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

"Prince, the enemy ships are approaching." The deputy general reported hurriedly.

Zhu Biao's eyes became more determined, and he whispered, "Let them know that the prince's army should not be underestimated."

As the horn sounded, the Prince's fleet quickly split into two groups and surrounded the enemy ships.

On the sea, fierce gunfire intertwined and the ship shook violently. Zhu Biao stood on the command platform, calmly commanding every action, showing his outstanding command ability and unquestionable decisiveness.

The battle lasted for several hours, and finally, the enemy was completely defeated. Zhu Biao stood on the deck of the ship, looking at the wreckage of the enemy ship floating on the sea in the distance, and felt a sense of accomplishment.

"Prince, we won!" Li Zhong ran to Zhu Biao excitedly.

Zhu Biao nodded, looked into the distance, but thought secretly in his heart.

Zhu Han stood on another boat, watching all this quietly, a gleam of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, and he whispered to himself: "This is the real beginning of the prince."

The storm on the sea has subsided, and the Prince's fleet standing in the vast ocean still looks majestic and powerful.

Zhu Biao stood on the deck of the ship, staring at the horizon in front of him, with mixed feelings.

"Prince, the enemy ships have been completely defeated and all enemies have been captured." Li Zhong walked to Zhu Biao and reported in a low voice with a hint of respect in his tone.

Zhu Biao nodded slightly, his eyes still fixed on the distance, "Although this battle went smoothly, it is by no means the end. The challenges ahead will be the most difficult."

"Prince, you have personally led the fleet to the battle, which has impressed the entire court and His Majesty."

Li Zhong continued, "The courage and wisdom you have shown are enough to let everyone know that you are not just the crown prince in name only, but also the future emperor."

Zhu Biao turned slowly, his eyes flashing with an unfathomable light: "But this is not enough. Father has always been suspicious of me, and those forces in the court may not fully support me. This victory at sea alone cannot completely change the situation. What really determines my future is not only the attitude of father, but also the undercurrents hidden in the power struggle."

Li Zhong was silent for a moment, and finally spoke: "Prince, you have achieved initial victory, which will become your capital in the future. Now, what you need to do is to use these victories to consolidate your position, especially to win over those ministers who have not yet fully taken sides."

Zhu Biao's eyes flashed with calmness, "You are right, my father and the ministers in the court are exactly the targets I need to strive for next. Only by taking action and truly demonstrating my ability to control the situation can I convince them."

Li Zhong nodded respectfully, "Prince, your decisiveness and wisdom have been fully demonstrated in this naval operation. If you can use this as an opportunity to bring these victories back to the court, it will surely win you more support."

Zhu Biao took a deep breath and his eyes became more determined.

"The victory of this expedition has brought me some prestige, but this is just the beginning. Next, I need to convert this prestige into actual power."

"Prince, you must respond with caution." Li Zhong reminded again, "Zhu Di's forces are accumulating strength. If we don't take precautions, they may suddenly explode."

Zhu Biao's eyes flashed with a hint of coldness. "Although Zhu Di has never challenged me publicly, he has been secretly accumulating power behind the scenes. As long as he can find an opportunity in the court, he will challenge without hesitation."

"Can we send some spies to find out the movements of Zhu Di's camp?" Li Zhong suggested.

Zhu Biao smiled slightly, "No need to be so radical. Zhu Di's mind may not be difficult to figure out. Why don't we take advantage of some of his weaknesses and counterattack."

He paused, a clever gleam in his eyes, "Send some people to stir up discord in his camp and make them lose their composure."

Li Zhong suddenly realized, "Prince, do you mean to use the division within Zhu Di's camp to weaken his power?"

"That's right." Zhu Biao said calmly, "I have noticed that some generals in Zhu Di's camp are not completely loyal. They also have their own interests behind them. If we can find their contradictions and use them, we will be able to break their unity."

Li Zhong nodded and said, "The Crown Prince is indeed wise. In this way, Zhu Di's power will be greatly weakened."

Zhu Biao smiled slightly, "This is a long-term strategy, there is no need to rush. The next goal is to return to the capital and show my father that I can firmly control the situation."

