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

Chapter 165 Old Zhu, why wasn't it your son who died? [Seeking monthly votes]

The four words "abolish Confucianism" indeed became the fuse that ignited the anger of scholars across the country!
The person behind the scenes took advantage of this with extreme ruthlessness and precision!
An overwhelming rage, like magma, instantly overwhelmed Old Zhu's reason!

His forbearance for the sake of the greater good, his pursuit of the truth, all his plans and rhythm were completely disrupted and trampled upon at this moment by the scene of "ten thousand people pleading for their lives".

His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead, and he pointed towards the direction outside the hall, roaring like thunder at the trembling officials in the hall:

"Look! Show us all!"

"These are the scholars of our Great Ming Dynasty! These are the upright and honest officials we have placed our hopes on!"

"Instead of caring about the people's suffering! Instead of impeaching corrupt officials! They've learned to incite crowds to force the emperor to abdicate! They've learned to coerce us!"

"For the sake of a madman's ravings, he's willing to abandon his Confucian classics and come to our palace to cause trouble!"

"Tell us! Who's behind this?! Who gave them the guts?! Huh?!"

His gaze, like a blazing sword, swept over every official below the stage, especially those who were about to be dragged out of the Meridian Gate and beheaded, as if he wanted to devour them alive.

"Was it you?! Was it all orchestrated by you?! First you made a ruckus inside the hall, then you put on this whole show outside?! Trying to force us to submit?!"

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger! We would never dare!"

The officials who were about to be dragged out of the Meridian Gate for execution were so frightened that they knelt down in unison and kowtowed repeatedly.

They had no idea about the '10,000 people petitioning' incident, although they were indeed instructed to do so.

When Old Zhu saw their appearance, his eyes gleamed with an all-knowing light.

Who is he? He is Zhu Yuanzhang!
He was the founding emperor who fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood! What he hated most was being coerced!

If it were according to his usual temperament, he would have already ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to be mobilized, arresting and killing these ignorant scholars, and seeing who would dare to force the emperor to abdicate!

But... just before that overwhelming rage was about to erupt, a thought flashed through his mind, a thought that was even colder and more in line with his current state of mind.

[The second? The third? Or the fifth? Or all of them together? Or perhaps those deeper hidden within the court?]

Are you desperate? Are you afraid Zhang Biao will keep attacking and expose all your secrets?

So, they went so far as to incite students across the country and create such a huge scene, just to force us to act decisively, kill Zhang Biao, and close this case?

You want us to follow the path you've laid out for us?

Thinking of this, Old Zhu's raging anger miraculously began to cool, transforming into an extremely terrifying, icy calm and an all-knowing mockery.

Trying to force us? We won't back down!

The more you want Zhang Biao dead, the more we want him to live!

The more you want to close the case quickly, the more thoroughly we'll investigate it!

Let's see who's the first to lose their composure in the end!

Thus, under the horrified gazes of all the civil and military officials in the hall, the terrifying rage on Old Zhu's face slowly faded, replaced by an almost indifferent calm.

He merely narrowed his eyes slightly, as if listening to the increasingly loud petitions coming from outside the hall, and even the corners of his mouth curled up in a faint, extremely cold arc.

He slowly leaned back on the dragon throne, his voice calm and undisturbed, yet it sent a chill down the spines of Jiang Huan and all the ministers who heard him:
"Jiang Huan!"

"Chen is here!"

Jiang Huan immediately bowed and stepped forward.

But Old Zhu said calmly and indifferently:
"Throw the official who just offered advice into the imperial prison and investigate him thoroughly. We need to find out who is stirring up trouble behind this!"

"After the investigation is complete, drag them outside the city gate and kill them one by one! Slowly kill them! While killing them, read out their crimes!"

"Furthermore, convey my decree."

"Tell those kneeling people outside."

"We know about their 'loyalty'."

"But every country has its laws, and every case has its procedures. As for the crimes of Zhang Biao and his accomplices, we will make our own judgment. They don't need to worry about it."

"If they like kneeling..."

Old Zhu's voice trailed off here, carrying an extremely cold tone:

"Then let them kneel."

"Kneel until they figure it out, or until they can't kneel anymore."

"No one shall be driven away, suppressed, or paid any attention to."

"Retreat."

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't look outside the hall again, nor did he pay any attention to the dumbfounded officials. He stood up straight, flicked his sleeves, and left, leaving behind a cold and resolute back view.

Jiang Huan was stunned for a moment, then immediately accepted the decree: "Your subject obeys!"

He felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that the emperor was going to respond to this seemingly grand but actually well-seen coup in the coldest way possible.

The officials inside the hall were completely dumbfounded.

Neither the thunderous rage nor the compromise they had anticipated materialized. The emperor dealt with this petition from ten thousand people with an almost dismissive and extremely ruthless attitude.

This is more frightening and unsettling than indiscriminate killing.

What exactly does the emperor want to do?

the other side.

Even the thick walls of the imperial prison could not completely block out the faint, undulating clamor from outside.

The shouts of "Slay the traitors! Set the record straight!" were muffled, yet carried an undeniable stubbornness, and came in intermittently.

Zhang Biao was drawing incomprehensible symbols on the wall with a small wooden stick. Hearing this noise, he paused slightly, listened intently, and a playful expression appeared on his face.

"Tsk, it's quite lively outside, isn't it?"

He muttered something to himself, then raised his voice and shouted towards the cell door:
"Hey! You over there! Yes, stop hiding, it's you! Come on over and let's chat!"

