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

The eunuch lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Zhu Han closed the ledger pages, turned around, and sat back down at his desk.

“Go and invite someone,” he said.

"Who?"

“Zhou Jing'an,” Zhu Han said, “Just say—”

He paused.

"I want to hear him say it himself."

The eunuch's heart skipped a beat: "Your Highness, isn't it a bit too much to invite him here at this time—"

"Too early?" Zhu Han replied, shaking his head. "Not early."

“Any later,” he looked up, “he would have been talked about by everyone.”

The eunuch dared not offer any further advice and left to carry out his orders.

When Zhou Jing'an arrived at the Prince of Han's residence, it was already past midnight.

The main gate of the Prince's Mansion was not open.

He entered through the side door.

No one spoke along the way, only the lamplight guided the way.

Before entering the study, he straightened his official robes and took a deep breath.

The door opened.

Zhu Han sat behind his desk, which was lit by only one lamp.

The light is dim, but steady.

"Lord Zhou," Zhu Han looked up, "Sit."

There was no imposing aura of a prince, nor a reproachful tone.

But Zhou Jing'an became even more nervous.

He bowed and sat down, his back ramrod straight.

"I am terrified that Your Highness has summoned me."

Zhu Han did not respond to that sentence.

He brought that old debt to the forefront.

Do you recognize this?

Zhou Jing'an lowered his head.

His expression changed after just one glance.

“This…” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “This is an old account of expenditures from years ago.”

"which year?"

"The third year of Hongwu," Zhou Jing'an answered quickly.

"Who's in charge?"

Zhou Jing'an was silent for a moment.

"...Chen Tingrui."

Zhu Han nodded.

"died."

“Yes,” Zhou Jing’an said in a low voice. “In the seventh year of Hongwu, he retired due to illness and died the following year.”

"Died of illness," Zhu Han repeated, his tone devoid of emotion.

He reached out and tapped a number on the ledger page.

"Then tell me."

"The Yisan Military Warehouse was nominally renovated last year."

“But why was this money already allocated once in the third year of the Hongwu reign?” he looked up.

The room fell silent.

A layer of cold sweat seeped from Zhou Jing'an's forehead.

“Your Highness,” he stood up and cupped his hands, “this matter… I truly know nothing about it.”

Zhu Han did not get angry.

They didn't ask any further questions.

He just stared at Zhou Jing'an for a long time.

“You don’t know,” Zhu Han said slowly. “I believe you.”

Zhou Jing'an was taken aback.

“But more and more people will know about your position,” Zhu Han continued.

He stood up and walked over to Zhou Jing'an.

There was only one step between them.

"What are the people in the Ministry of War doing right now?" Zhu Han asked.

Zhou Jing'an replied in a low voice, "They're cutting accounts, pushing people around, and looking for the earliest floor."

“Very good.” Zhu Han nodded. “Then let them search.”

"Your Highness?" Zhou Jing'an looked up.

Zhu Han turned around and walked back behind the desk.

“I’m not afraid of them bringing up old grievances,” he said. “I’m afraid they won’t bring up old grievances enough.”

He picked up the ledger.

“The third year of Hongwu,” Zhu Han said softly. “That year, the imperial court had just been established, and the Ministry of War had just been formed.”

“My imperial brother,” he paused, “hates nothing more than settling old scores in new ones.”

Zhou Jing'an's heart sank.

"Zhou Jing'an," Zhu Han called his name.

"The subordinate is here."

“Go back,” Zhu Han said. “Tell them.”

"Cutting is fine."

"Self-preservation is also an option."

But there's one thing—

He raised his eyes, his gaze extremely steady.

"Don't just push the debts onto places I can see."

"Push it a little earlier."

"Arrived early—"

He paused for a moment.

“My royal brother can see it too.”

Zhou Jing'an was startled.

He knelt down to pay his respects.

"Understood, sir."

Zhu Han did not speak again.

Dawn is breaking.

Before the palace bells had even rung, figures were already moving about on the stone steps in front of the Fengtian Hall.

Zhu Yuanzhang got up very early.

This has been his habit for many years.

When he finished reviewing the first stack of memorials, the sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten. He put down his vermilion brush, rubbed his wrists, but his gaze never left the desk.

The memorial at the very top was unremarkable.

The case filing report from Shuntian Prefecture was, as per custom, copied to the Secretariat, which then selected the essentials for inclusion in the main body.

There is no express delivery.

There was no blood on the cover.

But Zhu Yuanzhang insisted that this one be placed first.

He opened it and read it very slowly.

When he saw "the fire at the Yisan military warehouse," his brows twitched only slightly.

Upon seeing the "abnormal accounting" sign, he snorted.

Next, continue.

"The relevant government agency is the Ministry of War."

Zhu Yuanzhang's hand stopped.

"Ministry of War..." he murmured.

The eunuchs standing in the hall subconsciously held their breath.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not immediately retaliate.

He closed the memorial, put it aside, and picked up the next one.

It belongs to Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao reported on a different matter—the allocation of spring grain by the Ministry of Revenue. He spoke cautiously and clearly.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked and looked, and suddenly laughed.

