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

Chapter 212 After searching high and low, I found a letter written in blood! [Seeking monthly votes]

The Hongwu Emperor issued three imperial edicts in succession, which were like three huge stones thrown into the already turbulent political arena of the Ming Dynasty, instantly stirring up a thousand waves.

The first decree caused an uproar throughout the entire bureaucratic system, especially among lower and middle-level officials.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty has finally realized how hard our lives are!"

A court official dressed in a faded blue robe held a copy of the imperial edict, his hands trembling and his eyes red-rimmed.

how many years.

They struggled to survive in the capital city, where land was incredibly expensive, on their meager salaries, and now they finally saw hope.

"Reconsider salary? Hmph, easy for you to say!"

Inside the Ministry of Revenue, some senior officials had furrowed brows:

"Where will the money come from? By increasing taxes? Or by using the imperial treasury? This matter is extremely complex and will have far-reaching consequences!"

"This proposal must be Zhang Biao's attempt to bewitch the Emperor!"

Yuan Tai, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, was so angry that his beard trembled.
"Raising salaries may seem like a gesture of compassion for officials, but in reality, it undermines the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty'! Once this precedent is set, the consequences will be dire!"

However, regardless of the controversy at the top, the grievances of middle and lower-level officials were indeed greatly appeased by this decree.

Many people's perception of Zhang Biao has quietly shifted from "a troublemaking madman" to "a capable minister who dares to speak up for us."

Zhang Biao's prestige among lower-level officials has been elevated once again.

At this moment, inside a teahouse.

A well-dressed accountant slapped his thigh, his face beaming with excitement: "This Imperial Censor Zhang, despite his eccentric behavior, really gets things done for us!"

“Alas! Wasn’t that whole ‘wage dispute’ all for today? I’m going to pay my respects at the grave of Censor Wang! I’m going to tell him this good news!” A low-ranking official in Beijing who had argued with Zhang Biao about unpaid wages sighed with tears in his eyes.

The people around looked at each other in bewilderment.

A peddler walking through the streets broke the silence:

"And that 'Literary Grand Ceremony'! My neighbor, that scholar Li, who has been trying to pass the imperial examinations for over ten years without success, almost fainted from excitement when he received the news yesterday!"

"It's said they packed their bags overnight and headed straight for the capital! They say their chance to rise above their circumstances has arrived!"

"If you ask me, the 'report box' would be the best option!"

A dark-skinned man with calloused hands lowered his voice. He was a small workshop owner in the southern part of the city, often exploited by petty officials.

"Before, we could only swallow our anger, but now it's all good, that red box is standing right in front of the government office!"

"I've heard that several corrupt officials who extorted money and bribes have already been investigated! Although their official positions aren't high, they still make a difference! This censor is our hope, the poor people's only hope!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Zhang Qingtian! This is a truly good official who stands up for the people!"

The tea drinkers echoed their sentiments, their words filled with gratitude and admiration for Zhang Biao.

However, in a corner of the teahouse, several ordinary-looking but sharp-eyed men listened to the surrounding discussions, exchanged a glance with expressionless faces, silently put down their tea money, and got up to leave.

They left the teahouse and quickly disappeared into the depths of the alley.

On the other side, in a secluded mansion.

"Damn it! Zhang Biao, that scoundrel, must be eliminated to appease my hatred!"

A middle-aged man dressed in silk casual clothes, with a gloomy face, slammed his teacup down on the table.

He was the agent for a certain prince's properties in the capital.

"A letter has arrived from the Prince. Zhang Biao has created this 'Literary Festival' to attract scholars from all over the country. He's clearly trying to cut off our path to recruiting talent! And that complaint box is like a sword hanging over our heads!" another person said worriedly.

"An increase in salaries? Humph, the money comes from the people themselves, and in the end it will all be squeezed out of the tributes we give them!" A merchant connected to the corruption chain in the Ministry of Revenue gritted his teeth.

These people were either representatives of the interests of the vassal kings, wealthy merchants who colluded with corrupt officials, or retainers of certain powerful figures.

The three imperial edicts requested by Zhang Biao, and the anti-corruption storm he launched, genuinely touched their core interests.

They had initially viewed it with a detached, amused attitude, but now they are genuinely feeling threatened and pained.

Their hatred for Zhang Biao grew stronger with each passing day.

Meanwhile, at the back gate of a noble family's villa.

A steward-like man quietly slipped a silver ingot to a man who looked like a peddler, and whispered:
"Have you found out? Is Zhang Biao really going to target the canal transport and the garrisons next?"

“It’s absolutely true! Those few old and crippled soldiers under his command have been loitering around the docks and garrison these days!”

