Chapter 196: Did I Personally Light The Fuse That Will Bury My Sons?! 【 Requesting Monthly Tickets 】
In the Eastern Palace, Consort Lü’s chambers.
The night was deep, yet the flame on the candlestick flickered with unusual unease.
Consort Lü sat before her dressing table. The face reflected in the bronze mirror retained its usual gentle and dignified appearance, but upon closer inspection, one could discern a trace of suppressed alarm and coldness in the depths of her eyes.
The palace maids and eunuchs attending her in the hall had all been replaced by unfamiliar and silent faces.
The confidantes she had cultivated for years, like extensions of her own arms, had, in the past few months, either been transferred, expelled from the palace for trivial ‘offenses,’ or, like two of her closest nannies who were fine the day before, had ‘suddenly fallen ill’ and died yesterday.
A purge.
An undisguised purge from the supreme being in Huagai Hall.
Every gaze cast upon her was scrutinizing.
Every footstep outside the hall made her heart tighten.
She felt like a moth trapped in an invisible spider web, any slight movement ensuring she would be instantly devoured by a spider lurking in the darkness.
【He has indeed started investigating… investigating Xiong Ying’s death, going back to the fifteenth year of Hongwu’s reign and the imperial tour… 】
Consort Lü’s fingers unconsciously fiddled with a gold hairpin, her fingertips turning slightly pale from the force.
She forced herself to calm down, her mind racing amidst extreme fear.
Zhu Biao’s sudden proposal to tour the empire years ago was actually related to her.
That day, after the Crown Prince had a fierce argument with the Emperor over the Empty Seal Case, he was consumed by melancholy and remained enraged even after returning to the Eastern Palace.
She gently comforted him, personally served him a calming tea, and seemingly casually mentioned, “Your Highness is feeling distressed. Staying in the palace might only remind you of things. Why not memorialize the Imperial Father and go for a trip? The scenery in Jiangnan is beautiful, it would be a good way to relax and escape the court’s disputes.”
She spoke reasonably and logically, appearing as a virtuous and gentle wife concerned for her husband.
Zhu Biao was in a fit of anger at the time, and knowing her to be considerate, he adopted her suggestion.
She did not object even when he later decided to bring Zhu Xiongying along. Instead, she showed concern for her eldest grandson, instructing the accompanying palace staff to take utmost care of him.
The reason she herself did not go was due to unbearable menstrual pain.
This was private, but it could be verified by checking the records of the palace attendants and the imperial physicians’ diagnoses.
Everything was seamless.
She had calculated the conflict between the Emperor and the Crown Prince, calculated the outlet the Crown Prince needed for his frustration, and also calculated that… after the major case, the outside of the palace was much ‘safer’ than the inside.
However, despite all her calculations, she never anticipated that a Zhang Biao would suddenly appear more than a decade later!
Even less did she expect that the seemingly rough Hongwu Emperor would be so suspicious that he could detect that almost imperceptible trace from old events!
【Could it be that public order memorial… that madman Zhang Biao mentioned me? 】
【Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Zhang Biao hadn’t entered officialdom yet back then… 】
【But the Emperor suspects me… he must suspect me! 】
This realization plunged Consort Lü into an ice cellar.
Given the Emperor’s nature of “better to kill three thousand than let one go,” if he found the slightest handle, she and Yunwen would have nowhere to bury themselves.
I must not panic! Absolutely must not panic!
Consort Lü took a deep breath and slowly curved her lips into an impeccable smile in the mirror, tinged with a hint of sorrow and resigned acceptance.
She knew that countless eyes were observing her every move through the cracks in the doors and windows.
She put down the gold hairpin and picked up the comb, slowly and steadily combing her long hair, as if the storms outside had nothing to do with her.
She even hummed a soft Jiangnan folk tune, its melody winding and melancholic, like a widow mourning her deceased husband and worrying about her son’s future.
But within her heart, it was a frozen battlefield.
【He is investigating the accompanying personnel, checking the Eastern Palace records… those superficial things have long been cleaned up; he won’t find anything. 】
【The only potential for leakage is from those hidden channels I cannot directly access or fully control… and also, ‘that person’ who handled that matter back then. 】
‘That person’ was her deepest secret and her greatest hidden danger.
Unless absolutely necessary, she would never wish to contact them, let alone have them exposed.
But now, the Emperor had clearly become suspicious, and his actions were so swift and fierce…
【He must be silenced! Or… he must disappear forever! 】
The thought hissed in her heart like a viper.
But immediately, a greater fear seized her.
Since the Emperor had begun a secret investigation, would he not guard against her silencing witnesses?
