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

Chapter 232 The Law? Now, I am the law! [Bonus Chapter 32 for Monthly Tickets]

The night was long, but Geng Zhong couldn't sleep.

He was pacing anxiously in the room.

Although he temporarily subdued the blue dragon with sleeping pills, his unease grew stronger.

He knew that Zhang Biao would never give up the investigation just because he was driven away.

Sure enough, just after midnight, a trusted bodyguard rushed in, his face pale, and knocked on the door: "Sir! Something has happened!"

Geng Zhong's heart skipped a beat: "What's the matter?!"

"Zhang Biao... Zhang Biao sent men to investigate the whereabouts of the manure cart from last night!"

The guard, panting, replied:
"We were processing the files and some problematic weapons at Black Wind Pass, thirty miles away, as planned, when they almost found us! Luckily, the brothers on duty were alert and spotted two spies, who have been... have been dealt with."

"Dealt with it?"

Geng Zhong's eyes sharpened: "Are you sure it's clean?"

"Confirmed! The body was buried on site, and the traces have been cleaned up. But..."

The guard hesitated for a moment, then said with concern:
"But those two spies were clearly skilled members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; they followed the path up from where the manure carts were dumped and the tire tracks!"

"Although the person has been dealt with, there's no guarantee that Zhang Biao won't continue investigating along this line."

Upon hearing this, Geng Zhong's expression instantly turned extremely ugly.

What he worried about most happened.

Zhang Biao's sense of smell was too sharp; he spotted the manure truck so quickly.

"waste!"

He growled, but knew that blaming his men at this point would be pointless.

Using a manure cart to transport stolen goods was the most covert method he could think of. Who could have imagined that Zhang Biao would even make that connection?

"besides……"

The guard, steeling himself, continued his report:

"Because the incident happened so suddenly, there were still two boxes of account books that couldn't be destroyed, a dozen or so powerful bows, and several sets of leather armor at Black Wind Pass. They were temporarily hidden in a cave in the pass. We didn't dare to move them any further, for fear of being targeted again."

When it rains, it pours!

Geng Zhong felt a wave of dizziness.

The man was killed, but the clues were also exposed, and more importantly, the stolen goods were still out there!
Zhang Biao will not let this go after losing two of his men; he will pounce on him like a shark that has smelled blood!

"Sir, what should we do now? Zhang Biao must have become suspicious!" the guard asked anxiously.

Geng Zhong forced himself to calm down, his mind racing.

Killing a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is an unforgivable crime!

Once this is confirmed, not only will Geng Zhong be unable to protect him, but even the prince behind him might not be able to!

The only way out now is to completely muddy the waters, shift the blame onto someone else, and then buy time to deal with the last piece of evidence!

His gaze inadvertently swept towards the secret chamber, where the unconscious Blue Dragon was still imprisoned.

An extremely bold, even insane, idea took shape in his mind.

[Do the opposite!]

He abruptly raised his head, a ruthless and resolute glint flashing in his eyes:

"Go! Select a few clever and reliable brothers whose build is similar to that of the Liang State Duke's personal guards, and have them change into their clothes and armor! Then find one whose build is similar to Lan Long's, and have him wear his clothes!"

The guard was taken aback: "Sir, what are you doing...?"

A sinister smile appeared on Geng Zhong's face:

"Isn't Zhang Biao supposed to be inspecting the latrine trucks? Didn't he lose a spy? Then let's put on a big show for him!"

"You take men, impersonate Lan Long and his personal guards, and 'leave the city' overnight! Create the illusion that they have left Raozhou Guard or are on some secret mission."

"Then, stage an ambush near Black Wind Pass! Make it intense! Make it realistic!"

He lowered his voice, his tone chilling:

"Take a few of the Blue Dragon Guards' corpses over there, and also bring out the corpses of those two Imperial Guards. Arrange the scene to look like a fierce battle between the two sides, ending in mutual destruction!"

