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

Zhu Han took the secret letter, quickly scanned it, and frowned slightly: "These people are actually colluding with the Northern Pacification Bureau?"

"That's right. They secretly communicated with each other, intending to weaken the power of the East Factory, and even intended to support His Majesty Zhu Di."

Zhu Han sneered: "What a Zhu Di, he dares to do something behind my back."

Zhao Qian whispered, "Your Majesty, I am willing to serve you and eradicate these treacherous villains."

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and nodded, "Okay. Go back first and secretly investigate the movements of these people. Don't alert them."

"I obey your command." Zhao Qian bowed and retreated.

Zhu Han looked at Zhao Qian's departing back and thought to himself: Although the East Factory is a powerful weapon, if it is in my own hands, I can use it for my own benefit.

The next morning, Zhu Han summoned his confidant, Jinyiwei Commander Lu Qing.

"Your Highness, are you looking for me?" Lu Qing walked in quickly with a respectful look.

"Lu Qing, I need you to secretly investigate the background of Zhao Qian, the governor of the East Factory, and his relationship with important officials in the court."

"Your Highness, hasn't Zhao Qian always been loyal to you?" Lu Qing asked doubtfully.

"That's why I want to find out his background. In this vortex of power, there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests."

"I understand, and I will live up to your trust."

Lu Qing took the order and left, while Zhu Han continued to plan the next step.

A few days later, Lu Qing brought back the investigation results.

"Your Highness, Zhao Qian was originally a lieutenant of the Northern Pacification Division. Later, he was transferred to the East Factory because of his military achievements. He has a close relationship with the Minister of War, Lord Li, who is a supporter of His Highness Zhu Di."

Zhu Han sneered: "As expected. Zhao Qian is loyal to me on the surface, but he actually has other intentions."

"Your Highness, should we arrest him immediately?" Lu Qing asked.

"No rush. We need to take advantage of his tactics and use him to lure out more enemies."

Zhu Han decided to set up a trap to lure the snake out of its hole.

He ordered people to spread the news, saying that he would secretly convene a group of officials loyal to Zhu Biao to discuss countermeasures.

Sure enough, not long after the news came out, Zhao Qian came to find out the truth.

"Your Highness, I heard that you were going to summon officials. Is there something important?" Zhao Qian asked tentatively.

"It is true." Zhu Han smiled calmly, "It is just some family affairs that cannot be spread outside."

After Zhao Qian left, Zhu Han ordered Lu Qing to follow him secretly, and indeed discovered that Zhao Qian had a secret meeting with Lord Li.

"Your Highness, Zhao Qian has been exposed. Should we take action?" Lu Qing asked.

"The time has not come yet. We need to catch them all at once."

Zhu Han decided to take advantage of the situation and arrange a fake meeting to lure the enemy out.

He ordered his men to set up the trap and notified Zhao Qian to come and participate.

On the day of the meeting, Zhao Qian indeed came with Lord Li and others, but he didn't know that they had already been surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

"Zhao Qian, do you admit your guilt?" Zhu Han asked coldly.

Zhao Qian turned pale and knelt down to beg for mercy: "Please spare my life, my lord. I was forced into this situation."

"Humph, considering that you have served me, I will spare your life, but you must make amends for your crime."

Zhu Han ordered his men to arrest Zhao Qian and began to clean out the treacherous officials within the East Factory.

Through this action, Zhu Han not only eliminated potential threats, but also further consolidated his position in the court.

"How could someone from the inner palace be so deeply involved?" Zhu Han whispered.

At this moment, a familiar sound of footsteps was heard. It was Zhu Biao. He had not informed anyone, so he was obviously coming to avoid being seen.

"Uncle, I heard that you recently moved the East Factory." Zhu Biao looked at him with a complicated expression, "Then Zhao Qian... was recommended by me."

Zhu Han's eyes darkened, but his tone was calm: "You should be thankful that Zhao Qian hasn't caused a disaster yet. He is your man, but he first contacted Zhu Di. In this world, the most untrustworthy people are those who pretend to be loyal."

