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

Chapter 117 The Debate Between Pure and Impure Shocked the Ming Dynasty for an Entire Year! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

The air in front of the Fengtian Hall seemed to have frozen into ice, so heavy that it was suffocating.

Old Zhu's chest heaved violently, and his eyes, which had weathered countless storms and seen through the wickedness of people's hearts, were now fixed on Zhang Biao as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Murderous intent, anger, and a hint of resentment at being forcibly dragged into the mire by this madman intertwined and churned in his eyes.

How could he not know Zhang Biao's intentions?

This madman, unable to die himself, simply dragged everyone down with him.

In the most brutal way, they forced the emperor to face the depravity beneath the facade of these supposedly upright officials, and forced him to make a choice in front of the people.

Is it better to maintain a seemingly glamorous but potentially corrupt system, or to tolerate a 'mad knife' that only knows how to destroy but occasionally manages to puncture festering sores?

Fu Youwen, Ru Chang, and the others in the duty room had their palms covered in cold sweat.

They held their breath, their hearts pounding in their chests.

They were terrified that Old Zhu had actually agreed to the on-site audit.

That would be a disaster that no one could control and no one could escape.

Li Tiesheng and other upright officials, kneeling on the ground, looked ashen-faced and trembled like leaves.

Some of those with poor mental fortitude collapsed to the ground, some even with water seeping from their crotches, and a fishy, ​​pungent smell quietly spreading.

They usually talk big, impeach this person, and lecture that person. They never thought that one day someone would audit their 'innocence' in front of the emperor in the most naked way.
"Your Majesty! No! Absolutely not—!"

Li Tiesheng let out a desperate cry, no longer caring about his appearance, and kowtowed with tears streaming down his face:
"These are the ravings of Zhang Biao before his death! He intended to disrupt the court and slander loyal officials! Your Majesty is wise; how could you fall for such a treacherous scheme!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! If this precedent is set, the nation will cease to exist!"

"Your Majesty, please execute this scoundrel immediately and do not listen to his nonsense any longer!"

"."

The upright officials realized what was happening and began to cry and plead, trying to stop the horrific on-site audit.

"Hahaha--!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Biao suddenly burst into laughter, then turned to look at the group of intellectuals and said mockingly:

"You people, some are clouds, some are water, and everyone claims to be a loyal minister! We are treacherous ministers!"

"Little do you know, what kind of people are you in the Emperor's eyes?!"

These words shocked everyone.

Even Old Zhu couldn't help but look at Zhang Biao with some surprise.

But then Zhang Biao walked step by step across the Fengtian Hall square, each word resounding and powerful:
The ancients said: "The Yangtze River is called 'Jiang,' and the Yellow River is called 'He.' The Yangtze River is clear, while the Yellow River is muddy."

"The Yangtze River flows, and the Yellow River also flows."

"The waters of the Yangtze River irrigate the fields of several provinces on both banks."

"The waters of the Yellow River also irrigate the fields of several provinces on both banks."

"We must not use the water just because it is clear, nor should we discard it just because it is muddy; this has always been the case."

At this point, he raised his hand and pointed at the old censor Li Tiesheng, coldly saying:

"This old fool doesn't understand this principle. He's advising His Majesty to use only the Yangtze River and abandon the Yellow River. How can His Majesty agree to that?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tiesheng's face turned ashen.

He never expected that Zhang Biao, who was always fond of making outrageous remarks, would utter such shocking words.

Stimulate!

That was fucking thrilling!
The historian standing not far away felt that his life had been worthwhile!

He kept writing Zhang Biao's heroic deeds in the annals of history, which excited him even more than the arrival of a 'saint'.

Zhang Biao, however, ignored all the shocked gazes and, through the group of people, looked towards the duty room next to the Fengtian Hall square, his voice suddenly rising as he said:

An old proverb says: "When a sage appears, the Yellow River will run clear." But when has the Yellow River ever run clear?

"Conversely, once the Yellow River overflows, it needs to be controlled."

"This is why the Emperor killed Hu Weiyong, Guo Huan, and Li Shanchang, and deposed the Prime Minister."

"On the other hand, if the Yangtze River floods, the emperor will also need to manage it."

