Chapter 122: Transmigrated To Ancient Times, What Should I Bring Back To Modern Times?
Very few people in this world could understand what Zhang Biao did.
Even if he voiced his inner thought of “Dismissal of Confucianism,” others would only think he was feigning loyalty.
They might even mock him, saying, “Aren’t you seeking death with all your heart?”
Thus, throughout history, those concerned for the nation and its people were mostly solitary.
Because few could understand them.
Fortunately, Zhang Biao had a rather broad-minded personality and never debated with fools; he knew himself what he was doing was enough.
For instance, right now, if it were any other condemned prisoner, they would likely be in a state of perpetual dread.
But he
was doing something that made both Li Jinglong and Guo Ying dumbfounded.
After he had eaten and drunk his fill, he stood up.
In that cramped prison cell, he twisted his waist, then stretched his legs, even throwing a few seemingly random and unmethodical punches, humming an off-key tune:
“Three circles to the left, three circles to the right, twist your neck, wiggle your hips.”
“Audit accounts, stay healthy!”
“Berate people while auditing, feel refreshed!”
Li Jinglong: “???”
What was he doing?
Had he truly gone mad?!
Guo Ying: “!!!”
Shameless wretch! A disgrace to civility!
This… this is utterly unacceptable!
Zhang Biao’s peculiar “prison cell fitness routine” continued for quite some time, until he was slightly sweating before he stopped.
He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and then nodded with satisfaction:
“Mmm, well-fed and watered, exercising, maintaining my condition, allows me to continue fighting jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards.”
His words were pointed, and his gaze, with a smile, swept over the opposite and adjacent cells again.
Li Jinglong, terrified, quickly lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.
Guo Ying, however, snorted coldly and closed his eyes again, but his clenched fists revealed his inner turmoil.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor.
This time, the footsteps were steady and regular, carrying an unquestionable authority.
The person arriving was none other than Jiang Huan, the Imperial Guard Commander.
His face was stern, his gaze like a falcon’s, as he slowly surveyed the three prison cells.
Li Jinglong trembled even more violently, as if he had seen a lifeline or a harbinger of death.
Guo Ying also opened his eyes immediately, instinctively sitting up straighter, a deep vigilance in his eyes.
Even Zhang Biao, putting away his flippant smile, looked at Jiang Huan with leisure.
Jiang Huan stopped before Zhang Biao’s cell, his gaze chillingly fixed on him:
“Zhang Biao, the Emperor has an oral decree.”
Zhang Biao raised an eyebrow but showed no reaction.
As long as he wasn’t executed immediately, any imperial oral decree was just meaningless talk.
Jiang Huan, accustomed to his disregard for his own life, continued on his own:
“You are ordered to submit a detailed memorial of all unlawful matters known to you concerning Duke Cao Li Jinglong, Marquis of Wuding Guo Ying, and any other related individuals, without any concealment or omission.”
His voice was not loud but clearly reached everyone’s ears.
However, he had not finished speaking and added another sentence that struck Li Jinglong and Guo Ying like a heavy hammer:
“The Emperor decrees that if the information provided is verified, it may… be considered favorably.”
The words were vague, but they left room for infinite speculation.
Especially for Li Jinglong and Guo Ying, who were at this moment in a desperate situation, it was like seeing a faint glimmer of light in the darkness.
Did the Emperor mean
if Zhang Biao revealed all he knew, and it could be verified, their punishment might be lenient? Or Zhang Biao’s?
How much did Zhang Biao know? What would he say?
No, the Emperor was encouraging Zhang Biao to frame them! And also forcing them!
As Li Jinglong and Guo Ying’s minds raced, Jiang Huan shifted his gaze from Zhang Biao to them, coldly reminding them:
“My Lords Duke and Marquis, the Emperor is also waiting for you. If you have anything to say, now is still the time.”
After speaking, he did not wait for their response, turned, and left. His footsteps gradually faded, leaving a deathly silence and even heavier psychological pressure.
Jiang Huan’s decree was like salt sprinkled on the bleeding wounds of Li Jinglong and Guo Ying, and like a fire thrown onto a pile of dry tinder filled with suspicion and fear.
Zhang Biao watched in the direction Jiang Huan had disappeared, a playful smile appearing on his face: “Is the Emperor starting a competition? Seeing who spills first? Who spills the most?”
