Chapter 127: I Will Kill You Without Hesitation
“What is all this commotion? What kind of order is this!”
Old Zhu’s fingers, tapping on the armrest, suddenly stopped, and his gaze shot towards Yun Ming like lightning.
His tone carried dissatisfaction, and even more so, the annoyance of having his thoughts interrupted.
Yun Ming swallowed, and with difficulty, said, “Replying to Your Majesty, it is the students of the Imperial Academy, some Censors and Hanlin scholars, along with a large group of disabled old soldiers and commoners, who have clashed outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance! The situation is nearly out of control, and the civil officials are quite in a mess.”
“Hmm?”
Upon hearing this, Old Zhu’s brow immediately furrowed.
Civil officials clashing with old soldiers and commoners?
Almost in an instant, he thought of Zhang Biao in the Imperial Prison.
Those old soldiers must have come to repay a debt of gratitude, having been ‘audited’ by Zhang Biao at the Ministry of War and having their salaries demanded on their behalf.
Those civil officials were probably Fu Youwen and the others trying to stir the pot further, instigating them again to impeach Zhang Biao.
“Heh.”
Old Zhu let out a cold laugh of unknown meaning.
There was no trace of mirth in the laughter, only icy anger and a mockery that saw through everything.
“Good, very good. A prisoner awaiting death is causing trouble in the Imperial Prison, and a group of scholars who read the Books of the Sages are being beaten outside the palace gates by peasants.”
“The order of this Great Ming Dynasty truly opens my eyes!”
He nodded repeatedly, his tone devoid of any praise or outburst, but rather slowly stood up from the dragon throne and took a few steps forward.
Although he said nothing during this time, a pressure as heavy as a mountain emanated from his entire being.
This caused everyone, including Jiang Huan and Yun Ming, to not dare to breathe too loudly.
“Jiang Huan.”
He finally spoke.
Jiang Huan quickly responded, “Your servant is here.”
“Dispatch more Imperial Guard to suppress the scene. Disperse the crowd, prioritizing the security of the palace, and do not disturb the inner court. Arrest all involved, whether official or commoner, especially the instigators, and detain them separately immediately!”
His orders were clear and chillingly efficient, with the primary goal being to restore order and control the situation, rather than to distinguish right from wrong.
“As you command!”
Jiang Huan immediately accepted the order.
However, just as Jiang Huan was about to rise to carry out the order, footsteps were heard again from outside the hall.
Yun Ming, without any hesitation, returned in moments, “Your Majesty, the conflict at the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance has stopped. It was Shen Lang, Li Mo, Sun Gui, Zhao Fengman, Wu Nai Da, and others who intervened to stop it.”
“Hmm?”
Upon hearing this, Old Zhu’s brow furrowed again.
Jiang Huan, on the other hand, slightly startled, thought to himself that Zhang Biao’s subordinates had indeed grown quite capable.
Old Zhu was silent for a moment, then slowly walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and gazed in the direction of the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, his eyes gradually becoming distant.
Although he could not see anything through the thick palace walls, his somber gaze was truly terrifying.
Zhang Biao’s curse
Post-donation second hand
Old soldiers and civil official group
Nobles’ corruption, Shen Lang and the other five
All these fragments rapidly assembled and collided in his mind.
He suddenly realized that Zhang Biao, this knife, had completely spun out of control.
It not only attacked the accumulated malpractices of the court, but the chaos it triggered even began to backfire on the dignity and order of the court itself.
This had exceeded his initial expectations of ‘borrowing a knife to kill’ and ‘stirring the waters’ to clear accumulated malpractices.
A fury, a sense of being provoked by ants and the situation subtly slipping from his control, was building in his chest.
But at the same time, the suspicion and calculation deeply ingrained in his bones were also working furiously.
Killing Zhang Biao had always been very simple for him.
But after killing him, how would he deal with those corrupt elements?
How would the rifts caused by Zhang Biao in the Imperial Court be mended?
More importantly, how much of the unknown secrets did that bastard Zhang Biao know?
What exactly did he want to do? Did he truly want to drag this Great Ming Dynasty down with him, or did he have some unspeakable objective?!
At this moment, Old Zhu’s killing intent towards Zhang Biao reached its peak.
He disliked this feeling of losing control.
But at the same time, a sense of extremely suppressed, yet necessary, rationality forcefully held back this killing intent.
And he, the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, for the first time, felt such a strong, mixed sense of killing intent, wariness, and a hint of imperceptible difficulty towards a ‘madman’ he thought he could easily crush.
After about a quarter of an hour, he calmly and indifferently spoke again, “Let Shen Lang and the others enter the Imperial Prison. Tell them that if they can persuade Zhang Biao to mend his ways, I will release Zhang Biao.”
“What!?”
Jiang Huan and Yun Ming, upon hearing this, were utterly astonished, as if they had misheard.
What was going on?
His Majesty would actually pardon Zhang Biao?!
And at a time when Zhang Biao had caused so much trouble?!
Had His Majesty truly gone mad?
“What?”
Just as Jiang Huan and the two were at a loss and their minds had frozen, Old Zhu turned around and said with chilling killing intent, “Are your ears deaf?”
“Your servant, your servant, your servant accepts the decree!”
Jiang Huan, terrified, quickly kowtowed, his speech faltering.
However, without any hesitation, he immediately rushed out of the hall door.
As Old Zhu watched him leave, a hint of undetectable cunning flickered in his eyes.