"This is why the Emperor killed Zhu Liangzu, Liao Yongzhong, Zheng Yuchun, Mao Xiang, and others."

"What!?"

The four people, including Fu Youwen, were completely bewildered inside the duty room.

It felt like being hit on the head with heavy hammer blows, one after another, leaving my mind completely blank.

However, Zhang Biao withdrew his gaze and turned it back to the group of Qingliu, saying calmly and indifferently:

"Now, you all claim to be upright officials before the Emperor, fabricating factions and manipulating the court. What kind of logic is this?"

Boom!

The moment those words were spoken shocked the entire Ming Dynasty for a whole year!

The entire audience was instantly stunned.

Almost no one expected that Zhang Biao would escalate the problem to such an extent.

This is no longer about fighting against one person.

This is a clash of eras.

This is an example of giving them a taste of their own medicine.

You guys like to list your cronies, don't you? I'll list you all as accomplices in the three major cases!
You guys like to wave the banner of serving the country and the people and talk about reason, right? Well, I'll use reason to kill you!

"Your Majesty! Zhang Biao has slandered the sacred teachings; his crime is unforgivable!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! Zhang Biao is spreading heresy and using deceitful words to mislead the people. It would be unjust if he were not killed!"

"emperor--!"

The upright officials finally panicked, so panicked they wet themselves.

If this gets involved, tens of thousands of people could die.

Old Zhu's face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

His gaze swept over the group of upright individuals who were making a fool of themselves, then looked at Zhang Biao, who stood tall with his head held high and a "you deal with it" expression on his face, and finally settled on the followers behind Zhang Biao, who were trembling with fear but still gritted their teeth and did not beg for mercy.

Zhang Biao is a capable and loyal fellow.

Even though he was courting death, he still didn't forget to protect his pack of 'wolf cubs'.
This thought inexplicably flashed through Old Zhu's mind.

He had killed countless people and seen too many people who, before dying, would bite their comrades and beg for mercy. But he had never seen a madman like Zhang Biao, who sought death but still risked his life to bite back and protect his own people.

This enraged him, yet a strange sense of appreciation arose within him. But this appreciation was instantly overwhelmed by even greater fury.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Old Zhu roared suddenly, like a tiger howling in the mountains, instantly silencing all the cries and pleas.

The entire square fell silent once more.

Everyone stared at the emperor in horror.

Old Zhu stared intently at Zhang Biao, forcing out through gritted teeth, "Zhang Biao, do you really think we wouldn't dare let you investigate? Do you really think we'd be blackmailed by you?!"

Zhang Biao showed no fear, even grinning to reveal his gleaming white teeth: "Your Majesty, I dare not threaten you. I merely ask Your Majesty to see the truth!"

"Whether they are loyal or treacherous, innocent or corrupt, a simple investigation will reveal the truth!"

"I am willing to risk my life to bet that their backsides are not clean!"

"If I lose, I will die a worthy death! If I win..."

His smile grew even brighter, yet also colder: "Wouldn't that be a perfect opportunity for Your Majesty to purge a bunch of parasites? A sure win, Your Majesty!"

"Bastard thing!"

Old Zhu was so angry he almost spat out another mouthful of blood.

This madman is stirring up trouble with every word he says.

But he had to admit that Zhang Biao's words were like poison needles piercing the most suspicious and darkest part of his heart.

Zhu Yuanzhang, born into humble circumstances, hated corrupt officials and suspected them of forming cliques for personal gain.

He had long disliked the behavior of these upright officials, but he had tolerated it until now due to the needs of governance and the unspoken rule of "not getting involved with the gentry."

Now, Zhang Biao has handed him the knife, forcing him to peel back that glamorous facade himself.

To investigate or not to investigate?

An investigation could trigger a major upheaval in the imperial court and even shake the very foundations of the nation.

Failing to investigate not only condoned potential corruption but also tantamount to admitting to the world that Zhu Yuanzhang was afraid and had compromised with this madman.

Moreover, this group of upright individuals will surely become even more arrogant in the future.

More importantly, by not investigating, they were doing the right thing for Fu Youwen, Ru Chang, and their ilk.

They truly became tools for them to kill each other.

