Da Ming: I told you to die for your cause, why are you actually going to die?

Chapter 10 Top-Tier Prison Food in the Ming Dynasty! [New Book, Please Add to Favorites]

There was no spoiled food or rotten vegetables as I had imagined, not even coarse cornbread.

Inside was...
A bowl of glistening white rice!
A plate of glistening, juicy stir-fried diced pork!

A plate of vibrant green stir-fried vegetables!
There was also a bowl of egg drop soup with oil and scallions floating on top.
Zhang Biao stared wide-eyed at the two dishes, soup, and white rice in the food box!
Although the food in the real world is much better than this, this is the first time he has seen such a sumptuous feast in the Ming Dynasty, and his mouth is watering uncontrollably.

There was no other way; with the meager salary Old Zhu paid, let alone gourmet food, even feeding the family was a problem.

Otherwise, Imperial Censor Shen wouldn't be squatting at his door every day, slurping porridge from a rough porcelain bowl.

You know, Zhang Biao spent three months in the Ming Dynasty watching him slurp porridge. How could a dignified seventh-rank official in the capital be so pathetic?

Talking too much brings me to tears!
"This...this is for me?" Zhang Biao asked incredulously.

"Isn't that right?"

The young jailer leaned lazily against the bars and said, "Our Chief Jiang said you're a wanted criminal personally looked after by the Emperor, so you'll get special treatment. You'll have meat every meal, and he'll make sure you're full."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, took out a small oil paper packet from his pocket, and threw it into the cell.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Biao picked it up and opened it without any hesitation.

Inside were several delicate mung bean cakes!
"Is the food standard in this imperial prison really that high?"

Zhang Biao could hardly believe his eyes. The stark contrast between the scene and the brutality he witnessed upon entering was so striking that it completely shattered his worldview.

But then the young jailer chuckled, "Nobody else gets this treatment! But who are you? You're the guy in the imperial court who dared to bundle together tax increases, the establishment of an heir apparent, and the Ministry of Revenue's shady dealings, and even volunteered to be skinned alive! Your name is known throughout the prison now! We brothers all admire you as a real man!"

After saying that, he looked around and said in an even lower voice, "Besides, our boss Jiang specifically instructed that Lü Ping, Qi Tai, Zhao Qian, and the others are the ones to be taken seriously! As for you... you're just an extra!"

"But after all, the Emperor himself threw this in, so we have to save face. So, you'll just stay here comfortably, eat and drink well, and treat it as... a vacation?"

Zhang Biao: "."

Vacation? What a load of rubbish! Have you ever seen anyone vacationing in a prison?

It also includes meals and accommodation, with meat, vegetables, and snacks?
The overwhelming sense of absurdity instantly overshadowed the despair from before!

But then Zhang Biao had a sudden realization.

Yup!

Old Zhu threw me in here so that the three judicial departments could conduct a joint trial and investigate who was behind it. The focus wasn't on me, but on Lü Ping and his group!
I'm just an accessory!
He's also a hothead who dares to speak and act on his own, and that's just an added bonus!

Until the mastermind behind this is found out, they not only dare not kill me, but also have to take good care of me, lest I die in prison without knowing why, which would make their Imperial Guard appear incompetent.
Once he understood this, Zhang Biao's eyes lit up instantly!
This isn't a prison! This is clearly a paradise where you can eat and stay all you want, be safe and sound, and not have to attend court every day!

As for traveling back to the real world?
No hurries!
There are plenty of opportunities in the imperial prison!

Who knows, maybe one day Zhu will remember me, and then, outraged by my audacity at the court assembly, he'll order my execution in prison?

Or, after the joint trial by the three judicial departments, they might convict me of disrupting the imperial court and have me dragged out and beheaded?
Isn't this still an immediate execution?

Even if Old Zhu can't remember, the joint trial by the three judicial departments won't convict me. At worst, they'll give Old Zhu some drastic measures!

