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

In the capital, the winter chill had just dissipated, and the sound of gongs and drums broke the silence of the early morning. A team of well-dressed people walked through the streets, holding a banner with the words "Beijing Martial Arts Competition" written on it, attracting the attention of countless passers-by.

"Have you heard? It's a martial arts competition hosted by His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan himself!" a pancake vendor said excitedly, "We ordinary people can go and watch it too!"

"This is a rare lively occasion. I heard that many martial arts masters have been invited." The man carrying a shoulder pole nearby put down the heavy object with a look of anticipation in his eyes.

In a short time, the news spread throughout the capital, and people were talking about it in the streets and alleys. People gathered towards the competition venue - it was an open area in the southern suburbs of the capital, which was specially refurbished by Zhu Di.

There were high platforms built around, with a wide arena in the middle, and the surrounding stands were already crowded with people.

Zhu Di was dressed in a black outfit, standing in the center of the high platform. His eyes were like torches, slowly sweeping over the people below the stage, and the corners of his mouth slightly raised: "Dear fellow villagers, I am holding this competition today, not for anything else, but only to promote martial arts and strengthen our Ming Dynasty! Anyone who has courage and ability can come on stage and try their skills."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of warm applause and cheers from the audience.

Zhu Di turned to look at the staff beside him and whispered, "Make sure to liven up the atmosphere. This competition is not only for the common people, but also for the gentry and officials."

The aide nodded and immediately sent someone to arrange the first competition.

On the stage, a burly man took the lead. He was shirtless, with strong muscles and a huge iron rod in his hand. He clasped his fists and shouted to the audience: "I am Zhang Tieniu, and I am willing to compete with all the heroes!"

The audience was in an uproar, and many people whispered, "This Zhang Tieniu is a famous player in Beijing, who dares to go up there?"

A moment later, a young man jumped onto the stage from the crowd. He was wearing a short blue shirt and was thin, looking very different from Zhang Tieniu. He clasped his fists and bowed: "I am Liu Qi, and I would like to learn from you."

Seeing this, Zhu Di's eyes flashed with excitement, and he whispered to himself: "Interesting, the beginning is a showdown between the strong and the weak. Let's see if Liu Qi is really capable."

The competition began, and Zhang Tieniu took the lead, smashing the iron rod towards Liu Qi. There was a cry of surprise from the audience: "If this hits him, his bones will be broken!"

But Liu Qi was agile and he tapped his toes and jumped several steps in an instant, avoiding the attack of the iron stick.

Then, he leaped up and slapped Zhang Tieniu on the shoulder. Zhang Tieniu reacted quickly, dodged sideways, and swung his stick to fight back. The two of them fought back and forth, and the scene became more and more intense.

Zhu Di sat on the high platform, staring at the ring intently, nodding from time to time: "This kind of skill is extraordinary."

The staff member beside him whispered, "Your Highness, although Liu Qi is weak, his body movements are exquisite, so he may have a chance of winning."

Zhu Di smiled, with a hint of deep meaning in his eyes: "Winning or losing is not important, what is important is the excitement of the scene."

On the ring, Liu Qi suddenly quickened his pace, went around Zhang Tieniu's back, and knocked him down with a sweeping kick. Zhang Tieniu fell to the ground in a mess, and the iron rod fell to the side.

There was warm applause and cheers from the audience.

Liu Qi cupped his hands and said, "Thank you!"

Zhang Tieniu picked up the iron rod, stood up, clasped his fists and said, "I am inferior to you in skills, I admit defeat!"

Zhu Di stood up, clapped his hands, and said loudly: "Well done! Both of you performed extremely well! This is the real skill that I appreciate!"

Then, Zhu Di personally walked to the center of the arena and said to the audience: "Today's competition is not only for physical fitness, but also for inspiring people. All winners will receive generous rewards!"

After these words were spoken, the people in the audience became even more excited, and many young people were eager to try and signed up to go on stage. The following competition was even more exciting, with swords, spears, swords and sticks taking turns to appear on the stage. The people watched intently and didn't even have time to drink tea.

Zhu Di stood in the center of the arena, facing the crowd, slowly raised his hand, and said in a loud voice: "My fellow villagers, today's competition is not only for physical fitness, but also for inspiring people and protecting the glory of our Ming Dynasty! Anyone who can win the competition will be rewarded handsomely by me, with gold, silver, silk and satin, you can choose!"

There was an uproar in the audience, and people were talking one after another.

"His Royal Highness Prince Yan is really generous! He even gave me a reward!"

"Opportunities like this are rare. I'd like to try it!"

