Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Outside the meeting room, two guards were dozing off, completely unaware of the impending crisis. Zhao Rui made a gentle gesture, and the two spies approached silently, quickly and accurately dealing with the guards without making any sound.

"We have to act quickly. We have to find evidence before others discover it." Zhao Rui whispered to the team members, then pushed open the door of the conference room and a group of people walked in one after another.

The candlelight in the meeting room flickered, illuminating the documents and maps scattered on the table. Zhao Rui quickly glanced around and locked his eyes on a seemingly ordinary desk.

He took a step forward and carefully looked through the documents on the table, praying silently that he could find some useful clues.

"Look here!" a spy suddenly shouted, holding a sealed letter in his hand. The familiar handwriting on the envelope made Zhao Rui's heart tighten - that was the handwriting of King Ning.

"Open it quickly." Zhao Rui said anxiously, and the spy carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. The paper was densely written with conspiracy plans with other princes, and detailed records of their alliance strategies and dissatisfaction and plots against the court.

"Found it! This is the evidence we want!" Zhao Rui excitedly clenched the letter in his hand, and the heavy stone in his heart finally fell. He quickly put the letter away and said to the team members: "Retreat immediately, we must bring this evidence back to the capital as soon as possible."

However, just as they were about to leave, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the meeting room. Zhao Rui's face changed, and he immediately signaled the team members to keep quiet and quickly find a hiding place.

"Hurry, there's some movement over there, go check it out!" A guard's voice sounded outside the door. It was obvious that they had noticed something unusual in the conference room.

The spies waited with bated breath, the tense atmosphere almost froze the air. Zhao Rui was thinking about countermeasures in his mind, and he had to respond calmly at this moment, otherwise all his efforts would be wasted.

"Go through the back door, I'll cover you." Zhao Rui gave the order decisively, and at the same time took out a small dagger from his arms, preparing for the upcoming battle.

"Who? Who's inside?" The guard's voice sounded outside the door, accompanied by a series of hurried knocks.

Zhu Han's heart suddenly tightened. He looked around quickly and his eyes fell on the stone door of the secret passage that had just been opened.

"It's me, Guard Li." Zhu Han tried to remain calm and responded in a low and confident voice, while signaling his team members to quickly hide. Outside the door, the guard's voice was a little puzzled: "Guard Li? Why are you here so late?"

"I have urgent business and need to check the safety of the palace overnight." Zhu Han made up an excuse and slowly approached the stone door, ready to close it at any time to block the view. "Go and inform the butler quickly and tell him that I have an important discovery and need to see the prince immediately."

The guard was obviously shocked by the words "important discovery". After hesitating for a moment, he replied: "Yes, Guard Li, wait a moment, I will report it right away." The footsteps gradually faded away, but Zhu Han did not relax his vigilance.

He quickly gestured to the team members, instructing them to disperse and hide, and whispered: "Divide into two groups, one group continues to search for evidence, and the other is responsible for vigilance. If there is any change, retreat immediately." The team members nodded silently and quickly carried out the order.

Zhu Han personally led a team deep into the palace. Their target was an account book that was said to record secret transactions between princes.

In the night, the corridors of the palace seemed empty and gloomy, and every step was treading on the unknown and dangerous. They avoided the patrolling guards and used the night and the complex layout of the palace to shuttle back and forth skillfully.

Finally, in a seemingly ordinary study, Zhu Han discovered a hidden bookshelf mechanism. He carefully pressed the mechanism, and the bookshelf slowly moved away, revealing a secret door.

Behind the door, the faint candlelight illuminated rows of neatly arranged ancient books and documents, among which an account book with a slightly old cover was particularly eye-catching.

"Found it!" Zhu Han was delighted and was about to go forward to get the book, when suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps and whispers outside the door. He immediately signaled his team members to hide, and he quickly hid in the shadow behind the bookshelf.

"Strange, I clearly heard some noise here just now." A strange voice sounded outside the door, followed by the sound of rummaging through boxes and cabinets, "Did I hear it wrongly?"

Zhu Han held his breath, silently counting the passage of time. At this moment, the candlelight in the study suddenly flickered, as if something was approaching the door. His heart was in his throat, and the dagger in his hand was ready to deal with any emergency.

Just when the tense atmosphere reached its climax, the voice outside the door sounded again, but with a bit of annoyance: "Forget it, it might be a mouse. Let's go and take a look over there." The footsteps gradually faded away until they disappeared completely.

Zhu Han let out a long sigh, quickly stepped forward, and put the account book in his arms.

