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

Chapter 108 I can't eat or sleep without auditing the imperial treasury for a day [Bonus Chapter 11 for Monthly Tickets]

Prince Yan, Zhu Di, received news about Zhang Biao, as did Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang, and Prince Jin, Zhu Gang.

They all reacted differently to Zhang Biao's madness and made various arrangements.

Zhang Biao was completely unaware of this.

What he needs to do now is figure out how to retaliate after Lao Zhu refused to audit the internal funds.

Because of Lao Zhu's laissez-faire attitude and near-comprehensive ban, it will bring them more and bigger troubles, even more troubles than the threat on the Qinhuai River that night.

Therefore, he had to retaliate.

If we don't fight back.
That's the situation.

The high-ranking officials, who already both hated and feared Zhang Biao, suddenly straightened their backs.

Several high-ranking officials even gathered together, their faces bearing gloating and sneer of taking advantage of someone's misfortune.

[Left Vice Censor-in-Chief? Hmph, I think his time as a censor is over!]

[Pass the word down: our people need to be on their toes. If Zhang Biao tries to access any files again, proceed according to the rules, and take your time!]

He can only use certain personnel if he needs them, and they will all be temporarily reassigned for other official duties.

[Let me send another message to our old friends: if you have any juicy gossip, feel free to throw it at Zhang Biao! Nobody's protecting him now!]

It was almost visibly that Zhang Biao and his 'audit team' felt immense pressure.

Although things were difficult before, at least there was the protection of being "investigated by imperial decree".

Now, the amulet seems to have lost its effectiveness.

When they went to various government departments to retrieve the archives, they were no longer met with feigned poverty or insincere delays, but rather with blatant obstruction and rejection.

Excuses such as lost files, absence of the responsible official, and the need for multiple layers of approval have emerged one after another.

Various negative rumors about Zhang Biao began to circulate in the market.

They accused him of auditing for personal gain, of colluding with princes, and even of being involved with the remnants of the three major cases during the Hongwu reign—each claim was made with absolute certainty and utter malice.

Even Shen Lang was beaten up with a sack over his head on his way home at night.

Sun Gui received a threatening letter containing razor blades.

An invisible, suffocating pressure began to envelop everyone in the 'audit team'.

"Brother Biao, something's not right."

At this moment, inside Zhang Biao's dilapidated official residence, Li Mo, pale-faced, held several returned transfer documents and said, "They don't seem afraid of us anymore?"

Shen Lang, his face bruised and swollen, gritted his teeth and echoed, "Not only are we not afraid! They're openly opposing us! It must be the Emperor's side!"

Before he could finish speaking, everyone looked at Zhang Biao.

Zhang Biao lay on the tattered bed, his face showing no sign of panic, but rather an expression of 'not expected'.

"Why are you panicking?"

He rested his hands behind his head and calmly said, "Old Zhu's move of sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight was truly brilliant. He not only made himself appear magnanimous but also used someone else to do his dirty work."

"Then what do we do? Or..."

Sun Gui clutched his injured arm and whispered, "Shall we stop for a bit?"

"Stop? Why should we stop?"

Zhang Biao sat up, grinned, and a more dangerous glint flashed in his eyes:
"The real show has only just begun! They think they can do whatever they want just because Old Zhu is no longer involved? Perfect!"

"The more they resist, the more underhanded they become, the more flaws they reveal!"

"Fu Youwen and Ru Chang must be so smug right now, thinking they've got the victory in the bag? They're probably celebrating with drinks somewhere!"

"Send the order!"

Zhang Biao suddenly stood up: "From today onwards, everyone in the Audit Department must travel to and from get off work in groups of at least three! Each person will be given a whistle; blow it loudly in case of danger!"

"In addition, pick the most sensational tidbits from those we found about Fu Youwen and Ru Chang that we haven't had time to verify yet, and find a few absolutely reliable beggars to sing Lianhualuo at the entrance of the alleyway between the Fu and Ru families!"

Let's give them some excitement!

"They're going to play dirty tricks, aren't they? I'll play along with them to the end! Let's see who gives in first!"

Suddenly, a chaotic clatter of hooves, rude shouts, and the clanging of metal armor shattered the silence of the night, surging in from the alleyway like a cold tide.

"Damn it! What a terrible place! The road is so narrow! My horse can barely turn around!"

