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

“Starting about two weeks ago, salt prices in Yangzhou, Suzhou, and Songjiang suddenly rose. On the surface, it appears to be a joint price increase by salt merchants, but in reality, there is a force driving it from behind the scenes.”

Zhu Biao said in a deep voice, "The Shen family?"

His gaze was fixed on Zhu Han, trying to find the answer in his expression.

Zhu Han didn't answer immediately. He took out another secret report and placed it on the table. "And this one."

Zhu Biao continued reading, and this time, his expression became even more serious, his brows furrowed tightly, as if he had encountered an unsolvable mystery.

"Several ships have gone missing on several branch lines of the Grand Canal in Jiangnan?"

Zhu Han slowly said, "Grain ships, cloth ships, and even a batch of rice ships transported by government-run grain companies."

His voice was low and slow, as if emphasizing the seriousness of the matter.

Zhu Biao looked up, his eyes filled with shock. "Someone is tampering with the canal transport?"

Zhu Han nodded, a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"And the actions were very covert. It wasn't open robbery, but rather destroying ships at night, setting them on fire, or even making them 'disappear'. Those ships were like ghosts, vanishing without a trace, leaving only a mess on the water."

Zhu Biao took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"Uncle, it's obvious someone is targeting us." His voice carried a hint of anger.

Zhu Han said softly, "Not bad."

He paused, then added, "And the methods are far more sophisticated than Shen Wanlong's previous tricks. Shen Wanlong's methods were nothing more than petty squabbles, while the person behind this clearly has greater ambitions and deeper schemes."

Zhu Biao remained silent for a moment, his mind filled with countless thoughts.

"Does the Imperial Uncle suspect... that the Shen family is only superficially seeking peace, while secretly plotting something?"

Zhu Han shook his head, a hint of wisdom in his eyes.

“Shen Wanlong has the guts, but he may not have the ability. Although he is ruthless, he is not strategic or powerful enough to plan such a meticulous operation.”

Zhu Biao froze, his eyes filled with confusion. "Who is that?"

Zhu Han stood up and walked to the window. The night wind rustled his sleeves.

He gazed out the window at the night sky, as if searching for an enemy hidden in the darkness.

“The business in Jiangnan isn’t limited to the Shen family alone.” After he finished speaking, he uttered two words softly, “The Salt Gang.”

Zhu Biao's pupils contracted slightly, and a sense of unease welled up in his heart.

The Jiangnan Salt Gang was an extremely powerful force, like a giant beast lurking in the darkness.

They belonged neither to the imperial court nor entirely to the merchants; they wielded immense influence in various sectors, including salt transport, salt warehouses, fleets, and docks, and were virtually ubiquitous.

Zhu Biao said slowly, "If it really is the Salt Gang involved, then things will be troublesome."

His voice carried a hint of worry. The Salt Gang was powerful and ruthless. If they became enemies, they would face a difficult battle.

Zhu Han turned around, a hint of determination in his eyes.

"So we can't rush it." His voice was steady and powerful, as if reassuring Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao nodded, still harboring concerns but trusting his uncle's judgment. "What does Uncle intend to do?"

Zhu Han did not answer immediately. He walked back to the table and took out a small bronze plaque from the drawer.

The bronze plaque shimmered with a mysterious light under the lamplight, and it was engraved with a single word—"Shadow".

Zhu Biao's expression changed slightly upon seeing the bronze plaque. "Uncle... are you going to use the Shadow Guards?"

His voice carried a hint of surprise and anticipation.

The Shadow Guards are the most elite force in the Prince of Han's mansion. They are elusive, highly skilled in martial arts, and are specifically responsible for carrying out secret missions.

Zhu Han said calmly, "The waters of Jiangnan are deep; ordinary spies won't find anything. Those ordinary spies are like searching for a needle in a haystack; they can't reach the core of the matter at all. It's time to let them out and take action."

Before long, Lu Chenzhou arrived in Nanshi with several of his men.

This is the most bustling and vibrant commercial area in Zhenjiang, resembling a giant commercial maze.

Along both sides of the street, various shops such as grain stores, cloth shops, salt shops, and pharmacies are densely packed together, their signs swaying gently in the breeze and making creaking sounds.

At the shop entrance, vendors enthusiastically called out their wares, their voices rising and falling, mingling with the conversations of passersby and the sound of horses' hooves, creating a noisy symphony of the marketplace.

