Chapter 136: That’s Right, I Betrayed You! 【 Seeking Monthly Tickets 】
“Big Brother! Second Brother! Something big has happened!”
Zhu Gao Su almost stumbled and fell as he rushed into the Prince Yan’s Mansion study.
He was deathly pale, breathing rapidly, and even his Imperial Guard Ensign uniform looked somewhat disheveled, completely devoid of his usual demeanor of watching a good show.
Meanwhile, Zhu Gao Chi and Zhu Gao Xu were discussing the contents of a secret letter from Zhu Di.
Although Zhu Di had quickly given instructions after receiving the brothers’ secret letter last time, new instructions arrived soon after Zhang Biao was imprisoned.
However, judging by the brothers’ expressions, they had not yet reached a conclusion.
After all, the instructions Zhu Di gave this time were somewhat risky.
However, when Zhu Gao Su burst in, the brothers’ hearts simultaneously tightened, and they had a vague sense of foreboding.
“What’s the panic?! Has the sky fallen?!”
Zhu Gao Xu, seeing his third brother’s cowardly state, reprimanded him with dissatisfaction.
But Zhu Gao Su completely ignored him, his panicked eyes locking onto Zhu Gao Chi. He spoke with a trembling voice, even with a hint of tears, “Big Brother… the Imperial Prison has completely changed!”
“Has the sky truly fallen?”
Zhu Gao Xu slightly blinked, then frowned, “Is it that crazy Zhang Biao causing trouble again?”
“What crazy person!? That’s my Brother Biao!”
Zhu Gao Su finally couldn’t help but retort.
Zhu Gao Chi, however, put down the prayer beads in his hands. His portly face showed little expression, but his eyes instantly sharpened.
He then said in a deep voice, “Third Brother, speak slowly and clearly. What happened?”
“Big Brother…”
Zhu Gao Su calmed his emotions and recounted the dramatic changes in the Imperial Prison intermittently.
At first, Zhang Biao defied the Emperor’s orders and refused to write a confession, which angered Jiang Huan. Not only was he not punished, but Old Zhu even sent him a set of exquisite tea utensils.
Then, Zhang Biao complained that his original prison cell was too cold, and Jiang Huan actually replaced it with a drier, warmer, superior cell.
Immediately after, the situation took a sudden turn.
Jiang Huan repeatedly entered and exited Zhang Biao’s new cell with unusual nervousness, all the guards were replaced with absolute confidants, and the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.
“That place now doesn’t resemble the Imperial Prison at all; it’s more like… it’s like he’s being enshrined!”
Zhu Gao Su’s voice was filled with absurdity and fear, “Jiang Huan personally leads people to guard outside, no one is allowed to approach! Even I… I was almost transferred away!”
“Perhaps this is… still because Jiang Huan showed consideration for my Prince Yan’s Mansion that he allowed me to remain on the periphery, but strictly forbade me from getting any closer, and also disallowed me from sending anything else to Zhang Biao!”
“What? Imperial Grandfather sent him tea utensils? And changed his cell?”
Zhu Gao Xu listened, dumbfounded, and suddenly stood up:
“This madman, no… what kind of bewitching spell did this Zhang Biao cast on Imperial Grandfather?! To make Imperial Grandfather treat him this way?”
“It’s more than that!”
Zhu Gao Su quickly corrected him, “I also heard that Imperial Grandfather did not appear at court this morning at all! All memorials were left unprocessed!”
“News from the palace indicates that Imperial Grandfather was alone in Huagai Hall, refusing to see anyone. Even Jiang Huan entered and left in less than fifteen minutes, looking extremely displeased!”
Boom!
This news shocked Zhu Gao Chi even more than Zhang Biao’s treatment.
Old Zhu was notoriously diligent in his work.
Unless he was too ill to get out of bed, he would never neglect state affairs.
Especially now, with undercurrents stirring in Yingtian Prefecture and the audit scandal not yet settled, adding new trouble.
An extremely ominous premonition, like a cold viper, instantly coiled around Zhu Gao Chi’s heart.
Coupled with the secret letter from Zhu Di, Zhu Gao Chi felt his mind in utter chaos for a moment.
However, being usually steady, he did not lose his composure because of it.
After a moment, he slowly rose from his seat. His portly body seemed somewhat heavy as he paced back and forth in the study, his fingers unconsciously twirling the prayer beads, faster and faster.
“Something is wrong… very wrong…”
Zhu Gao Chi muttered to himself, his brows tightly furrowed. “No matter how much Zhang Biao messes around, he’s just a death row inmate now. No matter how outrageous the audit is, it’s just a matter of corruption. Even if he dies for advocating the ‘Dismissal of Confucianism’, it’s not enough for Imperial Grandfather to act so abnormally! Neglecting state affairs…”
At this point, he suddenly stopped pacing and looked at Zhu Gao Su, his gaze extremely serious. “Third Brother, are you sure Jiang Huan strictly forbade you from getting any closer? Even from delivering food?”
“Absolutely certain!”
Zhu Gao Su nodded vigorously. “The way he acted… it was as if he was afraid I would know something, or… afraid I would be silenced!”
