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

Chapter 211 Old Zhu: My brain isn't working so well anymore! [Bonus Chapter 23 for Monthly Tickets]

"How...how much?! Fifty thousand taels?!"

When Old Zhu heard Zhang Biao's "unreasonable request," his anger, which had just been slightly suppressed by the delicious taste of instant noodles, suddenly flared up again, even more intensely than before.

He pointed at Zhang Biao, his fingers trembling, so angry he almost choked:
"Zhang Biao! Do you think our imperial treasury's money falls from the sky?!"

"Or do you think that being emperor is just about being a sucker who pays your bills?!"

"You insulted us! You disrupted the court! You incited the people's anger! And now you dare to ask us for money?! You want fifty thousand taels?! You...you are utterly shameless!!"

Old Zhu felt like his lungs were about to explode with anger at this madman. He thought to himself, "We ate a bowl of your instant noodles, and you're trying to extort 50,000 taels of silver from us?! This is worse than robbery!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Faced with Lao Zhu's fury, Zhang Biao seemed somewhat aggrieved and confused.

He blinked and said in a tone that said, "Why are you being unreasonable again?"

"How could this be me asking you for money? This is clearly an investment!"

"invest?"

Old Zhu was taken aback by this new term, and his anger momentarily subsided.

"Yes! It's about investment!"

Zhang Biao slapped his thigh and began a new round of his deception:

"Your Majesty, what is the Anti-Corruption Bureau for? It investigates corruption!"

"When corrupt officials are investigated and their ill-gotten gains are recovered, how much money will they have? More than ten times, a hundred times, than this fifty thousand taels, right?"

"In other words, your investment of 50,000 taels in my funds is like baiting a fish!"

"It's using a small amount of money to leverage the funds that corrupt officials have swallowed up in the Ming Dynasty's national treasury! No matter how you look at it, Your Majesty is the one who profits!"

After saying that, as if afraid that Old Zhu wouldn't understand, he counted on his fingers and explained the accounts to Old Zhu:

"Your Majesty, look, part of this fifty thousand taels can be used to recruit some clerks who are good at math and dare to speak their minds. This is called an investment in talent!"

"A portion is used for gathering evidence and conducting covert investigations; this is called information investment!"

"Another portion is used to pay out rewards for anonymous whistleblowers; this is called... a reputation investment!"

"Once we establish our credibility, ordinary people and even low-level officials will be willing to provide us with clues about corruption. Wouldn't that make investigating cases much more efficient?"

"At that time, the recovered embezzled funds will fill the national treasury and demonstrate the Emperor's wisdom!"

"That fifty thousand taels was well spent! Absolutely worth it!"

Zhang Biao spoke with great enthusiasm, almost convincing himself.

Old Zhu's expression changed constantly as he listened to his 'investment theory'.

He had to admit that what the madman said did sound somewhat reasonable.

Using 50,000 taels of silver to acquire potentially 100,000 or even hundreds of thousands of taels in illicit funds, and to achieve political success through reforming officialdom...

【wrong! 】

Old Zhu shook his head sharply, dispelling the dangerous thought.

We almost got dragged down by this bastard again!

"Bright words!"

Old Zhu snorted coldly: "Even if funds are needed, they should be allocated by the Ministry of Revenue, following the proper procedures of the imperial court! How can there be any reason to use the imperial treasury?!"

He tried to pass the buck to the Ministry of Revenue, letting Zhang Biao deal with Yu Xin and his group of shrewd accountants.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Biao shook his head vigorously, exclaiming, "Your Majesty, no, no! Absolutely not!"

"Why not?"

"Your Majesty, please consider this!"

Zhang Biao looked at him with a pained expression, as if to say, "How can you not understand this?"

"Who is the Anti-Corruption Bureau investigating? It's a major corruption case that could involve princes, nobles, or even high-ranking officials! If the funds go through the Ministry of Revenue, can the information still be kept secret?"

"The Ministry of Revenue allocated funds today, and tomorrow all the corrupt officials in Beijing will probably know how much wealth the Anti-Corruption Bureau has and what direction they're going to investigate!"

"If they destroy evidence and collude on their testimonies beforehand, what's the point of our investigation then?!"

"The allocation of funds from the imperial treasury must be secretive, efficient, and directly accountable to Your Majesty! Only in this way can we strike unexpectedly and catch our enemies off guard! Only then can we catch the big fish for Your Majesty!"