Lu Chenzhou walked into a teahouse that looked unremarkable from the outside.

Inside the teahouse, a faint aroma of tea mingled with the various scents emanating from the people.

He went straight up to the second floor, came to a private room, and gently pushed open the door.

Inside the private room, a man was already seated. He was burly and had dark skin, like a hard rock. He was Chen Guang, the Shadow Guard's mole in Jiangnan.

Upon seeing Lu Chenzhou enter, Chen Guang immediately stood up, bowed slightly, and respectfully said, "Commander Lu."

Lu Chenzhou nodded slightly, sat down calmly, looked directly at Chen Guang, and asked, "How is the situation?"

Chen Guang lowered his voice and said with a solemn expression, "The Salt Gang has been making a lot of moves lately."

As he spoke, he took out a rough map of the waterways of Jiangnan from his pocket and gently unfolded it on the table.

On the map, the crisscrossing waterways resembled winding ribbons, marking various place names and key nodes.

Chen Guang pointed to several waterways and said, "Most of the boats that have recently gone missing are in these sections."

Lu Chenzhou glanced at the map, frowned slightly, and asked, "Are they all side quests?"

Chen Guang nodded quickly and replied, "Yes."

He continued, "Moreover, these places are all near the salt gang's docks."

Lu Chenzhou pondered for a moment, then tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.

Then, he raised his head and asked sharply, "What have the Salt Gang been up to lately?"

Chen Guang replied, "They are recruiting boats."

“Many ships,” Chen Guang added, a look of worry on his face.

Lu Chenzhou frowned even more, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, and asked, "Sign up a boat?"

Chen Guang nodded again and said, "Yes. More than a hundred ships have gathered in Yangzhou, saying they are going to transport salt, but the salt warehouses don't have much stock."

Lu Chenzhou's gaze gradually sharpened, as if he could see through all pretense.

He said slowly, "They are not transporting salt."

Chen Guang was taken aback, a look of confusion in his eyes, and asked, "That is..."

Lu Chenzhou said, enunciating each word clearly, "They are preparing a fleet."

Chen Guang was startled, his face turning deathly pale. He asked, "A fleet?"

Lu Chenzhou nodded and said seriously, "If it's just for business, we don't need so many ships."

He paused, his gaze becoming even more profound, and continued, "But if it's about blocking the waterways, then it will be necessary."

Chen Guang's face immediately changed, his eyes filled with terror, and he said, "They want to cut off the canal transport?" Lu Chenzhou did not speak, but just sat there quietly, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, in Yangzhou, a pungent smell of salt permeated a huge salt warehouse.

A dozen or so salt gang leaders sat together, their faces all bearing an arrogant and confident expression.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties named Han Shichang, one of the three leaders of the Jiangnan Salt Gang.

He was tall and burly, with a cold and stern face, and his eyes revealed a ruthless and cunning nature.

Han Shichang slowly took a sip of tea, then gently placed the teacup on the table, making a crisp sound.

He said slowly, "That old fox Shen Wanlong is quite clever."

A leader nearby sneered, his face full of disdain, and said, "Who wouldn't give up half their fortune to save their life?"

Han Shichang shook his head, a hint of mockery in his eyes, and said, "You don't understand. On the surface, the Shen family lost, but in reality, they have disrupted the situation in Jiangnan."

The other person frowned and asked, "Master Han, the Prince of Han's Mansion has set up so many government-run grain stores in Jiangnan. What should we do?"

Han Shichang put down his teacup, placed his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and scanned the crowd with his eyes, saying, "We can't touch the grain store."

He paused, pointed to the map on the table, and continued, "But waterways are possible. Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Songjiang... all the grain from the government-run grain stores must be transported by boat. If the boats can't get there, their grain can't be sold."

Everyone's eyes lit up, and their faces lit up with excitement. They all praised, "Brilliant!"

Han Shichang smiled faintly and said calmly, "It's not about seizing the ship, it's about making it 'unable to pass'."

One of the leaders scratched his head and asked in confusion, "What about the Shen family?"

Han Shichang smiled, a hint of smugness in his eyes, and said, "Shen Wanlong has already promised us that as long as the government-run grain stores collapse, he is willing to give us 30% of the remaining grain market."

The crowd burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the salt warehouse, filled with greed and ambition.

One of the leaders slammed his fist on the table and said loudly, "That's something Prince Han probably never expected."