His gaze shifted back to his two neighbors, his smile widening: “My Lords, did you hear? An opportunity has arrived. Shall we have a race to see who dies first?”
Li Jinglong’s face turned ashen, his lips trembling as he looked at Zhang Biao, then at Guo Ying next door, his eyes in utter chaos.
Guo Ying’s face was ashen, his chest heaving violently, staring intently at the prison bars, lost in thought.
The atmosphere in the Imperial Prison, due to Jiang Huan’s “oral decree,” instantly became even more bizarre, tense, and filled with scheming.
“It seems neither of you gentlemen is interested in conversing with me?”
Zhang Biao spoke again, proactively: “In that case, allow me to chat with you!”
Having said this, he fixed his gaze on Li Jinglong, clicking his tongue:
“Duke Li, you, with your vast fortune, Duke Cao’s Mansion, it’s built upon mountains of gold and silver.”
“Now that you’ve fallen to this state, won’t all those good things end up benefiting the Imperial Guard who confiscate your property and those worms in the Ministry of Revenue?”
Li Jinglong’s body stiffened noticeably.
Zhang Biao continued slowly, his voice seductive: “Instead of letting them waste it, why not…”
As he spoke, his eyes darted, and he said with a grin: “Use it for the good of society? Like show it to me?”
Li Jinglong suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with terror and confusion:
“You’ve ruined me like this, and you still want my possessions?!”
“Ah, you can’t say it like that.”
Zhang Biao waved his hand and said earnestly:
“This is ‘rescue and preservation’! It’s to prevent the loss of cultural heritage!”
“Think about it, antiques, calligraphy, paintings, jade treasures, falling into the hands of rough men, what a pity if they get chipped or broken?”
“Let me take a look, appraise them, perhaps I can even speak a few good words for you in front of the Emperor, mentioning how you ‘donated’ them voluntarily, earning merit through atonement?”
“Really?”
Li Jinglong, like a drowning man grasping at a straw, a faint glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.
His fear of Zhang Biao remained, but his desire for survival was stronger.
“When have I, Zhang Biao, ever lied to anyone?”
Zhang Biao spoke with righteous indignation:
“Tell me, do you have any particularly good, unique treasures in your mansion? Like rare calligraphy and paintings from the previous dynasty? Or exotic items from overseas? Shiny gemstones would work too?”
Li Jinglong was in immense struggle.
He was greedy, but he also feared death.
On one hand, he couldn’t bear to part with his darlings; on the other, he fantasized that perhaps this could truly exchange for a sliver of a chance to live.
His lips trembled, his eyes flickered, and he was engaged in an internal battle.
Guo Ying next door, though still with his eyes closed, had his ears perked up, sneering inwardly.
Fool! You believe this madman’s nonsensical ramblings?!
Zhang Biao didn’t rush him, leisurely leaning against the prison bars, continuing to hum his off-key tune.
Although he wasn’t sure if he could bring things from this world back to the modern world this time.
Because that 【0kg】 symbol didn’t specify whether it was to be calculated upon return or upon arrival.
But he was 100% certain that he could move items between the two worlds.
Since that was the case, why not try this time? Regardless of success or failure, it would count as an experiment.
And “rich guys” like Li Jinglong were definitely the top choice!
This was also why he hadn’t audited Li Jinglong too harshly before.
After all, no matter how much was confiscated, Old Zhu would end up taking it all.
Finally, Li Jinglong, as if making a monumental decision, trembled and said:
“There is a painting… “The Heavenly King Sending Off His Son” by Wu Daozi《》. I acquired it at great expense.”
“Wu Daozi?”
Zhang Biao’s eyes lit up, but then he pouted:
“Forget it, too famous. No, no, it’s easy to get invited for tea.”
Li Jinglong was stunned, not understanding what “invited for tea” meant, but he understood that Zhang Biao was not interested. He had to think again, and said with a pained expression:
“And there’s a blood jade qilin, half a foot tall, from the Western Regions…”
“Jade? It’s fragile! No, no!”
Zhang Biao vetoed again, adding: “I’m a pragmatist, I need something durable!”
Li Jinglong was close to tears; he really couldn’t think of any other treasures that were both precious and “durable.”
