Chapter 126: Emperor! They’re Fighting! They’re Fighting!
Jiang Huan’s Xiuchun Saber was unsheathed half a foot, its cold light flashing in the dim Imperial Prison, and a chilling killing intent instantly filled the air.
The Imperial Guards behind him also had their hands on their sabers simultaneously, and the atmosphere was tense.
“Zhang Biao! Do you really think I don’t dare to kill you?!”
Jiang Huan’s voice was like ice shards, each word carrying a bone-chilling cold.
However, instead of being intimidated by the display, Zhang Biao laughed even more wildly.
He even took a step forward, extending his neck slightly forward as if inviting the other to strike:
“Kill me? Jiang Huan, is this your first day knowing me, Zhang Biao?”
“The moment I stepped into the Hall of Supreme Harmony, I never thought about walking out alive!”
“Audit the Imperial Treasury? Heh, you thought I was just talking?”
“Let me tell you, I’ve already made arrangements! As soon as I die, tomorrow all the ugly truths about Zhu Chongba will be plastered all over Qinhuai River with all sorts of small notes!!”
“By then, the world will know that their great Hongwu Emperor is a miser who even steals from the dead!”
“Guess who will finish cleaning up the small notes first, your Imperial Guards, or Zhu Chongba’s face will be thrown into a dung pit first?”
His words were like a barrage of cannon fire, fast and vicious, each one hitting Jiang Huan’s chest like a heavy hammer.
Jiang Huan’s face turned extremely ugly.
He knew this madman in front of him was absolutely capable of doing it.
And with his peculiar methods, no one could say for sure how many contingency plans he had left.
Although the Emperor was bloodthirsty, he also cared about his reputation. If Zhang Biao truly leaked the news of ‘the Emperor robbing a fugitive’s belongings’ in such an extreme manner, the consequences…
The knuckles of Jiang Huan’s hand gripping the saber hilt turned white from the force, but the half-unsheathed saber still hadn’t been fully drawn.
He stared intently at Zhang Biao, as if wanting to skin him alive with his gaze.
Li Jinglong, standing beside him, had already shrunk into a ball in fear, wishing he could disappear into the earth.
Guo Ying also looked at Zhang Biao, who was confronting Jiang Huan head-on and not backing down, with shock, a complex emotion flashing in his cloudy old eyes.
Even Zhu Gao Sui, who was pretending to look at the sky, forgot to maintain his facade, his mouth agape as he watched this thrilling scene, screaming internally:
【 Brother Biao is awesome! So damn fierce! 】
A stalemate, a suffocating stalemate.
After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the killing intent in Jiang Huan’s eyes slowly receded, but the coldness intensified.
Very slowly, he pushed the Xiuchun Saber back into its sheath bit by bit, producing a grating sound that made one’s teeth ache.
“Zhang Biao!”
Jiang Huan’s voice returned to a flat tone, but it was even more unsettling: “I will report your words to the Emperor word for word. You’re on your own!”
With that, he stopped looking at Zhang Biao and coldly ordered his subordinate: “Take away the Marquis of Wuding!”
Two guards immediately stepped forward and hauled Guo Ying up.
As Guo Ying was dragged out of the prison cell, he looked back at Zhang Biao one last time, his gaze incredibly complex, filled with resentment, fear, disbelief, and even a faint trace of hope that he himself had not noticed.
Jiang Huan, leading his men and escorting Guo Ying, disappeared into the darkness in the depths of the Imperial Prison, their heavy footsteps fading.
The oppressive atmosphere slightly eased, but remained heavy.
Li Jinglong collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, as if he had just narrowly escaped death.
Zhu Gao Sui quickly lowered his head, continuing to pretend to study the patterns of the Imperial Prison floor tiles, but he could probably hear his own pounding heart.
Zhang Biao, however, acted as if nothing had happened, clapped his hands, dusted off non-existent dust, and sat back down in the corner, even picking up his unfinished drink and taking a sip.
“Tsk, no fun.”
He muttered, as if the confrontation that had almost led to bloodshed was just a boring everyday argument.
But his gaze once again fell on the still shaken Li Jinglong opposite him, and a smile that sent chills down Li Jinglong’s spine, a smile like one appraising one’s own warehouse, reappeared on his face:
“Duke Li”
Li Jinglong shivered violently, almost jumping up: “Yes! Yes! What are your orders, Censor Zhang?”
“Look, the old Marquis donated two items, shouldn’t you also show some consideration? You can’t play favorites!”
Zhang Biao said with a smile, rubbing his hands: “About that glass wine set we talked about earlier, do you have any other, um, matching pieces? Like glass lamps, glass bowls, or something? To make a set, it looks nice!”
Li Jinglong: “.”
All he wanted to do now was cry.
How did this madman’s appetite keep growing!?
On the other side, outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance.
The vast square was already bustling with people.
It wasn’t a Grand Court Session today, but the court deliberation about to take place inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony stirred the hearts of countless people.
