Chapter 191: Old Zhu, Did Your Plague Only Kill One Person? 【 Requesting Double Monthly Tickets 】
With Li Jinglong, that “easy mark” ally, secured, Zhang Biao didn’t stop.
He knew that forcing and bribing Li Jinglong to help him audit the Imperial Treasury wasn’t enough to derail Old Zhu’s Establishing the Crown Prince Ceremony.
He needed a fiercer, crazier fire to burn down the entire Yingtian Prefecture, and even Old Zhu’s will, to ashes.
Therefore, he needed more “allies.”
And now, there weren’t many “allies” he could trust and leverage.
Among them, Zhu Yunteng was one.
And then there was Zhu Gao Sui.
Although Zhu Yunteng’s identity was more suitable, Zhang Biao knew Old Zhu wouldn’t let him see Zhu Yunteng.
So, he settled for the next best thing and planned to go find Zhu Gao Sui.
But he didn’t go directly to the Prince Yan’s Mansion.
Because from the moment Old Zhu lifted his ban, he knew his every move would be under the strict surveillance of the Imperial Guard.
Therefore, he needed an “accident,” a chance “encounter” that could temporarily shake off the watchers and naturally lead him to Zhu Gao Sui.
He first returned to his dilapidated Official Residence, intentionally making some noise to confirm to the monitoring Imperial Guards that he was inside.
It wasn’t until dusk that he disguised himself and, taking advantage of the brief gap during the guard change, squeezed out like a civet cat through a dog hole hidden by weeds from the back wall of the Official Residence.
This was a “secret passage” he had discovered out of boredom while training Shen Lang and the others.
And Zhang Biao had already thoroughly memorized the streets and alleys of Yingtian Prefecture.
He specifically chose to travel through crowded markets and alleys, using the cover of the crowd, weaving through, and finally arriving near an inconspicuous pickle shop on the street behind Prince Yan’s Mansion.
He remembered Zhu Gao Sui had casually mentioned that the pickles from this shop were superb and that he often sneaked out to buy them.
Zhang Biao didn’t approach directly. Instead, he squatted on the opposite street corner, pretending to be a laborer waiting for work, but his eyes were fixed on the doorway of the pickle shop.
Time ticked by. Just as Zhang Biao began to doubt if Zhu Gao Sui would come out today, a familiar figure indeed appeared furtively at the street corner, it was Zhu Gao Sui, dressed as a servant and looking around cautiously.
He had clearly also evaded the guards within the mansion and snuck out.
Zhang Biao chuckled inwardly, this was exactly who he was waiting for.
He lowered his bamboo hat and quickly crossed the street. Just as Zhu Gao Sui was about to step into the pickle shop, Zhang Biao, seemingly by accident, collided with him head-on.
“Ouch! You blind?!”
Zhu Gao Sui stumbled from the collision and instinctively cursed.
Zhang Biao seized the opportunity, leaning close to his ear and speaking in a very low, fast voice:
“Third Brother, it’s me, Zhang Biao. If you want to live, don’t make a sound. After buying your pickles, wait for me behind the third firewood stack in the dead-end alley next door.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Zhu Gao Sui stiffened all over, his eyes widened instantly, and he looked at the “laborer” in front of him with disbelief.
After seeing the face with a mischievous grin under the bamboo hat, he was so terrified that he almost cried out, but he managed to cover his mouth just in time.
His heart pounded. He looked left and right, and finding no one paying attention, he forced himself to calm down and bought some pickles haphazardly.
Then, following Zhang Biao’s instructions, he nervously slipped into the deserted dead-end alley.
Zhang Biao, confirming he wasn’t being followed, also quickly darted in.
“Biao… Brother Biao! It’s really you! How did you find me? And what’s with the disguise…”
Zhu Gao Sui was a jumble of surprise, joy, and fear, speaking incoherently.
“Less nonsense!”
Zhang Biao interrupted him, his expression serious. “Third Brother, I have a colossal deal right now, and I want to cooperate with your Prince Yan’s Mansion!”