Any unusual action at this moment could become ironclad evidence pointing to her!
The hand that was combing her hair paused for an imperceptible moment.
【No… I absolutely cannot make a move now. Any move would be suicidal. 】
She forcibly suppressed the surging killing intent deep within her heart.
Now, it was a test of patience, a test of who could remain calmer.
She put down the comb, stood up, walked to the window, and gazed out at the dark night, her eyes hollow, as if recalling past times with the Crown Prince Zhu Biao. A tear even trickled down her cheek at the opportune moment.
This appearance, to those monitoring her, was perfectly normal.
However, beneath her voluminous sleeves, her hands were clenched tightly, her nails digging deeply into her palms, bringing sharp pain that helped her maintain her outward composure.
【Wait… I can only wait. 】
【Wait for Yunwen to be officially established as the Imperial Grandson, wait for the title to be confirmed! 】
【Or… wait for an opportunity to further muddy the waters and divert the Emperor’s attention again… 】
Her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the official residences outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, towards the madman who had stirred up all the turmoil.
An idea, one she had never considered before and even resented bitterly, flashed through her mind.
【Zhang Biao… if only you could be a little crazier, and the fire spread to others… how wonderful that would be… 】
Yes! She actually hoped that Zhang Biao’s madness would divert Old Zhu’s attention for her.
Even if only briefly, enough time to see her son ascend the throne as the Imperial Grandson.
It could be said that Consort Lü at this moment was like a venomous spider trapped in a glass dome, beautiful and quiet.
All her ‘venom’ and killing intent could only be hidden beneath that gentle ‘shell,’ waiting, suffering, searching for that almost non-existent glimmer of a chance to break free.
The night wind howled outside the hall, like the wailing of countless wronged souls.
She knew she was walking on the edge of an abyss, one wrong step leading to utter destruction.
She slowly sat back down at her dressing table, looking at the woman in the mirror, who appeared frail but was in reality deeply cunning. A glint flashed in her eyes.
She was no longer anxious, no longer fearful. There was only calmness, the gentleness and propriety that the observers saw.
【Your Majesty… please investigate to your heart’s content… 】
【The more you investigate, the more you will discover that your son, your grandson, this empire of Great Ming… will ultimately only fall into my Yunwen’s hands! 】
【No one will be able to… take it away! 】
…
The next morning.
Today was the day of the Grand Court Session.
Just past the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), before dawn, the area outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance was already crowded with officials.
Civil and military officials, clad in their court robes, stood in solemn ranks according to their official positions, awaiting the opening of the palace gates to meet the Son of Heaven.
The air was filled with an unusual gravity and oppression.
Although no imperial decree had been issued regarding the establishment of the Crown Prince, those well-informed already knew that this Grand Court Session was likely to be the moment of decision.
However, this solemnity was abruptly broken by a discordant sound of gongs and drums.
“Clang! Clang clang—!”
“Look, come and see! The Great Ming Anti-Corruption Bureau is officially established! We are recruiting with high salaries and generous benefits! Don’t miss out!”
A clear, slightly lazy, and mocking voice cut through the morning mist and reached the ears of every official.
All the officials, with looks of astonishment, confusion, and even a hint of schadenfreude, turned their heads in unison.
They saw that outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, on the open ground to the right of the imperial path, a ridiculously simple stall had been set up at some point!
A broken table, a few crooked chairs, and next to them stood a large wooden sign, inscribed with crooked but extremely conspicuous large characters:
【Great Ming Anti-Corruption Bureau On-site Recruitment! 】
【Internship period: three months, monthly salary: fifty taels! 】
【Upon full employment, annual salary: starting from five hundred taels! Performance bonuses are unlimited for excellent performers! 】
【Also: complimentary tasting of ‘auspicious omens’ from overseas, first come, first served! 】
Behind the table, Zhang Biao was wearing a washed-out, seventh-rank Censor’s official robe, over which he had incongruously donned a red cloak of unknown origin, resembling a certain ‘Young Grand Secretary.’
He was striking a broken gong with one hand and brandishing a… charred, steaming, strangely aromatic rod-like object with the other.
“It’s him! Zhang Biao! That madman!”
“He… how dare he set up a stall here?!”
“The Great Ming Anti-Corruption Bureau? When did the Emperor approve him to establish an office?!”
“Fifty taels a month?! Five hundred taels a year to start?! Is he… is he crazy?! That’s higher than a Minister’s salary!”
The crowd erupted in an uproar!
All the officials were dumbfounded, barely able to believe their eyes and ears.
