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

Chapter 134 We'll make this world feel our pain! [Seeking monthly votes]

Beep——!
Inside the Hall of Literary Glory, the maniacal and tragic laughter abruptly ceased, as if an invisible hand had gripped its throat.

Old Zhu stood there, his chest still heaving violently, blood dripping from the back of his hand onto the imperial desk and floor tiles, but he seemed oblivious to it.

In those blood-red eyes, madness, murderous intent, grief, suspicion... all sorts of emotions intertwined and collided like a storm.

Suddenly, he raised his foot sharply, as if he wanted to rush out of the main hall regardless of everything, rush into the imperial prison, tear Zhang Biao, that 'monster,' to pieces, and use the cruelest torture to force him to reveal what he knew.

Even knowing that Zhang Biao had no solid evidence, he believed that Zhang Biao must have found some clues.

However, just as he was about to take the step, his reason, which had been almost out of control due to the extreme emotions, forcefully pulled him back.

can not go!
Absolutely do not go!
That madman was waiting for this!

He's trying to provoke us, to make us lose our temper, and to lead us by the nose!
In just a moment, Old Zhu reacted, clenching his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, trying to force himself to calm down with greater pain.

That bastard did it on purpose! He was gambling! Gambling on our suspicions!
Let's bet on our feelings for the target!

I am the emperor, the Son of Heaven of the Ming Dynasty! How can I be manipulated by a mere prisoner?!
However, while reason screamed incessantly in his heart, emotions raged around his heart like poisonous vines.

That's Zhu Biao! He's the crown prince to whom he poured countless efforts and placed his hopes for the future of the dynasty!
It can be said that Zhu Biao's death was a wound in his heart that could never heal!

Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance that there's more to Biao'er's death than meets the eye... Old Zhu absolutely cannot ignore it!
This extreme struggle between reason and emotion almost tore him apart!
"Huff huff..."

He gasped for breath and paced back and forth in front of the imperial desk like a trapped beast, his steps heavy and disordered.

He glanced several times toward the direction of the imperial prison outside the palace, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, but he forcibly suppressed it each time.

Finally, he stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, the madness and grief in them were forcibly suppressed, replaced by an extremely terrifying, icy calm. But beneath this icy layer lay lava about to erupt.

"Guards! Summon Jiang Huan!"

Old Zhu sat back down and issued new orders.

Although his voice sounded very hoarse, it was unusually steady, carrying a chilling sense of oppression.

When Jiang Huan, who was outside the palace, heard the summons, his heart almost jumped out of his chest.

He scrambled back into the hall, knelt on the ground, and dared not raise his head: "This sinful subject is here."

“Say what you just said again…”

Old Zhu didn't look at him, his gaze fixed on the bloodstain on the imperial desk. He spoke slowly, each word like an ice bead hitting the ground: "Say it once, without missing a single word. No additions, no subtractions."

"yes…."

Jiang Huan shuddered and had no choice but to steel herself and, in the calmest possible tone, recount Zhang Biao's casual question and her own reaction, including her panicked and flustered state.

Old Zhu listened quietly, his face expressionless, only his fingers tapping the table unconsciously and extremely slowly.

After hearing this, the hall fell into an even longer, deathly silence.

After a long while, Old Zhu spoke again, his voice still terrifyingly steady: "Jiang Huan, you've followed us for so many years, in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you've seen countless madmen and heard countless outrageous statements."

As he spoke, he slightly raised his eyelids, his gaze like a cold blade falling on Jiang Huan: "Tell me... was Zhang Biao's statement a desperate, fabricated accusation before his death, an attempt to extort money to survive... or..."

He paused, then finally asked the most crucial question: "Could he really... know something?"

"This"

Jiang Huan lay on the ground, her mind racing, cold sweat soaking her back.

He knew that his answer was crucial, and might even be a matter of life and death.

He carefully recalled Zhang Biao's expression and tone when he said those words, as well as the madman's ability to accurately uncover secrets during the audit...

In the end, he gritted his teeth and chose a relatively safe answer that still demonstrated his value:

"Your Majesty, this humble subject believes... Zhang Biao, though acting madly and recklessly, possesses an astounding ability to uncover secrets. He has seemingly foolishly revealed numerous private matters concerning the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, and even the residences of nobles..."

At this point, Old Zhu showed no reaction, and he became even more careful with his words:

"Therefore, I dare not say that his words are necessarily false. Perhaps he did inadvertently discover some unknown clues related to the old events during the audit process, which is also unknown."

