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

Chapter 27 The First Imperial Censor in History! [New Book, Please Add to Favorites]

Old Zhu stared intently at the scoundrel below, clutching his stomach with a 'I'll starve to death if you don't give me face' look on his face. A strong urge to chop this guy up on the spot and feed him to the dogs rushed to his head!
Meanwhile, Jiang Huan, standing to the side, was also staring intently at Old Zhu, his hand on the hilt of his knife, his knuckles turning white.

Whether he does it himself or hands the knife to Old Zhu, he completes the task with lightning speed and decisiveness.

Because he really couldn't resist the urge to kill Zhang Biao.

This guy is utterly shameless.

but
We've already given away fifty taels of silver. Are we really going to let this guy starve to death at the entrance of the Fengtian Palace? That would be even more humiliating!
Old Zhu kept thinking like this, when suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him.

Something's wrong, this guy is still begging for death!
He absolutely calculated that!
He would eventually lose his temper and kill him in a fit of rage because he ordered takeout at Fengtian Hall!

After all, this is incredibly arrogant!
Alright, alright, this is testing Old Zhu's patience!

If Zhang Biao knew what Lao Zhu was thinking at this moment, he would probably twitch his lips and cry out in despair, "No, brother, I'm really hungry!"

"Yun-Ming!"

Old Zhu's roar was hoarse and on the verge of collapse, shaking the dust off the roof of the palace.

Yunming scrambled to her feet and cried, "Your servant is here!"

"Go! Go to the Imperial Kitchen!"

Old Zhu pointed at Zhang Biao, his finger trembling like he had Parkinson's: "Give this starving bastard a bowl of clear soup noodles! If he dares to add an egg, we'll peel his skin off! Watch him finish it! Then! Immediately fork him out of the palace! Fork him as far away as possible!!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! I'll go right away!"

Yunming was so frightened that he scrambled out of the hall.

Zhang Biao's eyes shone brightly, filled with longing.

Old Zhu closed his eyes, slumped back on the dragon throne, and no longer wanted to look at him.

He feared that if he looked at him any longer, he would be unable to resist strangling this scoundrel of an imperial censor who had humiliated him and swindled him out of fifty taels of silver and a bowl of clear soup noodles.

Not long after, Yunming brought the noodles over.

Zhang Biao didn't stand on ceremony. He took the noodles and sat cross-legged on the golden bricks of the Fengtian Hall, slurping them down with relish.

He was probably the first censor in the history of the Ming Dynasty to eat noodles in the Fengtian Hall.

Old Zhu saw all of this, and an indescribable sense of frustration welled up in his heart once again.

He, the mighty Hongwu Emperor, not only used his own private funds to pay a hot-headed censor who had just pointed his finger at him and cursed him in the Fengtian Hall, but he also let him eat a bowl of clear soup noodles in the Fengtian Hall?

The key point is that he was eating with great relish, even though he was eating alone!

What happened to this world?
Has he gone mad? Or has I gone mad?!

But beneath this pent-up anger, a remarkably calm and calculating mind, typical of a founding emperor, began to stir quietly, like an undercurrent beneath the ice.

Zhang Biao is a madman, a madman, but also a rare, fearless, and sharp-edged knife capable of piercing a festering sore!

His words about corrupt officials, the hidden dangers of regional princes, and the vacant position of heir apparent, though every word was like a knife to the heart, were also bloody, hitting the deepest, most unwelcome yet unavoidable worries in our hearts.

With the flag gone, the future of the Ming Dynasty is like a giant ship sailing through a sea full of reefs.

What should we do?
Even with his great talent and ambition, Zhu De felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness and loneliness at this moment.

Kill Zhang Biao? One strike and all your troubles will be over!

But what happens after you kill them?

Those abscesses are still there, those hidden dangers are still there, and they will continue to fester beneath the facade of peace and prosperity!
The entire court was filled with either trembling yes-men or ambitious schemers with their own agendas. A mad dog like Zhang Biao, who dared to strip the emperor's robes to see if they were crawling with lice, was hard to find even with a lantern!
What's more, this mad dog isn't afraid of death, he's afraid of being poor! He'll nag for ages over three hundred coins for meat!
He dared to pull out his tattered ledger titled "Give Me Back My Hard-Earned Money" just to get his salary!
It's good to be afraid of being poor!

Being afraid of poverty means you have a weakness!
If you have a weakness, you can control it!

The chilling killing intent deep in Old Zhu's eyes receded like a tide, replaced by something deeper and more complex—

A kind of imperial strategy that involves discovering a peerless murder weapon and figuring out how to firmly control it.

"Have you finished eating?"

Old Zhu's voice was still hoarse and impatient, but the murderous rage had strangely dissipated.

"Oh, and there's a sip of soup!"

As if realizing something, Zhang Biao said, "I'll take another slurp! Just one more!"

Veins bulged on Old Zhu's forehead; the murderous intent he had managed to suppress was reignited.

But Zhang Biao quickly finished the last sip of soup, briskly stood up, patted his bottom, burped, and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is wise and benevolent! Your Majesty's compassion for your subjects is truly that of a wise ruler for all ages! Your subject..."

As he spoke, he almost forgot about the silver on the ground, so he quickly grabbed it and bowed again, saying, "Your Majesty, I'll be leaving now! I won't be in your way!"

"Wait a minute—!"

Old Zhu coldly interrupted him.

Zhang Biao froze, his heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "Could it be? Old Zhu has changed his mind? Is he going to take the money back?!"
Old Zhu's tired but still sharp eyes locked onto him like a hawk's, and he slowly said, "Zhang Biao, we'll make up for your salary. We'll also take care of Shen Lang's salary. And that jade pendant and the pig's head meat, we'll take care of those too."

"Now, let's ask you a question."

"You mentioned to us in court earlier about vassal kings, official salaries, and the position of heir apparent."

With each word he spoke, his tone grew more forceful: "How do you think these problems should be solved?"

It's here! It's definitely not that simple after all!
Zhang Biao held the silver, his mind racing.

Old Zhu is trying to use himself as a tool!
If I don't answer him, I won't be killed, but I'll probably be in a lot of trouble.

If I answer him, I will be going against my original intention of 'seeking death'.

Then
Thinking of this, his eyes darted around, and he immediately put on an expression of 'this humble subject is foolish and dull-witted': "Your Majesty! This is a matter of national importance! I am of low rank and my words carry little weight, how dare I presume to speak? Your Majesty is supremely wise and will surely make your divine judgment!"

"Humph!"

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted, clearly unconvinced: "Your position is lowly, so your words carry little weight? When you were pointing your finger at us and cursing us in the Fengtian Hall, did you forget that your position was lowly and your words carried little weight?! Stop with the empty talk! Speak! Say whatever comes to mind! If you're wrong, we won't blame you!"

"Of course!"

He changed the subject and sneered, "You don't have to say it, we have plenty of time!"

Good guy!
Isn't this just blatant thuggery?!
So, just because I ate a bowl of your clear soup noodles, you think you can take me for granted?!

Zhang Biao was speechless, yet filled with helplessness.

He knew that if he didn't say something today, Old Zhu might 'torture' him in some way, but he wouldn't kill him.

Hey, it's just for fun.

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(End of this chapter)