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

Chapter 194 Imperial Censor Zhang... Please have some self-respect! [Requesting double monthly votes]

Inside the Huagai Hall, candlelight flickered.

Old Zhu leaned back on the dragon throne with his eyes closed, listening to Jiang Huan's report.

When he heard that "several wounded veterans have entered Zhang Biao's official residence," his bloodshot eyes slowly opened, and a barely perceptible glint of fierceness flashed across them.

"Who are these people? What are they doing here?"

Old Zhu's voice was hoarse with a hint of weariness.

Jiang Huan lowered his head and replied:

"Your Majesty, it has been confirmed that they are all veterans who were injured and discharged in their early years. Some of them had received favors from Zhang Biao during the previous 'wage claim'."

"According to external surveillance, they seemed to be complaining to Zhang Biao about the suffering of military service, the abuses of the garrison system, and... the collusion between local officials and soldiers, the forced conscription of men, and even the encroachment of military farmland by vassal kings and the raising of private armies."

Old Zhu's brows furrowed instantly, and his fingers tapped the handrail unconsciously.

[Military registration...garrison...feudal prince...]

These words pierced his mind like needles.

He always boasted about the garrison system he designed, believing it to be a good way to support soldiers without costing the people a single grain of rice.

However, Zhang Biao's previous 'audit' had already torn a hole, and now these veterans' tearful complaints have laid bare the bloody reality before him.

Could it be... that our garrisons are truly rotten to the core?

A sense of unease and vague anxiety welled up inside me.

Zhang Biao, this madman, is like a magnet, always attracting those who are dissatisfied with the status quo, and always finding the most hurtful thing to attack.

“Keep an eye on them.”

Old Zhu's voice was icy: "Let's see what Zhang Biao is up to this time. Also, investigate those veterans to see if they have a clean record."

"Yes!"

Jiang Huan accepted the order, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Your Majesty, should we... warn Zhang Biao?"

"No need."

Old Zhu waved his hand, a cold glint in his eyes: "Let him jump. We want to see what other tricks he can pull."

"Furthermore, with the Grand Court Assembly imminent, make sure the capital is well-defended, especially the Meridian Gate and Chengtian Gate. Double... no, triple the manpower! We absolutely cannot allow anyone, at any time, to disrupt the Grand Court Assembly!"

His tone was stern, carrying an unquestionable resolve.

Establishing an heir is the foundation of the nation, and there must be absolutely no more mistakes.

"My lord, I understand!"

Jiang Huan sensed the weight of the emperor's words, his heart tightened, and he immediately bowed and withdrew to make arrangements.

Once again, only Zhu Yuanzhang remained in the empty hall.

The news brought by Jiang Huan was like a boulder thrown into his already turbulent heart.

Zhang Biao's contact with Li Jinglong, his demand for an official position, and his proposal to establish a so-called "Great Ming Anti-Corruption Bureau," along with his interactions with veterans and discussions about the drawbacks of the military garrison system, all made Li Jinglong feel a sense of impending doom.

Why did that flower stalk that night... specifically take the life of only His Highness the Crown Prince?!

This rhetorical question, like a curse, lingered in Old Zhu's mind once again after Jiang Huan left.

Back then... in the fifteenth year of Hongwu... Xiong Ying...

Before he knew it, Old Zhu's memories came flooding back like a tide.

That year, the "Blank Seal Case" broke out. He was furious at the officials' deception and was determined to cleanse the court with the most ruthless means. All those involved in the case were to be killed without mercy.

However, his most promising son, Crown Prince Zhu Biao, opposed him fiercely for the first and only time.

He still remembers kneeling in the hall, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles, his voice choked but firm as he pleaded with those so-called 'capable officials and ministers' for mercy.

And what about himself? In his rage, he felt only that the Crown Prince was weak and incapable of shouldering great responsibilities. He even threw a sword in front of the assembled officials, roaring:
"You kill! You kill for us!"

The father and son had an unprecedentedly fierce conflict, and their relationship plummeted to its lowest point.

Finally, it was the "sister" who called her father and son to her bedside and tearfully persuaded them, which temporarily eased the tense atmosphere.