"Biao'er".

He looked up. "Do you think the Ministry of War has been busy lately?"

Zhu Biao was taken aback, then stood up and bowed.

"Your Majesty, the border garrison rotation is imminent, and the affairs of the Ministry of War are always complicated."

“Complex.” Zhu Yuanzhang nodded. “The accounts must be numerous.”

Zhu Biao's heart tightened, but he still kept his tone steady: "The Ministry of War's expenses are complex and have always required careful investigation."

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him.

That glance, though light, was profound.

“Investigate thoroughly,” he said. “Well said.”

He reached out and pointed to the memorial from Shuntian Prefecture.

Have you heard about this case?

Zhu Biao remained silent for a moment.

"...I've heard about it."

"Just heard about it?"

"The case was filed in Shuntian Prefecture not long ago and has not yet entered the inner court's procedures," Zhu Biao replied.

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent.

The hall was quiet for a while.

Suddenly, he asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"Prince Han, what have you been doing these past two days?"

Zhu Biao was taken aback.

"Uncle?" he answered carefully, "I heard he's still in the mansion, and there's been no movement from him."

"No movement yet." Zhu Yuanzhang smiled. "If he made a move, I would be relieved."

Zhu Biao raised his eyes: "Father's meaning is—"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked to the front of the hall.

The morning light streamed through the high window, casting a long shadow over him.

"Fourth brother." He suddenly changed his address, calling Zhu Han by his birth order among his brothers.

"The best at waiting."

“His waiting,” Zhu Yuanzhang said calmly, “means that someone is getting anxious.”

Prince Han's Mansion.

Zhu Han is writing.

It was neither a memorial to the throne nor an account book.

It's a person's name.

On a blank sheet of paper, a dozen or so names were written haphazardly.

Some are circled.

Some had a line drawn.

Yes, it was only half written.

The eunuch stood aside, watching with trepidation.

Some of these names have already retired, some are still in office, and some... have long since passed away.

"Your Highness," the eunuch finally couldn't help but whisper, "these people..."

“They all belong to the Ministry of War,” Zhu Han said.

He put down his pen and looked at the paper.

"He was also the person in the Ministry of War who actually managed money during those twenty years."

The eunuch's throat tightened.

"But some of them are already dead."

“Even if someone dies, the score will still be settled,” Zhu Han said calmly. “The debts won’t be cleared just because someone dies.”

He folded the paper and tucked it into his sleeve.

"Go prepare the car," Zhu Han said.

The eunuch was startled: "Your Highness is leaving the residence?"

"Ah."

"Where to go?"

Zhu Han thought for a moment.

"Enter the palace."

The eunuch's heart pounded.

“If there is no summons at this hour—” Zhu Han looked up at him.

“My brother,” he said, “has already seen the memorial.”

A slight smile played on his lips.

“If I don’t go, he will become suspicious of me.”

News of Prince Han's entry into the palace spread quickly.

When the message reached the Shuntian Prefecture, the official in charge simply bowed his head and put a newly copied account book into the box.

When the message reached the Ministry of War, someone accidentally knocked over a teacup.

Zhu Han got out of the car outside the Fengtian Hall.

He didn't walk quickly.

They didn't walk slowly either.

Step by step, I stepped onto the stone steps.

It's as if the time was calculated in advance.

The palace gates opened.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood in the hall, watching him approach.

The two brothers looked at each other for a moment, but said nothing.

Yet it seemed as if she already understood everything.

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke first.

"Fourth."

"Your timing is perfect."

Zhu Han bowed and looked up.

"Your Majesty, my brother, has come at an inopportune time."

"Yes, I'm here—"

He paused.

"We acknowledge it."

These words were spoken.

Inside the Fengtian Hall, the air suddenly tightened.

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes.

What debt are you going to admit to?

Zhu Han stared directly at him.

"The Ministry of War's accounts," he said.

"Too--"

Inside the Fengtian Hall, the silence was eerily profound.

After Zhu Han finished speaking, even the guards holding halberds outside the hall subconsciously tensed their backs.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not immediately become angry.

This is the most dangerous situation.

He slowly walked back to his desk and sat down, tapping his fingers lightly on the edge of the desk.

a bit.

Two times.

"Fourth brother." He looked up, his tone unreadable, "You're being too definitive."

Zhu Han stood ramrod straight.

"Your Majesty, I dare not presume," he said. "I am only afraid that Your Majesty—"

"What are you afraid of me for?" Zhu Yuanzhang interrupted.

"I'm afraid that my brother will be blinded by others using this as an excuse."

This statement is sharp and incisive.

Zhu Biao's heart sank, and he instinctively took a step forward: "Royal Uncle—"

Zhu Han didn't look at him.

He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.

“The Yisan military warehouse was repaired last year,” Zhu Han said, “but the accounts can be traced back to the third year of Hongwu.”

"This is not a mistake."

"It's two sets of accounts overlapping."

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze finally changed.

That wasn't anger.

It is vigilance.

“Go on,” he said.

Zhu Han took out the folded paper from his sleeve.