He said mournfully: “That’s all… really, that’s all.”
Zhang Biao showed a disappointed expression:
“Duke Li, this is not very cooperative. It seems you don’t want to cooperate… What a pity, I was hoping to speak on your behalf to the Emperor…”
“Yes! Yes!”
Li Jinglong was so frightened by the words “don’t want to cooperate” that his soul nearly departed his body, and he quickly shouted:
“There’s a set! A set of glass wine ware! Completely transparent, vibrantly colored, refracting seven colors of light under the sun! It was a tribute presented by a Persian merchant, which I… I privately kept for myself!”
Glassware? Seven colors?
Zhang Biao’s heart stirred.
This sounded like glass? Or carved from natural crystal?
If it were high-quality ancient glassware, it would be worth a fortune in modern times! And indeed, it was relatively more “durable.”
“Oh? Sounds a bit interesting.”
Zhang Biao pretended to be casual: “How big is it? How many pieces in a set? Is it intact?”
“A total of nine pieces! Wine cups, wine pot, tray… intact!”
To show his sincerity, Li Jinglong would have revealed even the secret compartment mechanism: “Absolutely intact! I wrapped it in brocade and hid it in a secret compartment in my study!”
“Hmm…”
Zhang Biao feigned contemplation, as if weighing:
“Alright, although it’s just so-so, it shows some sincerity from you. When I’m about to die, bring it to me as a burial accompaniment!”
Burial… burial accompaniment?!
Li Jinglong was completely bewildered, unable to comprehend Zhang Biao’s thought process, but he had finally passed the test:
“Thank you, Censor Zhang! Thank you, Censor Zhang!”
Guo Ying next door heard this conversation, his contempt deepening.
Li Jinglong, that idiot, was truly resorting to desperate measures!
This madman can barely save himself, how can he protect your treasures? Dream on!
Just then, Zhang Biao’s gaze suddenly turned to him, and he said with a smile:
“Old Marquis, what about you? You’ve fought your entire life, you must have acquired many rare treasures, right?”
“Do you have anything particularly hard, unbreakable, indestructible, and dazzlingly bright?”
“Hmph!”
Guo Ying snorted coldly, his tone conveying an ironclad refusal: “This old man walks the straight and narrow, unlike some who engage in corruption and embezzlement! I have none! Even if I did, I’d rather destroy it than give it to you, you shameless scoundrel!”
Zhang Biao wasn’t angered; instead, he smiled even more happily: “None? That’s great!”
He suddenly raised his voice, as if talking to himself towards the corridor, but ensuring everyone could hear:
“Commander Jiang should be back soon, right? I heard the Marquis of Wuding’s descendants are particularly filial, perhaps to atone for their sins, they’ll voluntarily reveal where their old man hid his treasures.”
“Alas, what a pity, what a pity. If the Old Marquis had ‘donated’ it himself, it could have been considered self-rescue.”
Upon hearing this, Guo Ying’s face instantly turned extremely grim.
Zhang Biao’s words were venomous!
He was sowing discord between him and his descendants!
He was also implying that the Imperial Guard would investigate thoroughly!
“You!”
Guo Ying was so enraged he nearly choked, pointing at Zhang Biao, his finger trembling.
Zhang Biao ignored him, sat back down, and took a contented sip of wine, as if he had just said, “The weather is nice today.”
Li Jinglong, seeing Guo Ying’s discomfiture, inexplicably felt a sense of pleasure, even believing his choice was absolutely correct.
Zhu Gao Sui watched from the shadows, utterly dumbfounded, his admiration for Zhang Biao growing like a surging river.
Brother Biao is truly amazing!
With just a few words, he made Duke Cao obediently hand over his treasures and infuriated the Marquis of Wuding to the brink of death!
Meanwhile, Zhang Biao was calculating in his heart.
The glass wine set sounded decent.
Selling them individually upon return, or as a set, both were viable.
He just didn’t know how he would bring them back.
Could it be that he had to hold the treasures in his hand before dying? Or carry them?
If it was the former, wouldn’t that be too little? If it was the latter… that old scoundrel Guo Ying would definitely not be let off!
After all, I only asked him for three thousand taels, and he could ask himself if he had asked for an extra tael!
