Chapter 109: What Rules? My Rule Is The Only Rule! Requesting Monthly Tickets!
The next morning, just as Zhang Biao was preparing to lead his men for revenge on last night’s incident.
Shen Lang walked over with a letter.
“Brother Biao, look, I don’t know who slipped this under the door.”
Zhang Biao rubbed his slightly aching forehead and impatiently opened the letter.
Inside, there were no words, only several pages of densely packed numbers and scattered names and places, like torn scraps from some account book.
It involved the procurement of military equipment and the dispatch of grain and fodder, with huge sums and vague destinations, but one could vaguely smell the collusion between the Ministry of War and border generals.
“What is all this?” Zhang Biao frowned.
Shen Lang leaned closer and looked carefully. His accounting mind immediately activated, and his eyes gradually became serious:
“Brother Biao, these seem to be fragments of accounts from the Ministry of War for northern frontier military pay and equipment allocation.”
As he spoke, he pointed to the letter: “Look here, the price is more than thirty percent above market price, the delivery location is vague, and this general’s name doesn’t match previous records.”
Hearing this, Zhang Biao’s headache subsided by more than half, and he immediately pressed: “Can you determine which yamen’s accounting methods these are?”
Shen Lang pondered for a moment and shook his head:
“From the accounts, it’s hard to tell who it is, but since it involves the Ministry of War, besides the Ministry of Revenue, I don’t think anyone else can figure out these accounts.”
“Ha!”
Zhang Biao laughed: “Fu Youwen, that old fox, is trying to shift the blame? He wants to use me to stir up Ru Chang’s hornet’s nest? Does he really think I don’t know about the pile of messy accounts of the garrisons across the Great Ming Dynasty?”
After speaking, a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth:
“Interesting. Keep it. This is all evidence. We’ll deal with it together later.”
“Then what should we do next?”
Shen Lang said with some worry: “The Emperor has already abandoned us.”
“What are you talking about? You sound like a woman, abandoned?”
Zhang Biao scoffed and interrupted:
“I’m telling you, only by auditing the Imperial Treasury will you have a way to survive. Otherwise, if you back down, did you see what happened last night? It won’t just be a threat anymore!”
“Why?”
“Because auditing the Imperial Treasury is too audacious; everyone is watching, they wouldn’t dare go too far.”
“But, didn’t the Emperor forbid us from approaching the Imperial Treasury?”
Shen Lang sighed: “Moreover, other departments are no longer cooperating with us. We can’t even get a chance to reconcile the accounts of the Imperial Treasury with other departments.”
“We’ll figure out a way! We can’t make things difficult for ourselves to death!”
Zhang Biao rolled his eyes and then prepared to take Shen Lang to find Li Mo and the others.
Just then, Li Mo and the others came looking for them.
“Brother Biao, look at this quickly, it’s an official document from Ru Chang, the Minister of War!”
“I can’t be bothered to look, just tell me what he wants!”
“This…”
Li Mo hesitated for a moment and said:
“He said the Ministry of War’s account books are ready and await our visit. He also mentioned in the document that due to sensitive military affairs, personnel have been dispatched by the Five Military Commissions to provide escort to ensure the safety of the audit process.”
“Escort? You mean executioners, right?”
Zhang Biao sneered and said coldly:
“Tell the messenger that I’m busy with official duties recently. Have him personally copy ten copies of the account books and send them to me first! Also, tell those guards to get as far away as they can!”
He wouldn’t be foolish enough to walk into the Ministry of War’s territory.
If Ru Chang wanted to play rough, he wouldn’t take the bait.
As for Fu Youwen’s schemes, he wouldn’t fall for those either.
After all, in this Great Ming Dynasty, it wasn’t just Old Zhu who knew how to “block” people; he could play that game too.
And his core strategy was simple.
Continue to court death in the most insane and unpredictable ways, forcing Old Zhu to kill him.
You play your schemes, and I’ll do my abstract art.
“Let’s go! Let’s go find Jiang Huan! Didn’t he receive an imperial decree to ‘escort us throughout’? Then let him escort us to the Ministry of Revenue!”
“To the Ministry of Revenue again?” Zhao Fengman was surprised: “Didn’t we empty out the Ministry of Revenue?”
