Chapter 17: Old Zhu Is Numb! New Book Seeking Collection
“A curse?”
Zhang Biao gave a wry smile, and then put on the expression of dying for a cause, full of pity and despair.
He stood up abruptly, ignoring the etiquette between sovereign and minister, his voice carrying a thunderous question and a desperate accusation: “Your Highness! Do you still remember who you are? Do you remember how this Great Ming Empire came to be?!”
Rumble!
It was like a thunderclap from the heavens!
It struck all the eunuchs and palace maids present, making them instantly turn pale and tremble like sieves!
Even Jiang Huan’s pupils contracted sharply, his face full of shock!
This kid has gone mad! He’s absolutely mad!
How dare he?!
Zhu Yuanzhang’s body suddenly swayed, and his gloomy face instantly turned a terrifying dark purple, his eyes bursting with unbelievable fury and killing intent: “You… what did you say?!”
His voice was hoarse and roaring, like a wounded beast, making the hall beams vibrate!
A violent killing aura instantly permeated the air!
Zhang Biao, however, seemed not to feel this enormous killing intent. He took a step forward, his momentum like a rainbow, his voice even louder, his words dripping with blood, each sentence piercing the heart: “You’ve forgotten! You’ve forgotten everything!”
“You’ve forgotten seeing starving corpses all over the ground when you were ringing the bell at Huang Jue Temple!”
“You’ve forgotten the poor brothers in Haozhou City, who dared to rebel against you for a bite to eat!”
“You’ve forgotten the soldiers who shielded you from arrows under Chen Youliang’s arrow rain on Poyang Lake, their bodies sinking to the bottom!”
“You’ve forgotten pointing at the starving commoners and saying to Marshal Guo – ‘The people are like water, and the ruler is like a boat. Water can carry a boat, and it can also capsize it!'”
“You’ve forgotten on the day of your enthronement, in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, vowing to all officials and the people of the world to – ‘Drive out the barbarians, restore China, establish order, and save the people!'”
“You, you, you…”
Old Zhu’s heart pounded wildly at these words, and he couldn’t speak.
How did this guy know everything?
Who exactly is he?!
Just as Old Zhu was filled with shock and anger, Zhang Biao’s voice rang out again: “The floods in Jiangnan have just passed, and the horrific scene of people eating their children is still vivid. Zhao Qian, that scoundrel, instead of providing relief, wants to increase taxes by thirty percent! What is he trying to do?! Is he trying to force those who have just lost their homes and loved ones to rebel again?!”
“Your Highness! Think about it! Is this an increase in taxes?! This is igniting the prairie fire of rebellion in Jiangnan! This is the shovel digging up the foundation of your Great Ming Empire!”
Zhang Biao’s voice was like a heavy hammer, striking Zhu Yuanzhang’s heart with each word.
With every sentence he spoke, the purple-red color on Zhu Yuanzhang’s face faded a little, his fury replaced by a soul-stirring pain and memories.
Those memories of blood and fire, those unforgettable vows, surged in like a tide.
However, Zhang Biao hadn’t finished speaking.
He then said with a resounding voice: “In these years, you’ve killed corrupt officials and flayed them, but why are there more and more corrupt officials, following one after another?!”
“You’ve used harsh laws and beheaded many, but can you cut off the greed deep within human nature?!”
“Can you plug the holes in the system from which worms continuously emerge?!”
“I…”
Zhu Yuanzhang opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping, his chest heaving violently, his face a mixture of emotions.
Zhang Biao’s words were like a red-hot branding iron, searing the most sensitive wound in his heart.
But he was the Hongwu Great Emperor! How could he compromise so easily?!
He steadied himself, calmed his emotions, and immediately retorted to Zhang Biao: “So, according to you, corrupt officials shouldn’t be killed? You even say my system has problems. My system is the Myriad Generations Law! What do you know!?”
“In my opinion, those corrupt officials deserve to be killed! They are the ones who caused the people to be displaced and unable to eat their fill! My parents were killed by corrupt officials! Also, the reason I rebelled was to be the master for all the people under heaven!”
“I haven’t forgotten! I haven’t forgotten anything—!”
His voice, during the roar, was broken by anger.
Zhang Biao, however, remained as calm as ever: “Yes! Corrupt officials indeed deserve to be killed! But is governing a country only about killing?”