He once again waved the banner of "serving the emperor" high and mighty.

Old Zhu was rendered speechless by what he said.

Logically speaking, Zhang Biao's words are indeed flawless.

The anti-corruption bureau's job is to offend people, so secrecy is of paramount importance.

but……

To make him take 50,000 taels from his own hard-earned private treasury and give it to this madman who was just making him angry? That's worse than cutting off a piece of his own flesh!

He stared intently at Zhang Biao, his eyes seemingly weighing whether it would be a smaller loss to kill the madman now, or a greater gain to give the madman 50,000 taels of silver to cause trouble.

Seeing the twisted and conflicted expression on Lao Zhu's face, Zhang Biao knew that the time was almost right, so he decided to add a little more fuel to the fire, while also leaving himself a way out.

He sighed, his tone becoming heavy:

"If Your Majesty is truly in a difficult position... I have another solution."

"any solution?"

Old Zhu asked instinctively.

"Loan!"

Zhang Biao uttered two words.

"Loan?"

Old Zhu was dumbfounded: "Borrow from whom?"

"Of course we'll borrow it from Your Majesty!"

Zhang Biao said confidently:

"This fifty thousand taels is a loan from Your Majesty! Once the Anti-Corruption Bureau has uncovered the truth and recovered the embezzled funds, I will repay you double! No! Triple!"

He held up three fingers, making a solemn vow:

"Let's just consider it as Your Majesty's money deposited in the Anti-Corruption Bureau, now earning interest! Is that alright?"

Old Zhu: “…”

He felt like his brain wasn't working properly.

This madman actually wants to play the 'loan game' with the emperor? And he wants to repay three times the amount?! Why doesn't he just rob us?!

But for some reason, the words "three times the return" seemed to have a magical power, scratching at his heart.

Using the imperial treasury's money to generate even more money...

Seeing a flicker of interest in Old Zhu's eyes, Zhang Biao chuckled inwardly, knowing that this was a sure thing.

He pressed his advantage, bowing again:

"Your Majesty! If you are still not at ease, I can offer you a year's interest. That way, the risk will be less when you lend it to me, won't it?"

How is the interest calculated?

Old Zhu subconsciously pressed for more information; he was still quite sensitive to the topic of 'interest'.

A sly glint flashed in Zhang Biao's eyes as he held up three fingers:

"Your Majesty, considering the Anti-Corruption Bureau is newly established and carries high risks, I'd like to offer you a preferential rate: an annual interest rate of... 30%! What do you think?"

“30%?!”

Old Zhu gasped.

This interest rate is much higher than that of private usury.

"Are you crazy?!"

"Your Majesty, you are mistaken!"

Zhang Biao immediately protested:

"Private lending involves risk borne by the borrower. Our anti-corruption bureau, however, is recovering embezzled funds from the national treasury—we're helping Your Majesty make money!"

"This 30% interest rate may seem high, but it is actually compensation for Your Majesty's risk-taking and an incentive for everyone in the Anti-Corruption Bureau!"

"At that time, everyone will be thinking about repaying the loan as soon as possible, which will make them work even harder to investigate the case!"

He's using a fallacy of misrepresentation, calling high interest rates "risk compensation" and "incentive mechanisms."

Old Zhu frowned, his mind racing:
[Fifty thousand taels, with an annual interest of fifteen thousand taels, if one can really recover one hundred thousand taels of embezzled funds, after deducting the principal and interest, one can still make a net profit of more than forty thousand taels... This...]

Seeing that Lao Zhu was becoming increasingly interested, Zhang Biao added fuel to the fire by introducing an even more advanced financial concept:

"Your Majesty, if you still feel it's not secure enough, I have another 'betting' plan!"

"On gambling?"

Old Zhu was once again stunned by the new terminology.

"Let's make a deal!"

Zhang Biao explained:
"This 50,000 taels is considered Your Majesty's investment in the Anti-Corruption Bureau! You'll hold a 30% stake! From now on, all the embezzled funds recovered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, after deducting costs, will have 30% going directly into your private treasury!"

"This is called 'shared interests' – sharing risks and profits!"

"In this way, the more the Anti-Corruption Bureau investigates, the more Your Majesty will earn! If they don't find anything, you'll only lose 50,000 taels of your principal, but if they find a big fish, the profits will be endless!"

