Chapter 226: Zhang Biao: Truth Lies Within Range! Seeking Monthly Tickets
The night was deep, and it was still the same secret chamber in the prince’s mansion.
Inside the secret chamber, the candlelight was dim, casting the figure of the prince on the main seat in shadow.
He toyed with a smooth jade pendant in his hand, listening to the report of the man in black below, his usual lazy expression replaced by a cold sharpness.
“Your Highness, your subordinate has just received an urgent report. Zhang Biao… did not thoroughly investigate the corruption case of grain transport, which implicates several princes, but instead stopped at Jiujiang Guard on his way to Wuchang.”
“Jiujiang Guard?”
The prince’s fingers paused, the jade pendant still in his palm. “What is he doing there?”
“It is said that he encountered civilians crying out injustice and intended to right the wrong for them. As a result, the Commander of Jiujiang Guard refused to cooperate, demanding permits from the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions. So he…”
“So he what!?”
The prince asked impatiently, leaning forward slightly.
The man in black quickly continued:
“He used the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings as justification, declaring that the Ancestral Instructions were paramount to any paperwork, and thus forced his way into the garrison’s storeroom, uncovering hidden accounts for military equipment allocated by ‘Beast Tokens’.”
“Currently, he is using this as a breakthrough, inciting the populace to inspect surrounding garrisons and delve into the issue of garrison deficits and the abnormal outflow of military equipment.”
“Bang—!”
With a light sound, a crack appeared in the jade pendant in the prince’s hand, as he squeezed it with all his might.
The anxious expression on his face froze instantly, and an unbelievable cold glint shot from the depths of his eyes.
“Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings? He dares to use my Imperial Father’s Ancestral Teachings… to smash the locks of a garrison?!”
The prince’s voice was filled with absurdity and a trace of indignant rage at his rhythm being completely disrupted:
“Madman! He truly is a complete madman!”
“However.”
He changed his tone, a playful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, like a chess player seeing an unexpected move from his opponent:
“Using our Imperial Father’s Ancestral Teachings as a crowbar, there is probably no one else in this world who would do such a thing.”
He slowly sat up straight, the candlelight illuminating half his face.
It was a face that had been extremely well-maintained, its age indiscernible, save for a pair of bottomless eyes that seemed to hold endless storms and schemes.
He had meticulously arranged the maze of the grain transport.
He had even spared no effort in entering the fray himself, throwing out smoke bombs involving Prince Zhou, Prince Qi, Prince Chu, Prince Shu, and even Prince Yan.
He was waiting for Zhang Biao, like a mad bull, to charge in, get his head bloody, and ideally provoke his Imperial Father into a thunderous rage, crushing this menace directly.
But Zhang Biao?
He had feigned an attack, abandoning the seemingly core issue of grain transport corruption, and plunged headfirst into the seemingly insignificant quagmire of the garrisons!
“Jiujiang… garrison military equipment, ‘Beast Token’ hidden accounts…”
The prince muttered to himself, his face growing more and more solemn. “Why would that madman think to start here? Was it a lucky guess, or did he… see through something?”
A premonition, like a viper, coiled around his heart.
The outflow of garrison military equipment was a relatively hidden but crucial link in the ‘raising bandits’ chain, the source of supplies.
Once a breach was made here, and then tracing along the grain transport line…
The prince could almost picture the scene:
Zhang Biao, armed with ‘Beast Tokens’ and hidden accounts, like a shark smelling blood, starting from Jiujiang Guard and biting towards the grain transport nodes, biting towards the transit station of Prince Zhou’s mansion.
Ultimately… it was likely to bite several beneficiary princes, and might even implicate that deeper ‘raising bandits’ cycle.
This was far more dangerous than his expectation of Zhang Biao getting entangled with the princes along the grain transport route.
This was a knife thrust directly into the heart.
“Well done, Zhang Biao! Well done, secretly crossing the river!”
