Chapter 229: Awaken, The Crazy Hongwu Great Emperor! Seeking Monthly Tickets
Inside the Huagai Hall, after Old Zhu’s roar, the temperature seemed to drop several degrees.
The entire hall was so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Jiang Huan and Yun Ming stood frozen, not daring to breathe.
“What excellent protection! What thorough arrests!”
Old Zhu’s voice rang out again, icy and sharp, carrying immense killing intent.
His earlier premonitions had all come true.
This was no simple conflict or warning; it was clear that Zhu Fu intended to silence them.
The so-called ‘banquet’ was nothing more than a meticulously planned trap.
“That rebellious son is guilty and wants to eliminate all evidence! It seems Zhao Fengman truly found something that could cost him his life!”
Having said this, Old Zhu suddenly looked at Jiang Huan, his gaze so sharp it felt like it could pierce him.
“Where are the men I sent?! What were they doing?!”
“Why wasn’t there any prior warning?! Why wasn’t Zhao Fengman protected?!”
Jiang Huan’s forehead dripped with cold sweat as he prostrated himself to beg for forgiveness:
“This minister has failed in his duty! According to reports, the Prince of Qi’s mansion acted extremely suddenly and swiftly; our men were unable to detect it in time.”
“By the time our men noticed something was wrong, Censor Zhao had already disappeared, and the Prince of Qi’s mansion’s search was already underway…”
“Our men are doing their utmost to find Censor Zhao’s whereabouts, but currently… there is no news.”
“Waste!”
Old Zhu reprimanded him.
However, he also knew that in the fiefdom the Prince of Qi had cultivated for years, it was difficult to completely prevent a sudden move and hidden operatives.
He paced rapidly within the hall, each step as if treading on burning embers.
Zhao Fengman’s disappearance, the potential destruction or capture of evidence, Zhu Fu’s desperate attempt to cover everything up at all costs.
The situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
A moment later, Old Zhu stopped abruptly, all the rage in his eyes replaced by a deeper, colder resolve.
The emperor’s reason overcame the father’s anger, though that anger was more a response to the provocation of power.
“Jiang Huan!”
“This minister is here!”
“Listen!”
Old Zhu’s voice was chilling as he issued his orders at an extremely fast pace:
“First, order all hidden operatives and informants in Qingzhou, at all costs, to use all resources to find Zhao Fengman for us!”
“We want him alive or his body found! Most importantly, his evidence must be retrieved!”
“Second, dispatch more personnel to strictly monitor every move of the Prince of Qi’s mansion, especially Zhu Fu himself and his close confidantes!”
“Keep a close eye on them, see what else they plan to do!”
“Third, transmit an order to the Shandong Military Commission, telling them to ‘prepare their forces.’ Not a single soldier is to move without our explicit decree, but they are to exert pressure on the Prince of Qi’s mansion so they dare not act with impunity!”
“Fourth!”
Old Zhu paused.
His gaze swept southward, as if penetrating the palace walls to the figure causing trouble in the Jiujiang Guard:
“Find a way to ‘leak’ the news of Zhao Fengman’s incident in Qi, and the suspicion that he held irrefutable evidence of the Prince of Qi’s grain transport corruption, to Zhang Biao’s side.”
Jiang Huan looked up sharply, a flicker of astonishment in his eyes, then asked, “Your Majesty means…?”
“That madman doesn’t want to get involved in the grain transport case?”
A cold, calculating smile appeared on Old Zhu’s face: “We’ll give him a reason he cannot refuse to investigate!”
“Let him know that the grain transport case he didn’t want to investigate now involves one of his brothers!”
“Let’s see if, after Prince Qin, Prince Jin, and Prince Zhou, this mad blade dares to challenge the Prince of Qi, this hard nut to crack!”
This was his intention to divert disaster and to use force against force.
Zhang Biao’s lawlessness and investigative skills might be the key to breaking the Prince of Qi’s predicament.
At the same time, this was also an ultimate test for Zhang Biao.
“This minister… understands! I will arrange it immediately!”
Jiang Huan understood perfectly, kowtowed heavily, and immediately rose to make the arrangements.
Old Zhu stood alone in the hall, gazing at the deep night outside the window.
A moment later, he slowly walked back to the dragon throne and sat down, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest.
Li Mo’s assassination attempt, Zhao Fengman’s disappearance, like stones cast into a calm lake, had thoroughly shattered the surface balance.