Zhang Biao's voice was extremely seductive, constantly challenging Lao Zhu's pitiful financial knowledge:

"Your Majesty, this is equivalent to investing 50,000 taels of silver in an 'anti-corruption fund' with unlimited potential!"

"The returns it will bring in the future may far exceed your imagination! This is much better than letting the silver sit in the vault gathering dust!"

Old Zhu was overwhelmed by this series of 'investments,' 'bets,' 'phantom shares,' and 'funds.'

He instinctively felt there was a trap, but Zhang Biao's description of a lucrative and ever-growing future was like a hook, constantly scratching at his heart.

In particular, the terms "anti-corruption fund" and "shared interests" gave him a vague feeling that he could perhaps tame Zhang Biao, this runaway horse, a little with the reins of shared interests.

He stared intently at Zhang Biao, trying to find any trace of deceit in that lazy face, but Zhang Biao's eyes were as 'sincere' as a freshly baked sweet potato.

"Your Majesty, this opportunity is fleeting and will not come again!"

"Now that public opinion is in our favor and the narrative has taken hold, it is the perfect time for the anti-corruption bureau to take action!"

"If we miss this opportunity because of a mere 50,000 taels of silver, allowing the parasites to catch their breath, it will be difficult to achieve any results even if we spend a fortune in the future!"

"Your Majesty, please make your judgment!"

After saying that, he immediately adopted an attitude of "I have done my best, now it's up to you to see if you have the guts."

Old Zhu, seeing his expression, felt an irresistible urge to possess him. Meanwhile, the Hall of Literary Glory fell silent once more.

Old Zhu was seen pacing back and forth in front of his desk with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed, as if he were having a fierce internal struggle.

Giving it to him? It really hurts, and who knows what kind of trouble this madman will cause if he takes the money.

Refuse to give it? What this madman said actually makes some sense. What if they could really find something, recover the stolen money, or even shake up the administration...?

Kill them? That would be satisfying, but the consequences would be endless...

After an unknown amount of time, Old Zhu suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Zhang Biao with a complicated expression.

His eyes held a mixture of heartache, doubt, helplessness, and a hint of resolute determination after being cornered.

"it is good!"

Old Zhu seemed to have made a huge decision, his face showing a conflicted expression of both pain and anticipation:
"We'll trust you this once! We'll lend you 50,000 taels of the imperial treasury! No, we'll... invest!"

He chose the equity investment option that sounded more advantageous.

"Just like you said, 30% equity!"

"From now on, of the embezzled funds recovered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, after deducting your costs, 30% will go to our private treasury!"

"Your Majesty!"

Zhang Biao laughed inwardly, but his face showed admiration:
"His Majesty is indeed decisive and visionary! This move will surely be recorded in history and become a model of cooperation between the emperor and his ministers and financial innovation!"

While he was flattering him, he was inwardly complaining:
[Old Zhu, you still don't understand! 'Deducting costs' is a very complex concept!]

[When the time comes, whether I say the cost is 50,000 taels or 100,000 taels, that's entirely up to me!]

[These 30% of shares, hehe...]

Seeing Zhang Biao's smug look, Old Zhu was so angry he gritted his teeth and couldn't help but shout:

"Zhang Biao, don't be too happy yet! We haven't finished talking!"

"Three months! We're only giving you three months!"

"If you can't uncover a single decent case or recover any embezzled funds that we can be satisfied with within three months, then you can't prove the value of your 'anti-corruption fund'..."

Old Zhu's eyes instantly turned icy cold:
"Not only will we recover the principal, but your anti-corruption bureau will be disbanded immediately!"

"We will settle accounts with you for all your previous outrageous remarks! At that time, it won't be as simple as just 'naked ban'!"

"Did you hear that?!"

This is the final line and a warning.

Facing Old Zhu's murderous intent, Zhang Biao's smile remained unchanged. He bowed respectfully, his voice filled with unwavering confidence:
"Your Majesty, I, Zhang Biao, obey the decree! Thank you for your investment!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured! Within three months, I will ensure that your initial capital of 50,000 taels turns into 100,000 taels, 500,000 taels, flowing continuously back into your private treasury!"

"If not, I will bring you my head!"

He spoke with absolute certainty, as if he could already see mountains of gold and silver.

Seeing his appearance, Old Zhu's unease was once again suppressed by his expectation of a huge return.

He waved his hand, as if to shoo away some bad luck:
"Get out of here! Yunming, take him to the Imperial Treasury and withdraw fifty thousand taels! Make sure you know the accounts!"