“But you can’t make the decision. Arrange for me to see your elder brother, or better yet, connect me directly with Father King.”
“What?! See my elder brother? And Father King?!”
Zhu Gao Sui’s face turned pale with fright, and he shook his head like a rattle drum. “No, no! Absolutely not! Brother Biao, please spare me!”
“My elder brother is very strict now. The area outside the mansion is full of Imperial Guards. I took a huge risk just to sneak out and buy pickles!”
“If my elder brother finds out I met you, and… and even acted as a go-between, he’ll break my legs!”
Zhang Biao had expected this reaction and wasn’t in a hurry. He slowly took a sweet potato, still covered in dirt, from his embrace and weighed it in his hand.
“Third Brother, do you know what this is?”
Zhu Gao Sui shook his head blankly.
“This is called a sweet potato, a divine grain from overseas.”
Zhang Biao began his usual masterful persuasion. “This thing isn’t picky about soil, it’s drought and famine resistant, you can plant it anywhere, and one mu can produce over a thousand jin!”
“How… how much?!”
Zhu Gao Sui’s eyeballs almost popped out, and his voice cracked. “A thousand jin?! Brother Biao, don’t try to fool me!”
“Why would I fool you?”
Zhang Biao’s expression was profound. “Think about it, your Prince Yan’s Mansion guards Beiping, a harsh land. Provisions and pay are often at the mercy of others.”
“If you had this, the army’s provisions and pay could be more than half self-sufficient, and the people could eat their fill. What is this?”
“This is a foundation as stable as Mount Tai! It’s capital that cannot be controlled by the court! It’s the confidence your Father King needs to stand tall and challenge anyone!”
His words, like heavy hammers, struck Zhu Gao Sui’s heart.
He knew the situation of Prince Yan’s Mansion all too well.
Provisions had always been Father King’s worry! If this item were truly as Brother Biao said…
Seeing his wavering expression, Zhang Biao struck while the iron was hot and put the sweet potato into his hand. “This thing, roasted, is fragrant, sweet, and soft, no worse than those snacks you eat!”
“Cooked, it can be a staple food, filling and satisfying! With it, does your Prince Yan’s Mansion still need to watch others’ faces?”
Zhu Gao Sui held the heavy, dirt-covered sweet potato as if holding an army and mountains of grain.
His breathing quickened, and his heart was in turmoil.
His admiration for Brother Biao, his shock at the sweet potato’s miraculous yield, and his yearning for the future of Prince Yan’s Mansion, clashed fiercely with his fear of his elder brother’s strict orders and the risks involved.
In the end, considerations for his family’s future, and the deep-seated urge to do something great that he couldn’t bear to remain ordinary, overpowered his fear.
He gritted his teeth fiercely, a look of desperate resolve on his face. “Okay! Brother Biao, I believe you! I… I’ll do my best to tell my elder brother!”
“But whether it succeeds, I can’t guarantee! My elder brother, you know him, he’s extremely cautious!”
“Your word is enough!”
Zhang Biao patted his shoulder with satisfaction. “Tell your elder brother that the auspicious omen of a thousand jin per mu is in my hands. Let him consider whether he wants to seize this opportunity.”
“As for how to meet, you decide. It must be absolutely safe, avoiding all eyes and ears. If you have news…”
Zhang Biao leaned close to his ear and whispered a method of contact: leaving a message under the incense burner at the City God Temple.
“Understood?”
Zhu Gao Sui nodded heavily, carefully tucked the sweet potato into his chest, as if carrying a spark of fire. “Understood, Brother Biao! You wait for news!”
The two dared not linger. They quickly separated and disappeared into the dim alleys.
Zhang Biao took several detours, and after confirming he was safe, he slipped back into the Official Residence through the dog hole, as if he had never left.
【 Next, it’s time to meet my biggest “ally” 】
【 Old Zhu, it must feel terrible to lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot, right? 】
Zhang Biao lay on the bed, a slight smile on his lips.
…
The next day, in the early morning.