"Everyone keep quiet and follow the team closely." Zhao Rui lowered his voice and looked back from time to time to check the status of the team members. The secret passage was dark and narrow, with only the torch in his hand illuminating a small area in front. The air was filled with tension and anxiety.

Finally, they walked out of the secret passage and came to a hidden corner of the back wall of the palace. A fast horse and several sets of casual clothes had been prepared here, which was exactly their retreat route.

"Quick, get on the horses!" Zhao Rui waved his hand, and the spies quickly changed into casual clothes and got on their horses. Zhu Han was the last one to come out. He looked back at the towering outline of Prince Ning's Mansion, and a trace of determination flashed in his eyes.

"Let's go!" With a low shout, everyone spurred their horses and disappeared into the night.

At the same time, Zhu Biao in the capital was anxiously waiting for news from Zhu Han. He paced back and forth in his study, looking out the window at the night from time to time, his heart full of worry.

"The safety of my father and my uncle depends on this trip." Zhu Biao muttered to himself, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms.

At this moment, a guard hurried into the study and reported nervously, "Your Highness, there is an urgent secret letter!"

Zhu Biao was startled and quickly took the secret letter and opened it to read. The letter contained the good news from Zhao Rui - the evidence was in hand and he was returning to the capital at full speed.

"Great!" Zhu Biao punched the table excitedly, and finally showed a long-lost smile on his face, "Uncle, you really didn't let me down!"

A few days later, Zhu Han and Zhao Rui returned to the capital exhausted. Zhu Biao personally greeted them, his eyes full of gratitude and admiration.

"Uncle, you have worked hard!" Zhu Biao held Zhu Han's hand tightly.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao walked into the imperial study side by side, their steps carrying a bit of triumphant joy and calmness. Inside the imperial study, Zhu Yuanzhang was reviewing memorials with his head down. When he heard the footsteps, he slowly raised his head, with a hint of expectation in his eyes. Zhu Han stepped forward, bowed and said, "Brother, I have fulfilled your orders and brought back evidence of Prince Ning's collusion with the vassal kings. I have come to report to you."

Zhu Biao followed closely behind and saluted respectfully: "Father, your Majesty, your son and your uncle have had a smooth trip. The evidence is conclusive and sufficient to prove that Prince Ning has evil intentions."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes: "Okay, Handi, Biaoer, you have worked hard. Hurry up and present the evidence for me to see."

Zhu Han took out a sealed letter and an account book from his sleeve and presented them with both hands. Zhu Yuanzhang took them and read them carefully, his brows sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed. After a while, he put down the evidence in his hand, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

"The evidence is irrefutable. Prince Ning is indeed so bold and reckless that he dared to collude with the princes of the vassal states with evil intentions." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was deep and powerful, revealing an unquestionable majesty. "If this matter is not severely punished, how can we convince the people?"

Zhu Han said in a deep voice: "Brother Emperor, I think that an imperial decree should be issued immediately to strip Prince Ning of his title and bring him back to the capital for trial. At the same time, other princes who participated in the collusion should also be punished accordingly to serve as a warning to others."

Zhu Biao added: "Father, I think that in addition to punishment, we should strengthen the supervision and management of the princes to prevent similar incidents from happening again. At the same time, we should speed up the pace of administrative division adjustment and weaken the princes' interference in local government affairs."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "Brother Han, Biao'er, what you two said is absolutely right. I will immediately issue an order to strip Prince Ning of his title and escort him back to Beijing. At the same time, I order you two to be fully responsible for the subsequent punishment and management work, and make sure that the court's orders are carried out smoothly."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao heard this, and a hint of determination flashed in their eyes: "I, your humble servant, will do my best to live up to your trust."

"Uncle, this matter of reducing the power of the vassal kings is a long and arduous task," Zhu Biao said in a deep voice, with a hint of worry between his brows. "We must not only deal with the resistance of the vassal kings, but also be on guard against possible changes in the court."

Zhu Han gently patted Zhu Biao's shoulder, his eyes full of encouragement and trust: "Biao'er, you don't have to worry too much. As long as we work together, with the support of our father, we will be able to overcome all difficulties."

While the two were talking, a eunuch hurried over, bowed and reported: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, the Minister of Revenue, Mr. Zhao, wants to see you, saying that he has something important to discuss."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other, nodded, and signaled the eunuch to bring Lord Zhao in. Soon, Lord Zhao walked into the corridor, looking a little anxious.

