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

Chapter 107 Zhu Di: Let things descend into chaos, it's time for this world to change! [Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets: 10]

Beiping, Prince Yan's Mansion.

The flickering candlelight illuminated Zhu Di's sharply defined face.

He had just finished a day of military duties and was deep in thought, staring at the map of the northern border.

The cold wind howled outside the window, but the study was warm and cozy.

The footsteps approached quickly, and Yao Guangxiao strode in almost without being announced.

His usually calm and composed face showed a hint of undisguised surprise, and he clutched a secret letter tightly in his hand.

"Your Highness, an urgent report from Yingtian—!"

Yao Guangxiao's voice was unusually hurried.

Zhu Di frowned slightly and put down his pen: "What could have caused the master to lose his composure like this? Could it be that the court has..."

His words trailed off as Yao Guangxiao handed him the secret letter directly, his tone carrying an air of unbelievable absurdity:
"Your Highness, please see for yourself. It was sent by the Heir Apparent and the Second Young Master at the same time. The content is almost identical."

Zhu Di took the secret letter with a puzzled look and unfolded it.

First, Zhu Gaochi's neat yet slightly hurried handwriting described in detail the earth-shattering scene at Fengtian Hall Square.

How Zhang Biao berated the emperor until he fainted, denounced the nobles, how the lower-ranking officials absurdly voiced their support, how the emperor rewarded the emperor with silver and then confiscated it from the treasury, and finally, the threats and counter-threats on the Qinhuai River.
The text details everything, emphasizing Zhang Biao's madness, arrogance, and unfathomable nature, as well as the immense upheaval and panic it caused in the court and among the public.

As Zhu Di watched, the calm on his face was gradually replaced by shock.

His brows furrowed more and more, his eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.

"Are you asking the Ming Dynasty to die? Or are you publicly cursing the Emperor as someone who deserves to die?"

"He made Father Emperor faint four times? He audited the Six Ministries and nobles? He emptied the government offices? And Father Emperor still rewarded him with eight thousand taels of silver?"

"Being threatened with your family by thieves? Threatening to lie down in front of your own house in return?"

These words, when put together, challenged his preconceived notions.

This is unheard of! An unprecedented phenomenon!
He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and quickly unfolded Zhu Gaoxu's secret letter, which was written in wild handwriting and in an even more agitated tone.

Zhu Gaoxu's letter, while not as detailed as his brother's, is filled with amazement at Zhang Biao's 'madness' and even a hint of barely perceptible admiration.

For example, the letter reads: "Dad! That Zhang guy is fucking amazing!"

And gloating over the misfortunes suffered by court officials and nobles.

After reading both letters, Zhu Di fell silent.

He slowly sat back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table, making a soft, rhythmic sound.

In the candlelight, his expression shifted constantly.

The initial shock and astonishment slowly faded, and an extremely complex and indescribable emotion brewed in his eyes.

suddenly--

"Ah"

A very soft laugh escaped from his throat.

Then, the laughter grew louder and more unrestrained, no longer the kind of restrained, masked laughter, but a genuine, heartfelt laugh filled with catharsis and exhilaration.

"Hahaha--!"

"Good! Good for Zhang Biao! Good for the mad censor!"

Zhu Di slammed his hand on the table, making the pen holder shake violently: "Well said! Well said!"

He stood up and paced back and forth in the study, his eyes gleaming.

"Ru Chang! Fu Youwen! Guo Ying! Li Jinglong! Haha! These parasites of the nation! Corrupt rats! Useless trash! Someone should have pointed at their noses and cursed them long ago!"

"Father...Father is getting old after all, and he has too many concerns, or perhaps...humph!"

He didn't finish his sentence, but his dissatisfaction with the long-standing problems of the court and his contempt for the noble class were fully vented at this moment through Zhang Biao's outburst.

Zhang Biao's madness was like a wildfire, burning through the stagnant waters of Yingtian Prefecture—a bottomless pool that appeared calm on the surface but was actually filthy and polluted.

This gave him, a prince far away in Beiping who was under suspicion, a strange sense of comfort and pleasure.

"My lord."

Yao Guangxiao spoke at the opportune moment, his eyes gleaming with wisdom:
"Although this child is crazy and arrogant, he is like a sharp blade that accidentally entered the chessboard and disrupted the whole game."

"His words and actions, though treasonous, hit the nail on the head. After this disturbance, the court will likely find it difficult to maintain a semblance of peace."

Zhu Di stopped in his tracks, his gaze sharp as an eagle's: "What does the master mean?"

"Observe the situation quietly and make plans in secret."

Yao Guangxiao said in a low voice:

"The brighter this fire burns, the better. And this knife, if used well, may be of use to me."

“At least it can draw away too much unnecessary attention and trouble for us. Your Highness, our opportunity may lie in this chaos.” Upon hearing this, Zhu Di did not reply, but sat back down in his chair, his fingers still unconsciously tapping the table, but the rhythm became steady and meaningful.

Yao Guangxiao stood quietly to the side, like an old monk withered by time, waiting for the Prince of Yan to digest this shocking news and make a judgment.

"Grandmaster!"

Zhu Di finally spoke, his voice regaining its usual calmness, yet carrying a hint of cold sharpness:

"You just said that this piece is a sharp blade that accidentally entered the chessboard and disrupted the whole game."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Yao Guangxiao nodded slightly:
"Moreover, the person wielding the knife, though seemingly Zhang Biao, is probably not immune to the Emperor's tacit approval or even encouragement."

