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

When Jiande Hall reopened, Zhu Biao set up a hall outside the East Palace Gate, which he named "Questioning the People Bureau".

There are no official positions or ranks. Any doubts about household registration, staffing, land tax, or tax records can be submitted in writing. Ten scribes from the Eastern Palace will take turns reviewing and approving each statement.

Within three days, nearly a hundred petitions were issued to the people, with even constables, cloth merchants, and rice traders delivering documents overnight, all for one matter:
"Your Highness, may I ask you a question?"

Zhu Biao wrote at the end of the scroll: "If the crown prince does not ask, he is deposed; if the crown prince does not listen, he is killed."

"May all who wish to ask come forward."

In the Wenyuan Pavilion, Zhu Yuanzhang finished reading the first volume of "Inquiry into the People's Records" and remained silent for a long time.

Liang Su stood below and said slowly, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince's actions have exceeded the regulations for the Eastern Palace."

"It will no longer be limited to court discussions, but will directly address the voices of the people."

“I fear that once the people gather, it will be difficult to restrain them.”

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly closed the scroll and said, "You said he overstepped his authority."

"But do you know that when I was young, I also heard people cursing officials outside the cloth shop?"

"At that time, I did not know a single word of the Dharma."

"But I know they're not cursing me, they're cursing their own lives that they can't survive."

He sighed softly: "If the Crown Prince really dares to listen and really dares to change... then what if he oversteps his authority?"

“If you are really afraid, then don’t be this advisor.”

Liang Su's face darkened, but he dared not speak.

Inside Jiande Hall, the morning breeze stirred, causing the curtains to sway.

Zhu Biao sat down at the main desk and flipped through the third volume of "External Strategies Records" that he had recorded the previous night.

The incense burner on the table was still burning, with half-fallen ashes, yet no one replaced it. He never urged him to, nor did he ever complain.

Gu Qingping stood behind the curtain, her eyes gazing at him silently, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Zhu Biao gently closed the scroll and turned his gaze: "You want to talk about the 'Mirror Dispute'?"

Gu Qingping said in a low voice: "Today, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs sent the morning record, in which Li Shu, Wang Chen, Wang Zishao, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, discussed the shortcomings of the Outer Policy Hall in front of the Wenyuan Pavilion. Their words were quite harsh, and they are suspected of 'overstepping their authority to question politics'."

Zhu Biao smiled, showing no anger. Instead, he picked up his brush and wrote two characters on the silk cloth beside him: "Mirror contention".

He said, "They've come, just as I expected."

Gu Qingping said in a low voice, "Wang Zishao's name was mentioned three years ago when he participated in the Imperial Academy's debate on policy questions. He is a member of the Lao Li family. Now, even Li Shu and Wang Chen are coming out together. Is someone pulling strings behind the scenes?"

Zhu Biao asked, "What did they say?"

Gu Qingping pulled out a transcribed early record: "Li Shuyan said: 'External policies establish opinions but not official positions, thus failing to control the discussion.' Wang Chen said: 'Court discussions go beyond mere debate, thus failing to control the situation through words.' As for Prince Shao, he further said: 'If the Crown Prince does not understand his own position, how can he uphold the ancestral temple's legal authority?'"

Zhu Biao said calmly, "They are not entirely without reason."

Gu Qingping was slightly taken aback: "You're not going to defend yourself?"

“They were referring to ‘position’, I was asking about ‘politics’.”

Zhu Biao's gaze remained unchanged, but he paused in his speech, "What they uphold is the old system, and what I have set is a new way of questioning. If the two are truly incompatible, then it is not my fault."

He looked out the window at the shadows cast by the eaves: "However, since they want to ask 'Should the Crown Prince be involved in politics?' I will give them a chance."

"Order that a 'Day of Mirror Discussion' be set up in the Eastern Palace, where five people will be selected to discuss 'the throne and political responsibilities' together. The Ministry of Rites may recommend three people, and the Eastern Palace shall retain two. Each person shall present their own opinion and debate publicly in the Outer Policy Hall."

Gu Qingping frowned: "You're going head-to-head with this."

Zhu Biao chuckled: "I want them to understand that I set up this hall not to control power, but to control their hearts."

"If I don't even dare to ask, 'Where did I go wrong in my political affairs?', how can I be considered the Crown Prince?"

