Chapter 192: Someone Wants To Exterminate My Entire Old Zhu Family?! 【 Requesting Double Monthly Tickets 】
After Zhang Biao left Huagai Hall, under the surveillance of the Imperial Guard, he honestly returned to his dilapidated official residence.
Originally, according to his plan, the mystery surrounding Zhu Xiongying’s death was supposed to erupt through public opinion on the day of the Establishing the Crown Prince Ceremony.
As it turned out, Old Zhu couldn’t hold back and asked about it proactively.
Moreover, Zhang Biao dared to be certain.
If he hadn’t revealed the mystery surrounding Zhu Xiongying’s death, Old Zhu might not have let him leave Huagai Hall, and might have even gone mad and tortured him to extract the truth!
This not only disrupted Zhang Biao’s plan but also forced the plan to audit the Imperial Treasury to be carried out in advance!
So, why did Zhang Biao insist on auditing the Imperial Treasury?
There were two reasons.
One is that he needed power.
Based on his experience from his ‘previous life,’ he had already discovered that simply enraging Old Zhu was no longer effective in achieving the transmigration condition of being ‘furiously killed’ by him.
Because Old Zhu was adapting to his madness.
Therefore, he had to expand his influence and leverage the ‘general trend’ to make Old Zhu kill him.
And creating a ‘general trend’ required power.
But directly asking Old Zhu for power was certainly not feasible. So, he had to agitate Old Zhu.
As for the other reason, it was actually the manifestation of Zhang Biao’s personal value.
He wanted his ‘dying for a cause’ to be meaningful, for example, to change this world.
Based on Old Zhu’s past actions, he discovered that the older Old Zhu got, the more scruples he had. Even when he initiated the Lan Yu Case, one of the Four Great Cases of Hongwu, in his later years, his actions were those of having the will but not the power.
The consequence of this was that loved ones grieved, and enemies rejoiced.
This allowed the Civil Official Group, which should have been suppressed, the opportunity to grow wildly, ultimately leading to Zhu Yunwen’s downfall in just four years.
And Zhang Biao’s goal of changing the world required Old Zhu to achieve it.
If Old Zhu continued with this way of acting, the final outcome might be a repeat of the ‘Self-Strengthening Movement.’
Therefore, striking at the vital point, he had to attack Old Zhu’s core.
As is well known, Old Zhu’s Hongwu Dynasty had an economic system that revolved around the ‘Imperial Treasury’ as its core.
This differed from all economic systems before the Ming Dynasty.
Although Old Zhu’s original intention was to establish a ‘Son of Heaven’s private treasury’ for unforeseen needs, this system gradually deviated from its original purpose in actual operation, producing profound and complex influences.
During the Hongwu and Yongle periods of the early Ming Dynasty, the Imperial Treasury did serve as a strategic reserve to some extent.
However, from the Zhengtong era of Emperor Yingzong of Ming onwards, the Imperial Treasury gradually evolved into the emperor’s private wallet, its use entirely dependent on the emperor’s personal will.
The emperor expanded the Imperial Treasury by dispatching eunuchs to directly collect mining taxes and salt taxes, and these revenues no longer entered the national treasury system.
It should be known that the Ming Dynasty’s tax revenue was already meager, primarily consisting of agricultural taxes. Excluding lucrative taxes like mining and salt taxes, very little was submitted to the national treasury.
In this way, the Imperial Treasury would expand to an extreme degree.
And the expansion of the Imperial Treasury would lead to a high concentration of national wealth within the Imperial Family.
Consequently, the Ministry of Revenue’s national treasury, which bore the main public affairs, would often be short of funds.
By the late Ming Dynasty, imperial family consumption accounted for a very high proportion of the state’s total fiscal expenditure. For instance, during Emperor Wanli’s reign, it reached over 50%, while expenditures for public relief were almost negligible.
At the same time, national tax revenue heavily burdened agriculture, while revenue from commercial and customs taxes on industry and commerce was extremely low, and was even abandoned for convenience, forming a distorted structure of ‘forcing peasants to death and enriching merchants.’
Furthermore, since the management of the Imperial Treasury was in the hands of eunuchs, it led to fierce infighting among inner court institutions like the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Imperial Stable Directorate for control over this ‘fat prize.’