The light rain had just stopped, and dewdrops still clung to the glazed tiles of the Imperial Palace, sparkling with a cold light in the faint morning sun.
On the small plaza outside Huagai Hall, the on-duty guards and eunuchs were all stunned when they saw the figure approaching unsteadily.
Immediately, as if seeing a ghost, they instinctively tensed up, their hands on their sword hilts.
【 Zhang Biao?! 】
【 He actually dared to come directly to Huagai Hall to request an audience with the Emperor?! 】
Since Zhang Biao was released from his ban, although his movements were relatively free, everyone had implicitly assumed he would keep a low profile, perhaps even disappear from the Emperor’s sight forever.
But he, instead of hiding, actively sought them out!
“Please inform His Majesty, Censor Zhang Biao requests an audience.”
Zhang Biao walked to the Hall Door and said with a smile to the pallid eunuch guard, who neither dared to stop him nor let him pass, his tone as relaxed as if he were visiting a friend.
The eunuch’s legs turned to jelly, and he scrambled into the hall to report.
Inside the hall, Old Zhu had just finished breakfast and was reading a new memorial report on suppressing rebellions in various regions. Hearing the eunuch’s trembling report, his hand holding the memorial paused abruptly, and his eyes instantly shot out a terrifying glint.
【 This madman actually dares to come to us himself?! 】
His instinct was to refuse to see him.
But the fear of the unknown and secrets in his heart, along with a sliver of curiosity, which he himself was unwilling to admit, wanting to see what else this madman could pull off, ultimately prevailed.
“Let him in.”
Old Zhu’s voice was filled with suppressed anger.
Not long after, Zhang Biao’s somewhat comical official robe appeared at the Hall Door.
He even symbolically brushed off some rain, then walked in with a measured gait, wearing the same old smile that always infuriated Old Zhu.
“Your subject, Zhang Biao, pays his respects to Your Majesty.”
He performed a casual bow and, before Old Zhu could bid him rise, straightened up himself.
“Hmph!”
Old Zhu snorted coldly, his gaze like a knife.
“Zhang Biao, you have quite the airs! Entering the palace without announcement, do you still have any respect for Us, the Emperor?!”
Zhang Biao was unconcerned and said with a grin.
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Isn’t this subject here to report a matter of utmost urgency, concerning the very foundation of the state!”
“Besides, rules are dead, but people are alive. If we delay a matter of national importance, that would be a true sin.”
“Oh? Concerning the foundation of the state?”
Old Zhu’s eyes narrowed, with a thick sneer. “Who do you want to audit now? Our Dragon Throne, or Our coffin money?”
“Your Majesty is wise!”
Zhang Biao immediately seized the opportunity, his face showing an expression of “You’ve finally hit the nail on the head.” “This subject’s purpose in coming today is precisely for an audit!”
“However…”
He said, then changed his tune, continuing:
“What this subject wishes to audit this time is not a specific person or yamen, but… the entire supervisory system of the Great Ming Dynasty!”
“Hmm?”
Old Zhu was slightly taken aback, not understanding what medicine he was selling.
Zhang Biao cleared his throat and began his performance, his tone becoming more impassioned:
“Your Majesty, don’t you think that the current supervision in our Great Ming Dynasty is like a cripple walking, one leg thick and the other thin, very awkward?”
He extended one finger:
“On this side, we have your Imperial Guard! Good heavens, Flying Fish Robes, Xiuchun Sabers, majestic!”
“But what is their origin? Mostly fierce soldiers from the army, or common ruffians from the martial arts world! They are skilled at arresting people, killing people, and torturing them!”
“But to ask them to audit accounts? To verify land and taxes? To untangle complex exchanges of favors in officialdom? That’s like forcing Zhang Fei to embroider, isn’t it?!”
He then extended the other finger:
“On this side, we have those Censors and spoken officials from the Censorate! Chattering all day about benevolence and righteousness, quoting classics when impeaching, sounding very logical.”
“But what can they do besides wagging their tongues and writing flowery memorials?”
