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

Chapter 237 Zhang Biao: Villains die from talking too much, remember that! [Seeking monthly votes at the beginning of the month]

The hidden door slid open silently, and a burly figure, covered in dust and the night, slipped in.

His movements were as agile as a cheetah, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood, but the battlefield ferocity that was ingrained in his bones and the imposing aura he had cultivated over the years made even the candlelight seem to pause.

The prince glanced at the uninvited visitor, a sharp glint in his eyes, and the jade pendant on his fingertip slowly turned.

Once the burly man had stood still, he spoke first:
"You shouldn't have come here at this time."

His voice was deep, carrying a barely perceptible warning: "The smoke from Raozhouwei hasn't cleared yet, and countless eyes are watching this place. Don't you know that?"

The burly man pulled down his hood, revealing a weathered, angular face, and gave a cold smile.

Immediately afterwards, he walked straight to the prince and sat down opposite him, his gaze piercing, without exchanging any pleasantries:

"If I hadn't come soon, I might have been collecting your corpse next time! Your Highness, how long are you going to keep tolerating that mad dog Zhang Biao?!"

He leaned forward, his suppressed anger churning in his low voice: "Geng Zhong is dead. It was your men who did it. I have nothing to say!"

"But what did that fire in the back courtyard burn away? Did it burn away Zhang Biao's determination to get to the bottom of things?!"

The prince's expression remained unchanged, his tone calm and composed: "Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. Geng Zhong's incompetence was exposed sooner or later, and his elimination was inevitable. As for Zhang Biao..."

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "The more frantic he is, the deeper he bites, the bigger the storm he stirs up, and the more advantageous it will be for us."

"favorable?!"

The burly man practically spat out those two words through clenched teeth, then slammed his hand on the table, making the candlesticks shake.

"You call this advantageous?! Do you know how the men I sent to assassinate him died?!"

"The firearm in his hand can be fired instantly without a match, and its power is astonishing..."

"When did the Ming Dynasty acquire such a powerful weapon? The Ministry of Works and the Ordnance Bureau have no such item!"

"This clearly shows how wicked and uncontrollable this kid is! He is our biggest variable!"

After saying this, the burly man stared intently at the prince, his eyes sharp as knives:

"You keep saying you're using his knife to kill someone, but now that knife is at our own throats!"

"He deposed the King of Qin and imprisoned the King of Jin and the King of Zhou. While this cleared the way for you, it also means you will soon be exposed to the Emperor's attention!"

"Now that he's killed Geng Zhong, his next step will be to follow the clues and attack the Prince of Qi. And what's next?! Do you think you can stay hidden behind the scenes forever?!"

The prince slowly stood up, pacing in the dim light, his voice carrying a condescending calculation:

“Father is getting old. Since my eldest brother passed away, he has become suspicious and violent, and is becoming more and more like a lonely man.”

"He needs Zhang Biao as a sharp knife to cut away the 'rotten flesh' in his heart and to teach a lesson to all the sons who make him sleepless."

"What I need to do is add fuel to the fire, make it burn even brighter! Let Zhang Biao investigate, dig deep, and drag all the vassal kings and all potential threats into this quagmire!"

"Let Father Emperor see with his own eyes that none of his own flesh and blood, none of his ministers, can give him peace of mind! Let this fire cause suspicion and panic throughout the Ming Dynasty court!"

"When Father is exhausted and utterly disillusioned with this empire, when everyone is worn out..."

He stopped in his tracks, a hint of fanaticism flashing across his face in the shadows: "That's our best chance!"

After saying that, he looked at the burly man and said in an unquestionable tone, "Going out to fight head-on now is the only way to die!"

"A path to death?"

The burly man suddenly stood up, confronting the prince head-on, his entire body radiating a murderous aura:
"I think you're dancing on the edge of a cliff right now!"

"The Emperor may be old, but he hasn't loosened his grip on the sword hilt! As long as Zhang Biao finds a clue, the Embroidered Uniform Guard will infiltrate every nook and cranny!"

"I can't wait for your vague 'best time'!"

