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

Chapter 64 A Court Full of Wolves and Tigers? I'll Raise My Sword and Kill! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Zhang Biao's cry of "Please let the Ming Dynasty die!" was like igniting the fuse of a powder keg.

The entire Fengtian Hall Square fell silent for only a moment.

immediately!

"boom--!"

It wasn't an explosion, but a tsunami, far more powerful than an explosion, emanating from the very depths of the souls of the lower-ranking officials in Beijing.

"May the Great Ming Dynasty meet its demise—!"

"May the Great Ming Dynasty meet its demise—!"

"May the Great Ming Dynasty meet its demise—!"

Dozens of 'small fry' wrapped in straw mats and holding chamber pot lamps and broken shoe lamps, erupted with unprecedented, heart-wrenching roars, as if they had been injected with molten lava.

The voices converged into a torrent, carrying the humiliation, anger, and resentment accumulated over countless years, and crashed fiercely onto the imperial steps.

Actually, they had already planned it out before they came.

They are doomed to die if they come here.

But death can be heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather.

If they're only concerned about unpaid wages, pork heads, or Zhang Biao, then they're just making a last-ditch effort.

but.

Zhang Biao's words.

This elevated their deaths to a new level.

A height that will be remembered in history and be celebrated for eternity.

and so.

Shen Lang was the first to realize it.

Suddenly, he leaped out of the straw mat, sending straw clippings flying everywhere.

His face flushed red, veins bulging, and he pointed at the nobles on the steps, roaring in agreement, "Brother Biao's scolding is well done!"

"These damn bastards! They suck our blood, eat our flesh, and then they complain about how smelly we are! I'll fight them to the death today!"

"Indeed! Imperial Censor Zhang is right!"

Sun Gui was acting like a madman.

He suddenly raised the chamber pot, its candle flickering high in his hand, as if it were a Molotov cocktail, and roared with all his might towards the imperial steps:

"You bunch of bastards! Do you see the light in this chamber pot? Today I'm going to light your coffin lids and burn you Ming Dynasty parasites to death!"

"Fu Youwen! You old dog!"

Li Mo stopped writing his tearful tale. Barefoot, he stomped his red, frozen foot hard on the cold gold bricks, pointing at Fu Youwen and cursing him:
"You dare to show me the Ministry of Revenue's account books?! While I was pawning the Analects to pay for my mother's rice, were you cuddling some concubine and drinking ginseng soup?! You deserve to die even more than Zhao Qian!"

"And you too! Li Jinglong!"

Zhao Fengman also struggled to sit up, pointed at the bewildered Li Jinglong, and launched into a tirade:
"Your Li family has been favored by the country for generations, and your father was a hero! But what about you?!"

"Besides lying on the laurels of your ancestors and squandering your wealth on pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River, have you ever shed a single drop of sweat or made an inch of contribution to this Ming Dynasty?!"

"A mere Vice Commander of the Left Army Commandery? Bah!"

"You're a spendthrift! A spoiled brat! A disgrace to the Ming Dynasty's noble families!"

Countless curses, roars, and complaints echoed continuously in Fengtian Hall Square.

At that moment, an extremely angry voice suddenly shattered all the noise:

"Spreading heresy and misleading the public! Such treacherous villains who bring disaster to the country deserve to be punished by heaven and earth—!!"

Wow!
The whole place was in an uproar!

Almost everyone turned their gaze toward the direction from which the sound came.

The newcomer was dressed in a scholar's robe and looked like a typical scholar, but his face was full of anger.

His name is Zhou Ya, and he is Huang Zicheng's classmate and good friend.

He stood up because of Huang Zicheng's encouragement.

Originally, Huang Zicheng would never have risked his life to remonstrate with Zhang Biao.

Because Zhang Biao was at the height of his power, Zhu Yuanzhang was reluctant to kill him. However, when he saw what Zhang Biao and his men had done, and when Zhang Biao shouted, "Please let the Ming Dynasty die!"

He felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But he still didn't dare to take the risk, which is why he encouraged Zhou Ya to "test the waters" for him.

If the 'water temperature' is right, he will immediately stand up and agree.

Even if it wasn't the most meritorious achievement, it was still a way of giving the Lü family an explanation.

But Zhou Ya said indignantly:

"Your Majesty! Your wisdom is profound! Zhang Biao is not merely a madman, but a demon! Such a demonic person's words are not only wicked in heart, but also venomous in nature!"

"'Please let the Great Ming Dynasty die' is a wicked and destructive statement that will bring chaos to the world, shake the foundation of the nation, and overthrow the Ming Dynasty!"

At this point, he knelt down with a thud, then kowtowed heavily, pressing his head to the ground, saying:

"Your Majesty! Hesitation will only lead to more trouble!"

"Your Majesty, I humbly beseech you to make a judgment! Immediately punish this sorcerer and his accomplices for their crimes of treason, spreading heresy, and plotting to endanger the state, with the most severe punishment of being skinned alive, stuffed with straw, and having their bones crushed and scattered to the winds!"

"Anyone who dares to spread such heretical rumors shall have their entire family executed!"

He accurately pinned on the heaviest label of "plotting to endanger the nation," definitively defining Zhang Biao as a monster who must be eliminated immediately.

His words quickly received a response.

"Indeed! Scholar Zhou is absolutely right! This is the sound of a nation's demise, a treasonous and immoral statement. We must punish them, annihilate their words, and exterminate their entire lineage!"

The person who responded was Fu Youwen, who had recovered from his initial shock.

He knew that he had to get rid of Zhang Biao and Shen Lang's gang of 'small fry' immediately, otherwise it would be difficult to clear his name of the suspicions against him.

But then he hissed again:
"Your Majesty, such treacherous officials and villains must not be allowed to live! I request that you order the arrest and severe torture of Zhang Biao and his accomplices, and that you investigate all their associates, confiscate their property, and exterminate their entire families to prevent future troubles!"

This is a classic example of the three major cases during the Hongwu reign.

He wanted to make Zhang Biao and his group one of the four major cases of the Hongwu era, even relegating the Lan Yu case to a secondary position.

The other nobles, as if waking from a dream, knelt down in unison, echoing the sentiments with all their might.

"We, Your Majesty, second that request! We urge Your Majesty to swiftly execute this wicked man and set the record straight!"

"Rebellious ministers and traitors should be punished by everyone!"

"Your Majesty! If this villain is not eliminated, the country will never have peace!"

"Hahaha--!"

Zhang Biao's laughter, like thunder, exploded again, drowning out all the echoes:

"Zhu Chongba! Did you see that?!"

"This is your glorious Ming Dynasty! These are the pillars of the nation you've raised! Each one spouts benevolence and righteousness, claiming to be loyal to the country! Little do they know, their blood is black, their hearts are rotten, and their bones stink!"

"You want to use Shen Lang and the others' blood to sharpen my blade!"

"Hahaha! This knife of mine is specially made to kill jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards! Do you dare to use it?!"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhu, who had orchestrated this "killing the chicken to scare the monkey" drama, was completely stunned.

All the cold-blooded ruthlessness and coercive cruelty that once characterized his sallow face had vanished.

All that remained was extreme, ghost-like shock.

He calculated Zhang Biao's stubbornness, his tough exterior but soft heart, his concern for Shen Lang and others, and even his own imperial authority and ruthlessness.

But he failed to consider this one thing.

Zhang Biao would choose this method.

Just as the executioner's blade was about to fall.

Direct all your anger, hatred, and resentment at the wolves and tigers in the court, instead of at him, the one wielding the knife.

It could be said that he chose a path even more insane than 'dying in protest'.

The whole world is an enemy.

He wanted to use the wolves and tigers in the court to force him to kill him.

If I don't kill him, then this entire court is full of wolves and tigers.
Thinking of this, Old Zhu felt a chill he had never felt before.

(End of this chapter)