"Greetings to Prince Han and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Lord Zhao bowed and got straight to the point. "I have an urgent matter to report. Regarding the issue of reducing the power of the vassal states, I have some new ideas that I need to discuss with Your Highnesses."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, signaling Lord Zhao to continue. Lord Zhao sorted out his thoughts and said slowly: "My Lord, Your Highness, I think that although it is imperative to reduce the power of the vassal kings, it may be difficult to completely eradicate the rebellion of the vassal kings by military and administrative means alone. I suggest that we also need to start from the economic aspect and weaken the financial foundation of the vassal kings."

Zhu Han heard this and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "Lord Zhao is right. The economic factors of the turmoil of the princes cannot be ignored. What are your specific plans?"

Lord Zhao took out a document from his sleeve and handed it over, saying, "I have drafted a set of Regulations for the Supervision of the Princes' Finances, which aims to strengthen the supervision of the princes' financial revenues and expenditures, prevent them from accumulating wealth through illegal means, and strengthen their centrifugal tendencies towards the central government."

Zhu Han took the document, glanced through it quickly, and said to Zhu Biao, "Biao'er, what do you think?"

Zhu Biao took the document, read it carefully, and nodded, saying, "Lord Zhao's proposal is quite thorough, taking into account both the necessity of supervision and the feasibility of implementation. I think this regulation can be tried out for a period of time, and then adjusted after observing the effect."

Zhu Han nodded with satisfaction and said to Lord Zhao: "Lord Zhao, your suggestion is very good. This matter will be handed over to you and the Ministry of Revenue. You must ensure that the implementation of the regulations is fair and effective."

After Zhu Han finished his discussion with Lord Zhao, it was already late in the evening, but the lights in the imperial study were still on.

"Lord Zhao, thank you for your concern for today's matter." Zhu Han stood up and bowed to Lord Zhao, his tone full of respect and trust for this old minister.

Lord Zhao quickly returned the greeting, his eyes gleaming with determination: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. This is my responsibility. I will do my best to ensure the smooth implementation of the regulations and live up to the high expectations of Your Majesty and Your Majesty."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, then turned to Zhu Biao and said, "Biao'er, you should go back and rest early. We still need to discuss the plan of reducing the number of vassal states tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao nodded gently, his eyes sparkling with admiration and gratitude for Zhu Han: "Uncle, please take care of yourself, I will take my leave."

After Zhu Biao left, Zhu Han stood alone in the imperial study, staring at the maps and memorials on the desk, with a lot of thoughts in his mind. He had to act cautiously to ensure that every step was foolproof.

The next morning, when the first ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and shone on the glazed tiles of the imperial palace, Zhu Han was already dressed and ready to go to the Ministry of War to continue discussing the issue of reducing the power of the feudal lords.

Today's task will be even more difficult - he must go to Prince Ning's mansion in person, convey the order to reduce the power of the princes, and monitor Prince Ning's reaction.

After arriving at the Ministry of War, Zhu Han summoned all the generals and informed them of the latest progress and plans for reducing the feudal system. He particularly emphasized the importance and risks of this trip to the Ning Wang Mansion and asked the generals to be prepared for emergencies.

"My fellow generals, when we go to Prince Ning's mansion this time, we must not only convey His Majesty's will, but also pay close attention to Prince Ning's reaction. If he makes any unusual movements, we must take immediate action to ensure the smooth implementation of the court's decrees." Zhu Han's voice was steady and powerful, revealing unquestionable majesty.

The elite troops he led followed closely behind, their armor flashing coldly in the sunlight, and every step they took was expressed with firm determination.

"Your Highness, the scouts have completed their investigation. The Ning Palace is heavily guarded, but there are no abnormalities at the moment." A deputy general rode his horse closer and reported in a low voice.

Zhu Han nodded slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes: "Okay, tell the soldiers to stay alert and follow me into the palace."

Following Zhu Han's order, the team slowly moved forward and finally stopped in front of the Ning Wang Mansion. Zhu Han dismounted, holding the bright yellow imperial edict, and walked into the mansion with steady steps.

In the meeting room, incense smoke curled up. Ning Wang Zhu Quan, dressed in a gorgeous royal robe, sat quietly on it. Although his face was calm, his eyes hid complicated emotions. Seeing Zhu Han walk in, he slowly stood up and bowed: "Prince Han has come from afar, I am sorry for not welcoming you in person."

Zhu Han gently raised his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be polite, and then he unfolded the imperial edict, saying in a loud and solemn voice: "Your Highness Prince Ning, please accept the edict." (End of this chapter)