The prince gritted his teeth, his tone carrying a hint of awe at facing a worthy opponent:
“I… underestimated the insight of this madman!”
His previous strategy was to redirect the disaster, letting Zhang Biao consume other princes and buy him time.
But now, Zhang Biao had jumped out of the chessboard and might directly ignite the fire towards him. This was a very dangerous signal.
Anger? Perhaps a little.
But more than that was the displeasure of being challenged and having his rhythm unexpectedly disrupted, coupled with a quickly rising, cold assessment.
“Your Highness, Zhang Biao’s actions might disrupt our plans. Should we…”
The man in black made a clearing gesture, the implication obvious.
“Foolish!”
The prince uttered two words indifferently, his tone not heavy, but causing the man in black to instantly lower his head.
“If we move against him now, wouldn’t that be telling my Imperial Father, and everyone under heaven, that the ‘mastermind’ possibly implicated in Jiujiang Guard has been cornered by Zhang Biao’s madness?”
“That would truly be self-sabotage and handing them a handle!”
He stood up and paced to a large, seemingly ordinary landscape painting on the wall, his gaze seeming to penetrate the painting and see further.
“If Zhang Biao wants to investigate, let him investigate.”
The prince’s voice was calm and unwavering:
“Garrison deficits, military equipment transfers, which frontier town can claim its accounts are spotless? If the water is too clear, there are no fish. A little problem is normal.”
“If Zhang Biao investigates and finds that all the garrisons of our Great Ming are as clear as water and as bright as a mirror, then that would be a ghost story, and my Imperial Father would be the first to disbelieve it!”
He turned around, the shadow once again covering most of his face, only his eyes still shining astonishingly bright.
“Issue the orders!”
The prince’s voice regained its calmness, with an irrefutable decisiveness:
“First, have our people in Jiujiang Guard and surrounding related garrisons immediately clear all traces that might point to this prince and sever all connections!”
“Ensure that the ‘Beast Tokens’ and hidden accounts Zhang Biao finds can at most be traced back to Prince Zhou’s mansion, or… to Prince Qi, Prince Shu, or them!”
“Second, inform our people in the River Gang and the Ministry of Revenue to temporarily lie low and reduce the movement of unconventional supplies in the near future, especially those related to military equipment.”
“Third!”
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in the prince’s eyes:
“Since Zhang Biao wants to investigate ‘raising bandits’, then we will help him!”
“Disguise some of the ‘unimportant’ clues we have about Prince Qi, Prince Shu, and their secret dealings with certain ‘bandits’ and ‘chieftains’ and send them to Zhang Biao’s subordinates.”
“Make it look natural, as if they found it themselves.”
He intended to turn the tables. Since Zhang Biao wanted to investigate ‘raising bandits’, he would guide his blade to cut more precisely where he wanted Zhang Biao to cut!
Let this fire burn brighter, but it must burn in someone else’s yard!
“Also!”
The prince looked at the man in black, his tone chilling. “Send word to Kaifeng, that foolish Zhu Youjian can no longer be kept.”
“Make him disappear ‘quietly’, make it look like… hmm, like revenge from his elder brother’s confidant. Stir the waters completely!”
“We absolutely cannot let my Imperial Father and Zhang Biao focus their attention on the same spot!”
“Yes!”
The man in black acknowledged the order with awe, preparing to withdraw.
Just then, a special rhythmic tapping came from outside the secret room; it was another trusted subordinate responsible for urgent communication.
The prince frowned slightly. “Enter.”
Another man in black quickly entered, knelt on one knee, and spoke hurriedly:
“Your Highness, we just received news that the Duke… without permission, has dispatched his elite guards towards Jiujiang, intending to… assassinate Zhang Biao!”
“What?!”
The prince, who had been relatively calm moments before, now showed a clear anger on his face. He slammed the teacup table beside him, making the teacups clatter:
“This idiot! What is he thinking?!”