Zhu Di saw the atmosphere in the crowd gradually getting more heated, and there was a satisfied smile in his eyes. He turned around and waved to the referee on the ring, and whispered: "Make the competition more intense, so that the people can see the excitement and show the military preparations of the court."

The referee understood and immediately announced: "The competition continues! The next challenger is He Biao, against Li Hu, a disciple of Yanshan Martial Arts School!"

With this shout, the curtains on both sides of the ring were opened at the same time. On the left, a burly, bearded man came up, holding a heavy iron spear in one hand. His steps were steady, and every step seemed to step on everyone's heart.

"Is this He Biao? I heard that he once made a name for himself in the underworld, and he's a ruthless character!"

"Iron Spear He Biao! I've heard of this name. His spear skills are fast and powerful, and many people have been defeated by him."

On the right, a young man in a gray suit jumped onto the ring. He was agile, with sharp eyes and a pair of short sticks in his hands. He clasped his fists towards He Biao and said loudly, "Li Hu, let me teach you some tricks, senior!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" He Biao snorted coldly, grasped the iron spear with both hands, stomped his feet on the ground, and the ring made a loud "bang" sound. The momentum alone made the audience below gasp.

The competition officially begins!
He Biao got ahead and stabbed Li Hu with his iron spear like a swimming dragon. Li Hu blocked with his two sticks crossed, and with a clang, sparks flew everywhere. He was shocked and retreated two steps, but he immediately stabilized his body, used the force to roll sideways, and went behind He Biao.

"Great skills!" The people in the audience applauded.

He Biao sneered, turned around quickly, and swept the iron spear in his hand, bringing a gust of wind. Li Hu dodged again nimbly, and the short stick greeted He Biao's wrist like a storm. The two of them fought back and forth, and the atmosphere on the stage became more and more intense during the transition between offense and defense.

Zhu Di narrowed his eyes and said with a hint of admiration: "Li Hu's physical skills are quite good, but if he cannot break through He Biao's strength advantage, he will be defeated sooner or later."

Just as Zhu Di said, although Li Hu's short stick was flexible, every time it came into contact with the iron spear, it would be repelled by He Biao's great force. Seeing that Li Hu's movements were gradually slowing down, He Biao roared, and the iron spear suddenly swept across, knocking Li Hu's short stick away!
"You lose!" He Biao laughed, poked the spear on the ground, and looked at Li Hu triumphantly.

Li Hu panted heavily, remained silent for a moment, clasped his fists and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

"Good!" Zhu Di stood up and applauded loudly, "He Biao, you are indeed a martial arts expert. I applaud you!"

He Biao bowed and said loudly: "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Yan!"

The competition continued, and the battles on the stage became more intense. When a swordsman in white came on stage, he caused cheers from the whole audience. "That's Liu Rufeng! It is said that his swordsmanship can thrust out seven swords in an instant!"

"Liu Rufeng? He's a master in the martial arts world, and he's here to join the battle today!"

Zhu Di's eyes moved slightly, and he said to the staff beside him: "Whether the rumor is true or not, we will find out today."

Liu Rufeng's opponent was a warrior who wielded a broadsword. After the two of them came on stage, they bowed at the same time and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Liu Rufeng gently drew out his long sword and smiled: "Liu's sword is not often unsheathed. Today, I am grateful for your kindness, Your Highness. Please teach me."

The sword warrior clasped his fists and said, "Please!"

The competition began, and the broadsword warrior took the lead, swinging his sword with both hands to slash at Liu Rufeng, the wind from the sword whistling, the momentum was terrifying. But Liu Rufeng was like a fallen leaf, gently floating half a step away, and with a backhanded long sword, he deflected the broadsword.

The audience below the stage exclaimed: "What a fast sword!"

Zhu Di narrowed his eyes and said softly: "This person has light steps and agile swordsmanship, but whether he is really powerful or not remains to be seen."

Liu Rufeng gave his opponent almost no chance to breathe. His long sword flashed a silver light in the air and he stabbed seven times in a row, each time accurately hitting the opponent's shoulder, wrist and knee.

The swordsman was unable to defend himself and finally had no choice but to admit defeat.

Liu Rufeng stood with his sword in his arms, bowed and said, "Thank you."

Zhu Di stood up with a big laugh, walked to the front of the stage, and said loudly: "Well done! Liu Rufeng, your swordsmanship is indeed worthy of the reputation in the martial arts world! Today, I will give you ten taels of gold as a token of my appreciation."

Liu Rufeng quickly knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I am very grateful."

