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

Chapter 169 It's easy to defeat the bandits in the mountains, but difficult to defeat the bandits in one's heart! [Seeking monthly votes]

Carbuncles are a bacterial infection that was difficult to treat before the advent of antibiotics.

Of course, this does not mean that there were no solutions for carbuncles in ancient times.

Mild back abscesses are treatable, but a complete cure is the most difficult.

In ancient times, traditional Chinese medicine mostly treated carbuncles by using Chinese medicine to enhance the body's immunity, relying on the body's immune system to eliminate bacteria.

This treatment can easily result in a situation where the disease appears to be cured, but in reality, the bacteria are still lurking.

Many famous people in history died from carbuncles, such as Fan Zeng and Zong Ze.

Legend has it that Xu Da also died of a carbuncle on his back, but according to historical records, this is not the case at all.

Therefore, carbuncles on the back were considered a serious illness, a terminal disease with a chance of death out of ten cases.

Also worth mentioning.

Traditional Chinese medicine treatment for carbuncles on the back not only requires medication but may also involve surgery. Furthermore, long-term treatment is necessary after recovery to prevent recurrence and potential life-threatening complications.

According to the History of Ming, Zhu Biao's carbuncle on his back was cured in just over ten days, which was almost impossible in ancient times.

Therefore, it can be inferred that his carbuncle on his back may have been cured on the surface, but the lesion may still be latent.

However, instead of staying in the capital to continue his treatment, he traveled thousands of miles to Shaanxi to perform official duties, which created conditions for the carbuncle to recur.

Moreover, Zhu Biao is similar to Lao Zhu in his work ethic; both are workaholics who work themselves to the bone.

The key issue is that he doesn't have the same good health as Lao Zhu; he's been in poor health since childhood.

As a result, the likelihood of a recurrence of the carbuncle is very high.

Perhaps you caught a cold on the way, or perhaps you took some poison that you shouldn't have taken, but whatever the reason, these are all contributing factors, and the underlying cause is still a recurrence of the carbuncle.

Therefore, Zhu Biao's cause of death was most likely a recurrence of his carbuncle, coupled with his high-intensity work, which led to poor treatment results and ultimately his untimely death.

"Hahaha...hoho...hahahaha—!"

Old Zhu's maniacal laughter, like the cry of a night owl bleeding blood, echoed wildly in the empty Huagai Hall, shaking the dust off the beams and pillars.

There was no joy in the laughter, only overwhelming absurdity, piercing sorrow, and a kind of madness born from being cruelly mocked by fate.

He laughed so hard he almost fell over, his chubby body trembling violently, tears streaming down his face.

But those eyes were bloodshot, churning with a fury that could burn everything and a pain that went deep into the bone.

Yunming and all the eunuchs and palace maids standing in the hall were already terrified.

They knelt down with a thud, their bodies trembling violently, their heads banging against the gold bricks, barely daring to breathe.

"Yunming!"

The laughter stopped abruptly. Old Zhu whirled around, staring intently at Yun Ming, who was kneeling nearby. His voice was hoarse and distorted, like sandpaper scraping: "Where's our sword?!"

"Yes! Yes... This servant will go get it right away... I'll go get it right away..."

Yunming was so frightened that he scrambled to bring over Old Zhu's antique-looking sword, which had drunk countless lives.

Old Zhu grabbed the sword and with a clang, the sharp blade was drawn from its sheath.

The cold light of the sword reflected in his blood-red, almost bursting eyes.

He muttered to himself:
"Back then, we wielded this sword and beheaded countless enemies before finally establishing the Zhu family's empire..."

"We thought...we thought we could give you a better life...but we never expected..."

As he spoke, he suddenly waved his hand, looking like a mad tiger.

"boom--!"

The sword, with a whistling sound as it cut through the wind, struck the hard rosewood imperial desk with a resounding thud.

With a loud crash, the corner of the table was instantly severed, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Memorials, writing brushes, ink, and the imperial seal were all scattered everywhere by the shock.

"Why--!"

Old Zhu let out a mournful roar like a wounded beast, his eyes bloodshot as he stared into the void, as if questioning the merciless heavens, or perhaps accusing his beloved son who had already passed away:
"Why did you hide it from us?! Why did you have to bear it all by yourself?! Huh?!"

"You are the Crown Prince! You are Zhu Chongba's son! You are the heir apparent! If you are in pain! If you are suffering, tell your father!"

