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

Chapter 225 Your Majesty! Our worldviews have been completely shattered! [Bonus Chapter 29 for Monthly Tickets]

Old Zhu took Song Zhong's memorial without even looking up, casually unwrapped the sealing wax, and unfolded it to examine it.

As he had predicted, Zhang Biao's actions were not 'meddling' but rather a premeditated plan.

He outsmarted himself and everyone else.

"This bastard!"

Old Zhu's temples bulged with a cross-shaped vein, but he forcibly suppressed his anger.

But soon, as he read on, his expression began to change.

From doubt to astonishment, and then to disbelief.

Finally, when he saw how Zhang Biao pulled out the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty," how he refuted Commander Wang with classical allusions, how he "followed the instructions of the ancestral emperor" to break the lock and put it into the treasury, and how he discovered the secret ledger of the "beast tokens"—

"puff--!"

Old Zhu suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the several memorials laid out in front of him red.

His vision went black, his massive body swayed, and he almost fell off the dragon throne.

"Your Majesty—!!"

Yunming was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. He rushed forward to support her, his voice trembling:
"The imperial physician! Quickly, summon the imperial physician—!"

Fortunately, Yunming was clever and had already arranged for an imperial physician to be stationed in the side hall.

Before long, the imperial physician hurriedly walked in carrying his medicine chest.

"Pinch the philtrum! Quickly pinch the Emperor's philtrum!"

"Grass Mud Horse."

Old Zhu gritted his teeth and spat out a few words, gripping the edge of the imperial desk tightly with one hand, his chest heaving violently like a broken bellows, emitting a terrifying 'hoarse' sound.

His face first turned purplish-red, then quickly faded to a terrifying pale white, and beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry. Your lung ailment..."

The imperial physician and Yunming helped Old Zhu to the dragon throne while advising him not to get angry.

Old Zhu ignored the imperial physician's advice, staring blankly at the caisson ceiling of the palace, filled with endless anger and a violent sense of being utterly offended.

He, Zhu Yuanzhang! The Hongwu Emperor! He personally compiled the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" as an immutable law for the Ming Dynasty, regarding it as divine, and using it to restrain his descendants and regulate his subjects!
But Zhang Biao is a madman!
This madman deserves to be torn to pieces!
He actually... he actually dared to use the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" as a tool to pick locks!
It was used as a tool by a litigant to deal with a mere commander of the guards!

It has become a pretext for misleading the public and inciting public opinion!

This is not just simple madness, it is blasphemy!
They are undermining the very foundation of Zhu Ming's legitimacy!
It is trampling on the supreme authority that Zhu Yuanzhang had painstakingly built up throughout his life!

"How dare he... how dare he take our ancestral precepts... as... as..."

Old Zhu was so angry that he trembled all over, his words became incoherent, and he coughed violently again.

"Your Majesty, please smell this! It will help clear your mind, and I will then administer acupuncture for you!"

The imperial physician quickly took out a bamboo tube resembling a snuff bottle, placed it next to Old Zhu's nose, and then said to Yunming:
"Eunuch Yun, quickly fetch a bowl of warm water. I have some medicinal powder here; there's no need to decoct it. Give it to His Majesty first!"

"Okay, I'll go get it right away! I'll go get it right away!"

Yunming nodded like a chick pecking at rice, but Old Zhu stopped him in a low voice: "Stop right there!"

"Get off!"

After rebuking Yunming, Old Zhu pushed the imperial physician aside and forced himself to sit up straight.

He closed his eyes, forcibly channeling the unwavering will within him to suppress the surging blood and the waves of dizziness.

He knew he couldn't fall down now, absolutely not.

After the rage came a chilling calm, and a hint of fear that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

He opened his eyes again, and although his gaze was still cloudy, it had regained the sharpness and depth of an emperor.

He stared intently at the report, his mind racing as he analyzed the deeper meaning behind Zhang Biao's seemingly crazy actions.

That bastard...did he already know that Jiujiang Guard had problems?

Or perhaps he didn't want to be led by the nose by the mastermind and get entangled in a battle with the feudal lords... and planned to find another way, but accidentally stumbled upon the problem?

[What a brilliant tactic! Openly repairing one path while secretly advancing another!]

Old Zhu had to admit that Zhang Biao's move was completely unexpected.

Even the mastermind hidden deep inside probably never imagined that Zhang Biao would abandon the seemingly core canal transport and instead turn his attention to the seemingly insignificant garrison!