The Prince's Army began its return journey, heading towards the Ming Dynasty's capital - Nanjing.

Zhu Biao stood on the deck of the ship, gazing at the approaching land, his heart filled with endless expectations and thoughts.

"Prince, the capital is ahead. Are you ready for the next challenge?" Li Zhong walked to Zhu Biao and asked in a low voice.

Zhu Biao took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with determination, "I'm ready. This victory is just the beginning. The next challenge is the most difficult, especially my father's attitude."

"Your Majesty has always been hesitant, and we have long known this."

Li Zhong said, "But no matter what, the prince has already demonstrated his decisiveness and wisdom. If father can no longer see your potential, I am afraid you will lose your last chance."

Zhu Biao turned around and looked at Li Zhong with a burning gaze: "Li Zhong, you are right. The road ahead will not be smooth, but I will not stop. Whether it is my father, Zhu Di, or even all the forces in the court, I will face them one by one."

"Prince, your ambitions will surely make the future of the Ming Dynasty even more glorious." Li Zhong said respectfully, his tone full of admiration.

As Zhu Biao watched the outline of the capital city become clearer, his inner determination became stronger.

The fleet finally arrived in the capital, and Zhu Biao walked into the palace with the fruits of victory. His pace was unhurried, and every step exuded confidence and strength.

Inside the palace, Zhu Yuanzhang was sitting on the dragon throne, watching his arrival with sharp eyes.

"Father, your son is back." Zhu Biao walked up to his father and saluted respectfully.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him deeply, with a hint of complicated emotions in his eyes, "Biao'er, you performed very well in this sea expedition. You returned victoriously, not only making great contributions to the country, but also winning reputation for yourself."

Zhu Biao did not respond immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath and said firmly, "Father, although I have won the victory, I know that this is only the first step. If I want to truly stabilize the Ming Dynasty, your support and trust are the key to my path to the throne." Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes froze, and after a moment of silence, he finally nodded gently, "You have performed well, but the challenges ahead have just begun. If you can stabilize the court and win more support, I can rest assured to hand over the Ming Dynasty to you."

Zhu Biao's heart was shaken. He knew clearly what his father's words meant. "I will do my best to live up to your expectations."

That night, Zhu Biao walked into the study of the Prince's Mansion alone, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

In the study, Zhu Han had already been waiting. He gently put down the scroll in his hand, raised his eyes and looked at Zhu Biao, his eyes revealing a hint of depth, "Biao'er, since you are back, I believe you already have an idea of ​​what to do next."

Zhu Biao walked to the desk, frowned, and sat down slowly. "Yes, uncle. Although my father has given me a certain trust, I know that this trust is not solid. The ministers in the court, although they say they support me, in fact, everyone has his own plans in his heart."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, "You are right. In the court, any superficial support is unreliable. Real support often needs to be leveraged by strength."

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment. "The most important thing now is not only to stabilize my father's heart, but also to completely weaken Zhu Di's power, especially the influence of his supporters behind him."

Zhu Biao clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with determination, "I understand. Although Zhu Di has been secretly recruiting supporters behind the scenes, he is far inferior to me in person. I can consolidate my position by demonstrating my ability and decisiveness."

Zhu Han's eyes flashed with approval. "It's not just about showing your ability, Biao'er. You have to understand that the real strategy is not to rely solely on actions, but to disintegrate the enemy's power one by one through in-depth planning. What you need to do is to control every detail in the court without making a sound."

"How to do it?" Zhu Biao asked, with deep confusion in his eyes.

Zhu Han smiled slightly, "Since you have demonstrated your military talent, your next move should not rely solely on mighty force, but should use more covert means."

Zhu Biao listened attentively, his eyes focused on his uncle, "Secret method?"

"That's right." Zhu Han said slowly, "You can use the 'sign-in system' to obtain some key resources to help you accumulate more support in the court. You know, the sign-in system is not just about getting rewards, it can provide you with many strategies and resources that you can't imagine, and even provide you with the ability to see into the mind of the enemy."

