Chapter 101: Old Zhu: Sister, Biao’er, This Is So Much Fun! 【 Seeking Monthly Ticket 】
“Your Majesty”
Yun Ming scrambled back to Huagai Hall, almost collapsing onto the cold floor tiles, clutching the torn-in-half imperial yellow silk that was still stained with a little dirt, as if holding two red-hot branding irons.
His voice trembled uncontrollably:
“Censor Zhang, he, he tore up the imperial decree!”
Splash!
As soon as Yun Ming’s words fell, the entire bedroom became as silent as fallen leaves in an autumn wind.
A deathly silence.
It was an even more suffocating silence than the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square, instantly enveloping Huagai Hall.
The agarwood in the brazier seemed to congeal, the air as heavy as lead.
All the eunuchs and palace maids standing guard, including the guards at the doorway, all knelt down with a thud.
They buried their heads deeply, holding their breath, fearing that the slightest movement would bring disaster.
On the dragon couch, Old Zhu closed his eyes, as if asleep.
But his face, at a visible speed, turned from sallow to ashen, and from ashen to a shade of dark gloom that was almost like death.
On the back of his withered hand, veins bulged like coiled dragons, tightly gripping the imperial yellow brocade blanket covering him, his knuckles emitting a bone-chilling creak from the extreme force.
He did not suddenly unleash his enormous wrath.
Nor did he shriek hysterically.
He did not order Zhang Biao to be dismembered.
This extreme, suppressed silence was more terrifying than any thunderous rage.
Yun Ming prostrated himself on the ground, shaking like a sieve, sweat instantly soaking his back.
A long time later.
It felt like a century had passed.
Old Zhu finally slowly, very slowly opened his eyes.
In those eyes, there was no longer the expected enormous wrath, nor violent killing intent, only a bottomless, bone-chilling abyss.
And at the bottom of the abyss, a gleam of extreme calmness, even excitement, flickered.
“What else did he say?”
Old Zhu’s voice was hoarse, but unusually steady, each word like an ice bead striking the ground.
Yun Ming was terrified, his soul scattered, how could he dare to conceal anything.
He stammered and repeated Zhang Biao’s words:
“He also said that he’s doing audits based on his mood, playing for excitement, not for Your Majesty’s stinking money.”
“He said the eight thousand taels of reward silver the Emperor gave was for beggars.”
“Told His Majesty to stop dreaming, he wouldn’t be a dog to bite people.”
“Even said that the audit was suspended, and he took the money as compensation for emotional distress.”
“Told the Ministry of Works to tidy up the mess, he’d be back next time.”
“And told those lower-ranking officials to turn back and not follow him anymore.”
“As for himself, he’s reportedly going to Qinhuai River to drink and listen to music, saying he wants to enjoy… enjoy a decadent feudal life.”
With each sentence he repeated, Yun Ming’s head lowered a little more, until finally he almost buried his head into the floor tiles.
And the air in the bedroom could no longer be called air; it was solidified, blood-scented ice.
However, the expected ‘Son of Heaven’s wrath, a million corpses’ did not appear.
After listening to Yun Ming’s retelling, the deathly gloom on Old Zhu’s face slowly receded, replaced by an extremely complex expression mixed with fury, absurdity, admiration, and a sense of exhilaration like encountering a worthy opponent.
He even let out a very light, almost inaudible chuckle.
The sound of his laughter chilled everyone to the bone.
“Based on mood? Playing for excitement? Not being a mad dog? Demanding compensation for emotional distress? And wanting to enjoy a decadent feudal life…”
Old Zhu murmured these words, his eyes growing brighter and sharper, like a hunter discovering a rare treasure.
Even though this “treasure” was covered in thorns and could bite back at any moment.
But he suddenly understood.
How ridiculous and wishful his previous thoughts of “subduing,” “using,” and “controlling” Zhang Biao had been.
This Zhang Biao was simply not someone who could be judged by normal standards, suppressed by power, or bought with profit.
He was a peerless, unsheathed, ferocious blade, its sharpness unparalleled, but also capable of harming its wielder.
He was a wildfire beyond control, capable of burning away filth, but also of raging out of control.