"I'll find you the best doctor in the world! I'll turn the Imperial Hospital upside down to treat you!"

"Why did you believe in that nonsense?! Why did you secretly take drugs?! Why?!"

He roared and wildly swung his sword, slashing at everything within reach.

"Boom!"

A half-person-high enamel vase was smashed and fell onto the gold bricks, shattering into pieces.

"Crack!"

The exquisite screen was cut in half.

The hall was instantly turned into a mess, as if it had been swept away by a hurricane.

All the eunuchs and palace maids huddled together in fear, their cries and pleas for mercy muffled in their throats, filled only with endless terror.

Old Zhu seemed to have exhausted most of his strength. Leaning on his sword, his chest heaved violently as he panted heavily.

But the madness in those eyes did not subside; instead, it turned into an extreme, chilling violence.

After a long while, Old Zhu slowly raised his head, his gaze once again becoming sharp as a knife, looking towards the direction of the imperial prison.

[Zhang Biao...]

You guessed it already, didn't you?

You're saying we caused Biao'er's death, right?

[If we hadn't pushed Biao'er to go to Shaanxi, if we hadn't put so much pressure on him, he wouldn't have acted this way, right?]

[You brought up the mystery of the Crown Prince's death just to force us to investigate and find out the truth? Just to see us so distraught and distressed today, right?]

An indescribable anger and murderous intent surged into his heart once again.

But the thought only flashed through my mind.

Now, he has more important things to do.

This truth must never be made public!

The Crown Prince's reputation must be upheld! The dignity of the royal family cannot be tarnished!
He suddenly turned his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Song Zhong, who was kneeling on the ground, trembling like autumn leaves.

"Song Zhong!"

These two words, as if ground out from between teeth, carried a bloody taste.

Song Zhong felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, almost making him faint. He could only kowtow desperately, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

"Forgive me?"

Old Zhu walked step by step towards him, the shadow completely enveloping Song Zhong, his voice low and terrifying, like a demonic sound from hell:
"The 'truth' you uncovered... who else knows about it?"

"No...that's all!"

Song Zhong was terrified and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I... I dared not delay for a moment upon receiving this conclusion, nor did I dare to tell anyone. I came to report to Your Majesty immediately!"

"Liu Chun of the Imperial Medical Academy...I have ordered him to be kept under guard, but he...he is unaware of my final deduction..."

"very good."

Old Zhu's voice was unreadable, but he slowly raised the sword in his hand, placing the blade against Song Zhong's neck.

The shadow of death instantly loomed over Song Zhong.

He closed his eyes in despair, awaiting his final judgment.

However, the sword did not slit his neck.

After a long silence, Old Zhu's cold voice rang out again:
"You, go back immediately. Seal up all files, confessions, and physical evidence related to this matter and classify them as top secret!"

"No one may access this information without my authorization!"

"Liu Chun of the Imperial Medical Academy, and all those who know about him, are to be secretly placed under strict surveillance!"

"He must not die, and he must not see anyone!"

"If even a single word of what happened in the palace today is leaked..."

Old Zhu's gaze swept over all the trembling eunuchs and palace maids on the ground, finally settling on Song Zhong: "All of you, along with your entire clan, shall be exterminated!"

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree! I thank you for sparing my life!"

As if granted a pardon, Song Zhongru scrambled out of the main hall, his back already soaked with cold sweat.

Old Zhu watched Song Zhong's fleeing figure, then looked at the mess on the ground and the servants kneeling all over it. The madness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a bottomless, chilling calm.

But beneath that calm lay a chilling coldness even more terrifying than the fury that had just erupted.

He slowly walked back to the throne, slumped down, and seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

The hall was deathly silent, save for his heavy breathing.

All the pain, all the absurdity, all the responsibility could only be swallowed by him alone, his father and his emperor.

And some people... some who may have been unintentional but indirectly contributed to this tragedy... must also pay the price.

A chilling glint flashed in Old Zhu's eyes.

[Hmph! Saying our Biao'er secretly used banned drugs? Because he couldn't bear the pain of his illness?]

[Bullshit! It's all bullshit!]

That was our prized son! The prince we'd nurtured with all our might! How could he be so foolish?! How could he use those potent drugs to kill himself?!

His suspicious nature grew wildly like a poisonous vine, instantly overturning Song Zhong's seemingly reasonable deduction.

Why did he secretly take medicine? Because he was in pain! Why was the pain so bad that he needed to take medicine secretly? Because the imperial physicians were incompetent! Why were the imperial physicians incompetent? Because someone wanted them to be incompetent!

