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

Zhu Biao looked determined and said slowly, "Because of this, the inventory work is particularly important. All records will be open and transparent, and the people can supervise at any time. If there is anything unreasonable, the court will correct it in time."

Hearing this, the expressions of several gentry gradually relaxed. One gentry asked tentatively: "Your Highness, if we are willing to cooperate with the inventory work, can the court give us some support, such as improving the infrastructure of the village?"

Zhu Biao smiled slightly: "That's exactly what I meant. Your cooperation is the key to the inventory work, and the court will not let you suffer. All places that actively cooperate will be given priority in obtaining resource support from the court."

The symposium lasted for two hours, and Zhu Biao patiently answered every question. After the meeting, several gentry expressed their willingness to support the inventory work and took the initiative to answer questions for the people.

Zhu Biao stood at the gate of the county government, looking at the crowd that was gradually dispersing in the sunset, with a firm look in his eyes. He whispered, "As long as we exchange sincerity for sincerity, no rumors can stop us."

After the symposium in the southern suburbs, Zhu Biao decided to strike while the iron was hot and personally inspect the implementation of the land inventory work in various places. He and his entourage slowly walked through the countryside in the southern suburbs. The spring breeze blew across the fields on both sides, and the fields were full of fresh green, which was refreshing.

When he walked to a field, Zhu Biao stopped and carefully observed the busy figures of farmers. His eyes showed gentleness and concern, and he said to Liu Tingsong beside him: "Look, these people are the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. If they can work without worries, the world will be stable."

Liu Tingsong nodded, with a bit of emotion in his tone: "Your Highness is right. The people live and work in peace and contentment, which is the fundamental goal of us as politicians. However, instead of visiting today, it would be better for Your Highness to talk to the people in person and let them feel the care of the court."

Zhu Biao smiled slightly: "Okay. It just so happens that I also want to hear their voices in person."

He walked towards the edge of the field and saw an elderly farmer bending over to hoe the land, sweating profusely. He greeted him, "Old man, you have worked hard. The weather is good today. How are the crops growing?"

The farmer looked up and saw a group of neatly dressed people. He quickly put down his hoe and bowed a little stiffly: "Sir, the crops are growing well. I think the harvest this year will not be bad."

Zhu Biao said in a gentle voice: "Old man, there is no need to be polite. I am the crown prince of the court. This time I came to see the situation of everyone's land. How much land have you planted?"

When the farmer heard that it was His Royal Highness, he was so shocked that he knelt down immediately and said, "Your Highness, I am an old man who has no eyes to recognize a great man! My family only has five acres of land, and we all rely on this little land to support our family."

Zhu Biao hurried forward to help him up, and said sincerely: "Old man, please stand up quickly. It's a rural area, so there's no need for courtesy. You have been farming for many years, do you have any difficulties? Just tell me, I will definitely find a way to help you solve it."

The old man looked at Zhu Biao's sincere face, tears welled up in his eyes, and murmured: "Your Highness, to be honest, although my family does not have much land, the taxes have changed frequently in recent years, making it difficult to predict. This time when the land is counted, I heard that the taxes will be recalculated. I am afraid that the burden will be even heavier."

Zhu Biao's heart sank, and he held the farmer's hand and said, "Don't worry, old man. I promise that the purpose of this land inventory is to make the taxation more fair and just. Not only will it not increase your burden, but it will also try to reduce the pressure on those people who pay more taxes."

A young man nearby came forward and said with a smile, "We believe what Your Highness says! We heard that the officials who counted the fields during this period were all honest people, and they did visit the fields many times."

Zhu Biao turned to look at the young man, his eyes showing some relief: "What's your name? How is your family situation?"

The young man scratched his head and smiled naively, "Your Highness, my name is Wang Dahu. My family has ten acres of land, and our family of five lives on this land. Although we were not rich before, we still lived a decent life."

"Is there anything that needs improvement recently?" Zhu Biao continued to ask.

Wang Dahu frowned, thought for a moment, and then answered, "It's not a big deal. It's just that the irrigation canal in the village is a few years old and often leaks. The villagers said that it would be much better if it was repaired, but they haven't raised enough money."

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Okay, I'll take note of this. Tingsong, please arrange for someone to come and take a look, and make sure it's resolved as soon as possible."

Liu Tingsong quickly agreed: "Don't worry, Your Highness, I will arrange it immediately."