On the day of the Grand Court Session, outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, under the Emperor’s nose, striking gongs and drums, recruiting with high salaries?!
This was simply an unprecedented absurdity!
Some lower-ranking officials from poor families, looking at the numbers on the sign, had their eyes go wide, and their Adam’s apples bobbed involuntarily.
Fifty taels a month!
That was several times their current annual salary!
Not to mention the dizzying five hundred taels after full employment!
The temptation… was immense!
Finally, a few bold, or rather, ‘desperately poor,’ officials couldn’t help but approach.
“Lord Zhang… is this recruitment real?”
A Supervising Secretary in a faded green robe asked cautiously, his eyes fixed on the sign.
Upon seeing someone inquire, Zhang Biao’s spirits immediately rose. He threw the broken gong onto the table, picked up the roasted sweet potato, broke it in half with a ‘crunch,’ revealing its golden, soft, and glutinous flesh, and an even richer sweet aroma filled the air.
“Of course, it’s real! More real than real gold!”
After speaking, he gestured with his chin towards the Ministry of Personnel documents and seal on the table and said casually,
“This is an Imperial Decree from His Majesty! If you don’t believe it, you can immediately find someone from the Ministry of Personnel to verify it! We’re honest with everyone!”
“This…”
The Supervising Secretary hesitated, then looked at the officials lining up for court.
“Damn it! I’m going to take a look!”
A Director from the Ministry of Personnel, mustering his courage, went to look.
He was shocked by what he saw, exclaiming, “It’s real! It’s a newly established office!”
Boom!
The entire scene was in an uproar!
Except for the Ministry of Personnel officials handling the paperwork, the other officials were as if struck by lightning.
Zhang Biao enthusiastically broke the half-eaten sweet potato into two pieces and handed them to the Supervising Secretary and the Director:
“Here, have some while we chat! This is called a sweet potato, an ‘auspicious omen’ from overseas Immortal Mountains, sweet and filling! It’s a benefit from our Anti-Corruption Bureau!”
The Supervising Secretary subconsciously accepted it. The aroma made his mouth water, and forgetting his decorum, he blew on it before taking a bite. His eyes immediately widened: “Delicious! So fragrant!”
“Mmm, mmm.”
The Director also ate like Zhu Bajie consuming ginseng fruit, nodding and swaying with pleasure.
More people gathered around. Seeing others eating and enjoying it, their curiosity was piqued.
“Lord Zhang, what exactly does your Anti-Corruption Bureau do? Is it very risky?”
Another official squeezed forward, his eyes filled with a longing for the high salary and worry about the risks.
“Risk? What are you talking about!”
Zhang Biao slapped his chest, spitting as he spoke:
“Our Anti-Corruption Bureau is a new office personally approved by His Majesty!”
“We specialize in economic issues, auditing accounts! We don’t do rough work like fighting and killing!”
“See?”
He pointed to the sign: “We rely on this!”
Then he pointed to his head: “And this!”
“As long as you can do calculations, understand business, have courage, and are willing to contribute to purging corruption and enriching the National Treasury for Great Ming, then come!”
“Three months internship, good performance leads to immediate full employment! Salaries are paid on time, never delayed! And there are year-end dividends!”
He vividly described the bright prospects and generous benefits of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, his tone highly persuasive:
“Think about it! For the same official position, in other departments, you might not see a few taels of silver all year, and you have to deal with your superiors’ moods and get squeezed by those gentlemen in the Ministry of Revenue!”
“Come to the Anti-Corruption Bureau! High salary, real power, directly responsible to His Majesty!”
“Exposing one worm is a meritorious deed!”
“Merits are directly converted into performance, and performance means crisp silver and golden grain!”
“We are doing important work for the nation and the people, and receiving a salary commensurate with our abilities!”
“This is fairness!”
“This is how one can serve the country and the people while also bringing honor to one’s ancestors and improving one’s life!”
His combination of “drawing a big picture” and “presenting realistic temptations” left the middle and lower-ranking officials, who were already financially strapped, in a daze.
For a time, seven or eight officials actually crowded around the stall, inquiring in detail about the application process.
Some even wanted to write down their names, native places, and resumes on the spot.
The crowd of onlookers formed three layers deep, with voices of discussion, astonishment, and swallowed saliva rising one after another.
Outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, the solemn waiting area had been turned by Zhang Biao into a recruitment fair scene akin to a marketplace.
The news, as if it had grown wings, quickly reached the palace.
In Huagai Hall, Old Zhu had just finished dressing and was preparing to set off for the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Yun Ming rushed in, his face pale, his voice trembling:
“Your… Your Majesty! Bad news! Zhang Biao… he’s… he’s setting up a stall and recruiting outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance!”