But from then on, Biao'er became more and more silent. Until one day, Biao'er suddenly found me and said that he felt depressed and wanted to go out for a walk to clear his mind.

I was angry at the time, and I thought it would be good for him to go out and see the hardships of ordinary people, so I agreed.

Looking back now...

Old Zhu's brows were tightly furrowed, and his fingertips unconsciously picked at the dragon pattern on the imperial desk.

[At the time, Biao'er said he wanted to take Xiong Ying with him, saying it would give his eldest grandson some experience... We didn't think much of it, just that even though there were disagreements among the three generations, the blood ties were still there...]

But why did Biao'er suddenly say he wanted to go for a walk to clear his head?

This detail, which he had previously overlooked, now pierced his mind like a poisonous thorn.

【etc! 】

Why were only Biao'er and Xiong Ying on the tour, while Lady Lü, the Crown Prince's favored concubine and Yunwen's mother, did not go?

[Logically speaking, when the Crown Prince goes on an inspection tour, especially with his eldest grandson, shouldn't she, as a concubine, at least make some gesture, or at least request to accompany and look after him, even if she doesn't attend to him?]

However, in my memory, Lady Lü was not part of the procession...

Thinking of this, Old Zhu felt as if his blood had frozen.

A terrifying thought, so terrifying it made his soul tremble, like a ghostly hand reaching out from the darkness, gripped his throat tightly.

Could it be... that U.A.'s death is related to the Lu family?!

[Did someone... take advantage of our conflict with Biao'er, and the opportunity of Biao'er leaving Beijing, to meticulously plan all of this?!]

[And what role did Madam Lü play in all of this? Why didn't she go? Was she an insider? Or... a participant?!]

"Yunming!"

Old Zhu suddenly raised his head, his voice hoarse and distorted with extreme shock, anger, and fear.

Yunming, who had been standing guard in the corner like a shadow, trembled at the emperor's unprecedented loss of composure and hurriedly stepped forward to speak:

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty? This servant is here!"

Old Zhu stared intently at him, his bloodshot eyes churning with a raging storm and a chilling intent, as he spat out the command, word by word, through clenched teeth:

"Go! Get me all the records from the Eastern Palace from the fifteenth year of Hongwu's reign, before and after the Crown Prince's tour, especially those concerning Consort Lü! Find out everything for me!"

"Go now—!"

The last two words were practically roared out by Old Zhu, making the entire Huagai Hall resonate.

"Yes! Yes! This servant will go right away! Right away!"

Yunming was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he scrambled out of the main hall as if a vengeful ghost was chasing him.

In the empty hall, Old Zhu seemed to have all his strength drained away. He staggered back two steps and fell heavily onto the dragon throne.

He was breathing heavily, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and a chilling, piercing pain of being betrayed by his loved ones.

If... if his guess is true...

In all these years, hasn't he been promoting the poisonous woman who killed his eldest grandson and might even be implicated in the death of the crown prince to become the Crown Prince's principal wife?!

She even plans to make her son the Crown Prince?!

"Ugh—!"

An uncontrollable growl, like that of a wounded beast, burst forth from deep within Old Zhu's throat.

He slammed his fist on the hard imperial desk, and his hand was instantly torn open and bleeding profusely.

[Zhang Biao! You bastard! We shouldn't have pardoned you!]

【It's all your fault! You've made a complete mess of everything! You deserve to die!】

An overwhelming surge of anger welled up inside him, and it took Old Zhu an unknown amount of time to gradually calm down.

The question now facing him is whether or not to hold the grand court assembly. To put it simply, whether or not to enthrone Zhu Yunwen.

He now suspects Lady Lü, and logically, he should wait until the matter is thoroughly investigated before establishing an heir apparent.

However, the current situation is that establishing Zhu Yunwen is no longer just a simple matter of choosing an heir; it also involves maintaining stability and stabilizing the hearts of the people.

The position of successor has been vacant for too long, the country is in turmoil, and an explanation is needed to the world...

[Moreover, that scoundrel Zhang Biao... wasn't he up to something by causing trouble before the Crown Prince selection meeting?]