And... he actually guessed right!

No, it wasn't a fluke, this madman predicted it perfectly!

[Corruption in the garrison system, embezzlement of salaries, exploitation of soldiers... we all know these are deep-rooted problems!]

But this 'beast token'... these secret records of military supplies allocation... the 'scarred man'... took them away via the canal...

Old Zhu's pupils suddenly contracted.

A clear, chilling clue began to connect in his mind!
The military equipment and supplies of Jiujiang Guard were taken away by a mysterious force using 'beast tokens' and transported through the canal network. The Zhou Prince's Mansion may have been a transit point, and the final destination was... the Qi Prince?
Or other vassal kings? Or even... bandits from abroad?!

[Respect yourself when raising bandits! 】

These four words were like a red-hot branding iron, burning deeply into Old Zhu's heart.

His sons! His own flesh and blood, whom he had enfeoffed to guard the four corners of the land! And yet, some of them were actually plotting a rebellion!

This is no small matter!

Instead, they were systematically, covertly, and maliciously undermining the Ming Dynasty, using Zhu Yuanzhang's money and weapons to fatten up enemies who might turn around and devour the Ming Dynasty!

Moreover, this sinister force has already reached right under his nose!

How far is Jiujiangwei from the capital?!
A surge of emotion, a mixture of heart-wrenching pain from betrayal, deep anxiety about the collapse of the empire, and overwhelming murderous intent, welled up in his chest like magma!

"The traitor... the traitor!!"

He growled, his voice like that of a wounded beast.

At the same time, he felt extreme disappointment and anger towards the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commissions.

The garrison has been so poor that it has been losing money for years, and there have been abnormal military supplies flowing out. What is the Ministry of War doing with its write-offs?
Where is the supervision of the Five Military Commissions?

Are they all a bunch of good-for-nothings, or... have some of them been infiltrated or bribed?!

Damn it! You all deserve to die!

A mixture of rage and icy analysis raged as Zhu Yuanzhang's imperial strategies began to operate at full force.

Zhang Biao must be restrained immediately, but his use must also continue.

The "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" must never be used as a tool for his reckless actions, as that would shake the foundation of the nation.

However, the line of "nurturing bandits to enhance one's own importance" must be thoroughly investigated.

The breakthrough that Zhang Biao stumbled upon, or rather, precisely calculated, should not be wasted.

After a long period of contemplation, Old Zhu suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with a resolute coldness.

"Yunming!"

"Yes, sir!" Yunming replied quickly.

"pen and ink!"

Yunming immediately prepared the brush and ink.

Old Zhu took a deep breath, picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and his wrist remained steady without the slightest tremor.

He first quickly wrote a strongly worded reprimand, addressed to Zhang Biao.

[Zhang Biao: How dare you misinterpret the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty," desecrate the "ancestral laws," mislead the people, and shake the foundations of the nation! Your arrogance is extreme! I wish I could tear you to pieces!]

However, considering that verifying military affairs might yield some merit, I will temporarily entrust your head to them.

Effective immediately, you are strictly prohibited from using the name of the "Ancestral Instructions" to conduct trials, mobilize troops, or overstep your authority!

If they dare to repeat this trick again, they will be executed without mercy!

After finishing writing, he changed to a new sheet of paper, his tone softening, but the content carrying even greater weight.

This is a special decree.

[Special Order: Zhang Biao, Chief of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, is hereby authorized to thoroughly investigate the military affairs of Jiujiang Garrison and surrounding related garrisons, including all military equipment, provisions, personnel records, and even the movements of suspicious individuals.]

[If there is any obstruction, this decree may be shown, and local officials and garrisons must fully cooperate.]

[The Anti-Corruption Bureau Commander Song Zhong and his subordinates are hereby ordered to exercise the authority of the local Imperial Guards to provide full assistance and protection, and to ensure that the investigation process is thorough and without omission. Report back to us immediately!]

He handed the special decree to Yunming: "Send this by express courier, 800 li to Jiujiang Guard, and personally deliver it to Zhang Biao and Song Zhong!"

"Yes!"

Yunming accepted the gift with both hands and immediately turned to make arrangements.

Old Zhu sat heavily on the dragon throne, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

[Zhang Biao, we've cut off your excuse for acting recklessly, but we've given you legitimate power.]