“Who said we’re going to empty out the Ministry of Revenue? Can’t we go have fun?”
“Have fun?”
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
“Alright, enough nonsense, let’s go!”
Zhang Biao waved his hand, and then, filled with trepidation, everyone followed him to the Ministry of Revenue.
And Jiang Huan naturally arrived as promised.
“Stop! This is a restricted area of the Ministry of Revenue, no unauthorized personnel allowed!”
An official who looked like a Director stepped forward to stop them, his voice a little shaky.
Before Zhang Biao could speak, Jiang Huan behind him stepped forward coldly, displaying his waist token: “The Imperial Guard is acting under imperial decree, you may withdraw!”
Although he was helping Zhang Biao clear the area, his face was as black as the bottom of a pot, as if to say, ‘I’m here to guard prisoners, not be your bodyguard.’
Seeing that the Imperial Guard had intervened, the Director’s legs went weak with fear, and he quickly cleared the way.
Zhang Biao proudly raised his chin and patted Jiang Huan’s shoulder: “Old Jiang, you’re very skilled! I’ll write you a letter of commendation to send to the Emperor later!”
Jiang Huan: “…”
I really want to kill you right now and then commit suicide!
Although it wasn’t the first time entering the Ministry of Revenue, Zhang Biao didn’t order anything to be moved this time. Instead, he went directly to the Ministry of Revenue Archives.
“Old Shen! Take a few people to the B-section storage and bring out the total revenue account books of the National Treasury from the first year of Hongwu until now!”
“Old Wu! Go to the C-section storage and find all records regarding military expenses and official salary disbursements!”
“Li Mo! You have a good writing style and a sharp eye. Specifically look for those account books that are exceptionally neat and tidy, with no signs of alteration! Those are the most problematic!”
“Zhao Fengman! You lead people to guard the doorway. Every scroll we borrow must be registered and signed for! We are conducting a formal audit this time, not a bandit raid!”
“Old Sun! Light the lamp! Let the ‘Light of the Great Ming’ illuminate this long-overdue justice—!”
Zhang Biao, with his hands on his hips, pontificated between rows of towering archive shelves, spitting enthusiastically.
The remaining Directors and clerks at the Ministry of Revenue watched in stunned silence, wanting to stop them but being glared to death by the Imperial Guards beside them.
The entire Ministry of Revenue Archives instantly descended into chaos, with dust filling the air.
Shen Lang and the others stumbled, carrying account books taller than they were. Wu Nai Da was hit in the back by a falling bookshelf. Li Mo frowned at a seemingly flawless record.
Sun Gui’s chamber pot lamp cast a sense of panic over everyone at the Ministry of Revenue.
An old Director from the Ministry of Revenue couldn’t stand it any longer and tremblingly stepped forward:
“Vice Censor Zhang, this… this is not in accordance with the rules! To review such a large volume of archives, a directive from the Minister is required, and also…”
“What rules? My rule is the rule!”
Zhang Biao interrupted him directly and took out the second imperial decree sent by Yun Ming from his pocket, slapping it down in front of the other man with a loud “bang,” and declared with a powerful voice:
“Look closely! The Emperor’s own handwriting! In charge of account clearing matters, investigate to the end!”
“Do these Ministry of Revenue accounts fall under the scope of account clearing? Do they fall under the content that should be investigated?”
“Or perhaps…”
He paused, his gaze fixed on the old Director: “Are your Ministry of Revenue accounts more important than the Emperor’s imperial decree? Are they not to be seen?”
As his words fell, Sun Gui’s chamber pot lamp was directly shone on the old Director’s head, as if to illuminate his ugly face.
The old Director looked at the imperial decree, especially the four characters “investigate to the end,” and then at Sun Gui’s pungent chamber pot lamp. He was speechless, cold sweat pouring down his face, and could only watch as these “bandits” turned their painstakingly organized and archived account books upside down.
Jiang Huan stood in a corner not far away, his face dark as he took out a little notebook and began to faithfully record every word and deed of the “mad dog.”