"The slaves obey the orders!"

Yunming quickly agreed.

Zhang Biao bowed again, then turned around, preparing to follow Yun Ming to get the money.

However, at that moment, Old Zhu suddenly seemed to remember something and shouted, "Stop—!"

Zhang Biao's heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself, "No way? You've changed your mind so quickly?"
"Your Majesty, is there anything else you wish to do?" Zhang Biao mechanically turned his head to look back at Old Zhu.

Old Zhu stared intently at him for a long while before finally getting straight to the point:
"Zhang Biao! The mess you've created! You've caused a huge uproar throughout the city, and the people are in turmoil! How can our Great Ming Dynasty possibly maintain its peace?!"

"With the court unstable and the world in chaos, what's the point of investigating corruption! You'll be the first one to be torn to pieces by the rioters!"

Old Zhu's words were half threat and half fact.

Zhang Biao has already ignited the fire of public opinion. If it cannot be controlled, it will destroy the prestige of the court and cause turmoil. Not to mention the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the entire Ming Dynasty may fall into chaos.

At that time, Zhang Biao, the instigator, will definitely be the target of various forces' "purging of the emperor's inner circle".

Upon hearing this, Zhang Biao was not afraid at all. Instead, he seemed to have been enlightened, and his expression turned to one of sudden realization, which then turned into a deep worry.

He frowned and paced back and forth, as if deep in thought.

Old Zhu is right. My goal is to use the Anti-Corruption Bureau to stir up trouble. Before things get going, the fire can't get too big, or I'll burn myself first.

After all, giving up halfway is not my style!

We need to find a suitable stove for this fire, one that can provide sustained heat without getting out of control.

[Furthermore, I need to make sure that in the end, I can't let someone else get away with 'being killed in a fit of rage' by Old Zhu.]

Thinking of this, Zhang Biao suddenly stopped, looked up at Old Zhu, his eyes burning with an urgent desire to share his burdens:

"Your Majesty is wise! Your words have awakened me from my dream! It was my oversight that nearly led to disaster!"

He first admitted his 'mistake,' smoothing out Old Zhu's grumpiness a bit, before changing the subject:
"However, it is better to guide than to suppress! Now that public resentment has arisen and doubts have been raised, forcibly suppressing them may backfire."

"I have a plan that can kill three birds with one stone: it can quell public opinion, appease the people, help the court select talented individuals, and... pave the way for the overall anti-corruption campaign!"

Old Zhu narrowed his eyes, wary, knowing this madman was about to cause trouble again, but still said coldly, "Speak!"

Zhang Biao cleared his throat, held up three fingers, and said loudly:

"Your Majesty is advised to issue three imperial edicts to announce this to the world!"

"The first issue is to reconsider the imperial salary system!"

Zhang Biao raised his voice: "Publicly acknowledging that current salaries may be insufficient, leading to a life of hardship for some officials, makes them more susceptible to greed."

"The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel, together with the Hanlin Academy, are to solicit opinions widely and redefine a salary standard that reflects the court's compassion while ensuring officials' basic decent living standards!"

"This move can appease the hearts of lower and middle-ranking officials, demonstrate the emperor's benevolence, and also silence those who say 'the officials are forcing the people to rebel'!"

Old Zhu's eyelids twitched.

Renegotiating salaries? That would be tantamount to admitting that his previous low-salary policy was problematic!
This is a complete slap in the face to him!
But Zhang Biao was right; this was indeed the most direct way to appease officials and quell public opinion that "officials are forcing the people to rebel."

He suppressed his displeasure and did not interrupt.

"The second step is to hold the 'World Literature Grand Ceremony'!"

Zhang Biao continued, his tone inflammatory: "We cordially invite all scholars and literati from across the land, regardless of their background or region, to come to the capital to participate!"

"The grand ceremony can include multiple subjects such as classics, policy essays, poetry, and even mathematics and crafts, and will be presided over by the emperor himself or by a senior official appointed to conduct the evaluation!"

"Anyone who distinguishes themselves during the grand ceremony and demonstrates genuine scholarship, regardless of whether they are admitted through the regular civil service examination, may be exceptionally recruited and granted an official position!"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu's pupils contracted slightly.

That move was too ruthless! And too brilliant!
The source of turmoil in the world often lies not in those illiterate bandits, but in those literati who harbor ambitions, are cultured and capable, yet have no way to rise in society.