[Investigate thoroughly! Find out all those corrupt officials, all those rebellious sons who dared to betray the Zhu family!]

Then, he remembered something else, something that Zhang Biao had 'given him' in prison.

[Tie Xuan... that Tie Dingshi who made meritorious contributions in Guangxi, was suppressed by Ru Chang, and was known for his integrity and competence... Zhang Biao once said that he was capable of great things...]

A glint of light flashed in Old Zhu's eyes. The Ministry of War needed a swift blade and a solid rock to reorganize it.

"deliver an imperial order!"

Old Zhu said to the eunuch holding the imperial scribe who was waiting outside the hall:

"Tie Xuan, the Grain Supervisor of Guangxi, is hereby promoted to Vice Minister of War and shall return to the capital immediately to assume his post!"

"Tell him to sort out the Ministry of War's accounts, military selection records, and arms write-offs for us!"

"Anyone who dares to outwardly comply but inwardly defy us, let him come see us directly!"

He wanted to use Tie Xuan's sword to cut into the corrupt military system.

As for the Five Military Commands...

Because too many nobles are involved, he cannot make any major moves for the time being, lest he alert them. However, he has already made a mental note of it.

After doing all this, Old Zhu seemed to have exhausted all his strength. He slowly leaned back on the dragon throne and looked at the caisson ceiling on the roof of the palace once again.

The imperial physician silently began to administer acupuncture and regulate his Qi.

But his anger still burned in his heart, a mixture of grief over the loss of his son and the pain of being betrayed by his other sons. He was also driven by a cold-blooded, calculating instinct of an emperor in the face of a great crisis.

Regardless of Zhang Biao's purpose, the fire he ignited has already started burning.

Now, what he needs to do is not to extinguish it, but to control the fire and direct it to where it should burn, completely destroying all the filth and conspiracy!
Come on, let's see just how many demons and monsters lurk beneath the foundations of this mighty Ming Dynasty!

the other side.

Before Zhu De's decree arrived, Zhang Biao's "glorious achievements" in Jiujiang Guard and his "Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty Auditing Method" spread like wildfire among the surrounding military households and civilians.

Soon, Lao Sun, Lao Qian, and others set off for various places with hundreds of abridged copies of the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" and copies of the "evidence of crimes" from Jiujiang Guard.

They contacted prominent figures among the common people, such as Wu Dagen and Li Laoshuan, who had suffered greatly under the garrison system or whose relatives had been forcibly taken away or wronged.

Therefore, just as the farce in Jiujiangwei subsided, Anqingwei, which was next door, welcomed an uninvited guest.

That morning, Commander Liu of Anqing Garrison had just opened the gates of the government office when he was stunned by what he saw. Outside the gates stood dozens of people, men, women, and children.

They neither made a fuss nor stormed the government office; they simply stood quietly, each holding a small booklet with a blue cover.

The person in the lead was Zhang Dahua, Wu Dagen's wife, who had previously cried and complained in Jiujiangwei.

She held aloft a copy of "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty," her voice booming with a confidence embodied in the conviction of 'truth':

"Soldiers of Anqingwei! We are the villagers from Wujia Village and Lijia Village next door!"

"By order of Chief Zhang of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and in accordance with the spirit of the ancestral emperor's 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions,' we have come to inspect the accounts of the garrison households and military equipment in order to prevent corruption and uphold the law!"

Commander Liu of Anqing Guard almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

What the hell is this?!
A group of ordinary citizens actually dared to claim they were inspecting the imperial guard posts?!
Am I still half asleep? Or have all these people gone mad?!

"Nonsense—!"

He shouted sternly, trying to intimidate them with his imposing manner: "You unruly commoners, gathering to besiege the garrison headquarters, are you trying to rebel?!"

"Sir, you are mistaken!"

Zhang Dahua, now a woman who had seen the world, was fearless. She opened the booklet and said loudly:
The first chapter of the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" states: "The people are the foundation of the state, and the state is secure when it is secure!" Our ancestral emperor taught us to care for the people!

The Ancestral Instructions, Chapter on Law, also states: "Any official who is cruel and oppressive to the people shall be brought to the capital by good citizens!"

“We women are not rebelling; we are following the teachings of our late emperor to help the court, to supervise you, and to prevent you from becoming cruel and harmful officials!”

Although her impromptu recitation was somewhat awkward, it was full of allusions and impressive style.

