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

Chapter 98 Tearing Up the Imperial Edict? A True Fearless One! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Eat up, Minister Zheng! Eat quickly!"

"We're all waiting!"

"Eating it will prove your innocence!"

The audit team, always eager for a good show, started to stir things up.

The Ministry of Works officials behind Zheng Ci were also dumbfounded, thinking to themselves that this was not in the script!

Zheng Ci's hands began to tremble violently, his lips quivered, and he was caught in a dilemma as he looked at the prop that was so close to him.

Zhang Biao's smile grew increasingly sinister:
"What? Minister Zheng is reluctant to eat it? Or is the prop not up to standard? Should I send someone to Wang Mazi's house to buy you two fresh, just-steamed meat buns instead?"

"me."

Zheng Ci's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he was on the verge of losing his composure.

Just then, Zhang Biao suddenly threw down the cornbread, clapped his hands, and his face darkened abruptly:
"Alright! Stop fucking acting! I've audited the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, and even the Duke of Cao's mansion and the Marquis of Wuding's mansion. What kind of people haven't I seen pretending to be poor?"

"You practically have 'I'm acting' tattooed all over your forehead!"

After saying this, he suddenly waved his hand: "Accountant Shen!"

"exist!"

Shen Lang immediately straightened his back.

But Zhang Biao continued:
"Based on the total amount of project funds handled by the Ministry of Works over the years, and a conservative estimate of the industry's average embezzlement rate, the starting price for the Ministry of Works' potential problematic funds is 100,000 taels! Make a note of this!"

"Alright, Biao-ge!"

Shen Lang's abacus clicked loudly.

"Master Sun!"

"exist!"

"The light shines on Minister Zheng's new patched clothes! I suspect they're sewn with paper money!"

Sun Gui tried to focus the light on the patch on Zheng Ci's official robe.

"Editor Li!"

"exist!"

"Record! Minister of Works Zheng Ci is suspected of abusing props in an attempt to interfere with the audit work and waste the auditors' time. He is fined one hundred taels of silver!"

Li Mo quickly took notes.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Ci felt dizzy and almost fainted.

A fine of one hundred taels of silver? Because the props were substandard?!
What the hell is that reason?!

After giving his orders, Zhang Biao completely ignored Zheng Ci and, facing the gate of the Ministry of Works, focused his energy and issued the command for a general attack:
"Brothers! The leaders of the Ministry of Works are putting on a terrible show, stubbornly resisting! It seems they won't shed a tear until they see the coffin!"

"To expose their lies! To uncover the truth! Charge with me—!"

"Remember! Go in and find their secret stash! See if they're really so poor they can only afford to eat cornbread!"

"Ow—!"

The group demanding back wages erupted in even more excited howls than before, surging towards the Ministry of Works' gates like a floodgate bursting open.

"No! Imperial Censor Zhang! Spare him! That inkstone is an heirloom!"

"That orchid is very expensive!"

"Don't touch my recliner!"

The officials in the Ministry of Works turned green with shock; this madman was completely unpredictable.

Zheng Ci was completely desperate.

He knew that his tactic had failed.

Zhang Biao was determined to get into the 'audit' department.

Just as he was about to order a desperate defense of the gate, making a last-ditch effort—

"Imperial edict has arrived!"

A sharp, panting voice, like heavenly music, came from the street corner.

Yunming, accompanied by several eunuchs, came running over, panting, holding a roll of bright yellow silk in his hand.

brush!
Everyone's attention was instantly drawn over.

Zheng Ci and others in the Ministry of Works grasped at this lifeline, filled with hope, and almost wept with joy.

The Emperor's decree!?

coming! finally come!
We are saved!
Zhang Biao raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised, yet also as if it were expected.

The members of the wage-demanding team instinctively tensed up and all looked at Zhang Biao.

But Zhang Biao spoke first:

"Eunuch Yun, has His Majesty read my memorial?"

Yunming ran up to the front, caught his breath, and was just about to unfold the imperial edict to read it when he was stunned by this question.

He hesitated for a moment, then looked around and said after careful consideration:
“Imperial Censor Zhang, I am here to deliver an imperial edict, and I know nothing else.”

Zhang Biao pressed on with interest, "So, was this imperial edict an order to execute me?"

"Hehe, hehe."

Yunming gave an awkward laugh, ignoring Zhang Biao's follow-up questions, and immediately cleared his throat, announcing in a shrill voice:
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Zhang Biao, Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, has rendered meritorious service to the country by auditing and handling cases in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, and recovering embezzled funds. He is hereby awarded a special reward of eight thousand taels of silver from the Imperial Treasury, which shall be given to him and all his assistants as compensation for their service! So be it!"

Wow!
After Yunming finished reading the imperial edict in a high-pitched voice, an eerie silence instantly fell over the scene.

Eight thousand taels of imperial treasury silver?

Labor costs? Compensation?
Let them continue the trial?!

The hope on the faces of Zheng Ci and the others inside the Ministry of Works instantly turned into disbelief, bewilderment, and despair.

Your Majesty...
Does this mean they're condoning this kind of nonsense?!

Wouldn't that mean we're in grave danger?!
Just as Zheng Ci and the others were dumbfounded and incredulous, the 'audit team' behind Zhang Biao first stared in disbelief, and then burst into huge cheers.

"Long live the Emperor!"

"There's a reward! Eight thousand taels of silver!"

