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

Chapter 160 Night is Falling, Brothers, Be Well [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

The bedroom of the Huagai Hall.

Old Zhu had just fallen asleep when Jiang Huan woke him up. The candlelight flickered, casting a shadow on his face that swayed like a ghost.

Normally, he would definitely fly into a rage.

But now he also knows that unless it's something important, Jiang Huan definitely wouldn't dare to bother him.

"explain."

Old Zhu didn't waste any words and uttered a single word.

"Reporting to Your Majesty..."

Jiang Huan knelt below and recounted, word for word, the tragic scene of Wang Siyu's entire family dying from poisoning, the burning of his residence, and the suicides of all the assassins in the Ministry of Justice prison.

A silence fell over the room.

That silence was more suffocating than thunderous fury.

Old Zhu sat on the bed, his face expressionless, showing neither shock nor anger, only a deep, icy calm.

But Jiang Huan, who knew him well, knew that this was the emperor's most terrifying state.

[Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots, leaving no one alive...]

Such ruthless methods... such swift movements...

Is this a show of force against us? Or a cover-up? Or... both?

Countless thoughts flashed through Lao Zhu's mind in an instant.

The more desperately the other party tries to cover it up, the more it proves that what's in the iron box has struck their most fatal weakness.

This only strengthened his resolve to investigate thoroughly.

"understood."

After a long silence, Old Zhu slowly uttered three words, his voice calm and without a trace of emotion.

"Make sure the bodies of Prisoner Wang and his family are properly preserved."

"Secretly investigate his neighbors and colleagues to see if any suspicious persons have appeared recently."

"Search the fire site and ruins thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned."

His instructions were clear and cold, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"Yes!"

Jiang Huan quickly agreed.

"Shen Lang and the others have already been imprisoned?" Old Zhu asked again.

"Your Majesty, as you have decreed, he has been imprisoned in the cell next to Zhang Biao's."

"Ah."

Old Zhu nodded, a cold, calculating glint in his eyes: "Go tell Zhang Biao that his brothers were just assassinated in the Ministry of Justice prison and were almost wiped out."

"Fortunately, the Imperial Guards arrived in time to save his life, and he has now been taken back to the Imperial Prison to keep him company."

He deliberately emphasized the words 'assassination' and 'please'.

This was meant to make Zhang Biao feel the impending storm in the outside world.

"Furthermore, from this moment on, every hour, one of his five brothers shall be interrogated."

"No need for severe punishment, but make them make some noise so that Zhang Biao can hear them."

Jiang Huan understood that this was meant to put psychological pressure on Zhang Biao, tormenting him with the continued suffering of his brothers, and forcing him to write the petition as soon as possible.

"I understand!"

"Go."

Jiang Huan bowed and withdrew, then hurried to the imperial prison.

……

The Imperial Prison, Room 3, Class A.

Zhang Biao was sitting with his legs crossed, pouring himself a drink from the set of glass goblets, humming an off-key tune, as if all the disturbances of the outside world were irrelevant to him.

The cell door opened, and Jiang Huan walked in expressionlessly.

"Oh? Commander Jiang is here for a visit again?"

Zhang Biao didn't even look up, his tone mocking: "Do you want to hear me reminisce about the old days of the Eastern Palace, or the local customs of Shaanxi? Or perhaps... royal secrets?"

Jiang Huan ignored his teasing and simply relayed Old Zhu's words verbatim in a calm and indifferent voice, especially emphasizing "assassination" and "now returned to the imperial prison".

Upon hearing the word 'assassination,' Zhang Biao's hand, which was swirling his wine glass, paused almost imperceptibly, but he quickly resumed his nonchalant demeanor, even letting out a sneer.
"Heh, quick on the uptake. Looks like someone's desperate."

"Commander Jiang, didn't you say that your Embroidered Uniform Guard monitors all officials and is omnipresent? How come the security work is so inadequate? You almost caused my brothers to be killed?"

"They are important witnesses!"

Although he said it lightly with a smile, the fleeting chill in the depths of his eyes did not escape Jiang Huan's notice.

But then Jiang Huan continued:
"The Emperor has decreed that you should focus on writing your confession. Your brothers will be 'well taken care of' in the Imperial Prison."

After saying this, he said no more and turned to leave.

"Clang-!"

The cell door was closed again.

The smile on Zhang Biao's face vanished instantly.

He slowly put down his wine glass, his gaze fixed on the cold stone wall, as if he could see through it and into the cell next door.

[They even went so far as to silence them in the Ministry of Justice prison... and used assassins at that... what a massive operation!]

