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

In less than half an hour, the first batch of carriages was ready.

Twenty horse-drawn carriages were neatly lined up on the dock, with grain sacks piled high like small mountains.

The axles creaked and groaned under the weight, as if telling the story of the immense pressure they were enduring.

Zhu Han glanced at the wagons loaded with grain, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. He said succinctly and forcefully, "Let's go."

Upon hearing the order, the coachman cracked his whip, and with a "snap," the carriage slowly started moving.

The wheels rolled over the stone slabs on the dock, making a dull but powerful sound.

The procession left the dock slowly and in an orderly manner, with guards protecting them from the front and back to ensure the safe transport of the grain.

Zhu Biao rode a tall, magnificent horse at the head of the procession.

He stood tall and straight, his gaze fixed firmly on the direction of Zhenjiang City.

At the south gate of Zhenjiang, the soldiers guarding the city spotted the massive convoy from afar.

One of the city's garrison captains immediately shouted, "Halt!"

He strode forward, and when he saw Zhu Biao, his face immediately showed a respectful expression. He quickly knelt on one knee and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhu Biao, seated on his horse, nodded slightly and said, "Transport grain into the city."

The captain dared not ask any further questions, immediately turned around and loudly ordered, "Open the door!"

With a heavy thud, the heavy city gate slowly opened.

One carriage after another entered the city.

The townspeople, seeing this grand convoy, stopped and gathered around curiously. Some whispered among themselves, "So much grain?"

"Where did it come from?"

"The authorities are inspecting the grain?"

Various speculations spread rapidly among the crowd.

The news spread like wildfire, and a large crowd gradually gathered on the streets.

Zhu Han rode his horse alongside the procession. He did not disperse the onlookers, but instead allowed the convoy to proceed slowly.

Zhu Biao glanced at Zhu Han, a hint of doubt in his eyes, and asked, "Uncle, are you doing this on purpose?"

Zhu Han smiled faintly and said, "Let them see, let the people know that the government has the ability to guarantee their food supply."

Zhu Biao nodded, his admiration for Zhu Han's strategy growing even stronger.

As the people looked at the sacks of grain, hope gradually appeared on their faces.

Someone excitedly exclaimed, "There's grain in the city!"

"Are grain prices going to drop?" These words are filled with anticipation for life.

Chengbei Guancang is the largest granary in Zhenjiang.

The tall walls surrounding the entire granary give it a solemn and dignified feel.

The warehouses are arranged in neat rows, like loyal guardians protecting these precious grains.

The officials guarding the granary had already received the news and were waiting at the gate early in the morning.

Upon seeing the arrival of the convoy, the gate slowly opened.

After dismounting, Zhu Han strode up to the official in charge of guarding the granary and asked, "Is the granary ready?"

The official guarding the granary hurriedly and respectfully replied, "Your Highness, three granaries have been cleared out, enough to store this grain."

Zhu Han nodded and said, "Unload the grain."

The grain carts slowly entered the granary, and the strong men began to work again.

They rejoined in pairs and carried the grain sacks into the warehouse.

The warehouse was covered with a thick layer of wooden planks, and the grain sacks were arranged in rows, ten sacks per row, and a hundred sacks per pile, all neat and orderly.

The accountant picked up his pen and paper again and carefully wrote down: "First cart - twenty bags."

"The second cart—twenty bags."

After each cartload of grain was unloaded, the guards at the warehouse gate would stamp a bright seal on the ledger, indicating that the grain had been safely stored.

Zhu Biao stood at the doorway watching all this, somewhat puzzled. He asked, "Uncle, why do we need to order again?"

Zhu Han patiently explained, "To prevent shortages on the road, an extra step in the process provides an extra layer of protection."

Zhu Biao smiled and said, "Indeed, it's a sound decision. Your Imperial Uncle has considered everything very thoroughly."

From dawn to afternoon, the sun moved slowly across the sky, and the convoy made several trips back and forth.

Grain was transported into the official granary in batches. The porters were exhausted and their clothes were soaked with sweat, but no one stopped working.

The man in the coarse cloth clothes had shouted himself hoarse, but he persisted, yelling, "Slow down! Line up neatly!"

His voice was a little hoarse, but it was full of power.

The grain piles in the warehouse grew higher and higher, like small white mountains, emitting a faint aroma of wheat.

As evening fell, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the earth, draping the entire world in a golden veil.

The last batch of grain was finally delivered.

