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

Du He stood beside him, closed his eyes for a long time, and finally opened them and sighed: "He won."

Back at the inn that night, the young man, full of youthful vigor, asked as soon as he sat down, "Who is your Uncle Wang? Since he's hiding a plan, why did he ask you to take me to the countryside?"

Du He looked at him for a moment, then suddenly took out the letter written by Zhu Han and placed it on his desk: "If you really dare to offer your advice, you might as well take a look at this letter."

The boy took it suspiciously, opened it, and saw only one line of text:

"If a policy can win the hearts of the people, there is no need to hide it; if a policy cannot win the hearts of the people, hiding it will not harm the world."

Signed by: Zhu Han

The boy stood there, stunned, after reading the text, and remained silent for a long time.

The night in the capital was cool and breezy.

Zhu Han sat upright in his study when Gu Yuan leaped in through the window, his movements as light as a swallow.

"Your Majesty."

"how?"

"The townspeople have been closed for three days, the Chamber of Commerce has bowed its head, the county magistrate has personally gone out to listen to their advice, and all the townspeople's opinions and suggestions come from one person."

"Who?"

“‘Strategy Maniac’,” Gu Yuan said solemnly. “It is said that his surname is Zhuang and his given name is Jian. His origins are unknown, but he speaks of strategy with great passion.”

Zhu Han nodded: "I remember this person."

Gu Yuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Highness already knows him?"

Zhu Han smiled slowly: "In my first year in this Ming Dynasty, I once heard a young man in the market explaining the three strategies of pharmacology to a blind man. The young man said, 'Using medicine without considering the patient's condition is like farming without considering the soil.' At that time, I thought, this boy will surely become a strategist."

"So it was him." Gu Yuan sighed.

Zhu Han stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked out at the starlight: "Do you know that the world is not lacking in people who can strategize, but in people who can strategize without dying?"

Gu Yuan's eyes widened in surprise: "What does Your Highness mean?"

"I sent him to accompany Du He to test which of the two was better at winning people's hearts. And now it seems—"

"One of them can convince people, and the other can ignite their passion."

"If you were the crown prince, which one would you choose?"

Gu Yuan fell silent immediately.

Zhu Han simply smiled and took out a jade pendant from his sleeve, placing it in the brocade box on the table.

"I have already prepared seats for them."

"One will stay in Beijing."

“One emerged from the clouds.”

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, yet it was as clear and resonant as metal and stone.

On this day, Zhu Han got up early and sat alone in his study before the rooster crowed. On the table was a sandalwood chessboard with white pieces in the center and black pieces surrounding the four corners, seemingly trapped but not quite trapped, seemingly encircled but not quite encircled.

Shen Zhen served tea and, noticing that the prince hadn't made a move for a while, cautiously asked, "Your Highness, are you waiting for someone?"

Zhu Han said calmly, "It's not about waiting for someone, it's about waiting for the right situation."

Before he could finish speaking, a servant came in to report: "His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived."

Zhu Han nodded: "Please invite him in."

A moment later, Zhu Biao, dressed in a blue-patterned robe, entered the study, his expression revealing a mixture of excitement and vigilance.

"Uncle, did you summon me today with a plan?"

“You tell me yourself,” Zhu Han looked up at him. “You should have known this all along.”

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment, walked to the table, and said in a low voice: "When Du He and Zhuang Jian returned to the capital, the people lined the streets to welcome them. Every day, a thousand people wait in front of the Qingce Hall in the East City to listen to the lectures. Although the Emperor has not said anything, he has summoned the Hanlin Academy three times in the past three times, and each time he has discussed the 'public opinion'."

Zhu Han smiled: "Are you scared?"

“I’m not afraid,” Zhu Biao said, sitting down with a solemn expression. “It’s just that I know the fire starts too quickly and is easy to extinguish.”

"Du He is reasonable, Zhuang Jian is emotional; they each have their strengths, but they also have their sharp edges. If they cannot guard themselves, they cannot guard the trust of the people."

Zhu Han remained silent, but picked up a piece from the edge of the chessboard and slowly placed it in the gap between the black pieces: "Does the Crown Prince have a plan in mind?"