As the sun set, the martial arts competition was drawing to a close. Zhu Di stood on the high platform, looking down at the people below, with a meaningful look in his eyes. He said loudly, "Did you enjoy today's competition?"

"Enjoy it! Enjoy it!" The people in the audience responded in unison with thunderous applause.

Zhu Di smiled slightly: "I held this competition not only to find good fighters, but also to show the military equipment of my Ming Dynasty. As long as the men of my Ming Dynasty are as brave as the heroes on the arena today, the world will not be afraid of foreign invasions!"

As soon as these words came out, the audience burst into even more enthusiastic cheers, and many people looked at Zhu Di with admiration. Even some gentry were whispering:
"His Royal Highness Prince Yan is indeed extraordinary. Such courage and spirit cannot be matched by ordinary people."

Zhu Biao soon heard about this competition. He frowned and said, "What is Fourth Brother doing? The court is paying attention to people's livelihood, but he is being so high-profile. Isn't this disturbing the people?"

Zhu Han smiled and said, "Biao'er, don't worry. This is just a trick to divert his attention."

Zhu Biao nodded calmly: "Uncle, I understand. He wants to divert the focus, so I will let him know what the people really care about."

In the early morning, just after daybreak, the streets were already bustling with activity. Zhu Biao, dressed in a blue casual suit, personally inspected the layout of the market.

As he walked, he carefully instructed his attendants: "Is each stall properly arranged? Is there anyone complaining about the poor location? Is the flow of people in and out smooth?"

A person in charge of the Chamber of Commerce quickly bowed and replied: "Your Highness, please rest assured that all the booths have been allocated according to the order of registration, and have been properly arranged. As for the entrance and exit passages, we have also specially left enough space to ensure that there is no crowding."

Zhu Biao nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. Remember, the purpose of today's market is to benefit the people. If there are any problems, they must be solved as soon as possible."

Not far away, people were entering the market with various agricultural products, cloth and handicrafts. The stall owners were busy setting up their stalls while talking excitedly:

"I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will personally host this market, and he won't charge a penny for the stalls!"

"Yes, such good things are rare! This time the fruits we planted can finally be sold at a good price!"

"There are also people from the Chamber of Commerce helping to mediate disputes. Even those bullies who usually love to bully others don't dare to act rashly!"

Zhu Biao walked to the stall area and saw a little girl following her mother to put a basket of eggs on the stall. He couldn't help but stop. He smiled slightly, leaned over and asked, "Little girl, is this your first time to set up a stall?"

The little girl blinked and nodded timidly: "Yes, Your Highness. My family usually sells eggs in the countryside and has never been to such a big market."

Zhu Biao looked at her clear eyes and felt deeply moved. He took a few copper coins from the attendant and put them in the little girl's hand: "I bought these eggs. Don't worry, as long as you manage it carefully, you will definitely have a good harvest this year."

Seeing this, the people around whispered, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince really cares about the people. He even takes care of small vendors like this personally."

The flow of people in the market is getting bigger and bigger, and the stalls are crowded with people. A stall owner selling fresh fruits and vegetables is shouting: "Freshly picked vegetables! Three bunches for one penny, come and have a look!"

There was also a young blacksmith standing next to a simple stove, hammering on a newly forged kitchen knife: "This knife is good for cutting meat and vegetables. One stroke is so clean and neat!"

Zhu Biao walked through the crowd, looking at the smiling faces of the people, feeling very pleased. He walked to a silk stall, and the stall owner stood up and saluted when he saw him: "Your Highness! I heard that you were coming, so I brought a few pieces of fine cloth. Can you take a look?"

Zhu Biao shook his head and said with a smile: "I am not here to buy anything. How are your sales today?"

The stall owner smiled and said, "Thanks to your highness, it is several times better than before! I was just thinking that I should hire a few more people to help weave the cloth when I get back."

At this moment, a member of the Chamber of Commerce rushed over and reported in a low voice: "Your Highness, two stall owners in the northwest corner had a dispute. They said that the boundary of the stall was blurred and they were about to fight!"

Zhu Biao's expression was startled, and he immediately said, "Take me there!"

Zhu Biao hurried over and saw two stall owners glaring at each other. One of them was waving a hoe, pointing at the other and shouting, "You're setting up your stall in my territory! I worked so hard to pick this spot, why should I give it to you?"

The other person did not show any weakness and retorted: "It's easy for you to say that! It's obviously you who took up three feet of my space, leaving my guests with no place to stand!"

The onlookers pointed and talked endlessly: "Oh, this is troublesome, no one is willing to give in." (End of this chapter)