[Does he not want us to appoint Yunwen as heir? Is he exploiting our suspicions?]

Thinking of this, Old Zhu's gaze sharpened.

[Yunwen, that child, although he has some ulterior motives, wouldn't stoop so low as to plot against his elder brother...]

After much deliberation, Zhu De finally made up his mind to hold the grand court assembly as scheduled.

On the other side, outside Zhang Biao's official residence.

Two imperial guards, tasked with keeping watch, had their ears pressed tightly against the wall, their brows furrowed in worry.

"What's going on inside?"

The Imperial Guard looked completely bewildered.
"One minute he's crying and screaming, the next he's chuckling like an idiot, and there's even the sound of him banging pots and pans?"

"It sounds...it sounds like they're chanting scriptures?"

The Imperial Guard B rubbed his ears hard: "It sounds like they're performing an opera again? Has Zhang Biao completely gone mad?"

Unbeknownst to them, a bizarre operation codenamed "Operation Sweet Potato" was underway inside—an operation so peculiar it defied comprehension.

"Zhang's Survival Guide for Disabled People and a Crash Course in Performance Art"

"Cheer up, everyone!"

Zhang Biao knocked on the door, and charcoal ash fell down with a 'plop':

"Today I'll teach you how to elevate the begging business to a higher level, a higher standard, and how to generate some... extra income!"

The Imperial Guard A outside the wall frowned and whispered to his companion B:
"Beggar? Has Zhang Biao gone mad with poverty? He's starting to teach veterans how to beg?"

"Is it that when the veterans complain to him, there's nothing he can do?"

The Imperial Guard B curled his lip and said, "I thought he was really that capable!"

In fact, how could they not know about the messy accounts of the garrisons that the veterans were talking about?

But knowing is one thing; whether or not they go to do it is not up to them.

Inside the wall, Old Zhou, upon hearing Zhang Biao's explanation, couldn't help but mutter under his breath:

"My goodness, how can begging for food be so elaborate?" The voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the Imperial Guards outside to hear.

Zhang Biao revealed a look of 'this kid is teachable,' then pointed to Old Zhou's empty sleeve and said loudly:

"Old Zhou! Your arm is your trademark!"

"Don't just hold out your bowl anymore, swing your sleeves rhythmically, like the flowing sleeves in a traditional opera! While swinging, shout: 'Have pity on this armless man, his kids are so hungry they're eating bricks!'"

"The key is to keep your eyes peeled up under the wheels of those officials' cars! See how many crops they've crushed!"

After saying that, he quickly wrote a sentence on the door panel:

Pay close attention to the fallen document scraps and listen for anything you shouldn't hear.

Old Zhou understood immediately, but then tried to flick his empty sleeves a couple of times, almost tripping over himself. He was both amused and exasperated.

"Lord Zhang...Lord Zhang, when I swing it like this, it looks like...like I'm having a seizure..."

Zhang Biao immediately wiped the words off the door panel and said earnestly:
"That's the kind of crazy effect we're going for! The more unlike a normal person they are, the more they've mastered the essence!"

After saying that, he pointed to Old Li's lame leg:
"Old Li! You can't let this leg of yours go to waste! From now on, when you're begging, don't just stand up, you have to walk like this—"

As he spoke, he imitated Old Li's limping gait, but each step was cleverly wedged into the cracks in the bricks or small stones on the pavement, his body swaying and his eyes darting furtively across the virtual street:
"See? You need to be observant of your surroundings and the people around you. Spot a big shot and plop him down in front of him. If you don't give him something, he'll feel embarrassed."

As he spoke, he squatted down and quickly sketched a simple street map on the tattered mat at his feet with a charcoal pencil, marking a few points and writing:
[Granary, Prince's Mansion Side Gate, Storehouse]

Old Li was close enough to see everything clearly.

He silently picked up a small piece of charcoal, drew an X on the other corner of the mat, then drew an ear pattern, and looked at Zhang Biao.

Zhang Biao nodded slightly and loudly took over the conversation:
"That's right! Old Li is quick to understand! That's how he begs for food so he won't go hungry!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he drew a big X and then a little person covering their ears, meaning:

[Use their disabilities to make them disobedient and unprepared.]