As he spoke, his gaze grew increasingly profound:
"What kind of great ruler is His Majesty? How could he be so easily angered by a mere censor? Even if he were to faint, the first thing he should do upon waking up is to unleash his fury and tear the censor to pieces as a warning to others."

"But the Emperor did not do that. Instead, he rewarded him with silver, emptied the treasury, promoted him in name only but demoted him in reality, and continued to make him audit the audit. This in itself was extremely unusual."

"Are you saying that Father is using someone else to do his dirty work?"

A glint of light flashed in Zhu Di's eyes:
"Use Zhang Biao's 'mad knife' to strike at those nobles and high-ranking officials whom he has long wanted to deal with, but has hesitated to act because of their deeply entrenched connections and the fact that moving one would affect the whole situation?"

"Your Majesty, please understand."

Yao Guangxiao said in a low voice:

"His Majesty may be old, or his temperament may have changed due to the death of His Highness the Crown Prince, but his imperial mind and his way of governing his subordinates will only become more shrewd and profound. Zhang Biao's appearance may be an unexpected surprise for him, a catfish that can break the deadlock and stir up the stagnant waters."

"catfish."

Zhu Di pondered the word, a cold smile curving his lips:

"What a ferocious catfish! Not only is it stirring up trouble in Yingtian, but it's also likely that we, the vassal kings far away in our fiefdoms, will be affected by this muddy water."

His gaze returned to the secret letter, his eyes growing deep and unfathomable.
“I was banished from Yingtian by my father. In name, I was to be stationed in the northern frontier, but in reality, I was far from the center of power and was subject to much suspicion.”

"With my elder brother gone, Father's thoughts are becoming increasingly unpredictable. That child Yunwen... Hmph, behind him stands the Lü family and those civil officials from Jiangnan."

"Within the imperial court, the nobles of Huaixi, the literati of Zhejiang, and those who curry favor with the powerful are all entangled in a complex web of forces, which has long been stagnant, yet maintains a dangerous balance."

"Now, Zhang Biao, this catfish, has barged in and is biting wildly without any regard for consequences. The first thing he's done is to tear apart the facade of the Xun Gui Group."

"Ru Chang, Fu Youwen, Guo Ying, and others are either old brothers of the Emperor or powerful ministers. They have suffered such a great loss and lost so much face, how could they let it go?"

"They dare not directly confront the emperor, so they will inevitably vent all their anger and fear on Zhang Biao and his cronies."

Yao Guangxiao interjected, "The Emperor would be happy to see this happen, and might even secretly fan the flames, making them fight to the death. The Emperor could then take the opportunity to reclaim some of his power, clean up old malpractices, and even clear some obstacles for the Crown Prince's future ascension to the throne."

Zhu Di nodded slowly, his eyes growing brighter and brighter. It was an excitement at seeing opportunities amidst the chaos, and also a suppressed ambition stirring within him.
"That's right! The fiercer they fight, the more chaotic the court will become! Father's attention will be firmly drawn to Yingtian, to how to maintain balance, how to purge, and how to clean up the mess!"

He suddenly stood up, walked to the map of the northern border, and pointed heavily at the location of Beiping:
"And their suspicion and suppression of us will inevitably lessen! This is a great opportunity for us to accumulate strength!"

"What the prince said is absolutely true."

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Yao Guangxiao's face:

"The more chaotic the court is, the less restraint the prince will face in training troops, cultivating land, managing Liaodong, and even exchanging goods with the northern tribes in Beiping. At this moment, the emperor is probably too preoccupied to attend to anything else."

Zhu Di turned around and stared intently at Yao Guangxiao:
"Therefore, Zhang Biao is a weapon that must not be broken. Before Father Emperor completely achieves his goal or feels that he has lost his usefulness, we must even secretly ensure that he doesn't die too quickly!"

"Your Highness is wise."

Yao Guangxiao put his hands together and said:

"Let him continue to stir up trouble, making the waters of Yingtian as muddy as possible. Let him draw all the open and covert attacks, buying us time and space. If necessary, we can even secretly provide him with some assistance, such as irrefutable evidence of certain nobles' illegal activities, to help him spread the flames even brighter!"

A ruthless and decisive glint flashed in Zhu Di's eyes:

"That's the plan! Send orders to our people in Yingtian to closely monitor Zhang Biao and the movements of all parties, but under no circumstances should they be exposed as having any connection with us."

"If given the opportunity, I could anonymously leak some trivial but disgusting information to that 'mad dog censor'."

He paused, his tone carrying a cold sarcasm:

"After all, a mad dog doesn't discriminate when it bites. The fiercer it bites, the more advantageous it is for us."

"As for Father Emperor."

Zhu Di looked south, his eyes filled with complex emotions—reverence, discontent, and a long-suppressed ambition.
"He used Zhang Biao to clean up the court, so why can't I use the chaos caused by Zhang Biao to seek a glimmer of hope for my Yan Kingdom, or even a more distant future?"

Inside the study, the candlelight crackled.

Years of suppressed anger and ambition seemed to find an outlet and a place to grow in Zhang Biao's seemingly absurd farce.

Zhu Di took a deep breath, as if he could already smell not only the scent of ice and snow brought by the cold northern wind, but also the scent of opportunity.

"Let it be chaotic, let it be chaotic."

He muttered to himself, a cold glint in his eyes: "It's time for this Ming Dynasty to change."

(End of this chapter)