The accountant carefully checked the figures again, then respectfully reported to Zhu Han: "Your Highness, a total of 16,300 shi (a unit of dry measure) has been deposited into the treasury."

Zhu Han nodded and said, "Seale the warehouse."

The guard immediately brought over the seal, the warehouse door slowly closed, the iron lock clicked shut, and the seal was firmly affixed to the door.

Zhu Han personally stamped the seal, his movements steady and powerful, as if adding a final layer of protection to the safety of the grain.

"No one is allowed to open it." Zhu Han's voice was serious and authoritative.

The official guarding the granary hurriedly and respectfully replied, "Yes, sir."

Meanwhile, the grain market in Zhenjiang City is quietly undergoing an unprecedented transformation.

The last rays of the setting sun had not yet completely faded when a large crowd had already gathered in front of the grain shop in the south of the city, their faces a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

A middle-aged grain merchant stood behind the counter, his brows furrowed, and the abacus beads in his hands seemed to have lost their usual cheerful rhythm, each tap sounding heavy and hesitant.

The rice that was originally priced at three taels of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure) is now priced at two taels and five cents. This sudden price drop has caused passersby to stop and discuss the matter.

"How come grain prices dropped so suddenly?"

An old woman asked tremblingly, her hand clutching a cloth bag containing the few copper coins she had painstakingly saved.

"I heard that the government has discovered a large amount of hidden grain. Now we ordinary people have hope."

A middle-aged man standing nearby chimed in, his eyes gleaming with hope.

Inside the Crown Prince's residence, the study lights remained on all night, like a beacon guarding some important secret. Zhu Han, Zhu Biao, and Gu Qingping sat around the table, on which lay the day's account books and a map of Zhenjiang City, the atmosphere heavy and solemn.

"Uncle, the price of grain in the city has begun to drop, which is a good sign."

Zhu Biao broke the silence first, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

Zhu Han nodded slightly, his gaze profound: "This is just the first step; our goals go far beyond this."

Gu Qingping frowned slightly and raised the question in her mind: "Will the investigation continue? After all, there may be more than one hidden granary."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Han's lips curled into a cold smile: "Of course. And there will be action tonight."

As he spoke, he tapped the map on the table lightly, pointing to several locations marked with red dots. "Here, and here, these are our next targets. Especially those abandoned granaries, they often hold unknown secrets."

Zhu Biao followed Zhu Han's finger, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Tomorrow? No, tonight? Now?"

Zhu Han stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the darkening sky outside. His tone was firm: "That's right, now. They think we've been busy all day and will be less vigilant. This is the perfect time for us to act."

Zhu Biao's eyes lit up instantly, as if he could already see the dawn of victory: "So, shall we make our move tonight?"

Zhu Han turned around, his eyes sharp: "Perfect. Biao'er, get the men ready. We'll go investigate the abandoned salt warehouse tonight."

In the backyard of the Crown Prince's residence, more than twenty capable subordinates were already fully prepared and ready to go. They had changed into dark clothes and carefully wrapped their weapons in cloth to prevent the metal from making noise and causing unnecessary trouble.

Zhu Biao stood under the eaves and said in a low but firm voice, "Uncle, everyone is here."

Zhu Han nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone, each face filled with determination and resolve. "Tonight, we will do only one thing—inspect the warehouses."

His voice was low, but clear enough for everyone to hear.

The crowd responded in unison, "Yes!" Their voices were soft, but full of power.

Zhu Han didn't say anything more. He looked up at the sky. The moonlight was lightly obscured by thin clouds, making the surroundings exceptionally dark. It was the perfect time to take action.

"Leave the city," he gave the brief order.

The procession quietly left through the back gate of the Crown Prince's residence. There were no torches to illuminate the way, no flags to guide them, only the soft sound of footsteps echoing in the silent night.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao rode at the front, and instead of choosing the bustling South Gate, they went around to the small gate on the east side of the city.

There are few guards here, and the garrison commander had already received the Crown Prince's secret orders and was fully aware of tonight's operation.

"Your Highness, Your Highness," the captain greeted softly, a hint of awe flashing in his eyes.

Zhu Biao nodded and whispered, "What happened tonight must not be told to anyone."

The captain immediately straightened his back and solemnly replied, "Yes, sir!"

The city gates opened quietly and then slowly closed again. Zhu Han and his group had disappeared into the night, leaving only a trail of firm footprints.

Twenty miles southeast of Zhenjiang City lies a desolate place.