The hand of Old Zhu, which was about to put on his Winged Goodness Crown, paused abruptly, and his eyes instantly shot out a terrifying glare:
“What did you say?! Setting up a stall and recruiting?!”
“Yes… yes!”
Yun Ming was on the verge of tears: “He put up a sign that said something like Great Ming Anti-Corruption Bureau recruitment, with a monthly salary of fifty taels during the internship and starting from five hundred taels annually upon full employment!”
“He’s… he’s also letting people taste something called ‘sweet potato’! The area outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance is completely packed, and many officials are inquiring…”
Boom!
Old Zhu felt a surge of anger rush to the top of his head, and his vision went black.
He had foreseen and prepared for everything, increasing the guards threefold, anticipating Zhang Biao storming the palace gates, anticipating a ‘dying for a cause,’ anticipating any of his possible mad actions!
But he never imagined that this madman would use such a tactic!
High salaries?!
This was simply a blatant slap in the face to him, the Emperor!
Who didn’t know that Zhu Yuanzhang’s salaries for officials were notoriously low?
How dare this bastard, right under his nose, offer salaries several times, even ten times higher than the court’s regulations to win people over?!
This was not recruitment; this was instigation! It was provocation!
“Where did he get the money?! Huh?!”
Old Zhu trembled with rage, smashing the Winged Goodness Crown onto his imperial desk with a loud ‘clang’:
“I didn’t give him personnel authority, nor did I give him financial authority! How dare he make such weighty promises?!”
As soon as the words fell, Old Zhu suddenly realized, his pupils constricting sharply.
【Wrong! This scoundrel is creating momentum! 】
【He is using this method to tell everyone about the existence of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and attract disgruntled officials! 】
【He doesn’t need me to give him power; he is using this method to force me to acknowledge it, to force me to give him power! 】
【And… he must have a bigger plan! 】
【This recruitment is just a facade! A smoke screen to attract attention! 】
Just as Old Zhu was consumed by rage, about to lose his reason and order Zhang Biao to be immediately apprehended and thrown into the Imperial Prison—
Another Imperial Guard Ensign rushed in, his voice filled with extreme terror, almost a howl:
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Zhang Biao… Zhang Biao is outside the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance, publicly shouting… shouting…”
“Shouting what?!”
Old Zhu demanded sternly, but his heart sank.
The Ensign prostrated himself on the ground, trembling like a leaf in the wind:
“He… he shouted… the first audit target of the Great Ming Anti-Corruption Bureau will be… will be the Princes of the realm!”
“We will investigate the corruption in the Princes’ Mansions regarding occupied military land, maintaining private armies, and depleted national treasuries!”
Rumble—!
The words struck Old Zhu’s head like thunder from the heavens.
He swayed violently, his face turning ashen pale in an instant, then flushing with an abnormal crimson.
【Auditing… the Princes?! 】
Old Zhu felt a surge of sweetness rise to his throat, almost spitting out a mouthful of blood.
He finally understood!
He finally understood what that madman Zhang Biao was truly trying to do!
This was not a simple recruitment farce; this madman’s target from the very beginning was Zhu Yuanzhang’s weak spot.
His sons, scattered across the realm, holding heavy military power, whom he both loved and hated, and feared!
His establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau was a pretense; the true goal was to use this opportunity to ignite the powder keg that could blow up the entire Great Ming – ‘auditing the Princes’ – in full view, in front of all the civil and military officials!
How could he have been so infatuated to agree to the establishment of this damn Anti-Corruption Bureau?!
This was not an Anti-Corruption Bureau!
This was clearly a poisoned blade plunged into the heart of the Great Ming imperial family! It was a guillotine hanging over the heads of all the Princes!
“Pfft—!”
Overwhelmed by anger, Old Zhu could no longer suppress it and spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the dragon robe in front of him.
“Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty!”
Jiang Huan and Yun Ming were terrified and rushed to support him.
Old Zhu pushed them away, gripping the imperial desk with his hands, supporting his tottering body. His bloodshot eyes were filled with endless regret, fury, and a trace of fear that he himself was unwilling to admit.
He looked towards the Gate of Heavenly Acceptance outside the hall, as if he could penetrate the heavy palace walls and see the figure who was wildly laughing without restraint.
【Zhang Biao! Zhang Biao—! 】
Old Zhu let out a beast-like roar in his heart.
He felt as if he had not only lifted a rock only to drop it on his own feet, but had personally lit the fuse that would lead to the demise of his sons, and had handed the torch back to the most insane arsonist!
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