More and more villagers gathered around, and they all talked to Zhu Biao about their troubles in life. Zhu Biao always listened patiently and nodded in response from time to time.

"Your Highness, I never thought that you, the crown prince, would come to our small place in person to listen to the complaints of ordinary people like us." A middle-aged woman sighed.

Zhu Biao smiled and said, "My duty is to share the worries of the people. Only by hearing your voices can I know where the court's policies need to be improved."

The next morning, Zhu Biao continued his inspection. This time, he came to a village where land was being measured and saw a group of officials and gentry arguing.

"This land clearly belongs to the Zhang family, why is it counted in the name of the Li family?" a gentleman asked angrily.

The official in charge of the survey patiently explained: "Although this land has been cultivated by the Zhang family for many years, according to the land contract and the testimony of the elders in the village, it is indeed owned by the Li family."

"Testimony can be forged and the contract may not be true!" The gentleman still refused to accept and his face turned red.

Zhu Biao stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "What's going on? Why are you arguing so much?"

When the gentleman saw Zhu Biao, he hurried forward and saluted: "Your Highness, the issue of land ownership has been pending for many years. Now that the land is counted and suddenly it is said to belong to the Li family, it is really hard to believe."

Zhu Biao nodded, looked around at everyone and said, "Since there is a dispute, we must find out the truth. I want to ask you, who is in charge of the land contract in the village?"

The official in charge of the measurement immediately replied: "Your Highness, the contract is kept by Muramasa and can be checked at any time."

Zhu Biao immediately ordered: "Take me to see Muramasa and take out the contract for a closer look."

Soon, the contract was placed in front of Zhu Biao. He carefully checked the contents and asked several village elders, and finally confirmed that the land did belong to the Li family.

Zhu Biao raised his head and looked at the gentleman, his tone gentle but unquestionable: "Fellow villager, the contract and testimony are both here, this land does belong to the Li family. But I understand your dissatisfaction, if you still have doubts, you can appeal to me at any time, and I will definitely do you justice."

The gentleman bowed and said, "Your Highness, I have nothing to say."

Zhu Biao nodded gently: "The land inventory is of great importance, and it is inevitable that there will be disputes. But as long as we act impartially, the people will naturally be convinced. I hope that all the gentry can also take the lead and cooperate with the court to complete this work."

The gentry nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed. At sunset, Zhu Biao ended his day's inspection and returned to the temporary palace in the southern suburbs. He leaned back in his chair tiredly, closed his eyes, and recalled the day's experience in his mind.

Zhu Han walked in from outside, holding a bowl of hot tea in his hand, and said with a smile: "Biao'er, you've worked hard all day, have some tea."

Zhu Biao took the tea and said with a wry smile: "Uncle, although I gained a lot from today's visit, I also saw many problems. The conflicts in the local area are far more complicated than I thought."

Zhu Han smiled slightly, his eyes revealing deep meaning: "Biao'er, how can it be easy to govern the world? Contradictions are not scary, what is scary is that you don't face them. And your performance today has proved that you have the responsibility."

Zhu Biao took a sip of tea, thought for a moment and then said, "Uncle, I understand. To govern the country, we must take one step at a time and not allow for any falsehood."

Zhu Han nodded: "That's right. As long as you care about the world and serve the people sincerely, no matter what Zhu Di does, he will not be able to shake you."

The next morning, the mist in the southern suburbs had not yet completely dissipated, and the sun shone through the clouds. Zhu Biao rode a chestnut horse and slowly moved forward along the country road. He was followed by several entourages and officials, each of whom looked a little expectant and nervous.

Zhu Biao looked into the distance and asked Liu Tingsong beside him: "How is today's schedule?"

Liu Tingsong flipped open the book in his hand and answered respectfully, "Your Highness, today we will go to Lijiazhuang and Wujiacun. The land inventory in these two places has been completed, but I heard that the local people have some doubts about the results."

Zhu Biao nodded: "Since there are doubts, they should be answered face to face. If the doubts in the hearts of the people are not resolved, what is the point of this land inventory?"

Liu Tingsong responded, "Your Highness is wise. I have notified the local village chief and people's representatives to arrive. They will welcome you at the entrance of the village."

The sound of horse hooves echoed on the muddy road in the fields, and Zhu Biao and his party soon arrived at Lijiazhuang. A group of people had already gathered at the entrance of the village, some of them looked nervous, while others were whispering, obviously full of curiosity and expectation for the arrival of the "imperial envoy".

