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

"...more than 30,000 shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Zhu Han nodded.

"Where are those 30,000 shi now?"

"Completed."

Who fixed it?

"...on loan from the Ministry of War."

Zhu Han gave a soft "hmm," then asked, "What about the paperwork?"

The doctor lowered his head: "They're still walking."

"Where have we reached?"

"The Imperial Clan Court has not yet signed the agreement."

As soon as he said it, the doctor realized his mistake and his expression changed slightly.

Zhu Han, however, seemed to have expected this.

"Therefore, in the next few days, someone from the Imperial Clan Court will try to bring up old grievances and use the inventory as an excuse to stall these procedures."

The doctor dared not reply.

Zhu Han looked at him, his tone neither hurried nor slow.

"When you get back, change the inventory details to 'temporary storage' and don't write 'borrowing'."

"Then put that transfer order from the Ministry of War at the very bottom."

The doctor was startled: "Your Highness, this is against the rules—"

Zhu Han raised his hand.

Whether it's in accordance with the rules or not is not something you need to worry about right now.

"You just need to ensure that the books are correct and that the goods are in the warehouse."

"The missing pieces will be collected once the formalities are completed."

The doctor hesitated for a moment, then finally bowed his head and agreed.

After he left, his attendant couldn't help but whisper, "Your Highness, what if someone notices this..."

Zhu Han sat back down at his desk and reopened the booklet.

"We're meant to be watched."

The attendant was taken aback.

Zhu Han said calmly, "Since they didn't find a way out at the East Palace today, they naturally have to find another place to explore."

"Then let them find out something."

"But this thing is neither in the Imperial Clan Court nor in the Eastern Palace."

The morning court session proceeded as usual the following day.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat upright on the dragon throne, listening to the reports from various departments as usual, his expression unchanged.

When it was the Ministry of Revenue's turn, the physician stepped forward to report on the autumn grain's storage, speaking calmly and presenting clear figures.

After listening, Zhu Yuanzhang only asked one question: "Seven days late?"

The doctor bowed and said, "Yes."

Why wasn't this reported earlier?

The physician bowed his head to the ground and said, "Your Majesty, because the accounts are not yet cleared, I dare not make a false report."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and did not pursue the matter further.

After the court session ended, several senior officials did not immediately disperse.

The people from the Imperial Clan Court were quietly stopped and asked about the batch of "temporarily stored" grain from the Ministry of Revenue.

The Chief of the Imperial Clan replied cautiously: "The paperwork is complete, only the final signature is needed."

Someone frowned: "Why hasn't it been signed yet?"

An official from the Imperial Clan Court said in a low voice, "We need to wait for an explanation from the Prince of Han's residence."

The news quickly spread throughout the palace.

The Eastern Palace.

Zhu Biao was reviewing memorials when Gu Qingping suddenly entered, looking slightly hesitant.

"Your Highness, there are rumors in the palace that the Imperial Clan Court has several documents that are being held up."

Zhu Biao paused in his writing.

"Whose?"

“Lead the way to Uncle Han.”

Zhu Biao raised his head, his gaze slightly narrowed, but he was not surprised.

"He made his move."

Gu Qingping said softly, "Isn't it too early?"

Zhu Biao shook his head.

"Just right."

“If he doesn’t move, everyone will be watching me.”

"Now, they need to change direction."

Gu Qingping looked at him and suddenly understood.

"Uncle Han is protecting the Crown Prince."

Zhu Biao paused for a moment before slowly saying, "It's not about blocking."

"It's about directing the water to where it should flow."

He put down his pen and stood up.

"Pass on the message to the Imperial Clan Court."

"Let them follow the usual procedure."

"Sign the document if you should, there's no need to look at the Crown Prince's palace."

Gu Qingping was taken aback: "What about Uncle Han—"

Zhu Biao looked out the window, his tone calm.

“Since he has released the items, he is not afraid of people seeing them.”

What I fear is not being able to see clearly.

Evening, at the Prince of Han's Mansion.

