Chapter 237: Zhang Biao: Villains Die From Talking Too Much, Remember That! Early Month Seeking Monthly Tickets
The secret door slid open silently, and a burly figure, covered in dust and night, slipped in.
His movements were as agile as a leopard’s, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood, but the battlefield courage ingrained in his bones and the imposing aura cultivated by years of holding high office made even the candlelight seem to pause.
The Prince watched the uninvited guest, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as the jade pendant on his fingertip slowly rotated.
When the burly man finally stood still, he spoke first:
“You shouldn’t be here at this hour.”
His voice was deep, with a barely perceptible warning: “The fires of Raozhou Guard haven’t even fully dispersed yet. How many eyes are watching this place? Don’t you know?”
The burly man pulled down his hood, revealing a weathered face with sharp, defined features, and gave a cold smile.
Immediately after, he walked straight to the Prince and sat opposite him, his gaze piercing, without any pleasantries:
“If I don’t come now, I’m afraid I’ll be collecting your corpse next time! Prince, how long are you going to indulge that mad dog, Zhang Biao?!”
He leaned forward, the suppressed fury churning in his low voice: “Geng Zhong is dead, and your people did it. I have nothing to say!”
“But what did that fire in the rear courtyard burn? Can it burn away Zhang Biao’s relentless desire to dig for the truth?!”
The Prince’s expression remained unchanged, his tone as calm as ever: “Those who achieve great things pay little heed to trivial matters. Geng Zhong was incompetent, his exposure was only a matter of time, and his elimination was inevitable. As for Zhang Biao…”
A cold curve formed at the corner of his lips: “The more he rages, the deeper he bites, the greater the storm he stirs up. That’s more beneficial to us.”
“Beneficial?!”
The burly man practically squeezed the two words through his teeth. He slammed his fist onto the table, making the candlestick sway:
“You call this beneficial?! Do you know how the people I sent to assassinate him died?!”
“That firearm he possesses, it fires instantly without a fuse, and its power is astonishing…”
“When did Great Ming acquire such a sharp blade? The Ministry of Works and the Military Equipment Bureau have nothing like it!”
“This clearly shows how wicked and uncontrollable this fellow is! He is our biggest variable!”
Having said this, the burly man stared fixedly at the Prince, his eyes sharp as knives:
“You keep saying you’re using his blade to kill people, but now this blade is already at our own throats!”
“He crippled Prince Qin, and imprisoned Prince Jin and Prince Zhou. While he cleared obstacles for you, he has also exposed you to the Emperor’s scrutiny!”
“Now he has killed Geng Zhong. Next, he will follow the clues to gnaw at Prince Qi, and then what?! Do you think you can hide behind the scenes forever?!”
The Prince slowly stood up, pacing in the dim light, his voice carrying a condescending calculation:
“Imperial Father is old. Ever since Brother passed away, he has become suspicious and violent, more and more like a… solitary figure.”
“He needs Zhang Biao, this sharp blade, to cut away the ‘rotten flesh’ in his heart, and to strike at all his sons who disturb his sleep.”
“What I intend to do is add fuel to this fire, to make the flames burn even hotter! Let Zhang Biao investigate, let him bite, and drag all the Princes, all potential threats, into this mire!”
“Let Imperial Father see with his own eyes that none of his flesh and blood, none of his subjects, can give him peace of mind! Let this Imperial Court be filled with suspicion and unease because of this fire!”
“When Imperial Father is utterly exhausted, and completely disillusioned with this empire…”
He stopped pacing, his face in the shadows carrying a hint of fanaticism: “That will be our best opportunity!”
As his words fell, he looked at the burly man again, stating without room for doubt: “To jump out and confront him head-on now is the true path to destruction!”
“The path to destruction?”
The burly man suddenly stood up, confronting the Prince, his whole body radiating menace:
“I think you are dancing on the edge of a precipice right now!”
“The Emperor is old, but he hasn’t let go of the reins of power! As long as Zhang Biao finds a clue, the Imperial Guard is everywhere!”
“I can no longer wait for your illusory ‘best moment’!”
His tone was resolute: “I have already contacted those people from Huaixi. Many in the army are dissatisfied with the Emperor’s recent actions! The resentment has brewed, awaiting only a spark!”