“Do they have the initiative? Do they have the professional ability to verify corruption hidden beneath countless documents? No!”
“They are just a pack of guard dogs that can bark but not bite! They cannot restrain the true Civil Official Group!”
Old Zhu listened, his expression shifting.
Although Zhang Biao’s words were harsh, they were not entirely without reason.
The Imperial Guard were adept at investigation and interrogation but lacked proficiency in financial matters.
The Censorate’s pure stream often spoke empty words and lacked practical ability.
This was indeed a pain point in his system design.
“Then what do you propose?”
Old Zhu asked calmly.
Zhang Biao slapped his thigh loudly, almost spraining his leg, but his eyes shone as he said, “Therefore, I request Your Majesty to establish a brand new yamen, the Great Ming Anti-Corruption Bureau!”
“Anti-Corruption Bureau?”
Old Zhu savored the unfamiliar term.
“Yes! The Anti-Corruption Bureau!”
Zhang Biao gestured wildly as he explained, “It won’t do the rough work of the Imperial Guard, nor will it engage in the empty talk of the Censorate!”
“It will only do one thing: use the most professional people to audit the most professional accounts! Investigate the nation’s money, grain, and taxes, officials’ corruption and self-serving practices, and all economic transactions!”
He cleverly switched the concept, borrowing from the distinction between “Military Statistics” and “Central Statistics,” using concepts Old Zhu could understand.
“Your Majesty can understand it this way: the Imperial Guard is like… dealing with open rebellions, specializing in subduing all forms of military resistance!”
“And the Anti-Corruption Bureau will deal with those insidious scholars and corrupt officials!”
“If they play dirty, we will use more professional dirty tricks… uh, no, professional methods to deal with them!”
“The Anti-Corruption Bureau shall have independent supervisory power! It shall have a professional auditing team!”
“If necessary, with Your Majesty’s special permission, it can even have a certain arrest power! Specifically targeting economic crimes! So that those corrupt officials have nowhere to hide!”
Old Zhu was deeply moved.
The “Anti-Corruption Bureau” that Zhang Biao described indeed hit his hidden concerns.
The civil official group was deeply entrenched, and their methods of corruption were increasingly covert. Relying solely on the Imperial Guard and the Censorate was indeed somewhat inadequate.
However… to let Zhang Biao lead such a crucial department?
Old Zhu’s gaze instantly became extremely sharp, filled with extreme scrutiny and vigilance.
【 A weasel wishing the chickens a Happy New Year! This madman actively seeking an official position, and such a crucial one, must be a trap! 】
He stared intently at Zhang Biao, trying to discern his true intentions from that smiling, playful face.
“Zhang Biao!”
Old Zhu’s voice was icy. “After all this detouring, you just want to be the head of this ‘Anti-Corruption Bureau’?”
“Your Majesty is discerning!”
Zhang Biao calmly admitted, with an expression of “I’ve been worrying myself sick for the country.”
“This subject is untalented, but willing to recommend himself to be the first director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau! For the Great Ming, for Your Majesty, to be a good ‘steward’ of the economic lifeline, ensuring not a single copper coin is lost inexplicably!”
“Ha!”
Old Zhu sneered. “You talk a good game. Why should We believe you? Giving you, this madman, such power, wouldn’t that be like playing with fire?”
“Your Majesty!”
Zhang Biao cried out in feigned injustice.
“My loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon! All that this subject has done before, though it seemed mad, which part was not to remove the rotten flesh and preserve the Great Ming Empire?”
Having said this, he stepped closer, lowered his voice, and spoke with a seductive tone.
“Your Majesty, think about it. With the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the National Treasury will be full, and officials will be incorruptible. Will you still worry about border provisions?”
“Still worry about the Princes becoming too powerful? Still worry about… certain people secretly befriending foreign officials with money, plotting treason?”
This last sentence, implicitly pointing to the Princes and certain potential threats, precisely struck Old Zhu’s most sensitive nerve.
Old Zhu fell silent.
His heart waged war within him once more.