It seems that all the Imperial Guards in the city are running themselves ragged for Old Zhu's sake; even in this normally most heavily guarded place, a lapse has occurred...

Now, Old Zhu has brought Shen Lang and the others right under my nose... It's a form of protection, a hostage situation, and also a way to torture me...

[Ha, you've become smarter after I've schemed against you? You're playing along with my open schemes now...]

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice towards the wall, as if talking to himself, or perhaps shouting to the neighbor next door:

"Brothers! You're all still alive, right? If you're not, give me a shout! I'm waiting for you guys to take me out for drinks and entertainment!"

There was a moment of deathly silence in the next cell, followed by several suppressed responses, filled with pain and excitement.

"Biao...Brother Biao...we're alright..."

This was Shen Lang's weak voice, but he was trying hard to remain calm.

"Damn it... Fengman and the others almost met their maker... Luckily, that bastard Jiang Huan arrived quickly..."

This was Sun Gui's voice, cursing but lacking in strength.

"Brother Biao...the thing...the thing has been delivered?"

This was Zhao Fengman's biggest concern: "My choice...didn't disappoint you, did it?"

"..."

Upon hearing the response, Zhang Biao's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

But he quickly suppressed it, instead cursing in an even more mocking and irritating tone:
"As long as you're not dead! All of you, behave yourselves! Stop howling like women! You're disturbing my contemplation of life!"

"Especially you, Zhao Fengman! You almost got yourself killed just by delivering something, what a disgrace!"

He cursed fiercely, but when Shen Lang and the other four people next door heard that familiar, irritating tone, their originally fearful and uneasy hearts were strangely calmed down.

[Brother Biao is still here; Brother Biao is still the same Brother Biao.]

Since he's so calm, it means the situation is still under control?

At least we're all alive now, and together.

Sun Gui even chuckled and cursed under his breath, "Damn... still so foul-mouthed..."

Li Mo leaned against the wall and whispered to the others, "Brother Biao is telling us that he's alright and that we should stay calm."

Zhao Fengman wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth that had spilled during his struggle, and his eyes gleamed again: "The item must have reached the Emperor's hands! Otherwise, those people wouldn't have been in such a hurry to kill us to silence us!"

Wu Naida said in a muffled voice, "Yes! We... have to hold on!"

Although they were imprisoned and their future was uncertain, the morale of the five men was actually rekindled by Zhang Biao's few curses.

However, this brief period of stability did not last long.

An hour later.

Heavy footsteps and the dragging of chains echoed in the passageway precisely on time.

Immediately afterwards, the door to the next cell opened, and a cold, icy rebuke came from the Imperial Guard:
"Sun Gui! Come out here!"

"What are you doing?!" Sun Gui shouted warily.

"Bring them in for questioning!"

"Go to hell with your interrogation! If you've got the guts, give me a quick and painless end!"

"Snapped--!"

"Let me go! Let me go!"

When the sounds of Sun Gui's struggles and the clear cracking of a whip came from the next cell, Zhang Biao's fingers, which were tapping his knee, suddenly stopped.

He slowly raised his head, the cynicism in his eyes completely vanished, replaced by an extreme coldness and an all-knowing sharpness.

Just as the Imperial Guards were dragging the cursing Sun Gui past his cell door, preparing to head to the torture chamber, Zhang Biao suddenly spoke up.

"Hey!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear and steady, possessing an undeniable penetrating power that instantly drowned out all the noise.

"Hey, you guards at the gate, could you please pass on a message to Jiang Huan?"

The escorting officer instinctively stopped and looked into the cell with a puzzled expression.

Zhang Biao had somehow already sat down at the small table, where paper, ink, brush, and inkstone were laid out.

That was the confession Old Zhu used to write for him.

He held a pen in his hand, seemingly preparing to write.

"Tell Commander Jiang!"

Zhang Biao's gaze wasn't on the imperial guard, but rather on the blank page. His tone was as calm as if he were discussing what to have for dinner: "I can write this confession. And I'll write it very quickly."

"Ok?"

The imperial guards were taken aback, thinking to themselves, "Has this madman finally given in?"

But Zhang Biao's next words sent chills down his spine.

"but!"

Zhang Biao lightly dipped the tip of his brush into the inkstone, his voice still steady, yet carrying a chilling threat:

“I need quiet when I write, and I hate noise the most. I especially hate hearing... the sound of flesh being torn apart, and the screams of my brothers.”

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze like two icicles piercing through the fence towards the guard, a faint, extremely dangerous smile even playing at the corners of his lips:

"If I get startled and my hand trembles... what I write down might not be the old Shaanxi case or trivial matters of the Crown Prince that the Emperor wants to see..."