Old Zhu frowned almost imperceptibly.

"Of course!"

Jiang Huan immediately changed the subject, emphasizing:
"This is all one side of the story! And the fact that he chose to release it at this time clearly shows that he harbors malicious intentions, intending to sow discord among the emperor, delay the inevitable, and even... even attempt to use it to blackmail the emperor! His heart is wicked!"

Old Zhu listened quietly, his face remaining expressionless.

Only when Jiang Huan's heart was in his throat did he calmly and indifferently say:
"Jiang Huan, what's your plan for this matter? Or... how should we deal with Zhang Biao?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan's heart stirred.

He knew that what the emperor might want wasn't the real answer, but rather for him to express what the emperor wanted to say but couldn't say directly.

A flash of understanding crossed his eyes, yet it was tinged with the ruthlessness characteristic of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and he said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty! This humble subject believes that Zhang Biao is a cunning and treacherous villain! Rather than speculating about his intentions here, this humble subject should have him brought to the Imperial Prison for torture!"

"With the seventy-two techniques of the imperial prison, I refuse to believe we can't pry his mouth open! I guarantee he'll spill everything he knows, including the secrets of his ancestors for eighteen generations!"

This was Jiang Huan's most direct and instinctive thought.

He solves problems in the way he is best at.

He believed that no one could keep a secret in the face of the tortures in the imperial prison.

However, after listening, Old Zhu slowly shook his head.

"No."

Old Zhu's voice was deep and decisive, carrying an unquestionable resolve.

Jiang Huan was taken aback, and looked up in confusion: "What does Your Majesty mean?"

"Do you think we haven't considered using torture on him?"

Old Zhu's gaze remained fixed on the pool of blood, as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps explaining to Jiang Huan: "When he 'died to remonstrate' about the three major long-standing problems, we thought about using torture to force him to solve the problems for us and confess everything he knew."

"However, we have to consider these issues."

"First, he is not afraid of death, and even desires to die. Torture will only hasten his death. Hoping that he will succumb to torture and confess everything is a gamble."

"Secondly, he is so young yet insightful about the ways of the world, comparable to, or even surpassing, Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen. Even we can hardly fathom his future plans."

"Third, what if he can't withstand the torture and starts spouting nonsense to lessen his suffering? If that happens, and he randomly points out a few pieces of information, will you believe him or not? Will you investigate or not?"

"or……"

A barely concealed worry flashed in Old Zhu's eyes: "What if he really knows something, but before he can say it, he 'accidentally' dies under torture? In this world, there are probably more than one person who wants certain secrets to disappear forever." He paused here, then added meaningfully, "Don't think that the Embroidered Uniform Guard is truly flawless. The human heart is the most complex thing, especially when people are driven to the brink."

He feared that Zhang Biao would make wild accusations and cause chaos in the court, and he was even more afraid that someone would use torture as a pretext to silence him.

Zhang Biao is now a powder keg that could detonate the dynasty's secrets. He must be firmly in control of the situation himself and cannot delegate it to anyone else, nor can he give anyone an opportunity to exploit it.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan broke out in a cold sweat, immediately understanding Old Zhu's deeper meaning, and quickly kowtowed:

"This humble subject is foolish and nearly ruined Your Majesty's important affairs! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Old Zhu waved his hand, gesturing for him to get up: "It's not your fault. It's just that we... had to be careful."

Jiang Huan stood up with lingering fear, her hands hanging down, her mind racing again.

Since the Emperor has rejected the use of torture, a more reliable solution must be devised.

He carefully weighed the pros and cons, and after a long pause, he spoke again, his tone becoming more cautious and thorough:
"Your Majesty is wise; it was this humble subject who failed to consider the matter thoroughly. In that case, I believe the most urgent matter is not his confession, nor his life or death, nor even torture to extract a confession. Rather... whatever he has said, whether true or false, must be thoroughly investigated! But this must be done with utmost caution and in secrecy!"

"Oh?" Old Zhu raised his eyelids and glanced at him: "Tell me more about it."

Jiang Huan gathered her thoughts and slowly expressed her true, well-considered ideas:

"In my humble opinion, firstly, Your Majesty could ignore his words outwardly, or even accuse him of madness, and continue to press for other confessions in order to lull the outside world and any possible behind-the-scenes figures into a false sense of security."

"Secondly, I request Your Majesty to grant me a secret decree to deploy absolutely reliable special agents to secretly reopen the investigation into those involved before and after His Highness the Crown Prince's death!"

