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

Zhu Han smiled faintly and looked up at him: "Biao'er, once the military power, finances, and administration are stable, the court will truly belong to you. Turmoil is inevitable, but it must be done in a methodical way—first weaken, then replace, and finally make everyone understand that this is a new order, not chaos."

Zhu Biao frowned slightly: "But the power of the three ministers is deeply entrenched; if one wrong step is taken..."

Zhu Han interrupted him, his voice calm yet sharp: "So this move is to let them hand over their weaknesses themselves."

He picked up a list and pointed to the name of the Minister of War: "Minister of War Qian Hongyi is Prime Minister Qian's cousin. He appears to be behaving himself for the time being, but he is definitely still active in secret. Tomorrow, I will have him personally write a report on the military defense for Duan Ling's case. If he intends to hide any remaining accomplices, he will surely be exposed. At that time, you can take the opportunity to impeach him and remove him in the name of military discipline."

Zhu Biao nodded, then pointed to the Ministry of Revenue: "What about the Ministry of Revenue?"

Zhu Han's expression remained unchanged: "Although Minister of Revenue Liang Zhiping is not directly involved with the Zhao family, he has close ties with several major merchants in the capital, and there must be some gray areas in his accounts. We only need to go undercover to check the granary, and he will panic. Then we can gather evidence and make him beg to resign."

Zhu Biao looked at the list of officials from the Ministry of Personnel again and said in a deep voice, "Gu Yan'an, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, has always been ambiguous in his attitude. Should we keep him or abandon him?"

Zhu Han's eyes turned cold: "He's a fence-sitter, there's no use keeping him around. First, let him participate in a selection process to expose his underhanded dealings, then dismiss him on charges of unfair governance. The Ministry of Personnel only needs to replace him with someone we trust, and the rest will automatically behave themselves."

Zhu Biao remained silent for a moment, then raised his eyes and said seriously, "Uncle, do you want me to carry these things out personally?"

Zhu Han nodded slowly: "You must take this step yourself. You must let the court officials know that this is His Highness the Crown Prince's decision, not something I, Zhu Han, am manipulating behind the scenes."

The following day, the morning court session was held in the Zichen Palace.

Zhu Biao stood before the imperial desk, his gaze sharp and piercing, and declared in a loud voice: "By order of my father, I have thoroughly investigated the remaining associates in the Zhao family case. It has now been discovered that the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Personnel have neglected their duties. Their responsibilities and duties must be immediately verified. Minister Qian, Minister Liang, and Vice Minister Gu, each submit a self-examination report in three days. If they continue to shirk their responsibilities, they will be punished for dereliction of duty!"

The hall fell silent.

Qian Hongyi's expression stiffened slightly, and he cupped his hands in response, "Your Highness, I obey your decree." But a hint of unease flashed in his eyes.

Liang Zhiping quickly echoed, "Your subject will also check the accounts as soon as possible!"

Three days later, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao traveled incognito to a granary on the outskirts of Beijing.

The guards at the granary dared not be negligent when they saw that it was a trusted confidant of the Prince's residence.

Under Zhu Han's guidance, Zhu Biao carefully examined the documents and found that the ledger reported 300,000 shi of grain, but there were only 200,000 shi in the warehouse, and the remaining 100,000 shi were "unaccounted for".

Zhu Biao's face immediately darkened: "Liang Zhiping is indeed problematic!"

Zhu Han said calmly, "If you ask now, he'll say it was a subordinate's mistake, or that the warehouse manager embezzled the money. Liang Zhiping is very smart; he won't step forward himself, but will push the blame onto someone else."

Zhu Biao clenched his fist: "Then how do we take him down?"

Zhu Han's lips curled slightly: "It's simple. First, secretly send someone to detain the warehouse official and make him confess who ordered it. Then, deliberately spread rumors that this matter will be sent to the Ministry of Justice. If Liang Zhiping is really guilty, he will come to see me and take responsibility for his subordinate."

As expected, the following night, Liang Zhiping rushed to the Prince's residence and knelt in the courtyard without even entering the gate: "Your Highness, spare my life! The matter of the granary was due to my oversight. I am willing to resign from my position as Minister of Revenue to atone for my sins!"

At Zhu Han's behest, Zhu Biao said with a stern expression, "Minister Liang, if you have only failed to supervise, you should be treated leniently. But if you have shielded those who embezzle, I will not forgive you."

