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

Chapter 245 The Big Picture Unveiled, Even Old Zhu Can Be Driven to Collapse! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

On the sunny side of Snake Hill below the Yellow Crane Tower stands a royal palace, the Chu King's Palace.

At this moment, the air inside the Sifu Hall of the Chu King's Mansion was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

King Zhu Zhen of Chu leaned back on a sandalwood couch covered with a white tiger skin, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest as he listened to the report from his chief secretary, Zhou Wenyuan.

When Zhu Zhen heard Zhang Biao openly declare in front of the Provincial Administration Commissioner's office that "all the princes are suspects," and even say that "every single one of them, as long as the evidence points to them, we will dare to investigate, impeach, and drag them to the Emperor's presence," Zhu Zhen paused slightly in his tapping of the armrest.

A barely perceptible shadow crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his calm and dignified demeanor.

"This Zhang Biao..."

Zhu Zhen's voice was devoid of emotion, carrying a hint of amusement: "Truly living up to his reputation, he's insanely crazy."

"Your Highness! Zhang Biao is an extremely arrogant scoundrel!"

Zhou Wenyuan said indignantly:
"In my opinion, this scoundrel is no longer investigating a case; he is clearly declaring war on all the vassal kings under heaven!"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his face filled with indignation and disdain:
"With just a ledger of dubious origin, he dares to criticize all the princes and even threatens to 'bring them to the Emperor's presence! Does he have no regard for the proper relationship between ruler and subject, or for the patriarchal system of rites and etiquette?! His actions are tantamount to courting death!"

Zhu Zhen raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly intrigued: "Oh? What does Wen Yuan think we should do?"

"Your Highness, this is a golden opportunity!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Zhou Wenyuan's eyes as he lowered his voice and said:
"Zhang Biao's words have offended all the princes who are enfeoffed outside the capital!"

“We don’t need to show up in person. We just need to embellish his arrogant words and deeds in Wuchang, especially his statement that ‘all the princes are suspects,’ and his intention to persuade the emperor to reduce the power of the princes, and spread the word…”

As he spoke, he leaned closer, his tone sinister:

"His Highness Prince Qi is of a fierce and unyielding nature, and His Highness Prince Min is not one to swallow his pride. His Highnesses Prince Shu and Prince Xiang, which of them can tolerate such framing and humiliation by a mere seventh-rank censor?"

"At that time, there will be no need for our Chu Prince's Mansion to coordinate anything. The memorials impeaching Zhang Biao for 'sowing discord among the imperial family and undermining the foundation of the state' will naturally fly to the capital like snowflakes!"

"Even if the Emperor wants to protect him, can he really afford to be at odds with all his sons?"

As Zhu Zhen listened, his fingers unconsciously rubbed the teacup, a hint of worry on his face: "Is this... going too far?"

"Father... after all, he relies on Zhang Biao quite a bit. If he knows that the news came from Wuchang, he might blame me."

"Your Majesty, don't worry!"

Zhou Wenyuan smiled confidently:
"The source of the information can be made extremely secretive, and can even be disguised as coming from the Provincial Administration Commission or from the mouths of the officials who were publicly humiliated by Zhang Biao."

"We're just letting those who need to know know, and we'll make sure no one has any leverage against us that could implicate the Prince's Mansion!"

Zhu Zhen remained silent for a moment, his gaze falling on the teacup in his hand, as if deep in thought.

He didn't answer immediately, but instead picked up the lid of the teacup and spun it around on the table.

Upon seeing this action, Zhou Wenyuan immediately understood.

[The prince has tacitly agreed!]

He suppressed his excitement, knowing that the matter was settled.

"There is one more thing, Your Highness!"

Zhou Wenyuan's tone turned sour as he thought of Huang Yan:

"Inspector Huang Yan clearly showed favoritism towards Zhang Biao in front of the yamen today! If he hadn't spoken up for him repeatedly, that spineless Pan Wenmao might not have given in so quickly."

"I suspect that Huang Yan may have already colluded with Zhang Biao, or... is he trying to use this opportunity to climb the social ladder?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhen not only did not get angry, but instead a smile appeared on his lips.

He pressed down the spinning tea lid, his tone carrying an all-knowing calm:

"Huang Yan? Ha... If he really is colluding with Zhang Biao, wouldn't that be perfect?"

Zhou Wenyuan was taken aback: "What does Your Highness mean?"