The man standing guard in the shadows in the distance was the same Imperial Guard who had been terrified by Zhang Biao during the interrogation of Sun Gui. Hearing Zhang Biao's shout, he instinctively stiffened, his face showing extreme reluctance, but he dared not actually refuse to go over.

After all, no one knows what shocking and deadly things this madman will say next.
He walked slowly to the cell door, keeping as far away as possible, and said with a stern face:

"Zhang Biao, what are you planning to do now?"

"Nothing much, just chatting, it's pretty boring in prison."

Zhang Biao grinned and pointed outside with his wooden stick: "What's all this commotion outside? It sounds like a theatrical performance, all that shouting and killing. Which traitor are they going to kill?"

The Imperial Guard's lips twitched slightly, and he answered curtly:

"Students of the Imperial Academy, censors of the Hanlin Academy, and scholars from all over the country knelt inside and outside the palace, pleading for the emperor's decree... pleading for the emperor's decree to kill you."

As he finished speaking, his voice involuntarily lowered as he carefully observed Zhang Biao's reaction.

A normal person would probably be terrified upon hearing this news.

However, Zhang Biao's reaction was completely unexpected.

Zhang Biao was stunned for a moment, then, as if he had heard the funniest joke, he suddenly threw his head back and burst into a hearty, even manic, laugh:

"Hahaha! Hahaha! Good! Excellent! Ten thousand people are begging to kill me?"

"Hahahaha! What virtue or ability do I, Zhang Biao, possess to warrant such a grand mobilization of scholars from all over the land?! My life has been worth dying for!"

He laughed so hard he almost cried.

It was as if those people outside weren't trying to kill him, but rather awarding him some supreme honor.

This reaction completely stunned the Imperial Guard, who looked at Zhang Biao as if he were a complete madman.

Even Shen Lang and Sun Gui, who were locked in the next room and had been listening intently, exchanged bewildered glances with extremely strange expressions on their faces.

"Brother Biao... are you... are you alright?"

Shen Lang couldn't help but ask in a low voice through the wall, his voice filled with worry and confusion.

He's almost dead, how can he still laugh?
Zhang Biao finally managed to stop laughing, wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said jokingly towards the direction next door:
"What's wrong? What's wrong? I'm perfectly fine!"

"Brothers, did you hear that? We're doomed this time! And in a way that will go down in history! We'll be executed by a petition signed by scholars all over the land!"

"Is this enough of a grand display? Isn't it exciting?"

"..."

Shen Lang and his four companions were speechless for a moment.

They just thought that Brother Biao must have really gone mad.

Zhang Biao then turned to the dumbfounded Imperial Guards and continued to inquire as if in casual conversation:

"Hey, brother, besides being besieged at the gate by scholars, has His Majesty done anything else? Like... has he fainted from anger again? Or... has he issued any decrees recently?"

The Imperial Guard, already somewhat numb from Zhang Biao's madness, subconsciously replied:
"Your Majesty... did indeed issue an edict a few days ago, summoning the three princes, Prince Qin, Prince Jin, and Prince Zhou, to the capital immediately... saying it was to 'attend to the emperor's illness' and 'present manuscripts for review'."

This news caused Zhang Biao's smile to fade instantly, and a hint of genuine surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Oh?"

He raised an eyebrow and stroked his chin:

"The King of Qin, the King of Jin, the King of Zhou... have they all been summoned back? To attend to the ailing emperor? To review manuscripts? Ha, Old Zhu's excuses... truly embodying filial piety and brotherly harmony!"

He pondered the meaning behind those words, his expression becoming somewhat inscrutable, before finally revealing his signature, mischievous smile.

He turned to the cell next door again, his voice filled with excitement and an almost cruel mockery:

"Hey guys! Did you hear that? The big one's coming! It's a father-son showdown! Old Zhu's going to shut the door on his son... oh no, I mean shut the door on his son to teach him a lesson!"

He lowered his voice, but made sure the person next door and the Imperial Guard could hear him, and said in a joking tone:

"Come on, let's open the betting and place our bets! How about we make a gamble? Let's bet on how much determination our Hongwu Emperor has made this time?"

"Do you think he'll be ruthless enough to kill a few of his sons this time? One? Two? Or... all three?"

"Pfft-cough cough cough!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lang and his four companions next door coughed collectively, nearly choking on their own saliva. Their faces turned deathly pale, and they were terrified.

[Kill...kill his own son?! And three feudal lords at that?!]

[How dare Brother Biao say such a thing?!]

[This isn't just madness, this is wiping out nine generations of one's family... No, he doesn't have nine generations left to kill; he's dragging everyone down to hell with him!]

The Imperial Guards were so frightened that their scalps tingled. They took several steps back, as if Zhang Biao were some kind of plague source. They dared not stay a moment longer and turned around to scramble away from the area, afraid that if they listened any longer, they would be implicated.

Inside the cell, only Zhang Biao's carefree laughter and the suppressed, fearful gasps of Shen Lang and the other four in the next cell could be heard.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to him anymore, Zhang Biao felt bored and turned his gaze back to the small ventilation vent, a cold calculation and expectation flashing deep in his eyes.

[A petition with thousands of people? A coup?]

It seems Old Zhu has found a crucial clue; otherwise, those scoundrels behind this wouldn't be acting so desperately!

[Old Zhu, Old Zhu, now it's time for you to lay your cards on the table.]

Let me see just how capable you really are.

Throughout history, all change has required bloodshed. Why can't it start with your beastly sons?

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(End of this chapter)