"Perhaps... without even realizing it, I might write about some... um... for example, the coincidences of how Grand Marshal Guo's former troops were quickly absorbed and disintegrated after his death in the early years of the Hongwu reign; or... what exactly happened to Han Lin'er, the Little Ming King who was supposed to have drowned accidentally in the Guabu River, and what he said while clutching someone's clothes before he died..."

"For example... the last words of some founding nobles, before they were executed, which they entrusted to others to smuggle out the truth about certain battles of that year..."

Rumble!
With each word Zhang Biao spoke, the imperial guard was struck by lightning, his face turning paler and his body trembling more violently!
Each of these words represents a shocking secret that could shake the government and the public!

It is the bloodiest and most shameful foundation buried beneath the glorious facade of the Hongwu reign!
These things, let alone hearing about them, just thinking about them is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!
"Oh, right!"

Zhang Biao seemed to just remember something, and added in a relaxed tone, as if he were joking:

"I'm prone to talking in my sleep when I'm frightened. What if I have a nightmare and accidentally wail out all these old grievances, and some jailer hears me... tsk tsk, Commander Jiang's Imperial Prison will probably need to be completely revamped from top to bottom several times over, right?"

"you!"

The guard was deathly pale, cold sweat poured down his forehead like a waterfall, and his legs were trembling so badly he could barely stand!

He felt like he wasn't escorting a prisoner, but listening to the King of Hell reading out a death warrant!
Seeing his terrified expression, Zhang Biao smiled with satisfaction, lowered his head again, and began to write slowly and deliberately, as if he had never said anything:
"Therefore, please convey my words to Jiang Huan verbatim."

"Let me write in peace, and my brothers stay put. We're all at peace."

"otherwise……"

He paused, then the pen tip touched the paper, writing the first word in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, yet carrying a deadly chill:
“I don’t mind letting everyone in this prison, including Jiang Huan and that person in the palace… hear how many ‘extraordinary’ stories have unfolded in the years since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.”

After saying that, he ignored the people outside and began to concentrate on writing his confession.

The imperial guards seemed to be nailed to the spot, and it took them several seconds to react like startled birds. They practically tumbled and crawled, dragging Sun Gui back with them.

They couldn't care less about going to the torture chamber; they just needed to spread the word about this 'plague god' who was willing to blow up the entire imperial prison and even the Ming Dynasty at the slightest provocation.

Sun Gui was completely stunned by this sudden turn of events, and the curses stuck in his throat.

Soon, the news reached Jiang Huan's ears.

Even a ruthless and seasoned man like Jiang Huan paled upon hearing his subordinate's trembling and incoherent report, his back instantly drenched in cold sweat.

Zhang Biao is a madman!
He's practically a walking powder keg!
Moreover, the fuse was in his own hands! Some of the things he mentioned were taboos that Jiang Huan vaguely knew about but dared not touch, while others were secrets that Jiang Huan had never even heard of, but whose mere reputation was enough to bring him to his doom.

Jiang Huan had no doubt that, given Zhang Biao's mad, arrogant, and unscrupulous nature, he was absolutely capable of doing something if pushed too far.

When the secret is exposed, the emperor will be furious and, in order to cover up the scandal, the first person to be silenced will be him, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who knows too much.

This is no longer a simple interrogation game, but has become a terrifying balance that could drag everyone into hell.

Jiang Huan dared not delay in the slightest and once again braced himself and rushed to Old Zhu's bedroom in the Huagai Hall.

Fortunately, Old Zhu didn't go back to sleep, otherwise he probably would have been scared to death by himself.

So, he quickly and nervously reported Zhang Biao's exact words and his own worries to Old Zhu without missing a single one.

Upon hearing his report, Old Zhu's facial muscles twitched violently, and a terrifying rage erupted in his eyes.

But more than anything, it was a feeling of shock, anger, and frustration at having one's life force gripped.

[Excellent! Well done, Zhang Biao! What a suicidal fighting style!]

He actually dared to threaten us with the darkest foundation of the Ming Dynasty?!

Those things must never be made public!
It is the cornerstone that maintains the sacred image of Emperor Hongwu and the stability of the Ming Dynasty!

Once it's torn apart, the resulting turmoil will be unimaginable!
[That madman! He calculated this all along! He knows where our biggest weakness is!]

After immense anger comes extreme calm.

"call….."

Old Zhu took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the murderous intent that was almost overwhelming his reason.

He knew that Zhang Biao had won again, relying on his 'strange source of information'.

We've won at least for now.

