Chapter 28: Censor Zhang, He’s Quite Capable! New Book Seeking Collection
“Your Majesty, regarding the matter of official salaries forcing honest officials to become corrupt.”
In the end, Zhang Biao compromised, but not entirely.
Then he heard him mumble: “The root cause is that the salary is too low, and the in-kind compensation is often devalued, making it difficult to make a living. Your humble servant dares to suggest that the proportion of actual grain received should be increased, at least enough for a seventh-rank official to eat dry rice every meal and occasionally buy a pound of meat? This should be supplemented by stricter supervision, making the cost of corruption unimaginably high! Of course, this requires money.”
He stopped at the right time, his meaning clear.
Your Majesty, the national treasury needs to be replenished!
Old Zhu sat expressionless, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, his emotions unreadable.
Zhang Biao continued: “As for the princes, all Your Highnesses are Your Majesty’s own sons and are unparalleled in loyalty and filial piety! However, the military power of the three guards is too heavy, which may not be a long-term plan.”
“Your humble servant believes that perhaps the number of guards could be gradually reduced? Or it could be clarified that princes are not allowed to leave their fiefdoms without an imperial decree, nor are they allowed to collude privately? Or, among the princes’ sons, select the outstanding ones and summon them to the Imperial Academy in the capital to study, which would show favor and also… uh, foster closer ties with His Majesty?”
This stratagem was called ‘hostage’, but Zhang Biao put it more delicately.
Old Zhu’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the hand tapping the armrest stopped, as if he were thinking.
Finally, Zhang Biao spoke again about the successor position: “The Crown Prince is the foundation of the nation. Your Majesty’s will is final, and your humble servant dares not comment! However, once the foundation is established, the hearts of the people will be at peace. Whether it is establishing an Imperial Grandson or selecting a worthy prince, once the title is set, evildoers will have no opportunity to take advantage, and the world will be united in heart! If Your Majesty favors the Imperial Grandson…”
He remembered Zhu Yunwen’s uselessness and couldn’t help but add: “then it is necessary to choose the most renowned teachers in the world for him, to impart the ways of an emperor, and even more so to find officials who are upright, incorruptible, and unafraid of powerful figures to assist him, lest… um, lest he be deceived by those around him!”
It was as good as directly calling Zhu Yunwen a waste.
But he knew he couldn’t ‘die for a cause’ here by telling Old Zhu not to establish Zhu Yunwen as the Imperial Grandson.
Firstly, Old Zhu hadn’t decided whether to establish Zhu Yunwen as the Imperial Grandson, and if he spoke rashly, it would only increase Old Zhu’s suspicion, not get him killed.
Secondly, if Old Zhu didn’t kill him, troubles would follow one after another.
After all, power struggles have always been cruel.
He might be assassinated one day.
Zhang Biao couldn’t be sure if this assassination, like being angered to death by Old Zhu for ‘dying for a cause’, would send him back to the modern world, and he didn’t dare to take the risk.
So he could only wait. He would wait until the day Old Zhu decided to establish Zhu Yunwen as the Imperial Grandson, then deliver a fatal blow to Old Zhu and Zhu Yunwen, so that he could be angered to death and return to the modern world.
Of course, he was also afraid that Old Zhu would ‘ask every question to the end’ or, if unsatisfied, ‘drag him to the palace and castrate him’, so he couldn’t help but secretly look at Old Zhu.
He saw Old Zhu still sitting there expressionlessly, like a silent mountain.
After a long while, so long that Zhang Biao suspected Old Zhu had died, he heard a sound that gave no hint of emotion: “Hmm.”
Just an “Hmm”? That’s it?
Zhang Biao’s heart was in turmoil.
Was he satisfied or dissatisfied? Did he think it made sense, or was it utter nonsense?
At this moment, Old Zhu slowly stood up, his tall but slightly hunched figure exuding immense pressure.
He stepped down from the imperial steps, walked to Zhang Biao, who was holding silver and looking a bit flustered.
The distance was very close.