Zhu Zhen's gaze deepened, as if he were enjoying a good show about to begin:

"Only when the water is murky can you see clearly which fish are yours and which... are stray dogs that can't be fed and are always thinking of swimming elsewhere."

After saying that, he waved his hand lightly, looking rather dejected:
"Go ahead, do it your way. Make it clean, so no one has anything to say about it."

"Yes! I understand! I will certainly not fail Your Highness's trust!"

Zhou Wenyuan bowed deeply, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement and ruthlessness, and quickly retreated.

After Zhou Wenyuan left, the side hall of the Sifu Hall returned to silence.

The languidness and indifference on Zhu Zhen's face gradually faded.

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the layers of palaces and pavilions in the palace, his eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions.

"All the feudal lords are suspects..."

Zhu Zhen repeated the sentence in a low voice, a cold smile appearing on his lips: "That's really crazy!"

"However... Wen Yuan is right about one thing! You have indeed offended everyone."

Zhu Zhen's gaze fell on the direction of the Four Seasons Inn, carrying a hint of pity, a hint of mockery, and a hint of barely perceptible apprehension.

Meanwhile, outside the Four Seasons Inn.

In less than half an hour, the entrance was completely surrounded by a crowd that had rushed over after hearing the news.

There were genuine victims seeking justice, idlers just there to watch the spectacle, and spies sent by various groups to gather information.

The innkeeper was both happy and worried.

He was delighted that the inn had become so famous, but worried that the scene was too frightening and he feared he would lose control.

Zhang Biao, however, remained calm and collected, simply having a waiter move a table to the entrance of the inn, where he sat down casually.

The two Imperial Guards stood on either side of him behind him. Although they were dressed in civilian clothes, their sharp eyes were enough to deter anyone who wanted to cause trouble.

"Line up! One by one! Anyone who dares to cut in line, or you'll get your meat gone and a spanking!"

Zhang Biao picked up a wooden stick used to prop open the door of an inn from the table and slammed it heavily on the ground, displaying a manner reminiscent of a court hearing.

I must say, it really put the place in check.

The first person to come up was an old farmer, who tremblingly recounted how his land had been forcibly seized by the village head.

After listening, Zhang Biao gave a wink to the Imperial Guards behind him, who immediately wrote it down.

"Alright, I understand the situation and will send someone to investigate. Next!"

Zhang Biao waved his hand and shouted to the innkeeper, "Give this old man a pound of the finest pig's head meat and ten eggs!"

"Hey! Good!"

The waiter quickly responded, cut a large piece from a large bowl of glistening, fragrant braised pig's head that had been prepared beforehand, wrapped it in a lotus leaf, and then picked up ten eggs and handed them to the old farmer.

The old farmer, holding the still-warm pig's head meat and the fresh eggs covered in chicken droppings, could hardly believe his eyes. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears streamed down his face, and he knelt down with a thud.
"Your Honor! Your Honor!"

This scene greatly stimulated the people queuing behind.

"They actually gave it to you!"

"Quick! Line up!"

The crowd became even more excited.

The second, the third...

Some accused landlords of lending money at exorbitant interest rates, driving people to their deaths; some accused yamen runners of extorting and demanding bribes; some accused garrison soldiers of oppressing the innocent…

All kinds of things, a wide variety.

Zhang Biao accepted all requests, listening attentively while having his Imperial Guards record the conversation, and at the same time, he kept sending out pork heads.

He knew, of course, that most of these cases might not be cleared up in the short term, and some might even be fabricated.

But his goal was not to solve the case immediately!
This is what he wants!
He wanted the whole city to know that he, Zhang Biao, was here, openly collecting evidence of his crimes, and slapping those corrupt officials in the face!
This "meat and egg appeal method" is absolutely brilliant!
Low cost, outstanding results!
It can gather potential clues, win people's hearts, create enormous public pressure, and make his reputation as "Zhang Qingtian" famous throughout Wuchang!

the other side.

Zhang Biao's commotion at the Four Seasons Inn, a protest for justice involving meat and eggs, was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pot, instantly causing an uproar in the entire Wuchang officialdom.

The news reached the Provincial Administration Commission, the Provincial Surveillance Commission, and the Provincial Military Commission at top speed.

At this moment, in a secluded signing room of the Provincial Administration Commission.