“Silenced…”
Zhu Gao Chi repeated the words, his face growing increasingly grim. “In my opinion, Imperial Grandfather is not protecting Zhang Biao… he is containing Zhang Biao! Containing a certain secret that Zhang Biao might reveal!”
“What kind of secret could make Imperial Grandfather so wary?”
Zhu Gao Xu couldn’t help but interject.
“Right! Even I can’t get close!”
Zhu Gao Su echoed, “Does this involve so many people that no one can escape?”
Hearing this, Zhu Gao Chi’s gaze swept over his two younger brothers, his voice so low it was terrifying. “Do you still remember… why Father King had us remain in Yingtian Prefecture?”
“This…”
Zhu Gao Xu and Zhu Gao Su were stunned simultaneously.
Then Zhu Gao Xu spoke first, “At first, Father King had us stay in Yingtian Prefecture to reassure Imperial Grandfather. To put it plainly, we were hostages.”
“But later, with Zhang Biao’s madness, Father King then had us use the chaos Zhang Biao created to tie down Imperial Grandfather, so that Beiping could develop in secret…”
“Exactly!”
Zhu Gao Chi interrupted him, his eyes flashing with intelligence yet unease. “But if, I say if, what if the secret Zhang Biao throws out is so immense that it could shake the foundation of the country, and even potentially implicate the princes?”
Rumble!
The entire study seemed to be struck by lightning!
In an instant, the study fell into a deathly silence.
Zhu Gao Xu and Zhu Gao Su’s faces suddenly turned ashen.
Implicating the princes?! Imperial Grandfather was already increasingly suspicious of the princes. If Zhang Biao revealed some earth-shattering secret, or even just made a baseless accusation…
The first to be suspected would likely be those princes who held heavy military power and harbored ambitions.
And their Father King, Zhu Di, would be the first to bear the brunt.
“Could it be… that crazy Zhang Biao… has set fire to Father King’s head?!”
Zhu Gao Xu said with surprise and uncertainty, his hand instinctively going to his dagger’s hilt.
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
Zhu Gao Su quickly denied it. “Brother Biao wouldn’t betray kindness!”
“Betrayal? He doesn’t know your true identity! Besides, can a few good meals buy him off? If so, Imperial Grandfather would have bought him off long ago! He’s an insatiable wolf!”
“You’re talking nonsense! Brother Biao isn’t that kind of person!”
“Enough!”
Seeing the two brothers about to argue over Zhang Biao, Zhu Gao Chi immediately used his authority as the eldest brother to stop them. He then frowned and explained, “What I mean is, it doesn’t necessarily point to Father King.”
“Then what does Big Brother mean?”
Zhu Gao Su asked anxiously, feeling increasingly unsettled.
From the perspective of Zhang Biao’s devoted admirer, he naturally believed Zhang Biao would not implicate the innocent. But from the perspective of the third son of Prince Yan, he felt that given Zhang Biao’s madness and desire to escalate things, there was no reason he wouldn’t involve his father.
After all, important figures like Li Jinglong and Guo Ying had already been implicated.
Zhu Gao Chi then said thoughtfully, “Although in my opinion, Zhang Biao won’t necessarily implicate Father King, the secret must be one that makes Imperial Grandfather see everyone as an enemy!”
As he spoke, the more he thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed:
“Imperial Grandfather not holding court today is by no means a trivial matter! Yingtian Prefecture… no, the entire Great Ming Dynasty is likely to experience earth-shattering events!”
“And the eye of this storm is in the Imperial Prison! It’s in Zhang Biao’s mouth!”
“Then Brother Biao changing cells…”
Zhu Gao Su suddenly realized, his voice trembling, “And… Jiang Huan transferring me away, not letting me get close, was it… was it to protect me?”
“Likely so!”
Zhu Gao Chi nodded heavily, his expression complex. “Third Brother, listen carefully. From now on, forget that you are an Imperial Guard Ensign! Forget your Brother Biao! Stay as far away from the Imperial Prison as possible!”
“No matter who asks you anything, say you don’t know! Jiang Huan and Zhang Biao are saving your life!”
Having said that, he took a deep breath and made a decision:
“What happens next is not something we can interfere with, nor can we inquire about! ‘Whoever listens, dies,’ this is not a mere saying!”
“Then what do we do?”
Zhu Gao Xu asked impatiently. “Just wait like this?”
“Wait! We can only wait!”
Zhu Gao Chi’s tone was decisive. “And we must act more obedient, more low-key, and more ignorant than usual! From today onwards, close our doors to visitors, feign illness and do not come out! All our people must lie low and cease all activities!”
“Remember!”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over his two brothers again, more serious than ever. “We are not planning for Father King’s future now; we are fighting for the survival of the entire Prince Yan’s Mansion! One wrong step, and it’s eternal damnation!”
“Yes! Big Brother!”
Zhu Gao Xu and Zhu Gao Su were both awestruck by the unprecedented solemnity and fear in their elder brother’s eyes, and nodded heavily.