"For example, all imperial physicians, officials of the Crown Prince's Palace, eunuchs, and palace servants, regardless of whether they are alive or dead, or where they are now, must undergo a thorough re-examination of their words and deeds, their interpersonal relationships, and their whereabouts afterward!"

"Furthermore, all medical records and prescriptions must be secretly retrieved and handed over to a trusted imperial physician for re-evaluation!"

Thirdly!

A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Jiang Huan's eyes as he said in a deep voice, "Be lenient on the surface but strict on the inside with Zhang Biao! On the surface, we can relax a little, as if the Emperor doesn't care about his nonsense. But secretly, the guards need to be doubled!"

"We must prevent him from committing suicide, but even more importantly, we must prevent him from being silenced by others!"

"Until the day of the autumn execution, until the truth about His Highness the Crown Prince comes to light!"

After saying this, Jiang Huan prostrated himself deeply on the ground: "These are all the foolish opinions of this sinful subject. Everything is left to Your Majesty's wise judgment!"

After listening, Old Zhu remained silent for a long time.

Jiang Huan's plan was mature, prudent, and well-considered. It not only matched his status and ability as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but also resonated with him perfectly.

They remained outwardly calm but secretly investigated the truth!
This is exactly what he wants!
Investigate! We must investigate!
Regardless of whether it's true or false, we must get to the bottom of this!
Old Zhu slowly stood up and walked to Jiang Huan.

"Jiang Huan".

"This guilty subject is here."

"We'll give you a secret decree."

Old Zhu's voice was deep and filled with absolute authority: "Do as you say. Use all the resources at your disposal to investigate secretly!"

"But remember, this matter is known only to Heaven, Earth, you, and us! If a third person finds out, it's because the investigation started with you..."

Old Zhu didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.

Jiang Huan kowtowed deeply: "This sinful subject understands! If there is any leak, this sinful subject will bring his head to face me!"

"Go."

Old Zhu waved his hand, as if he had exhausted all his strength: "Remember, what we want is the truth. No matter... what the truth is."

"Sir, obey the order!"

Jiang Huan kowtowed, but did not leave immediately, because he knew that there was still one thing that needed to be decided by Zhu.

Sure enough, Old Zhu suddenly asked, "Who else was there at the time?"

His voice remained steady, revealing no emotion.

"Both of the accompanying guards are my trusted confidants, and they are extremely tight-lipped."

Jiang Huan answered immediately, but his heart was pounding wildly.

"Ah."

Old Zhu responded faintly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the imperial desk before stopping.

"Jiang Huan".

"The minister is here."

Old Zhu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable, absolute command:
"Those two imperial guards heard nothing. Today, all those on duty in the imperial prison have been replaced and transferred to serve in the northern army, never to be recalled."

"You, handle it personally. Be quick and thorough."

Jiang Huan felt a chill run down his spine; this was an attempt to completely silence them!
Without hesitation, he replied, "Your subject obeys!"

"From now on!"

Old Zhu continued, his tone still calm, yet containing immense power: "You will personally lead the most reliable people to guard the death row area of ​​the Imperial Prison."

As he spoke, his gaze became extremely profound: "If Zhang Biao speaks again and mentions anything related to this, you only need to listen, do not write anything down, and then report it to me verbatim, without omitting a single word. Do you understand?"

"My lord, I understand!"

Jiang Huan understood completely.

The Emperor intends to completely isolate Zhang Biao, turning him into a secret connected only to the Emperor himself, while also controlling the spread of this secret to the greatest extent possible, so that even Zhang Biao, as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, cannot get too involved.

Soon, Jiang Huan carefully withdrew from the main hall. Only after stepping out of the palace gate and being hit by a cold wind did he realize that his whole body was soaked in cold sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

He knew that an investigation more secretive and dangerous than any before was about to begin.

He himself has been deeply drawn into a massive vortex that could potentially devour everything.

Inside the Hall of Literary Glory, Old Zhu stood alone, staring at the blood-stained imperial desk and memorials, his gaze once again becoming deep and unfathomable.

Zhang Biao, we don't care how much you know, or what your purpose is.
You did it.

You've made our lives miserable.

He slowly sat back on the dragon throne, his whole being seemingly shrouded in an extremely cold shadow.

If there's something really wrong with Biao'er's death.

Then let everyone involved in this matter feel our pain.

Asking for a monthly ticket~
(End of this chapter)