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

Zhu Han listened from the side, thinking to himself that since the enemy had already pointed their spearhead at the prince, he could not just sit back and do nothing.

In the dead of night, Zhu Han quietly met with Gu Qingping and Xiao Jinghong to discuss the next course of action.

"We have partially uncovered the enemy, and now we must take advantage of the opportunity to further drive the cracks within them through disinformation."

Zhu Han's voice was low and calm, "I want Zhu Di to completely lose control of his trusted generals."

"If successful, the prince will definitely have the upper hand in the subsequent struggle." Xiao Jinghong's eyes were sharp.

"And all of this must be accomplished through our clever planning and actions."

Zhu Han smiled faintly, "The outcome of the situation depends on every piece of intelligence and every game. We must be careful of Zhu Di's counterattack, and also make sure that father sees the prince's determination."

As the night deepened, the atmosphere in the Prince's Mansion became tense and oppressive. Even the imperial palace of the Ming Dynasty could not conceal the undercurrents surging within.

Zhu Biao sat in the study, his brows furrowed, his eyes deep. Although the battle had temporarily subsided, the anxiety in his heart had not dissipated.

"Uncle, the prince doesn't seem to be in a good mood." Gu Qingping said softly, approaching Zhu Biao, "The prince has been restless these past few days, is there something troubling him?"

Zhu Biao sighed deeply and slowly put down the scroll in his hand. "Qingping, I have never felt at ease. Although His Majesty has not openly opposed me, he has never fully trusted me. In addition, Zhu Di is so ruthless and ambitious that he can stir up trouble at any time. And those wavering ministers in the court also make me suspicious."

"The prince's predicament is the biggest challenge we are facing right now." Gu Qingping's eyes flickered with anxiety. "If we cannot completely consolidate our position in the court, and if father still does not trust the prince, I am afraid that the prince's path to the throne will be full of twists and turns."

Zhu Biao's eyes fell on a secret letter on the desk, which described some of Zhu Di's military movements and secret operations in precise words.

"His Majesty's attitude is sometimes cold and sometimes friendly. He does not fully support me. Sometimes I even feel that he seems to be waiting for the right time to select a successor who he thinks is more reliable."

Zhu Biao's voice was low and helpless, "But I can't wait any longer. I need to defend the position of Crown Prince with my own hands."

Gu Qingping was slightly startled. She saw a trace of fatigue and determination in Zhu Biao's eyes. The future of this dynasty was obviously not just a matter of succession, but the center of the power game.

"Uncle, what should we do next?" Gu Qingping asked, eyes full of anticipation.

Zhu Han slowly turned around from the window, his eyes like a sharp blade, scanning everyone.

His figure lengthened in the light, and an air of calm permeated the air.

"Under the current situation, if we don't take decisive measures, we won't be able to secure the position of the crown prince."

He paused, glanced at everyone present, and whispered, "I have obtained new intelligence and resources through the sign-in system. The key next is how to use these resources to turn the tide of the war in one fell swoop."

Gu Qingping and Xiao Jinghong looked at each other, feeling a sense of inexplicable tension in their hearts.

"Uncle, what are your plans?" Xiao Jinghong couldn't help but ask.

Zhu Han smiled slightly, "I have deployed a modern war command system that can help us predict the enemy's movements more accurately. Coupled with the latest 'intelligence analyzer', we can gain a comprehensive strategic advantage."

"However, relying solely on these tools cannot completely solve the problem." Zhu Han changed his tone and said, "The real key is how to divide Zhu Di's power and how to use the contradictions in the court to force Zhu Di's supporters to defect."

"What do you plan to do?" Gu Qingping asked in a low voice.

Zhu Han's mouth curled up slightly, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. "I have already mastered the secrets of some ministers who have allied with Zhu Di. Next, we need to create a situation that will force them to make a choice between two dilemmas. Through clever arrangements, we can win over these people one by one and gradually weaken Zhu Di's support."

Xiao Jinghong frowned, "But Zhu Di is not easy to deal with. He has a deep network of contacts in the court. If we make too big a move, it might alert him."

