Chapter 160: Darkness Approaches, Brothers, Are You Well? Please Vote Monthly
Huagai Hall’s bedroom.
Old Zhu had just gone to sleep when Jiang Huan disturbed him. The candlelight flickered violently, making the shadows on his face writhe like phantoms.
If it were any other time, he would have surely erupted in fury.
But now, he also knew that if it wasn’t something major, Jiang Huan would not dare to disturb him.
“Speak.”
Old Zhu wasted no words, uttering a single character.
“Reporting to Your Highness…”
Jiang Huan knelt below and reported, word for word, the tragic scene of Prison Guard Wang’s entire family poisoned to death and his residence burned, as well as the fact that the assassins in the Ministry of Justice prison had all taken poison and died.
Silence fell upon the room.
That silence was more suffocating than thunderous rage.
Old Zhu sat on the bed, his face devoid of expression. There was no shock, no anger, no terror, only a deep, frozen calm.
But Jiang Huan, who knew him well, understood that this was His Highness’s most terrifying state.
【 To cut the grass and eliminate the roots, leaving no chickens or dogs alive… 】
【 Such ruthless tactics… such swift action… 】
【 Is this a show of defiance? Or an act of silencing? Or… both? 】
Countless thoughts flashed through Old Zhu’s mind in an instant.
The more desperately the other party tried to cover things up, the more it proved that the contents of this iron box struck at their most fatal weakness.
This, instead, strengthened his resolve to investigate to the end.
“Understood.”
After a long while, Old Zhu slowly uttered three words, his voice as steady as a calm lake.
“Properly collect the bodies of Prison Guard Wang and his family.”
“Secretly investigate their neighbors and colleagues. See if any unusual individuals have appeared recently.”
“Search the ruins of the fire carefully. Leave no trace behind.”
His commands were clear and cold, as if he were discussing something unrelated to himself.
“Yes!”
Jiang Huan quickly responded.
“Shen Lang and the others have entered the Imperial Prison?” Old Zhu asked again.
“Reporting to Your Highness, as per your instructions, they have been confined to the cell adjacent to Zhang Biao’s.”
“Mm.”
Old Zhu nodded, a cold calculation flashing in his eyes. “Go tell Zhang Biao. Tell him that his brothers were just ambushed in the Ministry of Justice prison and nearly wiped out.”
“Fortunately, the Imperial Guard arrived in time and saved their lives. They have now been brought to the Imperial Prison to keep him company.”
He deliberately emphasized the words ‘ambushed’ and ‘brought’.
This was meant to make Zhang Biao feel the impending storm of the situation outside.
“Furthermore, starting from this moment, interrogate one of his five brothers every hour.”
“There’s no need for heavy torture, but make sure they make some noise, so Zhang Biao can hear them.”
Jiang Huan understood. This was to exert psychological pressure on Zhang Biao, to torment him with the continuous suffering of his brothers, forcing him to write his confession quickly.
“I understand!”
“Go.”
Jiang Huan bowed and withdrew, hurrying towards the Imperial Prison.
…
Imperial Prison, Room Jia Zi San.
Zhang Biao was lounging with his legs crossed, pouring himself a drink with that set of glass wine cups, humming a tuneless melody, as if all the turmoil outside had nothing to do with him.
The cell door opened, and Jiang Huan walked in, his expressionless.
“Yo? Commander Jiang is paying a visit again?”
Zhang Biao didn’t even look up, his tone mocking. “Are you here to hear me reminisce about the Eastern Palace’s past, or Shaanxi’s charm? Or perhaps… royal secrets?”
Jiang Huan ignored his teasing and, in a calm and indifferent voice, relayed Old Zhu’s words exactly as they were, especially emphasizing ‘ambushed’ and ‘now brought to the Imperial Prison’.
Upon hearing the word ‘ambushed’, Zhang Biao’s hand, which was shaking the wine cup, paused almost imperceptibly, but he soon resumed his nonchalant demeanor, even scoffing:
“Heh, pretty quick work. Looks like someone’s jumping the wall in desperation?”