Zhu Biao was silent. He grew up in the palace and had little understanding of politics. Now that he had seen the shadow of the East Factory, he could not help but waver.

"Uncle, if I... inherit the throne in the future, can you completely remove the East Factory from the list?"

Zhu Han chuckled, but there was no joking in his eyes: "If you can really ascend the throne, you can wipe out the East Factory, but before that, you have to learn how to use it, like I am now."

Zhu Biao nodded and took a deep breath: "Uncle, I understand."

Just as the two finished their words, a cold wind blew past. Zhu Han frowned slightly and turned to look towards the shadows.

"Come out." He said coldly.

A man walked out slowly from the dark. It was Li Fu, the chief eunuch. He had a white face and no beard, and always had a smile in the corners of his eyes, but at this moment he was covered in cold sweat.

"Your Highness... Your Highness the Crown Prince... I have something to tell you." He knelt on the ground, his voice trembling, "The remnants of the East Depot have not yet been eliminated, and one of them is hiding...hiding in the Imperial Stables."

Zhu Han's eyes were like blades: "Name."

"Gao Jinzhong."

Zhu Han took a deep breath and turned to Zhu Biao: "This is your chance."

Zhu Biao was shocked: "My chance?"

"You can investigate Gao Jinzhong in the name of the crown prince. If you can do it cleanly and efficiently without alarming the officials, the emperor will look at you differently."

Zhu Biao looked serious, and finally nodded: "Uncle, can you lend me a hand?"

Zhu Han approached him and patted his shoulder: "I will order the Jinyiwei to cooperate with you, but you have to act in this scene by yourself."

That night, the Crown Prince Zhu Biao personally led a surprise inspection of the Imperial Horse Administration on the pretext of "purging the inner court". After a search, they found a large number of letters and secret letters in Gao Jinzhong's bedroom, all of which were evidence of collusion with the enemy and leaking secrets.

What is even more shocking is that the seal of Yang Zai, the left chancellor of the Secretariat, appeared in those secret letters.

The next day, Zhu Biao personally entered the Golden Palace and presented everything to Zhu Yuanzhang. After reading it, the old emperor was silent for a long time, and suddenly laughed:
"Good, good one! You finally look like me when I was young!"

The night was as dark as ink, and the palace lanterns were swaying, illuminating the mottled stone paths in the imperial garden.

Zhu Han stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes deep, as if he was thinking about something. Behind him, the crown prince Zhu Biao had a serious expression, and it was obvious that he had something to say.

"Uncle," Zhu Biao finally spoke in a low voice, "Although the case of Gao Jinzhong has been closed, I always feel that there is something deeper behind this."

Zhu Han turned to look at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, "It's good that you are so alert. The court is full of twists and turns. Although it seems calm on the surface, there are actually undercurrents surging."

Zhu Biao nodded, "I understand. Uncle, I would like to ask you to teach me how to understand people's hearts and control the situation in this deep palace."

Zhu Han smiled slightly, "You are already the crown prince, you should learn these things as soon as possible. Tomorrow, I will take you to the East Factory and let you see with your own eyes how to interrogate and how to collect evidence."

The next morning, in the lobby of the East Factory, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stood side by side, with several suspects being escorted in front of them. Zhu Han signaled Zhu Biao to ask questions first.

Zhu Biao stepped forward, his eyes sharp, "Do you admit your guilt?"

One of them said in a trembling voice, "I am innocent. I am just following orders."

Zhu Biao sneered, "Whose orders are you following? Speak!"

The man hesitated for a moment, and finally whispered, "Yes...it's Lord Yang from the Secretariat."

Zhu Biao turned to look at Zhu Han, his eyes full of shock, "Uncle, this..." Zhu Han nodded, "It seems that Yang Zai is indeed involved. This matter must be thoroughly investigated."

Zhu Biao took a deep breath and said, "Uncle, I want to go see my father in person and report this matter to him."