Prince of Qi Zhu Fu’s frenzied counterattack signaled that the grain transport corruption case had entered its most bloody and brutal phase.
【 Zhu Fu, if you dare harm an Imperial Envoy, I will make you pay! 】
【 Zhang Biao, will this mad blade of yours go blunt, or can it continue to carve a bloody path for us? 】
【 This Great Ming sky needs a good cleansing! 】
Old Zhu’s eyes, illuminated by the candlelight, were as deep as an ancient well, a mixture of killing intent and anticipation.
“Your Majesty!”
Jiang Huan had barely left when he returned a short while later.
Old Zhu was slightly taken aback and frowned, “What else is there?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, I had barely left when I received an urgent report from Southern Zhili…”
Jiang Huan reported cautiously.
Old Zhu let out a cold snort and uttered a single word slowly: “Speak.”
“It’s… it’s about Censor Zhang Biao…”
Jiang Huan took a deep breath and said, bracing himself:
“According to urgent reports from the Imperial Guard in multiple locations, following the Jiujiang Guard, the Anqing Guard, the Tongling Guard, and even further to the Chizhou Guard… a total of seven garrisons have been ‘audited’ by assembled locals within just a few days!”
Old Zhu’s eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them. “Citizens auditing garrisons? What gives them the right?!”
“Based on… based on the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings…”
Jiang Huan’s voice grew softer as he presented the stack of documents:
“The reports from various regions are similar. In each case, the people, holding the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings, used Zhang Biao’s actions at Jiujiang Guard as a ‘model,’ claiming to uphold the Emperor Ancestor’s sacred intention of ‘sternly governing officials and appeasing the people,’ and demanding an audit of military household and military equipment accounts…”
“When the garrison officers tried to obstruct, they were accused of ‘resisting ancestral law’ and ‘cruel oppression of the people,’ leading to larger gatherings and… and the recitation of the Ancestral Teachings…”
Old Zhu snatched the documents and quickly flipped through them.
The more he read, the more ashen his face became, his breathing growing heavy.
The documents detailed how garrisons across the regions fell into chaos under the ‘shining light’ of the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings:
The Commander of Anqing Guard was pushed to draw his saber and stab the desk, breaking down in tears;
The storeroom of Chizhou Guard was ‘inspected’ for military equipment quality by a group of elderly men and women holding rulers and embroidery needles;
Even worse, some garrison soldiers, whose families were among the ‘auditors,’ voluntarily opened the storeroom doors…
“Nonsense! Absurd! How can this be—!!”
Old Zhu could no longer suppress the immense fury within him, and he threw the documents to the ground.
“How dare he! How dare he do this?!”
Although Old Zhu had long received Song Zhong’s memorial stating that Zhang Biao had used the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings to open the Jiujiang Guard’s storeroom and even incited the populace to audit garrisons, he had never expected that not only Jiujiang Guard but other garrisons would also ‘suffer’ in succession.
Moreover, he had already issued an edict ordering Zhang Biao to cease auditing with the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings.
But imperial decrees took time to reach their destination.
This meant that before the imperial decree reached Zhang Biao, he was already frantically inciting the populace to use the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings to audit other garrisons.
“Damn it! A bunch of damn people! What was Song Zhong doing? Why didn’t he stop that madman?!”
“My Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings are the law for all generations to come, meant for my descendants! Now they’ve become a shield for Zhang Biao to incite troublemakers and storm government offices?! A pretext for his gatherings and rebellions?!”
He trembled with rage, pointing south as if to strangle Zhang Biao from afar:
“I sent him to investigate grain transport, and he’s overturning the garrisons! He’s even using my Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings as a brick to pry open doors!”
“Now look! Seven garrisons! In just a few days?! If this continues, all the garrisons in Southern Zhili will be turned upside down by him!”
After his fury subsided, a deeper, colder fear, like a viper, coiled around Old Zhu’s heart.
He suddenly realized a more terrifying problem.
With Zhang Biao’s actions, the original intention of the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings—solemn, sacred, meant to govern the imperial family and officials, and establish the eternal foundation of the Zhu Ming dynasty—had been thoroughly misinterpreted and vulgarized!
It had transformed from a sacred text for governing, displayed in the imperial court, into a tool that commoners could use to attack officials!
If commoners today could use the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings to audit garrisons, would they not use it to resist taxes tomorrow? Would they question official judgments the day after?
