan, who was in charge of interrogation.

Mu Yan remained expressionless, his eyes cold and sharp, sweeping over the two disheveled figures like icy blades. His thin lips parted slightly, his voice low and hoarse, devoid of any warmth, slowly echoing in the cold stone chamber.

"Breaking into the Lord's residence late at night with unclear intentions, suspected of spying on confidential matters, is a serious crime."

"My interrogation room is fully equipped with special torture instruments, extremely dangerous, and designed to punish those who harbor illusions and refuse to speak."

"The specially made soft whip is soaked in a bone-chilling medicinal juice. A single lash will not break the skin and flesh, but it can penetrate the tendons and bones, causing excruciating pain throughout the body. Ordinary people will faint and have spasms all over their bodies after three lashes."

"The muscle clamp is specially designed to lock the hands and feet. When it tightens, it squeezes the joints inch by inch, which can force the ten fingers to become dislocated and the muscles and bones to become numb, making people so painful that they are unable to struggle and their minds are broken."

"The suspension torture strips the entire body of its force, leaving it suspended in mid-air, causing blood to flow backward and stagnate. Within half an hour, the arms will become numb, blood and qi will stagnate, and eventually the limbs will become stiff and the pain will be unbearable."

"The most torturous torture is the cold water torture. Icy water is repeatedly poured on you, freezing you to the bone and eroding your soul. This torture continues day and night and is enough to destroy any will and confidence."

"I advise you two to honestly reveal your identities and purpose, and not to be stubborn or defiant, lest you suffer all kinds of torture and end up with broken bones, unable to live or die."

A detailed and terrifying account of the torture slowly entered their ears, each word chilling and each sentence terrifying. Xu Da and Deng Yu felt a chill run down their spines, and even their breathing subconsciously stopped for a moment.

Having spent half their lives on the battlefield, witnessing countless corpses and brutal tortures, the two were now terrified by these layers of insidious punishments.

The two exchanged a hasty glance, their eyes filled with undisguised horror and fear, and the same thought simultaneously crossed their minds:

They weren't there to investigate the details of the blind date; they had recklessly stumbled into a deadly trap!

It's even more insidious than the secret interrogation cells in the Imperial Guard Commandery!

......

The cold, dark interrogation chamber was deathly silent, with only the faint hissing of the flickering lamplight breaking the silence.

Deng Yu's Adam's apple bobbed violently as he turned his head to look at Xu Da beside him, his voice low and tinged with panic.

"Old Xu, we can't hold out any longer. If we keep pushing ourselves, we're going to suffer terribly tonight."

Xu Da's expression was extremely solemn, his brows furrowed deeply, and he replied in a low voice.

"But it would be too embarrassing for the two of us to break into someone's residence late at night and tell the truth rashly."

Deng Yu shook his head with a wry smile, his eyes full of helplessness.

"What time is it? Why do you still care about saving face? Compared to those insidious tortures, losing face is nothing."

"Rather than being tortured into confessing in a sorry state, we'd rather take the initiative to truthfully reveal our identities and intentions."

Xu Da remained silent for a moment, then slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and nodded solemnly.

"Well, since things have come to this, we can only tell the truth and take the gamble."

Just as the two were about to speak, a series of slow footsteps suddenly came from outside the stone chamber passage.

Zhu Yao walked slowly into the interrogation room, his posture upright and his expression calm. His gaze swept lightly over the two people who were restrained.

Before the two could speak, he spoke first, questioning them with a scrutinizing and cold tone.

"You two have sneaked into my residence in the dead of night, spying on my important territory. Are you spies sent by my father Zhu Yuanlong's enemies?"

Upon hearing this, Deng Yu's eyes widened in disbelief, his face blank with confusion, and his mind went completely blank.

Zhu Yuanlong?

He had never heard of this name before and was completely baffled.

Xu Da, standing to the side, was startled, his pupils contracted sharply, and his face was instantly filled with shock.

He reacted instantly and hurriedly spoke up to defend himself, his tone urgent and sincere.

"Young master, you misunderstand! It's a huge misunderstanding! We are by no means your father's enemies; on the contrary, we are his closest friends!"

"It was your father who personally instructed us to come to Chenzhou to pay our respects to you, young master. In a sense, we are your elders and uncles!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao's brows furrowed suddenly, his eyes filled with deep suspicion as he looked the two of them up and down.

"Arguments are meaningless. You claim to know my father, but do you have any proof whatsoever?"

Xu Da quickly composed himself and spoke swiftly, accurately describing Zhu Yuanzhang's physical features without the slightest error.

"Your father had a very distinctive face, with unusual bone structure, resolute brows and eyes, and a powerful aura; no ordinary person could have such a appearance!"

Zhu Yao's expression softened slightly, but he still harbored doubts and did not fully believe it.

"My father's enemies know what he looks like. If that's all you have, then I won't hold back!"

Mu Yan immediately prepared to take action...