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

Another elderly farmer sighed and said earnestly, "Young man, you are right. But the problem is, how many officials in this world are really dedicated to the people? Look at those gentry, how many of them are not exploiting us? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has good intentions, but how can we ordinary people fight against those powerful people!"

At another table in the teahouse, a middle-aged man in silk clothes snorted disdainfully. He was obviously a country gentleman. He said coldly, "What do you know? The imperial court's land inventory is aimed at us law-abiding gentry. You only see a little bit of profit, but not the hidden dangers behind it. If you disrupt the local order, how can you live well?"

Old Li couldn't help but retort, "Order? When you gentry are enjoying the good life, why don't you think about the lives of us poor people? If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can really manage you, then we farmers will have hope!"

The country gentleman's face darkened, and he was about to refute, but another guest next to him advised: "Calm down, these are just rumors, and we don't know whether they are true or not. Besides, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has always been very particular about his work, and he may not really cause a big commotion."

This made everyone quiet down a little, but the atmosphere in the teahouse was still a little depressing. Lao Li took a sip of tea and whispered, "No matter what, we still have to be careful. We poor people can't have a say in the affairs of the world, but whether we can have a meal depends on these officials."

The young man looked at everyone, with a glimmer of longing in his eyes: "I think that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is not like those officials who only know how to make money. If he can really help us, shouldn't we support him?"

Old Li was silent for a moment, without refutation, but just lowered his head to drink tea, with a complicated expression on his face. The squire snorted coldly and said no more, but was thinking about how to deal with the next situation.

The rumor spread quickly, and many local gentry became uneasy. Some people began to write to the court, saying that although counting the land was a good thing, it involved too many areas and might disrupt local order and affect the people's well-being.

When Zhu Di heard the news in his palace, he sneered, "Very good, the rumors have begun to ferment."

The staff member whispered, "Your Highness, should we take this opportunity to put pressure on the court to restrict the prince's actions?"

Zhu Di shook his head and said firmly, "There is no need to exert direct pressure. It will be more effective if we let the court feel that this is a natural reaction of local officials and gentry. We just need to push it secretly, and when the number of their joint petitions reaches a certain level, the emperor will naturally intervene."

The staff nodded: "Your Highness is wise. In this way, not only will the Crown Prince's reputation be difficult to improve, it may even be weakened due to the restrictions of the court."

In the study room of the Prince's Mansion, the candlelight flickered and the atmosphere was solemn.

Zhu Biao sat in the main seat, with several urgent reports from various places spread out in front of him. He looked stern as he glanced at the scholars and trusted staff sitting below him.

When he spoke, his tone was calm, but with a sense of majesty: "Everyone, the rumors about the land inventory have been making a lot of noise these days. What do you think?"

Everyone looked at each other, as if waiting for someone to speak first. After a moment, a young scholar stood up first. He clasped his fists and saluted, his expression solemn: "Your Highness, the essence of the rumor is to target our policies and your personal prestige. If it is allowed to develop, it may shake people's hearts. It is better to issue a notice immediately to clarify the facts and restore your innocence!"

Zhu Biao shook his head slightly, his eyes showing some deep thought: "You have a point, but can a notice alone save the situation? Rumors spread much faster than our words. Even if we clarify them, it may not be able to stop the gossip."

Another older staff member stroked his beard and said slowly, "Your Highness, although the rumors are bad, the people may not believe them completely. If we are too anxious to dispel the rumors, it will easily appear that we are trying to hide something. It is better to keep our troops in place and respond to changes with a constant attitude."

"Hold still?" Liu Tingsong on the side obviously disagreed. He frowned and said, "Although rumors will not last long, if we do not respond in time, people will only mistakenly think that we agree with the rumors. This will not only damage your prestige, but also affect the effectiveness of the court's governance."

Zhu Biao looked at Liu Tingsong and asked softly, "In your opinion, how should we deal with this?"

