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

Chapter 112 A plea to the Emperor! Execute Imperial Censor Zhang—! [Bonus Chapter 13 for Monthly Tickets]

The night was as dark as ink, and the candlelight flickered.

Back at the official residence, Shen Lang cautiously asked, "Brother Biao, are you really going to let us go to the Ministry of War tomorrow? Aren't you going with us?"

"how?"

Zhang Biao said with amusement, "Are you scared to death again?"

It's not that I'm afraid of death.

Shen Lang said in a trembling voice, "It's those brutes from the Ministry of War. What if they get violent but don't kill us? Wouldn't that be torture?"

He still feels lingering fear when he thinks about the night he was attacked.

Zhang Biao smiled and patted him on the shoulder, saying:

"Don't be afraid. Take Chiang Kai-shek's 'honor guard' with you. Do they dare to use force? It would be an even bigger crime to assault an imperial envoy and defy the emperor!"

At this point, he looked at the others:
"Go and ask them if their ordnance registers, storage records, and actual inventory match. I heard they received a bit too much money last year for manufacturing muskets."

"Then I'd better finish writing my will first."

"I'll write one too!"

"Look at how pathetic you all are!"

Zhang Biao stopped them impatiently, asking with a hint of exasperation, "Don't you know how to do things without me?"

Everyone: "."

Zhang Biao: "."

After a moment of silence, Zhang Biao raised his hand to his forehead, shook his head and sighed, "Isn't it said that the world will keep turning no matter who's gone? How come it doesn't work for me!"

"Brother Biao."

Li Mo couldn't help but ask, "You told us to go to the Ministry of War alone tomorrow, so what about you? What are your plans?"

"That's a good question!"

Zhang Biao immediately perked up, then straightened his posture and said, "As the saying goes, to repel external enemies, one must first pacify the internal situation. I've decided to have the Censorate interrogated tomorrow!"

"what?"

Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this.

What kind of cool operation is this?

Brother Biao actually turned on his own people?!
"Hey Biao, are you drunk?"

Shen Lang looked at Zhang Biao blankly and said, "I'm having trouble keeping up with your train of thought!"

Zhang Biao smiled and then explained:
"The logic is actually very simple. We're making such a fuss now in the name of the Censorate. If we succeed, the Censorate's reputation will be enhanced. If we fail, we'll all die, and they'll get away with nothing, and they'll even have enjoyed a good show. Think about it, why should they?"

At this point, I suddenly thought of Zhan Hui:

"Think about it again, how does Chief Justice Zhan view us? He thinks we're just trying to gain personal fame and reputation! What kind of lousy boss is that?!"

"So, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too. We can't let them watch the show from the sidelines. Even if we die, we'll drag them down with us!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood, and some of them became angry.

Yup!

While we were 'holding our roots and expressing our will' in the Fengtian Hall, they were just watching the show from the sidelines.

Some people even jumped out to criticize us.

What kind of bullshit are these "our own people"? They're all a bunch of self-proclaimed paragons of virtue!
"But."

Although Zhao Fengman understood Zhang Biao's idea, he couldn't help but ask, "Under what pretext should we audit them?"

"A nominal title? Do we still need a nominal title? Doesn't the Censorate receive a salary from the imperial court? Doesn't it use the Ministry of Finance's money?"

Zhang Biao laughed: "Are their accounts really clean? Don't they have any special gifts or charcoal gifts?"

"I refuse to believe it! All crows under heaven are black, but the Censorate remains untainted by the mud!"

"Why is it that old bastard Zhan Hui who gets to jump out and scold me? And he acts all high and mighty, lecturing this person and that person, but is he sure he's clean himself?"

"But it's Brother Biao."

Li Mo remained relatively calm and frowned as he said:

"While what you did may seem satisfying, it has completely offended the Censorate. Shen Lang and his men will likely find it very difficult to move an inch in the government office from now on."

"What do you mean by 'unable to move an inch'?"

