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

Chapter 140 Prelude to the Killing Storm [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Jiang Huan left the suffocating area of ​​the imperial prison almost unsteadily, and it wasn't until the cold night wind hit his face that he seemed to regain the ability to breathe.

Zhang Biao's seemingly calm, even mocking, reaction was more terrifying to him than any hysteria.

He dared not delay for the slightest and immediately returned to the Huagai Hall to report back.

Inside the Hall of Literary Glory, the candlelight still burned, and Old Zhu sat upright like a clay sculpture, as if he had never moved an inch.

"emperor."

Jiang Huan knelt on the ground, her voice carrying a barely perceptible dryness and exhaustion.

He reported the entire process of his meeting with Zhang Biao, including every detail, every conversation, especially Zhang Biao's unusual calmness and his final comment about the poor food in the Ministry of Justice prison, word for word, without embellishment or omission.

Silence fell once again in the hall.

Old Zhu's fingers tapped unconsciously on the armrest, the rhythm slow and heavy, as if he were weighing the weight of every word Jiang Huan reported.

[Calm...mocking...commenting on prison food...]

[They don't ask about the metal box, they only ask about the location of the detention...]

[The last sentence, "Jiang Huan once investigated the Crown Prince..."]

An extremely complex light flickered in Old Zhu's eyes.

Zhang Biao's reaction was also beyond his expectations.

This unusual calm can only be explained in two ways:

[Or perhaps Zhang Biao is ruthless to the extreme, and those five subordinates are merely dispensable tools to him, to be discarded at any time.]

[Or perhaps, all of this was within his expectations and calculations, and he may have even known about the external situation through some unknown means and had a plan to deal with it, which is why he was so fearless.]

Old Zhu prefers the latter.

Because a truly cold-blooded person would not frantically plead for their life over something as seemingly insignificant as 'demanding unpaid wages,' nor would they seek death while protecting their subordinates.

Zhang Biao's madness conceals a strange, twisted sense of 'loyalty,' or rather, 'principle.'

He's putting on an act for us.

He wanted us to think he didn't care, to lower our guard.

But his last question, seemingly casual, actually revealed his concern. He was interested in where the two men were being held.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have threatened Jiang Huan.

A cold, knowing smile curled at the corners of Old Zhu's mouth.

Zhang Biao, you're still too young.

"Jiang Huan," Old Zhu said slowly.

"The minister is here."

"Those two thieves are in the Ministry of Justice prison..."

Old Zhu's tone was flat and emotionless:
"Don't let them die, but don't let them have it too easy either. In particular, don't let Fu Youwen's men have a chance to get close to them and do something to silence them."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Jiang Huan immediately understood that the two hostages were to be kept firmly under control. They could neither be silenced by Fu Youwen nor killed easily, but rather used as important bargaining chips to restrain Zhang Biao.

"As for Zhao Fengman and that iron box..."

Old Zhu pondered for a moment, then a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "Keep Fu Youwen and the others searching. Your men keep a close eye on them, see what they can find out and what they're trying to cover up. If necessary... we can create some 'favors' for them, making them think they're about to succeed."

Jiang Huan was shocked. Was the Emperor trying to lure the snake out of its hole, or even use Fu Youwen's power to find the iron box?!
"My lord, I understand!"

Jiang Huan accepted the order once again.

"besides!"

Old Zhu's gaze deepened:
"As for Zhang Biao... there's no need to interrogate him for a while. Let him wait and see."

"Leave him hanging?" Jiang Huan asked, puzzled.

"Yes, leave him hanging."

Old Zhu said calmly, "Isn't he good at acting? Isn't he pretending not to care? Let's see how long he can keep up the act."

"When he loses his composure, he'll naturally reveal a weakness. Or... when his subordinate Zhao Fengman, or that iron box, falls into our hands..."

Old Zhu didn't say anything more, but the implication was clear.

He would wait, wait until he had accumulated enough chips, wait until Zhang Biao lost his composure, or wait until the truth gradually surfaced. Only then would it be time for the real showdown.

This is an extreme level of patience and confidence, stemming from his belief in his control over the overall situation and his insight into the weaknesses of human nature.

"Sir, obey the order!"

Jiang Huan kowtowed deeply.

"Go."

Old Zhu waved his hand, picked up another memorial, and seemed to really intend to put Zhang Biao aside for the time being.

Jiang Huan quietly withdrew from the main hall and began to strictly carry out Zhu's orders.

On the one hand, they strengthened monitoring of the Ministry of Justice's prison; on the other hand, they intensified surveillance of the actions of Fu Youwen and others.

At the same time, their attention to the prison did not slacken, but they shifted from overt interrogation to more covert observation.

Zhang Biao was fully aware of this.

He completely guessed Old Zhu's intentions.

But he wasn't in a hurry.

Because he knew that there was one person who was more anxious than all of them.

—Fu Youwen.