Didn't that netizen say that in September of the 25th year of Hongwu's reign, if someone wrote a sign saying, "Zhu Chongba, you favor your concubines and abandon your legitimate heirs, which is against human ethics!", Old Zhu would definitely go on a killing spree!
If I'm not mistaken, this should be about Zhu Yunwen being made the Crown Prince by the late Emperor Zhu! Although, according to some people, there's nothing wrong with making Zhu Yunwen the Crown Prince, because he does indeed conform to the primogeniture system.

However, some argue that Zhu Yunwen was the legitimate son, while Zhu Yunwen was the second son born out of wedlock, because Zhu Yunwen's mother, Lady Lü, was later made Crown Princess by Zhu Biao and therefore could not be considered a legitimate son.

In short, this matter has generated a lot of controversy online. Zhang Biao, being a frequent internet user, was naturally aware of it.

However, in Zhang Biao's opinion, putting aside the eldest son and grandson, Zhu Yunwen was a complete waste of his abilities. He couldn't even hold onto the throne properly and let Zhu the Fourth Prince succeed in the Jingnan Campaign.
Allowing such a useless emperor to ascend the throne is a sign of his incompetence as an imperial censor!
Therefore, if the day truly comes when Zhu Yuanzhang establishes a crown prince, he will definitely remonstrate to the death!
There's no room for discussion; we must get rid of that useless emperor, Zhu Yunwen!
It's just unknown when Zhu Yuanzhang will establish a crown prince.
September?

There's no specific time specified!
Forget it, let's just wait and see, we can't get out now anyway!

Staying here, I can also observe those unlucky guys, Lü Ping, being interrogated up close, and maybe even get some juicy gossip that isn't recorded in the History of Ming.

This is way more enjoyable than traveling back in time to watch nonsensical period dramas!
"brother!"

Zhang Biao instantly put on a warm smile, picked up a piece of mung bean cake and stuffed it into his mouth, asking indistinctly, "What's your name?"

"Uh, no problem. My name is Zhu, you can just call me Zhu Xiaosan!"

The young prison guard seemed surprised by Zhang Biao's rapid change in attitude, and his words became somewhat incoherent.

"Zhu Xiaosan? Oh! Third Brother!"

Zhang Biao immediately seized the opportunity, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting, "Please take care of me in the future! This mung bean cake is quite good, do you have any more? Could you add a chicken leg tomorrow?"

Zhu Xiaosan: "..."

This guy is pretty adaptable, huh?

That's quite interesting!
"Okay! Since you have such a good appetite, I'll add more for you tomorrow!"

Zhu Xiaosan smiled and agreed, then strolled away with the empty food box, humming a tune that seemed even more cheerful.

Zhang Biao, meanwhile, happily ate the fragrant food and drank the hot egg drop soup, his earlier despair completely gone.

"Tsk tsk, every cloud has a silver lining!"

He let out a satisfied burp and lay sprawled out on the haystack. Although it was still damp and uncomfortable, his mood was completely different.

"Old Zhu, thank you so much for your kindness! You let me experience the best prison food in the Ming Dynasty!"

"Lord Qi, Minister Zhao, Vice Minister Lü... you must hold on! Hold on for a few more days! Don't confess so quickly! Let me enjoy these peaceful days with food and lodging provided for a few more days!"

"Wait until your brother has eaten and drunk his fill, and is rested and ready to go..."

Deep within the dimly lit prison, in a certain cell, the soft, carefree snoring of someone could be heard.

Meanwhile, Lu Ping and the others in the imperial prison were receiving their first round of intensive care and enthusiastic greetings, with faint screams echoing through the air.

In his sleep, Zhang Biao smacked his lips and mumbled, "Hmm, can we order food tomorrow? I want to eat fish!"

　Please note that because this is an alternate history, the characters' ages should not be calculated based on historical figures. Just enjoy the story.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)