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

At this moment, Lu Chenzhou walked in and said, "Your Highness."

Zhu Han looked up and said, "Speak."

Lu Chenzhou said, "There's movement again in Yangzhou. The Salt Gang is recruiting ships."

Zhu Biao frowned and said, "Signing up boats again? What exactly are they trying to do? Are they still not giving up?"

Lu Chenzhou nodded and said, "This time it's not a salt transport ship, it's a large ship."

Zhu Han's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked, "How much?"

“More than twenty,” Lu Chenzhou said.

Zhu Biao asked in confusion, "What do they need so many big ships for? Are they planning to transport something?"

Zhu Han pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Go to Jiangkou."

Zhu Biao was taken aback and asked, "Jiangkou?"

Zhu Han said, "If you go east from Zhenjiang for another day, you'll reach the estuary."

Zhu Biao's expression changed, and he said in surprise, "They want to intercept the sea ships? Grain not only travels by river, but also by sea. They want to cut off our entire grain transport line."

Zhu Han nodded slightly and said, "The grain is transported not only by river but also by sea. They've certainly made a good calculation."

Zhu Biao couldn't help but say, "These people are really persistent, like a swarm of annoying flies that you can't get rid of."

Zhu Han smiled and said, "Very good."

Zhu Biao was stunned and asked, "Uncle, is this alright? They're about to cut off our supply lines. This is no small matter."

Zhu Han said, "The more they move, the easier it will be for them to reveal their weaknesses. I don't believe they can hide so well forever."

Zhu Biao remained silent for a moment, then slowly understood and said, "Uncle, you want to find the person behind this. Although the Salt Gang is powerful, to carry out such a large-scale operation, there must be someone supporting them behind the scenes."

Zhu Han did not deny it, saying, "The Salt Gang can't do something this big. They are just the knife. It's time for the one wielding the knife to come out." His eyes revealed a hint of expectation and determination.

Three days later, the waterways in Jiangnan gradually became tense.

At the Suzhou docks, soldiers came and went, their patrol footsteps rhythmic and powerful, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Outside the Jiaxing granary, the guards were doubled, each holding a weapon and standing ramrod straight, like pine trees.

At the mouth of the Changshu River, vessel inspections are strict; every boat must undergo a thorough check before it can pass.

Members of the Salt Gang appear from time to time, like ghosts, appearing and disappearing without warning.

Sometimes they would seize boats, sometimes they would set fires, and sometimes they would suddenly disappear without a trace, leaving the officers and soldiers unable to defend themselves.

Zhu Han sat behind the table, slowly flipping through the secret letter. His eyes were focused and serious, not missing a single detail.

Zhu Biao stood to the side, his heart pounding like a rabbit's, extremely nervous.

The room was quiet; the only sound was the rustling of pages turning, a sound that was particularly clear in the still night.

A moment later, Zhu Han put down the last letter, and Zhu Biao couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, is there a result?"

Zhu Han did not answer immediately. He picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

The tea had cooled slightly and tasted bitter. He then said, "The Salt Gang has been spending a lot of money lately."

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Hiring boats, hiring people, and transporting goods all cost money. They must have spent a lot of money on all this."

Zhu Han picked up another letter and said, "And it's not a small amount of money."

Zhu Biao frowned and said, "Although the Salt Gang has money, they can't last long if they keep messing around like this. Where did they get so much money?"

Zhu Han looked at the letter and said calmly, "So someone is giving them money."

Zhu Biao asked in a deep voice, "Who is it? Who is supporting the Salt Gang behind the scenes, allowing them to act so recklessly?"

Zhu Han did not answer; instead, he handed the letter to Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao took it and quickly glanced at it.

The letter contained only a few sentences: "Two hundred thousand taels of silver have entered Yangzhou within three days, the source of which is unknown."

Zhu Biao's expression changed, and he said in surprise, "Two hundred thousand taels? That's no small sum. Where did the Salt Gang get so much silver?"

Zhu Han nodded and said, "And not just once." He then pointed to another letter.

Zhu Biao opened it and saw that it read: "Jiaxing Money Shop disbursed 80,000 taels, cashier was the Salt Gang."

Zhu Biao's face gradually darkened, and he said, "If this silver doesn't belong to the Salt Gang, then whose does it belong to? Is someone providing them with financial support behind the scenes?"

Zhu Han said, "Of course not."

Zhu Biao asked in a low voice, "Who is that?"