Zhang Biao laughed loudly: "Do you think we can succeed now? Your Hanlin Academy, Sun Gui's Ministry of War, Wu Naida's Ministry of Personnel, which one of them doesn't call us 'madmen' and 'demons'? Why are we afraid of a few more enemies?"

"Moreover."

He changed the subject: "Who said we'd have to conduct the trial openly?"

"Not conducting an open trial?"

Everyone looked on in astonishment upon hearing this.

But then Zhang Biao laughed:

“We are conducting an audit under imperial decree, which is perfectly legitimate. Tomorrow, you can go to the Ministry of War as usual to ‘pay your New Year’s respects’ and ask about the arms accounts. Just stall for time and make a show of force.”

"and I?"

He pointed to his nose and said smugly, "As the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, I can go to the archives and accounting office of our Censorate to conduct research, learn, and familiarize myself with the business. Surely that's enough?"

"I'll take a look at the office expenses over the years, the travel allowances for censors in various regions, and where all the extra writing implements that were accidentally collected went."

"I refuse to believe that I can't dig up a few pounds of mud!"

"This"

Li Mo's eyes lit up slightly, and he couldn't help but say, "A feint attack while secretly advancing? Brother Biao, are you planning to completely control the Censorate and use it for our purposes?"

"Haha! You're really clever, kid!"

Zhang Biao laughed loudly, then looked around at everyone and said:
"Brothers, think about it. When we have their dirt on them, will they still dare to mess with us? If they do, I'll dump their mess in Fengtian Hall Square and let everyone have a good laugh."

This imagery is so vivid.

Everyone's eyes lit up instantly.

Imagine the scene: the censors of the Censorate, who usually appear dignified and are quick to impeach others for corruption, having their own filthy secrets exposed. That scene would be far more dramatic than if they were lying dead.

"Done!"

Shen Lang was the first to grit his teeth and respond. Although he was still a little scared, he was also resigned to his fate: "Anyway, we're already in this situation, so what's the worst that can happen!"

"Yes! Interrogate him, you son of a bitch!"

"Let those old geezers know how powerful we are!"

"."

Everyone echoed his sentiments, and a frenzied atmosphere of mutual destruction spread.

Zhang Biao nodded in satisfaction: "That's more like it, he's starting to look like a wolf cub."

Actually, there was another important purpose he didn't mention.

In order to wage an unprecedented "war of public opinion" against Zhu Yuanzhang, he must take control of the Censorate.

"Alright, everyone go back to sleep. We'll get right to work first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Ow—!"

The crowd erupted in a cacophony of howls and wailing.

This night, many people are destined to be sleepless.

the other side.

The study of Fu Youwen, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, had its doors and windows tightly closed, with heavy curtains hanging down to isolate it from the outside world.

The flickering candlelight illuminated several solemn faces, each bearing a hidden edge. Besides the host, Fu Youwen, those present included: Ru Chang, Minister of War; Zheng Ci, Minister of Works; and Zhai Shan, Vice Minister of Personnel.

These four people are arguably the core figures in the current court who are most afraid of and most hate Zhang Biao's 'audit storm'.

"Everyone."

Fu Youwen spoke first, his voice low and heavy, carrying a hint of weariness and panic that he could not hide: "I'm sure everyone is aware of the situation in my Ministry of Revenue."

"That madman Zhang Biao is now wielding power like a chicken feather, using the Emperor's influence to move freely through the Ministry of Revenue's archives!"

"If he keeps causing trouble like this, will we ever have a peaceful day?"

"It's more than just a lack of peace and quiet!?"

Ru Chang snorted coldly, her fat face twitching: "This isn't an audit, it's a raid on property! It's grave robbing! I don't know what's wrong with the Emperor, letting him run rampant like this!"

His tone carried a hint of resentment towards Lao Zhu, but he dared not say it outright.

But the thought of Zhang Biao coming to the Ministry of War to cause trouble tomorrow made him grit his teeth in hatred.

