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

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around, his eyes more inquiring: "How is Biao'er?"

Zhu Han raised his lips slightly, and his tone was filled with relief: "Biao'er acted quickly and decisively this time. He not only intercepted Liu Tang's convoy, but also found several key figures related to the King of Yan. He is no longer the child who only relied on you, but a prince who can stand on his own."

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay. I also want to see if he has the ability to calm down those ambitious people."

Zhu Han said at the right time: "Brother Emperor, since Zhu Di can no longer hold back, why not take this opportunity to use Biao'er as a chessboard and let him break this hidden chess game himself, and prove to everyone in the court that he is the future of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly startled, then he sneered: "Brother Han, do you mean... let Biaoer go and fight Zhu Di in person?"

"That's right." Zhu Han's eyes were deep and his tone was firm. "This is the best opportunity. It can not only allow Biao'er to consolidate his position as the crown prince, but also allow Zhu Di to completely expose his ambitions."

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay! Brother Han, I'll leave this matter to you and Biao'er. But remember, I don't want to see anyone in the court cause chaos because of this chess game."

"I understand, your humble servant." Zhu Han bowed slightly and turned to leave the imperial study.

In the study of the Eastern Palace, Zhu Biao stood in front of the desk. After listening to Zhu Han's instructions, his expression was slightly shocked. He looked up at Zhu Han with a complex emotion in his eyes: "Uncle, has the emperor really decided to let me confront Zhu Di directly?"

Zhu Han nodded, his tone calm but with unquestionable strength: "This is a test from your father, and also a trust in you. Biao'er, Zhu Di is not an ordinary opponent. He is proficient in power and good at hiding himself. But because of this, he will become your biggest threat in the future."

Zhu Biao clenched his fists, his eyes gradually becoming firm: "Uncle, I understand. This chess game is not only to consolidate my position as the crown prince, but also for the future of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Han's mouth corners slightly raised, with a hint of relief in his eyes: "Very good. Next, we have to set up a trap for Zhu Di and lure him to show up. Remember, only by exposing him completely can we kill him with one strike."

Zhu Biao nodded and asked in a deep voice: "Uncle, how should we plan?"

Zhu Han slowly walked to the map and pointed at several key towns in the north. "Zhu Di mobilized troops to test the court's reaction. We will create false impressions in these places to make him think that cracks have appeared in the Ming Dynasty's defense line. As long as he can't help but act, we can counterattack."

Zhu Biao looked at the map carefully, frowning slightly: "If he sees through our plan, will he be able to turn the tables on us?"

Zhu Han smiled, his tone revealing deep meaning: "Biao'er, the way of political strategy requires both offense and defense. The key to this game is not to let him see through it, but to leave him no choice. Remember, a true master does not win by stratagems, but by forcing the opponent into a desperate situation."

Zhu Biao suddenly understood and nodded heavily: "Uncle, I understand. This time, I will definitely not let you and my father down."

In the early morning in the north, the cold wind was howling. In the military camp of the border town, a garrison commander stood on the city wall, his face full of solemnity. The deputy commander beside him ran over quickly, his face slightly pale, obviously a little uneasy.

"General, we discovered something unusual in the northwest this morning. It seems that unidentified armed forces appeared near the border." The deputy general whispered.

The garrison commander frowned and turned to look at him: "What is the specific situation? Is it banditry or other forces?"

The deputy general shook his head: "It's unclear for now. Those people are secretive and have not had direct contact. But according to the scouts' reports, they seem to be probing our defense line."

The general pondered for a moment and said slowly: "The border has always been peaceful. If there is such a movement at this time, I'm afraid it's not an ordinary spy. Send people to strengthen patrols immediately and report this matter to the capital. Don't be careless."

The deputy general bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, General!"

A few days later, the news reached the capital and immediately caused an uproar in the court.

During the morning court session, a civil official stood up and reported anxiously, "Your Majesty, news of unusual movements has come from several border towns in the north. There are signs of mobilization of garrisons, and even unknown forces have appeared on the border. I think this matter is of great importance and must be investigated as soon as possible to avoid causing greater unrest!"

Another general stepped out and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, I have long heard that the border city's defenses are lax. Now such a change will inevitably cause panic among the people. I request that I lead the army to the border immediately to investigate and eliminate the hidden dangers!"

Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne, looking coldly at the ministers in the hall, frowning slightly. After a moment, he waved his hand and said, "The border has always been an important place for our Ming Dynasty. How can we allow others to provoke us so easily? I have my own decision on this matter, no need to say more."

But he immediately turned to look at Zhu Han who was standing below him: "Brother Han, what do you think?"

Zhu Han took a step forward, his eyes calm but deep: "Brother, the unusual movement on the border is indeed worthy of vigilance, but I think that this matter may not be caused by foreign enemies alone. The border town is in a dangerous terrain and resources are scarce, but it has remained peaceful all these years. There must be something hidden behind the sudden movement."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Go on."

Zhu Han bowed slightly and said, "Brother, this may not be an external threat, but an internal one. I suggest that you keep your troops in place for now and send secret guards to investigate. You must find out the true origins of these people. Otherwise, if you send troops rashly, you will only alert the enemy."

Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment, a hint of deep thought flashed in his eyes. He turned to look at Zhu Biao: "Biao'er, what do you think about this matter?"

Zhu Biao stepped out slowly, his eyes firm, "Father, what the emperor's uncle said is very true. This matter is not clear yet, so we should not act rashly. I am willing to take on this task and help the emperor's uncle thoroughly investigate the unusual movements in the north."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly: "Okay! In this case, let Prince Jing and the Crown Prince handle this matter together. I want you to give me an explanation in the shortest possible time!"

"Your humble servants obey your command!" Zhu Han and Zhu Biao answered in unison.

After returning to the East Palace, Zhu Biao and Zhu Han sat at the desk with a map of several northern border towns spread out in front of them. Zhu Han tapped a few marked locations with his fingers and said in a low voice: "The defense lines of these cities seem complete, but in fact there are many loopholes. If someone wants to create chaos, they only need to break one of the nodes to trigger a chain reaction."

Zhu Biao nodded slightly and looked at the map intently: "Uncle, do you mean that this unusual movement was man-made?"

Zhu Han smiled, with a hint of coldness in his eyes: "The unrest without any signs must be carefully planned. The unusual movement in the border town is just a cover, and the real goal may be to cause chaos within the court."

Zhu Biao frowned: "Could the person behind this be Zhu Di? He has been secretly testing my father's bottom line."

Zhu Han nodded: "It is very likely. This kind of test can not only let him understand the reaction of the court, but also explore the way for his future actions. Biao'er, this time, we must do the opposite and turn this test into his failure." Zhu Biao took a deep breath, his eyes more determined: "Uncle, how should we plan?"

Zhu Han said slowly: "You send people to the border town to investigate openly and secretly, and mobilize the secret guards to find out the ins and outs of these unusual movements from the inside. And I will lay a network in the capital and keep a close eye on all of Zhu Di's troops."

Zhu Biao nodded: "I understand. In this game of chess, we must take the initiative!"

Zhu Di sat in his study, holding the secret report from the capital in his hand, with a sneer in his eyes: "Zhu Biao, you finally revealed your flaws."

Xu Yi stood aside and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince set up these illusions to test you. But our people have confirmed that there are indeed loopholes in these garrisons."

Zhu Di put down the secret report, slowly stood up, his eyes as sharp as a knife: "Be it an illusion or a loophole, this is an opportunity. As long as we seize this turmoil, we can make father suspicious of Zhu Biao."

Xu Yi nodded in agreement: "I think if we can create more chaos in these cities, or even stir up conflicts between soldiers and civilians, the prince will be unable to take care of himself."

Zhu Di raised a hint of coldness at the corner of his mouth: "Very good, then act according to this plan. Tell our hidden chess pieces that it's time to play a role."

At the same time, Zhu Biao had received the latest intelligence from the front. He stood in front of the map, his eyes flashing with a cold light: "Zhu Di has indeed made a move. His chess pieces have begun to move."

Lin Chuan asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, should we fight back openly next?"

Zhu Biao shook his head and said firmly, "No, it's not the right time yet. Zhu Di thought he had the situation under control, but he didn't know that we have already laid a net. Every step he takes is under our control."

He turned and looked at Lin Chuan, his eyes like swords: "Pass the order, let the secret guards keep a close eye on all the people related to King Yan. If his people take any action, arrest them immediately!"

Lin Chuan cupped his hands and replied, "Yes, Your Highness!"