Three days later, the Wai Ce Hall held its first "Mirror Discussion Day".

The hall was set up with two tables. The Crown Prince sat at the eastern table, while two seats were set up on the left and right. One seat was for Wang Zishao, the Vice Minister of Rites, and the other was for Liu Youzhi, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) from the Hanlin Academy.

Three scholars attended the meeting at the West Court, one of whom was Sun Qi, a former student of Jiande Hall.

Zhu Biao, dressed in a plain robe without the imperial insignia, only wearing a sash, personally sat in the hall.

The first question was posed by Zhu Biao himself: "Today's discussion concerns only one matter: When the Crown Prince inquires about politics, may a 'Policy Hall' be set up for his discourse?"

Prince Shao was the first to stand up, his voice like a resounding bell: "Your Highness, as the Crown Prince, should exercise caution and self-restraint. A true king does not contend, and a crown prince does not discuss matters. To set up a hall to discuss politics is to overstep one's bounds."

"I do not mean that Your Highness is not virtuous, but rather that Your Highness should abide by the proper etiquette. Setting up a hall is the duty of officials, while listening to advice is the power of the emperor. Now that it has been set up and the emperor is listening, the scholars of the world will see that the Crown Prince has fulfilled his duties as a ruler."

Zhu Biao remained expressionless: "You said the Crown Prince shouldn't listen to advice, does that mean the Crown Prince shouldn't participate in government affairs?"

Prince Shao paused, and after a moment said, "You may ask, but you should not set any rules."

"The Crown Prince should be a place of learning, not a hall of political discussion."

Zhu Biao bowed respectfully and asked, "In that case, may I speak my strategies before the Crown Prince's Hall?"

Wang Zishao replied, "If there is no hall, you can speak for yourself."

Zhu Biao asked again: "If someone speaks for themselves and I listen to them, does that constitute 'listening to government'?"

Wang Zishao was taken aback, but remained silent.

Zhu Biao looked around at everyone and said, "You all don't talk about the meaning of my question, but only about the 'image' of my setting up the hall. Then I ask you: which is more important, the image or the reality?"

After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.

At this moment, Liu Youzhi said softly, "The Crown Prince set up the hall with the intention of asking questions and to use governance as a means. It is not a tool for wielding power, but a place for dialogue."

"If we judge it as overstepping its bounds based on the word 'set up,' we are likely to judge its meaning based on its form, which would be biased."

Wang Zishao's expression darkened: "You are a former student of the Crown Prince's palace, how can you speak so biasedly?"

Liu Youzhi cupped his hands and said, "What I say is not based on sentiment, but on reason."

Zhu Biao stood up and said gently, "Today I will not make a definitive judgment or refute any words."

“But I am willing to hand over all of this ‘Mirror Discussion’ to the Imperial Historian, have it engraved as a chapter, and place it after the ‘Record of Inquiry into Governance’.”

"May future generations see this and make their own decisions."

The audience was moved. Wang Zishao's eyes darkened, and he ultimately remained silent.

In the palace.

After unrolling the scroll, Huang Qi sighed, "Your Highness's move, though it may not defeat the enemy, has weakened their resolve."

Zhu Han leaned against the table, deep in thought: "Zhu Biao has learned how to make his opponents lose their edge in the arena he has set up."

"But what comes next is even more difficult."

Huang Qi asked, puzzled, "What does Your Highness mean?"

Zhu Han slowly said, "You must make the court officials not afraid of you setting up a court, not afraid of you asking questions about politics—but willing to take the initiative to offer their opinions."

"This is the true meaning of 'holding the pen without seizing power'."

That evening, Gu Qingping brewed a medicinal soup for Zhu Biao. Seeing him revising the "New Records of Inquiry into Politics" on his desk all night, she gently advised him, "You have already refuted the officials in charge of rites and appeased the officials in charge of criticism today, which is a great victory. Why do you need to revise it all night?"

Zhu Biao stared intently: "Today's setting up of a hall to discuss politics is the right thing to do."

"But after reasoning, there must be methods."

He looked up at her, his voice low: "I can hold court, I can refute difficult questions, and I can resolve doubts."

"But next—I want them to be willing to stay."

"Opening the hall is not difficult; the difficulty lies in... preventing it from dispersing."

Gu Qingping gently grasped his hand, a rare light appearing in her eyes: "I believe you."