He said resolutely, "I have already contacted those people in Huaixi. There are many in the army who are dissatisfied with the Emperor's methods in recent years! The resentment has already formed, and it is just waiting for a spark!"

"With Zhang Biao currently drawing everyone's attention, this is the perfect opportunity for us to make our move!"

"Instead of playing these roundabout games with you here, waiting to be sniffed out by that mad dog!"

Upon hearing this, the prince's face instantly turned ashen.

He never expected that the burly man would dare to secretly collude with him behind his back, which completely disrupted his plans.

"I said, the time is not right!"

The prince's voice was icy cold, carrying an unquestionable air of authority: "My mother's plan is far more thorough and prudent! Father Emperor won't live for many more years; all we need is patience..."

"Patience?! Are we going to wait until Zhang Biao follows the 'raising bandits' lead and finds the person who 'collected my body' back then?!"

The burly man interrupted abruptly, his face filled with distrust and a desperate, ruthless determination.

"Just because I can die once doesn't mean I can die a second time!"

"Your Highness, if you continue to be obsessed with this dangerous game, then don't blame me for finding my own way out!"

"I will do it my way, first eliminating this scourge Zhang Biao, and then... doing what we should do!"

The air in the dark room seemed frozen.

The prince stared intently at the burly man, his chest heaving slightly with anger.

This 'sharp blade' that he had pulled from a certain death and given a new identity and power actually dared to turn against its master.

"Chang Mao—!"

The prince took a sudden step forward, his voice booming as if from the deepest hell, filled with furious rage at having his authority challenged:
"Listen to me clearly!"

"Who gave you a second life after your 'death' news spread throughout the court and even the emperor's autopsy team confirmed that your carefully prepared double was the reason for your death?!"

"Who allowed you to see the light of day again and wield unparalleled power!?"

"Without me, you would have long since rotted in the mud like your double, devoured by wild dogs until not even bones remained!"

The name 【Chang Mao】 was like the most vicious curse, piercing the other person's eardrums.

The burly man shuddered violently, his excitement, anger, and determination freezing instantly, turning into a deathly pale and bone-chilling cold.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Xu Da, Chang Mao, Li Shanchang, Deng Yu, Feng Sheng, and Li Wenzhong were known as the "Six Founding Dukes".

Among them, Li Shanchang was the prime minister, Xu Da, Deng Yu and Feng Sheng were famous generals, and Li Wenzhong was Zhu Yuanzhang's nephew, who also had outstanding military achievements.

Chang Mao, on the other hand, can only be considered a junior, belonging to the younger generation.

Chang Mao was granted the title of "Duke of Zheng" by Zhu Yuanzhang because his father was the famous Chang Yuchun.

In the second year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang dispatched Xu Da and Chang Yuchun on a two-pronged northern expedition, achieving resounding victories on both sides.

However, Chang Yuchun fell seriously ill on the way and died before returning to Yingtian Prefecture.

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu could hardly believe it. He recalled how Chang Yuchun had survived countless battles unscathed, but now that the world was at peace, Chang Yuchun had died of illness in his own tent.

In the third year of the Hongwu reign, Emperor Zhu announced that Chang Yuchun's eldest son, Chang Mao, would be granted the title of Duke of Zheng.

Chang Mao was also the youngest duke at the time, not yet 20 years old, so he was also known as "Grandpa Mao".

After that, Lao Zhu trained Chang Mao many times.

In the twentieth year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang dispatched Feng Sheng as commander-in-chief, with Chang Mao and Lan Yu as his left and right generals, to launch a northern expedition.

However, five months later, Zhu received a battle report from Feng Sheng, saying that he had already persuaded the Mongol general Naha to surrender, but unexpectedly, Chang Mao got drunk and drew his sword to kill Naha.

As a result, Naha fled and the attempt to persuade him to surrender failed; all of this was Chang Mao's fault.

Just as Old Zhu was about to lose his temper, he received another letter from Chang Mao.

He said that Feng Sheng was a poor judge of character and that Nahachu's surrender was a ruse.

When Nahachu was giving instructions to his men in Mongolian to feign surrender, they understood the language. He didn't have time to report to Feng Sheng, so he drew his sword and killed them.