Zhu Han hesitated for a moment, "Alright. But remember, be careful with your words and don't anger Father."

That night, Zhu Biao met with Zhu Yuanzhang in the Qianqing Palace. He reported everything that the East Factory had interrogated, and Zhu Yuanzhang frowned after hearing it.

"Yang Zai, I have always trusted him, but I didn't expect him to do such a thing." Zhu Yuanzhang said angrily.

Zhu Biao knelt down and said, "Father, I am willing to investigate this case personally and clear the court's name."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes, "Okay, Biao'er, I allow you to handle this matter with full authority."

After expressing his gratitude, Zhu Biao stepped back and returned to the East Palace, but his heart could not calm down for a long time.

Late at night, in the dead of night, Zhu Biao sat alone in his study, flipping through case files.

Zhu Han walked in quietly, and seeing him like this, he said softly, "Biao'er, take a rest if you are tired."

Zhu Biao raised his head, his eyes full of determination, "Uncle, I can't stop. Only by removing these bad apples can the court be clean."

Zhu Han nodded, "I am very pleased that you have this intention. But you must also remember that health is the capital of revolution."

Zhu Biao smiled, "Don't worry, uncle, I will pay attention."

The night wind was cool, the moonlight was clear, and the sound of insects chirping could be heard outside the palace wall, like whispers tearing through the quiet night.

The lights in the side hall on the east side of the Hall of Mental Cultivation were still on. Zhu Han sat in a high-backed rosewood chair, thinking deeply about the chess piece. His fingertips rested on a black piece, but he never made a move.

"Uncle." A low voice was called, and Zhu Biao lifted the curtain and came in. His face was solemn, but there was an imperceptible excitement in his expression.

Zhu Han did not raise his head, but only asked, "Why are you disturbing me so late at night?"

"Nephew..." Zhu Biao always called himself "nephew" in front of Zhu Han, not out of respect, but because of his true reliance in his heart, "Today, during the court meeting, the Minister of Revenue deliberately picked on my words in the court, saying that I was making irresponsible comments on the six ministries without being involved in government affairs."

"How do you respond?" Zhu Han put down the chess piece and finally looked at him.

Zhu Biao frowned and said, "I didn't argue with him. I just said, 'The Crown Prince is observing government affairs in accordance with the emperor's order', and he stopped talking. But I know that people like this will only wait for an opportunity to cause trouble again."

Zhu Han nodded slightly and said, "You did the right thing. The prince should not get angry, as anger will lead to loss of power. But you should not endure the humiliation for long. Remember - when speaking in the court, you cannot just rely on your demeanor, you must also use your aura to suppress others."

Zhu Biao pondered and said, "Then what should I do?"

"Take advantage of the situation." Zhu Han stood up, walked to the window, brushed aside the curtain and looked into the night. "Among the six ministries, the Ministry of Rites is the most rule-abiding, the Ministry of Works is the most evasive, the Ministry of Revenue is the most prudent, and the Ministry of Personnel is the most selfish. You should know who you want to be friends with and who you want to be wary of."

Zhu Biao nodded: "Nephew understands."

Zhu Han turned around, walked slowly back to his seat, and said, "Come with me tomorrow to meet someone."

Zhu Biao was stunned. "Who?"

"The Imperial Academy's chief priest - Xu Zongli."

"That nerd?" Zhu Biao was surprised.

Zhu Han smiled, "You only saw his stupidity, but not his depth. If you want to learn how to use people, you must first know them."

The next day at noon, in the lecture hall of the Imperial College.

Zhu Biao, dressed in casual clothes, stood quietly outside the lecture hall with Zhu Han. From inside the hall came Xu Zongli's clear and clear voice: "The way of civil and military affairs is to alternate between tension and relaxation. Therefore, Confucius said: 'It is not that you have no position, but that you have to worry about how to stand'..."

Every word he spoke was like the deep water in a cold pond, flowing slowly, neither fast nor slow, yet it had a captivating aura.