Unfold.

A list of names.

Inside the Fengtian Hall, several people turned pale the moment they saw the names.

Zhu Yuanzhang also saw it.

His gaze lingered on one of the names for a moment.

very short.

But it is deadly enough.

"Chen Tingrui," Zhu Yuanzhang read aloud.

"Yes," Zhu Han replied, "the head of the Revenue Department when the Ministry of War was first established."

Zhu Yuanzhang sneered: "Even dead people need to be dragged out?"

“It’s precisely because it’s dead that it’s useful,” Zhu Han said.

The hall trembled.

Zhu Biao suddenly looked up.

"Uncle, those words—"

Zhu Han then turned to look at him, his tone softening: "Your Highness the Crown Prince."

“Your Majesty, I did not mean that Your Majesty would employ him.”

"You mean—"

He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang again.

"The Ministry of War is currently using him."

Zhu Yuanzhang's hand slowly tightened.

What are they saying?

"And speaking of which—" Zhu Han said, word by word, "the accounts are old accounts, the people are old people, the system is incomplete, and it's a legacy of the previous dynasty."

"The mistake is not in the present moment."

"And back then."

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly laughed.

The laughter wasn't loud, but it sent chills down the spines of several people in the hall.

"What a convenient excuse."

"Include me," his tone suddenly turned cold, "as well."

Zhu Han did not avoid the question.

"Yes."

That "yes" was like a spark falling onto oil.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up.

Do you know what you're saying?

Zhu Han knelt down.

"Your subject knows."

"Your Majesty, I also know that if this claim is true—"

He looked up, his gaze steady.

"At least half of the Ministry of War personnel will survive."

“And my elder brother,” he paused, “has to carry the remaining half.”

Inside the Fengtian Hall, there was deathly silence.

Zhu Biao's expression changed completely.

"Royal Uncle!" he shouted sternly, "These words must not be spoken again!"

Zhu Han simply let out a soft breath.

“Therefore,” he said, “my brother must come today.”

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at him.

"What brings you here?"

Zhu Han looked up.

"For one thing."

“Take this case back from the Ministry of War,” he said.

Zhu Yuanzhang narrowed his eyes: "To whom should I seize it?"

Zhu Han's answer was concise and to the point.

"For my imperial brother."

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized—

This case, from the very beginning, was not aimed at the Ministry of War.

Instead, it was aimed at—

"Who dares to use my past debts to wash their hands of the matter?"

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke slowly and deliberately.

He turned abruptly and shouted towards the outside of the hall:
"deliver an imperial order!"

"The case of the Third Military Granary of Shuntian Prefecture,"

Effective immediately—

"Promoted to an Imperial Case!"

"All accounts shall be sealed and stored in the original files of the Ministry of War, and shall be jointly reviewed by the Imperial Court, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Shuntian Prefecture!"

"No one may use the excuse of 'predecessor' or 'old system' to shirk responsibility!"

The moment the decree was issued.

The Minister of War is truly dead.

Zhu Han lowered his head.

"Brother Royal makes a wise decision."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him and suddenly asked in a cold voice:
"Fourth."

"You knew all along that they would try to pin the blame on me?"

Zhu Han remained silent for a moment.

Then answer.

"Your Majesty, I simply dare not gamble."

"Brother Gambling King, won't we be forced into something—"

He didn't finish speaking.

Zhu Yuanzhang understood.

Forced into a corner, in order to stabilize the situation, they spared half the people.

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly burst into laughter.

Laughter echoed throughout the hall.

"it is good."

"What a fine Prince Han!"

He stopped smiling, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Your move—"

"Not the Rescue Department."

"They're forcing me to kill them all."

Zhu Han kowtowed.

“Your Majesty, I am merely handing the knife to you steadily.”

The gates of the Ministry of War were sealed when the sun was high in the sky.

At that moment, the stone lions in front of the main gate were still covered with the dew from the previous night, and the blue bricks under the steps gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

There was no drumbeat.

There was no gong sounded.

The constables from Shuntian Prefecture arrived first, four in a row, carrying a wooden box; then the captains of the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrived, their armor clattering softly as they walked; finally, the eunuch from the inner court entered to announce the imperial decree.

The three groups of people stopped simultaneously in front of the main gate of the Ministry of War.

The doorman, who had been yawning, dropped the door sign with a "thud" when he saw the commotion.

"Gentlemen...this is—"

Before he could finish speaking, the Jinyiwei captain had already raised his hand.

Two strongmen stepped forward, one on the left and one on the right, and pried open the door.

The clerk from Shuntian Prefecture stepped forward, opened the wooden box, and took out the seal. His movements were unhurried but extremely steady.

"By imperial decree."

The palace eunuch unfurled a yellow silk scroll; his voice was not loud, but it could be clearly heard at the empty street corner.
"The case of the Yisan Military Warehouse in Shuntian Prefecture has been upgraded to an imperial case. The Ministry of War shall immediately seal off the gates for investigation, and no one shall be allowed to enter or leave."

As soon as he finished speaking, the seal was affixed. (End of Chapter)