If commoners with grievances in other places followed suit, all holding the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings to appeal for justice, what would Zhu Yuanzhang do?
Suppress them? That would be slapping his own Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings in the face? Denying his own decree that “the people are the foundation of the state”?
Not suppress them? Allowing them to “misinterpret the sacred will” and act recklessly would undermine the authority of the government and the laws of the court. If this continued, the nation would cease to be a nation!
What made Old Zhu break out in a cold sweat was the civil officials!
Compared to the common people, those civil officials, full of benevolence and righteousness, who were most adept at quoting classics, were the most difficult to deal with!
If they also learned this trick, and in the future, they used mere fragments of the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings to restrain and manipulate his successors… how could the emperor make decisions decisively?
Would his Zhu Ming dynasty not be boxed in by these civil officials using his own written Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings?!
“Hiss—!”
Thinking of this, Old Zhu couldn’t help but gasp, a chill shooting from his feet to the top of his head.
He stopped abruptly, his pupils constricting in extreme terror.
【 Could it be… could that scoundrel Zhang Biao’s intention be here?! 】
【 He’s not messing around, he’s digging up the roots of our Zhu Ming dynasty?! 】
【 Is he using this method to fundamentally shake the foundation of rule I left for my descendants?! 】
Rumble!
This thought struck Zhu Yuanzhang like a bolt from the blue, making his scalp tingle.
“No! Absolutely not—!!”
Old Zhu, like a tiger whose tail had been stepped on, let out a roar that was almost frantic. Forgetting all imperial dignity and his own illness, he rushed out of the hall as if mad.
“Your Majesty!”
Jiang Huan was startled and quickly followed.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you are…”
Yun Ming and the eunuchs guarding the door were also terrified and rushed forward to help.
“Get out—!”
Old Zhu pushed Yun Ming away.
His eyes were bloodshot. He roared with all his might at the imperial scribes and Hanlin Academy officials who had rushed to the scene and were on duty outside the hall, his voice distorted:
“Issue an edict! My edict! Immediately! Stop it all!”
“Stop all work by the Hanlin Academy on compiling the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings! All printed but undelivered copies of the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings are to be recalled and sealed! Not a single sheet is to be leaked!!”
He gasped for breath, his chest heaving violently, as if the roar had exhausted all his strength, but the fear and determination in his eyes burned like a flame.
“Without my personal permission, anyone who dares to discuss, misinterpret, or misuse a single word of the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings will be treated as a traitor and his entire clan will be executed!!”
After uttering this last sentence, Old Zhu swayed, almost unable to stand.
Yun Ming and the eunuchs quickly helped him.
The entire Huagai Hall and its surroundings fell into deathly silence.
All the palace staff and officials prostrated themselves, trembling, their faces pale with fear from the emperor’s sudden, almost insane decree.
Stop compiling the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings? Recall the printed copies? Misuse to be treated as treason?
Has His Majesty… gone mad from Zhang Biao’s anger?
Or… is there a truly grave problem with the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings, which he personally oversaw, symbolizing the eternal law of the Zhu Ming dynasty?
No one dared to ask, no one dared to think.
Only Old Zhu himself knew that he was not mad; he was afraid.
He was utterly terrified by Zhang Biao’s insidious plan to pull the rug out from under him and twist the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings.
He had to sever this dangerous chain that could endanger the foundation of the Zhu Ming dynasty, immediately.
Even if it meant discarding the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings, he would not hesitate.
Because in his view, the radiance of the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings must not ‘illuminate’ every corner of the Great Ming in this manner.
Meanwhile, in Raozhou Guard.
As Zhang Biao and his party stepped into Raozhou Guard, the oppressive atmosphere of the stern military fort greeted them.
Within the high walls were neatly arranged barracks, a somber training ground, and vigilant soldiers everywhere.
The air was filled with the scent of metal, leather, and faint sweat, distinctly different from the outside.
Geng Zhong gave Zhang Biao no chance to catch his breath and led him directly to a secluded courtyard, calling it the ‘Imperial Envoy’s temporary residence,’ but in reality, it was no different from house arrest.
There were guards in plain sight and on patrol outside the courtyard, their surveillance undisguised.
“Censor Zhang, the accommodations are simple; I hope you’ll bear with us.”
Geng Zhong said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “Tell me, would you prefer to rest first, or begin the ‘audit’ immediately? I have already ordered the storeroom ledgers and files to be prepared and can have them sent at any time.”