This place was once an important place for salt merchants to store salt. After the salt route was changed, the warehouses were gradually abandoned, leaving only a few rows of dilapidated stone warehouses standing alone in the weeds.

Although the warehouse walls were tall, many parts of the roof had collapsed. The night wind blew, and the grass rustled, as if telling the story of past glory and present desolation.

Zhu Han and his group stopped at a distance. He raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop. "Stop."

His voice sounded exceptionally clear in the night breeze.

Everyone immediately stopped, held their breath, and looked into the distance.

By the faint moonlight, they discovered that there were flickering lights in the warehouse area, which seemed particularly out of place in the desolate night.

"There's someone here," Zhu Biao said in a low voice, his tone tinged with wariness.

Zhu Han nodded, his gaze sharp as an eagle: "It seems the news is true; there are indeed people active here."

He turned to a subordinate dressed in coarse cloth beside him and said, "Take two men and go around to see how many guards there are. Remember not to alert them."

The man in coarse cloth nodded in agreement and quickly selected two agile companions. The three of them disappeared into the darkness like ghosts.

About fifteen minutes later, they quietly returned, bringing important intelligence.

"Your Highness, there are three lights in the warehouse area, guarded by about twenty people, scattered in different locations."

The man in coarse cloth reported in a low voice, his tone tinged with excitement.

Zhu Biao frowned slightly upon hearing this: "There are fewer guards than at the manor, but more warehouses. We must proceed with caution."

Zhu Han shook his head, his gaze resolute: "The more warehouses, the better. We can divide and attack them. We'll split into two teams and flank them from both sides without alerting them."

Zhu Biao nodded to indicate that he understood, and quickly divided the group into two teams: ten people went around to the left and ten people went around to the right, while he and Zhu Han slowly approached from the front.

As night fell, the warehouse area drew ever closer, and the firelight grew clearer. Several guards were gathered around the fire, some drinking, some dozing, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

Zhu Han observed carefully for a moment, then said softly, "Make your move."

As soon as he finished speaking, figures rushed out from both sides at the same time, like tigers descending a mountain. Before the guards could react, they were pinned to the ground. Some tried to shout, but their mouths were immediately covered, and blades were pressed against their throats, the threat obvious.

In no time, all twenty-odd guards had been subdued without making a sound.

Zhu Biao walked over, looked at all of this, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "So easy?"

Zhu Han smiled slightly, his gaze deep: "They thought this place was remote and unknown to anyone, so they naturally lowered their guard. But we cannot let our guard down and must continue forward."

Zhu Han walked toward the first stone warehouse, whose door was tightly locked with a thick wooden bolt, making it appear exceptionally sturdy.

He drew his long sword from his waist and slashed down, breaking the wooden bolt. The warehouse door slowly opened, and a musty smell mixed with the aroma of grain wafted out.

Torches were carried inside, illuminating everything in the warehouse.

Zhu Biao stood at the doorway, and when the firelight illuminated the warehouse, he was stunned.

The warehouse was piled high with grain sacks, one after another, layer upon layer, all the way to the roof, like a small mountain.

He said in a low voice, "Uncle... so many."

Zhu Han didn't speak. He went inside, grabbed a bag of grain, cut a small opening with a knife, and the rice grains fell to the ground like flowing water. They were still top-quality new rice, with a bright color and plump grains.

"Continue opening positions." Zhu Han's voice was calm and firm.

The second warehouse door was opened, and inside was still grain; the third, the fourth, the fifth... every warehouse was piled high with grain sacks, seemingly without end.

Zhu Biao was increasingly alarmed as he looked at the contents. He made a rough estimate: "This is at least 20,000 shi (a unit of dry measure)."

Zhu Han shook his head, his gaze becoming even more profound: "More."

The man in coarse cloth began to roughly count the number of grain sacks in each warehouse: "This warehouse has about two thousand sacks, that warehouse has three thousand sacks..." The numbers were reported one after another, like heavy drumbeats striking the hearts of everyone.

After all the warehouses were opened, everyone fell silent.

The entire warehouse area resembles a mountain of grain, majestic and awe-inspiring.

Zhu Biao took a deep breath, trying to calm his shock: "Uncle, this is more than the docks. Just how much grain have they hidden?"

Zhu Han nodded, his gaze sweeping over the grain mountain: "That's why they dared to raise prices and hoard grain with such impunity. But now, all of that will end." (End of Chapter)