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

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao smiled at each other, with a warm feeling in their hearts. Zhu Han leaned over and touched the little boy's head, saying gently: "Good boy, you have great ambitions. As long as you study hard, you will definitely become a useful person to the court in the future."

Hearing this, Sister Li's eyes slightly reddened, and she thanked them repeatedly: "You two young masters are really kind people. The three of us, mother and son, have no way to repay you, we can only remember this kindness."

The little girl also spoke timidly, her voice as thin as a mosquito: "Thank you, big brother, we will save this money."

Zhu Han smiled gently, took out a bag of dry food from his bag and handed it to Mrs. Li: "Take these dry food first, the child is growing, don't let him starve."

Mrs. Li took the dry food and was so moved that she almost cried: "Thank you so much, gentlemen. You are really kind-hearted."

Zhu Biao added: "Sister Li, the court will not forget you. We will report the situation here truthfully and hope to get more help for you."

Sister Li nodded vigorously, with hope in her eyes: "I trust the court, and I trust the two young masters."

During the conversation, Zhu Han noticed that there were several simple embroidery works hanging on the wall inside the house. They were obviously made by Sister Li. He couldn't help but exclaimed: "Sister Li, your craftsmanship is really good. These embroidery works are really exquisite."

Mrs. Li smiled sheepishly: "No, no, it's just some needlework, just enough to make a living."

Zhu Han thought about it and suggested, "Sister Li, why don't we help you take these embroidery products to the city to sell, maybe we can sell them for a good price."

Sister Li's eyes lit up, but she hesitated: "How can I trouble you two gentlemen?"

Zhu Biao smiled heartily: "Mrs. Li, you're welcome. This is also part of our trip to help the villagers solve practical difficulties."

Zhu Han also nodded in agreement: "Yes, Mrs. Li, don't worry, we will help you find a good buyer."

Mrs. Li finally felt relieved and burst into tears of gratitude: "Thank you so much, gentlemen. You are really our lifesavers."

It was already dark when they said goodbye to Mrs. Li and her family. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao were walking back to the inn, feeling very satisfied. Zhu Biao said with emotion: "Uncle Han, I really did a lot of practical work today. I feel very fulfilled."

Zhu Han smiled slightly: "Yes, seeing the villagers can improve with our little help is more worthwhile than anything else."

The two walked and talked, and before they knew it, they had returned to the inn. Zhu Han asked the servants to carefully store Mrs. Li's embroidery and prepare to take it back to the capital to find a buyer tomorrow.

The next morning, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao set out again to continue their incognito tour. They arrived at a more remote mountain village where the people lived in even greater hardship. The elderly and children in the village gathered around them, looking at the two "businessmen" who had come from afar with curiosity and shyness.

Zhu Han smiled gently and said, "Fellow villagers, we are traveling merchants passing by here. We would like to ask for a bowl of water to drink and see if there is anything we can help you with."

An old woman trembled and brought a bowl of water: "You two gentlemen have come from a far distance, you must have worked hard, please drink some water."

Zhu Han took the bowl of water and drank it all in one gulp. He felt the sweetness and thirst quenching. He put down the bowl of water and asked with concern: "Fellow villagers, is life here okay?"

The old woman sighed and shook her head: "My lord, you don't know that there has been drought here for years and the harvest is poor. Although the government has provided relief, it is still a drop in the bucket."

Zhu Biao frowned upon hearing this: "Is this true? Didn't the imperial court distribute the relief grain on time?"

The old woman smiled bitterly: "It was distributed, but when it came to us, there was not much left. In addition, some officials embezzled money, and the people's lives became even more difficult."

Zhu Han's face was solemn when he heard this. The suffering of the people was often more serious than it seemed on the surface. He turned to look at Zhu Biao, and the two exchanged heavy glances.

Zhu Han said to the old woman in a gentle voice: "Don't worry, old lady. We will report the situation here to the court truthfully and let His Majesty know the real plight of the people."

A glimmer of hope flashed in the old woman's eyes. She held Zhu Han's hand with trembling hands and said gratefully: "Thank you, gentlemen. Your kindness will be remembered by all of us in the village."