What he pursued was not power or wealth, not even fame in history.
He pursued a state of clear thoughts, a freedom of acting on impulse.
For this, he did not hesitate to court death madly.
In fact, everything he did was to make himself killed.
Although Old Zhu did not understand this “perversion,” he felt that pure and dangerous “substance.”
Killing such a person would be too much of a waste.
This huge machine of the Great Ming Dynasty, which had already begun to rust and decay, desperately needed such a hammer that would smash all the pots and jars without regard.
Those nobles, those corrupt officials, those deeply entrenched interest groups, also desperately needed such a “mad knife” to hack and bleed them.
And what he, Zhu Yuanzhang, needed to do was not to grasp this knife, but to guide this destructive torrent towards the direction he wanted to cleanse.
Even if, in the end, this knife would break, and this torrent would backfire on himself, he would not hesitate.
With this thought, the ice in Old Zhu’s eyes completely transformed into burning flames, a blend of gambler-like madness and calmness intertwined in his gaze.
He slowly got up from the dragon couch, sat up straight, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling figures, all silent as cicadas, and finally landed on Yun Ming.
“Yun Ming!”
“This servant is here!”
“Tell me, is this scoundrel Zhang Biao truly mad or feigning madness?” Old Zhu’s gaze was like a cold probe, piercing Yun Ming.
Yun Ming’s scalp tingled, this question was a death sentence.
He sweated profusely and, steeling himself, said, “This servant is foolish! Censor Zhang appears mad, but is actually very shrewd, and values loyalty and righteousness.”
“Hmph!”
Old Zhu snorted coldly, interrupting his nonsense, “Values loyalty and righteousness? What good is that!”
“Does he think he’s seeking death? Does he think he’s playing?”
Old Zhu’s voice suddenly rose, with extreme calmness after being thoroughly enraged, “He calculated it! Calculated that we cannot kill Shen Lang and the others right now! Calculated that we need his ‘mad knife’! Calculated that we care more about the Great Ming Dynasty than he does!”
Saying this, he stood up from the dragon couch and paced slowly in the bedroom, each step landing like a blow on the hearts of Yun Ming and the others.
“He curses us as stingy and ungrateful? He curses us for killing meritorious officials indiscriminately? But what he’s done is more ruthless than us!”
“He wants to drag everyone down with him! He wants to destroy the foundation of our Great Ming Dynasty!”
“But he also gave us a list, gave us accounts, gave us leverage! He handed a knife to us and forced us to kill indiscriminately!”
As his words landed, he suddenly stopped in front of Yun Ming, looking down at him, “Yun Ming, tell me, should we reward him, or kill him?”
Yun Ming trembled all over, almost fainting, and could only prostrate himself, “This servant… this servant does not know! Your Majesty’s will is absolute!”
“Absolute will?”
Old Zhu sneered, “I just want to dig out his heart and see if it’s black!”
He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the surging killing intent, his eyes becoming deep and unfathomable:
“He wants to seek death, doesn’t he? We’ll make him live, and live more miserably than anyone else!”
“We will make him personally witness how these filth he stirred up are cleaned up by us, piece by piece!”
“We will also make him personally witness how laughable his mad tricks are in front of true imperial statecraft!”
Old Zhu’s voice grew deeper as he spoke, yet with a chilling determination:
“Didn’t he provide a list? We’ll follow his list, investigate one by one! Kill them one by one!”
Saying this, he suddenly turned around and looked at the dark night outside the hall, as if he could already see the impending bloodshed.
“Issue an imperial decree.”
“Zhang Biao ‘merited for his audit,’ promoted to Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, in charge of account clearing matters.”
“Shen Lang, Li Mo, Sun Gui, Wu Nai Da, Zhao Fengman, and all officials who participated in the audit, all receive a one-rank promotion.”
“Let them continue to investigate for us! Investigate to the end! I want to see what other surprises await me!”
“What!?”
In the bedroom of Huagai Hall, there was a sudden uproar.
In an instant, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone suspected their ears were playing tricks on them.
The imperial decree was torn, the Emperor was insulted, the reward silver was taken for prostitutes, and yet he was to be promoted?!