Zhu Han looked at the letters on the table and slowly said, "The Shen family."

Zhu Biao suddenly looked up and said in surprise, "Shen Wanlong? Didn't he already give up half of his fortune? How could he still be colluding with the Salt Gang?"

Zhu Han chuckled softly and said, "That's just what's on the surface. The Shen family is powerful and wealthy; how could they easily hand over half of their assets? They must still have a lot of silver hidden away."

Zhu Biao remained silent. After a while, he said, "If the Shen family is really backing the Salt Gang, then things make sense. With the Shen family's financial support, the Salt Gang can act recklessly, while the Shen family can use the Salt Gang to achieve their own goals."

Zhu Han nodded and said, "The Salt Gang is just the knife; silver is the handle. Without silver, the Salt Gang is just a piece of scrap metal and can't do anything."

Zhu Biao then asked, "So what do we do now? We can't just stand by and watch the Salt Gang and the Shen family collude and ruin our plans."

Zhu Han did not answer immediately. He stood up and walked to the window.

The river surface was faintly visible in the night, like a black ribbon, winding and twisting.

In the distance, several ship lights moved slowly, like twinkling stars.

He looked for a while, then suddenly said, "Crown Prince."

Zhu Biao responded, "Yes."

Zhu Han asked, "What is the Shen family most afraid of right now?"

Zhu Biao thought for a moment and said, "Grain? Are they afraid we'll cut off their food supply?"

Zhu Han shook his head and said, "Silver."

Zhu Biao was taken aback and asked, "Silver? Why are they afraid of silver? Aren't they very rich?" Zhu Han nodded and said, "They're sending money everywhere now. Where does the money come from?"

Zhu Biao slowly understood and said, "The money shops. They must be using the money shops to allocate funds to support the Salt Gang's operations."

Zhu Han said, "That's right." He returned to the table and pointed to several places on the map, "Yangzhou, Jiaxing, Songjiang. The money shops in these places are almost all related to the Shen family."

Zhu Biao's eyes lit up, and he said, "Is the Imperial Uncle going to investigate the money exchange? As long as we find out the problems with the money exchange, we can find evidence that the Shen family supports the Salt Gang."

Zhu Han said calmly, "It's not an investigation."

Zhu Biao asked in confusion, "What is that?"

Zhu Han said, "Sever the silver."

The study fell silent for a moment, as if time had stopped.

Zhu Biao quickly realized what was going on and excitedly said, "As long as the Shen family can't come out with their money, the Salt Gang won't be able to hold on. Without money, they can't hire boats, recruit people, or transport goods, and they'll have no choice but to surrender."

Zhu Han nodded and said, "Yes."

Zhu Biao couldn't help but laugh and said, "No matter how much trouble the Salt Gang causes, it's just an empty shell and won't amount to anything."

Zhu Han didn't laugh. He said seriously, "But we must be careful. If the money exchange makes a move, the Shen family will panic. When they panic, they will reveal more flaws and do some crazy things. We must be on guard."

Zhu Biao nodded and said, "Understood. I will arrange for people to closely monitor the Shen family's every move, and report immediately if anything happens."

Zhu Han looked at the map and said, "This is exactly what I want. I refuse to believe that we can't find the mastermind behind this."

The next morning, Yangzhou was just waking up from its slumber, and the streets were just beginning to bustle with activity.

Several government officials suddenly appeared in front of a shop called "Guangyuan Money Shop".

They were dressed in neat official robes, walked with steady steps, and had solemn expressions.

They stood at the door, and one of them announced loudly, "By order of the Prince of Han's residence, we are here to audit the accounts."

The voice was loud and powerful, echoing through the streets.

People on the street immediately gathered around, craning their necks to watch the scene with curiosity.

The money shop manager looked nervous, sweat rolling down his forehead. He stammered, "Sir, what's going on? Our money shop has always conducted business honestly, why are we suddenly being audited?"

The officer coldly replied, "Just cooperate. We're just following orders, don't ask any more questions."

Soon, the account books were moved out box by box and placed on the open ground outside the shop.

The shop was in complete chaos, and the employees were panicked and didn't know what to do.

The news spread quickly, and within half a day, all three major money exchanges in Yangzhou were investigated.

Inside the Yangzhou salt warehouse, Han Shichang's expression changed immediately after hearing the report, as if a dark cloud had settled over his face.

He slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups to jump and spill tea all over the floor. "Investigate the money exchange?"