Old Zhu's gaze swept over the direction of the duty room where Fu Youwen and the others were. Although there was a window between them, he could almost feel the tense gazes from behind.

Do they all want to take advantage of us? Do they all want to see us make a fool of ourselves?
An extreme surge of violence and a desire for control suddenly rushed to Old Zhu's head.

He suddenly made a decision.

"it is good!"

Old Zhu's voice, as cold as ice striking, echoed throughout the square: "Zhang Biao, we'll give you this chance!"

"boom--!"

These words struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving all the upright officials terrified!
Li Tiesheng's eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Fu Youwen and the others in the duty room were also horrified and almost collapsed to the ground!

The Emperor actually agreed?!

Zhang Biao's eyes suddenly lit up, as if a hungry wolf had spotted flesh and blood: "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Wise my ass!"

Old Zhu rudely interrupted him, his tone chilling, "But we made a promise beforehand! Jiang Huan!"

"Chen is here!"

Jiang Huan immediately stepped forward.

"You personally lead a team to the archives and accounting offices of the Censorate and the Hanlin Academy! Retrieve Li Tiesheng's documents, and..."

Old Zhu casually pointed to a few of the more vocal, upright officials:

"And for these few people, check their charcoal payment records and pen, ink, and paper usage records for the past three years! Also, go to the Ministry of Revenue to check the land and shops registered under their names and those of their immediate family members!"

Although Zhang Biao's debate on the purity and turbidity of the Yellow River and his discussion of the Yellow River made it impossible for Old Zhu to pay attention to anything else.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang ultimately left room for maneuver. He did not expand the scope on the spot, nor did he actually set up a stage in front of the Fengtian Hall to settle accounts. Instead, he asked Jiang Huan to retrieve the evidence.

However, this was already deadly enough.

"Issue another imperial edict summoning the officials on duty from the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review to come immediately! Let's see what kind of results they can find out today!"

Old Zhu was trying to keep things within the scope of "verification" rather than letting Zhang Biao's "on-site audit" proceed entirely, but the deterrent effect was already sufficient.

"The minister obeys the order!"

Without hesitation, Jiang Huan immediately selected a team of elite Imperial Guards and quickly left.

Those upright officials who were singled out by Zhu were immediately devastated, collapsing to the ground, unable to even cry.

They knew it was over! Utterly over!

Those accounts could hardly withstand an investigation by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and several ministries!

Zhang Biao smiled with satisfaction.

Although Lao Zhu didn't let him conduct the audit himself, the objective had already been achieved.

He believed that Jiang Huan and those officials would deliver a 'fair' result.

He turned his head, looked at Shen Lang, Li Mo, and the others who were all pale, raised an eyebrow, as if to say: 'See, am I awesome?'

Shen Lang and the others were experiencing extremely complex emotions at this moment.

The relief of surviving the ordeal, gratitude towards Zhang Biao, and fear of the impending bloody purge intertwined, leaving them weak and almost unable to stand.

Old Zhu stopped looking at those upright individuals and turned his gaze back to Zhang Biao, his killing intent returning: "Zhang Biao, now it's time to settle your score!"

Even if it is necessary to purge the "pure stream," Zhang Biao's serious crimes of slandering the sacred doctrines, advocating the abolition of Confucianism, and undermining the foundation of the nation cannot be lightly forgiven.

Otherwise, where would Zhu Yuanzhang's face be? How could the scholars of the world be appeased?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Biao, far from being afraid, straightened his robes and once again revealed that relieved expression of 'having waited a long time for this day,' and said loudly:

"Your subject awaits orders to die!"

His voice was clear and calm, even carrying a hint of liberated joy, echoing in front of the deathly silent Fengtian Hall, sounding both eerie and jarring.

Looking at him like this, Old Zhu felt a rush of blood to his head and his temples throb.

That bastard.
This bastard thing!
Killing him would be doing him a favor!
How can we vent our anger and restore order to the court if we don't kill him?!
But he's a fucking genius!
He made the Yangtze and Yellow River analogy and the rationale behind our killings crystal clear to him!
He deserves to die!
Old Zhu was caught in an unprecedented state of rage and inner turmoil.

(End of this chapter)