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

Chapter 120 Zhu Chongba! You're no good! [Seeking monthly votes]

"That's right! I've had enough of this humiliation in the Ministry of War!"

Sun Gui suddenly stood up, his chest heaving:

"From now on, I'll keep an eye on those parasites who suck the blood of soldiers! I'm willing to risk my life if necessary!"

Wu Naida narrowed his eyes slightly, a glint of shrewdness in them: "Since we're going to die anyway, let's have some fun. It's time to settle the score with the Ministry of Personnel."

His tone carried a newfound ruthlessness and initiative.

Zhao Fengman's face turned bright red, and he nodded vigorously, saying:

"I'll listen to you! Don't let my weight fool you! I'm agile! I can run errands and keep watch! Anyone who tries to harm us, I'll make them pay!"

"I will write down all that I see and hear in my memorial to the throne."

Shen Lang spoke in a trembling voice, suddenly recalling the fear of being attacked that night and being confronted by thugs, and even more so, the way Zhang Biao patted his shoulder and said, "Don't be afraid."

The five people looked at each other, stretched out their hands together, and spoke in unison.

"If we're going to go crazy, we'll go crazy together! If we're going to die, we'll die together!"

Li Mo's words were like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, creating ripples that dispelled despair and confusion.

Instead, there is a resolute determination and a clear sense of purpose.

Five hands were clasped tightly together. Although Shen Lang's slight tremor and Sun Gui's roughness could still be felt, an invisible force seemed to be transmitted through their clasped hands.

The vows echoed within the cramped official residence, low yet resolute.

After letting go, the five sat down again, their eyes now different.

The light from the oil lamp danced on their faces, reflecting an unprecedented earnestness and wisdom.

Li Mo, as the temporary core of the plan, spoke again, his voice much calmer:
"Now that the goal has been set, we cannot act recklessly. We must develop a detailed strategy, with each person fulfilling their responsibilities and cooperating with each other, operating like a precision machine."

Then he looked at Wu Naida: "Brother Wu, you are in the Ministry of Personnel, a crucial position. Your task is to draw up plans."

"Drawing?" Wu Nai raised an eyebrow.

"Correct!"

Li Mo nodded and said, "Let's draw up our own network of official relationships. It's not just about our obvious enemies like Fu Youwen, Ru Chang, Zheng Ci, and Zhai Shan."

"We also need to find out who their core henchmen are and in which key positions they hold."

"Furthermore, which officials are frustrated and unsuccessful, and could be secretly recruited or utilized by us? Which seemingly neutral but crucial figures are we talking about, such as clerks in the archives or minor officials who deliver documents?"

"These people often play an unexpected role."

Wu Naida's eyes gleamed even brighter, and a calculating smile appeared on his lips:

"Understood. I'm good at this. The Ministry of Personnel's evaluation records and promotion and transfer orders are the best sources of information. I will compile a detailed list and relationship diagram."

Upon hearing this, Li Mo looked at Sun Gui and said, "Brother Sun Gui, you are in the Ministry of War, and your task is to keep watch."

"Stakeout?"

Sun Gui was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Didn't Zhao Fengman say he was going to keep watch? Why is it my turn now?"

But he did not rush to question Li Mo.

But Li Mo said firmly, "Yes, like the most patient hunter, we lie in wait."

"But."

Sun Gui glanced at Zhao Fengman subconsciously, still somewhat puzzled.

But Li Mo seemed to see through his doubts and patiently explained:
“Brother Biao mentioned before that there was a problem with the money allocated to the Ministry of War last year for making muskets. This is a breakthrough. But you must not take the initiative to investigate, otherwise you will be exposed immediately.”

"What you need to do is work as usual, or even more diligently."

"But keep a close eye on all the documents, warehousing records, and accounting entries related to the handling of military equipment, provisions, and especially the silver for that batch of muskets. Remember any subtle anomalies, any seemingly reasonable delays or ambiguities."

"At the same time, keep an eye on the Ministry of War to see who is dissatisfied with Ru Chang and who may know the inside story but is being ostracized."

"Gather all information, but remain inactive and wait for the best opportunity."

Sun Gui finally understood, and gave a heavy "hmm," his eyes sharp as an eagle's:

"Alright! I'll squat here and see what tricks they can pull! If they make even the slightest mistake, I'll remember it clearly!"

Then, Li Mo looked at Zhao Fengman and Shen Lang:
“Brother Fengman, Brother Shen, you are imperial censors, and your task is to start the fire.”

"ignition?"

Zhao Fengman immediately became interested and eager to try: "How do we choose? Who should we impeach?"

"It's not a blind impeachment."

Li Mo shook his head and said, "You must utilize the power of reporting based on hearsay, but you must ignite the fire precisely. The selection of targets must follow several principles!"

"First, they are indeed corrupt officials whose crimes are relatively easy to prove and who have aroused great public resentment."

"Secondly, it is best to be a marginal figure in the Fu and Ru faction who is not so core and can be discarded."

"Third, the timing of the impeachment must be clever, preferably creating chaos or providing cover for our other actions."

"for example."

