Chapter 29: Loyalty! New Book Seeking Collection
“Zhang, Zhang Jianxian!”
Snapping out of his shock, the Fat Censor who had previously vowed to buy Zhang Biao a coffin immediately changed his address and said tremblingly, “How… how did you do it?”
“Yes, Zhang Jianxian! His Majesty not only didn’t blame you, but… but rewarded you with silver?” Another darker-skinned Censor reacted quickly.
“Not only rewarded with silver, but also promoted to Fourth Rank Left Vice Censor-in-Chief!” A petty Capital Official immediately added.
This was clearly an attempt to learn from Zhang Biao.
It was evident that everything Zhang Biao had experienced had completely overturned their understanding of the Hongwu Imperial Court.
To die for a cause in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, be thrown into the Imperial Prison, and then come out alive, promoted, and enriched? This was a fairy tale!
The eyes of the lower-ranking Capital Officials turned towards Zhang Biao in a new light.
“Yes, Zhang Jianxian! Hurry up and tell us! What did His Majesty ask you?”
“Are you blessed by an immortal?!”
“Is that fifty taels of silver… real? Can I… can I touch it?”
The lower-ranking Capital Officials immediately surrounded Zhang Biao, a throng of people, chattering incessantly, their gazes so intense they could melt the silver in his arms.
They were too poor!
They needed hope too much!
Zhang Biao’s success, or rather survival, was no different from a lighthouse in darkness, or a grand feast before starving paupers, in their eyes.
Zhang Biao reveled in the star-like treatment, his vanity thoroughly satisfied.
He cleared his throat, preparing to exaggerate and boast about how he had debated Old Zhu and shown both wit and courage.
Just then!
“Brother Zhang!”
Shen Lang’s trembling voice rang out again, laced with an even more urgent panic related to his personal interests, interrupting unexpectedly, “You just said… His Majesty, did His Majesty mention my Jade Pendant?”
Although he was asking Zhang Biao, his eyes were fixed on the compensation for his owed salary in Zhang Biao’s arms, as well as the additional ten taels of silver generously bestowed by Old Zhu, his gaze filled with longing and disbelief.
“Oh! Right, right, right!”
Zhang Biao slapped his forehead forcefully, almost forgetting the main business.
He immediately took out twenty taels of silver and shoved it into Shen Lang’s hand without explanation, his action as casual as throwing two stones.
“Brother Shen! Take this! These twenty taels are a special imperial decree from His Majesty for you!”
Zhang Biao’s voice was loud, ensuring everyone could hear: “His Majesty said! Ten taels of this are for you to immediately redeem your ancestral Jade Pendant!”
“Also!!”
Zhang Biao’s voice suddenly rose again, filled with the excitement of announcing a great benefit: “His Majesty also said—”
He paused deliberately, piquing everyone’s curiosity, then spoke word by word, earth-shattering:
“He is also giving Censor Shen—three! Pig’s heads!”
“So that he doesn’t shame our Great Ming by begging for meat again!”
Boom—!
The crowd erupted!
“Three Pig’s heads!!”
“Imperial gifted Pig’s heads?!”
“My heavens! Such immense fortune… no, such immense meat!!”
“Brother Shen, you’ve made it! You’ve truly made it!!”
The gazes of the lower-ranking Capital Officials shifted instantly from envy to blatant jealousy.
Three imperial gifted pig’s heads?
That would probably be enough to eat until the New Year, right?
Shen Lang, clutching the cold, heavy twenty taels of silver, was completely stunned, like a statue, frozen on the spot.
His Majesty not only gifted me ten taels of silver… to redeem my ancestral Jade Pendant, but also specially provided money to buy three pig’s heads?!
A huge sense of absurdity and an inexpressible bitterness washed over him, and tears immediately welled up: “His Majesty… is truly wise!”
Saying this, he dropped to his knees with a thud facing the direction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, kowtowing three times with loud thuds, crying like a child.
“That’s enough, Brother Shen! His Majesty has already said not to shame our Great Ming!”
Zhang Biao quickly pulled him up, then surveyed his colleagues, whose eyes were dazed and mouths were beginning to salivate involuntarily, with an extremely obnoxious, knowing smile:
“Esteemed colleagues! Today, Censor Shen’s household is feasting! His Majesty has specially approved three large pig’s heads! Everyone present gets a share! Don’t just stand there! Let’s go! Help Brother Shen redeem his Jade Pendant! And then head straight to Wang Mazi’s butcher shop! Today, our Censorate Jiangxi Circuit—no! All colleagues present! Feast!”
“Roar—!”
After a brief silence, a deafening roar of hunger and ecstasy erupted from the Hall of Supreme Harmony plaza.
What Imperial Censor of the Pure Stream?! What dignity of the court!?
In the face of three glistening, fragrant, imperial gifted pig’s heads, all of it was fleeting!
A group of officials in blue official robes, who normally either died for a cause or were faced with others dying for a cause, now like hungry wolves pumped with adrenaline, clustered around Shen Lang who was clutching a large sum of money and whose mind was still blank, pushing and shoving, shouting boisterously as they rushed out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony plaza, their target the nearest pawnshop and Wang Mazi’s butcher shop.
The scene was like a band of bandits descending a mountain to steal a bride.
“Brother Shen! Hurry up! If we’re late, Wang Mazi will close shop!”
“Right, right, right! Redeem the Jade Pendant first! Then buy the pig’s heads!”
“I want pig’s ears! No one can snatch them from me!”
“I want pig intestines! The kind that are thoroughly stewed!”
“Zhang Jianxian! Can you lend me some of your thirty taels of silver? This subordinate also wants to cut two catties of meat to take home…”
“Hahaha! No problem!”
Zhang Biao laughed heartily and was soon swept up in the excited crowd.
He looked at the flushed faces around him, reddened by excitement and hunger, listened to the heated discussion about the ownership of various parts of the pig’s head, and felt a moment of daze as he felt the weight and presence of the silver in his arms.
Although he was regarded as a ‘great hero’ by these lower-ranking Capital Officials, he was unsure how long he would remain in the Great Ming World, perhaps two days, five days, maybe half a month, at most not exceeding one month.
Because in September, Old Zhu would surely establish the Imperial Grandson.
At that time, he would leave the Great Ming World.
And these lower-ranking Capital Officials who ate pig’s head meat with him might never remember their ‘Zhang Jianxian’ who died for a cause and entered the Imperial Prison, yet emerged alive and promoted, dared to demand salary outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, ate noodles inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and even extorted fifty taels of silver from Old Zhu.
Damn it! I’m getting a bit sentimental, I’m really suited to people who forget you once they’ve had their way!
Zhang Biao cursed himself inwardly and began to comfort himself again.
Isn’t there a saying: “Seize the day, for tomorrow is uncertain, why worry so much?”
“Since I’ll be transmigrating again anyway, at worst I can treat them to pig’s head meat again! Just consider them drinking buddies!”
As if having made up his mind, Zhang Biao immediately waved his hand: “Let’s go! Let’s eat pig’s head meat! Today, it’s my treat! All you can eat!”
“Brother Zhang is righteous!”
Shen Lang was the first to voice his approval loudly, his eyes filled with admiration, gratitude, and… loyalty! Loyalty! Loyalty!