His work log was probably like this:
【 3:45 AM: Zhang Biao forcibly entered the Ministry of Revenue with a group of people, using an imperial decree to intimidate the gate officials. 】
【 3:45 AM: Zhang Biao ordered the removal of nearly ten years of account books from the B-section and C-section storages. The scene was chaotic, suspected of retaliatory destruction. 】
【 9:15 AM: Zhang Biao boasted to his accomplices: ‘The more perfect the accounts are, the deeper the pit is buried.’ Suspected of possessing some secret accounting method or bluffing. 】
【 9:45 AM: Zhang Biao ate lunch at the Ministry of Revenue’s kitchen, consuming three bowls of rice and pocketing a plate of pickles. Comment: Good appetite, does not seem like a person seeking death. 】
【 1:00 PM: Zhang Biao loudly complained that the tea at the Ministry of Revenue was inferior, not as good as the horses of those soldier ruffians from last night. This carries a strong sense of insult and a desire to lodge a complaint. 】
【 3:00 PM: Zhang Biao claimed to have discovered a discrepancy between accounts and reality, suspected of falsely reporting flood relief funds for the Huai River, but refused to reveal details, stating further audits were needed. 】
These logs were sent by express horse, without delay, to Huagai Hall.
Thus, within half a day, Old Zhu received the following messages in succession:
“Report! Zhang Biao forcibly entered the Ministry of Revenue Archives!”
“Report! Zhang Biao removed mountains of account books!”
“Report! Zhang Biao is suspected of discovering clues of corruption!”
“Report! Zhang Biao found the Ministry of Revenue’s food to be unpalatable!”
“Report! Zhang Biao pocketed a plate of pickles!”
“Pfft—!”
The medicinal soup Old Zhu had just drunk almost came back out.
He trembled with anger and threw Jiang Huan’s logbook to the ground:
“Bastard things! Is he there to audit accounts or to go on an outing?! And he pocketed pickles?! Do we lack that one dish of pickles?!”
“What is Jiang Huan doing?! Just watching him make a scene?!”
Yun Ming cautiously reminded: “Your Majesty, Commander Jiang is merely escorting and recording under imperial decree.”
Old Zhu was choked, and suddenly remembered his own imperial decrees, feeling an immense sense of frustration from lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot.
Not allowed to interfere, only to watch, letting a group of ‘husky dogs’ run wild and wreck his Ministry of Revenue?!
This was more unbearable than killing him directly!
And this was precisely the effect Zhang Biao wanted.
He didn’t care at all if he could actually uncover any earth-shattering cases from the vast sea of account books in a short period.
What he wanted was the momentum, the stir.
He wanted the entire imperial court to know.
He, Zhang Biao, with the “Imperial Sword” granted by the Emperor, leading the “Imperial Guard” as his “honor guard,” was recklessly overturning old accounts in the Ministry of Revenue Archives.
Those officials with guilty consciences must have been sweating profusely and fidgeting nervously at this moment.
They would frantically guess:
What has Zhang Biao found out?
Who will he investigate next?
Will it be my turn?
Why audit once and then audit again? When will it end?
This uncertainty and fear were Zhang Biao’s sharpest weapons.
Indeed, by afternoon, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Works, and even the Five Military Commissions had quietly sent people to scout near the Ministry of Revenue.
Seeing the dense presence of the Imperial Guard and the commotion of rummaging through cabinets inside, they all turned pale and slunk away.
And in the tea houses and wine shops of Yingtian Prefecture, rumors were flying.
“Did you hear? Censor Zhang has gone to the Ministry of Revenue again to audit, and he discovered an earth-shattering case there! It involves several Ministers and Vice Ministers!”
“More than that! They say Marquis Guo and Duke Cao were just appetizers! There are many Marquises and Dukes waiting to be investigated!”
“The Emperor sent the Imperial Guard to accompany him; I think it’s to monitor publicly but protect secretly!”
“Hahaha! I knew it, Censor Zhang hasn’t fallen out of favor! The Emperor is going to get serious!”
“This is going to be a good show!”
Zhang Biao perfectly utilized Old Zhu’s decree, gilding himself with the mysterious aura of ‘acting under imperial decree, with Imperial Guard protection,’ maximizing the panic effect.
At the same time, he warned everyone that if anyone dared to send people to threaten his brothers again, he would go to their house the next day.
He didn’t even need to investigate anything; he would just play, and a group of people would play you to death in your own home.