Liang Zhiping kowtowed repeatedly: "Your subject is willing to hand over the account books of the mansion to prove his innocence!"

Zhu Han slowly stepped forward, his gaze sharp: "Alright, then let's examine your ledgers first. If there are no problems, we'll be lenient. If there's even the slightest falsehood—Liang Zhiping, you should understand the consequences."

Liang Zhiping trembled all over, repeatedly agreeing, and hurriedly retreated.

Zhu Han said calmly, "He has lost his composure. All you need to do next is have the Vice Minister of Revenue take his place and replace him with your own people."

As for the Ministry of War, just as Zhu Han had predicted, Qian Hongyi omitted the list of Zhao family remnants secretly existing in the army in his self-inspection report.

Zhu Biao publicly questioned Qian in the court: "Minister Qian, why does your report not match the list sent by the Imperial Guards? Did you not investigate thoroughly enough, or are you deliberately concealing something?"

Sweat beaded on Qian Hongyi's forehead as he hurriedly explained, "Your Highness, I had no intention of concealing anything. Perhaps the Imperial Guards' intelligence is incorrect..."

Zhu Han interrupted coldly: "The Imperial Guard is the Emperor's personal army, and there is never any false reporting! Minister Qian, if you continue to argue, I can immediately send someone to the Ministry of War to verify!"

Knowing that the situation was hopeless, Qian Hongyi immediately knelt down and said, "Your Highness, please forgive me! I was indeed reluctant to report everything due to past relationships!"

Zhu Biao's expression was cold and stern: "Old ties? Are you loyal to the court or the old party? Guards, Qian Hongyi has neglected his duties and is under investigation!"

Upon hearing this decree, the ministers were filled with dread.

The next day, evidence of his secret meeting was placed in front of Zhu Biao's case.

In the imperial court, Zhu Biao coldly announced: "Gu Yan'an, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, has secretly formed a faction and attempted to protect the remaining associates in the Zhao family case. He shall be immediately dismissed and investigated!"

In an instant, most of the power of the three ministries was vacated.

Zhu Han then whispered to Zhu Biao in the side hall, "Now, while these positions are vacant, you must immediately promote loyal and reliable officials to higher positions: Wu An for the Ministry of War, Shi Ren for the Ministry of Revenue, and Xu Cheng for the Ministry of Personnel. You have met all three of them, and their loyalty is beyond question."

Zhu Biao nodded emphatically: "I understand."

The following day, Zhu Yuanzhang personally summoned Zhu Han and Zhu Biao.

"I've heard that the remaining forces of the three ministries have been completely wiped out, and the new officials have all been properly appointed?"

Zhu Biao knelt down respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Personnel have been replaced with loyal and reliable people, and there is absolutely no risk of any further complications."

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Biao'er, you're becoming more and more like someone who can take charge."

Zhu Han smiled slightly and said, "Brother, Biao'er has already gained initial control of the three ministries. Next, he will be able to truly become independent once the morale of the court is restored."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in satisfaction: "Good. I am relieved."

The night was deep, and the moonlight, like cold silver, shone on the roof tiles of the city. The old Zhao family mansion was now a ruin, with only a few dilapidated carved doors and windows remaining as a shadow of its former glory.

The Imperial Guard spies lurked in the shadows, watching intently as they observed the movements within the courtyard.

"They're here!" a scout whispered.

Sure enough, a figure flashed in through the courtyard gate like a ghost, moving with lightning speed and lightness, carrying a black cloth bag in his hand. He was clearly very familiar with the layout of the courtyard and went straight into Zhao Guangyuan's study.

Inside the study, the man swiftly lifted a hidden compartment in the floorboards and retrieved a stack of letters sealed with oiled paper. His movements were clean and efficient, clearly indicating his intentions.

The scout immediately sent a message using a special code, and moments later, Zhu Han, dressed in night clothes, quietly arrived. He stood in the shadows by the courtyard wall, watching the man's back, a cold smile appearing on his lips: "As expected, there are still some who have slipped through the net."

The man flipped through the oiled paper letter, muttering to himself, "Finally found it... what the master wanted..."

He raised his hand and made a gesture, and the spies immediately flashed out. Several dark figures pounced on him and pinned him down.