The vendor quickly pocketed the money: "You'd better plan ahead!"

The butler nodded with a grim expression and hurriedly closed the door.

These transactions and curses in the shadows, which they thought were secret, were actually being watched by the Imperial Guards disguised as ordinary peddlers, tea drinkers, and passersby.

Inside the Huagai Hall, candlelight flickered.

As Old Zhu listened to Jiang Huan and Yun Ming report on the reactions of various parties after the imperial decree was issued, there was no smug look on his face; instead, his expression became even more somber.

“Your Majesty, scholars are gathering in and around the capital, all praising Your Majesty’s boundless grace,” Yunming said cautiously.

"Officials across the country have responded enthusiastically to the renegotiation of salaries."

Jiang Huan added:
"Since the anonymous tip box was set up, there have indeed been reports from the public. The Provincial Surveillance Commission has received some clues about illegal activities by local clerks and low-ranking military officers, and is currently verifying them."

Old Zhu grunted in response, his fingers still tapping the armrest as he habitually did.

Zhang Biao's three strategies... were indeed brilliant. They almost completely resolved our predicament.

This young man's grasp of human nature and the current situation is terrifying!

Instead of feeling relieved, he became even more wary of Zhang Biao.

Such a 'madman' who can both stir up huge waves and come up with precise solutions to quell the storm is far more threatening than those mediocre officials who only know how to 'die for justice' or 'form cliques for personal gain'.

He offered such a brilliant plan; his ambitions must be even greater!

[The Anti-Corruption Bureau... what he really wants to target is far more than just a few clerks and military officers! His ultimate goal has always been the princes and our imperial treasury!]

A cold glint flashed in Old Zhu's eyes.

He would never lower his guard just because Zhang Biao had temporarily "made a contribution".

"Jiang Huan".

"The minister is here."

"Keep a close eye on those literati flocking to the capital! There's no guarantee that there aren't some with ulterior motives or being manipulated by certain individuals! The literary festival can be held, but we must ensure it's under our control! And the selected people must be rigorously vetted!"

"I understand!"

"besides."

Old Zhu paused, then turned his gaze to Jiang Huan and said in a deep voice, "How's it going with the matter we notified you about before?"

Jiang Huan was slightly taken aback, then quickly bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, based on the ideas provided by Zhang Biao, I have dispatched additional personnel to secretly investigate all those who may have come into contact with His Highness's itinerary before and after the Crown Prince's tour with the eldest grandson during the fifteenth and twenty-fifth years of the Hongwu reign, as well as those who appear to be insignificant."

"Including the grooms at the post stations along the way who were responsible for feeding and changing the imperial horses; the craftsmen who inspected and lubricated the wheels and axles of His Highness's carriage; the accompanying chefs who were responsible for His Highness's and the eldest grandson's meals; and even... the eunuchs who held fans to cool His Highness and the eldest grandson off the heat on that day."

"All relevant personnel, regardless of their current position or location, have been included in the verification list. Their background, interpersonal relationships, and recent unusual behavior are all under investigation."

Old Zhu closed his eyes, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, listening intently.

He didn't ask for details because he knew Jiang Huan would do his best.

This is the unsolved mystery concerning the cause of death of his closest loved one, and it is also the deepest thorn in his heart.

Zhang Biao's seemingly irrelevant yet impactful idea served as a key, unlocking a new direction for his investigation.

"Ok!"

Old Zhu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze icy and unyielding: "Investigate thoroughly! Don't overlook any clues! Report any progress to me immediately!"

"Sir, obey the order!"

Jiang Huan sensed the chilling killing intent in Old Zhu's words, his heart tightened, and he bowed and retreated.

After Jiang Huan left, Old Zhu remained silent for a moment, then said to Yun Ming, who was standing to the side, "Let Song Zhong in."

"Your Majesty."

Soon, Song Zhong strode in and bowed respectfully.

Old Zhu didn't waste any words and asked directly, "What's been happening with Zhang Biao lately? How did he spend that fifty thousand taels of silver?"

Song Zhong immediately reported:
"Your Majesty, after Zhang Biao received the silver, he did not flaunt it. He used part of it to rent a small courtyard in a remote place as a temporary office for the Anti-Corruption Bureau, which was extremely simple."

"The other part was used to purchase a large amount of paper, ink, and... some common street food, such as pig's head meat from Wang Mazi's shop."

"His veteran soldiers are still operating in secrecy, mainly around the canal wharves, the outskirts of the Beijing garrison, and some imperial shops, seemingly gathering clues."

“Zhang Biao himself, apart from occasionally going to that small courtyard, spends most of his time in the official residence, seemingly studying the documents, but I always feel that he is plotting something.”