The Civil Official Group in the outer court often used the excuse of ‘not competing with the people for profit’ to oppose taxing the gentry class, but in reality, they were protecting their own privileges and those of their behind-the-scenes interest groups, further exacerbating the state’s fiscal difficulties.
Therefore, if the problem is not solved at its root, this world will not truly change.
Alas, the task is arduous and the road is long!
Zhang Biao looked at the rain curtain outside Huagai Hall and sighed in his heart.
Although after each ‘dying for a cause’ and subsequent transmigration, he would continue to advance based on his ‘previous life.’
He didn’t know how long the path of reform would take or how many times he would have to ‘die for a cause.’
However, in life, one pursues hope.
As long as there is hope, there will always be a sunny day.
“Old Zhu, you must hold on!”
Zhang Biao couldn’t help but look back at Huagai Hall, then sighed and walked into the rain, letting it soak his washed-out, seventh-rank Censor official robe.
It had a feeling of Zhang Juzheng walking alone in the snow.
…
At the same time.
Inside Huagai Hall, there was a deathly silence.
Old Zhu stood frozen in place, speechless for a long time.
Zhang Biao’s heart-piercing words echoed in his mind like a curse.
It felt as if every word was a red-hot branding iron, searing his soul.
Why, precisely, did he only target the life of His Highness the Imperial Grandson… only one person…?
“One person… one person…”
Old Zhu repeated unconsciously.
His cloudy old eyes stared fixedly at the golden dragon coiled around the hall pillar, but his pupils had no focus.
He forced himself, bit by bit, carefully and meticulously, to recall the fifteenth year of Hongwu, that painful memory he had deliberately sealed away and dared not touch.
Xiong Ying.
His legitimate eldest grandson, Biao’er’s legitimate eldest son!
The third-generation heir of the Great Ming Dynasty upon whom he had pinned great hopes!
At that time, the Empty Seal Case had just concluded, and Biao’er took the eight-year-old Xiong Ying on an inspection tour.
In the beginning, everything was fine, and Xiong Ying was excitedly writing about his journey to him on the way…
It was on the way back!
Old Zhu suddenly seized on this key point.
As Biao’er was escorting Xiong Ying back to the capital, Xiong Ying suddenly fell ill and accidentally fell off his horse… The accompanying imperial physician diagnosed it as smallpox!
When he received the news, it was like a bolt from the blue. He immediately ordered the news to be suppressed and spare no effort in treatment.
However, smallpox is an acute and extremely dangerous disease. Even within the Imperial Palace, with all the renowned physicians gathered, it was beyond remedy.
He watched helplessly as his most beloved grandson weakened bit by bit in pain, and finally…
Old Zhu’s heart felt as if it were gripped by an invisible hand, causing him such pain that he could barely breathe.
But at this moment, stronger than the grief, was a suspicion that grew like a poisonous vine.
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with terrifying bloodshot veins.
Wrong! Wrong!!
If the smallpox was contracted on the road, it was a plague! Highly contagious!
Why… why were so many people accompanying them, including Biao’er who was with Xiong Ying day and night, all unharmed?!
Why was it only Xiong Ying who contracted the disease?! Only he who died?!
This detail, which he had deliberately ignored, or rather, which had been obscured by grief at the time, now became so clear, so glaring, under Zhang Biao’s ‘reminder’!
So… chilling!
Xiong Ying had always been well-protected, with very little opportunity to come into contact with outsiders or external objects.
In the procession returning to the capital, there were layers of guards.
Unless, unless the source of that ‘smallpox’ was not a chance external contact at all.
A guess so terrifying it made him ice-cold, like a ghost claw reaching out from the darkness, instantly seized his heart!
Could it be… could it be that the smallpox plague was deliberately… deliberately brought to Xiong Ying by someone?!
Once this thought arose, it spread like wildfire and could no longer be contained.
And the target might not have originally been Xiong Ying.
Old Zhu’s breathing suddenly quickened, and an even more terrifying, heart-piercing association involuntarily popped into his mind.
Biao’er! Could their original target have been Biao’er?!
Someone wanted to kill our Crown Prince with smallpox! Kill the foundation of the Great Ming!
Yes! That’s it! Biao’er handled the Empty Seal Case! I killed all those corrupt officials!
The remnants of them wanted revenge on Biao’er… revenge on me.
It was just a twist of fate… or perhaps the disease had little effect on adults? Or perhaps Biao’er was lucky not to be infected?