They have the ability to incite the masses and organize resistance.

Zhang Biao's "literary gala" was essentially using a huge, legitimate, and court-led upward mobility channel to attract all the talented and "unstable elements" in the country to the capital and put them under his nose!

Give them fame and official positions, use the imperial court's favor to buy them off and divide them!
Let them transform from potential opponents into beneficiaries and defenders of the system!
This is far superior to simple military suppression!
Old Zhu instantly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Although this move will impact the existing imperial examination system and cause dissatisfaction among some conservative officials, the cost is negligible compared to the potential nationwide rebellion instigated by intellectuals!
He could even imagine how many talented but unappreciated scholars would be overjoyed upon receiving this imperial edict, turning their criticisms of the court towards vying for a chance to shine at the grand ceremony!

"The third one!"

Zhang Biao's voice rang out again, carrying an undeniable determination: "Implement the 'anonymous whistleblower box' system to deter corruption throughout the country!"

"Your Majesty may issue an imperial edict declaring that the 'anonymous whistleblower box' is a powerful tool for the court to broaden channels for public opinion and combat corruption, and is not Zhang Biao's personal tool!"

"Official complaint boxes will be uniformly set up at the entrances of all provincial administration offices, prefectures, states, and counties, as well as in all important government offices in the capital. These boxes will be collected and verified regularly by the provincial judicial commissioner or designated honest officials!"

"And reiterated the protection of whistleblowers and the reward for valid reports!"

"This move will formally incorporate the 'report box,' which was previously the subject of private discussion and speculation among the people, into the laws of the imperial court!"

"It not only responds to the public's expectations for anti-corruption and demonstrates the emperor's determination to eradicate corruption, but also keeps this supervisory force in the hands of the court, preventing it from being used by those with ulterior motives!"

"This will make corrupt officials across the country truly feel the dual pressure from the imperial court and the people, and dare not act recklessly anymore!"

The three imperial edicts were linked together!
The first step was to appease the official system; the second was to buy off the intellectual group; and the third was to respond to the opinions of the grassroots and strengthen oversight!

It covers almost all possible destabilizing factors!
Old Zhu stared intently at Zhang Biao, as if trying to get to know this madman in a new light.

Each of these three suggestions precisely addresses the crux of the current public opinion storm, and each provides a highly practical solution.

The 'Literary Festival' in particular was a stroke of genius, turning a potential crisis into an opportunity to consolidate its rule!

Is this kid... really just a crazy lunatic who acts recklessly?!

No, he sees it better than anyone else!

His previous madness seemed more like a carefully calculated grand scheme!

He is indeed pushing forward his reforms!

They're forcing us to reform in a crazy way!
Old Zhu felt a mix of emotions. He was shocked and fearful that Zhang Biao had set a trap for him, but also frustrated and helpless that he had to take Zhang Biao's advice.

He knew that once these three imperial edicts were issued, Zhang Biao's prestige and reforms would permeate every corner of the Ming Dynasty, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau would gain unprecedented 'official endorsement' and room for maneuver.

This was tantamount to Zhu Yuanzhang tacitly approving or even pushing Zhang Biao's 'mad knife' to become even sharper and have more room to maneuver!

Extremely risky!

But if we don't do this, how can we resolve the current public opinion crisis? How can we maintain stability in the world?
The lesser of two evils.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Old Zhu finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying an extremely complex mix of weariness and resolve:
"allow."

Just one word seemed to drain a lot of his strength.

"Let's do as you say and draft the decree."

He waved his hand and gave instructions to Yunming, then looked at Zhang Biao with his eyes as sharp as ever, but deep within them was a hint of reassessment of the 'madman' before him, a hint of reliance that even he himself was unaware of.

"Zhang Biao, we'll comply with these three decrees. But if you dare to lie to us, you've made your promise."

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

Zhang Biao said solemnly, "Your Majesty, I, Zhang, have always acted with integrity and honesty, and have never lied to anyone!"

Old Zhu snorted coldly, clearly not believing it.

But Zhang Biao's face showed a genuine smile.

[It's done! Old Zhu, you still have to follow my script!]

[Hehe, watch me pull a really big one on you, until you can't take it anymore and have no choice but to kill me!]

He left the Hall of Literary Glory with satisfaction, feeling that he was one step closer to his 'ultimate goal'.

Please vote for me with your monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)