He was determined to confine Zhang Biao’s activities to this small courtyard, and all auditing work could only be conducted under constant surveillance, reviewing only the accounts he ‘permitted’ to be reviewed.
“Commander Geng’s efficiency is truly high!”
Zhang Biao, feigning obliviousness, nodded with a smile:
“Then please trouble Commander Geng to bring all the account books and files for Raozhou Guard’s personnel adjustments, provisions disbursement, and military equipment procurement and allocation over the past five years. I will be here, ‘learning’ alongside Commander Geng.”
Geng Zhong’s eye twitched. Five years, he thought, this madman has quite an appetite.
But confident in his preparations, he snorted, “Very well! I fear Censor Zhang… might not understand our garrison’s specific document format!”
Soon, boxes of heavy account books and files were carried into the courtyard, almost filling half the hall.
“Old Qian! Take two men to look at the grain and provisions!”
“Old Sun! Take two men to look at the military equipment!”
“Investigator Song, you take your men to help as well!”
Just like when auditing Jiujiang Guard, Zhang Biao skillfully made his arrangements.
Before long, Old Qian, Old Sun, and Song Zhong, each with their teams, began to review and verify.
Time ticked by, second by second.
The clatter of abacus beads and the rustling of pages continued incessantly.
Zhang Biao would occasionally pick up a ledger and flip through it, or whisper a few words to Song Zhong, but his gaze remained sharp as an eagle, scanning every number and every item in the accounts.
Geng Zhong sat leisurely to the side, drinking tea, occasionally exchanging knowing glances with the accompanying garrison officers.
He was full of confidence. These accounts had been meticulously ‘polished’ by his skilled clerks over many days, appearing spotless and watertight.
Let alone five years, even ten years of auditing wouldn’t reveal any flaws in the open accounts.
Indeed, after several hours, Old Qian, who was responsible for summarizing, walked up to Zhang Biao with a somber expression and whispered,
“My Lord, these accounts… are very clean.”
“All inflows, outflows, adjustments, and losses are documented and in accordance with the Ministry of War’s regulations. The numbers are precise, leaving almost no room for criticism.”
Hearing this, Song Zhong frowned and looked at Zhang Biao.
This was as he expected. Since Geng Zhong dared to let them in to audit, he must have made thorough preparations.
Zhang Biao showed no signs of discouragement; instead, a smile of ‘as expected’ appeared on his face.
He put down a ledger of military equipment procurement in his hand, looked at Geng Zhong, and said loudly,
“General Geng, your military discipline is strict, and your accounts are clear. This official admires you!”
Geng Zhong proudly stroked his short beard:
“Hmph, Censor Zhang flatters me. Everyone in our Raozhou Guard is diligent in their duties, so naturally, we can withstand scrutiny!”
“However…”
Zhang Biao changed his tone, his voice becoming playful, “These accounts are so clean… it’s almost excessive.”
“After five years, not a single significant deficit, not one unexpected loss? Commander Geng, is your Raozhou Guard perhaps a paradise, completely unaffected by the accumulated malpractices of our Great Ming garrisons?”
Geng Zhong’s face darkened. “What does Censor Zhang mean by that? Are we being accused of a crime simply because our Raozhou Guard’s accounts are clean?”
“There’s no crime, but such clean accounts… I think we should commend your excellence to His Majesty and award you a ‘National Outstanding Garrison’ medal!”
“Hmph, what do you mean?!”
“Nothing in particular!”
Zhang Biao waved his hand and continued eloquently:
“When I was at Jiujiang Guard, I witnessed the convenience of ‘Beast Token’ for dispatching military equipment. I imagine such a convenient method shouldn’t be exclusive to Jiujiang Guard, should it?”
“General Geng might not know, but when we investigated Jiujiang Guard, the accounts were also very clean, and yet we found hidden accounts.”
“Those are the ones not recorded, transactions made based on ‘tokens’ rather than proper procedures.”
He paused here, then looked at Geng Zhong with amusement:
“So, Commander Geng, shouldn’t you also produce them for me to ‘learn’ from?”
“Absurd!”
Geng Zhong suddenly stood up, the pretense of composure vanishing instantly, replaced by indignant anger at his core secret being touched:
“Zhang Biao! Stop your slander! I only have the official accounts stipulated by the Ministry of War here, where would there be any hidden accounts? You can’t find any problems, so you want to slander me out of thin air?!”