This wasn’t imperial statecraft, this was a madman dealing with a madman!
Old Zhu ignored their stunned expressions and continued to issue decrees that seemed absurd, yet were cunningly crafted, “He suspended the audit, didn’t he? And told the Ministry of Works to tidy up the mess and wait for him next time?”
“Good, we’ll comply with him.”
“Issue an imperial decree: Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate Zhang Biao, for his arduous audit and contributions to the state, we are greatly pleased. We hereby grant him three days of leave for rest and relaxation, all expenses to be recorded under the Imperial Treasury’s accounts.”
“And issue an imperial decree to the Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture, and the Five City Patrols: During Minister Zhang’s leave, if he engages in any acts of destruction, robbery, arson, bullying, or drunken disturbance at Qinhuai River, as long as no lives are lost, they shall all be considered…”
“…uh, considered as a spirited individual, forthright and bold. No interference is necessary, merely record it and report it to Jiang Huan.”
Yun Ming: “…”
Is His Majesty going to indulge Censor Zhang’s lawlessness and incidentally collect his incriminating information?
“Also…”
Old Zhu’s gaze suddenly turned cold and sharp, like a falcon’s: “Issue another imperial decree to Jiang Huan, telling him to keep a close watch on those nobles and ministers, especially those whom Zhang Biao has named and cursed, and whose homes have been raided!”
“See who is burning incense in celebration at home during Zhang Biao’s leave, who is colluding in private, who is secretly transferring assets, who is trying to contact the palace!”
“If there is any unusual activity, regardless of whether the evidence is conclusive, record it all and report the list directly to me!”
“Yes!”
Yun Ming’s heart became solemn, and he instantly understood.
His Majesty intended to use Zhang Biao’s “mad knife” and the guise of “leave” to further pressure, or even bait and trap, and cleanse the imperial court.
Those who had let down their guard due to Zhang Biao’s suspended audit and were now making small moves were walking right into the trap; they could only blame themselves for seeking death.
“And also!”
Old Zhu added finally, his tone carrying an irrefutable decisiveness, “Suppress the matter of Zhang Biao tearing up the imperial decree!”
“Anyone who dares to spread half a word will have their family exterminated!”
“To the outside, we will announce that Minister Zhang was inspecting the quality of the imperial decree, found it unsatisfactory, and we greatly admired his loyalty and honesty, thus granting him a special leave to show our favor.”
What the heck!
Your Majesty, you are…
This is too shameless!
Yun Ming’s mouth twitched, but he dared not make a sound.
“Alright, you may all withdraw.”
Old Zhu waved his hand, as if he had merely dealt with a few trivial matters.
Everyone felt as if they had received a great pardon and retreated fearfully, their backs already drenched in cold sweat.
The experiences of today were too magical, too shocking to their understanding.
When only Old Zhu was left in the bedroom, he slowly picked up the two halves of the torn imperial decree, examining the tear marks carefully, almost greedily, as if he could see Zhang Biao’s arrogant and lawless face within them.
His fingers brushed over the torn edges of the silk, his eyes shimmering with extremely complex emotions.
There was killing intent, anger, hatred…
But more than anything, there was the excitement and anticipation of discovering a peerless weapon and about to wield it against an enemy.
“Zhang Biao, oh Zhang Biao…”
Old Zhu murmured to himself, his voice hoarse and cold, “I want to see if this knife of yours will hack down all my enemies first, or break itself!”
“You want to play, do you? Want excitement? Fine! We’ll play a big game with you!”
“The Great Ming’s empire is the chessboard, and all living beings are the pieces.”
“Let’s see in the end, whether this ‘mad doctor’ cures the illness of our Great Ming, or if this ‘Chong Ba’ crushes you into medicinal dregs first!”
He carefully folded the two halves of the imperial decree and tucked them under his pillow, as if they were important strategic blueprints.
Then, he lay down again and closed his eyes.
The corners of his mouth unconsciously curved into a cold, cruel, yet satisfied smile, like that of a chess player after making a move.
“Sister, Biao’er, did you see?”
“It’s so much fun…”