He couldn't take the risk.

"deliver an imperial order."

Old Zhu's voice was hoarse and cold, carrying a suppressed sense of extreme resentment yet an inability to compromise:
"The interrogation of Shen Lang and the other four is suspended. They are given medical treatment and food. Without my decree, they are not to be tortured or abused in any form."

"Let Zhang Biao... write his confession in peace."

"but!"

Old Zhu's eyes became incredibly deep:
“Tell him that no matter how well you play with fire, you can still get burned one day. He had better… actually write something that satisfies us, otherwise…”

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already very clear.

"Yes!"

Jiang Huan felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly accepted the decree and withdrew.

He knew that the emperor had only temporarily conceded.

After Jiang Huan brought the emperor's decree to the prison and personally 'pacified' Zhang Biao, assuring him that there would be no more 'noise' to disturb him,

Zhang Biao merely raised his eyelids lazily, uttered an "oh," and then casually crumpled the paper with a few lines of writing on it into a ball and tossed it aside.

"I was startled just now, and my train of thought was interrupted. I need to rewrite it."

Seeing his expression, Jiang Huan was so angry that her teeth itched, but she dared not retaliate in the slightest and could only retreat with a livid face.

In the next cell, Shen Lang and his four companions breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that they were temporarily safe and had received medicine and food. At the same time, they were filled with admiration for Zhang Biao's methods.

"It still has to be Brother Biao!"

While grimacing as Zhao Fengman applied the medicine, Sun Gui whispered:

"A few words were enough to scare that bastard Jiang Huan so much he wet himself!"

Li Mo seemed thoughtful: "Brother Biao has used more secrets... to temporarily protect us. But this is like asking a tiger for its skin, completely enraging the Emperor..."

Shen Lang nodded: "So we need to stay calm and absolutely not cause any more trouble for Brother Biao."

"As long as Brother Biao lives, we'll all be alive and well," Wu Naida whispered in agreement.

The others exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Before long, an eerie silence descended upon the prison.

But everyone knows that beneath this calm lies an even more turbulent undercurrent.

Zhang Biao bought himself a precious amount of time using the most desperate methods.

....
the other side.

In that dark room, time seemed to stand still.

Only the faint sound of fingertips unconsciously tapping the back of the chair proved the presence of the prince hidden in the darkness.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe a moment, maybe half an hour.

A ghostly figure, almost blending into the shadows, silently slipped into the room.

He knelt on the ground, his voice extremely low, yet carrying an unusual urgency:

"Your Highness, our plan to cut our losses has failed. Jiang Huan suddenly arrived with his men, and Wang Siyu and our men are all dead."

"Did you give yourself away?"

The voice in the darkness sounded very steady, as if asking about a trivial matter, but the fingertips tapping the back of the chair paused slightly.

But the newcomer said confidently, "No clues have been left. All those involved, including the Wang family, have been dealt with. The Embroidered Uniform Guard will not have any leads."

"Ah."

"Your Highness, there is new activity in the west."

"speak."

The sound remained steady in the darkness.

"A secret report has arrived from Xi'an Prefecture: His Highness Prince Qin seems... to be panicking."

The scout's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of sarcasm:

"He sent three waves of trusted messengers in succession, attempting to secretly travel to Taiyuan Prefecture. Two waves of messengers were intercepted by our men. The last wave... was allowed to pass as you instructed, but was closely monitored along the way."

"Panic?"

The voice in the darkness carried a hint of amusement and an expected mockery:
"Ha, our second brother usually acts like a tyrant in his fiefdom, doing whatever he wants, but when it comes to a life-or-death situation, he suddenly thinks of consulting with the third brother? He's really getting worse as he gets older!"

He could almost picture his second son, Zhu Shuang, looking panicked and as foolish as an ant on a hot pan.

The second son was most involved in the mess in Shaanxi.

Now that the drum of petition has sounded, if Fu Youwen insists on using the word "vassal," the knife of Zhu Yuanzhang's thorough investigation will fall on his head first!

Instead of cleaning up his own mess, he went to the third prince? Hoping that the equally arrogant and haughty Prince Jin would lend him a hand? What a joke!

[Fine...it'll let the third brother get a taste of the carnage too.]

He sneered inwardly.

[This will prevent the third brother from always acting like he's above everyone else, giving off a disgusting, aloof, self-righteous vibe.]

"Keep an eye on it and see how the third brother reacts when he receives the second brother's distress message."

He gave the order casually, as if he were discussing a lively event that had nothing to do with him.

"Yes."