“Commander Jiang, aren’t you Imperial Guards supposed to supervise all officials and be everywhere? How could your security be so lax? You almost let my brothers get killed?”
“They are important witnesses!”
Although he said this with a light smile, the fleeting coldness deep in his eyes did not escape Jiang Huan’s notice.
Jiang Huan continued:
“His Highness’s oral decree is for you to write your confession peacefully. Your brothers will be ‘well taken care of’ in the Imperial Prison.”
Having said this, he said no more and turned to leave.
“Clang—!”
The cell door was closed again.
The smile on Zhang Biao’s face vanished instantly.
He slowly put down his wine cup, his gaze fixed on the cold stone wall, as if he could see through the wall to the situation in the neighboring cell.
【 They even tried to silence them in the Ministry of Justice prison… and used assassins… what a grand gesture! 】
【 It seems all the Imperial Guards in the city are running ragged for Old Zhu, and even the most heavily guarded places have security lapses… 】
【 Now, Old Zhu has brought Shen Lang and the others under my nose… it’s protection, but also hostage-taking, and a means to torment me… 】
【 Heh, has he gotten smarter by being tricked by me? Is he also playing mind games now… 】
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice towards the wall, as if talking to himself, or perhaps to the next cell:
“Brothers! Are you all alive? If you’re alive, give me a ‘squeak’! Your Brother Biao is waiting for you to take me out for some drinks!”
The cells next door were silent for a moment, then came a few suppressed responses, tinged with pain and excitement.
“Biao… Brother Biao… we’re okay…”
This was Shen Lang’s voice, weak but trying to remain calm.
“Damn it… Fengman and the others almost met King Yama… luckily that bastard Jiang Huan came quickly…”
This was Sun Gui’s grumbling but lacking voice.
“Brother Biao… the thing… the thing was delivered?”
This was Zhao Fengman’s most pressing question: “My choice… didn’t disappoint you, did it?”
“…”
Hearing the response, the corners of Zhang Biao’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible arc.
But he quickly suppressed it, instead scolding in an even more mocking and provocative tone:
“It’s good you’re alive! All of you, cheer up! Don’t whine like some woman! You’re disturbing my contemplation of life!”
“Especially you, Zhao Fengman! I asked you to deliver something, and you almost sent yourself to hell, what a disgrace!”
Although he scolded harshly, hearing this familiar, annoying tone, Shen Lang and the other four in the next cell, whose hearts had been filled with fear and unease, felt a strange sense of calm.
【 Brother Biao is still here, Brother Biao is still the same Brother Biao. 】
【 If he’s so calm, does that mean the situation is still under control? 】
【 At least, we’re all alive now, and together. 】
Sun Gui even let out a low laugh and cursed: “Fuck… he’s still so foul-mouthed…”
Li Mo leaned against the wall and said softly to the others: “Brother Biao is telling us he’s fine, and that we should also stay calm.”
Zhao Fengman wiped the blood from his lips, which had been scraped when he struggled, and his eyes rekindled with light. “The item must have reached His Highness! Otherwise, those people wouldn’t be so eager to silence us!”
Wu Nai Da grunted: “Yes! We… must hold on!”
Although imprisoned and with an uncertain future, the morale of the five men had been reignited by Zhang Biao’s scolding.
However, this brief sense of security did not last long.
One hour later.
The sound of heavy footsteps and dragging chains echoed precisely in the corridor.
Immediately after, the door to the neighboring cell was opened, and a cold reprimand from the Imperial Guard was heard:
“Sun Gui! Come out!”
“What for?!” Sun Gui shouted warily.
“Interrogation!”
“Interrogate your mother! If you have the guts, just give me a quick death!”
“Splat—!”
“Let go of me! Let go of me!”
When the sounds of Sun Gui struggling and the clear crack of a whip being used came from the next cell, Zhang Biao’s fingers, which had been tapping his knee, abruptly stopped.