“While Zhang Biao has all eyes on him now, it is the perfect time for us to act!”
“Instead of playing these convoluted games with you here, waiting to be sniffed out by that mad dog!”
Hearing this, the Prince’s face instantly turned as dark as water.
He had not expected the burly man to dare to collude with others behind his back; this had completely disrupted his plans.
“I said, the time is not yet!”
The Prince’s voice was bone-chillingly cold, carrying an irrefutable authority: “My Imperial Consort’s plan is more comprehensive and secure! Imperial Father won’t live for many more years. We only need to be patient…”
“Patient?! Patient until Zhang Biao follows the line of ‘raising bandits’ and finds out who was responsible for ‘collecting my corpse’ back then?!”
The burly man interrupted rudely, his face filled with distrust and a desperate ruthlessness:
“I can die once, but I don’t get to die a second time!”
“Prince, if you insist on continuing this dangerous game, don’t blame me for finding my own way out!”
“I will use my own methods to eliminate this scourge, Zhang Biao, first, and then… do what we need to do!”
The air in the secret chamber seemed to freeze.
The Prince stared fixedly at the burly man, his chest rising and falling slightly with anger.
This ‘sharp blade,’ whom he had pulled from a certain death and given a new identity and power, dared to bite the hand that fed him.
“Chang Mao—!”
The Prince took a sudden step forward, his voice like a cry from the deepest abyss, filled with the rage of violated authority:
“Listen to me clearly!”
“Who gave you a second life after your ‘death notice’ spread throughout the court, and even the Emperor’s envoy sent to perform the autopsy confirmed your carefully prepared double?!”
“Who allowed you to see the light of day again, and to wield unparalleled power!?”
“Without me, you would have long since rotted in the mud like your double, your bones gnawed to nothing by wild dogs!”
The name “Chang Mao” struck the other man’s eardrums like the most venomous curse.
The burly man trembled violently, his excitement, anger, and resolve instantly freezing, turning into a deathly pallor and a bone-chilling cold.
In the early days of the Great Ming Dynasty, Xu Da, Chang Mao, Li Shanchang, Deng Yu, Feng Sheng, and Li Wenzhong were known as the ‘Six Dukes of the Founding’.
Among them, Li Shanchang was the Prime Minister, Xu Da, Deng Yu, and Feng Sheng were renowned generals of their generation, and Li Wenzhong was Old Zhu’s own nephew, who also had significant military achievements.
As for Chang Mao, he could only be considered a junior, belonging to the younger generation.
The reason Chang Mao was enfeoffed as the Duke of Zheng by Old Zhu was that his father was the renowned Chang Yuchun.
In Hongwu 2nd Year, Old Zhu dispatched Xu Da and Chang Yuchun on two separate northern expeditions, achieving resounding victories.
However, Chang Yuchun fell seriously ill midway. Before he could return to Yingtian Prefecture, he passed away.
When Old Zhu heard the news, he could hardly believe it. Recalling how Chang Yuchun had survived countless battles unscathed, he never expected that after the empire was pacified, Chang Yuchun would die in his own tent.
In Hongwu 3rd Year, Old Zhu announced the enfeoffment of Chang Yuchun’s eldest son, Chang Mao, as the Duke of Zheng.
Chang Mao was also the youngest Duke at the time, not yet 20 years old, hence he was also known as “Master Mao.”
After that, Old Zhu put Chang Mao through many trials.
In Hongwu 20th Year, Old Zhu dispatched Feng Sheng as the main commander, with Chang Mao and Lan Yu as his left and right generals, to launch a northern expedition.
However, five months later, Old Zhu received a battle report from Feng Sheng stating that they had persuaded the Mongolian general Nahachu to surrender, but Chang Mao, having gotten drunk, drew his sword and tried to kill Nahachu.
As a result, Nahachu escaped, and the surrender failed. This was all Chang Mao’s fault.
Just as Old Zhu was about to become angry, he received a letter from Chang Mao.
He claimed that Feng Sheng had misjudged Nahachu, and that Nahachu’s surrender was a ruse.
At the time, Nahachu was giving orders to his subordinates in Mongolian for a feigned surrender, and his subordinates understood Mongolian. He didn’t have time to report to Feng Sheng, which was why he drew his sword.