"Brother Biao! Are we all alright now? Can we still get paid?!" Shen Lang forgot to work on his abacus, Sun Gui almost dropped his chamber pot lamp in excitement, and Li Mo's mouth dropped open.

However, Zhang Biao, who was at the center of the storm, quickly turned serious after his initial surprise.

It was the anger of having one's plans disrupted, mocked, or even insulted.

Old Zhu still didn't kill him, or even send anyone to arrest him. Instead, he gave him money to continue the audit.
What the fuck is this?
Are we treating him like a monkey? Or like a mad dog to bite people, feeding him a piece of meat and expecting him to keep working for us?

Did Zhang Biao go through all this trouble for a mere eight thousand taels of silver? Was it to become Old Zhu's auditing dog?
fart!

He came here seeking death!

He wanted to provoke all the nobles and high-ranking officials in Yingtian Prefecture, hoping to get Old Zhu to kill him out of "considering the overall situation," so that he could return to the modern world!
Old Zhu's move was simply a defilement of the purity of his desire for death!
It negates all his 'efforts' to seek death!

"Hahaha!"

Zhang Biao suddenly let out a cold laugh, his laughter filled with sarcasm and anger.

He snatched the bright yellow imperial edict from Yunming's hands, without even glancing at it, and amidst everyone's horrified gazes, forcefully pulled it apart with both hands—

"Thorn--!"

A crisp sound of tearing silk echoed through the street.

The imperial edict, which represented the emperor's authority, was torn in two.

"Brother Biao!"

"Imperial Censor Zhang!"

"Are you crazy!?"

There were exclamations.

Yunming was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

Zheng Ci, who was inside the Ministry of Works, suddenly changed from a look of despair to one of joy.

The members of the audit team were completely dumbfounded.

Tearing up an imperial edict?! That's tantamount to treason!

"What's all the noise about?!"

Zhang Biao casually tossed the torn imperial edict on the ground, clapping his hands in disgust as if they were dirty.

He looked around, his gaze finally settling on the limp Yunming, his tone extremely arrogant: "Go back and tell Zhu Chongba!"

"I got into auditing because I felt like it! I was looking for excitement! Not for that stinking money!"

"Eight thousand taels? Are you trying to fob me off?! The scraps I confiscated from the three ministries, the Duke of Cao's mansion, and the Marquis of Wuding's mansion didn't even amount to that much!"

"You still want me to be your dog and keep biting people? Dream on!"

He grew angrier and angrier, kicking aside the half-written imperial edict on the ground and yelling towards the palace, "I'm done! Audit suspended!"

"I'll reluctantly accept these eight thousand taels as compensation for the emotional distress I suffered today!"

As he spoke, he turned to Shen Lang, who was still frozen in shock, and shouted:

"Accountant Shen! What are you standing there for? Collect the money! Record it in the books! Then go back and distribute it to the brothers. This is what the imperial court owes you, and it's what you deserve!"

"Huh? Oh! Oh!"

Shen Lang jolted awake and subconsciously took the trembling banknotes that the eunuch was carrying over, his mind still reeling.

Zhang Biao looked at the Ministry of Works gate again and sneered:
"And you, Old Zheng! Don't hide in there and keep quiet! You're lucky today. Zhu Chongba ruined my mood, so I don't have time to interrogate you, you piece of junk!"

"Clean up that pile of junk you're using, it's an eyesore! And that half-eaten cornbread, it makes me sick! Next time I come, I hope you can come up with something new!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he completely ignored the astonished expressions on everyone's faces and waved his hand dismissively:
"Brothers! You've had enough fun! You've had enough trouble! The Emperor won't kill you anymore! Go back now! Live a good life! Make the most of your days!"

"This money! And the items used as 'debt settlement' are enough to pay off your owed wages!"

"From now on, stop following me! I, Zhang Biao, have openly torn up the imperial edict; my crime is unforgivable! You'd better turn back before it's too late!"

As he spoke, he turned his head and glanced in the direction of the Qinhuai River, then laughed loudly:
"I'm going to drink and listen to music! I've been here so many times, but I've never had the chance to enjoy this wicked, decadent feudal lifestyle!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he ignored everyone around him who looked completely bewildered and strode away alone, his long shadow stretching out in the setting sun.

All that remained was the entrance to the construction site, a scene of utter chaos.

A tattered imperial edict.

Yunming was limp.

Piles of rotten wood and bricks.

Shen Lang and his companions were at a loss.

Inside the gate, Minister of Works Zheng Ci and his subordinates were completely dumbfounded, as if they had experienced an absurd dream.

In the shadows of the street corner, Jiang Huan's pupils suddenly contracted.

Tear up the imperial edict?!
To openly insult the Emperor?!
And they even portray auditing as something that depends on their mood?

This is beyond just courting death.

This is like defecating on the emperor's neck and then asking him for toilet paper.

Jiang Huan could even imagine the extent of Zhu Yuanzhang's rage when Yunming returned with the torn imperial edict and these words to report back.

That would be a truly devastating wrath of thunder.

He took a deep breath and coldly told his subordinates, "Follow him and send men to take over their 'temporary warehouse.' The rest is beyond our control."

He knew that the nature of this audit storm, spearheaded by Zhang Biao, had changed.

It is no longer a farcical spectacle, or even a case of demanding unpaid wages.

It became the prelude to a political purge.

However, no one could take advantage of this Imperial Censor Zhang, not even the Emperor.
All the imperial strategies are useless against Zhang Biao; he is a true fearless man.

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(End of this chapter)