【 Bastard things, I want to see if you truly want to die or are pretending to die. 】
【 If you are pretending to die, I will not hesitate to kill you, and Shen Lang and the others. To completely end this farce! 】
…
On the other side, outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance.
Shen Lang and the other four were still earnestly persuading the old soldiers and commoners.
Shen Lang spread his arms, blocking a group of old soldiers who were about to swing table legs, his voice hoarse with urgency:
“Venerable uncles and brothers! Listen to my words! You cannot fight! Absolutely cannot fight!”
“My peers, my lords!”
Li Mo faced the group of agitated students and civil officials, and said loudly, “Outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, under the Son of Heaven’s feet, gathering to brawl is not the act of a gentleman, and it violates the law of the land! If you have grievances, you should follow the court’s legal system. How can you resort to fists and clubs?!”
“All of you, put down your weapons, damn it!”
Sun Gui was even more direct. He snatched a club that was about to hit an old student and roared:
“Do you want to get Brother Biao killed?! Fighting here, do you want to confirm Brother Biao’s charge of ‘misleading the populace and inciting rebellion’?!”
“To all you military lords, we appreciate your good intentions!”
Wu Nai Da quickly whispered to the old soldiers, “But once a fight breaks out, the Imperial Guard will have a reason to arrest people! At that time, not only will we not be able to save Brother Biao, but we will also implicate everyone! Brother Biao asked you to disperse earlier because he didn’t want to involve everyone!”
“If you want to impeach, then impeach. Why stir up uninformed students?”
Zhao Fengman also said coldly to the civil officials:
“If there are any casualties, who will be held accountable, you or Zhang Biao? You are borrowing a knife to kill!”
Silence!
The entire scene fell silent like fallen leaves in an autumn wind!
The sudden appearance and stern admonishment of the five people were like a basin of cold water, extinguishing the imminent explosion of conflict.
“I know you! Accountant Shen!”
“And that… the one who handed me the chamber pot lamp…”
The old soldiers recognized Shen Lang, Sun Gui, and the others, knowing they were Brother Biao’s brothers.
Although their words were harsh, they made sense.
So, some old soldiers hesitantly put down their ‘weapons’, but their eyes still stared at the opposite side with anger.
The students and civil officials, though indignant, were also stunned by Shen Lang’s words.
After all, what Shen Lang and the others said hit the nail on the head.
Fighting here would turn a just cause into an unjust one, and it was indeed possible to be framed.
Especially the words ‘borrowing a knife to kill’ made some of the more naive students harbor doubts.
The old soldier with the severed arm looked at Shen Lang, his eyes red, “Accountant Shen! We don’t want to cause trouble! We can’t just stand by and watch them kill ‘Censor Zhang’! Censor Zhang did this for us…”
“We know! We all know!”
Shen Lang interrupted him heavily, his tone somber and sincere, “Brother Biao is doing all this so that everyone can live, and live a little better! He would rather go to the death prison himself than see you all risk yourselves for him!”
Speaking, he scanned the surrounding old soldiers and commoners, and raised his voice,
“We thank you for your kindness on behalf of Brother Biao! But please believe us! Believe in the law of the court! Conflict will not solve problems, it will only bring joy to our loved ones and sorrow to our enemies!”
Li Mo also cupped his hands towards the students and civil officials,
“If you believe Zhang Biao is guilty, the law will judge. Gathering here to exert pressure will not only fail to demonstrate justice, but it also carries the suspicion of coercing the Sacred Hearing. It is neither the way of a gentleman, nor the true intention of serving the country and the people! Please disperse and return to your posts!”
“Kuts, kuts—”
Just then, heavy and neat footsteps were heard from within the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance.
Jiang Huan, with a large number of Imperial Guards, appeared with stern expressions.
Seeing that the chaos at the scene had indeed stopped, and especially seeing Shen Lang and the other four standing in the middle, a hint of imperceptible admiration flashed in Jiang Huan’s eyes, followed by a stern roar:
“Loud noise and gathering are strictly forbidden outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance! You will all disperse immediately! Those who disobey will be charged with attacking the palace!”
The deterrence of the Imperial Guard was real.
Coupled with Shen Lang’s persuasion, although both sides still glared at each other, the urge to fight desperately had diminished by more than half.
The old soldiers looked at Shen Lang and the others’ firm and pleading eyes, then at the menacing Imperial Guards. Finally, the old soldier with the severed arm stomped his foot fiercely:
“We’ll listen to Accountant Shen! Let’s go!”
He took the lead in turning, and the other old soldiers and commoners also followed, leaving with backward glances, their eyes filled with unwillingness and worry.
Seeing this, the students and civil officials knew that today’s matter would not be accomplished. Under the intimidating gaze of the Imperial Guard, they could only sullenly put away their banners and disperse with low curses.
A nearly erupted bloody conflict was forcibly stopped at the last moment by Shen Lang and his four companions.
Jiang Huan looked at the rapidly emptying square, then gave Shen Lang and the other four a deep look, and walked directly towards them.
“His Majesty has decreed that you are allowed to enter the Imperial Prison to persuade Zhang Biao. If you succeed in persuading him to mend his ways, His Majesty may agree to release him.”
“What!?”
Shen Lang and the other four were first shocked, then overjoyed.
“Is this… is this true, Commander Jiang?” Li Mo asked, not quite believing.
The others also looked at Jiang Huan, their eyes full of anticipation.
Jiang Huan coldly replied, “A ruler does not break his word. Do you intend to question a royal decree?”
“We dare not!”
The five quickly bowed, and at the same time, were extremely excited.
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