With the iron box missing, rumors spread like wildfire. Although the emperor did not openly take any major action, his covert surveillance certainly reached its peak.

Fu Youwen was now like an ant on a hot pan. He had to do everything in his power to find Zhao Fengman and retrieve the iron box before the emperor really got involved, or at least confirm that the contents of the box were not in the emperor's hands.

The more anxious Fu Youwen is, the more likely he is to make mistakes.

The more mistakes you make, the more flaws you reveal.

What Zhang Biao needs to do now is patiently wait for Fu Youwen and his team to "pull out the radish and bring out the mud along with it".

After all, his target was never Fu Youwen and the other three, but the 'big shot' behind them.

Shen Lang, Sun Gui, hang in there a little longer.

[Plump, hide yourself well, hide the tin box well.]

Li Mo, Wu Naida, it's your turn now.

……

the other side.

After spreading the rumors, Li Mo and Wu Naida immediately severed ties with all previous contact points, disappearing completely like a drop of water merging into the ocean.

They knew that Fu Youwen would never let them go.

For them, Yingtian Prefecture is now a trap at every turn.

In a secluded, long-abandoned cellar of a residential house, the two men stood silently by the dim light of an oil lamp, their faces grave.

The rumors have already spread.

Wu Naida lowered his voice, his eyes bloodshot: "The whole city is talking about the iron box from the Ministry of Revenue and the scandals involving Fu Youwen and his associates. But how long can this drag on?"

Li Mo looked equally tired, but his eyes were unusually calm:

"Rumors can only create chaos and buy time. What can truly save Shen Lang and Sun Gui, and protect Fengman and the iron box, is not rumors, but..."

He paused, then continued, "We need to stir the waters even more, so muddy that Fu Youwen can't control them, so muddy that someone at a higher level has to intervene!"

"A higher level? The Emperor?"

Wu Naida smiled bitterly: "The Emperor's mind is not on these corruption cases at all right now."

As he spoke, he suddenly stopped, as an extremely audacious idea struck him like lightning.

He suddenly looked at Li Mo, his eyes filled with shock and a hint of frenzied excitement.

Li Mo seemed to understand him perfectly, and slowly nodded, his voice low and resolute:
"That's right. We'll give him whatever the Emperor cares about most!"

"You mean"

Wu Naida's breathing became rapid: "Turning the matter of the iron box into that matter?!"

Although they dared not say it outright, they both knew perfectly well what 'that matter' referred to.

—The death of Crown Prince Zhu Biao!
"But...we have no idea what's inside the iron box!" Wu Naida felt a surge of fear: "What if it's just ordinary evidence of corruption? What we're doing would be a crime of deceiving the emperor! A crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of our families!"

"We don't need to know exactly what's inside!"

Li Mo's eyes were sharp as knives: "All we need to do is make the Emperor 'suspicion' what it might be!"

"Why was Fu Youwen so afraid of that iron box? Why did Zhao Qian hide it so secretly before he died? Why was it discovered at this particular time? These questions alone are enough to make the Emperor make some connections!"

"We're going to spread new rumors!"

Li Mo's speech quickened, and his thoughts became clearer: "Just say that the iron box was a life-saving charm left by the former Vice Minister Zhao Qian. It doesn't contain ordinary evidence of corruption, but rather clues to a shocking old case from a few months ago!"

"As for the specific old case, let them guess and try to figure it out themselves!"

Wu Naida was terrified, but he also knew that this was the only way to break the deadlock.

Only by making the matter extremely public, touching upon the emperor's most sensitive and untouchable sore spot, can the emperor be forced to personally intervene and thoroughly investigate the matter.

At that time, Fu Youwen and his associates will no longer be able to cover up the truth.

"Fortune favors the bold! Let's do it!"

Wu Naida gritted his teeth, a fierce glint of desperation flashing in his eyes: "I'm going to find someone right now! This time, I'm going to find the most reckless and quickest talker!"

"Be careful!" Li Mo warned, "Fu Youwen is probably watching everyone who might spread the news like a mad dog right now!"

"Don't worry! I know who to talk to!"

Wu Naida nodded emphatically and slipped out of the cellar like a ghost.

Li Mo was left alone in the darkness, his heart pounding like a drum.

He knew they were playing with fire, even dancing on the edge of a knife.

Failure would mean utter ruin.

But in order to save their companions and to complete the 'career' that their brother had not finished, they had no other choice.

Wu Naida was very efficient. Although his official position was not high, the fact that he was able to serve in the Ministry of Personnel in Yingtian Prefecture was proof of his ability.

Soon, he began spreading new rumors through various channels.

Meanwhile, the underground world of Yingtian Prefecture was thrown into turmoil by new rumors.

"Have you heard? That iron box in the Ministry of Revenue isn't related to corruption; it's related to an old case from several months ago!"

"What old case could have frightened Minister Fu and the others like that?"