“Yes,” Zhu Biao said softly. “I intend to set up a ‘Strategy Platform’ in the side hall of the East Palace, named ‘Questioning Platform.’ A lecture will be held on a chosen day in the middle of the month, where disciples of the Qingce Hall and the Ceyin Institute will take turns giving lectures and critiques.”

“A speaker shall not speak again within three days; a listener shall not use a single word to cover up another person’s words.”

Zhu Han raised an eyebrow: "Sounds like a bustling city."

"That's precisely why we're trying to toughen them up. If a plan can't tolerate criticism, then it's just empty talk."

He paused for a moment: "And I myself will hold three evening classes every month to listen to the people and evaluate their strategies."

Zhu Han nodded slowly, his eyes showing approval: "This is not a strategy for preservation, but a strategy for taming people."

Zhu Biao said calmly, "Your Imperial Uncle's strategy is to guide; my strategy is to control."

“I will not demolish Ceyin Academy. I will not seize Qingce Hall. I will not compete for fame or power at Wenyan Terrace.”

“I will only speak to them in one place, until I am tired, until my voice is hoarse, until the strategies in my heart can no longer burn like fire, and cool down to light.”

Zhu Han threw his head back and laughed loudly, clapping his hands and saying, "What a brilliant 'strategy shines through'!"

He paused, then asked, "What do you think of Zhuang Jian?"

Zhu Biao's expression was complicated as he slowly uttered, "Too sharp. But a sharp edge can cut through grass and trees, and kill people quickly."

“I will not use it as a sword, but I will keep it in its sheath.”

Zhu Han nodded: "What about Du He?"

“Du He can serve as a policy advisor,” Zhu Biao said in a deep voice. “In the future, he can be a pillar of the academic world.”

"Imperial Uncle, are you willing to help them achieve their goals?"

Zhu Han stared at Zhu Biao for a moment, then smiled and said, "They're all set. Now it's up to you whether you can use them well."

The sky was clear and bright that day. The blue stone square outside the palace was filled with scholars, their bamboo slips piled high, and the sound of reading aloud filled the air.

Du He, dressed in white, began his lecture on policy, entitled "On the Good Ending of Policy Strategies".

"A strategy may arise from worry; a strategy may be developed due to conflict; but in the end, a strategy must cease."

"It ends when the hearts of the people are won over, and when the strategists leave the stage."

"What I am about to say is not to teach people to seize fame, but to teach people when to keep quiet."

After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.

Zhuang Jian then stepped forward, let out a long laugh, and immediately said, "I disagree!"

An uproar ensued.

He declared loudly, "The strategy cannot be stopped. If the strategy stops at the heart's desire, it is self-consolation; if the strategy stops at withdrawal, it is cowardice!"

"Today I will present another strategy, which is called—the more strategies we discuss, the more extensive they become, until they reach the imperial court, the temple, and even the eaves of the common people's homes!"

His actions were like a wildfire raging across the land, causing an uproar among the crowd, who also applauded his brilliance.

Several days later, in the dead of night.

Zhu Han walked alone through the bamboo grove in the back garden of the Prince's Mansion, his steps slow, carrying an old lamp in his hand.

The wind blew and the lamp flickered, but he remained calm and unhurried.

Suddenly, a soft sound was heard, and a dark figure flashed out from among the bamboo leaves, kneeling down to beg for forgiveness.

"Your Highness, someone has infiltrated the third location of the Ce Yin Bureau, the place called 'Hidden Willow'."

Zhu Han slightly raised his eyelids: "Who?"

“He claims to be a former student of Beizhi Academy, willing to be executed, only asking to see the Prince.”

Zhu Han stopped, his tone indifferent: "Bring it."

The shadowy figure vanished quickly, returning shortly with a young man, his clothes tattered, his eyes blazing. The young man prostrated himself on the ground, his knees pounding the ground: "I am Lin Fu, a former disciple of Ce Tang. I humbly beg Your Highness for words!"

Zhu Han stared at him: "What you want is not words, but a command."

The young man raised his head, his eyes sharp as lightning: "Your Highness's plan, the four academies in one hall, has already paved the way; the Crown Prince's plan, the platform for questioning has already gathered people."

"But there is still a lingering unease—there are still countless scholars in the world who have no way to enter the field and no strategies to offer!"