"I heard a bunch of penniless censors live here? So poor they're dirt broke, yet they have the money to send us men out for a midnight feast?"

"Boss, is it the one at the very end of this alley? It doesn't look much better than the pigsty back home!"

"Enough with the nonsense! Minister Ru has ordered us to patrol this area to ensure public order! Get your attention! Shout it out!"
The boisterous laughter, the deliberately heavy clatter of horses' hooves on the bluestone slabs, and the clanging of sword sheaths against the walls, were like real whips, lashing the flimsy wooden doors of the official residence and striking the hearts of everyone in the courtyard.

"They're here! They've come openly!"

A young imperial censor's voice trembled as the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a 'clatter,' shattering into pieces.

Shen Lang suddenly jumped up from the stool, his face stinging, but he still forced himself to rush to the door and peek out through the crack.

In the dim moonlight, a dozen or so soldiers, dressed in uniforms, wearing felt hats askew, and with menacing faces, were riding skinny warhorses, patrolling back and forth in the narrow alley.

They deliberately slowed down, their gazes sweeping over the small courtyard with a menacing intensity, as if they were examining fish on a chopping board.

"Get out of the way! What are you looking at! If you keep looking, I'll tear down this broken door and use it as firewood!"

One of the thugs saw the eye through the crack in the door, roared viciously, and deliberately spat a glob of phlegm onto the door.

Shen Lang was so frightened that he took a step back, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of his throat.

"What do they want to do?"

Sun Gui instinctively picked up his extinguished chamber pot lamp, as if the lamp could give him strength: "Should we fight them?!"

Li Mo's face was ashen. He tried to remain calm, but his voice trembled: "Intimidation! This is blatant intimidation! This is a man's rage! Blood will spill within five steps!"

At this moment, the shouts and curses outside became even clearer.

"Listen up, you poor wretches inside! We're on patrol to protect you! If you know what's good for you, come out and kowtow to us, and offer us some money for drinks!"

"Otherwise, these swords and knives don't have eyes! If they accidentally get caught in a fire or a thief breaks in, don't blame us!"

"Hahaha! Maybe there are even flower thieves here! I heard some of you bring your families?"

That last sentence struck at everyone's fear like a sharp knife.

Although most of their families were not at the official residence, this blatant threat reminded them of what happened that night on the Qinhuai River.

"Brother Biao—!"

Everyone was almost in tears, crowding around the bed, looking at Zhang Biao with pleading eyes, as if he were their only lifeline.

"It's so noisy!"

Zhang Biao muttered impatiently and stood up unsteadily.

He walked to the table, picked up the half-empty jar of cheap wine, gulped down several large mouthfuls, and then slammed the jar down on the table with a 'bang'.

The liquor dripped down his chin, soaking his clothes, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter. "Damn it... I won't be able to sleep tonight."

He cursed and pushed aside the crowd, staggering towards the door.

"Brother Biao! What...what are you going to do?"

Shen Lang asked, his heart pounding with fear.

"what?"

Without turning his head, Zhang Biao's voice, tinged with drunken hiccups and a defiant, reckless attitude, said, "I'm going to talk to them and reason with them! I'll have a chat about life!"

Amidst the horrified gazes of the crowd, Zhang Biao slammed open the flimsy wooden door.

Outside the door, the group of thugs were cursing when they suddenly saw the door open and a young man in a rumpled official robe, reeking of alcohol, stagger out. They were all taken aback.

The leader of the thugs reined in his horse, sized Zhang Biao up and down, and sneered, "Oh? Finally, someone with a man's got the guts to show up? You're Zhang Biao, the one who started this trouble?"

Zhang Biao ignored him, instead squinting as he scanned the group of ruffians, his gaze finally settling on the warhorses beneath them.

These horses were thin, with dull coats, and their saddles were old and even a bit tattered.

Zhang Biao suddenly grinned, a smile that looked somewhat eerie in the dim light.

He pointed to the horses and, addressing the leading soldier, asked in an extremely serious tone, as if discussing an academic matter:
"Brother, how much does it cost to feed your horses every day?"

"what?"

The gang leader was bewildered by his nonsensical question.

Zhang Biao persisted, asking, "Look how thin this horse is, it must be starving, right? Has the Ministry of War been withholding your horse feed money? Just like withholding our salaries?"