Zhu Han was standing in the courtyard, watching the craftsmen repair the pillars of the corridor.

A palace attendant hurried over, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, the Imperial Clan Court has already signed the document."

Zhu Han nodded.

"understood."

The eunuch hesitated, then said, "There is one more thing. His Highness the Crown Prince sent word that... thank you, Imperial Uncle."

Zhu Han chuckled.

“Tell him.”

"Thank you too soon."

"This matter is not over yet."

As night fell once again over the capital, the Prince Han's residence was even quieter than the day before.

It was so quiet that it seemed as if all the lingering sounds had been withdrawn.

The craftsmen under the eaves have all left, and the newly replaced pillars are still light in color, showing the grain of the new wood under the light.

Zhu Han stood with his hands behind his back for a while, making sure there were no careless mistakes, before turning around and returning to his study.

Once the door is closed, the sound of the wind outside is cut off.

There was still only one lamp lit in the study.

Under the lamp, the desk was even tidier than last night. The old books, their edges worn from repeated reading, had been re-categorized, stacked by year, and placed at the bottom.

On it were several newly delivered packages—from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works, and an inconspicuous but extremely fast-moving copy from the inner court.

Zhu Han opened and examined each document one by one.

The Ministry of War's document concerned the aftermath of grain requisitioning in Beizhili, and its tone had clearly softened; the Ministry of Works' document concerned the inspection and acceptance of river repairs, with three changes to the figures; as for the copy from the inner court, it contained only one sentence—

"His Majesty's decree: The grain has been stored in the granary, and there is no need to discuss the matter further."

After reading it, Zhu Han neither laughed nor breathed a sigh of relief.

He folded the copy and put it into the bottom hidden compartment.

This matter is definitely not over yet.

The next morning, he entered the palace as usual.

He was not summoned, but was sent to pay his respects to his elder brother, the Emperor, as was customary each month.

Such greetings were never discussed in court; they were only conducted within the inner court, with fixed routes and times.

When Zhu Han entered Kunning Gate, it was just dawn, and the frost on the palace road had not yet melted, making a soft crunching sound as he stepped on it.

The eunuch was already waiting and led him to a side hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang hadn't had breakfast yet. Several memorials were spread out on the table, and Zhu Biao was standing to one side, reporting something in a low voice. Hearing footsteps, the two looked up at the same time.

"You've arrived?" Zhu Yuanzhang spoke first.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty." Zhu Han bowed, his movements neither fast nor slow.

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, signaling him to stand up. His gaze lingered on him for a moment before returning to the memorial.

"The Imperial Clan Court signed the document last night."

Zhu Yuanzhang casually asked, "Is everything going smoothly on your end?"

Zhu Han replied calmly, "The grain is in the warehouse, the accounts are in the books, the rest is just a matter of time."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, but he didn't let it go.

"Last night, did you deliberately lead things towards the Imperial Clan Court?" The tone was not harsh, but it was direct.

Zhu Biao was slightly taken aback and subconsciously looked at Zhu Han.

Zhu Han did not avoid the question and directly replied, "Yes."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at him for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

"You're being honest."

Zhu Han lowered his eyes: "If we don't be honest, things will drag on for even longer."

Zhu Yuanzhang closed the memorial and leaned back in his chair: "Dragging this out won't benefit anyone."

“It’s not good for the Crown Prince,” Zhu Han replied quickly, “nor is it good for the Ministry of Revenue.”

Zhu Yuanzhang's smile slowly faded.

"And what about you?"

Zhu Han looked up, his tone still flat: "For your subject, it's just a change of scenery." These words were spoken lightly, but they were not untrue.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at him for a long time, but ultimately did not ask any further questions. He simply waved his hand and said, "Go down."

Zhu Han bowed and withdrew.

Zhu Biao stood there until the palace doors closed, then whispered, "Father, Uncle—"

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his hand to interrupt: "I know what he's doing."

He paused, his gaze falling on another stack of unopened folds on the table.

"I also know that some people will get restless next."