Meanwhile, the rear pavilion of Wenyuan Pavilion was brightly lit. Zhu Yuanzhang, having finished reading "Complete Records of Mirror Discussions," remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he gently placed the scroll aside and murmured to himself, "Zhu Biao, you no longer need anyone's support."

"But the path you will take in the future is one of setting up your own schemes alone."

Can you carry it?

The curtain behind him swayed, and Zhu Han slowly entered, bowing respectfully.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't look at him, but only asked one question: "What do you think of that 'Mirror Discussion'?"

Zhu Han smiled and said, "My nephew can already look in the mirror, so I should step back."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him and said, "But if you don't retreat, he will be more at ease."

Zhu Han said in a low voice, "I will not retreat, but will only serve as a shadow." "As long as there is a clear mirror in the Crown Prince's heart, he will not be confused."

Gu Qingping slowly walked in, holding a "Record of Discussions by Officials of the Outer Policy Hall" in her hands, and said in a low voice: "In today's record, someone changed the 'official title'."

Zhu Biao put down his brush and looked up: "Who?"

Gu Qingping handed over the transcript: "Zheng Yizhi, a compiler at the Hanlin Academy, said in the Outer Policy Hall: 'The current Minister of Personnel, Li Chong, holds a high position and has completed his term, yet he appoints people based on personal connections; the Vice Minister of Rites, Wang Zishao, adheres rigidly to regulations and is ignorant of current affairs; if Your Highness wishes to inquire about practical governance, you should first change these people.'"

Zhu Biao's eyes narrowed slightly: "He is using my position as Crown Prince to carry out factional strife."

Gu Qingping nodded: "Afterwards, two people seconded the proposal, one citing an old case and the other presenting a new one. Neither named names, but they all implied something."

Zhu Biao remained silent for a long time before finally uttering, "The scheme to set up the hall has ultimately revealed its flaws."

He rose and walked slowly in front of the hall.

"The establishment of the Outer Policy Hall is for consulting on politics, not for judging people."

"If today's talk of foreign policy is seen as a valid argument, then the court will no longer dare to speak of it."

Gu Qingping hesitated for a moment, then said, "Then...should we stop?"

"No." Zhu Biao stood firm, his tone resolute.

"I am the one who sets up the hall, and I am the one who allows words to be spoken."

“If the speaker is improper, I will personally rebuke him.”

"Order the clerk that tomorrow at the Outer Examination Hall, the Crown Prince will personally ascend to the head of the hall and set up a table to ask questions."

The next day, in the Waice Hall, banquets were set up in all four directions, and officials, students, and scholars flocked to the venue.

Zhu Biao did not sit behind the desk, but stood in front of the hall.

He carried neither a book nor a strategy; he held a pen in both hands, clasped in front of his chest.

"Gentlemen, the words I recorded yesterday were originally intended to discuss politics, but they have already been tainted with partisan bias."

"I do not like it, and I will not hide it."

“Today I will not ask who said it, but I will ask about the words themselves—if the words are spoken with a public-spirited attitude, then the official may be reprimanded; if they are spoken for the purpose of seeking a position, then they are a failed strategy.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience below.

"Today I will not shy away from the topic, nor will I avoid mentioning my name."

"Zheng Yizhi—are you in the hall?"

Among the crowd, a scholar in blue stood up, his expression fearless.

"The minister is here."

“What I said yesterday came from the heart and was not a matter of personal vendetta.”

Zhu Biao's eyes flickered slightly: "Do you know that your words have already prompted Minister Li to submit three memorials seeking clarification, and Vice Minister Wang to submit his resignation to the Secretariat?"

Zheng Yi was taken aback, then cupped his hands and said, "I did not expect it to be so important, but I have no regrets."

"If we dare not speak out about the ills of the government, I fear that Your Highness will be asking about politics in vain without understanding it."

Zhu Biao nodded slowly: "I have taken your words to heart."

“But from this day forward, there will be no more anonymity or insinuations in the Wai Ce Tang.”

"If one wishes to speak out about official matters or policies, one must establish one's name and record one's actions, and explain one's reasons."

“If those who dare to speak out are not afraid, they should sign their own names.”

“If any private individuals use the pretext of seeking political advice in the hall, then I will personally deal with them one by one.”

Silence fell over the hall. No one spoke again.