Chang Mao and Feng Sheng each presented their own version of events, leaving Old Zhu very confused.
Most comically, Feng Sheng was Chang Mao’s father-in-law. The father-in-law and son-in-law accusing each other became a temporary joke.
Since Nahachu was a descendant of Genghis Khan’s great general Muqali, Old Zhu had always placed great importance on him.
When Feng Sheng and Chang Mao messed this up, Old Zhu’s way of handling it was to slap each of them.
He first removed Feng Sheng’s command insignia, ordering him to confine himself to his residence in Yingtian Prefecture and reflect. Lan Yu was appointed as the main commander, and Chang Mao was demoted to Longzhou.
After Chang Mao was sidelined in Longzhou for three years, a major event occurred.
The founding Prime Minister, Li Shanchang, was executed. The reason was that new clues were discovered in the Hu Weiyong rebellion case from ten years prior, and Li Shanchang was implicated, leading to his execution.
Li Shanchang had been Chang Mao’s teacher and had a good relationship with him. Several generals who were close to Chang Mao were executed along with him.
Therefore, Old Zhu turned his attention to Chang Mao.
Old Zhu issued an imperial decree to Chang Mao, which had two meanings:
First, Chang Mao had been in Longzhou for three years, and he had made mistakes before; he should reflect on them.
Second, Li Shanchang’s case was very serious. If Chang Mao was also implicated, he should confess as soon as possible. It would be too late if the court sent people to investigate and find out.
Old Zhu’s imperial decree seemed like comfort, but it was actually a warning, making Chang Mao anxious.
After the New Year, Chang Mao wrote two letters to Crown Prince Zhu Biao. Zhu Biao was Chang Mao’s brother-in-law, but surprisingly, Zhu Biao did not reply to either.
Chang Mao had no other recourse and “fell ill from accumulated worries,” passing away that year.
Before his death, he also wrote a will to Old Zhu, admitting his past mistakes in the army but denying any involvement with Li Shanchang.
When Old Zhu received the letter, he glanced at it and noticed the handwriting was strong and vigorous, unlike that of a dying man. He suspected Chang Mao was faking his death.
Then, he dispatched two ministers to Longzhou, named Han Guan and Yang Wen, to ascertain whether Chang Mao was truly dead.
It would take at least a month for the two ministers to travel from Yingtian Prefecture to Longzhou, and given the hot weather in Guangxi, by the time they arrived, Chang Mao’s body would have decomposed.
Therefore, they could only reply to Old Zhu that Chang Mao was indeed dead.
However, Chang Mao did not die that year. As Old Zhu suspected, he faked his death, and the coffin contained only a person with a similar appearance.
Those unbearable past experiences, those humiliations hidden beneath power, were brutally unveiled at the moment the Prince uttered his name.
He turned around extremely slowly, inch by inch, his back to the Prince who controlled his ‘new life.’ His broad back appeared stiff and lonely in the candlelight.
After a long while, a voice, hoarse as if ground by sand and gravel, finally echoed in the deathly silence, carrying a detachment that severed all ties:
“Chang Mao…”
He repeated the name that should have been annihilated, his tone hollow.
“Chang Mao is already dead.”
Before his voice faded, he had already walked towards the secret door, his steps heavy and resolute, never looking back.
The secret door closed silently.
The Prince stood alone in the flickering candlelight, his face ashen, his clenched fists bone-white.
“Good… very good…”
He whispered, his voice a mixture of fury and a hint of alarm that his plan was slipping out of control.
Chang Mao’s loss of control, and his almost instinctual fear of Zhang Biao, was like a poisoned thorn, deeply embedded in the center of his meticulously woven net.
“Zhang Biao… are you truly my destined calamity?!”
“Or… can you truly disrupt my grand ambition for a thousand autumns?!”
The Prince’s gaze was fixed on the enormous Great Ming Territory Map on the wall, his eyes so sinister they could drip water.
He knew that his gamble with Zhang Biao had become unprecedentedly perilous due to this unexpected internal rebellion.
And at this very moment, Zhang Biao was leading his men towards the cave at Black Wind Gully, which contained the crucial account books and military equipment.
Black Wind Gully is located thirty li west of Raozhou Guard.