"Shh, keep your voice down! What old case could it be? Think back a few months ago, which big shot went missing?"

"Could it be... Yiwen?"

"Shut up! Don't you want to live?! Anyway, it's said that there's something deadly inside! Zhao Qian was silenced because of it!"

"No wonder even the Emperor was alarmed."

More subtle, yet more deadly, rumors, like an invisible poisonous fog, quickly infiltrated teahouses, taverns, and even quietly circulated among some low-ranking officials.

Although no one dared to say it outright, the words 'a few months ago,' 'old case,' and 'big shot' were like codes in the dark, pointing precisely to that taboo that no one dared to touch.

This undercurrent inevitably reached Jiang Huan's ears as well.

When he heard the new rumors cautiously reported by his subordinates, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard instantly turned ashen, his face darker than a corpse.

He practically tumbled and crawled back into the Huagai Hall.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Jiang Huan's voice was filled with unprecedented terror, even forgetting etiquette: "New rumors! They're about the iron box! They say that the iron box is connected to the Crown Prince!"

"enough!"

Old Zhu abruptly interrupted him, his voice like cracking ice, containing extreme rage and a terrifying killing intent that had been touched on a sensitive spot.

He didn't need Jiang Huan to finish speaking; the words themselves were like poison needles piercing his heart.

The air inside the hall seemed to have been sucked out instantly.

Jiang Huan lay prostrate on the ground, trembling all over, not daring to raise his head.

Old Zhu's chest heaved violently, his temples throbbed, and his eyes were frighteningly bloodshot.

He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, trying to use the pain to suppress the rage and suspicion that were about to overwhelm his reason.

[Old Case: The Crown Prince]

[As expected! As expected, it's related to Biao'er?!]

[Zhang Biao! Fu Youwen! What exactly do you know?!]

Rumors don't come from nowhere.
Especially since it points so precisely to the crown prince.

There must be someone in the know behind this.

Was Zhang Biao remotely controlling things from prison? Or were those two bastards, Li Mo and Wu Naida, making a last-ditch effort?
Or perhaps there's been a split within Fu Youwen's group, with someone wanting to fight to the death?

Countless possibilities collided wildly in Lao Zhu's mind, each one igniting his murderous intent!
But he ultimately suppressed the urge to immediately order a bloodbath.

Especially at times like this, we must not lose our composure.

"Jiang Huan".

Old Zhu's voice was terribly hoarse, like sandpaper being rubbed.

"Your subject is here."

"Can the source of the rumor be traced?"

"It's possible, but there's no need to investigate. It's most likely just rumors spread by Li Mo and Wu Naida!"

Jiang Huan was drenched in cold sweat.

A cold glint flashed in Old Zhu's eyes, which further confirmed his guess that it was indeed related to Zhang Biao.

However, Li Mo and Wu Naida probably don't know the secret inside the iron box.

Otherwise, they would never have dared to spread rumors.

The reason they spread such rumors was twofold: first, to give everyone pause and force Fu Youwen and his group to reveal their true colors; and second, to attract our attention.

After all, everyone knows we care about the cause of Biao'er's death.

"Any movement from Fu Youwen's side?"

Old Zhu changed the subject.

"Your Majesty, Minister Fu and the others are like ants on a hot pan. It is said that they have secretly offered a huge reward and will spare no effort to search for Zhao Fengman and the iron box!"

Jiang Huan hurriedly reported, "Their men are searching the entire city like mad dogs, and they've even started secretly contacting some desperate outlaws from the martial arts world!"

Ha, this is a cornered dog resorting to desperate measures.

Old Zhu sneered inwardly.

It seems the contents of this metal box are more deadly than we imagined!

[Li Mo and Wu Naida, those two bastards, actually got lucky!]

"good very good."

Old Zhu's voice suddenly calmed down, but this calm was more terrifying than his roar:
"Let them search. Your men keep a close eye on them. Write down every place they search and every person they contact!"

"in addition!"

Old Zhu paused, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes:

"Give those two in the Ministry of Justice prison a little 'spice'. No need for severe torture, just starve them, freeze them, interrogate them from time to time, and deprive them of sleep. Push them to the brink of collapse."

Jiang Huan's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood: "His Majesty intends to wait until their will is at its weakest."

"Let's see if they're just being stubborn, or if our methods are more effective."

Old Zhu said indifferently, "We also need to see if their 'Brother Biao' can keep up the act!"

He was using a two-pronged approach: putting pressure on Shen Lang and Sun Gui while continuing to observe Zhang Biao's reaction.

At the same time, he tolerated Li Mo and Wu Naida's antics, watched Fu Youwen and others perform, and waited for them to make mistakes or fight amongst themselves.

"Sir, obey the order!"

Jiang Huan accepted the order and withdrew again.

He knew that the emperor's patience was almost exhausted.

But a storm of killing is brewing.

(End of this chapter)