Shen Lang added:
"If Brother Wu discovers that one of Ru Chang's cronies received an undeserved high rating in the Ministry of Personnel's evaluation, we can use that as grounds to impeach him for falsifying performance records. We might not find evidence of embezzlement immediately, but we can always find grounds for procedural injustice."

"That's right!"

Li Mo gave Shen Lang an approving look:
"That's it! It may seem like a small matter, but it can muddy the waters and make them suspicious of each other."

"Furthermore, you must gradually change your style. Your memorials should be written in a more reasonable and well-founded manner, no longer just rambling nonsense."

"Only in this way can we gradually regain some say, and even make some people think that we have turned over a new leaf and lower their guard."

"understood!"

Zhao Fengman nodded with a sinister smile:

"Like a poison needle hidden in your sleeve, it may look inconspicuous, but if you prick it in the right spot, it can be deadly!"

Finally, Li Mo pointed to himself: "I'm in the Hanlin Academy, and my task is to mine."

"The Hanlin Academy's collection of books is vast, and its old archives are piled up like mountains."

"I will use the pretext of compiling history and organizing classics to access as many archives as possible related to the Ministry of Works' projects, the Ministry of Revenue's old accounts, and even major cases of impeachment by censors in previous years."

"Search for similar corruption patterns, search for key evidence that may have been forgotten, and search for clues to major cases that have been suppressed."

"At the same time, I will closely monitor the movements of the Qingliu faction and the civil officials of Jiangnan, and analyze the changes in the political climate at court."

"Perhaps I can find something that truly shakes the foundations of those enemies, or..."

At this point, his eyes narrowed slightly, filled with determination and hope: "Find a glimmer of hope to save Brother Biao."

hiss--!
Mentioning "Saving Brother Biao" made everyone's hearts clench.

The execution would take place after the autumn harvest; time was short and hope was slim, but this had to be one of their ultimate goals.

"Then how do we contact each other? How do we pass messages?"

Wu Naida raised the most practical issue: "We can't hold gatherings like this all the time; it's too conspicuous."

Li Mo had already thought it through: "Let's agree on a few seemingly ordinary codes and locations."

As he spoke, he looked around at the four people and continued:
"For example, if anyone had urgent intelligence, they would tie an inconspicuous strip of cloth to a specific branch of the crooked tree at the home of Imperial Censor Wang."

“Ordinary intelligence can be mixed in with official documents, using markings that only we understand.”

"Avoid meeting unless absolutely necessary."

"it is good!"

Everyone spoke in unison once again.

This time, no one is protecting them anymore; they have to rely on themselves.

This time, no one taught them; all they had was the undying flame of justice in their hearts.

On the other side, in the Huagai Hall, was Old Zhu's bedroom.

"Your Majesty, it's time for dinner." Yunming carefully walked to Old Zhu's side and bowed to remind him.

But Zhu ignored him, gripping the armrests of the dragon throne tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force.

As emperor, he knew that Confucianism was the foundation of his rule and the bond that united the hearts of scholars throughout the land.

Zhang Biao's actions are tantamount to digging up the ancestral graves of the Zhu family!

Its heart is awkward!

But on the other hand
The filthy accounts of Li Tiesheng's so-called "pure" group filled him with extreme disgust and disappointment.

A pile of mud!
It's all mud!

We've killed so many corrupt officials, how come we still can't eradicate them all?!
Those who read the classics are dirtier than anyone else at heart!
Zhang Biao, like a mad dog, rushed into the muddy pond without a care in the world, not only stirring up the mud and splashing everyone with it, but also almost digging up the pond's foundation!

Killing Zhang Biao was inevitable.

Not killing them would not be enough to uphold the dignity of "sacred learning" or to appease the scholars of the world.

Even if it's just superficial reassurance.

But what happens after we kill them? Will the stagnant pond become clear? Will the vermin hiding deep within disappear?
Old Zhu felt a deep sense of exhaustion and powerlessness.

Throughout his life, he was decisive and ruthless, and he hated corrupt officials the most.

In the end, however, he discovered that corruption was like weeds, growing back after being burned, and even growing within the very "clean" ranks he relied on to maintain his rule.

"emperor!"

Just then, a young eunuch tremblingly presented two memorials.

One copy belongs to Li Jinglong, the Duke of Cao.

One copy is from Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding.

Old Zhu frowned, remaining silent, and picked up the memorial to the throne and began to unfold it.

Li Jinglong's memorial was written with sincerity and even humility.

He deeply reflected on his lax management of his household and his inability to govern his subordinates, which led to a deficit in the household and a failure to live up to the emperor's favor.

He expressed his shame at no longer serving in the court and pleaded to resign from all his official positions. He also attached a thick list of his family's assets, claiming that he was willing to donate all of his assets to the national treasury as a sign of his remorse.

The words were filled with fear and a sense of 'I was wrong, please forgive me'.

Guo Ying's request was much simpler and more direct. He pleaded that he should retire and return to his hometown of Fengyang to recuperate, citing old age, physical weakness, and the recurrence of old injuries.