The people behind her shouted in unison: "Follow our ancestral teachings! Monitor corruption! Give us justice!"

"???"

Commander Liu's forehead was full of question marks. He turned to look at the commanders behind him, his face turning pale and then red.

If you ask them to go into battle and fight, they can handle it however they want.

But to ask them to deal with a group of people who were telling them 'ancestral teachings' and 'laws' was a first for them, like farmers entering the capital.

"Outrageous! How dare you! This is utterly outrageous!"

Commander Liu was so angry he jumped up and down, but there was nothing he could do.

Even the soldiers guarding the yamen couldn't help but look at each other, feeling that the swords and spears in their hands were burning hot.

To take action? They keep upholding the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" and shouting about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism. If you take action against them, wouldn't that confirm their "defense against ancestral rules" and "cruelty and harm to the people"?
Not take any action? Are you really going to let these peasants audit the accounts?
At this moment, a quick-thinking centurion offered a somewhat uncertain reminder:

"Boss, I received some news that Jiujiang Guard was audited by Imperial Censor Zhang from the capital. Do you think these troublemakers were brought here by Imperial Censor Zhang?"

"Ok?"

Commander Liu was startled, as if he had heard of Zhang Biao before: "Is this true?!"

"I'm not entirely sure either, but these troublemakers don't seem to have any good intentions!"

"Boss, why don't we just ignore them? I don't believe they'll stay here!" another commander chimed in.

Commander Liu frowned, then looked up at the people outside the door and thought it made sense.

If these people dare not storm the government office, then turn them away and make them back down.

"Okay! It's settled then! Close the gate immediately!"

Commander Liu acted decisively, and soon the gates of Anqing Guard were closed by the soldiers.

However, how could Zhang Biao, who was able to incite the people to audit the garrison, be so easily dealt with?

Not long after, something even more shocking happened that shattered the worldview of everyone in Anqingwei.

When it was lunchtime and the guards changed shifts, some soldiers were surprised to find that their fathers, mothers, wives, and children had appeared outside the garrison.

"Dog Egg—!"

An old soldier's mother, leaning on a cane, pointed at her son's nose and scolded him:
"You unfilial son! Open the door now and let the villagers in to check the accounts! Do you want to disobey the teachings of our ancestral emperor?!"

"Iron Pillar—!"

A young soldier's wife, holding her child, wept bitterly.
"Have you forgotten how your third uncle was forced to take his place and died in Liaodong?!"

"Now that we have Zhang Qingtian and the Emperor Zu backing us up, you still want to guard the gate for these heartless officials?!"

"father--!"

A teenager shouted in an innocent tone:
"Mr. Zhang said that we must be loyal to the emperor and love our country, and follow the ancestral precepts! You're not allowing the investigation, are you hiding something?"

Upon hearing this, his father, who was a centurion, blushed with embarrassment.

This completely shook the morale of the troops.

Soldiers are human beings too; they also have families and relatives.

Now your own family members are standing right in front of you, holding the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" and trying to reason with you, pleading your grievances. How can you hold onto this knife? How can you defend this door?!

What's even more problematic is that these people consistently maintained their bottom line of not clashing with government offices, and then simply refused to leave.

They took turns guarding it!

They're watching you eat!

They "comfort" you when you change shifts!
At night, they even lit bonfires outside the yamen and took turns reciting relevant chapters of the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty," making the entire garrison restless day and night.

After a stalemate lasting two whole days, Commander Liu finally couldn't hold on any longer—or rather, it was the garrison soldiers who were worried about their loved ones who couldn't hold on any longer.

They were on the verge of a mental breakdown, forcing Commander Liu to grit his teeth and order the opening of the government office and the warehouse.

"Investigate! Go ahead and investigate! Let's see what you can come up with!"

He practically roared those words.

Then he witnessed what the 'vast ocean of people's war' truly meant.

Although there were many illiterate people in this era, this place was not far from the capital, and Old Zhu had put in a lot of effort to popularize the law.

Almost every household has a copy of the "Great Proclamation".

Why? Because this book, the Great Proclamation, can save lives.

For example, if Zhang San is sentenced to exile, but his family has a copy of the "Great Proclamation," he can avoid exile and instead be imprisoned. If it is a capital offense, he might even be spared.

Therefore, it is quite normal for there to be some literate people around the capital.