In the end… in the end, it was our Xiong Ying who suffered this immense calamity… in place of his father?!
“Thump—!”
Thinking of this, Old Zhu felt his vision darken, his steps staggered, and he retreated repeatedly.
“Your Majesty!”
Yun Ming was terrified and rushed forward to support him.
Old Zhu suddenly pushed him away, pressed his hands on the dragon desk, and forcibly stabilized himself, his eyes becoming even more frantic and terrifying.
If… if this guess were true…
Then it wasn’t just Xiong Ying’s cause of death!
He suddenly remembered his first wife again—
Empress Ma!
Ma Xiuying!
His younger sister!
During Xiong Ying’s serious illness, it was she who disregarded her own safety and personally entered the isolation ward to care for her grandson without rest, until Xiong Ying’s death…
Not long after, Empress Ma also fell ill due to excessive grief and… exhaustion… and passed away!
Exhaustion and illness…
Old Zhu’s teeth gnashed, and his eyes blazed with world-destroying killing intent.
Xiuying… could Xiuying… have not died simply from excessive grief?!
That dog Zhang Biao wanted to say in the Imperial Prison, “Do you know how Empress Ma died?”
This sentence… was exactly the same as how Xiong Ying died. He suspected that our sister also died under suspicious circumstances!
Could it be… Xiuying, while taking care of Xiong Ying… also came into contact with that damned ‘thing’?!
Someone!
Someone used this poisonous plot of smallpox to try and exterminate my Zhu family!
They wanted to sever the root of my Great Ming!
First our most outstanding son, then our most beloved grandson, then our wife with whom we shared joys and sorrows!
This series of blows… might not have been natural disasters at all!
But man-made disasters!
It was an extremely vicious and hidden murder targeting the core members of his Zhu Ming Imperial Family!
“Hoo… hoo…”
Old Zhu let out gasps like a trapped beast, his chest heaving violently, veins bulging on his forehead.
His entire body trembled slightly from extreme anger and fear.
His paranoia, at this moment, was thoroughly ignited and magnified by Zhang Biao’s casual remark to an unprecedented, all-consuming terrifying degree.
He looked at all the civil and military officials in the court, the concubines in the deep palace, his sons who had been enfeoffed… he saw everyone as the mastermind.
He saw malice in everyone.
Investigate—!
A hoarse, distorted roar, as if from the depths of hell, erupted from Old Zhu’s throat.
It vibrated the entire Huagai Hall.
Investigate for us—!!
He suddenly turned, his eyes blood red, and roared at the empty hall, his voice distorted:
“Jiang Huan! Where is Jiang Huan?! Get in here!!”
Jiang Huan, who had been waiting outside the hall, scrambled in. Seeing the emperor in a near-mad state, he was terrified and immediately knelt down: “Your… Your Majesty!”
“Jiang Huan! Mobilize all your Imperial Guard forces! Find everyone who came into contact with the Imperial Grandson in the fifteenth year of Hongwu, during the Crown Prince’s inspection tour and return journey!”
“Everyone! Whether they are guards, palace maids, eunuchs, imperial physicians, or even local officials who received them!”
“Search them one by one! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to!!”
“Also! Secretly investigate everyone who might be related to the smallpox plague!”
“Especially those who understand medical principles, who understand how to cultivate ‘plague’ – alchemists, medical officials! Not a single one can be spared!”
“Investigate their social connections! Investigate the destinations of their finances! Investigate if they were instructed by someone behind them!!”
Old Zhu’s voice became sharp and distorted with extreme emotion, carrying a crushing madness:
“I don’t care what methods you use! Pry open their mouths!”
“I want the truth! I want to know, who exactly!”
“Who killed our Xiong Ying! Who killed our sister! Who wanted to destroy our Great Ming—!”
“Yes, yes, yes! Your subject obeys! Your subject will go and do it now!”
Jiang Huan’s face was pale, and he nodded repeatedly as he took the order and left.
He knew that an investigation, bloodier and more brutal than any before, was about to begin.
And this time, the emperor was not mad; he had become possessed.
If any prince was involved, he would probably kill them without hesitation.
That demon Zhang Biao wouldn’t rest until he forced the emperor to kill his son!
Jiang Huan’s fear of Zhang Biao reached an unprecedented peak, as did Yun Ming, who was trembling outside the hall.
Inside the hall, only Old Zhu’s heavy, bellows-like breathing remained.