Zhu Han sneered, "Zhu Di's ambition can no longer be concealed. Everyone involved in this game knows that there will only be one winner in the end. What we need to do is to make these people leave him one by one, so that Zhu Di will feel that he has no support behind him and eventually lose his composure."

"Prince, we have already arranged the next plan." Zhu Han whispered in the study, "In the next few days, we will mislead Zhu Di's confidants with intelligence, making them think that the prince's army is preparing for a counterattack. As long as he trusts us too much and gathers his troops with all his strength, we can easily find a breakthrough."

"Uncle, are you saying that we should use false information to make Zhu Di overreact to us?" Zhu Biao asked, with a hint of vigilance in his eyes.

Zhu Han nodded. "That's right. Only by making the enemy anxious and miss the best opportunity can we strike a fatal blow."

At the same time, the political situation in the court was also quietly changing. Several powerful officials who were once close to the prince began to show signs of wavering.

Among these people, some had some degree of connection with Zhu Di due to personal gain or greed, while others were uneasy because the prince failed to stabilize the situation quickly.

The cabinet meeting in the Prince's Mansion was in full swing. Several ministers sat together, discussing the latest government affairs in low voices.

The atmosphere was a little dull, and everyone kept a subtle silence tacitly. Zhu Biao sat in the main seat, his brows furrowed, but his eyes revealed a subtle tension.

"Prince, the situation seems to be getting more complicated these days." General Lu Dawei said in a deep voice, "Some officials in the court have begun to contact Zhu Di's supporters privately. These people no longer seem to fully trust you."

"I know." Zhu Biao said in a low voice, "Father has never fully trusted me, and Zhu Di's power in the army has not completely disappeared. Although we have temporarily repelled him, the situation in the court is still complicated."

"Prince, the prince has arranged some actions through your confidants. The intelligence we have obtained so far shows that Zhu Di's secret planning is accelerating. If effective measures are not taken, I am afraid the situation will get out of control." Xiao Jinghong said nervously.

"I understand." Zhu Biao clenched his fists. "We can't wait any longer. We must take the initiative. Prepare for the next move."

At this moment, urgent footsteps were heard outside the study, and a guard hurried in, "Prince, there is an urgent report from the front. Zhu Di has secretly joined forces with several ministers in the court and has begun to secretly gather troops to launch a surprise attack on the Prince's Mansion." "Damn it!" Zhu Biao stood up suddenly, his eyes burning with anger, "I should have expected that Zhu Di would never give up easily."

Zhu Han looked at the anxious prince, knowing that this was the critical moment that would decide everything. "Biao'er, although Zhu Di sent troops, he misjudged the combat effectiveness of the prince's army. If we can use false intelligence to make him overreact and cause him to concentrate too many troops, we can take the opportunity to launch a counterattack and reverse the situation."

Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Han with a firm gaze, "I know, uncle. We must take this opportunity to defeat Zhu Di's plan in one fell swoop."

A few days later, the troops of the Prince's Mansion were assembled, and Zhu Biao personally led the elite troops to prepare for the expedition.

"The enemy has shown signs of gathering, and we are ready to fight."

General Lu Dawei walked up to Zhu Biao and said in a low voice, "But Zhu Di's counterattack may not be that simple. He is not only an opponent in the army, but also controls many key figures in the court behind the scenes."

Zhu Biao took a deep breath and said, "We must end this power game today and cannot let Zhu Di continue to play around with the court."

Late at night in the Prince's Mansion, the lights were dim and in the quiet atmosphere, Zhu Han sat at the desk with a frown on his face and a deep light flashing in his eyes.

"Prince, if nothing is done, the situation will quickly become more complicated."

Xiao Jinghong stood beside Zhu Han and whispered, "Although Zhu Di has temporarily lost his main force, he will never give up. There is still a large part of his supporters in the court that has not been broken."

Zhu Han nodded, his face calm. "Zhu Di has a huge network of people behind him. If we don't take the initiative in this game, he will quickly launch a counterattack in the court. Now it is not only a contest with Zhu Di, but also a contest with all the ministers who have not stood firmly on the side of the prince."

"Uncle, how do you plan to change the current situation?" Gu Qingping asked softly as she walked into the study, her eyes full of worry.

"If the Crown Prince continues to be in this vacillating situation, Your Majesty may reconsider the issue of succession."