That evening, in the Wenyuan Pavilion, Liang Su calmly read through the day's records.

He tapped the table lightly with his fingers, then suddenly asked, "Does the Crown Prince not fear that such a question will drive the scholars into a corner?"

Wang Shiqian, who was sitting at the table, replied, "The Crown Prince's move is truly 'binding himself in the process'."

"On the surface, it criticizes private matters, but in reality, it restricts the freedom of speech within the court."

Liang Su nodded: "That's what makes him so remarkable."

Just as the court was quieting down, the night was deep in the Prince's mansion.

Huang Qi presented several letters: "Your Highness, today several scholars have petitioned the Hanlin Academy to be transferred to the Eastern Palace to listen to policy discussions."

"But two of them were once members of the old Han Party. What do you think—would you accept them?"

Zhu Han took the letter, glanced at it, and suddenly smiled.

"Let them come if they want to."

“Zhu Biao has now set up a ‘hall of eloquence’ rather than a ‘place of political knowledge’.”

"If I don't even let them in, then the Eastern Palace will become an isolated island."

He then instructed: "Send word to Jiang Xiyuan to begin drafting the first draft of the 'Court Meeting Guidelines,' which shall include 'four prohibitions': prohibition of discussing relatives, palace affairs, external matters, and private remonstrances."

"Thus, a line of defense is erected."

Huang Qi asked in surprise, "Your Highness, are you going to set limits?"

Zhu Han said coldly, "The Crown Prince is not afraid of many words, but he is afraid of a jumble of words."

"If Zhu Biao wanted to control the hall but not the people, he had to surround the hall with a 'wall'."

The following day, the first draft of the "Guidelines for Discussions in the Eastern Palace" was delivered to Zhu Biao's desk.

He read the entire article, his gaze slightly narrowed.

Gu Qingping whispered, "This article should be written by Jiang Xiyuan, and the underlying meaning... is the Prince?"

Zhu Biao nodded slightly: "My royal uncle is setting a trap for me."

He pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "I'll take this 'wall'."

“But I want to add a ‘door’ myself.”

"On the last page of the guidelines, add a clause: 'Words spoken outside the hall shall not be included in the hall's commentary; however, the Crown Prince's Palace shall still have a room called the "Message Room."'"

“Those who wish to speak but do not wish to sign may submit their words in secret, which I will personally review and will not be submitted to the committee for evaluation.”

Gu Qingping's eyes flickered slightly: "You are... setting up a way out?"

Zhu Biao shook his head: "It's about leaving a sliver of wind."

"Too rigid is easily broken."

"If I were to truly forge this hall into an iron fortress, even the east wind would be unable to blow in."

The "Message Hall" was located in a corner of the rear corridor of the East Palace. It was unsigned, unattended, and did not receive replies.

Within three days, forty-nine leaflets were received.

One of the letters, with its neat handwriting and solemn tone, contained only one sentence:
“It is permissible to establish a hall in the Eastern Palace.”

“If the Crown Prince can inquire about the people’s affairs from the smallest details, then he is truly capable of governing.”

After reading it, Zhu Biao slowly placed the letter on the table.

Gu Qingping walked over and asked softly, "Do you know who wrote the letter?"

Zhu Biao nodded: "I understand."

"He was a former disciple of the Grand Tutor, who resigned from his official post and returned to his farm in his early years."

“If he is willing to speak, I will know that my plan has succeeded.”

Gu Qingping stared at him: "But it also means that you have truly entered the political arena."

Zhu Biao looked out the window; the light rain had just stopped, and the night was clear and bright.

It was late afternoon, in the inner garden of the Eastern Palace. Zhu Biao stood by the side of the corridor, holding a gray-edged scroll in his hands, his expression solemn.

Gu Qingping stood to the side, her brows furrowed: "The Ministry of Personnel has sent a list of personnel recommendations, totaling seventy-three people. Thirty-one of them are from previous recommendations, and the rest are from previous records who are being re-evaluated."

Zhu Biao remained silent, but slowly closed the scroll and said, "It may seem like a simple recommendation, but in reality it is a carefully laid plan."

Gu Qingping said softly, "Although Minister of Personnel Li Chong has no real faults, he already has a soft spot for him. Most of the people he recommends come from the lineage of the Nanyuan Academy." (End of this chapter)