"I would like to be the fifth one."

Zhu Han stared at Lin Fu kneeling on the ground, remaining silent for a long time.

Finally, he took two steps forward slowly, his eyes looking down like an eagle's: "Do you know that setting up a plan is not as simple as setting up a few desks and gathering a few scholars?"

Lin Fu looked up, his gaze firm: "I know. There are many policy institutes in the world, but most of them are hidden behind closed doors. I want to open a policy institute without any doors or walls, called 'Wenwaitai'."

Zhu Han raised an eyebrow: "Those who inquire about internal matters seek fame, those who inquire about external matters seek fate. Is fate what you want?"

“It is the people’s will.” Lin Fu’s voice was sharp as a blade. “The Questioning Platform is in the palace, the Strategist’s Hall is in the East City, and the Strategist’s Hermitage is also hidden among scholars, but they can never reach the poor families in distant places.”

The "Outer Platform" was set up in remote suburbs, border regions, and places untouched by human voices—it didn't ask about background or lineage, but only one question: "Do you have a single plan you dare to propose?"

Zhu Han stared at him, then suddenly asked, "Which generation of disciples are you from?"

"The eighth," Lin replied.

"How many strategies have you proposed?"

“Three strategies. The first was to inquire about the people’s hunger, the second was to discuss the county’s corvée labor, and the third—before he could finish speaking, he was expelled.”

"Why?"

“Because I said, ‘If a plan can't make my mother kneel at the rice shop one less time, then it's not a good plan.’”

Zhu Han chuckled softly, looking down: "So you came to beg me today to stop your mother from kneeling?"

A trace of sorrow flashed in Lin Fu's eyes, and he replied softly, "She has passed away. The plan is useless now."

"Why bother talking about something useless?"

“I speak out for the sake of those millions of people like my mother. If I don’t speak out, the strategy will never enter their homes.” Lin Fu’s tone became increasingly steady. “The strategy cannot remain just a talk; it must be implemented in the homes of ordinary people.”

Zhu Han remained silent, then turned around, as if Lin Fu's words had only stirred up a wisp of dust. He gently waved his sleeve and said, "Do you know that I once spoke of a strategy called 'The Strategy of No Strategy'?"

Lin Fu was stunned: "Isn't that just empty talk?"

“No.” Zhu Han turned around, his eyes as deep as the sea. “‘The best strategy’ is not something to be told to others, but something to be shown to others.”

He gazed into the depths of the bamboo forest and slowly uttered, "Alright, Lin Fu, I grant you permission to open the 'Outer Platform'."

"But you must know that this is not a high seat for you to preach your strategies, but a platform for you to bear the flames of your strategies. If you cannot preach, you will be burned to death."

Lin Fu bowed his head and kowtowed: "Student understands."

Zhu Han then said, “'The Outer Terrace' will be set up in two months from now in Linshui Town, Nanjun. You will only bring five people with you. You are not allowed to fly flags, post notices, or issue announcements.”

"If you can get the people of a region to come and listen, ask questions, and speak within three months, I will appoint you as the Fifth Envoy."

Lin Fu was startled: "I will obey Your Majesty's command!"

Zhu Han watched him leave, the wind lifting the bamboo leaves slightly.

Before long, Gu Yuan emerged from the shadows and asked in a low voice, "Does Your Highness really want him to set up a platform in Nanjun? That place is remote and unruly, and there is no military office there. It was once listed as a 'forbidden area'."

“That’s precisely why we need to talk about it,” Zhu Han said calmly. “If a strategy cannot ignite a fire in the coldest place, it will forever remain just a lamp among scholars.”

He stood with his hands behind his back in the night wind and suddenly said, "Do you remember what Wang Bi said? 'A good speaker is not as good as a good forgetter. A good forgetter does not forget the essence.'"

Gu Yuan frowned: "What does Your Highness mean?"

Zhu Han smiled: "It's not a bad thing that these young people are so passionate in their discussions. Fire can start a prairie fire and also illuminate the way. But the Crown Prince's plans are already overflowing with fire."

"What's missing?" Gu Yuan asked.

Zhu Han's eyes were like stars falling in the night sky: "We're missing a well."

Gu Yuan was taken aback: "Well?"