The guards gasped, instantly understanding Geng Zhong's intention: to frame someone.

"My lord, this... will this work? What about the Duke of Liang's mansion...?"

"We can't worry about that now!"

Geng Zhong interrupted him, his eyes filled with madness: "This is the only way! As long as we can make it an ironclad case, it will be that Zhang Biao's men ambushed and killed Liang Guogong's adopted son, Lan Long, and his personal guards!"

"At that time, let alone investigating the case, Zhang Biao himself will be in grave danger! The Duke of Liang's wrath will be the first to burn him to ashes!"

He patted his personal guard on the shoulder, his tone both seductive and threatening:
"Make sure this is done neatly! At daybreak, I, the commander, will 'discover' that Brother Lan is missing, and then I will naturally lead my men out of the city to search for him, and finally, 'heartbroken', discover their bodies!"

"At that time, with both witnesses and physical evidence, let's see how Zhang Biao tries to deny it!"

"Then... what about the weapons and ledgers that weren't destroyed in the cave?" the guard asked.

"Don't do anything yet! Wait until this happens tomorrow, and everyone's attention is diverted, then we can find an opportunity to deal with it quietly!"

Geng Zhong decisively gave the order, leaving no room for doubt:
"Go and do what I told you right away! Remember, be clean and tidy, and make sure the scene looks legitimate!"

"Traces of a struggle, arrows, and even... traces of weapons that Zhang Biao's men might have used! Go quickly!"

"Yes! Understood! I'll take care of it right away!"

The guards, their ferocity stirred by the insane plan, obeyed and went off to carry out the order.

Inside the room, Geng Zhong was alone, his face a mixture of fear, ruthlessness, and a hint of desperate madness.

He knew he was playing with fire, dancing on the edge of a cliff. Once exposed, it would be utterly disastrous.

But he had no better choice.

Zhang Biao's investigation was like a persistent, malignant tumor; he had to cover it up with even more intense and shocking events.

He walked to the window and looked out at the deep night, as if he could see Zhang Biao's stubborn and cold eyes.

[Zhang Biao, you forced me to do this!]

You want to get to the bottom of this? I'll tear a hole in the sky and see who gets crushed first!

……

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Zhang Biao barely slept that night.

The two Imperial Guards that Song Zhong sent out have not returned to report, nor has any news been sent back.

An ominous premonition coiled around Zhang Biao's heart like a venomous snake.

"Something's wrong!"

Zhang Biao said to Song Zhong, "They might be in trouble! Let's go check it out ourselves!"

Suddenly, a series of rapid hoofbeats and commotion came from outside the tent at the temporary shelter.

Zhang Biao and Song Zhong exchanged a glance, then simultaneously lifted the tent flap and went outside.

Geng Zhong led a squad of fully armored, menacing cavalry from Raozhou Guard, who surrounded their temporary lodging.

Geng Zhong himself had bloodshot eyes and looked like a madman.

He spurred his horse to the door, pointed his whip at Zhang Biao who had come out at the sound, and his voice was shrill and indignant, echoing throughout the morning:
"Zhang Biao—! You traitor! Give me back my brother's life!!"

Zhang Biao frowned, alarm bells ringing in his mind: "Geng Zhong, what's wrong with you?!"

"Am I going crazy?!"

Geng Zhong's acting exploded, tears welled up instantly, and he beat his chest in frustration:

“My sworn brother Lanlong! And the few guards he brought with him from the Liang State Duke's mansion! Last night, they were ambushed and killed by the Imperial Guards you sent outside the city at Black Wind Pass! Their bodies are barely cold!”

He suddenly pulled out two blood-stained Imperial Guard badges from his pocket and slammed them down in front of Zhang Biao:
"This is the evidence! What else do you have to say?!"

"what?!"

Zhang Biao and Song Zhong and the others behind him all had a drastic change in expression.

Blue Dragon is dead? And ambushed and killed by the Imperial Guards? How is that possible?!
"Geng Zhong! Stop making false accusations!" Song Zhong shouted sternly.