But Zheng Ci stroked his beard and said:
"The Emperor's heart is as deep as the sea. Perhaps he wants to use this madman's blade to teach us a lesson? Or perhaps... there is another hidden meaning?"

He was relatively cautious and did not offer any advice. He then looked at everyone and suggested, "The most urgent task is to stop this fire from burning any longer."

"What Minister Zheng said is absolutely right."

Zhai Shan was the youngest, but he was very thoughtful. He said slowly, "The Emperor may be willing to indulge him, but he would never really want to see the court in chaos and the affairs of the country come to a standstill."

"Zhang Biao's actions are no longer about investigating corruption, but about shaking the foundations of the country."

"The people in all government departments are now in a state of panic and have no interest in doing their duties. If this continues, government affairs will be neglected, border defenses will be relaxed, projects will be halted, and the selection of officials will be disorderly. This is a terrible disaster!"

"Minister Zhai has hit the nail on the head!"

Fu Youwen's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he said, "We can't just think about our own accounts; we need to broaden our perspective! We must let the Emperor see that the consequences of Zhang Biao's actions will paralyze the entire Ming Dynasty!"

He lowered his voice, leaned forward, and said in a deep voice:
“A head-on confrontation is not a good strategy right now. The Emperor is in a fit of anger and seems to intend to use Zhang Biao as a weapon. If we step forward to impeach him, we are likely to be seen as having a guilty conscience, which would only backfire on us.”

"Then what is your opinion, Vice Minister Fu?" Ru Chang asked calmly and indifferently.

"Use their force against them!"

Fu Youwen uttered four words, his eyes turning sinister: "Zhang Biao has offended more than just a few of us."

"His outrageous remarks about auditing the imperial treasury have placed him in opposition to all the nobles and imperial relatives!"

"He acts erratically, disregards the law, and treats court rules as nothing, which has long angered countless upright and law-abiding civil officials!"

"Especially those officials from Jiangnan who uphold the Cheng-Zhu school of Neo-Confucianism and value the dignity of the imperial court!"

He paused and continued:

"We only need to guide them a little. Let those upright censors and Hanlin scholars who value the dignity of the court and are worried about the stagnation of national affairs step forward!"

"Let them cry! Let them make a scene! Let them kneel and plead before the Fengtian Hall! Let them tell the Emperor that if Zhang Biao continues to act so recklessly, the Ming Dynasty will be dragged down by a madman!"

"Shift the blame eastward? Let the upright officials take the lead?"

Zheng Ci nodded in approval and said, "This plan is brilliant! They hold high positions and are often unafraid of powerful figures, taking pride in 'remonstrating to the death.' Having them speak out will be more persuasive than having us do it."

"That's not all. The Jiangnan civil official group has always been at odds with the Huaixi noble group."

Zhai Shan added: "Zhang Biao's move is aimed at striking at the nobles, which they may be happy to see. But if it emphasizes the stagnation of national affairs and the chaos of the court, which touches on their fundamental interests and ideals, they will never sit idly by."

Having said that, he looked around at everyone and then squinted, saying, "We can leak the news through our fellow townsmen, students, and old friends."

"Yes! Just do it!"

Ru Chang slapped her thigh, a fierce look on her face: "Let them curse! Let them curse Zhang Biao for disrupting the court and paralyzing the affairs of the country! I beg Your Majesty, for the sake of the country, to execute this villain and set things right!"

"Hehe, even if we can't kill this scoundrel, we can still buy ourselves time to destroy more evidence."

"Good, good, it will be easier if there is time."

All four agreed to the proposal and began to carefully consider each step.

They determined who would contact which upright officials, through what channels to convey the message, when would be the most appropriate time to launch the impeachment, and even drafted the core arguments for the impeachment.

It's not that we oppose anti-corruption efforts, but rather that we oppose anti-corruption efforts that destroy the order of the court and bring the country to a standstill.