He slowly raised his head, the flippancy in his eyes completely gone, replaced by an extreme coldness and a piercing sharpness that saw through everything.
Just as the Imperial Guard, dragging the incessantly cursing Sun Gui, passed his cell door on the way to the interrogation room, Zhang Biao suddenly spoke.
“Hey!”
His voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear and steady, with an undeniable penetrating power that instantly drowned out all the noise:
“Brother Guard over there at the doorway, excuse me, please deliver a message to Commander Jiang.”
The escorting Guard instinctively stopped, looking into the cell with confusion.
He saw Zhang Biao, who had somehow sat down at the small table, where paper, ink, brush, and inkstone were laid out.
Those were for Old Zhu to write his confession.
He held a brush in his hand, seemingly preparing to write.
“Tell Commander Jiang!”
Zhang Biao’s gaze was not on the Guard, but on the blank paper, his tone as calm as if he were discussing what to have for dinner: “I can write this confession. And I will write it very quickly.”
“Hm?”
The Guard was taken aback, thinking this madman had finally given in.
But what Zhang Biao said next made his hair stand on end.
“However!”
Zhang Biao lightly dipped the tip of his brush in the inkstone, his voice still steady, but carrying a chilling threat:
“When I write, I need quiet. I dislike noise. Especially the sound of… flesh being torn apart, and the screams of my brothers.”
He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze like two ice picks, piercing through the bars at the Guard. The corners of his mouth even formed a faint, extremely dangerous curve:
“If I get startled and my hand shakes… what I write down might not be the Shaanxi old case or the Eastern Palace trivia that Your Highness wants to see…”
“Perhaps… by accident, I might write about some… well… for example, the coincidences of how the former subordinates of Marshal Guo were quickly disbanded after his death in the early Hongwu years; or perhaps… what Han Lin’er, the Little Prince of Ming, who was supposed to drown accidentally in the Guabu River, said while clutching someone’s clothes before his death…”
“And then there’s… the last words of certain founding nobles, revealed by them before their deaths, about the truth of certain battles back then…”
Rumble!
With every word Zhang Biao spoke, the Guard felt like he was struck by lightning. His face became a shade paler, and his body trembled more violently!
These words, each one, were earth-shattering secrets capable of shaking the court and the country!
They were the most bloody and shameful foundations buried beneath the glorious facade of the Hongwu Dynasty!
Once exposed, the consequences would be a crime punishable by extermination of the nine generations!
“Oh, right!”
Zhang Biao added, as if he had just remembered something, his tone as casual as if he were joking:
“When I get startled, I also talk in my sleep. If I have a nightmare at night and accidentally howl out these old grievances, and some prison guard overhears it… tsk tsk, Commander Jiang’s Imperial Prison might have to have its entire hierarchy replaced several times over, right?”
“You!”
The Guard’s face was ashen, cold sweat pouring down his forehead like a waterfall. His legs trembled so much he could barely stand!
He felt as if he wasn’t escorting a prisoner, but listening to King Yama read out a death warrant!
Seeing his terrified expression, Zhang Biao smiled with satisfaction and lowered his head again, slowly beginning to write, as if he hadn’t said anything:
“So, please deliver my words to Commander Jiang exactly as they are.”
“Let me write in peace, and let my brothers stay in peace. Let’s all be on good terms.”
“Otherwise…”
He paused, his brush tip landing on the paper for the first character, his voice so low it was barely audible, yet carrying a deadly chill:
“I don’t mind letting everyone in this Imperial Prison, including him, Commander Jiang, and that person in the palace… hear just how many ‘splendid’ stories there have been over the years since the founding of the Great Ming.”
With that, he paid no further attention to the person outside and began to ‘write’ his confession with full concentration.
The Guard stood frozen in place. It took several seconds before he reacted like a startled bird, almost scrambling away with Sun Gui, dragging him back.