“Ridiculous!”
Old Zhu waved his sleeve impatiently: “You, a mere seventh-rank censor, are you fit to teach me how to govern?!”
“Yes! Your subject is just a small seventh-rank censor, and your subject is indeed not fit to teach Your Highness how to govern!”
Zhang Biao nodded, then changed the subject: “However, I wonder if Your Highness has ever thought that the reason corrupt officials are repeatedly killed but never eliminated lies not in the people, but in the system! In the salary system where the official salary is so meager that it’s hard to sustain a family, forcing even honest officials to take risks! And in the lack of effective supervision, allowing those in power to do as they please in the supervisory system!”
“Haven’t I established the Imperial Guard to supervise all officials? Haven’t I rebuilt the Censorate?”
Old Zhu’s brow furrowed, and he then sneered: “Otherwise, how would you, a seventh-rank censor of the Censorate, have the opportunity to stand in the Imperial Court and spout nonsense?”
“Also, you say my official salary is meager, that’s because your rank is low! You don’t strive for advancement yourself, but wish for high officials and generous salaries. Is there such a good thing in the world!”
“Is that so? Does Your Highness really think so?”
“Otherwise, do you think you are very reasonable?”
“Good! Since Your Highness says so, then your subject must settle accounts with Your Highness!”
“Settle what accounts?”
Old Zhu’s eyes narrowed, and Jiang Huan, not far away, immediately drew his Xiuchun Saber.
He had long wanted to chop this Censor Zhang to death.
He was simply too terrifying.
For the things he said, let alone lingchi, exterminating nine generations of his family would not be too much.
However, Zhang Biao remained very calm: “Settle the total account! Let’s see where Your Highness is spending the money!”
“Is it for your so-called high officials and generous salaries, or is it to be the master for all the people under heaven?”
“Zhang Biao!”
Old Zhu’s face darkened, and his voice was almost spat out from between his teeth: “Do you really think I dare not kill you?”
“If Your Highness kills your subject, your subject could not ask for more!”
Zhang Biao smiled slightly, then said seriously again: “But before I am killed, your subject still wishes to speak his mind freely!”
“I remember that in the ninth year of Hongwu, Your Highness established the imperial clan stipend. The prince received fifty thousand shi, and the commandery prince received six thousand shi. I wonder if I remember correctly?”
“Hmph!”
Old Zhu snorted coldly, neither responding nor denying.
Zhang Biao, however, continued on his own: “It seems I am not mistaken! Then, let us take Your Highness’s twenty-three sons as an example. Other princesses are excluded, and Your Highness’s other imperial clan members are also temporarily not considered!”
“Well, up to now, excluding the princes who have not yet been enfeoffed as kings, including Prince Qin, Prince Jin, and Prince Yan, there are still twenty-two princes in the Great Ming who need to be supported by the court!”
“According to the imperial clan stipend established by Your Highness, a prince receives fifty thousand shi. For twenty-two princes, the total is only one million one hundred thousand shi. It doesn’t seem like much.”
“Then let’s calculate the stipend for commandery princes. I think Your Highness has no limit on the number of descendants of the princes, right?”
“After all, they are descendants of the imperial family, the more they spread their branches and leaves, the better, right?”
“Just say what you have to say directly!”
Old Zhu finally spoke impatiently.
Zhang Biao smiled dismissively, then continued on his own: “We just calculated that twenty-two princes require one million one hundred thousand shi in stipends. Then, what about commandery princes? The Great Ming currently only has one commandery prince!”
“But this is inaccurate, because the sons of the princes, forty-nine of them, are about to be enfeoffed as commandery princes!”
“This means that the Great Ming requires a total of one million three hundred thousand shi in stipends for princes and commandery princes combined!”
“Of course! A mere one million three hundred thousand shi in stipends is not much compared to the Great Ming’s total tax revenue of over ten million. It’s at most one-twelfth or one-eighteenth!”
“I wonder if my calculation is correct?”
As soon as he said this, Old Zhu was full of surprise, and even the way he looked at Zhang Biao began to change.
Zhang Biao, however, remained composed: “Don’t be surprised. Although your subject is just a seventh-rank censor, he likes to read and has a slight understanding of mathematics. There should be no problem, right?”
He emphasized the words ‘just a seventh-rank censor’.
Old Zhu was completely stunned by this.
