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

Chapter 56 You treated me with sincerity, I will repay you with unwavering devotion! [Seeking monthly votes]

Shen Lang clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms.

He looked at the shabby room with its bare walls.

I recalled how Zhang Biao taught them to act last night, and how to express their aspirations with their books.

He recalled Zhang Biao's outrageous words: leading them to risk their lives for that sliver of hope, even telling them to celebrate their heroic sacrifice tonight.
A surge of scalding heat rushed to Shen Lang's eyes.

It was a mixture of fear, anger, and overwhelming grief.

"celebrate?"

Shen Lang's voice was terribly hoarse. He suddenly raised his head and yelled, "Bullshit!!"

"Our lives were saved by Brother Biao using his methods!"

"Without him teaching us to curse corrupt officials and hold account books in our mouths, without his paintings that we placed in front of the emperor to make him faint, we would all be dead today, either from being flogged or from being imprisoned!!"

He took a step forward, his voice like the low growl of a wounded beast, yet full of power:

"Brother Biao treated us with sincerity, fighting for a way to survive for us ants! Now that he's in trouble, how can we cower here, eating his pig's head and even celebrating?!"

Shen Lang's gaze was like a burning ember, intensely scrutinizing everyone present.

"Search your conscience! Think about what Brother Biao did for us! Think about this dilapidated house of his! Think about his last words! Can we just watch him die like this?!"

Wow!
As soon as Shen Lang finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

It wasn't that they weren't persuaded by Shen Lang, but rather that they considered things more thoroughly than Shen Lang had.

So, after a brief, suffocating silence.

In the crowd, a low-ranking official with a sallow complexion and a thin build trembled and mumbled softly, "Brother Shen, it's not that we don't want to save Imperial Censor Zhang, it's just that we've only just escaped death, and going to the Fengtian Hall would be too much trouble."

He paused, looked around at everyone, and then lowered his head, saying, "We'll all die. We'll all die. I have an elderly mother and a young child to support."

His voice was filled with desperate fear, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

Another low-ranking official subconsciously took a half step back, his eyes darting around: "Yes, the Emperor is so angry with us that he still hasn't forgotten about Censor Zhang. This shows that the Emperor is in a rage. If we go to Fengtian Hall, wouldn't we just be adding fuel to the fire?"

"I'm afraid we won't be able to save Imperial Censor Zhang, and we'll end up dragging our whole family down with us. This is just reckless courage."

Fear, like a cold tide, instantly extinguished the passion that had just been ignited in many people.

Their instinct for survival and their responsibility to their families made them hesitate.

Some people lowered their heads, not daring to look Shen Lang in the eye.

"cannot!"

Just as the atmosphere was about to freeze, Zhao Fengman was the first to react. His loud voice, tinged with tears, yet unusually firm, roared:
"Without Brother Biao, we would have been dead just now! We were lucky to survive! If the corrupt officials don't die, our whole family will starve to death or be forced to die anyway! Rather than living a cowardly life with our families, we might as well die a glorious death with Brother Biao! Anyway, I'm going all out!"

After saying that, he suddenly pulled out the saliva-covered book "A Bloody and Tearful Record of Demanding Unpaid Wages" from his pocket, clutching it tightly in his hand as if it were a weapon.

"Yes! Let's go all out!"

Sun Gui straightened up, patted his patched-up official robe, and hissed, "Damn it! I've had enough! Brother Biao is a man of honor, we can't be cowards! At worst, we'll be heroes again in eighteen years!"

"A scholar should know what to do and what not to do!"

Li Mo bent down to pick up the ledger that had fallen to the ground. His hands were still trembling, but his eyes were unusually bright, with an almost martyr-like solemnity: "You have treated me with sincerity, and I will treat you with utmost loyalty! Even if it is a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, I, Li, am willing to go with Brother Shen!"

"Yes! Let's go together!"

"Go find Brother Biao!"

"We can't leave him alone!"

More and more people were infected by this determination and suppressed their fear.

The flames in their eyes reignited, this time mixed with pathos and a mockery of fate.

Looking at his colleagues who had regained their courage, Shen Lang took a deep breath and spoke with unwavering resolve, his voice echoing throughout the humble room:

"Alright, brothers! Grab our ledgers! Let's head to Fengtian Hall Square!"

"We will plead with you to the death! We will cry out for justice! We beg the Emperor to have mercy and release Censor Zhang!"

"Today, we're not here to demand unpaid wages! We're here to demand justice! To save our Brother Biao!"