Unlike the previous solitary ‘heroic tragedy’ of the pure stream officials, the crowd gathered this time was much more diverse.
In addition to the civil official group represented by certain censors from the Censorate, the libationer and doctors of the Imperial Academy, and some members of the Hanlin Academy, there were also a large number of academy students secretly incited to come.
These young academy students were mostly hot-blooded, well-read, highly valued the ‘Orthodox Tradition’ and ‘court dignity,’ and were easily incited.
They were now in a state of righteous indignation, holding banners they had hastily made overnight – ‘Defend Sacred Learning,’ ‘Execute the Traitor Zhang Biao’ – and under the leadership of a few young censors and doctors, they were shouting slogans with great momentum.
“Execute Zhang Biao, rectify the court order!”
“Defend Sacred Learning, eradicate monsters!”
“Your Majesty, please see, do not tolerate this madman!”
“.”
The crowd was in an uproar, with echoing cheers.
They had meticulously prepared impeachment memorials, listing countless crimes of Zhang Biao, from slandering Sacred Learning to shaking the foundation of the state, from disrupting the court order to forming factions for selfish gain, determined to nail Zhang Biao to the pillar of historical shame.
However, just as they were building up their emotions, preparing to enter the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance with the most ‘heroic’ posture, a dull and chaotic sound of footsteps, like rolling thunder, came from the edge of the square.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, their faces changing drastically.
They saw a dense crowd pouring in from various street corners.
Many of them were carrying pots, bowls, ladles, and basins, shouldering tables, chairs, and benches, holding hoes and wooden pitchforks, and some even brandishing rusty sabers and spears.
Leading them was a veteran soldier with a missing arm.
He held a table leg with his single arm, his eyes bloodshot, roaring hoarsely:
“It’s them! It’s these gentlemen in official robes! They want to harm Censor Zhang!”
“Brothers! Censor Zhang just helped us get back some of our hard-earned money, and now they want to slander us to the Emperor and kill him! Where is the justice in this world!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the old soldiers behind him echoed in agreement.
“Right! We can’t let them succeed!”
“Censor Zhang is a good person! A good official!”
“Anyone who wants to harm Censor Zhang has to step over our dead bodies first!”
“.”
The old soldiers were in a righteous fury. They might not understand court struggles, but they were resolute.
Zhang Biao had helped them get back their owed wages, even if it was to offset debt, it had given them a glimmer of hope and warmth.
Now that someone wanted to kill Zhang Biao, they were their enemy.
The civil official group suddenly erupted in chaos.
They had never seen such a scene!
These crude warriors, these impoverished soldiers, dared to storm the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance?
And dared to draw weapons against them, the noble civil officials?
“Rebellion! Rebellion! This is truly rebellion!”
An old Hanlin scholar trembled with anger, pointing at the surging crowd: “You crude martial men, how dare you storm the palace and disturb His Majesty! What crime is this!”
Another libationer from the Imperial Academy, both shocked and enraged, forced himself to calm down and shouted: “Presumptuous! This is outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, a vital national location! Retreat immediately! Otherwise, you will be charged with rebellion!”
“Rebellion? We just want justice!”
The one-armed veteran soldier did not retreat an inch, but instead led his men forward:
“You officials, who eat the Emperor’s grain and drink the soldiers’ blood, are now going to kill a good official who pleads for the people!? We will block you today, even if we die here!”
“Right! Block them!”
“We can’t let them go in and harm Censor Zhang!”
“.”
The old soldiers surged forward like a tide, instantly scattering the civil official group.
The scene instantly spiraled out of control.
“Ow! My tablet!”
“Disgraceful! Utterly disgraceful!”
“Don’t push! My official hat!”
“My memorial! It’s ruined!”
The civil officials cried out in alarm; how could they possibly contend with these old soldiers who had trained in martial arts for years?
They were immediately jostled and sent stumbling, their official hats falling, their tablets flying, and their meticulously prepared memorials trampled in the mud.
Some tried to reason with them, but were scared back by the angry glares of the old soldiers and the waving table legs and cooking pans.
Even worse, a few hot-tempered old soldiers, who had come from the ranks of the lower-level military officials, got into fights when they saw these civil officials still daring to talk back.
“Smack!”
A broken chair leg hit the ground near the feet of a nagging censor, scaring him into a yelp and a leap away.
“Crash!”
A thick stack of Xuan paper, filled with accusations against Zhang Biao, was snatched by an old soldier, torn to shreds, and thrown into the air.
“Take that for impeaching! Take that for spouting nonsense!”
“Beat you up, you black-hearted officials!”
The civil officials were completely panicked, crying and screaming, covering their heads, and fleeing in disarray.
The solemn and tragic atmosphere of a moment ago had vanished, leaving only utter dishevelment and absurdity.
In front of the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, an extremely absurd all-out brawl unfolded.