Then, he pointed at Zhang Biao and said sternly:
“All accounts are here, clear as day! If you continue to make trouble, don’t blame this Commander for showing no mercy!”
“Mercy?”
Zhang Biao also slowly stood up, confronting Geng Zhong with equal assertiveness:
“I am acting on imperial orders and investigating according to the nation’s laws! The Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings state: ‘Regarding matters of benefit or harm to the military and civilians of the realm, all civil and military officials, military and civilian personnel, may speak frankly and without concealment!’ If I now suspect that your Raozhou Guard is hiding hidden accounts, involving the illegal outflow of military equipment and endangering the state, why can’t I investigate?!”
“The Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings again?!”
Geng Zhong laughed in anger, then suddenly drew the saber at his waist, a flash of cold light, and slammed it heavily onto the tea table beside him, sending wood chips flying:
“Zhang Biao! Look carefully!”
“This is Raozhou Guard! A military stronghold! Not the Jiujiang Prefectural Office where you can run wild with a tattered book!”
“Without an official document from the Ministry of War, without the seal of the Five Military Commissions! Do you think you can investigate my garrison’s core secrets with just your bare words? Dream on!”
He scanned his surroundings and shouted sternly:
“All soldiers listen to my order! Without this Commander’s personal directive, anyone who dares to approach the storeroom or the archives, or forcibly demands accounts not in accordance with regulations, will be treated as a traitor and killed without mercy!”
“Clang clang clang!”
The soldiers guarding inside and outside the courtyard simultaneously drew their sabers. The gleaming blades pointed at Zhang Biao and his group, and a killing aura instantly filled the air.
Song Zhong and the old soldiers also drew their weapons, shielding Zhang Biao in the center. The atmosphere was tense, on the verge of breaking out.
Zhang Biao’s eyes turned cold as his right hand subtly moved towards his waist.
There, the Glock handgun with 14 bullets remaining was securely tucked.
He was calculating if he could take down Geng Zhong in one fell swoop before they reacted, and use him to control the garrison.
【 Capture the leader first! Let’s take a gamble! 】
However, at this critical moment—
“Report—!”
A hurried announcement suddenly came from outside the courtyard. A sentinel rushed in, ignoring the tense atmosphere, and knelt on one knee to report to Geng Zhong:
“Commander! Duke of Liang’s adopted son, General Zhaoyong Lan Long, has arrived and is at the outer gate!”
Boom!
This news struck everyone like another heavy hammer.
Geng Zhong was stunned at first, then an uncontrollable look of ecstasy appeared on his face, as if he had found a lifesaver.
He knew his savior had arrived.
Zhang Biao’s brow furrowed instantly, and the hand on his gun grip paused slightly.
【 Lan Yu’s man? Why would he appear at this time? 】
Song Zhong’s heart sank, and he thought, “This is not good.”
Duke of Liang Lan Yu was currently the most popular and arrogant top-ranking noble in the military.
The arrival of his adopted son at this moment instantly complicated the situation a hundredfold.
“Quickly invite him in! No! I’ll go to welcome him personally!”
Geng Zhong ordered loudly, then glanced at Zhang Biao with a cold, gloating smile, his tone filled with renewed confidence:
“Censor Zhang, you wanted to check hidden accounts, didn’t you? Well, General Lan from the Duke of Liang’s mansion is here, why don’t you ‘explain’ the Imperial Ming Ancestral Teachings to him as well!”
With that, he ignored Zhang Biao and strode out with his personal guards.
The tense atmosphere in the courtyard temporarily eased, but a deeper, more dangerous undercurrent began to surge.
Zhang Biao slowly released his hand from the gun grip, his eyes flickering.
He looked at Geng Zhong’s departing back, then at the guards who had put away their swords but were still eyeing them menacingly. His mind raced.
The sudden intervention of the Duke of Liang’s adopted son had completely disrupted his plan.
Was it a coincidence? Or a trap set by this ‘old fox,’ Geng Zhong?
“My Lord, the situation is not good. We cannot afford to offend Duke of Liang Lan Yu, perhaps we should retreat…”
“What are you afraid of?!”
Before Song Zhong could finish speaking, Zhang Biao interrupted him without room for argument: “Let’s go and meet this ‘distinguished guest’ from the Duke of Liang’s mansion too!”
He wanted to see if this sudden ‘variable’ would be a boulder crushing him, or another lever to pry open the entire ‘raising bandits’ chain!
Please vote for monthly tickets~