At this moment, he was no longer the emperor, but more like an enraged, old lion guarding its den, ready to tear apart any potential threat with its remaining life and all its madness.
“Yun Ming!”
Old Zhu’s voice rang out again, muffled and utterly cold.
“Your servant is here!”
Yun Ming entered, his voice trembling, and prostrated himself on the ground, awaiting the Sacred Hearing.
“Convey our decree! Have all the consorts in the harem nominate a Empress to manage the inner palace!”
Old Zhu didn’t even look at Yun Ming. As he staggered back to the Dragon Throne, he commanded as if giving a trivial order:
“Tell them to state their reasons for their nominations! Record everything, we want to review it one by one!”
“This…”
Yun Ming hesitated and asked cautiously, “Should they be summoned together? Or nominate individually?”
“Summon them together! Just like writing a family letter last time!”
Old Zhu emphasized: “Especially those whose sons have been enfeoffed outside the capital, or whose sons are ranked high, observe them closely for us!”
“Yes!”
Yun Ming immediately agreed and then retreated from the Main Hall, trembling.
On the other side, in the Secret Room of a certain Prince’s Mansion.
The candlelight was dim, casting the figure of the Prince, seated in the shadows, onto the cold Stone Wall, like a lurking beast.
A man in black glided into the room as silently as a ghost, knelt on the ground, and spoke with a hint of imperceptible nervousness:
“My Prince, a secret report from Yingtian Prefecture.”
“Speak.”
The Prince’s voice was as languid and calm as ever, as if the world turning upside down had nothing to do with him.
“Zhang Biao has been released from house arrest, restored to his original position, and can even move freely in the Capital City. It was an Imperial Oral Decree from His Majesty himself.”
“Crack!”
An extremely faint, yet clearly audible sound of wood breaking occurred.
The Prince’s right hand, resting on the Armrest of the rosewood armchair, had knuckles that turned slightly white from the sudden exertion. He had actually pinched a fine Crack into the hard rosewood.
The air in the Secret Chamber seemed to freeze for a moment.
But only for a moment.
The Prince’s fingers slowly relaxed, as if the momentary loss of composure had never happened.
His voice remained steady, even carrying a hint of playfulness:
“Oh? Our Hongwu Great Emperor is becoming more and more unfathomable.”
He picked up the Tea cup at hand and took a sip, his movements elegant and composed.
“First, he thoroughly investigated the Truth of Zhu Biao’s death, then he went on a killing spree, purging the court, not even sparing his own sons…”
“This Prince thought he was going to end up like King Zhou of Shang?”
“Then, he issued a purple declaration of self-blame, presenting himself as repentant and concerned with the people’s livelihood, even sparing the life of a madman like Zhang Biao.”
“Letting him go would have been enough, and imprisoning him until death would have satisfied his imperial ambitions. But how long has it been? Two months? And he’s released again.”
The Prince shook his head, a cold arc forming at the corner of his lips:
“When things are out of the ordinary, there must be a reason. This move by the old man is strange.”
While seemingly commenting on Old Zhu, he was rapidly processing information, calming the vigilance that had momentarily surged within him.
Yellow Did Zhang Biao know his secrets? Red
Yellow Perhaps he knew some superficial details, but he could absolutely not grasp the core! Red
Yellow Otherwise, the upheaval last time would not have been just the turmoil involving the Princes of Qin, Jin, and Zhou, but a storm that directly targeted him… no, that targeted the Foundation of all the Princes. Red
Yellow Zhang Biao didn’t say, either because he didn’t know, or… the time wasn’t right, or, he was also waiting for something? Red
Thinking of this, the Prince’s heart settled slightly.
Yellow Zhang Biao might just be a chess piece to be used and discarded, or a double-edged sword, depending on who wielded it. Red
However, the subordinate’s next words made his heart rise again.
“There is one more thing… Jiang Huan secretly left the Capital a few days ago to meet with a confidant of the Duke of Liang, Marquis Dingyuan… Wang Bi.”
“Wang Bi?”
The Prince’s brow furrowed, almost imperceptibly.
Jiang Huan was Old Zhu’s sharpest blade. His secret meeting with a confidant of the battle-hardened Lan Yu would certainly not be for a casual chat.