The three top officials of Huguang Province—Provincial Treasurer Pan Wenmao, Provincial Surveillance Commissioner Huang Yan, and Vice Commander-in-Chief Wang Tong—came together in a rare gathering.

The atmosphere was so heavy it could be squeezed out of you.

Pan Wenmao's face was ashen, his chest heaving, as he pointed in the direction of the Four Seasons Inn, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger and panic:

"Crazy! Completely crazy!"

"Huang Judicial Commissioner, Wang Qianshi, did you both hear that? Setting up stalls outside the inn, selling pig's head meat and eggs... what kind of behavior is this?!"

"Zhang Biao has thrown the face of the imperial court and the dignity of the government into the cesspool!"

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, and suddenly slammed his hand on the table: "This isn't an investigation! This is clearly inciting a popular uprising! It's a riot!"

"If we let him continue to act recklessly like this, Wuchang City will surely descend into chaos!"

Although Wang Tong, the deputy commander, also thought Zhang Biao's actions were absurd, he felt a sense of satisfaction seeing Pan Wenmao's furious state.

He crossed his arms and spoke with a touch of the rough, martial spirit of a warrior:

"Prefect Pan, calm down. He's just a seventh-rank imperial envoy; if he's willing to lower himself and mingle with commoners, that's his business. Why should we lower ourselves to his level?"

"Besides, if he likes to send meat and eggs, let him send them. Does he think he can bring our government office down with them?"

"Wang Qianshi! What are you saying!"

Pan Wenmao was so angry that his beard trembled: "He's trying to win people over, he's trying to uproot us!"

"These days, those unruly people will dig up any old, trivial matter for a few ounces of meat or a few eggs! Who knows if there might be something deadly hidden inside?"

"Once public resentment is ignited, who among us can remain unscathed?!"

Huang Yan, who had been silent all along, slowly spoke, his voice still steady, but with a hint of solemnity in the depths of his eyes:
"What Lord Pan said is not an unfounded worry."

"Zhang Biao's move may seem absurd, but it is actually extremely clever."

"He has placed himself under the spotlight, using these small favors to not only block our possibility of openly taking action against him, but also to build a platform for collecting evidence of his crimes. We cannot sit idly by."

Seeing that Huang Yan had also expressed his opinion, Pan Wenmao seemed to have found a pillar of support and quickly said:
"Provincial Commissioner Huang knows me well! We must find a way to stop him! Otherwise, the consequences will be dire!"

"Stop it? How do we stop it?" Wang Tong frowned and said:
"He now enjoys the support of the people. Should we send troops to disperse them? Wouldn't that be suppressing good citizens? It would only solidify his reputation as Zhang Qingtian! How will we explain this to the Emperor?"

After these words were spoken, the room fell into a brief silence.

A direct confrontation wouldn't work; Zhang Biao's "open strategy" was extremely cunning.

Suddenly, a ruthless glint flashed in Pan Wenmao's eyes.

He lowered his voice, with a desperate resolve: "If the hard approach doesn't work, we'll try the soft one!"

"He likes to give gifts, doesn't he? He's rich, isn't he? Fine! Let him give as many as he wants!"

Huang Yan's eyes flickered slightly: "What does Lord Pan mean?"

"Consumption!"

Pan Wenmao forced out two words through gritted teeth, then said in a deep voice:
"How big is Wuchang? Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians! How much silver could Zhang Biao carry? How much pork head and eggs could he buy?"

The more he spoke, the clearer his thoughts became, and a sinister smile appeared on his face:

"Let's mobilize our manpower and find people! The three shifts of yamen runners, clerks at all levels, and even those idle soldiers in the garrison, let them all line up in front of the Four Seasons Inn!"

"What are you going there for? To seek justice!"

Pan Wenmao sneered, "A chicken went missing from the house, a neighbor had a fight, a land dispute from over ten years ago... just say whatever comes to mind! If you didn't, make it up!"

"In short, make sure we get the situation under control and keep Zhang Biao pinned to the entrance of that inn!"

"He wants to hear his grievances, doesn't he? I'll let him hear them to his heart's content! I'll let him hear them until his ears are calloused!"

"He wants to send meat and eggs? I'll make him send them! I'll send them until he's bankrupt, until he's left with nothing of the imperial envoy's allowance!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Tong was taken aback at first, then clapped his hands and laughed: "Brilliant! Governor Pan, your move is too cunning!"