Old Zhu listened, his eyes darting around.

Instead of rushing to recruit soldiers, Zhang Biao first set up a humble outpost to purchase documents and food.
This aligns with his previous style of 'high-salary recruitment' and 'winning people's hearts,' putting money where it matters most, but it also seems a bit too pragmatic and low-key.

Did he come into contact with the literati who flocked to the capital?

Old Zhu astutely grasped the key point.

"Nothing has been found yet."

Song Zhong replied, "He seems to be deliberately avoiding any appearance of impropriety, and he doesn't seem to care about the 'literary gala' at all."

Old Zhu tapped his fingers faster. Zhang Biao offered the idea of ​​a 'literary gala,' yet he himself remained uninvolved? This didn't make sense.

He knew Zhang Biao's intention to 'abolish Confucianism', and the 'Literary Festival' was definitely a golden opportunity.

Unless... his goal from the beginning was not to establish prestige among intellectuals, or he had other more important plans and was temporarily unable to attend to this matter.

"Keep a close watch on him!"

Old Zhu gave the order without room for doubt:

"His first target to investigate is very important! We need to know who he wants to target first! Is it the Grand Canal? The military garrisons? Or... the imperial stores?"

“Every step he takes in the investigation, every person he comes into contact with, must be recorded for us!”

"In particular, pay attention to whether he and his veteran subordinates have bypassed normal channels to pass messages privately or... used any extraordinary means!"

"in addition!"

Old Zhu added, his tone carrying a deeper meaning:

“Be careful to protect his safety. Don’t let those who hate him to the core harm him in the slightest before he finds out something real.”

"I understand!"

Song Zhongxin understood immediately.

He knew what the emperor meant:
Zhang Biao's knife is still useful!

[We need to send him to chop people, but we also need to prevent him from being broken beforehand, or... chopping in the wrong direction.]

After Song Zhong left, Old Zhu sat alone in the empty hall, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Zhang Biao's three imperial edicts temporarily stabilized the situation in the court and among the people, but they also caused more undercurrents to converge in the capital and around Zhang Biao.

More and more people hate him, and more and more eyes are hoping for his downfall.

This is exactly the effect that Lao Zhu wanted.

He wanted Zhang Biao to openly attract all the firepower and bear all the pressure, to tear apart those corrupt interest groups.

He himself, however, remained calm and composed.

On the one hand, he used Zhang Biao to clean up long-standing problems, and on the other hand, he kept a close eye on the investigation of the "mastermind behind the scenes," while firmly controlling the "literary gala," which guided the direction of writers across the country.

He wanted the Ming Dynasty to develop in the direction he desired.

[Zhang Biao, Zhang Biao, go ahead and cause trouble. Investigate all you want.]

A cold smile curled at the corners of Old Zhu's lips as he muttered to himself:

"Once you've cleaned up most of the mess and lured all the snakes out of their holes..."

He didn't say anything more, but the murderous intent that filled the hall said it all.

……

Having received the 'start-up capital' and the 'imperial sword', Zhang Biao was currently enjoying a small drink with a pig's head in his dilapidated courtyard.

"Imperial Censor Zhang!"

"Master Zhang!"

Just then, several veterans returned.

They have now been brought under Zhang Biao's command and are now considered members of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, with official positions at that.

Seeing them return, Zhang Biao immediately perked up, downed his drink in one gulp, stood up, and asked, "Brothers, how was your harvest today?"

"Fortunately, I live up to my fate!"

Several veterans nodded with smiles.

Zhang Biao immediately smiled and invited them to sit down:

"Come on, let's drink and talk. There's some pig's head meat that Wang Mazi just delivered. Everyone, eat as much as you want. If you can't finish it, pack it up and take it home for your kids and wives!"

"His Majesty gave us 50,000 taels of silver; we can't waste it!"

"hey-hey."

The veterans exchanged smiles, thinking that they had finally experienced the joy that Shen Lang and his comrades were having.

Following Imperial Censor Zhang is just great.

Soon, several veterans took their seats and chatted with Zhang Biao about their experiences while drinking.

"Imperial Censor Zhang!"

Old Zhou spoke first, patting a sketch on the table with his one arm:
"My subordinate has been lurking at the Shuiximen Wharf these past few days, pretending to be a junk collector, and he's discovered something strange!"

He pointed to a marked point on the sketch:

"According to the rules, there is a fixed number of grains to be unloaded from the grain barges and stored in the warehouse."

“But my subordinates noticed that several ships flying the ‘Henan Grain Gang’ flag were unloading cargo into the warehouse at least 20% less than the amount they reported to the canal transport authorities each time!”