These words were not spoken to Zhu Biao, yet Zhu Biao understood them nonetheless.

That afternoon, at the Ministry of Works' western warehouse.

This warehouse is located next to the old river engineering material yard. It is rarely visited on weekdays, and only becomes lively during the annual inventory or when new river channels are being repaired.

The afternoon sun slanted in, and the dust floated in the light, as if it hadn't moved for years.

There were seven or eight people standing in the warehouse.

Zhao Wen, the head of the Ministry of Works, stood in front of the accounting table, holding an old account book in his hand, his knuckles white.

Opposite him was the warehouse clerk in charge of inventorying the materials, who was looking down and flipping through the actual records page by page.

"Read it again." Zhao Wen's voice was not loud, but extremely low.

The warehouse clerk swallowed hard: "Last autumn, the riverbed was repaired, and the required foundation stones are 3,420 pieces."

What about the physical inventory?

"...3,508."

As soon as he said it, several people around him looked up at the same time.

Zhao Wen's brow twitched.

"The extra ones?" he asked.

The warehouse clerk hesitated for a moment before whispering, "According to the count, there are eighty-eight extra pieces."

Zhao Wen did not speak immediately, but reached out and took the account book, personally turning to the page about last autumn's repairs.

The edges of that page were frayed, indicating it had been turned more than once.

The accounts are clearly written.

Material allocation, transportation, and warehousing—all three procedures are completed, and the figures are perfectly accurate.

"When did this batch of stones enter the warehouse?" Zhao Wen asked.

The warehouse clerk thought for a moment: "It was three days before the river works were suspended in early October last year."

Who signed for it?

"It's... the local warehouse transfer officer, stamped with the local seal."

Zhao Wen closed the ledger and pressed his fingertip on the cover.

"Local warehouse?"

He looked up at the neatly stacked stones on the other side of the warehouse.

The stones had fresh marks on their surfaces, so they obviously hadn't been there for a whole year.

"Are you sure these eighty-eight pieces are from last year's batch?"

The clerk's voice lowered even further: "I cannot be sure."

"Then what are you sure about?"

The warehouse clerk looked up, his face pale: "I am certain that this batch of stones did not enter the warehouse in the last two months."

Zhao Wen's heart skipped a beat.

He had worked in the Ministry of Works for over a decade, and this wasn't the first time he'd encountered something like this, but it was precisely the most difficult to handle.

The extra things are more troublesome than the missing ones.

If the amount is too small, someone can be held accountable; if it's too large, it often means that the accounts have been tampered with.

"Seal the warehouse," Zhao Wen said in a deep voice.

"The person in charge?" A junior official standing nearby was taken aback. "Such a small quantity, surely it shouldn't be necessary?"

Zhao Wen glanced at him but offered no explanation.

"Seal the treasury and re-examine it." He repeated, "Within this day, bring out all the income and expenditure records from last autumn's repairs to now."

This sealing of the warehouse caused quite a stir.

The Minister of Works received the news in the evening.

It wasn't the warehouse that reported it; rather, someone noticed that the warehouse door had been locked early and came up to ask about it.

After listening to the report, the Minister remained silent for a long while before saying, "The accounts don't match?"

“Yes.” Zhao Wen bowed his head. “The quantity is not large, but the nodes are sensitive.”

The Minister tapped his fingers twice on the table.

"Last autumn, during the maintenance work... who was monitoring this river channel back then?"

Zhao Wen didn't dare to reply.

The Minister already had a plan in mind.

“Don’t proceed with this any further,” he said. “Write a briefing on the current situation.”

"Where to send it?" Zhao Wen asked cautiously.

The Minister looked up at him.

"The Censorate."

Before night had fallen, the memorial had already been delivered to the Censorate.

The duty room was brightly lit.

The Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate took the report, glanced at it, and then placed the paper on the table.

How many?

"Eighty-eight yuan."

Are the accounts complete?

"The accounts are complete."

He chuckled.