"Making false accusations?!"

Geng Zhong grinned maliciously and suddenly waved his hand:

"Men! Bring up the fallen brothers!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several soldiers from the garrison carried forward several stretchers.

All that could be seen was a white cloth covering the body, but beneath it, one could vaguely make out the corpse dressed in the attire of the Duke of Liang's mansion, and two other corpses dressed in tattered Jinyiwei uniforms.

Wow!
The scene erupted in an uproar!
The civilians and soldiers who had gathered around the post station to watch the spectacle were all stunned.

Geng Zhong pointed to the two corpses of the Imperial Guards and cried out in grief to the surrounding crowd:
"Fellow villagers! Soldiers! You have all seen this! This is Zhang Biao, the Imperial Censor! This is the Anti-Corruption Bureau!"

"Unable to find any evidence, they resorted to this despicable assassination! To murder the descendant of a meritorious official, a general of the border army! Where is justice?! Where is the law?!"

Upon hearing this, those who were unaware of the truth were all enraged, and they all cast hostile glances at Zhang Biao and his group.

Old Qian couldn't help but step forward and rebuke, "Commander Geng, stop slandering Lord Zhang! We would never do such a thing!"

"Humph!"

Geng Zhong snorted coldly, then said in a deep voice:

“Yesterday, you had several clashes with Brother Lan in Raozhou Guard, and you harbored resentment, which is why you plotted this murder! There are witnesses and physical evidence to prove it, so how dare you try to deny it?”

After saying that, he suddenly looked at Zhang Biao and shouted sharply, "Zhang Biao—!"

"Brother Lan spoke up for me, the commander, and you dared to kill him! You are utterly wicked!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Geng Zhong drew his sword and pointed it at Zhang Biao, his voice filled with deep-seated hatred and a roar of righteous indignation:
"I am about to escort you to the capital to await the Emperor and the Duke of Liang's judgment! Guards! Seize him!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers of Raozhou Guard immediately drew their weapons and stepped forward, ready to attack.

"Let's see who dares!"

Song Zhong roared angrily, and his Imperial Guards and veterans immediately drew their swords and protected Zhang Biao in the middle.

The two sides were on the verge of exploding into a tense standoff, and the atmosphere instantly became explosive.

At this critical moment——

"Imperial edict has arrived!"

A loud shout, accompanied by the rapid sound of horses' hooves, came from afar and grew louder.

A weary messenger from the Imperial Guard, holding a bright yellow scroll aloft, rode his horse through the encirclement of the Raozhou Guard soldiers and into the center of the arena.

The messenger reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping across the scene before finally settling on Zhang Biao and Song Zhong, and announced loudly:

"Zhang Biao, head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and Song Zhong, deputy commander, receive the imperial decree!"

This sudden turn of events stunned everyone, including Geng Zhong, who was determined to win.

Zhang Biao and Song Zhong immediately stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, we receive the imperial decree!"

The messenger unfurled the imperial edict and read it aloud:
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"

"Zhang Biao, the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, is arrogant and reckless. He dared to misinterpret the 'Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty,' desecrating the established laws of our ancestors, misleading the people, and undermining the foundation of the nation. His actions deserve to be punished!"

"However, considering that you may have rendered some merit in inspecting military affairs, I will temporarily spare your life. From this day forward, you are strictly forbidden from using the name of the 'Ancestral Instructions' to conduct trials, mobilize troops, or overstep your authority! If you dare to repeat this tactic, you will be executed without mercy! So be it!"

The stern reprimand in the first half instantly brought a look of wild joy to Geng Zhong's face.

The Emperor was indeed furious! Zhang Biao's good days were over!

However, the messenger did not finish his message; he continued reading:

"Special edict: Zhang Biao, head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, you are hereby authorized to thoroughly investigate the military affairs of Jiujiang Garrison and surrounding related garrisons, including all military equipment, provisions, personnel records, and even the movements of suspicious individuals."