Who told him that those random incense sticks and so-called 'elixirs' could relieve pain?!

Who delivered those things to him?! Who offered him this deadly 'poison' during his most painful and vulnerable moment?!

[Second brother! Third brother! Fifth brother! And those seemingly loyal bastards! You are all implicated!]

This is not suicide! This is a far more insidious and covert murder, exploiting Biao'er's illness! It's a form of flattery that kills! It's a slow poisoning!

In his extreme grief and anger, Lao Zhu's thinking veered in a more paranoid and dark direction.

He refused to accept the fact that his son had 'self-destructed,' and he needed to find an external 'culprit' to whom he could vent his anger and hatred.

Only in this way could he alleviate the agonizing guilt and helplessness.

After all, no father can accept the fact that he 'indirectly caused the death' of his son.

The guilt of not noticing his son's pain and the despair of being powerless to save his son's life completely overwhelmed Old Zhu's heart.

He suddenly stood up from the dragon throne.

But instead of continuing his frenzied hacking and slashing inside the hall, he picked up his sword and, like a god of war returning from hell, strode out of the Huagai Hall and headed towards the Fengxian Hall.

Fengxian Hall enshrines the spirit tablets of the Ming Dynasty's ancestors and Empress Ma, and is also the temporary resting place for the spirit tablet of Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

He's going there! To the spirits of his son and his wife!
Along the way, all the palace maids, eunuchs, and guards they encountered, upon seeing the emperor in such a state, were so frightened that they knelt on the ground, trembling, and dared not even raise their heads.

Old Zhu was oblivious to all of this; his world consisted only of boundless rage and the heart-wrenching truth.

"boom--!"

The heavy doors of Fengxian Hall were kicked open by Old Zhu.

He carried his sword and walked step by step to Zhu Biao's memorial tablet.

Looking at his beloved son's name on the memorial tablet, his body trembled violently, and tears finally streamed down his face uncontrollably.

"Biao'er...our son..."

He reached out a trembling hand and stroked the cold memorial tablet, his voice hoarse and broken: "Father... Father is sorry... Father failed to protect you..."

But the next second, the endless sorrow was replaced by an even more intense killing intent.

He whirled around, slamming the tip of his sword heavily into the ground. Facing the empty hall and the ancestral tablets, he roared like a vow: "Ancestors above! Empress! You both watch over me!"

"I, Zhu Yuanzhang, hereby swear that I will never let Biao'er die an unjust death!"

"Everyone who killed him! Everyone involved! We will not let a single one of them get away with it! We will make them pay with their blood!"

The roar echoed in the hall, carrying with it a soaring resentment and the emperor's obsession.

After venting his anger, Lao Zhu seemed to calm down a little, but his eyes became even colder and more frightening.

He wiped away the tears on his face and transformed back into the cold and ruthless Hongwu Emperor.

"Yunming!"

"The slave is here!"

Yunming hurriedly crawled in and knelt down on the ground.

Old Zhu's voice was eerily calm, yet it contained the seeds of a storm: "Pass on our decree."

"Immediately summon Prince Qin (Zhu Shuang), Prince Jin (Zhu Gang), and Prince Zhou (Zhu Su), and have the three of them come to Fengxian Hall to see us!"

“Tell them that we are waiting for them before the spirits of our ancestors and their elder brother!”

"Anyone who dares to delay even for a moment... shall be punished for disobeying an imperial decree!"

He would personally interrogate his three sons in this ancestral hall, under the watchful eyes of his ancestors and deceased sons.

He wanted to see who had handed his son that deadly 'poison' during his son's most painful time.

He didn't believe in coincidences or accidents; he only believed in the knife in his hand and the impending, bloody 'truth'.

"Yes! I obey your command!"

Yunming scrambled out to deliver the imperial decree.

Inside the Fengxian Hall, the candlelight flickered, illuminating Old Zhu's cold and resolute back, as solid as a rock.

A tragedy unfolding before the ancestral spirits, marked by suspicion between father and son and fratricide, is about to begin.

……

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Prison, cell number three, section A.

Jiang Huan stood outside the prison gate, staring at Zhang Biao who was sitting against the wall, and said in a deep voice, "Zhang Biao, you have seen the Emperor's sincerity."

"The court and the public are in turmoil. The princes have entered the capital, and the affairs of the imperial family have been pushed to the forefront. Now, it is time for you to show your sincerity. Write down everything you know about the matter in Shaanxi and the death of the crown prince."