Its terrain is precipitous, with dense forests and grasses, rarely frequented by humans.
Zhang Biao and Song Zhong, leading a squad of elite Imperial Guards, silently infiltrated the forest like leopards, following the vague directions provided by the collapsing soldier.
“Sir, we’ve found cart tracks ahead, very fresh, similar to the traces we followed from the manure cart!”
A scout from the Imperial Guard reported in a low voice.
“There are also signs of a struggle, bloodstains… it seems those two brothers were discovered here.”
Song Zhong crouched down, picked up a bit of dark brown soil, his face grim.
Zhang Biao’s eyes were cold: “Speed up! The other party likely knows we’ve traced it here!”
The men’s hearts tensed, and they immediately increased their vigilance, following the faint path deeper into the gully.
Indeed, in front of a heavily concealed mountain wall covered with vines, they discovered a cleverly disguised cave entrance.
On the ground near the entrance were scattered footprints and drag marks from heavy objects.
“This is it—!”
Zhang Biao gave a low command: “Old Song, you take two men and come in with me. The rest will guard the entrance; no one goes out, but anyone can come in!”
Before he finished speaking, he led the way, pushing aside the vines and ducking inside.
Song Zhong immediately arranged his men for defense and, taking two trusted subordinates, followed Zhang Biao into the cave.
The interior of the cave was deeper than they had imagined, dimly lit, and the air was filled with the stench of feces and a rustling sound like insects crawling.
By the light of the torches, they could see several wooden boxes piled haphazardly in a corner of the cave.
Two of the boxes were open, and an unknown liquid was dripping from their corners. Upon closer inspection, they were filled with strong bows and leather armor, haphazardly arranged.
Although not numerous, they were of fine craftsmanship, standard issue for the military.
And in another smaller, heavier tin box, they found their ultimate objective—
Several account books, tightly wrapped in oiled cloth.
Zhang Biao pinched his nose, took a deep breath, and picked up the topmost book. As he opened it, his eyes blazed.
These were not hidden accounts like those of Jiujiang Guard, which recorded the retrieval of ‘Beast Tokens,’ but more detailed transaction records.
They clearly recorded the quantities and times of various military equipment and supplies flowing out through Raozhou Guard, and even the codenames or vague characteristics of some recipients.
The destinations of some of these batches pointed directly towards Qingzhou, Kaifeng, and other directions.
“Caught with the goods! The evidence is ironclad!”
Song Zhong looked at the contents of the account book and gasped: “Behind Geng Zhong, there are indeed several Princes involved!”
Zhang Biao ignored him, continuing to flip through the pages, his mind racing, connecting this information with previously discovered clues.
“The ‘Beast Token’ withdrawals from Jiujiang Guard, the transportation and records from Raozhou Guard, ultimately flowing to the territories of Prince Qi and Prince Zhou… perhaps even other Princes!”
“Are there no innocent Princes involved in the Grain Transport corruption case? Are they all indeed problematic?!”
“What a vast network!”
“Take it all away! Not a scrap of paper should be left behind!”
Zhang Biao decided instantly and was about to close the account book.
Suddenly, his movement froze.
His gaze was fixed on a few inconspicuous crimson symbols on the edge of a page in the account book.
The symbols resembled cloud patterns, with a tiny, indiscernible seal character embedded in the center. The strokes were ancient and exhibited the regularity of palace-issued items.
“Old Song!”
Zhang Biao suddenly looked up, handing the account book to Song Zhong, pointing at the symbols, his voice carrying a hint of the surprise of discovering something new:
“Look at this! These symbols… have you seen them before? What do they mean?”
Song Zhong leaned closer to examine it carefully, and his face instantly changed.
His pupils contracted, as if he had seen something utterly unbelievable. He even subconsciously took half a step back, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly:
“This… this is impossible!”
“These are… these are the verification symbols used by the Inner Service Transport Office when receiving tribute from various regions and conducting preliminary inventories!”
“They are the secret marks of the Imperial Household’s eunuch supervisors! How can… how can they appear on the hidden accounts of this military garrison?!”
“The Inner Treasury’s verification symbols?!”
Zhang Biao was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. Instead of being shocked and pale like Song Zhong, his face showed a mixed expression of a cold smile and excitement, as if he had finally caught his prey.