At this time, a middle-aged man squeezed through the crowd and came to Zhu Han and Zhu Biao. His face was full of frost, but his eyes were shining with unyielding light. He said in a deep voice: "My two lords, although the people here are poor, they are not ungrateful. It's just that natural disasters and man-made disasters have continued in recent years, and the relief from the government is often difficult to reach us. May I ask the two lords, is there any practical way to help us overcome the difficulties?"

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and answered seriously: "My dear brother, our trip is to understand the people's sentiments and find solutions. We will suggest that the court strengthen supervision to ensure that the relief materials can be truly distributed to the people. At the same time, we will also propose to reduce taxes, encourage farming, and help everyone rebuild their homes."

The middle-aged man heard this, and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. He nodded heavily and said, "Okay! As long as the court can sincerely help us, we are willing to make every effort to rebuild our village!"

At this time, a thin child timidly pulled at the corner of Zhu Han's clothes. He looked up, looked at Zhu Han with his clear eyes, and asked softly: "Big brother, will you really help us? My mother said that as long as there are kind people to help us, we will not be hungry anymore."

Zhu Han squatted down, gently touched the child's head, and said firmly: "Yes, child. We will do our best to help you. Trust the court, and trust us, okay?"

The child nodded, with a gleam of trust in his eyes, as if he saw hope for the future.

Afterwards, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao continued to visit the village and talked with more people. They asked in detail about the people's living conditions, harvest conditions and difficulties they faced, and recorded them one by one. Wherever they went, they could feel the enthusiasm and gratitude of the people, which also strengthened their determination to seek welfare for the people.

As the sun sets, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stand at the entrance of the village, looking at the villagers going away, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. Zhu Han said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, what I have seen and heard today has made me feel the suffering of the people more deeply. We must report these situations to Your Majesty truthfully, so that the court can take more powerful measures to help the people." Zhu Biao nodded in agreement and said: "Uncle Han is right. This trip we will not only collect the people's opinions, but also bring real help to the people. As long as we work together, we will definitely be able to change the fate of these people."

Zhu Han's eyes became more determined after hearing this. He nodded and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness is right. We should not only collect opinions from the people, but also work hard to improve the people's well-being. Next, we will organize the information we learned today in detail and provide more specific suggestions to the court."

The two turned around and walked into a simple teahouse nearby, found a table and sat down. The teahouse was bustling with people, but it also revealed a simple and unpretentious atmosphere of life. Zhu Han called the waiter, ordered two bowls of rough tea, and then discussed in a low voice with Zhu Biao.

"Uncle Han, look at this village. Although it is located in a remote area, the lives of the people are so hard. We have to find a way to fundamentally improve their situation." Zhu Biao said worriedly.

Zhu Han sighed and said, "Yes, Your Highness. I think we can start from two aspects. On the one hand, we can strengthen the supervision of local officials by the court to ensure that the relief materials can truly benefit the people; on the other hand, we can encourage farming and improve the self-sufficiency of the people."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement: "Uncle Han is right. We can also consider promoting some simple farming techniques in the village to increase crop yields and reduce the impact of natural disasters on the harvest."

At this time, there was a commotion outside the teahouse, and an old man in ragged clothes hurried in, looking anxious. He walked straight to Zhu Han and Zhu Biao, bowed deeply, and said, "My two lords, I have something to ask of you."

Zhu Han quickly helped the old man up and asked gently, "Old man, what's the problem? Feel free to tell me."

The old man's eyes were slightly red, and his voice was trembling: "Young Master, my young grandson is seriously ill, and I have no money to treat him. I heard that you two young masters are good people, so I came to ask for help."

Zhu Han's heart tightened when he heard this. He turned to look at Zhu Biao, and the two exchanged glances. Zhu Han immediately took out a few taels of silver from his pocket and handed it to the old man: "Old man, take this silver to treat your grandson first. We will contact the doctor to come and treat him as soon as possible."

The old man took the silver, and his eyes were filled with tears. He kowtowed and thanked them repeatedly: "Thank you very much, gentlemen! Thank you very much, gentlemen! You are really living Bodhisattvas!"

Zhu Han quickly helped the old man up and comforted him, "Old man, please take your grandson to see a doctor. The court will not sit idly by and watch the people suffer. We will definitely do our best to help."