A group of literate old farmers and village women were seen holding a template of the 'evidence of crimes' from Jiujiangwei and scrutinizing the account books of Anqingwei word by word.

"Why is the attrition rate here even slightly higher than that of Jiujiang Guard? What's the basis for this? Did the ancestral emperor say that such attrition was permissible?"

"This person's name looks familiar. Isn't it Wang Laowu, who drowned in our village the year before last? How come he's still receiving a pension?"

They may not understand sophisticated accounting techniques, but they have life experience and a spirit of meticulousness. They might even pick up the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions" and debate with you from time to time.

Even if the quoted chapters are all wrong, that 'righteous' attitude would make even the best accountant want to vomit blood.

Even some elderly people who knew nothing about it came in to join the fun.

They are illiterate, but they know how to use tools.

For example, they would measure the size of the armor with a ruler, weigh the waist knife in their hands, and even take out an embroidery needle to poke the joints of the armor, euphemistically calling it 'testing the sturdiness'.

"This knife isn't even as sharp as my kitchen knife! If our ancestor Emperor knew you were using this thing to fight, he'd slap you a few times across the face!"

"This nail is as thin as paper! No wonder my son got injured last time! Did you embezzle money for the material?!"

"You, you guys."

Commander Liu watched as this group of 'auditors' 'run amok' in his warehouse, and listened to their absurd 'audit opinions,' feeling his temples throbbing and his brain blood vessels about to explode at any moment.

He finally broke down completely when he saw an old woman preparing to beat the Dengwen Drum with the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty" because he couldn't explain the "reasonable loss" of a box of arrows.

"what--!"

Commander Liu suddenly drew his sword.

Everyone was startled, thinking he was about to commit a crime.

He then slammed the knife into the table in front of him, slid to the floor as if his bones had been removed, clutched his head, and let out a desperate wail:
"Investigate! Investigate! Investigate! Investigate everything!"

"The ledgers are over there! The warehouse keys are here!"

"I quit! Let whoever wants to be the commander take over!"

"I only beg you... please stop reciting the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions' to me!"

"I've never memorized a book like this before, not even when I was taking care of my father in his old age and seeing him off in his final days!"

He was crying and snot streaming down his face, looking like a madman.

An audit storm that should have been filled with swords and shadows actually achieved an overwhelming victory in this absurd, comical yet tragic and righteous atmosphere in a way that no one could have imagined.

Such scenes were not limited to Anqing Garrison; they were also unfolding in other garrisons.

When the news reached Zhang Biao, he was leisurely drinking tea and listening to reports from all sides.

Song Zhong stood to the side, his face already numb.

He felt that his values ​​had been repeatedly crushed and reshaped over the past few days.

"Lord Zhang... your incitement of the people to besiege the garrison... I'm afraid..."

He tried to offer a final word of advice.

Zhang Biao put down his teacup and looked at him in surprise:
"Song Qianshi, what are you saying?"

"I call this 'mobilizing the masses and relying on the masses'! This is called 'arming our minds with the thoughts of our ancestral emperor and guiding our practice'!"

"Look how well it works!"

"So many problems were uncovered without bloodshed!"

"This fully proves the greatness and correctness of the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty'! It proves that the power of the people is boundless!"

He picked up the "Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty," a book he had already read so many times that the edges were slightly curled, and stroked it affectionately:

"I am increasingly convinced that Old Zhu... no, the founding emperor was truly wise, powerful, and farsighted!"

"He foresaw that there would be corrupt officials in later generations, so he left behind this demon-revealing mirror!"

"We must promote this auditing model!"

"Let the brilliance of the Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty illuminate every garrison and every corner of the Ming Dynasty!"

Looking into Zhang Biao's fervent yet sincere eyes, Song Zhong was utterly speechless.

He knew that an audit storm, more intense, more absurd, and more thorough than that in Yingtian Prefecture, had been ignited under the leadership of this "madman Zhang".

Where this storm will ultimately blow, and how many people it will sweep into, is something even he, and perhaps even the one on the dragon throne, cannot predict.

He only hoped that Zhu's decree would come quickly, otherwise, he really couldn't hold on any longer.

Zhang Biao, on the other hand, stared into the distance with a dazed look in his eyes and a slight smile on his lips.

Old Zhu, I'm just helping you educate your descendants and clean up the army. You don't need to thank me.

After all, these are all lessons from our ancestral teachings!

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(End of this chapter)