On one side were the disheveled, panicked, and humiliated civil officials.
On the other side were the enraged old soldiers and common people, wielding various ‘bizarre weapons,’ defending ‘Censor Zhang.’
In the middle were official hats, tablets, torn memorials scattered on the ground, and flying table legs and pots, bowls, ladles, and basins.
It was truly a case of a scholar meeting a soldier, where reason is of no avail.
The Imperial Guards and Han generals on duty watched, stunned, not knowing what to do for a moment.
Intervene? And help whom? These civil officials were indeed asking for it, but these old soldiers storming the palace was also a grave offense.
Forget it, let’s just watch the show for now. Someone will report to the Emperor anyway.
At the same time, in the Huagai Hall.
Old Zhu had just finished dressing in his dragon robe, with the help of palace maids and eunuchs, and was preparing to go to court when Jiang Huan’s voice sounded from outside the door.
“Your Majesty!”
“Yes, come in.”
Old Zhu gave a calm order, and Jiang Huan walked in from outside the door.
He respectfully handed over a memorial, his face solemn, and said:
“Your Majesty, Marquis Wuding Guo Ying has preliminarily confessed. He was indeed involved with several individuals from the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of War in the procurement of military equipment and agricultural accounts. This is a preliminary confession, please Your Majesty review it.”
Yun Ming stepped forward, took the memorial, and respectfully handed it to Old Zhu.
Old Zhu took it with a blank expression and slowly opened it.
His gaze was like the most precise sieve, quickly scanning every word.
When he saw the specific amounts and methods of Guo Ying’s corruption, the corners of his eyes twitched slightly, but he did not immediately react.
It was only when he saw the section about the treasures ‘donated’ to Zhang Biao, and Zhang Biao’s absurd ‘treatment,’ that his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
“Hmph, Seven Star Gemstone Knife? An old possession of Wang Baobao? This old fellow certainly knows how to hoard private treasures.”
Old Zhu’s voice was low and cold, making it impossible to discern his mood, but those who knew him well understood the storm brewing beneath that calm.
“Jiang Huan.”
“Your subordinate is here.”
“Order the confiscation of the Marquis of Wuding’s mansion. All property is to be inventoried and sealed, and related individuals are to be arrested and sent to the Imperial Prison for trial. That saber, once found, is to be sent to the Imperial Treasury.”
His commands were concise, clear, and undeniable, carrying a sense of inherent ownership.
“Your subordinate obeys Your Majesty’s decree.”
Jiang Huan replied, but remained kneeling on the ground, not rising.
Old Zhu raised his eyelids, his unfathomable eyes looking at Jiang Huan: “Is there anything else?”
He knew Jiang Huan; unless it was a matter of extreme importance or difficulty, he would not be so hesitant.
Jiang Huan lowered his head further, his voice still steady, but his speaking speed slowed slightly, and his wording was extremely cautious, avoiding any words that might directly enrage the Emperor, only making the most objective report:
“Your Majesty, when I was escorting Guo Ying away, Zhang Biao tried to stop me. He claimed that the items Guo Ying ‘donated’ were already his. And he said that if Your Majesty forcefully took them, he… might take extraordinary measures.”
“Extraordinary measures?”
Old Zhu’s voice suddenly rose a notch, with a dangerous playfulness:
“What extraordinary measures can he take? Could he still be planning to roll around and throw a tantrum in the Imperial Prison?”
Jiang Huan remained silent for a moment, as if choosing his words, finally opting for a relatively vague but threatening expression:
“He claimed to have prepared countermeasures. If he dies, or if there are documents concerning the Imperial Treasury and the imperial family’s reputation, they might spread among the common people, and it would be difficult to clear them all quickly.”
He did not repeat words like ‘audit the Imperial Treasury’ or ‘miser’ that would have enraged Old Zhu, but the phrases ‘concerning the Imperial Treasury and the imperial family’s reputation’ and ‘difficult to clear them all quickly’ were enough to precisely hit Old Zhu’s most sensitive nerve.
And as soon as Jiang Huan finished speaking, the air in the hall instantly dropped to freezing point.
Old Zhu said nothing further, merely tapping the armrest of the dragon throne slowly and rhythmically with his finger.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Each light sound was like a heavy hammer hitting the hearts of Jiang Huan and the surrounding eunuchs and palace maids, making them breathless.
In this suffocating silence, a hurried but not loud commotion suddenly erupted outside the hall, along with the low shouts of guards.
Immediately after, an Imperial Guard Battalion Commander on duty rushed to the entrance of the hall, almost tumbling, and was stopped by a eunuch.
Yun Ming quickly went out and asked a few low questions, his face instantly turning extremely grim.
Shortly thereafter, he quickly returned, knelt before Old Zhu, his voice trembling with barely suppressed emotion:
“Your Majesty, outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance… something has happened!”
…
Seeking monthly tickets~
There’s one more chapter for an extra update, it will be later.