"Fire illuminates people, wells nourish people. Fire can save lives for a time, but a well can sustain them for a lifetime." He said, slowly walking into the night. "I need these strategists who can still dig out water after burning the ground. That is the true strategy."

Two months later, in Linshui Town, Nanjun County, the Wenwai Terrace was first set up, with wild grass as mats and a broken shed for shelter from the wind.

Lin Fu arrived with five people, without any call to action, lecture, or notice board.

On the first day, no one paid any attention.

The next day, an old woman happened to pass by and sat down to listen to him say, "This strategy can stop the hunger."

On the third day, a young boy stopped to listen to him talk about how "strategies can resolve injustices".

Seven days later, twelve people sat on the straw mat, forming a semicircle.

Lin Fu stood up and began to speak the fourth strategy – "Strategy of Humility".

"If a strategy is to wait for the bells to ring and the drums to sound, then it is the strategy of a noble person. The true strategy originates from the ground and is spoken to the humble."

The twelve people remained silent, as if listening to the deepest parts of their hearts.

At this moment, in a dilapidated temple in the east of the town, an old man slowly rose and said in a low voice, "What I'm talking about today is a strategy that was pulled out of the fire."

The old man was a former compiler of the Hanlin Academy in the Eastern City and a former master of the strategist's circle. He had been living in exile here for five years.

He slowly approached, knelt down and bowed: "Mr. Lin, I am willing to record your first strategy in the 'Questioning the Outer Terrace'."

Lin Fu's eyes flickered slightly as he helped him to his feet.

In the distance, people were walking along the field ridges, asking as they went, "Has the policy discussion been held today?"

Lin Fu stood in the center of the stage, his figure stretched long and thin. The crowd gathered below the stage rose and fell like a tide. Their gazes were no longer just filled with trust, but also with an undisguised awe.

"Mr. Lin, are you not going to discuss strategies today?" An elderly man in plain clothes stepped forward, leaning on a cane. His voice trembled slightly, but it revealed a hint of urgency.

Lin Fu glanced at him, but his expression lacked its usual composure: "We will not discuss strategy today."

He paused, as if considering for a moment, and then added, "I won't talk about it tomorrow either."

A murmur rippled through the crowd, and whispers arose everywhere.

"Could it be that Mr. Lin has been suppressed?"

"Is it because the government won't tolerate it?"

"He speaks up for us ordinary people, is there someone who can't stand to see that?"

Lin Fu remained silent, simply watching the crowd.

However, Lin Fuxin knew that this trend was blowing too fast and too fiercely, and that the calmest time is often before the storm arrives.

He turned and stepped off the stage, his robe sweeping across the dust below, and gazed at a figure standing quietly on the street corner.

The man was no more than twenty years old, dressed in brocade robes. Unlike the natives of Nanjun, he had handsome features and stood straight as a bamboo spear.

His gaze was steady. When Lin Fu approached, he gave a slight bow: "Mr. Lin, the head of the family invites you."

Who is your master?

The man didn't answer, but instead handed over a jade pendant engraved with the character "Chu". Lin Fu was slightly moved, already understanding the situation, and turned around, saying, "Please lead the way."

After passing through the old streets of Nanjun, the two arrived at a bamboo garden outside the town. The road was lined with swaying green bamboo, and the air was filled with a delicate fragrance.

Lin Fu was led to a quiet pavilion, where a man stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a snow-white robe, exuding an extraordinary air. Without him turning around, Lin Fu knew who it was.

“The Prince of Yan of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Han,” he said in a low voice, his tone somewhat tentative.

Zhu Han turned around, smiled and nodded: "As expected, Lin Fu lives up to his reputation."

"Your Highness has actually come to Nanjun in person?" Lin Fu clasped his hands and bowed.

Zhu Hanwei raised his hand: "This trip is not for inspection, nor for court affairs, but solely for you."

Lin Fu felt a chill run down his spine, but he remained expressionless: "This humble subject is unworthy of such praise."

"You spent three months lecturing on policies at the outer court, and although no official edict was issued, you won the hearts of the people, and even the chambers of commerce, local gentry, and scholars were influenced by your policies. Policies, by their power to be implemented, can move people's hearts." (End of Chapter)