Old Li immediately understood, then walked a few steps around the room, his posture contorted like a pretzel, and couldn't help but laugh: "Zhang Qingtian, hehe, you really are a talent."

"We're both talented!"

Zhang Biao waved his hand dismissively, then looked at Old Sun and smiled:
"Old Sun! Your eyes are a treasure!"

"From now on, don't close your eyes completely, but half-close them, leave a crack! Go to the windows of those teahouses and restaurants, pretend to be sunbathing and taking a nap! Keep your ears perked up!"

"If you hear words like 'mistress,' 'gossip,' or 'gambling,' write them down in your mind!"

"If you ever go hungry, go ask them for some money for food!"

"If you get caught and someone asks you what you're listening to, just say, 'I'm blind, just listening to the noise to kill time!'"

He walked over to Old Sun with a smile, seemingly giving a lesson, but actually quickly slipped a small note into the patched lining of Old Sun's tattered cotton-padded jacket.

The note contained brief information he had written in advance about the places frequented and conversational habits of several key officials.

Old Sun tried to squint his blind eye into a slit, while his other eye quickly scanned the small note Zhang Biao had handed him, then crumpled it into a small ball and put it into his mouth.

The Imperial Guards outside the wall couldn't help but sneer:

"What the hell kind of crap is this? A bunch of cripples begging for food and they think they can come up with something amazing?"

The second member of the Imperial Guard muttered under his breath, "Damn it, they only teach the lowest of the low!"

Although they kept complaining outside the Great Firewall, it didn't stop them from listening with great interest.

Inside the wall, Zhang Biao quickly pointed out the "special characteristics" of several veterans, then wrote a line on the door panel—

On how to properly fall down and stage an accident

"Next, advanced techniques!"

After Zhang Biao finished writing, he cleared his throat:
"I'll teach you how to fall naturally, fall realistically, fall skillfully, and fall with style!"

After saying that, he drew a few crooked, cartoonish little figures on the door panel.

"Look! That's just a regular fall, face-planting, no skill involved!"

"What we want is an artistic fall!"

"Old Zhou, with your broken arm, you're unsteady and perfect for a spinning fall!"

Old Zhou looked completely bewildered and scratched his head, saying, "What's a spinning fall? I don't understand."

"Easy! This is very easy!"

As Zhang Biao demonstrated, he explained:

"Watch this, when you fall down, your empty sleeves should spread out like a flag, covering as much area as possible, and ideally wrapping around the target's legs!"

"Huh? You can do that?"

Old Zhou was both bewildered and amazed by Zhang Biao's graceful fall.

Zhang Biao then turned his gaze to Old Li and said with a smile, "Old Li, you have a limp, so you're suited for a gradual fall!"

"?"

A small black question mark slowly appeared on Old Li's forehead. He then cupped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, Lord Zhang!"

"Easy to say!"

Zhang Biao sprang to his feet with a somersault, and then, under the curious gazes of several veterans, demonstrated again:
"That's it, first shake him a couple of times, then yell 'Ouch!' to get his attention, then slowly fall to the ground. When you fall, make sure to extend your lame leg a little further out so you trip him up!"

"If he doesn't give you food, shout loudly, 'This is outrageous! Someone is bullying a wounded veteran! Everyone come and see!'"

Old Li: "."

The other veterans: "."

They couldn't help but look at each other in disbelief, thinking to themselves that Imperial Censor Zhang was truly a divine being.

However, Zhang Biao's demonstration was not over yet.

He then looked at Old Sun, patted him on the shoulder, and said:
"Old Sun, you have the biggest advantage! You're perfect for indiscriminate staged accidents!"

Old Sun was completely bewildered: "How come I have a bigger advantage?"

Zhang Biao: "Are you blind?!"

Old Sun: "."

Zhang Biao: "No, don't misunderstand, what I mean is, if you're blind, just aim at those guys wearing official boots and run right into them!"

Then, he groped around and hugged the other person's waist, shouting:

"My apologies, sir! I'm blind! Are you alright? Is your belt really jade? It's so smooth!"