The scout responded, his tone shifting slightly, even trembling with disbelief:

"Your Highness... there is one more thing, which just came from the palace through special channels. It has not been fully confirmed, but... but it is highly likely..."

"Say!"

The prince's tone carried an unquestionable command.

"It's...it's about that tin box..."

The spy swallowed hard.
"It...it didn't fall into the hands of anyone we expected, but...it seems to have ended up in...the hands of the Third Prince Zhu Yunwen!"

"Zhu Yuntong?!"

For the first time, the voice in the darkness showed obvious surprise and shock:

"That good-for-nothing brat? How could that be?!"

This was completely beyond all his calculations and expectations.

That iron box should have been in the hands of Li Mo or Wu Naida, or hidden by Zhao Fengman. Ultimately, it would either be silenced or fall into his hands. How could it have ended up in the hands of Zhu Yunwen, who was almost universally despised?!
"According to... according to scattered reports..."

The spies also found this matter unbelievable:
"It seems that Zhao Fengman orchestrated a trap to scare the bull, but it was thwarted by Zhu Gaochi, the third son of the Prince of Yan. Later, when it hailed, he took advantage of the chaos to deliver the iron box to Zhu Yunwen's sedan chair... and then, Zhu Yunwen... he..."

"What's up with him?!"

The prince's voice suddenly became urgent, and an extremely ominous premonition instantly gripped him.

"He held a sharp blade and, in front of the Hall of Literary Glory... publicly killed a eunuch from the Eastern Palace who tried to stop him! Covered in blood, he knelt outside the hall screaming... claiming that there was a great injustice regarding the Crown Prince's death, and he wanted to present it to the Emperor!"

"Now, the iron box has been... personally handed over to the Emperor by him!"

"..."

In the darkness, a deathly silence descended.

That silence was even more suffocating than the previous languor or mockery.

After a long while, a very faint sound, like a gasp, was heard.

The prince's body seemed to lean forward slightly, and a crack finally appeared on the ever-present mask of indifference hidden in the darkness.

Shocking! Absolutely shocking!

Zhu Yunwen… that nephew he had never taken seriously… actually possessed such courage?! So resolute?!

In this way, he cut himself off from the world and the royal family, and directly, brutally, and without any room for negotiation, presented the iron box that he least wanted to appear in this way to the old man!
This...this is simply...

He couldn't put his feelings into words.

Immediately afterwards, the shock quickly transformed into a deep-seated fear.

The prince's hand, resting on the armrest, tightened unconsciously, his fingernails even digging into the hard wood.

For the first time, he truly felt a chill.

But only for a moment.

That trace of fear was forcibly suppressed by stronger reason and ruthlessness.

Don't panic! Absolutely don't panic!
In times like these, it's crucial to stay calm!

His brain was working at an unprecedented speed.

There shouldn't be any evidence about me in the metal box, otherwise the old man would have already come knocking on our door... Perhaps there isn't even any solid evidence inside...

Now, all of the old man's anger and suspicion will be drawn to the iron box presented by Zhu Yunwen and the word 'vassal' that Fu Youwen and his group are accusing him of…

Yes! That's it!

[If the metal box truly contains clues about the eldest brother's death, it should point to the second brother, and might even implicate the third and fifth! What does this have to do with me?!]

His eyes turned cold and sharp again, even carrying a hint of ruthless relief.

[Zhu Yuntong, you've done me a great favor! You've used your life to clear my name even further!]

Thinking of this, he almost let out a cold laugh.

He then slowly leaned back in his chair, his voice returning to its previous languid and calm tone, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible ease:

"Understood. You may leave. Continue to investigate the palace. Report back to me immediately if there is any confirmation regarding the contents of the iron box."

"Then... what about the King of Qin and the King of Jin?" the scout asked.

"The original plan remains unchanged. Also..."

The prince paused, then added:
"Find a way to send some more 'evidence' to the second brother, to make him seem... even more desperate. For example, let him know that the third brother might be plotting against him behind his back."

"Furthermore, have that brat from the fifth son's family cut off all leads related to Zhou Ji and stop him from contacting me again."

"Yes!"

The scout understood immediately and quietly retreated into the darkness.

Once again, only the prince remained in the room.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a very soft, meaningful sigh.

[Big brother, oh big brother... you really raised a good son...]

[I never imagined it would end like this...]

But this feeling quickly dissipated, and his eyes once again became as dark and unfathomable as a deep pool.

The stage is already so high; if I don't add fuel to the fire, wouldn't I be letting down all the hard work of so many people?

A cold and cruel smile curved his lips.

Night is falling. My brothers, are you well?

(End of this chapter)