Although the tone was respectful, the sense of despondency and eagerness to escape the eye of the storm was almost palpable.

These two memorials were like two cold needles, piercing Old Zhu's most sensitive and suspicious nerve.

Resign from office? Hand over family property?

Retire and return home?
Old Zhu's eyes narrowed sharply, his earlier exhaustion and helplessness instantly replaced by cold suspicion and anger.

After Zhang Biao's audit, were these two in a hurry to run away?

Li Jinglong even wants to hand over all his assets? This isn't an apology; it's clearly fear! It's a guilty conscience!

They're trying to shut us up and get a way out!
Guo Ying, that old fox, also wants to run away? Go back to Fengyang? That's our hometown, not your safe haven!

The more they acted this way, the more suspicious Old Zhu became!
Before Zhang Biao left, his almost curse-like maniacal laughter meant he must have discovered something deadly! He must have found something even more incriminating against them!
It just hasn't been revealed yet, or...
Did that madman deliberately leave it unsaid, just to disgust us before he died?
See how useless you are!
I've presented you with the problem, but you still can't solve it!
Just wait and see your Ming Empire slowly perish in decay!
Just wait and see your descendants die a gruesome death under the butcher's knife of that other "Zhu Chongba" who raised the banner of rebellion!
Hahaha!
Zhu Chongba! You're no good!

As if he could hear Zhang Biao's mocking, unrestrained laughter, Old Zhu's hand, gripping the memorial, trembled with anger.

The memorial became distorted and broken due to his force.

As for Yunming and the eunuch who presented the memorial, they were so frightened that they knelt down on the ground with a thud, trembling and pale.

But Old Zhu completely ignored them.

Extreme anger, frustration, and grief filled Old Zhu's eyes with murderous intent.

You think you can just cut your losses and escape now that you've been investigated? Trying to slip away unnoticed?
dream!

We're not dead yet!
The Ming Dynasty still belongs to Zhu Yuanzhang!

A surge of rage at being belittled and fooled swept over Old Zhu.

He could almost see those nobles and high-ranking officials laughing at him behind his back, thinking that he could get away with this "self-punishment of drinking three cups".

"I'm perfectly fine."

Old Zhu's voice was as cold as ice from the deepest hell, carrying a chilling killing intent: "You all want to play mind games with us like Zhang Biao? You all want to test our bottom line?"

He suddenly stood up and shouted sharply towards the outside of the hall, "Guards!"

"The slave is here!"

Yunming scrambled forward a few steps.

"deliver an imperial order!"

Old Zhu's voice was resolute and brooked no argument: "Duke Cao, Li Jinglong, is incompetent in managing his household, has a serious deficit, and his intentions are treacherous! Marquis Wuding, Guo Ying, is arrogant because of his achievements, deserted his post in battle, and has failed to live up to the Emperor's grace!"

"Order Jiang Huan to have the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrest these two men immediately! Strip them of their clothes and throw them into the imperial prison!"

"Examine it carefully! Especially check whether Li Jinglong's list of assets is real or fake, verify it item by item!"

"promise!"

Yunming was so frightened that he was scared out of his wits and hurriedly accepted the order and left.

Old Zhu was panting heavily, his eyes flashing with cold light.

Don't they all want some peace and quiet? Don't they all want to distance themselves from this?

We'll do the opposite of what you want!

Since Zhang Biao has already stirred up the water, let's just scoop up all the turtles from the bottom and take a look!

Li Jinglong and Guo Ying, neither of them will escape!
And those hiding behind Fu Youwen and his group, none of them will escape either!
At this moment, Old Zhu was no longer just angry because of Zhang Biao's madness, but also furious because of the noble group's soft resistance and probing.

He decided to turn the tables and use the opening Zhang Biao had made to carry out a more thorough and brutal purge!
Then, a dramatic scene unfolded.

Not long after, in the deepest part of the imperial prison, the death row.

Zhang Biao was leaning against the corner of the wall, idly tracing something on the wall with his finger.

All that could be heard was the sound of heavy iron chains and footsteps.

Bang!

The door to an empty cell across the street was opened.

Li Jinglong, pale-faced and distraught, was pushed inside.

Immediately afterwards, the door to the cell next door was also opened.

Guo Ying, whose hair and beard were all white, whose face was ashen and who looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant, was also brought in.

The three men stared at each other through the iron bars of the cell.

When Li Jinglong and Guo Ying saw Zhang Biao, the culprit in the opposite cell, looking at them with a playful smile, their expressions were indescribable—a mixture of terror, despair, and a touch of utterly absurd humor.

Zhang Biao looked at his two new cellmates, paused for a moment, then seemed to have seen something extremely interesting and couldn't help but chuckle softly. The laughter echoed in the gloomy prison corridor, sounding particularly jarring.

"Yo?"

"Gong Cao Guo?"

"Marquis Wuding?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"This is going to be interesting."

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　　[There's one more bonus chapter I haven't finished writing yet. I originally planned to post it all at once, but seeing everyone's urging me, I'll post two chapters first, and then post the other one after I finish writing it. Sorry, it will be soon.]

　　
　
(End of this chapter)