“The accounts are complete, but the items are not correct.” He stood up. “Then this is no longer the Ministry of Works’ problem.”

The censor beside him whispered, "Should we wait until tomorrow's court assembly?"

The Right Vice Censor-in-Chief shook his head.

"This kind of thing will cool down overnight."

He picked up his pen and began writing a memorial.

The wording wasn't sharp, but every word and phrase hit the mark regarding time, key moments, and the people involved.

After finishing writing, he blew on the ink to dry it and handed the document to the eunuch.

"Tonight's delivery."

A line of people had already formed outside the Fengtian Hall.

The civil and military officials stood in order of rank. The chill had not yet dissipated, and the white stone ground in front of the hall gleamed faintly.

The delegation from the Censorate stood in the middle of the civil service ranks, neither too high nor too low, and always kept a low profile.

The Right Vice Censor-in-Chief stood at the front, his memorial tucked into his sleeve, not taken out.

The bell rang, and all the officials entered the palace.

Zhu Yuanzhang took his seat, and his gaze swept across the hall, immediately silencing the crowd.

The routine reports were presented in order.

The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Rites reported back according to regulations, without any commotion; the Ministry of War reported on the border troops' drills, with clear figures; when it was the Ministry of Works' turn, the Minister only reported on the progress of river repairs, in a calm tone, without mentioning the treasury at all.

This part, ironically, made one's heart tighten.

After the Minister of Works left, the hall fell silent for a brief moment.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyes: "The Censorate."

The Right Vice Censor-in-Chief stepped forward.

"The minister is here."

He did not immediately present his memorial, but bowed before speaking slowly: "Yesterday I received a briefing from the Ministry of Works concerning the inventory of old materials. I dare not make a decision on my own, so I have come to ask for your instructions."

His tone was neither hurried nor slow, and it lacked any sense of weight.

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyebrows twitched slightly: "Old materials?"

"Yes," said the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief. "Last autumn, when the Ministry of Works was conducting an inventory of the western warehouse during the river repairs, a slight discrepancy was found between the accounts and the actual items."

Several pairs of eyes in the hall had already been raised.

"How much has been in and out?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

"Not many," the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief replied quickly, "more than eighty pieces of stone."

Upon hearing this number, several veteran officials exchanged almost imperceptible glances.

Eighty-odd yuan, not a lot, not a little.

It just so happens that it gets stuck at a point that "cannot be glossed over in a single sentence."

Zhu Yuanzhang did not speak immediately.

The Right Vice Censor-in-Chief continued, “The accounts are complete and the procedures are in order, but the actual amount in the treasury is slightly excessive. According to regulations, I could have returned it to the Ministry of Works to clarify it myself, but since the deadline involves last year’s autumn repairs, I believe it is not appropriate to handle it privately.”

"So?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked calmly.

"Therefore, I request instructions, whether the Ministry of Works should conduct its own investigation or send additional personnel to review the procedures." The Right Vice Censor-in-Chief paused before continuing, "...whether the Ministry of Works should conduct its own investigation or send additional personnel to review the procedures."

Having said that, no one was named.

But some people in the hall already understood.

The accounts are complete, the paperwork is in order, but there are still a lot of things.

This kind of thing isn't afraid of being investigated, it's afraid of who will investigate it.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze swept around the hall.

"Ministry of Works," he began.

The Minister of Works immediately stepped forward and said, "Your subject is here."

What do you think?

The Minister bowed and said, “Your Majesty, since the discovery was made during the inventory of the warehouse, the Ministry of Works should conduct a thorough investigation and give the Censorate a clear explanation.”

The Right Vice Censor-in-Chief did not refute, but only added: "The Ministry of Works' self-examination is appropriate. However, this batch of materials was not handled by the Ministry of Works alone."

These words were spoken softly, yet they were like pushing a door open a crack.

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyes: "Who else?"

"The goods were transferred from local warehouses, temporarily borrowed by the Ministry of War, and inspected by the Waterways Administration," the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief reported. "All accounts bear official seals." (End of Chapter)