"Let me make this clear: this journey is fraught with peril, and if you're worried about your family, quit now, and no one will laugh at you. Those who stay, come with me!" Upon hearing this, the few who had been hesitating earlier turned red-eyed and stood firm, gritting their teeth.

"go!"

The crowd responded with a resounding roar, and with a tragic and resolute air, they rushed out of the humble room.

Soon, only five large pig heads and the three siblings Zhu Yuntang, who stood there dumbfounded, remained in the humble room.

As Zhu Yuntong watched the group of figures disappear into the alley, he felt a surge of heat coursing through his cold limbs, making him dizzy.

Zhu Mingyue silently stepped forward and gently took her younger brother's cold hand.

Zhu Mingyu bit her lip, looked at the empty doorway, then at the five unsightly pig heads on the ground, and finally kicked the threshold in frustration, muttering a curse under her breath:
"Madmen! They're all a bunch of madmen!"

But the contempt in her eyes was gone, replaced by a complexity and bewilderment that she herself didn't even realize.

On the other side, in the East Palace, at the Chunhe Hall.

"Your Majesty! Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!!"

A pale-faced eunuch practically crawled in, his voice trembling uncontrollably:
"Zhang Biao angered the Emperor so much in his bedchamber that he vomited blood and fainted on the spot! The imperial physicians are doing everything they can to save him!"

"Pfft!"

Zhu Yunwen had just been forced by Lady Lü to copy the Book of Documents in his room to calm his mind. Upon hearing the report from the young eunuch, he swayed violently.

If it weren't for the palace maid supporting him in time, he would have almost collapsed again.

"It's him again."

Zhu Yunwen's voice was like a dream, carrying a chilling coldness that made me tremble involuntarily.

However, Ms. Lü's reaction was completely different.

An opportunity! This is a golden opportunity!

That madman Zhang Biao dared to commit such a treasonous act again in the Emperor's bedroom, right in front of his sickbed.

This is no longer just a simple disruption; it's like handing the hilt of a regicide directly to Lady Lü.

"Wen'er!"

Lu's voice suddenly rose in pitch, carrying an undeniable penetrating power:

"Stop acting so cowardly! The sky won't fall! His Majesty is blessed with boundless good fortune, and with the protection of our ancestors, we will surely turn this crisis into safety!"

Her words seemed to be comforting her son and calming everyone down, but in reality, her gaze was sharp as she swept over the palace maids and eunuchs present, her mind racing: "What a loyal and courageous Imperial Censor Zhang, who dares to speak up for his official duties!"

"Somebody come!"

"The slave is here!"

One of his trusted eunuchs, Wang De, stepped forward.

"Go to the Hanlin Academy immediately."

Ms. Lü spoke slowly, but each word was clear:
"Find the official in charge of recording the emperor's daily activities. Tell him that someone has been shouting at the emperor in his bedchamber, using foul language and defamation. His behavior is unprecedented in its madness and his words are so vicious! Make sure he records in detail every rebellious word and every disloyal act of Zhang Biao!"

"besides."

Lady Lü turned her gaze outside the hall and said calmly and indifferently, "Go and inform Scholar Huang Zicheng immediately! Tell him that the Emperor has been angered by the treacherous minister Zhang Biao and has fallen ill! This is a national crisis! He is well-versed in the classics and has received great favor from the country. At this time of national crisis and humiliation for the emperor, he should know what righteousness is!"

"remember!"

She paused, stared coldly at Wang De, and said in a low voice, "This was all your unauthorized decision, but the Crown Prince will never forget your contributions!"

"This servant understands! I will not fail in my mission!"

Wang De bowed deeply, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, and quickly accepted the order and retreated.

As she watched him leave, Madam Lü resumed her dignified demeanor and nonchalantly began to drink her tea.

Your Majesty, you must hold on!
You must see with your own eyes how your chosen imperial grandson will kill that treacherous minister who brought disaster to the country and its people when you fall!

The banner of loyalty and filial piety for the Ming Dynasty will ultimately be carried by my son, Yunwen!
　Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with monthly tickets! Please recommend this book! Please give me a reward! Please help me maintain my position on the charts! Please give me all your support!
　　Also, I just created my character, so remember to give it a like!
　　Remember to like this post about the braised pig's head!

　　还有哈，感谢下个_路口_见500赏。感谢杨候夜500赏。感谢快看那是啥500赏。感谢80后看书大叔200赏。感谢童年渐远、淡定地牛牛、游走先生、战争贩子、徐鑫小道友、刂法自然100赏。

　　
　
(End of this chapter)