"If there is any obstruction, this decree can be shown, and local officials and garrisons must fully cooperate."

"The Anti-Corruption Bureau Commander Song Zhong and his subordinates are hereby ordered to exercise the authority of the local Imperial Guards to provide full assistance and protection, and to ensure that the investigation process is thorough and complete. Report back to us immediately! This is the imperial decree!" After the imperial edict was read, the scene fell into dead silence.

The first half is a stern reprimand, while the second half is an absolute authority granted by the emperor.

Although the emperor revoked Zhang Biao's power to misuse the "Ancestral Instructions," he granted him a legitimate and more powerful investigative authority.

They even granted Song Zhong the power to temporarily mobilize local Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards).

The ecstasy on Geng Zhong's face froze instantly, then turned deathly pale.

His last resort, attacking Zhang Biao with the accusation of 'desecrating ancestral teachings,' was blocked by Zhu De himself.

Moreover, Zhang Biao now wields even more power.

Zhang Biao accepted the imperial edict, slowly straightened up, and showed no sign of being reprimanded. Instead, he revealed a cold, confident smile.

His gaze swept over Geng Zhong, whose face was ashen, and the soldiers who were still carrying the stretcher.

"Commander Geng!"

Zhang Biao's voice was laced with sarcasm: "Don't you want the law?"

He raised the imperial edict high in his hand, his voice suddenly rising like a thunderclap:

"Now, I am the law!"

He ignored the trembling Geng Zhong and turned to Song Zhong, ordering, "Song Zhong!"

"exist!"

"Find an experienced coroner right now! And be quick!"

"Yes!"

Although Song Zhong didn't understand why, he didn't hesitate and immediately sent someone to do it.

Zhang Biao then pointed to the stretchers: "Carry all these 'corpses' out into the sunlight over there! Lay them out!"

The soldiers looked at each other, then at Geng Zhong.

Geng Zhong was in a state of confusion. He opened his mouth, but could not utter any commands.

Zhang Biao's eyes flashed sharply: "What? The imperial edict is here, do you intend to disobey it?!"

The soldiers of Raozhouwei were startled and dared not hesitate any longer. They quickly carried the stretcher to an open space and lined it up in the morning sunlight.

Soon, a trembling old coroner was also brought in.

Zhang Biao walked to the stretcher, his tone calm but leaving no room for argument:
"Old sir, there is no need to be afraid. I need you to examine these corpses with me."

"Just follow your rules and methods, and truthfully tell this official what you have seen and felt."

"Yes, yes, I understand."

The old coroner calmed down a bit.

Zhang Biao first pointed to the two corpses dressed in tattered Imperial Guard uniforms:

“Look at these two first. Sir, in your opinion, how long have they been dead?”

The old coroner stepped forward, first bowing respectfully, then carefully examining the body. He pressed on the body's joints and abdomen, then opened the eyelids to look inside, and finally leaned in to smell the odor.

"Return to my lord!"

The old coroner bowed and said:

"Based on rigor mortis, livor mortis, and changes in the abdomen, the two people died between 5 PM and 7 PM yesterday. There is no mistake."

This seems to coincide with the timing of Geng Zhong's statement about the ambush last night.

Geng Zhong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Biao nodded, but instead of drawing a conclusion immediately, he squatted down and began to examine the body himself.

Although he is not a professional forensic doctor, he has watched many movies and TV shows in modern times and knows some basic principles.

In particular, his favorite shows, such as "Forensic Doctor Qin Ming" and "Song Ci's Case of Injustice Rectified," contain many scenes involving autopsies.

He noticed that one of the Imperial Guards' hands was clenched tightly, so he gestured to Song Zhong to pry it open. Upon closer inspection, he discovered some dark red fragments and a few coarse blue cotton threads embedded in the crevices of the guard's fingernails.

"Sir, look at this."