A brief silence fell over the cell.

Zhang Biao had his eyes half-closed, looking utterly bored.

After listening to Jiang Huan's words, he slowly raised his head. Instead of showing any emotion or gratitude, his face revealed an extremely glaring sneer full of mockery and disdain.

He even lazily picked at his ears, as if he had just heard some unbearable noise.

"Sincerity?"

Zhang Biao scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm: "Commander Jiang, you call this sincerity?"

He slowly stood up, walked to the cell door, and looked at Jiang Huan through the bars with the same gaze he would give a naive fool:

"Putting a few broken drums at the entrance of the temple and letting a bunch of clueless Tom, Dick, and Harry bang them—that's what you call sincerity?"

"Calling your good-for-nothing sons back home, locking them in the yard to read and calm their minds—is that what you call a thorough investigation?"

"Are those old parasites, Fu Youwen and Ru Chang, still being fed and cared for in the imperial prison?"

"Are the real big fish behind them still out there, jumping around, even secretly watching the show and plotting how to kill you, Commander Jiang, and me, Zhang Biao?"

His speech grew faster and faster, his tone sharper and sharper, each word like a poisoned dagger, stabbing fiercely at Jiang Huan, and through Jiang Huan, at the distant Emperor Zhu in the deep palace:

"Does Old Zhu think that by making a fuss and putting on a show of 'sacrificing family for the greater good' and 'opening up channels for opinions,' he can fool me like a three-year-old?"

"Would that make me so grateful that I'd hand over my life-saving trump card?"

At this point, Zhang Biao slammed his hand on the prison gate bars, making a loud 'bang' that startled Jiang Huan.

The nonchalant expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an almost ferocious fierceness:

"Go back and tell Zhu Chongba!"

"I can't even be bothered with his half-hearted 'sincerity'!"

"What I want to see is the heads of Fu Youwen, Ru Chang, and their gang hanging on the city gate tower!"

"What I want to see is those powerful figures hiding behind them, the real masterminds stirring up trouble, being dragged out and brought to justice!"

"What I want to see is a thorough and complete purge of the Ming Dynasty court, from top to bottom!"

He stared intently at Jiang Huan, his eyes burning with a crazed rage, and roared, word by word:

"If Zhu Chongba gets too old, can't lift a knife anymore, and can't bring himself to be so ruthless..."

A cruel and eerie smile curved Zhang Biao's lips. His voice suddenly lowered, yet carried a chilling resolve: "Then don't blame me for doing it myself!"

"Even if I, Zhang Biao, am left with only one breath, I will use the ashes on the walls of this imperial prison to write their death warrant! With the blood of this dying man, I will curse them to never be reincarnated!"

These words, like a thunderclap, resounded in the deep prison.

Jiang Huan was so startled by Zhang Biao's sudden outburst and blatant threat that he took a half step back, his face instantly turning extremely ugly.

He never expected that even after the emperor had gone to such lengths, Zhang Biao would still dare to be so arrogant, even threatening the emperor in return.

"Zhang Biao—!"

Jiang Huan shouted sternly, "How dare you!"

"presumptuous?"

Zhang Biao laughed heartily, his laughter filled with both sorrow and pleasure:

"I'm already a dying man, what am I afraid of being presumptuous about? Jiang Huan, you'd better deliver my words to Old Zhu word for word!"

His smile vanished, his eyes turning cold and unfathomable, as if they could see right through everything:
“Tell him to stop playing these fancy tricks.”

"Either he displays the ruthlessness and decisiveness befitting an emperor, tear a hole in the sky, let everything that should be exposed to the light, and let everyone who deserves to die die!"

"Either..."

Zhang Biao paused, his tone carrying a deadly calm:

"Just wait and see how this 'madman' will perform this final act in my own way, making it a hundred times more spectacular than he imagined!"

After saying this, he stopped looking at Jiang Huan, turned around and walked back to the corner, sat down again, closed his eyes, as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Huan was left standing there, his face ashen, his chest heaving violently, unable to calm down for a long time.

He knew that Zhang Biao was not bluffing.

This madman is capable of even crazier things!

How furious the emperor would be upon hearing this 'reply'...

Jiang Huan dared not think any further and could only leave the imperial prison quickly with a heavy and uneasy heart.

Because of his many trips to the imperial prison, he seemed to have vaguely understood one thing: the only person Zhang Biao wanted to deal with from beginning to end was Zhu Chongba.