He took a step forward, his voice rising, carrying a fervent sympathy:

"Our brothers have it tough! They brave the wind and sun to protect our country, and yet they can't even feed their horses?"

"Tsk tsk, having to be sent by their superiors to do this kind of low-down work in the middle of the night to scare us poor, pedantic scholars? Isn't that shameful? Isn't that disgraceful?"

The soldiers looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

Why is this censor acting so unpredictably?!

Shouldn't they be terrified or reprimand them sternly?
Why are you talking about horse feed? And you even seem to sympathize with us?!

Taking advantage of their momentary daze, Zhang Biao slapped his thigh hard and said with a pained expression:

"This is all that old fat pig Ru Chang's fault!"

"Brothers! We are all victims! We are all unfortunate people who have been harmed by those corrupt officials!"

"We should be in the same boat, sharing the same hatred and hatred! How come we're turning against each other?!"

The gang leader, realizing he'd been tricked, flew into a rage and cursed:

"Bullshit! Who says we're on the same side as you? Stop trying to be friendly! Just give me the money!"

"money?"

Zhang Biao's eyes widened, then he flashed an even more exaggerated smile. He turned abruptly and shouted into the courtyard, "Accountant Shen! Assistant Minister Sun! Bring out the reward money the Emperor bestowed upon us! Let the brothers see it!"

Shen Lang and the others hid behind the door, their legs trembling with fear.

what's the situation?
Shouldn't the reward money be returned to the Emperor?
The Emperor has issued an edict!

But upon hearing Zhang Biao's order, they still cautiously took out the box containing eight thousand taels of silver.

Zhang Biao yanked open the box, revealing a thick wad of banknotes inside.

The soldiers' eyes widened instantly, and their breathing became heavy.

Eight thousand taels!
They've never seen so much money in their entire lives!

Zhang Biao picked up a stack of banknotes, slamming them against his hand with a loud crack, his voice full of allure: "See this? It's a reward from the Emperor! Why? Because we exposed corrupt officials! Because we got our hard-earned money back!"

Then, he changed the subject, pointing at the thugs:

"Brothers! Think about it!"

"How much is the total amount of your withheld military pay and embezzled horse feed? Don't you want to get it back?"

"Following those parasites, you'll only live on air!"

"Follow me, let's do audits together! Let's dig out all the money from corrupt officials!"

"By then, there won't be enough feed for the horses, and there will be enough for each of you to get a wife!"

The soldiers were completely dumbfounded, their minds unable to keep up with Zhang Biao's pace.

Anger, greed, doubt, and a hint of aggrieved sentiment were intertwined on their faces.

The leader swallowed hard, his eyes darting back and forth between Baochao and Zhang Biao's crazed faces. His hand instinctively tightened its grip on the hilt of his knife, yet it felt somewhat powerless.

Seeing their reactions, Zhang Biao's smile grew even brighter.

He knew that the time was almost right.

He suddenly threw the banknotes in his hand into the air.

Crash-!
The precious banknotes scattered in the night wind.

"I'm in a good mood today! Here, take these as a reward!"

"Consider it a treat for the brothers to have drinks!"

"Ow—!"

The soldiers were stunned for a moment, then let out a frantic howl.

They disregarded military orders and dismounted, rushing towards the falling banknotes like wild dogs fighting for food, pushing, shoving, and even fighting among themselves.

The scene suddenly fell into chaos.

Zhang Biao stood at the door, watching this group of scoundrels who were behaving so disgracefully over a few banknotes, and laughed loudly: "Old Zhu, Old Zhu! Just wait, I won't be able to eat or sleep peacefully until I audit the imperial treasury!"

Shen Lang and the others behind the door were dumbfounded, their jaws practically dropping to the ground.

That...that solves it?
Use money to throw it at us?
It's the Emperor's money?!
Brother Biao's thinking is always so abstract yet effective!
However, amidst this chaos, no one noticed that in the deeper shadows of the alley, a pair of cold eyes were silently watching everything.

Those were secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard sent by Jiang Huan.

He meticulously recorded everything that happened that night, including Zhang Biao's distribution of rewards and his words to incite the army.

This record will soon be on Old Zhu's desk.

[Censor Zhang not only failed to repay his debts but also used the Emperor's money to recruit soldiers and buy horses.]

……

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(End of this chapter)