Zhang Biao pointed to the gaps under his fingernails:
"These scraps look like wood chips, and this blue cotton thread... doesn't seem to be the material for the uniforms of the Duke of Liang's personal guards, does it?"

The old coroner leaned closer for a careful look, then touched the loose thread, and said with certainty:
"Your Excellency is wise! This blue cotton thread is coarse; it's the most common homespun cloth, certainly not the kind used in the military!"

Zhang Biao's heart stirred, and he noted down this detail.

Geng Zhong and his personal guards behind him couldn't help but break out in a fine sweat, sensing that something was amiss.

Clearly, none of them expected Zhang Biao to perform an autopsy, let alone discover the suspicious circumstances so quickly.

Without a word, Zhang Biao stood up and walked straight to the corpses of the Liang State Duke's personal guards.

"Now, look at these bodies."

The coroner examined the items in sequence.

When he examined the second body of a personal guard, his brow furrowed slightly.

He repeatedly pressed on the corpse's abdomen, then pried open the corpse's mouth and sniffed it carefully.

"grown ups……"

The old coroner looked puzzled: "This person... is a bit strange."

"Oh?"

Zhang Biao raised an eyebrow and immediately asked, "What's strange about it?"

"According to Lord Geng, they were ambushed and killed last night. But judging from the degree of rigor mortis, it seems... to be less severe than that of the two Imperial Guards, more like... they died after midnight."

Geng Zhong's expression changed, and he couldn't help but shout angrily:

"What nonsense are you spouting!? Those two Imperial Guards died early because they were more seriously injured, while the personal guards of the Duke of Liang's mansion were less seriously injured and died later. What's wrong with that!?"

"Ah!"

Zhang Biao laughed: "It seems Commander Geng knows a lot about this. What, did you see it with your own eyes? How do you know so much detail?"

"you!"

Geng Zhong was momentarily speechless, then coldly snorted, "Stop spouting nonsense. The time of death doesn't prove anything!"

"I didn't say there was a problem with the time of death, why are you so agitated? Are you feeling guilty?"

"Zhang Biao! Even if you have an imperial edict, you must provide evidence before you speak. Otherwise, this commander will take it to the Emperor's court to seek justice for Brother Lan!"

"cut!"

Zhang Biao curled his lip in disdain, then ignored him and looked at the old coroner:

"Old sir, please continue. I have an imperial decree, and you have the Emperor's backing, so don't be afraid!"

Upon hearing this, the old coroner glanced at Geng Zhong subconsciously, hesitated for a moment, and then said more cautiously:

"Aside from the time of death, when I pressed on his stomach just now, it felt quite bloated and hard. When I pried open his mouth, there was a faint... lingering smell of alcohol!"

A glint of light flashed in Zhang Biao's eyes: "The smell of alcohol? The old gentleman might be able to tell when he drank the alcohol?"

The old coroner pondered for a moment and said:
"Your Excellency, when ordinary people drink alcohol, if they are not completely drunk, the alcohol's fumes will dissipate in their mouths within a few hours. Judging from the strength of this alcohol, coupled with the fullness in his stomach... I deduce that the time between his drinking and his death was probably no more than two hours! It was probably between Hai hour and Zi hour yesterday!"

"Song Zhong!"

Zhang Biao turned around abruptly, his gaze flashing like lightning as he looked at Song Zhong, and said without room for argument, "Immediately check the exit records of Raozhou Guard and see when Lan Long and his personal guards left the city!"

"Yes!"

Song Zhong immediately accepted the order.

Geng Zhong and his personal guards turned pale, seemingly not expecting this.

Before long, Song Zhong returned and reported:

"Reporting to Your Excellency, General Lanlong and his personal guards left the city at 3:45 AM last night. In addition, Commander Geng's personal guards and General Lanlong's personal guards were drinking in the courtyard of the mansion, and the commotion seemed to be quite significant."

"Hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Biao couldn't help but throw his head back and laugh loudly, then suddenly looked at Geng Zhong and said coldly:

"Commander Geng! Tell me! How could they have been drinking with you until late at night in the garrison, and then be 'ambushed' and killed dozens of miles away at Black Wind Pass?! Could they have teleported?!"

"besides!"

Before Geng Zhong could answer, Zhang Biao pointed to the wounds on the corpses of the personal guards and said:

"Sir, take a closer look at these wounds. Are the edges of the wounds too neat? The degree of tearing of the surrounding flesh and the amount of blood seeping in, compared to the signs that a fatal wound should have, doesn't it seem a bit... off?"

He knew that injuries sustained after death were different from those sustained before death.

The old coroner, reminded by him, immediately leaned closer to examine the body carefully. After a moment, his expression changed, and he said with certainty:

"Your Excellency is wise! These wounds... especially the one under the left rib, the edges of the wounds are too clean!"

"There was almost no blood around, clearly indicating that it was caused after a person died and the blood stopped flowing! It's a post-mortem injury!"

Once these words were spoken, the truth became clear.

Zhang Biao suddenly faced the crowd, connecting the suspicious points he and the coroner had jointly discovered, his voice rising several decibels:
"Everyone, listen carefully!"

"The times of death are contradictory! These 'personal guards' died around midnight, when they were drinking in the garrison!"

"The stomach contents contradict their activity patterns! They were still drinking alcohol two hours before their deaths, so how did they end up in Black Wind Pass?"

"The wounds were faked! Some of the wounds were added after the death, intended to fake a fight!"

"The conclusion is! These guards from the Liang State Duke's mansion were killed in Raozhou Guard late last night, then smuggled to Heifeng'ao, where they were placed with the two dead Imperial Guard spies to create a carefully staged scene of a bloody battle!"

"The purpose is to frame me!"

Wow!
The scene was in an uproar!
Everyone was stunned by this shocking truth!
Geng Zhong's face was ashen, cold sweat soaking his back. He pointed at Zhang Biao and the old coroner, his lips trembling:

"You...you're all in cahoots! Spreading nonsense! Deceiving the public!"

"Collusion? Spreading rumors?"

Zhang Biao sneered, his sharp gaze sweeping across the entire Raozhou Garrison:
"Geng Zhong, in order to cover up the evidence of the loss of military equipment, you did not hesitate to kill and frame someone."

"General Lanlong disappeared after drinking with you last night. You claimed to the public that he was murdered, but in reality, you would never dare to easily kill the adopted son of the Duke of Liang, as that would bring about your own destruction!"

Zhang Biao's mind raced, analyzing Geng Zhong's personality and style of doing things:
"So, the most likely scenario is that you didn't kill him, but instead took him into custody! Right here in Raozhou Guard!"

"Let me guess, where will you hide him?"

Zhang Biao's gaze slowly swept over the buildings of the garrison, finally settling on the area behind the commander's office.

Those places are usually government offices, warehouses, and some unknown, hidden locations.

"The commander's office is a highly secure location; there must be a secret room or cellar inside!"

He suddenly pointed in that direction and shouted at Song Zhong:
"Old Song! Search them!"

"Focus your search on the commander's secret rooms and cellars! Dig three feet into the ground, find General Blue Dragon!"

Geng Zhong panicked completely.

He knew that once the search began, everything would be over, so he suddenly raised his knife and roared like a madman:

"Zhang Biao! You fabricated evidence to slander me! Soldiers, listen to my command! Cut these madmen to death! Leave no one alive!"

The soldiers of Raozhouwei hesitated, but Geng Zhong's loyal followers had already pressed forward with their knives drawn.

Song Zhong and the others immediately shielded Zhang Biao, and the situation instantly spiraled out of control.

"What's all this commotion ahead?! The Duke of Liang is here!"

Suddenly, another thunderous sound of horses' hooves rang out.

Then another cavalry unit appeared on the official road.

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(End of this chapter)