Chang Mao and Feng Sheng each gave their own version of events, leaving Lao Zhu very confused.

The most ridiculous thing is that Feng Sheng is also Chang Mao's father-in-law. The two men, father-in-law and son-in-law, accused each other and became a laughing stock for a time.

Because Nahachu was a descendant of Muqali, a general under Genghis Khan, Zhu Yuanzhang always attached great importance to him.

Feng Sheng and Chang Mao messed things up, and Old Zhu's solution was to slap each of them.

He first removed Feng Sheng from his command and ordered him to return to Tianfu to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors. Lan Yu was appointed as the commander-in-chief. Then, Chang Mao was demoted to Longzhou.

After being neglected in Longzhou for three years, a major event occurred.

The founding prime minister, Li Shanchang, was killed because new clues were uncovered in the Hu Weiyong treason case ten years prior, and Li Shanchang was implicated and thus killed.

Li Shanchang had once been Chang Mao's teacher and had a very good relationship with him. Several other generals who were also close to Chang Mao were killed along with him.

So, Lao Zhu turned his attention to Chang Mao.

Old Zhu issued an imperial edict to Chang Mao, which had two meanings:
First, Chang Mao has been in Longzhou for three years. He made mistakes before and should reflect on them.

Secondly, Li Shanchang's case is very serious. If Chang Mao is also involved, he should confess as soon as possible. If we wait for the court to send someone to investigate, it will be too late.

Old Zhu's imperial edict, seemingly comforting, was actually a warning, leaving Chang Mao apprehensive.

After the New Year, Chang Mao wrote two letters to Crown Prince Zhu Biao, who was Chang Mao's brother-in-law, but unexpectedly, Zhu Biao did not reply to either of them.

Chang Mao had no other choice but to 'fall ill from depression' and passed away that same year.

Before his death, he wrote a will to Zhu De, admitting his mistakes in the army but denying any connection with Li Shanchang.

After receiving the letter, Lao Zhu glanced at it and found that the handwriting was strong and vigorous, not at all like that of a dying person, so he suspected that Chang Mao was faking his death.

Then he sent two ministers to Longzhou, named Han Guan and Yang Wen respectively, to check whether Chang Mao was dead or not.

It would take the two ministers at least a month to travel from Yingtian Prefecture to Longzhou. In addition, the weather in Guangxi is hot, so by the time they arrived, Chang Mao's body would already be decomposing.

Therefore, they could only reply to Lao Zhu that Chang Mao was indeed dead.

But Chang Mao did not die back then. As Lao Zhu suspected, he faked his death, and the person in the coffin was just someone who looked like him.

Those unbearable past experiences, those humiliations hidden beneath power, were brutally exposed the moment the prince mentioned his name.

He turned around very slowly, inch by inch, with his back to the prince who had taken control of his 'new life'. His broad back looked stiff and lonely in the candlelight.

After a long silence, a hoarse voice, as if polished by sand and gravel, finally broke through the stillness, carrying an indifference that severed all ties:

"Chang Mao..."

He repeated the name that should have been forgotten, his voice hollow.

"Chang Mao is dead."

Before he finished speaking, he had already stepped towards the hidden door, his steps heavy and resolute, without looking back even once.

The hidden door closed silently.

The prince stood alone in the flickering candlelight, his face ashen, his knuckles white from clenching his fists. "Good...very good..."

He hissed in a low voice, his voice a mixture of fury and a hint of fear that his plans had slipped out of control.

Chang Mao's loss of control, and his almost instinctive fear of Zhang Biao, were like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in the center of the carefully woven net.

[Zhang Biao... could you truly be my destined calamity?!]

Or perhaps... you really can ruin my grand ambitions?!

The prince's gaze was fixed on the huge map of the Ming Dynasty's territory on the wall, his eyes so sinister they could drip water.

He knew that his struggle with Zhang Biao had become more dangerous than ever before due to the unexpected rebellion that had broken out within the organization.

At this very moment, Zhang Biao was leading his men towards the cave in Black Wind Pass where the crucial ledgers and weapons were hidden.

Heifeng'ao is located thirty li west of Raozhouwei.