Reason told him that Zhang Biao was extremely dangerous and must not be granted real power.
But the blueprint Zhang Biao had painted, and the enormous benefits the Anti-Corruption Bureau could bring, made him tempted.
Moreover, Zhang Biao’s insight into economic affairs and his unconventional style might… truly be able to break the current deadlock?
Ultimately, the Emperor’s cold calculation of weighing pros and cons overpowered his concern for personal risk.
“Good!”
Old Zhu slammed the imperial desk fiercely and made his decision. “We shall approve your request! Establish the Great Ming Anti-Corruption Bureau, subordinate to… temporarily subordinate to the Ministry of Revenue, with independent case handling! You shall temporarily lead its affairs!”
But he immediately added heavy restrictions.
“However! The Anti-Corruption Bureau shall only have the power to investigate and audit. Without an Imperial Decree, it shall not act arbitrarily!”
“All investigation results must be reported directly to Us! Personnel selection must be approved by Us! All expenses and expenditures must be strictly audited by the Imperial Treasury… no, by the Ministry of Revenue!”
He would never allow Zhang Biao independent financial and personnel power, let alone arrest power.
Zhang Biao seemed to have expected this. There was no disappointment on his face; instead, his smile grew even broader.
“This subject receives the decree and expresses gratitude! I will not fail Your Majesty’s trust!”
Having secured the official post, Zhang Biao was satisfied and prepared to slip away.
“Stop!”
Old Zhu’s icy voice rang out again.
Zhang Biao paused.
Old Zhu rose from the dragon throne and walked step by step towards Zhang Biao, his gaze like a physical entity, fixed on Zhang Biao’s face, his voice suppressing extreme emotion.
“Zhang Biao, We ask you…”
“Xiong Ying… Our eldest grandson, how exactly did he die?!”
“How much do you know?! Tell Us… clearly!”
The air in the hall instantly congealed.
The smile on Zhang Biao’s face gradually faded.
He met Old Zhu’s almost fiery gaze, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, his tone no longer flippant but carrying a chilling calmness.
“Your Majesty, you are a man who has fought in battles, one who has emerged from seas of corpses and blood.”
“You should know better than anyone… what smallpox is.”
“That is a great plague! It can wipe out an entire village or city, leaving no survivors, sparing no one!”
“But think about it…”
His voice suddenly became sharp, like an ice pick, piercing directly into Old Zhu’s heart.
“That ‘smallpox’ back then… why did it precisely claim the life of only His Highness the Imperial Eldest Grandson?!”
Boom—!
This sentence, like thunder from the heavens, struck Old Zhu’s head fiercely!
He staggered violently, his face turning ashen white as paper in an instant, his pupils constricting to the extreme!
Yes…
Smallpox! A great epidemic!
How could it possibly infect only one person precisely within the deep palace?!
Especially when the Imperial Eldest Grandson was under such heavy protection?!
He had been blinded by the words “smallpox” and the imperial physicians’ diagnoses, or rather, he had subconsciously refused to delve into that terrifying possibility!
Now, being pointed out so unsparingly by Zhang Biao!
The suspicion and fear he had forcibly suppressed deep within his heart, the ones he dared not touch, erupted like a volcano!
【 Not a natural disaster! A man-made one?! 】
【 Someone… used smallpox… to kill Our Xiong Ying?! 】
Old Zhu stood there stiffly, as if struck by lightning, all the blood in his body seemingly frozen solid.
He seemed to have grasped something, yet also seemed to have fallen into a deeper, colder abyss of darkness.
Seeing Old Zhu’s distraught and grief-stricken appearance, Zhang Biao knew his objective had been achieved.
He said no more, quietly withdrew from Huagai Hall, leaving the boundless shock and bone-chilling cold to the Hongwu Great Emperor, who had just been tricked into bestowing an official post and then pierced to the core by fragments of truth.
Outside the hall, the rain continued to fall.
Inside the hall, Old Zhu stood alone in the emptiness and chill, his body ice-cold.
Seeking double monthly tickets~
See the bonus chapter for activities~