He didn’t even bother going to the interrogation room; the priority was to deliver this ‘plague god’s’ words, who could overturn the entire Imperial Prison and even the Great Ming Dynasty at a moment’s notice.
Sun Gui was utterly confused by this sudden turn of events, his curses stuck in his throat.
Soon, the message reached Jiang Huan’s ears.
Even for someone as ruthless and experienced as Jiang Huan, after hearing the trembling and incoherent report from his subordinate, his face changed drastically, and his back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.
Zhang Biao, that madman!
He was practically a walking powder keg!
And the fuse was in his own hands!
Some of the things he mentioned were taboos that Jiang Huan vaguely knew about but never dared to touch, while others were secrets he had never even heard of, but whose mere mention was enough to condemn him for eternity.
Jiang Huan had no doubt that given Zhang Biao’s insane, arrogant, and unrestrained nature, if he were pushed too far, he would absolutely do it.
In that case, if the secrets were leaked and the Emperor became enraged, the first person to be silenced to cover up the scandal would be him, the Imperial Guard Commander who knew too much.
This was no longer a simple interrogation game; it had become a terrifying balance that could drag everyone into hell.
Jiang Huan dared not delay in the slightest and, bracing himself, rushed back to Old Zhu’s bedroom in Huagai Hall.
Fortunately, Old Zhu had not yet fallen asleep, otherwise he might have been scared to death by himself.
Therefore, he quickly, and with great trepidation, reported Zhang Biao’s exact words and his own concerns to Old Zhu, without omitting a single detail.
When Old Zhu heard his report, the muscles in his face twitched violently, and his eyes blazed with terrifying anger.
But more than that, it was a shock and a feeling of being choked at the throat.
【 Good! Well done, Zhang Biao! What a mutually destructive strategy! 】
He actually threatened me with the darkest foundations of the Great Ming Dynasty?!
Those matters absolutely could not see the light of day!
They were the bedrock that maintained his image as the divine Hongwu Great Emperor and the stability of the Great Ming Dynasty!
Once torn apart, the ensuing turmoil would be unimaginable!
【 This madman! He calculated this long ago! He knows where my biggest weakness lies! 】
After immense anger, came extreme calmness.
“Hoo…”
Old Zhu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the killing intent that threatened to overwhelm his reason.
He knew that Zhang Biao, relying on his ‘weird sources of information’, had won again.
At least, he had won for the time being.
He could not take that risk.
“Issue an imperial decree.”
Old Zhu’s voice was hoarse and icy, carrying a sense of extreme unwillingness but forced compromise:
“Suspend the ‘interrogation’ of Shen Lang and the other four. Treat their injuries, provide them with food and drink. No further torture or abuse of any kind shall be administered without my decree.”
“Let Zhang Biao… write his confession peacefully.”
“However!”
Old Zhu’s eyes became unfathomably deep:
“Tell him, no matter how well you play with fire, there will be a day you burn yourself. He had better… really write something that satisfies us, otherwise…”
He did not finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
“Yes!”
Jiang Huan felt as if he had been granted amnesty and quickly received the decree and withdrew.
He knew that His Highness had temporarily made a concession.
When Jiang Huan delivered the Emperor’s decree to the Imperial Prison and personally ‘appeased’ Zhang Biao, assuring him that no further ‘noise’ would disturb him.
Zhang Biao merely lazily raised his eyelids, said ‘oh’, then casually crumpled the paper on which he had written a few lines and threw it aside.
“I was startled just now, lost my train of thought. I’ll rewrite it.”
Looking at him like this, Jiang Huan’s teeth itched with anger, but he dared not show it, only retreating with a ashen face.
In the neighboring cells, Shen Lang and the other four breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that they were temporarily safe and had received medicine and food. They were also filled with admiration for Zhang Biao’s methods.
“Still gotta be Brother Biao!”
Sun Gui, while grimacing as Zhao Fengman applied medicine to him, whispered:
“A few words and he scared that bastard Jiang Huan to tears!”