"What's this called? It's called...yes, it's called 'Many hands make light work'!"

"I want to see if Zhang Biao's money is stronger, or if there are more people in Wuchang City!"

After a moment's thought, Huang Yan also felt that this was the safest and least likely method to give others a handle to use against him.

"This method... is feasible."

He nodded slowly, and said thoughtfully:
"It can both restrain Zhang Biao, keeping him preoccupied with other matters, and deplete his resources. Furthermore, it can muddy the waters, burying truly valuable clues among countless trivial 'injustices'."

"However, we must act discreetly and not let anyone find evidence that we, the authorities, are manipulating things behind the scenes."

"Rest assured, Magistrate Huang!"

Seeing that the two agreed, Pan Wenmao's spirits lifted: "I have a plan! I guarantee that Zhang Biao will suffer in silence, unable to express his bitterness!"

The three officials from Hubei Province quickly reached a consensus.

Thus began a war of attrition against Zhang Biao's "meat and egg offensive".

Pan Wenmao immediately summoned his trusted advisor and whispered, "Go quickly! Get everyone in the various departments and offices, as well as the people from Wuchang Prefecture and Jiangxia County, to get moving immediately!"

"Tell them to find some trustworthy or reliable people to go to the Four Seasons Inn!"

"Make a big fuss and drag things out!"

"I'd like to see how much pork head meat Zhang Biao has to give away, and how many eggs he can distribute!"

The clerk accepted the order and hurried away.

Pan Wenmao walked to the window, looked in the direction of the Four Seasons Inn, and a complex expression mixed with anger and pleasure appeared on his face.

"Zhang Biao, no matter how cunning you are, you still have to drink my foot bath water!"

"You think you can use the people's hearts to pressure me? I'll use the hundreds of thousands of mouths in Wuchang to wear you down to death!"

Early the next morning, it was just dawn.

Zhang Biao had been bitten by mosquitoes all night and couldn't sleep well, so he decided to open the second-floor window to let in some fresh air.

It would have been better if I hadn't opened it; once I did, I was startled to see a huge crowd of people.

"Holy crap! What's going on?!"

"grown ups!"

Hearing the commotion downstairs, the two Imperial Guards immediately rushed upstairs, their faces full of worry, and said:

"Sir, there are far more people today than yesterday! We're afraid we won't have enough pork and eggs!"

"Not enough? Then go buy more!"

Zhang Biao waved his hand dismissively and said:

"I'm going to let all the people of Wuchang taste the flavor of 'Imperial Envoy Brand' pig's head meat!"

After saying this, he turned to the middle-aged Imperial Guard and gave the order:
"Old Zhao, take a few men and go to the market to buy up all the pork head meat and eggs you can find! The money will come from our case-handling funds!"

"My lord, is this...is this appropriate?"

Old Zhao hesitated for a moment.

Using case-handling funds to buy pork as gifts—if the Emperor found out, he'd be furious…

You should know that the Emperor has invested a lot of money in this investigation!

However, Zhang Biao stated confidently:
"Perfect! Absolutely perfect! This is what it means to mobilize the masses and go deep into the grassroots!"

"If the Emperor asks, we'll say we're observing the people's conditions and gathering clues to prepare for the investigation! Go quickly!"

"Yes!"

Old Zhao's lips twitched, but he dared not say anything more and immediately accepted the order and left.

However, as time went on, Zhang Biao gradually sensed that something was wrong.

Although the entrance to the Four Seasons Inn was still bustling with people.

But most of those who came to complain and cry foul were only after a pound of pig's head meat and eggs. They provided almost no clues, and the clues were mostly trivial matters.

It's obvious that he was set up.

After all, it's not so easy to cause trouble on someone else's turf.

"It seems my perspective is still too narrow..."

Zhang Biao unconsciously touched his chin and muttered to himself.

The two Imperial Guards looked at him with puzzled expressions.

Zhang Biao suddenly slapped his thigh, his eyes gleaming as if he had discovered a new continent:
"I almost forgot, the fight against corruption also requires the right methods and precise targeting!"

After saying this, he immediately instructed Old Zhao:

"Go! Get me an even bigger wooden board! And bring me pen and ink!"

"Yes!"

Although Old Zhao was puzzled, he still accepted the order and left.

Soon, a brand new, larger signboard was erected at the entrance of the Four Seasons Inn, covering the previous one.