He said angrily, "And they're only investigating those related to the Shen family. What does the Prince of Han's Mansion mean by this? Have they discovered something?"

The leader next to him said, "Boss, what about our money? If the bank is investigated, we won't be able to get our money out, and the rest of the operation will be impossible."

Han Shichang remained silent for a moment, a hint of unease and hesitation in his eyes.

Suddenly, he sneered and said, "The Prince of Han's Mansion has finally realized what's happening. But do they think they can stop us like this? They're too naive."

The leader, somewhat nervous, asked, "Master, what should we do now? Should we suspend operations and wait for things to calm down?"

Han Shichang said, "Stop for now."

Everyone was taken aback and asked, "Stop?"

Han Shichang nodded and said, "Don't make any moves these next few days. Wait until things calm down. I don't believe the Prince of Han's mansion can keep watching us forever. However, we can't just sit here and wait to die. We need to find a way to contact the Shen family and see what their plans are."

Inside the Yangzhou salt warehouse, although Han Shichang ordered a halt to the operation, the resentment and unwillingness in his heart were as turbulent as a surging tide.

He paced back and forth, his footsteps echoing in the empty warehouse, each step feeling as if it were a heavy blow to his heart.

"Master, we haven't heard anything from the Shen family. Could something have happened to them?"

One of the leaders asked cautiously, his eyes filled with worry.

Han Shichang stopped, his brows furrowed, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "The Shen family is powerful and won't be defeated so easily. However, the Han Prince's Mansion's move is indeed shrewd; cutting off our funding is like cutting off our limbs."

"So, are we just going to sit here and wait like this?" another leader asked, unwilling to give up.

Han Shichang sneered: "Wait? Of course we can't just wait. The Prince of Han's Mansion thinks they can control us by cutting off the money shops. They underestimate our Salt Gang. Go and call all the elders in the gang. We need to discuss a strategy."

Before long, several white-haired but sharp-eyed veterans of the salt gang arrived at the warehouse.

They sat around a worn-out table, the atmosphere unusually somber.

"Gentlemen, the situation is critical. The Prince of Han's Mansion has sealed off the banks connected to the Shen family, which has severely restricted our operations. What do you all think we should do?" Han Shichang spoke first, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the crowd.

A slender elder with piercing eyes slowly said, "Master, I don't think we can sit idly by and wait to die. Although the money exchange has been investigated, our Salt Gang has been operating for many years and still has some hidden sources of income. We can use those reserve funds to continue our plan."

Another elder shook his head: "Those reserve funds are limited, and once they are used, it will be easy for the Prince of Han's Mansion to find out. At that time, not only will our actions be restricted, but it may also bring us even bigger trouble."

"Are we just going to give up like this? When has our Salt Gang ever suffered such humiliation!" A hot-blooded young leader suddenly stood up and shouted.

Han Shichang gestured for him to sit down and said, "Everyone, don't rush, let's discuss this slowly. I think we can change our strategy. Since the Prince of Han's Mansion is watching our funding sources, let's not use money to do big things."

Everyone was taken aback, and they all looked puzzled.

Han Shichang continued, "We can use the Salt Gang's manpower advantage to wage some small-scale guerrilla warfare. We can rob some small merchant caravans of their goods and disrupt their transport lines. This will both deplete the Han Prince's forces and keep them constantly on the move."

"Master's plan is brilliant!" one of the leaders praised. "In this way, we don't have to spend a lot of money, and we can still cause trouble for the Prince of Han's mansion."

However, the thin elder frowned and said, "Master, this plan is feasible, but it can only solve the immediate problem. In the long run, we still need to find new sources of funding, otherwise our operations will eventually be restricted."

Han Shichang nodded: "The elder is right. We will conduct guerrilla warfare while trying to make contact with the Shen family. The Shen family will not stand idly by and watch us be suppressed by the Prince of Han's Mansion; they are definitely trying to find a way out of this predicament."

Meanwhile, in the study of Prince Han's mansion, Zhu Han was discussing countermeasures with Zhu Biao, Lu Chenzhou, and others.

"Your Highness, the money shops in Yangzhou and other places have been shut down, but the Salt Gang doesn't seem to have been greatly affected. They are still active and robbing goods," Lu Chenzhou said with a frown.

Zhu Han tapped the table lightly, his eyes deep: "The Salt Gang won't give up so easily. They definitely have other sources of income or plans. We can't let our guard down." (End of Chapter)