Li Mo mused thoughtfully: “Brother Biao is using more secrets… to protect us for now. But this is like seeking a tiger for its skin, and it has thoroughly angered His Highness…”
Shen Lang nodded: “So we must remain steady and not cause Brother Biao any more trouble.”
“As long as Brother Biao is alive, we will all be alive.” Wu Nai Da echoed softly.
The others exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Before long, a strange calm descended upon the Imperial Prison.
But everyone knew that beneath this calm, a more turbulent undercurrent was brewing.
Zhang Biao had bought himself some precious time in the most insane way possible.
…
On the other side.
In that dark room, time itself seemed to have frozen.
Only the faint sound of fingertips unconsciously tapping the chair back proved the presence of the Prince hidden in the darkness.
After an unknown amount of time, perhaps a moment, perhaps half an hour.
A phantom-like figure, almost blending into the shadows, slipped silently into the room.
He knelt on the ground, his voice extremely low, but carrying an unusual urgency:
“Your Highness, our ‘cutting the tail’ plan failed. Jiang Huan suddenly arrived with his men, and Prison Guard Wang, along with our people, are all dead.”
“Were any clues exposed?”
The voice from the darkness sounded very calm, as if inquiring about a trivial matter, but the fingertips tapping the chair back paused slightly.
The man replied with certainty: “No clues were exposed. All relevant personnel, including Prison Guard Wang’s entire family, have been dealt with cleanly. The Imperial Guard will have no leads.”
“Mm.”
“Your Highness, there is new movement in the west.”
“Speak.”
The voice from the darkness remained calm.
“A secret report from Xi’an Prefecture indicates that His Highness Prince Qin seems… panicked.”
The scout’s voice carried a barely perceptible sneer:
“He has dispatched three waves of confidant messengers in succession, attempting to secretly go to Taiyuan Prefecture. Two waves have been intercepted by our men, and the last wave… as per your instructions, was allowed to proceed, but is being closely monitored along the route.”
“Panicked?”
The voice from the darkness took on a playful and predictably mocking tone:
“Heh, this second brother of mine, who usually acts atrociously and lawlessly in his fiefdom, when faced with a life-or-death situation, actually remembers to find the third brother for advice? He’s really living backward!”
He could almost imagine the flustered, ant-on-a-hot-plate foolishness of his second brother, Zhu Shuang.
His second brother was the most deeply involved in the mess in Shaanxi.
Now that the Drum of Hearing Petitions has sounded, and Fu Youwen has implicated the character ‘feudalism’, Old Zhu’s investigation would first fall upon him!
Instead of thinking about how to clean up his own mess, he went to the third brother? Expecting that equally arrogant and self-important Prince Jin to help him? That’s a joke!
【 Good… it’s just right to let the third brother get some of this filth too. 】
He sneered inwardly.
【 So that third brother won’t always act as if he’s above it all, and only he is virtuous, which is sickening. 】
“Continue monitoring and see what reaction the third brother has upon receiving the second brother’s plea for help.”
He commanded indifferently, his tone as if discussing an interesting event unrelated to himself.
“Yes.”
The scout responded, then his tone shifted slightly, even carrying a tremor of disbelief:
“Your Highness… there is one more matter. It was just transmitted from the palace through a special channel. It has not been fully confirmed, but… but it is highly likely…”
“Speak!”
The Prince’s tone was an unquestionable command.
“It… it’s about that iron box…”
The scout swallowed:
“It… it didn’t fall into the hands of anyone we expected. Instead… instead, by chance, it seems to have fallen into the hands of… the Third Imperial Grandson, Zhu Yunteng!”
“Zhu Yunteng?!”
The voice from the darkness showed clear astonishment and shock for the first time:
“That useless brat? How is that possible?!”
This was completely beyond all his calculations and expectations.
That iron box should have been with Li Mo, Wu Nai Da, or hidden by Zhao Fengman, and ultimately either silenced or fallen into his hands. How could it have ended up with Zhu Yunteng, whom almost everyone disdained?!