Its mountains are steep, with dense forests and grass, and are rarely visited by people.

Zhang Biao and Song Zhong, leading a team of elite Imperial Guards, stealthily infiltrated the mountains like cheetahs, following the vague directions provided by the collapsed personal guards.

"Sir, we've found some very fresh tire tracks ahead, similar to the ones we tracked when we followed the manure cart!"

One of the Imperial Guards in charge of scouting reported in a low voice.

"There are signs of a struggle, bloodstains... It seems that the two brothers were found here."

Song Zhong squatted down, picked up a bit of dark brown soil, and his face was gloomy.

Zhang Biao's eyes were icy: "Speed ​​up! The other side probably already knows we've tracked us down here!"

A chill ran down everyone's spines, and they immediately became more vigilant, following the faint path deeper into the ravine.

Sure enough, in front of a very well-hidden mountain wall covered with vines, they discovered a cleverly disguised cave entrance.

There were messy footprints and traces of dragging heavy objects on the ground near the cave entrance.

"This is it—!"

Zhang Biao shouted in a low voice, "Old Song, you take two men and come in with me. The rest of you guard the entrance. You're allowed to go in, but not out!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already taken the lead, pushed aside the vines, and crouched down to crawl inside.

Song Zhong immediately arranged for men to set up defenses, while he himself, along with two trusted confidants, followed Zhang Biao into the cave.

The cave was deeper than they had imagined, dimly lit, and filled with the stench of feces and the rustling sounds of insects crawling.

By the light of the torches, several wooden boxes could be seen haphazardly piled up in one corner of the cave.

Two of the boxes were open, with an unknown liquid dripping from the corners. Upon closer inspection, they revealed a jumbled mess of powerful bows and leather armor inside.

Although the quantity was small, the workmanship was excellent, and it was standard equipment in the military.

Inside another, smaller, and heavier metal box, the group discovered their ultimate goal—

Several account books were wrapped tightly in oilcloth.

Zhang Biao pinched his nose, took a deep breath, then picked up the top book, opened it, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

This is not the kind of secret ledger that records the delivery of 'beast tokens' like the one in Jiujiangwei, but a more detailed record of transactions.

It clearly records the quantity and time of various military supplies that flowed out through Raozhouwei, and even the code names or vague characteristics of some recipients.

Some of these batches were headed towards Qingzhou and Kaifeng.

"Caught red-handed! The evidence is irrefutable!"

Looking at the contents of the account book, Song Zhong gasped: "Sure enough, Geng Zhong is connected to several vassal kings!"

Zhang Biao ignored him and continued flipping through the pages, his brain working at lightning speed, connecting this information with the clues he had found earlier.

The goods were picked up using the "beast-shaped tokens" of Jiujiang Guard, transported and recorded by Raozhou Guard, and ultimately ended up in the territories of the Prince of Qi and the Prince of Zhou... and possibly even other vassal kings!

Are the princes involved in the canal transport corruption case not innocent? Are they all truly guilty?!

What a massive network!

"Take it all! Not a single scrap of paper can be left behind!"

Zhang Biao made a quick decision and was about to close the ledger.

Suddenly, he stopped moving.

His gaze was fixed on a few inconspicuous vermilion symbols on the edge of a page in the ledger.

The symbol resembles cloud patterns, with a tiny, barely recognizable seal character embedded in the center. Its strokes are archaic and possess a sense of formality reminiscent of a courtly system.

"Old Song!"

Zhang Biao suddenly looked up, handed the ledger to Song Zhong, pointed to the symbols, and said with a hint of surprise and disbelief, as if he had discovered a new continent:
"Look at this! This symbol... have you seen it before? What does it mean?"

Song Zhong leaned closer for a closer look, and his expression changed instantly.

His pupils contracted sharply, as if he had seen something utterly unbelievable. He even instinctively took a half-step back, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

"This...this is impossible!"

"This is...this is the verification symbol used by the Inner Transport Warehouse when receiving tributes from various regions and conducting a preliminary inventory!"

"It's a secret record from the Palace Key Office! How could... how could it appear in the military guards' secret ledger?!"