The prince, furious, paced back and forth in the secret chamber, growling:
“Zhang Biao is a raging fire right now; he should be avoided! How dare he try to put it out with his hand? Song Zhong is watching nearby, is he trying to ensure my Imperial Father knows we are behind this?! He can’t achieve anything and only causes trouble!”
However, as he was cursing, the subordinate’s next words instantly calmed him down.
“Your Highness, please calm your anger. There is another matter. Our people discovered that Zhang Biao’s old and disabled subordinates are expanding their investigation… towards Raozhou Guard.”
“Raozhou Guard?”
The prince’s steps halted instantly, the anger in his eyes replaced by solemnity.
He immediately understood why ‘the Duke’ wanted to move against Zhang Biao.
Raozhou Guard was a more hidden node he had established, possibly containing clues directly pointing to him.
But this solemnity lasted only a short time.
Deep in his eyes, a sinister gleam flashed, and a treacherous plan of borrowing a knife to kill instantly took shape.
He did not give an immediate order, but as if casually, he tapped the tabletop with his fingertips, as if suddenly remembering something trivial, and blurted out:
“Has the Duke of Liang… been summoned back to the Capital City? Counting the days, he should be passing… near Raozhou Guard, shouldn’t he?”
The two men in black kneeling on the ground understood at once, instantly grasping the prince’s intention.
The first man in black immediately responded:
“Replying to Your Highness, the Duke of Liang will arrive near Raozhou Guard soon. Moreover, it is heard that he has several adopted sons, whose temperaments are… quite arrogant.”
The cold smile on the prince’s face finally bloomed completely, like a poisonous flower blooming in the dark night.
“Arrogant is good… Young people have hot tempers and cannot tolerate sand in their eyes.”
He spoke slowly, his tone carrying the indifference of someone treating human lives as pawns:
“I heard that the Duke of Liang is the most protective of his own, and hates it most when people don’t give him face, especially… those who harm his adopted sons.”
He looked at the second man in black and calmly ordered:
“Go, have our people in Raozhou Guard find some trouble for Lan Yu’s adopted sons.”
“I am very curious to see what… brilliant sparks will collide between our ‘God of War’ Duke of Liang and the ‘Censor Zhang of All Under Heaven’.”
“Your subordinate understands!”
“Furthermore, find a way to destroy the storeroom of Raozhou Guard! Even if it points to me!”
“Yes!”
The two men in black replied in unison, their eyes flashing with excited and cruel light.
The secret room returned to silence.
The prince sat back into the shadows, the tapping of his fingertips resuming, steady and rhythmic, as if everything was under control.
Although Zhang Biao’s unexpected move had brought some trouble, it had also provided new chess pieces to disrupt the situation.
What he had to do now was to sit behind the scenes and watch Lan Yu, this sharp but uncontrollable wild saber, and Zhang Biao, this stubborn, shit-stirring rod that specialized in poking hornet’s nests, engage in a head-on clash.
Regardless of who won or lost, it was good for him.
He even anticipated that this conflict might help him test the bottom line of his Imperial Father’s tolerance for Zhang Biao.
“Is the ‘God of War’ of Great Ming more important… or is the ‘Mad Doctor’ of Great Ming more important?”
From the shadows, a barely audible whisper emerged, filled with cold pleasure.
At the same time, at a secluded post station where Zhang Biao and his group were temporarily staying.
Inside the room, the oil lamp was as small as a bean.
The news brought back by the messenger sent by Old Qian, who had recently emerged from his ‘victory’ at Anqing Guard, made Zhang Biao instantly sober up.
“Sir! We followed your instructions, tracing the clues of the ‘Beast Token’ and ‘Scarface’, and found that the last place recorded for picking up goods with a ‘Beast Token’ was at Raozhou Guard!”
“It was half a month ago! They took a batch of gunpowder and standard arrows!”
“We intended to investigate first, as we did with Jiujiang Guard and Anqing Guard. As soon as we reached the border of Raozhou Guard, before we even approached the garrison headquarters, we were stopped by their patrol soldiers!”