Recalling the recent purple abolition of the feudal lords’ salary system, which had caused widespread discussion in the court…
“It seems my Imperial Father feels his sons have taken too much grain, obstructing the eternal foundation of the Zhu family’s empire.”
A cold mockery entered the Prince’s voice.
Yellow Abolishing feudal lords? The old man has indeed started taking action. Red
Yellow Starting with salaries, what’s next? Will he seize military power and disband the guards? Red
“My Prince, should we…”
The subordinate made a discreet gesture.
The Prince waved his hand, his eyes deep: “No rush. Since the old man has laid out his formation, we’ll play along.”
“Keep a close eye on everything in Yingtian Prefecture, especially that Zhang Biao. Who he met, what he said, even how long he spent in the latrine, find it all out for me!”
“Yes!”
“And!”
The Prince pondered for a moment, tapping his fingertips on the Armrest:
“Has it been a bit ‘unsettled’ in our fiefdoms lately? I heard some ‘remnants of the previous dynasty’ or ‘mountain bandits’ have been causing trouble?”
The subordinate immediately understood:
“Your subordinate understands! We will let His Majesty know that some places will cause trouble if you, My Prince, are not there to oversee them!”
The Prince nodded in satisfaction. This was his most effective countermeasure at the moment.
Yellow Showing weakness? No, showing strength! Red
Yellow Let the old man know that abolishing feudal lords is possible, but he must also consider the cost! Red
Just then, the subordinate seemed to hesitate, then lowered his voice:
“There is another matter. There are whispers in the Palace… His Majesty seems… inclined to establish an Imperial Grandson again.”
The Prince’s hand, holding the tea cup, paused in mid-air.
“Establish who?”
His voice was still calm, but the temperature in the Secret Chamber seemed to drop several degrees.
“It is said to be… the Imperial Second Grandson born to Consort Lü, Zhu Yunwen.”
“Heh… Hehehe…”
The Prince suddenly let out a low laugh, the sound echoing in the cramped Secret Chamber with a chilling, unsettling coldness.
“Zhu Yunwen… Good, very good!”
His laughter abruptly stopped, replaced by an extremely suppressed tone, a mixture of jealousy, unwillingness, and intense mockery.
“In the old man’s eyes, there are only him and his eldest son’s lineage! What literary talent, what martial prowess, what skill in governing, it’s all damn nonsense!”
“The eldest son? The eldest grandson? To hell with the primogeniture inheritance system!”
His voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost fanatical obsession:
“Since ancient times, the empire belongs to the capable! Was Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, the eldest son?!”
“He, Li Jiancheng, was indeed the eldest son, but who sat on the Dragon Throne in the end?!”
“How am I inferior to that cowardly and indecisive Zhu Yunwen?! Just because his father was Zhu Biao?!”
“Damn it! They all deserve to die!”
Intense indignation and injustice burned through his reason like poisonous fire.
But he knew deeply that this was absolutely not the time for impulsive actions.
He forcefully suppressed his churning emotions, took several deep breaths, and the Secret Chamber returned to deathly silence, save for his slightly heavy breathing.
After a long while, he slowly raised his head. All emotion had faded from his eyes, leaving only absolute Calmness and a decision that was almost cruel.
“Issue the order.”
His voice returned to its previous steadiness, but was even colder and harder than before.
“First, keep a close watch on all movements of Jiang Huan and Wang Bi! Report any unusual activity immediately!”
“Second, have our people help those brave men around the fiefdoms create bigger disturbances!”
“Make the old man clearly see which of his sons is truly capable of guarding the four directions and suppressing the disloyal!”
“Hmph, you want to touch my fiefdom? Then let’s see if this Great Ming won’t be engulfed in flames again!”
“Third!” His gaze turned south, as if piercing through layers of obstacles, seeing the majestic Forbidden City:
“Since the old man is determined to support his precious grandson… then we will help him properly. Let’s see if he can hold onto that position of Imperial Grandson!”
The orders were issued one by one, clear and cold.
The Secret Chamber fell into absolute silence again, only the occasional flare of a Candlelight illuminated the Prince’s face, hidden in the shadows, revealing no expression.
The storm had never truly passed.
It had merely changed its form, continuing to brew in deeper, darker places.
Requesting double Monthly Tickets~
Today there is only one chapter because it is the author’s birthday, and also the Mid-Autumn Festival. I want to spend time with my family.
I will make up for it with three chapters tomorrow. Love you all~