Zhu Gao Chi walked to the window and looked at the gloomy, oppressive sky outside, murmuring to himself:
“Zhang Biao, oh Zhang Biao… what kind of stone have you thrown…”
“This water is no longer murky… it’s a monstrous wave that will drown everyone…”
…
On the other side, in the back alley of the Ministry of Revenue office.
The night was as black as ink, and the air was filled with dampness and an invisible tension.
Shen Lang, Sun Gui, and Zhao Fengman moved along the wall like phantoms, the sound of their heartbeats exceptionally clear in the silence.
After careful observation and probing, they finally found a breakthrough, an old clerk on duty in the Ministry of Revenue Archives, Wang Yong.
Although he hadn’t joined Zhang Biao in demanding salaries, he was still a low-ranking capital official.
His elderly mother was seriously ill and urgently needed money for medicine, but due to his timid nature, he had been bullied and had his salary withheld by his superiors for years.
Wu Nai Da, through indirect connections, secretly contacted Clerk Wang, promised him a substantial sum of money, and hinted that he could help him solve his family’s difficulties.
Wang Yong, who was at his wit’s end, after a period of painful struggle, finally trembled and agreed.
The agreed-upon signal was that he would be on duty that night and would quietly open a seldom-used side door in the northwest corner of the archives at the third watch, at the third quarter.
Now, time ticked by.
The third watch, third quarter, was fast approaching.
Shen Lang’s palms were covered in cold sweat. He said in a low voice, “Success or failure hinges on this. Once we get the item, immediately follow the plan and throw it over the east wall. Fengman will be outside to provide support, and then we’ll split up and withdraw!”
“Alright!”
Sun Gui nodded heavily, his eyes fierce.
Zhao Fengman took a deep breath and silently retreated to a dark alley outside the east wall.
“Squeak—!”
A faint sound, almost inaudible, suddenly came. The side door was indeed pushed open by a crack.
Wang Yong’s old and terrified face flashed in the gap of the door.
Shen Lang and Sun Gui exchanged a glance and, without hesitation, darted in like two shadows.
Soon, they had arrived at the archives for the third time.
Inside the archives at night, the air was murky, filled with the smell of old paper and dust.
Giant archive shelves stood densely arranged like silent black beasts, with only a long-burning lamp at the end of a distant corridor emitting a faint, dim yellow light.
Wang Yong trembled all over, his voice shaking, “Two… two lords… hurry… I… I’ll keep watch for you…”
Shen Lang nodded and slipped a small ingot of silver to Wang Yong. “Thank you, we’ll reward you generously when we’re done.”
Wang Yong clutched the silver, thanked them profusely, and retreated to the doorway to keep watch.
Under the dim light, Shen Lang and Sun Gui quickly found Shelf Bing Zi Qi, which Shen Lang remembered.
The two crouched down, holding their breath, and carefully moved aside stacks of old account books covered in dust from the bottom layer.
Sure enough!
The edge of a floor tile indeed showed obvious signs of loosening!
Uncontrollable joy erupted in both their eyes. Sun Gui impatiently inserted his dagger into the gap and gently pried it.
The floor tile was lifted, revealing a small secret compartment beneath.
Inside was an object wrapped in oiled cloth.
Shen Lang’s heart raced. He carefully took out the package, which felt quite heavy.
He quickly unwrapped the oiled cloth, and with the chamber pot lamp that Sun Gui produced, he saw several bound account books inside.
“Found them!”
Sun Gui lowered his voice, almost shouting with excitement.
Shen Lang was also very excited, clearly not expecting it to be so smooth.
But he still forced himself to calm down and quickly flipped through them under the dim light.
As an expert in accounting, he could discern patterns in the numbers and entries.
However, the more he read, the tighter his brows furrowed, and the joy on his face quickly faded, replaced by surprise and unease.
“This isn’t right…”
Shen Lang muttered to himself, speeding up his page-turning. “These figures… these transactions… they look fine on the surface, but upon closer inspection, they balance out too perfectly…”
“It’s as if they were deliberately made for people to see… and, this ink trace is a bit too fresh…”
At this point, he suddenly looked up, his face instantly turning deathly pale. “It’s fake! This is a trap!”
“What?!”
Sun Gui’s heart jolted, almost dropping the chamber pot lamp. “What’s fake?!”
“We fell for it! Let’s go!”
Shen Lang blew out Sun Gui’s chamber pot lamp and directly signaled him to leave.
Just then, the situation took a sudden turn.
“Clang—!”
The heavy door of the archives was forcefully rammed open from the outside.
The light from torches surged in like a tide, illuminating the entire storeroom as bright as day.
The blinding light caused Shen Lang and Sun Gui to instinctively close their eyes.
“Seize them—!”
A cold and triumphant voice rang out from the doorway.
Fu Youwen, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Ru Chang, Minister of War, Zheng Ci, Minister of Works, and Zhai Shan, Vice Minister of Personnel, accompanied by a large group of fierce-looking clerks, slowly walked in.
They wore expressions of amusement, mockery, and the triumphant smiles of those who had everything under control.
“Brilliant! Truly brilliant!”
And Wang Yong, the old clerk who was keeping watch at the door, came up to Fu Youwen with a fawning smile and confessed to Shen Lang and the other man, “That’s right! I sold you out!”