Han Shichang slowly stood up, walked to the window, looked at the salt warehouses and fleet outside, and said slowly, "He will soon find out. The waters of Jiangnan are not something that anyone can stir up."

Zhenjiang, Hanwang Mansion, late at night.

The moonlight, like water, spilled onto the rooftops and courtyards of the Prince's Mansion, draping the entire mansion in a layer of silver gauze.

Zhu Han just came out of the study, his face showing a hint of fatigue, but his eyes revealed a firmness and wisdom.

A shadow guard appeared silently, like a ghost, knelt on one knee, and said, "Your Highness."

Zhu Han stopped, turned around, looked calmly at the shadow guard, and said, "Speak."

The shadow guard handed over a secret letter, saying, "It was sent by Commander Lu."

Zhu Han took the secret letter, opened it gently, and after reading only a few lines, his eyes turned cold, like ice blades in the dead of winter.

The letter reads: "The Salt Gang has gathered over a hundred boats, seemingly blocking the waterways."

Zhu Han slowly closed the letter and looked up at the distant river.

Under the cover of night, the river flows eastward with surging waves, as if telling of the impending storm.

After a moment, he said softly, "It seems... this game in Jiangnan is far from over."

He turned and walked back to his study, his steps steady and powerful.

He said to the guards standing outside the door, "Go and invite the Crown Prince."

The guard immediately obeyed and hurriedly left.

Before long, Zhu Biao rushed over, his face showing a hint of anxiety and confusion. He asked, "Uncle, what happened?"

Zhu Han handed him the secret letter, which Zhu Biao took, opened hurriedly, and read quickly.

After reading it, his face immediately darkened, his eyes filled with anger, and he said, "The Salt Gang wants to cut off the water supply?"

Zhu Han nodded, his expression calm and composed.

Zhu Biao said through gritted teeth, "They're incredibly audacious!"

Zhu Han remained calm, as if everything was under his control, and said, "Being bold means you have someone backing you."

Zhu Biao was taken aback, a look of confusion appearing in his eyes, and asked, "What does Imperial Uncle mean?"

Zhu Han said calmly, "The Salt Gang is just the knife; the one wielding the knife hasn't shown his face yet."

Zhu Biao said in a deep voice, "Then what do we do now?"

Zhu Han pondered for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, then slowly said, "Since they want to block the waterway..."

"Then let's make our move first."

A sharp glint flashed in Zhu Biao's eyes, as if he were already prepared for battle, and he asked, "What does Imperial Uncle intend to do?"

Zhu Han's voice was calm, but it revealed an undeniable authority as he said, "Move the ship."

Zhu Biao paused, a look of confusion in his eyes, and asked, "Move the ship?"

Zhu Han nodded and said, "Move out all the ships that are operational in Zhenjiang, Suzhou, and Taicang."

Zhu Biao suddenly understood, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and said, "Uncle, you want to..."

Zhu Han looked at the river, his gaze deep and resolute, and said calmly, "They want to block the river."

He paused, his tone growing colder, and continued, "Then let's see—who has more boats."

Inside, the atmosphere was as calm as the calm before a storm, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Zhu Biao stood quietly by the table, still clutching the secret letter tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

His face was ashen, his brows furrowed tightly together like two insurmountable mountains, as he pondered the worrying contents of the secret letter.

"Uncle, if the Salt Gang really intends to block the waterways, I'm afraid it won't just be the Zhenjiang section."

Zhu Biao finally broke the dull silence, speaking in a deep voice, his tone tinged with worry and unease.

Zhu Han nodded slightly, his movements steady and firm, as if he already had a clear understanding of the situation.

He slowly turned around and walked back to the table with steady steps, his movements elegant and composed.

The moment the map was laid out, it almost filled the entire table.

Zhenjiang, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Taicang, Songjiang... The landmarks of various rivers, tributaries and canals are densely packed on it, like stars in the sky, dazzling the eyes.

Zhu Han reached out and gently picked up a thin wooden stick, which in his hand seemed like a sharp sword to command thousands of troops.

He tapped the map lightly, his movement precise and decisive.

“If the salt gang wanted to cut off the canal transport, the easiest place to do so would not be the main canal.”

Zhu Han's voice was deep and powerful, as if carrying an unquestionable authority.

The wooden pole rests on a thin branch line, a line that appears so small on the map, yet so crucial. (End of Chapter)