"This is what you call a nerd." Zhu Han chuckled and whispered in Zhu Biao's ear.

Zhu Biao was slightly embarrassed, "My nephew has spoken out of turn."

Zhu Han patted his shoulder and said, "You have to remember that some people are not in the court, but they influence the political situation. Some people do not talk about power politics, but they understand human nature the most."

After the lecture, Xu Zongli saw Zhu Han and bowed quickly, "Your Highness, I am sorry for not coming to greet you."

Zhu Han smiled and returned the greeting, "Today is not for official business, I just brought the prince here to listen to a lesson."

Xu Zongli's eyes fell on Zhu Biao. There was not much awe in his eyes, but more of a scrutiny and probing. He smiled faintly: "Your Highness, do you understand?"

Zhu Biao smiled calmly, "I understand the first half, but I still need to think about the second half."

Xu Zongli laughed, "If you can speak so frankly, you are a good candidate."

Zhu Han nodded with satisfaction, stayed for a moment, and then said goodbye.

After leaving the Imperial College, Zhu Biao asked softly, "Does the emperor's uncle want me to befriend Xu Zongli?"

"No." Zhu Han smiled, "It's to make you understand that this world is so big, there are not only generals, military power, and seals, but also scholars, literary mind, and fame."

"Can they also influence government affairs?"

Zhu Han nodded, "One word can move the hearts of the people, and one stroke can write an imperial decree. What you will rule in the future is the world, not a palace."

Zhu Biao was silent for a long time, and suddenly asked: "Uncle, you are teaching me this way, do you really want me to be the emperor?"

Zhu Han stopped and looked at him. After a while, he said, "This is what your father meant, and it is also my mission."

Zhu Biao lowered his head, "But I... am not the smartest one."

Zhu Han smiled: "Smart doesn't mean suitable. Zhu Di is smart, like a wild horse. You are a cow that can carry a load. The country is not won by sprinting, but by taking steady steps."

Zhu Biao remained silent for a long time, only nodding. He suddenly turned around and bowed deeply to Zhu Han, "My nephew understands. From now on, I will study hard what my uncle teaches me."

Zhu Han stared at him for a long time before he said softly, "Then I will accompany you on this road until you sit on that chair."

As time passed, Zhu Biao gradually gained a foothold in the court.

One day after the court session, Zhu Biao made a detour to the Yanhe Hall, not to see his father, but to visit someone - Zhou Ji, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites. Zhou Ji was over 50 years old and cautious, but he was deeply trusted by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Han once warned Zhu Biao: "Zhou Ji is a low-profile person, but if you can get a word of advice from him, it is better than praise from all officials."

When Zhu Biao came this time, he did not talk about state affairs, but only about rituals, music and ancient literature.

Zhou Ji was cautious at first, but was gradually moved by his sincerity. Before leaving, he only said one sentence: "Your Highness, if you can always keep the word 'humility' in mind, you will surely go further."

Zhu Biao stayed up all night and wrote the word "humility" all over a roll of rice paper.

After the beginning of winter, there was heavy snow in Beijing.

One morning, Zhu Biao suddenly arrived at the palace. Without reporting anything, he pushed the door and entered Zhu Han's study.

Zhu Han was sitting alone by the stove, brewing a pot of plum wine.

"Why didn't you tell me in advance?"

"I want to have a drink with the emperor's uncle." Zhu Biao said with a smile, "You are right, learning political tactics does require reading people, and I have finally understood a person recently."

"Who?"

"Xu Da, Duke of Wei."

Zhu Han raised his eyebrows, "Tell me about it."

Zhu Biao took the wine cup and said, "He never talks much, and never interrupts the court. But every time I am halfway through my words, if he nods slightly, the ministers will no longer be embarrassed. It seems unintentional, but it actually carries a lot of weight."

Zhu Han nodded: "You have seen the key. If you ascend the throne in the future, you need such a person by your side, not in front of you, but behind you." (End of this chapter)