Liu Tingsong stood up, clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, I think that since the rumors accuse us of disturbing the local area by counting the land, we might as well respond with facts. Continue to advance the counting work, invite the people and local gentry to participate, and let them see our sincerity and actual results with their own eyes. In this way, the rumors will be refuted."

"That's indeed a solution." A scholar nodded in agreement, "If we can let the people know through open and transparent measures, we can use facts to dispel rumors."

"But..." Another staff member hesitated for a moment and raised an objection, "If these gentry are already hostile to us, will they deliberately interfere and create new troubles?"

Zhu Biao did not express his opinion immediately, but fell into a brief contemplation. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and his sharp eyes swept over everyone, then slowly said: "What you said makes sense. In the face of rumors, we can neither act hastily nor sit idly by. Tingsong's proposal is a good direction."

He stood up, walked to the middle of the crowd, and said firmly: "Remember, rumors stop with action. We don't need to work hard to dispel rumors, but to let the people and gentry see that everything we do is for the people of the world. As for those who have ulterior motives, if they dare to interfere, I will personally deal with them!"

"Your Highness is wise!" Everyone bowed in unison.

Zhu Biao nodded and continued, "Next, we need to act separately. First, Tingsong, arrange for a few capable scholars to organize the details of the land inventory in various places, but we must ensure openness and transparency, and invite the people to supervise at any time; second, prepare a detailed inventory result, select the most effective places, and show the people our achievements; third, we must take the initiative to contact those key gentry figures, turn enemies into friends, and do not let them be used by the fourth brother."

Everyone agreed, and Liu Tingsong cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I will do my best on this matter."

The staff member at the side suggested: "Your Highness, do we need to send someone to secretly monitor those opponents to prevent them from causing trouble?"

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and nodded, "It can be arranged, but don't alert them. If they behave themselves, we don't have to pay attention to them. If they make unusual moves, we will deal with them separately."

He looked around the room, his tone somewhat cold: "There must be someone behind this rumor, but as long as we proceed step by step, their conspiracy is doomed to fail. Everyone, this is not only an action to deal with rumors, but also an opportunity to prove the strength of the court. Do you have confidence?"

"We are willing to die for Your Highness!" the scholars said in unison, their voices filled with high morale.

Zhu Biao nodded with satisfaction, turned around and looked at the dimly lit night outside the study, and said in a deep voice: "Then, let us use facts to give a resounding answer to those who spread rumors."

The next morning, Liu Tingsong summoned several scholars and local officials to arrange the specific plan for the land inventory in the county government office. Holding a bamboo slip in his hand, he said in a deep voice: "Your Highness has ordered that the land inventory must be open and transparent. All processes involving farmland measurement must be widely invited to supervise, and no secret operations should be carried out. Otherwise, the consequences will be borne by the person himself." A local official hesitated and said: "Sir Liu, although this is a good intention, if the people do not understand the land, wouldn't it only cause more chaos if they participate in the supervision?"

Liu Tingsong's eyes turned cold, but his tone remained calm: "That's why we need to be open and transparent. It doesn't matter if the people don't understand. We can explain the rules and policies to them in advance. If we don't do this, and let the rumors continue to ferment, wouldn't that be worse?"

Another young scholar stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "Sir Liu, if the gentry refuse to cooperate, or even take the lead in inciting the people, how should we respond?"

Liu Tingsong smiled softly, but his eyes were firm: "Rumors stop at the wise. What we need to do is to win more support through action and make it difficult for those opponents to gain a foothold. Remember, the people's will is the key."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and then began to assign specific tasks. One scholar was responsible for organizing the survey team, and another was responsible for communicating with the village elders to ensure that the supervision process went smoothly. Soon, a survey team consisting of scholars, farmers, and local elders set off in a mighty manner.

When they arrived at the field, the people gathered in a circle, their eyes filled with confusion and anxiety. An elderly farmer bravely asked, "Master Liu, do you really want us to watch the measurement with our own eyes? This has never happened before."

Liu Tingsong stepped forward and said in a gentle tone: "Master, it is precisely because we didn't do this before that we have to change it. This matter concerns everyone's land. I hope to be fair and open. You watching us is not only supervision, but also a witness."