Zhang Biao could even smell the faint scent of sandalwood and old age emanating from Old Zhu, as well as the unfathomable fatigue and extremely complex, scrutinizing gaze in his bloodshot eyes.
“Zhang Biao!” Old Zhu’s voice was low, with a strange calmness, yet containing immense power: “We have heard your words. Some of them… are quite interesting.”
He paused, his gaze pressing down on Zhang Biao like a physical substance:
“We will ponder the matter of official salaries. As for the princes, We have Our own ideas. As for the successor position, We have Our own plan!”
“You”
Old Zhu’s gaze swept over the bag of silver in Zhang Biao’s arms, then returned to his face, the corners of his mouth seeming to twitch upwards almost imperceptibly, a smile that was cold and yet held a trace of playful control over everything: “You live well for Us! Strengthen your bones! And keep that ‘clarity’ of yours for Us!”
“We will need you again in the future!”
After speaking, he no longer looked at Zhang Biao, as if his previous words were just a trivial matter to be handled.
Then he turned, hands behind his back, and walked slowly with heavy steps towards the dragon throne that symbolized supreme power, leaving behind only a solitary and oppressive figure.
“Jiang Huan.”
“Your servant is here!”
“See him out.”
“Your servant obeys!”
Jiang Huan bowed in response, and his gaze towards Zhang Biao was completely different.
This kid… is truly damn strange!
No matter what he does, he can’t die, and he’s even getting promoted and getting rich?!
Although Zhang Biao’s fifty taels of silver included his salary, he didn’t dare to take it and could only feed it to the dogs.
As for Zhang Biao, he acted as if nothing had happened, treating it as a son showing filial piety to his father.
As for Old Zhu telling him to live well? What a joke, it was the most vicious curse!
When Old Zhu established Zhu Yunwen, he would guarantee he would die for Old Zhu to see!
“It’s Censor Zhang! Censor Zhang is out alive—!”
Someone shouted, and on the square outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a crowd of people surged forward.
Most of them were seventh-rank censors from the Censorate, and some were minor officials who mixed in the lowest strata of the capital city.
“Brother Zhang? Brother Zhang?”
At this moment, an extremely uncertain, even trembling voice sounded in Zhang Biao’s ear.
Zhang Biao turned his head to look and immediately smiled: “Oh, Brother Shen, all my colleagues are here?”
“Brother Zhang! Brother Zhang!”
Shen Lang rushed forward, disregarding etiquette, grabbed Zhang Biao’s arm, and said with a choked sob, “Are you… are you alright? His Majesty… His Majesty didn’t…”
Saying this, he made a beheading gesture, then glanced fearfully at the closed hall door.
“No, Brother Shen!” Zhang Biao waved his hand grandly, full of spirit: “His Majesty is wise and enlightened. Not only did he not have me beheaded, he even…”
He deliberately drew out the sound, enjoying the moment of bated breath from everyone.
“Even what?!” an impatient Fat Censor couldn’t help but ask.
“Ahem…”
Zhang Biao cleared his throat, his voice suddenly rising eight octaves, ensuring everyone present could hear: “His Majesty! Not only did he pay the salaries owed to Brother Shen and me! He also specifically issued a decree, bestowing ten taels of silver, so that Brother Shen could redeem his pawned ancestral jade pendant! A total of fifty taels of silver! Look!”
Having said that, he immediately opened the small cloth bag in his hand, revealing five white, shiny ten-tael silver ingots.
Boom—!
Like a clap of thunder from a clear sky!
In an instant, the surrounding group of low-ranking capital officials were struck dumb, their insides and outsides scorched, and they were sent tumbling head over heels!
At this moment, they saw Zhang Biao’s figure as incredibly tall, and their gaze even carried a good deal of reverence.
Moreover, they all felt that this ‘mad’ Censor Zhang was reliable. If there was injustice, he would truly right it, and if he had to die for a cause, he would truly die.
Censor Zhang is a good person!
Seeking monthly tickets, seeking recommendation tickets, seeking monthly tickets, seeking monthly tickets!!