A villager in his fifties stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. All the villagers of Lijiazhuang send their greetings to you!"

Zhu Biao dismounted, personally helped Muramasa up, and said in a gentle voice: "Old man, there is no need to be so polite. I came here today to listen to the villagers' opinions on the land inventory. If you have any questions, please feel free to speak up."

Muramasa nodded quickly: "Your Highness is so considerate of the people. It is a blessing for us common people!"

Zhu Biao looked around and pointed to an open space in the village not far away and said, "The view here is wide. Why don't we sit down over there and talk? Everyone can express their ideas comfortably."

The village chief hurriedly sent someone to bring some benches and tables. Zhu Biao and several officials sat in the middle, and the villagers gathered around them.

Zhu Biao tapped the table lightly, glanced at everyone, and said loudly: "My fellow villagers, I heard that after the land inventory was completed, everyone still has some doubts. How about this, whoever has questions can speak directly, and I will do my best to answer them."

The crowd was silent for a while, and finally a middle-aged man stood up. He bowed awkwardly and said, "Your Highness, I am sorry to speak so presumptuously. This time the inventory said that my family occupied two more acres of land, but those fields were clearly left by my ancestors. How can they be counted as public land?"

Zhu Biao looked at him and said calmly, "My fellow villager, I understand your doubts. The ownership of the land is indeed complicated, but the inventory work has rules to follow and will never be changed at will. How about this, you take me to see these two acres of land, and I will verify it myself."

The middle-aged man nodded quickly: "Your Highness, please follow me."

Zhu Biao stood up and followed the man to the edge of the field. This piece of land was indeed connected to the field next to it, and there seemed to be no obvious boundary. The official in charge of the survey hurried forward, unfolded the map and records, and explained: "Your Highness, according to the records in the village, these two acres of land should be public land, but due to years of disrepair, the boundary markers have long been blurred, which has caused disputes."

Zhu Biao nodded and turned to Muramasa: "Old man, are you aware of this matter?"

Muramasa twisted his beard, thought for a moment and then said, "Your Highness, it is indeed as the official said. These two acres of land were indeed public land in the early years, but because several families nearby successively reclaimed it, no one mentioned it later. Now that it has been counted, it naturally needs to be returned to the public."

The middle-aged man was embarrassed when he heard this: "Your Highness, this field has been planted by my family for generations. If it is suddenly gone, I am afraid that my family will have difficulty making a living!"

Zhu Biao sighed and said in a deep voice: "My fellow countryman, I understand your difficulties. Since the land is public land, it is natural for it to be returned. But if your family is in trouble because of this, I will definitely find a way to help you."

After saying this, he turned to the officials behind him and said, "Record this matter immediately and verify his family situation. If he is indeed in a difficult situation, the government can allocate some relief silver or other land as compensation."

When the man heard this, he immediately knelt down and thanked him: "Your Highness, I am so grateful for your kindness!"

Zhu Biao reached out his hand to help him up, and said gently: "You don't need to thank me. This is the responsibility of the court, and it is also my duty."

When he returned to the village entrance, Zhu Biao looked at the people who had gathered around him and said loudly, "Today's trip did show some shortcomings in the land inventory. But I assure you that I will be fair in everything and will never let the people suffer any loss!"

There was applause from the crowd, and many villagers shouted excitedly: "Long live His Highness, benevolent and virtuous!"

Zhu Biao and his party arrived at Wujia Village. The people here were more welcoming than those in Lijia Village. The villagers brought homemade cakes and gathered at the entrance of the village to welcome them.

An old lady with silver hair came forward with a cane, smiling with wrinkles all over her face: "Your Highness, I am so lucky to meet you in my lifetime!"

Zhu Biao stepped forward, held her hand personally, and said softly: "Old man, it is my honor to come to visit you. I have something to ask you today, and I hope you can tell me the truth."

The old lady nodded repeatedly: "Your Highness, feel free to ask. We ordinary people are most afraid of hiding things. Please don't be offended if I say something wrong."

Zhu Biao was amused by her words, and then looked around: "I heard that the results of the land inventory in Wujia Village were quite smooth, and most of the people also approved. But I wonder if there are any unresolved issues?"

The villagers looked at each other. A young man hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, the land inventory in our village is indeed fair, but the villagers in several nearby villages heard that our village paid less taxes than them, and they always said that we took advantage of Your Highness and deliberately made trouble." (End of this chapter)