Zhu Biao stood in front of the window, looking deep into the distance, and murmured in a low voice: "Zhu Di, I will definitely win this game of chess myself!"

The next morning, the lights in the East Palace were still on. Zhu Biao stood in front of the desk, holding a copy of the latest secret report that had just been delivered. His expression was stern, with a hint of anger between his brows. Lin Chuan stood aside, cautiously waiting for the prince's instructions.

"Your Highness," Lin Chuan couldn't help but speak, "The news from the spies shows that the Prince of Yan's troops have infiltrated the border town. They seem to be inciting some people to be dissatisfied with the garrison."

Zhu Biao slowly put down the secret report, narrowed his eyes, and whispered: "Zhu Di is so bold. Not only did he mobilize the troops stationed in the area, he also dared to stir up the loyalty of the border residents to the court. This is no longer a test, but a naked provocation."

Lin Chuan cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, should we immediately send an order to the garrison to suppress the situation to prevent it from escalating?"

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment, and his tone became a little more stern: "No, taking action now will only intensify the conflict. Zhu Di must have made a backup plan, waiting for us to fall into his trap."

He looked up at Lin Chuan, his eyes sharp: "What we need is evidence, evidence that can catch all these people in one fell swoop. Without it, even if we suppress the unrest in the border town, we will not be able to completely suppress Zhu Di."

Lin Chuan nodded: "I understand. Our people have been investigating deep in the city these days, and perhaps we will find more soon."

Zhu Biao nodded slightly, with a hint of firmness in his tone: "Tell the spies to speed up their actions and make sure to find out Zhu Di's true intentions. At the same time, tell the border cities to be on high alert, but don't act rashly."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Lin Chuan took the order and left.

That night, the wind in the border town was mixed with a faint noise, and Lin Chuan led a team of spies to sneak into the city quietly. They disguised themselves as ordinary vendors and inquired around the city.

"Master Lin," a spy whispered, "We found a group of suspicious people. They appeared near the warehouse in the east of the city late at night and seemed to be shipping something."

Lin Chuan's eyes lit up and he waved his hand, "Take me to see it."

The group quietly lurked near the warehouse in the east of the city. In the dim moonlight, Lin Chuan vaguely saw several carriages parked in front of the warehouse, and several men in black were loading some boxes onto the carriages.

"What's in those boxes?" Lin Chuan asked the spy beside him in a low voice.

The spy shook his head. "I can't see clearly, but I am sure that these people are not merchants from the city. They act secretly and obviously don't want to be discovered."

Lin Chuan frowned slightly and whispered, "Continue to observe, don't act rashly."

Just as they were about to get closer, a low voice suddenly came from the warehouse: "Be careful, this batch of goods must be delivered to Prince Yan's Mansion tomorrow morning. If something goes wrong, none of you can afford it!"

When Lin Chuan heard this, he was shocked. He whispered, "Send a message back to the East Palace immediately to let His Highness know the situation here. We will stay here and watch what they will do next."

The night was dark, and the candlelight in the study reflected Zhu Biao's figure on the wall, making him look particularly tall. He stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on the map spread out in front of him, his brows furrowed. Several confidants gathered around the table, with different expressions, and a solemn atmosphere filled the air.

"The news from Lin Chuan is very clear." Zhu Biao pointed his finger at a mark on the map, his voice low but with a sense of oppression, "Zhu Di's people have extended their tentacles to the border town. This batch of supplies is definitely not ordinary food and fodder. They plan to use these things to stir up a bigger storm in the border town."

A burly confidant stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, if this batch of supplies is really delivered to the King of Yan, not only will the garrison in the border city be impacted, but the trust of the people will also be completely shaken. By then, the situation may be difficult to save."

Zhu Biao nodded slightly, his eyes cold: "That's right. So, we must destroy it all before they succeed."

Another thin guard cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, in my opinion, these people are just Zhu Di's pawns. Their lives are not important. I am willing to lead a team of elite soldiers to directly intercept the carriages and burn the supplies on the spot."

Hearing this, Zhu Biao slowly raised his head, his eyes like knives, sweeping over the people present. He shook his head slightly, his tone revealing a hint of coldness: "No. This approach is too simple, Zhu Di would not leave such a big loophole. He sent these people to escort the supplies, which is obviously just a cover. What is really important is the people hiding behind them." (End of this chapter)