Or rather, the only person Zhang Biao wanted to talk to was Zhu Yuanzhang.

Therefore, he had to go to the equally stubborn and ruthless emperor to report back on this 'deal' that had completely fallen apart.

Inside the prison cell, Zhang Biao listened to Jiang Huan's receding footsteps, a cold smile silently curving his lips.

As the saying goes, it's easy to defeat bandits in the mountains, but difficult to defeat the bandits in one's own heart.

[Old Zhu! Only one last step! Let me see how deep and how ruthless the Hongwu Emperor's love for his son truly is.]

Otherwise, I'll have to do it myself...

……

Meanwhile, the Xiaoling Mausoleum Repentance Courtyard.

"Damn it! How long are they going to keep me locked up?!"

"I told you! I did nothing! Why won't you believe me, Father?"

Cursing, Zhu Shuang strode towards the Imperial Guards standing at the door and roared, "I want to see my father! I want to see my dad! Go and inform him immediately!"

“Your Highness Prince Qin, you cannot request an audience without the Emperor’s decree!” a Jinyiwei guard coldly reminded him.

"Bam—!"

Zhu Shuang kicked him, angrily saying, "Who do you think you are?! Just a dog under Jiang Huan? How dare you be so insolent in front of me? How dare you mention my father's decree!"

He glared at the other Imperial Guards and shouted, "Where is Jiang Huan?! I want to see him! Go find Jiang Huan now!"

The Imperial Guard who had been kicked in the abdomen struggled to his feet, his face grim as he stared at Zhu Shuang, his tone still icy as he spoke:
"Without the Emperor's order, His Highness Prince Qin is not allowed to see anyone and can only reflect on his mistakes in this Repentance Courtyard!"

"Go to hell!"

Zhu Shuang kicked over a stool in frustration, preparing to vent his anger further.

Just then, the voice of a royal eunuch suddenly rang out: "By imperial decree, Prince Zhu Shuang of Qin is summoned to the Fengxian Hall for an audience immediately!"

Boom!

Upon hearing the eunuch's shrill voice announcing the imperial decree, Zhu Shuang was struck dumb, frozen in place as if under a spell.

"Feng...Fengxian Hall? Before my elder brother's spirit tablet?"

He muttered to himself, his rage instantly replaced by immense fear, and the color drained from his face at a visible speed.

Even if he were stupid, he would know what being summoned by his father in such a place meant.

This is no ordinary questioning; this is an interrogation!
This is my father wanting to confront me in front of the ancestors!

"Father... How could Father..."

His legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground, but was quickly supported by the Imperial Guards next to him.

But then the Imperial Guard who had just been kicked stepped forward with a sneer: "Your Highness Prince Qin, didn't you want to see the Emperor? We'll 'escort' you there right away!"

"I"

Zhu Shuang opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

His previous arrogance vanished, leaving only a trembling, leaf-like tremor.

His mind raced as he relived the shady things he'd done in Shaanxi, especially the times he'd presented his elder brother Zhu Biao with "special products." Had something inappropriate really gotten mixed in? Or had his third and fourth brothers framed him?
Meanwhile, on the other side, the main hall.

When Zhu Gang heard the imperial decree, his fingers, which were turning the pages of a book, trembled violently, and a small tear appeared in the page.

He slowly raised his head, his face still showing the same calm and expressionless face, but his pupils contracted slightly.

"Your subject... obeys the decree."

He responded calmly, even straightening his robes.

But beneath his lowered eyelids, his thoughts were racing.

[Fengxian Hall...before the spirit tablet...it really has come to this.]

He knew that the biggest test was coming.

The Emperor's suspicions had reached their peak.

He had to be extremely careful; every word and every expression could lead to utter ruin.

He quickly decided on a strategy.

He feigned weakness, garnered sympathy, and skillfully shifted all possible suspicions toward himself to be 'unintentional' or 'being misled,' especially... that hot-tempered second son.

As for the former Zhou royal palace.

Upon hearing the words "Fengxian Hall," Zhu Su collapsed to the ground with a thud, tears and snot streaming down his face. He cried out incoherently:
"I won't go! I won't go! Father... is Father going to kill me? I didn't harm my brother! I really didn't harm my brother!"

He was practically lifted off the ground by the Imperial Guards who were guarding him, and half-dragged, half-supported as he walked out, looking as if he had lost his soul.

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(End of this chapter)