The subordinate said with lingering fear:
“They completely ignored our recitation of the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings, and didn’t care if we were from the Anti-corruption Bureau. Their attitude was extremely strong!”
“The Battalion Commander leading them even threatened that Raozhou Guard is a military critical zone, and without joint official documents from the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War, anyone who dares to approach will be killed without mercy!”
“We tried to reason with them, and they actually shot arrows to drive us away!”
“Some nearby civilians were injured. We revealed our identities and barely managed to retreat, but they threatened that if we dared to come again, no matter who we were, we would be shot!”
“Bang!”
A Battalion Commander slammed his fist on the table, his one eye spitting fire: “They’ve gone too far! They are guilty and trying to cover it up!”
Another Battalion Commander also had a grim expression:
“Sir, Raozhou Guard’s reaction is so intense, they even dared to use force against civilians and officials. There must be a shocking case inside! That Scarface is probably closely related to them!”
As Battalion Commanders of the Imperial Guard, they now stood with Zhang Biao. Watching this, Song Zhong’s expression became extremely complex.
Although he felt a ‘sense of mission’ that he had to draw a clear line with Zhang Biao, he had to admit that Zhang Biao’s personal charisma was truly easy to make people blindly follow.
Zhang Biao, upon hearing the report from his subordinate, unconsciously rubbed his chin. Instead of fear, a glint of excitement, like seeing prey fall into a trap, appeared on his face.
After a moment, he turned to Song Zhong, who had been silent all along, and asked in a feigned manner:
“Investigator Song, what do you think?”
“This Raozhou Guard… it seems it doesn’t accept the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings? Are we going to educate them, or not?”
Song Zhong’s mouth twitched.
How could he not see that Zhang Biao was provoking him?
Raozhou Guard’s attitude fully explained the problem.
The secrets hidden there were probably bigger and more deadly than those in Jiujiang Guard!
But it was also more dangerous!
The other side had already shown a posture of stopping the investigation at all costs, even daring to use force against officials. If Zhang Biao went, it would be like a sheep entering a tiger’s den.
But Old Zhu’s imperial decree had not yet arrived, and he had no authority to forcefully order Zhang Biao not to go, nor could he mobilize sufficient forces to ensure his safety.
“Lord Zhang!”
Song Zhong took a deep breath and tried to persuade him:
“The situation at Raozhou Guard is unclear, their attitude is strong, and they might even… act desperately. We have insufficient manpower, and forcing our way there is too risky!”
“Why don’t we wait for the Emperor’s decree to arrive, mobilize troops from the surrounding garrisons, and then…”
“Wait?”
Zhang Biao sneered and interrupted him:
“Wait until the yellow flowers are cold? Until they destroy all evidence and cut off the clue of ‘Scarface’?”
He paused, then looked at Song Zhong with a hint of provocation: “Investigator Song, are you perhaps afraid?”
Song Zhong furrowed his brow: “This subordinate is not afraid of death, but it is my duty to ensure your safety and to be responsible to the Emperor!”
“Responsible?”
Zhang Biao stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the dark night, his voice carrying a chilling sarcasm:
“By the time you report layer by layer, and Old Zhu approves layer by layer, and the troops are assembled… those worms will have already wiped their bottoms clean!”
“At that time, we’ll find nothing, and you’ll be responsible? Can you bear that responsibility?!”
“I…”
Song Zhong was speechless.
He knew Zhang Biao was right, but his duty prevented him from acting as recklessly as Zhang Biao.
Just then—
“Whoosh—*puff*!”
A crossbow bolt pierced the window paper without warning, with a shrill whistling sound, shooting directly at Zhang Biao’s back.
“Sir, be careful!”
Song Zhong, who was constantly vigilant, reacted extremely quickly and lunged forward, knocking Zhang Biao aside.
The bolt grazed Zhang Biao’s arm and, with a *thud*, embedded deeply into the opposite wall, its tail still trembling.
“Assassin!”
“Protect Sir!”