"Yes, just like that, apologize while touching him, touch his waist tag, touch his money pouch, touch anything you can touch!"

As Zhang Biao spoke, he personally demonstrated, grabbing Old Sun's waist and groping him all over, while muttering:

"Oh my, this material must be Shu brocade! Sir, you are truly generous!"

His appearance was extremely lewd.

Old Sun got goosebumps all over from being touched so roughly. He pushed him away forcefully, his face turning red, wanting to curse but not daring to raise his voice.

"Lord Zhang... Lord Zhang! Please... please have some self-respect."

Old Zhou, Old Li, and Old Qian next to him were shaking from holding back their laughter, and Old Sun's old face was all scrunched up like a chrysanthemum.

Zhang Biao didn't care at all, and slapped his thigh:
"Don't laugh, that's the effect we wanted! Make them disgusted, make them loathe you!"

"The more they despise you, the less they'll bother helping you beg for food! Just remember, shamelessness won't kill you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly wrote four large characters: 【Exploit contempt.】

Then, laughing loudly, he wiped it off.

The two Imperial Guards outside the wall felt a chill run down their spines.

"Damn it, has Zhang Biao gone mad? Is he teaching the veterans to act like hooligans?"

"I think so. He only knows disgusting tricks."

Inside the wall, after teaching the veterans 'fake accident techniques,' Zhang Biao wrote a line on the door panel—

On How to Use Junk for Encrypted Information Transmission

"Finally, the grand finale!"

Zhang Biao mysteriously dragged a tattered sack out from the corner, which jingled loudly inside.

"I'll teach you how to use these junk items to send out 'begging information'!"

He first pulled a chipped, broken bowl from the sack:
"Watch closely! Important information, such as where a wealthy family is distributing porridge, is written on the bottom of the bowl with charcoal! When it's sent out, the bowl is turned upside down with two copper coins inside. Who would have thought there's something hidden under that broken bowl?"

Then, he picked up a tattered coat covered in patches:

"This jacket, you can stuff notes behind every patch! Darker patches can be used to store important information, like the imperial court opening granaries to distribute grain!"

"Light-colored items are for storing general information! For example, if you have a bowl of leftover white rice that a dog didn't finish eating, wear it and you're a mobile intelligence station!"

Then, take out a jujube wood walking stick that has been polished smooth and shiny:

"Old Sun, turn the handle here, it's hollow! In a pinch, slip the note in here!"

Zhang Biao described the functions of various broken items in glowing terms, as if each piece of junk was an extraordinary spy device.

He even had Lao Zhou tie a complicated knot in the empty sleeve, saying it was the 'Morse sleeve code'.

Outside the wall, two Imperial Guards rubbed their aching foreheads, looking bewildered and disgusted.

"Damn it, this... Zhang Biao seems to have really gone mad? He's teaching all sorts of beggar-like scammers?"

"Who knows... Write it down and report it to Lord Jiang exactly as it is. Say that Zhang Biao's behavior is bizarre, he is suspected of being mentally unstable, and he is gathering people to teach... uh... teach lewd begging techniques."

They never imagined that these seemingly absurd and ridiculous "begging techniques," "extortion tactics," and "utilization of scraps" were actually a set of extremely cunning counter-surveillance and intelligence transmission methods that targeted their Jinyiwei surveillance system and exploited human weaknesses and blind spots in thinking.

Zhang Biao looked at the veterans whose eyes were gleaming with a hint of 'mischief,' clapped his hands, lowered his voice, but summarized with unusual seriousness:
"Remember, the core of intelligence work is: security first, by any means necessary!"

"Here you go! A graduation gift!"

He gave everyone a Snickers bar, which was his favorite.
"Eat it, and you'll have strength! We'll not only file a complaint, but we'll also watch those scourges suffer terrible misfortune!"

The veterans silently accepted the Snickers bars. Although they didn't know what they were, they still respectfully saluted Zhang Biao and turned to leave the room.

After watching them leave, Zhang Biao glanced at the handwriting, then at the figures outside the window, scooped up a ladle of water, and splashed it directly onto them.

As the water stains submerged the ink, only a few words remained faintly visible.
[You must survive.]

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(End of this chapter)