"The extra grain was taken away in the middle of the night by several small, unmarked boats, without anyone noticing!"

Zhang Biao's eyes lit up: "Who were the people who received the goods? Did he get a good look at them?"

"See clearly!"

Old Zhou nodded and lowered his voice:
"He told me that the leader was a fat man with a big black mole on the corner of his mouth, and he spoke with a slight Kaifeng accent! He was ruthless, and the people at the dock were all a little afraid of that fat man."

"A mole on the corner of the mouth? A Kaifeng accent?"

Zhang Biao stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.

Kaifeng was the fiefdom of Zhu Su, the Prince of Zhou.

Although Prince Zhou has been imprisoned in the old palace by Zhu Yuanzhang because of the "Red Lead Elixir" case, and his eldest son Zhu Youdun is now in charge of the fiefdom, the power of Prince Zhou's palace still exists.

At this moment, the lame old Li also stepped forward. He had previously followed Zhang Biao's instructions to specifically target low-ranking officials who might be involved in the canal transport.

"My lord, the day before yesterday I 'accidentally' bumped into the head of the Henan Provincial Department of Revenue. Guess what?"

Old Li said mysteriously, "A jade pendant fell out of his arms, and I think... it looks very similar to the style that the Prince Zhou's Mansion bestowed upon some local officials in previous years!"

"He picked it up in a panic and even cursed at me, saying something like, 'A piece of trash like you should be sent to Kaifeng to be used as consumables!'"

"As consumables?"

Zhang Biao frowned.

Even with the Prince of Zhou imprisoned, are his people still operating under the Prince's name? Is it the Crown Prince's tacit approval, or...?

Blind Old Sun squinted through his eyes, which were only able to see, and added:
"I was taking a nap at a teahouse near the dock when I overheard some drunken scoundrels bragging that the 'subsidized grain' being transported to several garrisons in Henan this year was being replaced with new grain from above, with the price difference being fully compensated. However, they were required to turn a blind eye to the quality of the grain... The losses and price differences involved are enormous!"

"They also mentioned that 'Mr. Liu from the Prince's Mansion' had made some arrangements..."

"Mr. Liu?"

Zhang Biao pressed further, "Which Mr. Liu?"

Old Sun shook his head: "They didn't say everything, they just mentioned it briefly, and they sounded like a manager or accountant."

Old Qian, who was injured and ill, coughed and said in a hoarse voice, "My subordinates have talked to several military households from Henan whose pay had been withheld."

“One of their commanders recently bought a large house in Longjiang, where he keeps a mistress and spends money like water.”

"It is said that his brother-in-law is close to that fat man surnamed Wang at the dock, and they specialize in doing shady business. The commander seems to be related to a clerk surnamed Liu in the Prince Zhou's mansion by marriage."

The clues once again point to the Zhou Prince's Mansion!
Moreover, it is a specific 'Mr. Liu' or 'Liu Dianbu'!
Zhang Biao's brain was working at lightning speed.

Prince Zhu Su of Zhou was imprisoned because the "red lead elixir" was implicated in the death of the crown prince.

However, how the 'red lead elixir' was leaked from the Zhou king remains a mystery. Moreover, even the Zhou king himself was unaware of it.

Even now, after the Zhou King's imprisonment, some members of the Zhou Royal Palace are still using its influence to interfere in corruption related to the Grand Canal transport!

Is this normal? To avoid suspicion, Prince Zhu Youdun should, by all accounts, keep a low profile. How could he tolerate such arrogance from his subordinates?

[Unless... even the Crown Prince of Zhou might not be able to control this force, or there is someone else behind it!]

[A mastermind behind the scenes who could leak the formula for the 'Red Lead Elixir' without the Zhou King's knowledge, and who could also bypass the Zhou King's heir to command the remaining forces of the Zhou royal family in engaging in corruption?]

This speculation sent a chill down Zhang Biao's spine, yet also filled him with immense excitement.

Good guy!
It's like finding a hidden gem after searching high and low!

"I made a decision!"

Zhang Biao suddenly stood up from his seat and declared in a resounding voice, "Our anti-corruption bureau's first strike will be against this grain transport corruption chain!"

Upon hearing this, the veterans exchanged bewildered glances.

Suddenly, the courtyard gate was opened again, and Zhang Biao and the others immediately looked in the direction of the sound.

Song Zhong walked in expressionlessly and said in a deep voice:
"Lord Zhang, a letter has been sent from Kaifeng Prefecture, specifically for you!"

A letter from Kaifeng Prefecture?

Zhang Biao glanced at the envelope in Song Zhong's hand, and frowned deeply upon seeing the mottled bloodstains.

Please vote for me with your monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)