Two Battalion Commanders instantly drew their Xiuchun Sabers, guarding Zhang Biao, their eyes scanning the outside of the window sharply.
Song Zhong also rushed forward, cocking his crossbow, and shielding Zhang Biao.
“Damn it! They’re this fast?!”
Zhang Biao glanced at the torn sleeve of his official robe, his eyes instantly turning cold and violent.
Instead of fear, he grinned, revealing his white teeth:
“It seems we’ve poked a hornet’s nest! We must go to Raozhou Guard!”
Almost simultaneously, fierce fighting and screams erupted outside the post station.
Clearly, there was more than one assassin, and they had already engaged the guards outside.
Their methods were brutal, their objective clear: to take Zhang Biao’s life.
“Song Zhong! Take your men and secure the doors and windows! You two, come with me!”
Zhang Biao now displayed a calmness and decisiveness starkly different from his usual madness, quickly issuing orders.
He tore the tablecloth off the table, smashed the oil lamp to the ground, and the flames instantly surged, igniting the tablecloth and wooden furniture.
“Sir, what are you…?”
The two Battalion Commanders were stunned.
“Create chaos! They want to kill in the dark, so I’ll make it brighter! And signal any possible reinforcements!”
In the firelight, Zhang Biao’s face flickered between light and shadow, but his eyes shone terrifyingly bright.
The fighting outside intensified, with occasional muffled groans and thuds of the Imperial Guard falling.
Song Zhong, holding his crossbow, guarded the door, his face ashen.
The men he brought were all skilled, but the enemy were clearly elites as well, and outnumbered, they were well-prepared.
An Imperial Guard, covered in blood, retreated into the room, gasping:
“Investigator Song! The enemy is too numerous and their skills are brutal. My brothers… can’t hold on!”
Seeing that the defense line was about to be broken.
Song Zhong gritted his teeth and said to Zhang Biao: “Lord Zhang, leave through the back window! I’ll cover your retreat!”
“Leave?”
Zhang Biao sneered. Instead of moving, he calmly sat down and slowly took out a dark, oddly shaped object from his pocket.
The object was entirely black, and in the firelight, it glinted with a cold metallic sheen. It was his Glock handgun.
“Investigator Song, have you forgotten? I am not a soft persimmon to be squeezed at will!”
Before he finished speaking, the door was violently kicked open.
Three masked figures in black, wielding sharp blades, pounced in like phantoms, their blades aimed directly at Zhang Biao.
“Lord Zhang—!”
The two Battalion Commanders’ eyes split with rage, and they charged forward without hesitation.
Song Zhong also raised his crossbow, preparing to shoot at the attackers.
But the attackers were highly skilled and coordinated, and it seemed they would break through the last line of defense.
At this critical juncture—
“Bang—!”
A deafening roar, like thunder, suddenly exploded in the small room.
Everyone was shaken to their core by this unprecedented terrifying sound, their movements involuntarily halting.
The leading black-clad figure’s head exploded in a spray of blood. His entire body was struck by an invisible giant hammer, flying backward, crashing heavily against the wall, then slumping down, dead on the spot.
A hideous blood hole appeared on his forehead.
Silence!
A deathly silence!
The remaining two black-clad figures, along with Song Zhong and the two Battalion Commanders, all stared at Zhang Biao in stunned silence, looking at the ‘firearm’ in his hand, still emitting wisps of smoke, as if they had seen some primordial beast.
What kind of weapon was that?!
Its sound was like thunder, its power like a cannon?!
“Who else?!”
Zhang Biao’s eyes, cold as ice, swept over the other two black-clad figures. “Who else wants to try?”
“This…”
The two black-clad figures, upon being scanned by his gaze, felt a chill rush from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads and instinctively took half a step back.
Outside, there seemed to be a brief pause due to the sudden loud noise.
Seizing this opportunity, Song Zhong reacted sharply and shouted, “Capture them alive!”
The two Battalion Commanders also reacted, roaring and lunging at the two black-clad figures whose minds were in disarray.