The farmer lowered his head and thought for a moment, then nodded: "Since the adults have said so, I will believe you this time."

The measurement process was in full swing. Although the gentry were dissatisfied, they had to give up because of the onlookers. Liu Tingsong inspected from time to time to ensure that every inch of the land was recorded accurately. Gradually, the onlookers changed from questioning at the beginning to nodding silently.

A young farmer came forward and asked tentatively, "Master Liu, can you really remember this accurately? I always heard that measuring the land was a mess, but I didn't expect that we can do it today."

Liu Tingsong smiled slightly and answered firmly: "Of course I can remember it accurately. As long as there are people supervising, no one dares to do anything."

The work of counting the acres of land gradually produced results. Liu Tingsong selected several of the most typical villages and towns and reported the complete measurement data to Zhu Biao.

In the Prince's Mansion, Zhu Biao flipped through the report presented by Liu Tingsong, his eyes showing satisfaction. He looked up and asked, "Tingsong, what highlights can be shown in this land inventory?"

Liu Tingsong stood aside, pointing to several key points in the report and explaining, "Your Highness, the survey of these villages and towns was very successful. Not only was the data on the acreage accurate, but it also won the recognition of the local people. They witnessed the survey process with their own eyes, and their trust in us was greatly enhanced. In addition, we also found several cases where the area of ​​fields was falsely reported, but it was finally resolved through an open and transparent approach."

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Well done. Since these places have achieved remarkable results, we will select the most representative villages and towns and announce the measurement results to the people of the city. This will not only prove our integrity and fairness, but also dispel rumors."

"I understand." Liu Tingsong bowed and responded, then asked: "Your Highness, I am willing to personally take charge of this display."

"Okay, the demonstration process must be detailed and clear, especially to let the people understand that everything we do is for their benefit." Zhu Biao's tone was filled with admonition.

A few days later, a conference to display the results of the survey was held in a large square in the southern suburbs of Beijing. A huge notice board was covered with data and diagrams of surveys from various places, and there were crowds of people around.

A farmer squinted his eyes and looked at it for a long time. He couldn't help asking, "What's written on it? Is it the result of the field measurement in our village?"

A scholar nearby patiently explained, "Sir, this is the result of our village's measurement. You see, we re-measured the area of ​​this field according to the latest measurement method, and it is several acres more than what was previously recorded."

"How many extra acres?" The farmer was shocked and asked quickly, "Do I have to pay more taxes for these extra acres?"

The scholar smiled and shook his head: "No, this is to prevent someone from encroaching on your land. Don't worry, the court has already decided how much tax to pay, and they won't make a fuss if it's one cent more or one cent less."

After hearing this, the onlookers nodded and praised: "It turns out that this land inventory is really for our benefit!"

Compared with the support of the people, the attitude of the gentry was more difficult. Liu Tingsong realized that if he did not quickly win their cooperation, the inventory work would probably encounter more hidden resistance.

So he personally visited Mr. Zhou, a prestigious local gentleman.

In front of the Zhou residence, the servants looked at him coldly: "What is your purpose, Lord Liu? My master has been unwell recently and is not in a position to see guests."

Liu Tingsong replied calmly, "Since Mr. Zhou is not feeling well, he needs someone to relieve his worries. I came here today to explain the matter of the land inventory, not to accuse him. Please let me know."

The servant was a little impatient and was about to refuse, when he suddenly heard a low cough from inside the house: "Let him in."

Liu Tingsong entered the hall and saw an old man with a white beard sitting in a chair. He looked stern and scrutinized. Liu Tingsong bowed and said respectfully, "Master Zhou, I am sorry to bother you."

Mr. Zhou smiled coldly: "Master Liu is busy with official duties, how can he have the leisure to come to my small place? Is it because of the matter of counting the acres of land?"

"That's right." Liu Tingsong nodded calmly, "However, I am not here to force you, sir, but I hope you can support us." (End of this chapter)