The old man thanked him profusely and left in a hurry. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other and saw the heaviness in each other's eyes. Zhu Han said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, it seems that the condition here is more serious than we thought. We must speed up and contact the medical officer to come and treat."

Zhu Biao nodded, his expression firm: "Uncle Han, I will arrange for people to report the plague here to the court as soon as possible, and request the dispatch of medical officers and medicinal materials."

After the two men had discussed and decided, Zhu Biao immediately got up and left the teahouse to arrange related matters, while Zhu Han stayed in the teahouse and continued to talk with the people around him to learn more about their sentiments.

Inside the teahouse, a middle-aged woman sat in a corner, silently watching Zhu Han talking to the people. Her face was haggard, but there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Zhu Han noticed her, walked over gently, and asked softly, "Sister-in-law, what's the problem?"

The middle-aged woman looked up at Zhu Han, a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes. But she finally mustered up the courage and whispered, "Sir, my husband is working outside and hasn't been home for a long time. I am the only one who supports the family. Now the harvest is not good, and life is really hard."

Zhu Han felt a pang of sadness when he heard this. He took out some small change from his pocket and handed it to the middle-aged woman: "Sister-in-law, take this money for emergency use. We will report the situation here to the court and seek more assistance."

The middle-aged woman took the silver and burst into tears of gratitude: "Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir! You are really our lifesaver!"

Zhu Han patted the back of her hand gently and comforted her: "Sister-in-law, you are welcome. We are sent by the court to help the people solve their difficulties. You must persevere, and believe that the court will not give up any of the people."

The middle-aged woman tightly grasped the silver in her hand, her eyes reddened, and she choked up as she said, "Sir, you are truly the reincarnation of a living Bodhisattva. We are poor people, and it is difficult for us to even get enough food and clothing on weekdays. How can we dare to hope for such a kind-hearted person to help us?"

Zhu Han smiled gently and said in a soothing voice: "Sister-in-law, please don't say that. We are from the court, and it is our duty to help the people. Don't worry, the court will not forget any of its people, and we will do our best to improve everyone's life."

At this time, an old man in the teahouse slowly stood up and hobbled over with a cane. He looked at Zhu Han with emotion in his eyes: "Sir, I have lived for most of my life, but this is the first time I have seen an official like you who truly cares about the people. You are really a lucky star for our whole village!"

Zhu Han quickly stepped forward to support the old man and said respectfully: "Old man, your words are too kind. I am just doing my part. What we should really thank is the court and your majesty for your care and trust in us."

The old man shook his head and said with emotion: "It is a blessing for us common people that the court has a good official like you. However, this world is difficult, and I am afraid that you alone cannot handle everything. We common people can only hope that the court can have more good officials like you."

Zhu Han felt mixed emotions when he heard this.

He looked at the old man firmly and said seriously: "Don't worry, old man, I will bring your expectations back to the court. Under your majesty's wise leadership, the Ming Dynasty will surely produce more good officials who work for the welfare of the people."

When the old man heard this, a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes. He held Zhu Han's hand tightly and said gratefully: "Sir, I thank you on behalf of the whole village. I wish you a safe journey and realize your ambitions soon."

Zhu Han smiled and nodded. After bidding farewell to the old man, he continued to stay in the teahouse and talk with the people. He asked about the specific situation of each household in detail and carefully recorded every opinion and demand. The people showed great enthusiasm and gratitude for Zhu Han's arrival. They gathered around him and rushed to tell him about their difficulties and expectations.

Zhu Han patiently listened to the stories of every citizen, his eyes full of care and understanding. The atmosphere in the teahouse gradually became warm and solemn, as if this was not just a place to drink tea and rest, but also a harbor for the people to confide their thoughts and seek hope.

At this time, a haggard middle-aged man squeezed through the crowd, his eyes showing both fatigue and expectation.

He bowed deeply in front of him and said in a hoarse voice: "Sir, I am Li Ergou. I have old people and children at home, and I rely on myself to cultivate a few acres of thin land for a living. But this year's drought has almost no harvest. My family has been out of food for several days. I am really desperate, and I beg you to show me a way to survive." (End of this chapter)