He snatched the account book back, pointed at the record of military equipment flowing out next to the symbols, and his voice was sharp, piercing through the fog:
“Inner Treasury verification symbols appearing on the hidden accounts of a garrison recording the illegal outflow of military equipment…”
“Old Song, do you know what this signifies?”
Song Zhong’s mind was still in a haze, and he subconsciously replied:
“It means… it means it’s related to the palace? Impossible! How could the Emperor…”
“It might not be Old Zhu himself!”
Zhang Biao interrupted him, his eyes sparkling with wisdom, as if all the clues had been connected at this moment:
“But this indicates that through this secret channel of military equipment outflow, something special is also being transported! Or rather, someone is using this channel to tamper with the Inner Treasury!”
He slammed the account book shut with a crisp ‘snap’ that echoed in the cave.
“Do you remember my previous suggestion to audit the Inner Treasury? I only thought at the time that Old Zhu’s subordinates were corrupt, or that Old Zhu himself was illegally accumulating wealth… now it seems it’s not that simple!”
A smile, cold and dangerous, appeared on Zhang Biao’s face, like a hunter finally finding the prey’s lair:
“Old Zhu’s Inner Treasury… indeed has major problems!”
“This water is much deeper and muddier than we imagined!”
He had previously suspected how, with only the Princes and a few garrison officers, such a large quantity of military equipment could be moved for so long without being detected?
The appearance of these Inner Treasury verification symbols now seemed to light up a lamp in the darkness!
A black hand, possessing immense power and able to access, even utilize the Emperor’s private treasury, was hidden behind all of this.
The shock of this discovery was even greater than the evidence within the account books pointing to the Princes.
Song Zhong listened, his heart pounding, cold sweat instantly drenching his back.
He understood the court better than Zhang Biao and knew better what the words ‘Inner Treasury’ represented.
Involvement with the Emperor’s private treasury meant that the case had escalated to an incredibly terrifying height.
“Sir… this…”
Song Zhong’s voice was dry, and he felt as if the account book in his hand was burning hot.
“Stop with the ‘this and that’!”
Zhang Biao’s eyes sharpened, and he decided instantly: “The account book must be sent out safely!”
“This evidence is more important than your life right now! Old Song, you keep it safe. We’ll immediately…”
Before he could finish speaking—
An unexpected change occurred!
The Imperial Guard who had been silently standing beside Song Zhong, holding the torch, suddenly had a vicious gleam in his eyes.
He struck out abruptly, his movements lightning fast, not attacking anyone, but delivering a fierce palm strike to Song Zhong’s shoulder blade.
At the same time, he yanked with his other hand.
Song Zhong, caught off guard, let out a muffled groan, stumbled, and the oiled cloth bundle was snatched away by the opponent.
“Sun Baihu! You!”
Song Zhong was both shocked and enraged, hardly able to believe his eyes.
This Sun Baihu was a veteran under him, who had followed him for many years, how could he…
After succeeding, the Sun Baihu did not hesitate. He raised his sleeve crossbow and aimed it at another colleague, pulling the trigger.
With a ‘swish,’ another colleague fell, hit by an arrow.
All of this happened too quickly, from betrayal to snatching the account book, to killing, all within moments.
After succeeding, the Sun Baihu finally showed an extremely ferocious and triumphant smile:
“Thank you, Investigator Song!”
“I was never one of your men. I was just a nail the Prince placed by your side!”
“You helped me so much, I really should thank you properly!”
After saying this, he raised the sleeve crossbow in his hand and aimed it at Song Zhong, intending to shoot him.
However, at that moment, a mocking voice suddenly rang out: “Do you know how villains die?”
“Huh?”
The Sun Baihu froze for a moment, then realized that Zhang Biao had a mysterious weapon.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
With a loud ‘bang,’ his whole body felt as if all his strength had been drained away; he couldn’t even lift his arm.
He looked towards the source of the voice with difficulty, his face filled with bewilderment.
He saw Zhang Biao holding the still-smoking handgun and answering his own question: “Villains die from talking too much. Remember that next time!”
“Damn it.”
The Sun Baihu uttered only one syllable before collapsing heavily to the ground.
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