Zhang Biao was portrayed as a 'traitor to the country' who disregarded the overall situation, only knew how to cause destruction, and was more harmful than corruption itself.

The next morning, at Fengtian Hall Square.

Dozens of censors, Hanlin scholars, and officials dressed in blue and green robes, along with some high-ranking but idle civil officials, knelt neatly on the cold gold bricks, led by several respected senior censors.

Unlike Shen Lang and his group, who were dressed in rags and acted absurdly, they wore neat official robes, had solemn expressions, and even conveyed a sense of sorrow and resolve.

The leader was Li Tiesheng, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, who was known for his uprightness and pedantry.

His hair and beard were all white, and he held an ivory tablet in his hand. His voice was sorrowful and desolate, piercing through the morning mist:

"Your Majesty! We, your humble servants, petition this memorial with tears in our eyes! Zhang Biao, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, has used the guise of auditing to commit outrageous acts!"

"He has no respect for his sovereign or father, acts presumptuously and recklessly, and his behavior is eccentric and disregards the law!"

"They forcibly broke into the government offices and seized the archives, causing the administration of key government offices such as the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Works to come to a near standstill!"

"Officials at all levels are in a state of panic and have no intention of handling important military and national affairs!"

"If this continues, how will the national treasury function? How will the border defenses be maintained? How will water conservancy projects be repaired? How will the selection of officials be conducted?!"

"This is not anti-corruption, but a disaster for the country! It is not eliminating the evils of the Ming Dynasty, but shaking the very foundation of the nation!"

"Zhang Biao, this scoundrel, may appear insane, but he harbors a wicked heart! His crimes are too numerous to count! His actions are intolerable to Heaven and Earth!"

"Your Majesty, we humbly beseech you to investigate this matter thoroughly, swiftly execute Zhang Biao, and restore order to the court! To reassure the people! To ensure the eternal peace and stability of our Great Ming Dynasty!"

Behind them, dozens of upright officials kowtowed in unison, their voices loud and clear, carrying the unique solemnity and strength of the civil service:

"We second that request! We implore Your Majesty to swiftly execute Zhang Biao to restore order to the court!"

"The affairs of the state are of utmost importance. I beg Your Majesty to execute Imperial Censor Zhang!"

"The imperial court must not be disrupted! Your Majesty, I beg you to execute Imperial Censor Zhang!"

"..."

The slogans grew louder and louder, each one more venomous than the last.

Instead of directly mentioning their own interests, they raised high the banner of the nation, the state, and the imperial court, nailing Zhang Biao to the pillar of shame for bringing disaster to the country and its people.

The news quickly reached Zhang Biao, who was in the Censorate worrying about the mountain of account books.

Shen Lang and the others were terrified, their faces turning pale: "Brother Biao! Something terrible has happened! Many honest officials are kneeling in Fengtian Hall Square, demanding...demanding that the Emperor execute you!"

"Oh? Is there such a good thing?"

Zhang Biao raised an eyebrow, put down the ledger in his hand, and actually laughed: "I really want to thank them! Go buy five! No! Buy ten pig heads, I'm going to treat them to meat! Hahaha!"

"No, Zhang Qianxian! It's true! I'm not joking! They really are petitioning in Fengtian Hall Square to have you executed!"

Zhao Fengman, who was standing to the side, was almost crying with anxiety: "And it's a huge force! There are dozens of people, more than the number of corpses we had at Fengtian Hall Square last time?"

"Really? That's great!"

He stood up, stretched, and said, "Let's go, brothers, let's see me off one last time!"

"Brother Biao—!"

At this moment, Li Mo, Sun Gui, Wu Naida and the others also rushed over upon hearing the news, their voices trembling with sobs and their faces deathly pale.

"Hey! What's going on with you guys?"

Zhang Biao interrupted them impatiently: "They're actually stopping people from dying?! How can they be so vicious!"

After saying that, he rushed to Fengtian Hall Square without saying another word.

Crazy Thursday! Here I come—!
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(End of this chapter)