Zhu Biao frowned, "Uncle, are you saying that the sign-in system can let me know who is supporting Zhu Di behind the scenes?"

Zhu Han nodded. "Not only that, it can also allow you to gain insight into the psychology of each minister and even predict their actions in advance. More importantly, the sign-in system can also help you obtain some very valuable strategies and tactical resources to enhance your influence in the court."

Zhu Biao was silent for a moment, and his heart was shaken. "Then... how should we use this system next?"

Zhu Han picked up a golden seal from the desk and gently placed it on the table. "This seal can help you sign in for the 'Power and Scheme' area. Every time you sign in, you will gain some special resources, and these resources will be the key to changing the situation for you."

Zhu Biao slowly reached out and picked up the seal, his eyes gleaming with a gleam, "The sign-in item in the field of political conspiracy... In other words, I can not only obtain military resources, but also political conspiracy means that can influence the court?"

"That's right." Zhu Han nodded slowly. "Every time you sign in, you can get a new strategy or hidden chess piece. With these means, you can achieve a surprise victory at the critical moment."

Zhu Biao gently stroked the seal, his eyes flashing with excitement that was difficult to conceal, "This way, I can gain the upper hand in this power struggle."

"But, Biao'er, remember." Zhu Han's eyes became deep. "Although these methods are powerful, you can't rely on them too much. You still need to have your own judgment. Only through your own real decision-making can you stand out in this game."

Zhu Biao nodded, "I understand, uncle. In this case, we will start from signing in and use these resources to deal with Zhu Di and his enemies in the court."

Zhu Han smiled slightly, "Very good, Biaoer. You have to remember that any change in the situation starts with the details."

As the night deepened, Zhu Biao was thinking deeply in his study.

The next morning, Zhu Biao took a walk in the garden of the Prince's Mansion, his thoughts still lingering on yesterday's conversation.

Suddenly, a eunuch came running in, knelt down and reported, "Prince, there is an envoy outside, who said he was sent by Zhu Di."

Zhu Biao raised his eyebrows slightly. Zhu Di's envoy? He actually came to visit on his own initiative. What was his intention?

"Let him in." Zhu Biao said in a deep voice.

A moment later, an envoy in exquisite official uniform walked in, with a respectful look on his face, "Prince, Minister Zhilu has requested that my master Zhu Di specially send me here today to discuss a matter with you."

Zhu Biao raised his eyebrows slightly, a trace of doubt flashed through his mind, "What did Zhu Di send someone to do? He is actually willing to discuss with me?"

The messenger bowed his head and said, "My master is willing to join forces with the prince, to cooperate and support each other. I have come to ask for an audience with the prince, hoping that the prince can reach a consensus with my master."

"Tell Zhu Di that I don't easily join forces with others. If he really wants to cooperate, he can meet me at any time." Zhu Biao responded calmly.

The messenger was stunned for a moment, but then lowered his head and replied, "I understand, Prince." He then turned and left.

Zhu Biao stood in the garden with a deep gaze, secretly pondering Zhu Di's intentions.

This time, Zhu Di obviously did not simply want to negotiate, but had a deeper plot. What kind of hidden power was behind him?
Zhu Han suddenly walked up to Zhu Biao and whispered, "Biao'er, Zhu Di's words may seem sincere, but they actually contain hidden meanings. You have to be careful."

Zhu Biao's eyes flickered, and he said slowly: "I had expected that Zhu Di's request for peace was not simply for cooperation. He must have other intentions."

Zhu Han nodded gently. "So, next time, you must be more careful. You need to use the sign-in system to understand the direction of each move in advance to ensure that there are no mistakes."

Zhu Biao took a deep breath, his eyes becoming more determined: "I will, uncle. No matter what, I will definitely walk this path that belongs to me."

In the study of the Prince's Mansion, Zhu Biao stood in front of the window, looking at the imperial palace in the distance, his heart surging with emotions.

"Zhu Biao, you have come this far. How you proceed next will determine how far you can go."

Zhu Biao muttered to himself, his heart full of confusion. (End of this chapter)