However, at this moment, the two assassins exchanged a look, a hint of determination flashing in their eyes.
They unhesitatingly abandoned their attack and simultaneously bit down on the poison sacs hidden in their mouths.
“Ugh…”
The two men’s bodies convulsed violently a few times, black blood seeped from their mouths and noses, and within moments they fell to the ground, dead, their faces still bearing the coldness and relief of failing to complete their mission.
All this happened in the blink of an eye.
By the time the Imperial Guard outside finished dealing with the remaining assassins and rushed in, the fight inside the room had already ended.
Of the three assassins who had entered the room, one was killed by a mysterious firearm, and two committed suicide by poison, leaving no survivors.
Outside and inside the post station, five or six Imperial Guard bodies and seven or eight assassin bodies lay scattered, the smell of blood thick and unyielding.
Song Zhong looked at the assassins who had instantly committed suicide on the ground, his heart sinking to the bottom.
“All of them were elite warriors…”
“Search them!”
Zhang Biao said little, directly ordering, “Search carefully!”
Soon, an Imperial Guard stepped forward and carefully stripped the assassins’ clothes to inspect them.
When he reached the inner side of the assassin’s left arm, he paused. “Sir, we found something!”
On the inner side of the assassin’s left arm, a beast-like pattern was clearly tattooed on the skin.
It’s Bi’an!
Zhang Biao’s gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s. He squatted down directly and touched the tattoo with his hand. The texture was indistinguishable from skin; it was definitely not applied temporarily.
“This persistent organization again! They are truly well-trained, not even carrying a scrap of paper!”
Song Zhong leaned over to take a look and gasped:
“Such a hidden mark… this organization is more meticulous and terrifying than we imagined!”
Zhang Biao stood up, looking at the mess and the corpses on the ground. Instead of fear, his face showed an even more excited and dangerous smile, though this smile carried a bone-chilling coldness:
“They’ve even sent out elite warriors, and they all carry the organization’s mark… are they afraid we don’t know they’re in a hurry?”
After saying that, he suddenly looked at Song Zhong, his tone leaving no room for doubt: “We must go to Raozhou Guard! We’ll depart immediately!”
“Sir! It’s too dangerous!”
Song Zhong urged, “The other side is already using such elite warriors without hesitation. If you go to Raozhou Guard, that would be…”
“That would be what? Walking into a trap?”
Zhang Biao interrupted him:
“The more they act like this, the more it proves that Raozhou Guard hides something that could cost them their lives! If I don’t go, I’d be letting down the brothers who died tonight!”
He looked at Song Zhong and said word by word, “Investigator Song, if you are scared, you can take the wounded back and report to Old Zhu.”
“But I must get to Raozhou Guard! I want to see if ‘truth’ is within shooting range!?”
Song Zhong looked at Zhang Biao’s stubborn and crazy eyes, then at the ‘firearm’ in his hand that had just taken a life with its immeasurable power, and then surveyed the fallen comrades around him. Knowing that further persuasion was useless, a surge of courage also welled up within him.
He gritted his teeth, then said in a deep voice:
“It is my duty, how can I flee from battle?! Since Sir is determined to go, this subordinate… will accompany you to the end!”
He immediately called over an Imperial Guard with lighter injuries and had him take a detailed record of the assassination attempt and the discovery of the ‘Bi’an tattoo’ to be sent to the Capital City via express courier.
Without time to rest or properly treat their wounds, as the sky began to show the first hint of dawn, Zhang Biao, Song Zhong, and the remaining men, enduring sorrow and fatigue, mounted their horses and galloped towards Raozhou Guard.
Zhang Biao rode his horse, letting the morning breeze blow against his cold face.
He knew that the road ahead was bound to be a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den.
But the blood and tattoos of the elite warriors acted as the strongest catalyst, making the fire in his heart burn even more intensely.
Raozhou Guard, here I come! Let’s see whose city walls are harder, yours or my resolve!
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