“Ac… according to scattered reports…”
The scout also found the matter unbelievable:
“It seems Zhao Fengman designed a ‘startling the bull’ scheme, but it was disrupted by Prince Yan’s third son, Zhu Gaochi. Later, when there was a hailstorm, he took advantage of the chaos to place the iron box into Zhu Yunteng’s sedan chair… and then, Zhu Yunteng, he… he…”
“What did he do?!”
The Prince’s voice suddenly became urgent, a deeply ominous premonition seizing him.
“He held a sharp blade and, in front of Huagai Hall… publicly killed an Eastern Palace eunuch who tried to stop him! Covered in blood, he knelt outside the hall shouting… that there was a grave injustice regarding the Crown Prince’s death and that he wanted to present it to His Highness!”
“Now, the iron box has been… personally handed over to His Highness!”
“…”
In the darkness, a deathly silence fell.
That silence was even more suffocating than the previous indolence or mockery.
After a long while, a faint sound, like an intake of breath, could be heard.
The Prince’s body seemed to lean forward slightly. On his face, hidden in the darkness, the perpetually indifferent mask finally showed a crack.
Shock! Absolute shock!
Zhu Yunteng… this nephew he had never taken seriously… possessed such mettle?! Such resolve?!
By using a method that would alienate him from the world and the imperial family, he had directly, brutally, and without any room for maneuver, thrust that iron box, which he least wished to appear in this manner, before Old Man!
This… this is simply…
He could not describe his current feelings in words.
Immediately after, that shock quickly transformed into a bone-deep fear.
The Prince’s hand, resting on the armrest, tightened unconsciously, his fingernails even digging into the hard wood.
For the first time, he truly felt a chill.
But it lasted only for a moment.
That trace of fear was forcefully suppressed by stronger reason and ruthlessness.
Must not panic! Absolutely must not panic!
The calmer he was at times like these, the better!
His mind raced at an unprecedented speed.
【 The iron box should not contain any evidence against me, otherwise Old Man would have come to my door long ago… Perhaps there isn’t even conclusive evidence… 】
【 And now, all of Old Man’s anger and suspicion will be drawn to the iron box presented by Zhu Yunteng and the ‘feudalism’ character accused by Fu Youwen… 】
【 Yes, that’s it! 】
【 If there are any doubts about the eldest brother’s death in the iron box, it should point to the second brother, and even implicate the third and fifth brothers! What does it have to do with me?! 】
His eyes became cold and sharp again, even with a hint of ruthless relief.
【 Zhu Yunteng, oh Zhu Yunteng, you’ve actually done me a great favor! You’ve used your life to clear my suspicion even further! 】
Thinking of this, he almost let out a cold laugh.
Then, he slowly leaned back in his chair, his voice returning to its previous languid and calm tone, even with a hint of imperceptible ease:
“Understood. You may go. Continue to gather information from the palace. As soon as there is any confirmation of the iron box’s contents, report it to me immediately.”
“Then… what about Prince Qin and Prince Jin?” the scout asked for instructions.
“The original plan remains unchanged. Furthermore…”
The Prince paused and added:
“Find a way to send more ‘evidence’ to the second brother. Make him seem… more desperate. For example, let him know that the third brother might be plotting against him behind his back.”
“Also, have that young man from the fifth brother’s family sever all clues related to Zhou Ji, and stop contacting me.”
“Yes!”
The scout understood implicitly and quietly retreated into the darkness.
Inside the room, the Prince was once again alone.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a very faint, meaningful sigh.
【 Eldest Brother, oh Eldest Brother… you’ve really raised a good son… 】
【 I never expected it to be in this way in the end… 】
But this sentiment quickly dissipated, and his gaze became as dark and unfathomable as a deep pool.
【 The stage has been set so high, if I don’t add more fuel, wouldn’t I be letting down the efforts of so many people? 】
The corners of his mouth curved into a cold and cruel arc.
【 Darkness is coming. My brothers, be well. 】