"Your Majesty's mind is unpredictable, but if the prince cannot stabilize the court, he will eventually fall into Zhu Di's trap."

Zhu Han slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dim night sky in the distance, as if thinking about the more distant future. "But now we have two advantages. The first is modern weapons and tactical resources, and the second is some uncertainties in the situation."

He turned around and looked at Gu Qingping. "We must take advantage of these uncertainties and create chaos through false information, so that Zhu Di will doubt his supporters and then make them waver."

"You mean, we can use false intelligence to lead Zhu Di to begin to doubt his own team, thereby weakening his internal trust?" Gu Qingping thought for a moment, a gleam of light in his eyes.

Zhu Han smiled slightly, "That's right. Zhu Di's reactions are quick and alert, but he is also an extremely confident person. If you can cause a crack in his trust, his support will begin to collapse."

Xiao Jinghong also said: "If this strategy works, Zhu Di's counterattack will lose its backing and will eventually become a castle in the air, which will be easy to break through."

Zhu Han's eyes narrowed. "This is not just about using false intelligence. We also need to control the tempo of the situation, making Zhu Di increasingly uneasy and gradually leading him to make wrong decisions. Only in this way can we eventually pull him down from the pinnacle of power."

A few days later, the first counter-espionage plot was quietly launched in the Prince's Mansion.

Some generals among Zhu Biao's confidants were arranged to secretly contact certain dissatisfied ministers in the court. In fact, these ministers had already been won over by Zhu Han through clever means and had been given sufficient promises and benefits.

At the same time, Zhu Han assigned several cronies to spread false intelligence in the court, especially news about the tension between the prince and His Majesty, in order to undermine Zhu Di's control over the court.

At a banquet at the Prince's Mansion, several key ministers began to quietly show signs of wavering. They began to privately discuss the challenges the Prince might face in the future and hinted that they were seeking more reliable support.

Zhu Biao noticed all this at the banquet, but did not show it immediately. Instead, he quietly signaled to Zhu Han.

"Uncle, you are right. Some ministers in the court are indeed a little shaken."

Zhu Biao whispered, with a hint of complex emotions in his eyes, "Their attitude does not seem to be as firm as it appears on the surface."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, his tone still calm, "These ministers support you on the surface, but they have complicated thoughts behind the scenes. We need to plant an idea in their minds - your relationship with His Majesty is about to change, and you cannot completely gain the trust of the emperor, so that they will start looking for new options."

"Is this true?" Zhu Biao asked, with some uncertainty in his voice. "Father has never publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with me. He has even hinted many times recently that I am capable of inheriting the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Han's eyes flickered slightly. "His Majesty's attitude cannot be made clear, but his doubts about you have never dissipated. We need to create an illusion to make those ministers who have doubts think that the prince cannot be completely stable."

"Then what?" Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Han deeply.

"Then, it will be time for us to fight back." Zhu Han said softly, "Once Zhu Di's supporters begin to waver, they will be caught in a dilemma and may even collapse on their own."

The next day, the atmosphere in the Crown Prince's Mansion became even more tense. Some ministers in the court began to receive false news from Zhu Han himself, about Zhu Biao's delicate relationship with his father, and the possibility that his father would choose a more "reliable" heir.

The news spread quickly among ministers and even triggered some deeper discussions and speculations.

At a secret meeting, several ministers began to discuss the future situation. One of them, an old minister named Li Zheng, finally broke the silence.

"Although the Crown Prince is extremely intelligent, I'm afraid we don't know the true nature of his relationship with His Majesty. Should we reconsider our position?"

Another minister, Jiang Cheng, frowned and responded after a moment of silence: "Your Majesty's attitude has always been ambiguous. Do we really dare to take this risk? If my father finally chooses Zhu Di, our situation will obviously be even more dangerous."

Li Zheng's voice became even deeper. "Although Zhu Biao is capable, His Majesty has never fully supported him. Everything seems calm, but in fact, there are undercurrents. Should we keep in touch with Zhu Di at this time and pave the way for ourselves in advance?"

The news soon reached Zhu Han's ears, and he was secretly delighted when he heard it. (End of this chapter)