"The verification symbol for the imperial treasury?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Biao was stunned for a moment. Unlike Song Zhong, who was shocked and pale, Zhang Biao's face showed a mixture of sneer and excitement, as if he had finally caught him.

He snatched back the ledger, pointed to the entry for arms outflow recorded next to the symbol, his voice sharp and penetrating:
"The imperial treasury verification symbol appeared on the secret ledgers of the garrisons recording the illegal outflow of military equipment..."

"Old Song, do you know what this means?"

Song Zhong's mind was still a bit muddled, and he subconsciously said:
"Explanation...explanation that it's related to the palace? Impossible! How could the Emperor..."

"It might not be Lao Zhu himself!"

Zhang Biao interrupted him, his eyes gleaming with intelligence, as if all the clues had been connected at that moment:
"But this shows that something special is being transported through this clandestine arms trafficking channel! Or rather, someone is using this channel to tamper with the imperial treasury!"

He slammed the ledger shut with a sharp 'snap' that echoed through the cave.

"Remember when I suggested auditing the internal treasury? At the time, I just thought that Old Zhu's subordinates were corrupt, or that Old Zhu himself was illegally accumulating wealth... Now it seems that it's probably not that simple!"

Zhang Biao's face revealed a smile like a hunter finally finding his prey's den, cold and dangerous:
"Old Zhu's private treasury... is indeed seriously problematic!"

"This pool of water is deeper and muddier than we imagined!"

He had previously suspected how a mere prince and a few garrison officers could mobilize military equipment on such a large scale and for such a long time without being detected.
The appearance of this symbol for the imperial treasury is like lighting a lamp in the darkness!

There is a powerful force behind all of this, capable of reaching and even utilizing the emperor's private treasury.

This discovery was even more shocking than the account books themselves, which pointed to the feudal lord.

Song Zhong was terrified, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

He understood the palace better than Zhang Biao, and he understood what the words 'inner treasury' represented.

The fact that the case involves the emperor's private treasury means that it has escalated to an incredibly terrifying level.

"My lord...this..."

Song Zhong's voice was hoarse, and he felt the account book in his hand was burning hot.

"Stop that!"

Zhang Biao's eyes sharpened, and he made a decisive decision: "The ledgers must be sent out safely!"

"This evidence is more important than your life right now! Old Song, you keep it yourself, we'll..."

He hadn't finished speaking—

A sudden change occurred!

The Imperial Guard who had been standing silently beside Song Zhong, responsible for carrying the torch, suddenly flashed a ruthless glint in his eyes.

He suddenly struck, his movements as fast as lightning, not at anyone, but with a powerful palm strike to Song Zhong's shoulder blade.

At the same time, he pulled hard with his other hand.

Caught off guard, Song Zhong let out a muffled groan and staggered as the oilcloth bundle was snatched away by the other party.

"Commander Sun! You!"

Song Zhong was both shocked and furious, and could hardly believe his eyes.

This Commander Sun was an old subordinate of his, having followed him for many years. How could he...
After succeeding, Commander Sun raised his hidden dart without hesitation, aimed it at another colleague, and pulled the trigger.

With a 'whoosh' sound, another colleague was hit by an arrow and fell to the ground.

It all happened so fast, from the betrayal to the theft of the ledgers, to the murder, in the blink of an eye.

After succeeding, Commander Sun revealed an extremely ferocious and triumphant smile:

"Thank you, Vice Commissioner Song!"

"I was never one of yours; I was just a spy the prince placed beside you!"

"You've helped me so much, I really should thank you!"

After saying this, he raised the hidden arrow in his hand, aimed it at Song Zhong, and intended to kill Song Zhong with one arrow.

However, at that moment, a mocking voice suddenly rang out: "Do you know how villains die?"

"Ok?"

Sun Baihu was stunned for a moment before realizing that Zhang Biao had a mysterious weapon.

Unfortunately, it's too late.

With a loud bang, he felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his arm.

He looked at the source of the sound with difficulty and astonishment.

But then Zhang Biao raised the still-smoking pistol and said to himself, "Villains die from talking too much. Remember that next time!"

"艸"

Sun Baihu only managed to utter one word before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

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(End of this chapter)