The new notice caused all the onlookers, especially the minor officials, yamen runners, and low-ranking military officers who were watching from the crowd, to widen their eyes and breathe rapidly.

The new notice read in larger, more eye-catching letters:

[Imperial Envoy's Headquarters, Special Intelligence Offered, Bounty Increased!]

[Special offer for those interested in working in various government offices and military garrisons in Huguang!]

Below is a list of astonishing rewards, categorized by type:
[Clues Level]:
Anyone who provides valid clues regarding the unusual transfer of military equipment in Wuchangwei, the unusual movements of Chen Qianxiang before and after his disappearance, or the movement of suspicious persons will be rewarded with 500 taels of silver once verified!
They also provide a guarantee that is "specially approved by the Imperial Envoy, past offenses will not be investigated", which can be used for minor offenses other than murder and treason!
[Evidence Level]:
Anyone who provides copies of key ledgers, confidential letters, or physical evidence is allowed to submit them anonymously to ensure security. Once verified, a reward of one thousand taels of silver will be given!

In addition, he will be given the honorary title of "Temporary Advisor to the Anti-Corruption Bureau," which will provide him with a salary of 50 taels of silver per month for three months.
[Confirmed]:
If you can lead the way to Chen Qianxiang himself, or directly identify the core participants, you will be rewarded with three thousand taels of silver!

And I guarantee that I will recommend his sons to study at the Imperial Academy in the capital, with the recommendation letter personally written by this Imperial Envoy, and the success rate is 98%!

[Major Announcement]:
Anyone who provides clues that ultimately help this official crack the core network of "nurturing bandits to enhance personal prestige" will, in addition to the aforementioned reward, be personally recommended by this official to the Emperor for a hereditary marquisate.

Today is the day to bring glory to our ancestors.

Finally, there was one line of smaller text that struck those minor officials like a thunderclap:
[Special Statement: This Imperial Envoy is fully aware that you are caught in a difficult situation and have many unavoidable circumstances. This reward is primarily for 'atonement through meritorious service' and 'restoring order'.]

[As long as the clues are true and valid, this imperial envoy can turn a blind eye to any past blemishes, and may even help you transfer away from this troublesome place of Huguang, so you can start anew!]

"Om-!"

The entire scene was initially deathly silent, then erupted into a cacophony ten times more intense than before.

Three thousand taels?! From the Imperial Academy?!

"A hereditary marquisate?! My God!"

"Past offenses will not be investigated?! And you can still be transferred?!"

"Is...is this fucking real?!"

If the previous pork and egg deals only drove the common people crazy, then this new notice board is like a red-hot iron, fiercely branding the hearts of all the low-level officials in Huguang!
Three thousand taels of silver is enough to make a low-ranking official financially free in an instant!
A hereditary marquisate is a ladder that can change the fate of an entire family!

A place at the Imperial Academy was a coveted path to advancement for countless small and medium-sized landowners and officials!
The promises of "letting bygones be bygones" and "transferring officials from troubled areas" precisely struck at the most vulnerable spot in the hearts of those clerks who were both afraid of being purged and eager to escape the quagmire!
A clerk, mingling in the crowd, began to tremble uncontrollably as he recalled the underhanded tactics he had employed when he was forced to falsify accounts…

An old clerk guarding the warehouse, his eyes gleaming, recalled that a few nights ago, several unmarked carriages had entered through a side gate and unloaded some heavy boxes...

A minor official in charge of document delivery felt his heart race; he had once inadvertently seen a strange, encrypted official document from Raozhou Guard…

Even a low-ranking guard in the Chu Prince's mansion swallowed hard. He vaguely knew that a certain side courtyard of the mansion had recently been under unusually tight security...

Crazy! Absolutely insane!
The news spread like a plague among the officials in various government offices, garrisons, and princely residences in Wuchang.

The way everyone looked at each other became somewhat strange.

The once monolithic bureaucracy in Hubei and Hunan provinces began to show subtle, yet potentially fatal, cracks.

Pan Wenmao and his men never dreamed that the yamen runners and clerks they had summoned would become the first blows to them.

[Hmph, when it comes to mobilizing the power of the common people, I can even bring down an emperor, so why would I be afraid of you?]

Zhang Biao glanced at the restless lower-level officials and snorted disdainfully.

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(End of this chapter)