The man suddenly turned around, revealing a familiar face—it was none other than the chief steward of Prime Minister Qian's residence, named Qian Xiaoli!

"It really was you." Zhu Han walked slowly into the study, his gaze as cold as a blade. "Speak, for whom did you retrieve these letters?"

Qian Xiaoli, his face filled with terror, gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness, spare my life! I was only following orders. If I reveal who's behind this, I'm afraid I won't even be able to save my life!"

Zhu Han's voice was calm, yet chilling: "If you don't speak, you're dead right now. If you do speak, I can ensure your whole family's safety."

Qian Xiaoli's body trembled violently, his eyes flickered for a moment, and finally he lowered his head: "It's...it's Grand Tutor Shen Yichuan! He is the real mastermind behind Zhu Gang, and Prime Minister Qian and Zhao Guangyuan are just pawns working for him!"

Zhu Han's gaze suddenly turned cold: "Shen Yichuan?"

Of course he knew the name. Shen Yichuan was the most senior Confucian scholar in the court, with extremely high prestige and deep respect from civil officials. He was honored as "Grand Tutor" by Zhu Yuanzhang. On the surface, he was completely unrelated to aristocratic families, but unexpectedly, he was the ultimate mastermind behind the scenes!
Seeing Zhu Han remain silent, Qian Xiaoli added tremblingly, "I was merely ordered to retrieve a few letters kept at the Zhao residence. Those letters... record the dealings between Grand Tutor Shen and aristocratic families. Grand Tutor Shen feared these things would fall into the hands of His Highness the Crown Prince, so..."

Zhu Han narrowed his eyes slightly, turned around and ordered: "Take the person away and keep a secret guard. No one is allowed to leak the word."

The following day, in the Prince's study.

Upon hearing the news, Zhu Biao's expression changed drastically: "Uncle, Grand Tutor Shen's prestige is too high. If we rashly arrest him, it will cause a major upheaval in the court! Many loyal ministers respect him as their teacher..."

Zhu Han put down the letter, his expression calm and composed: "Therefore, we cannot act rashly against him; we must let him reveal his own weakness."

Zhu Biao gripped the corner of the table nervously: "But he is the mastermind. If we don't get rid of him, his remaining followers will come back sooner or later!"

Zhu Han walked to the window and said calmly, "It's easy to get rid of Shen Yichuan, but to eliminate his reputation and influence, we need strategy. We can't confront him head-on; we can only set a trap."

Zhu Biao listened intently, holding his breath.

Zhu Han turned around, his eyes gleaming with thoughtful consideration: "Shen Yichuan has always prided himself on being a man of integrity, and what he cares about most is his reputation. As long as he voluntarily says something that goes against his reputation in court, his prestige accumulated over the years will collapse. Then, with the impeachment by the censors, he will undoubtedly lose."

Zhu Biao asked in confusion, "Uncle, how can we force him to say something against his conscience?"

Zhu Han's lips curled slightly: "Simple. Tomorrow we'll propose a decree that is 'unfavorable to the aristocratic families but can ensure the stability of the national treasury,' and have all the ministers express their opinions. If Shen Yichuan wants to protect the aristocratic families, he must stand up against the Crown Prince. If he opposes, the Emperor will naturally become suspicious; if he agrees, the old aristocratic faction will hate him. This is the dilemma that will put him in."

A look of admiration flashed in Zhu Biao's eyes: "Brilliant!"

Zhu Han said calmly, "But relying solely on government orders is not enough. We also need to use Duan Ling's words to gradually expose the relationship between Shen Yichuan, the Zhao family, and Prime Minister Qian, leaving him with no way to refute it."

Zhu Biao nodded: "I will act according to my uncle's plan at tomorrow's court assembly!"

The next day at the imperial court.

Zhu Biao stepped forward and said loudly, "The national treasury is empty, and the court's expenditures cannot continue. I propose to reduce the tax exemption privileges of aristocratic families' estates and use the saved silver to provide relief to disaster areas. I ask all ministers to express their opinions on this decree today. Those who support it, please step forward; those who oppose it, please state your reasons."

The hall was immediately filled with discussion, and the ministers all looked troubled.

A moment later, Shen Yichuan slowly walked out, his long beard trembling slightly, his voice steady: "Your Highness, although aristocratic families have the grace of tax exemption, it is also a policy of appeasing scholars throughout history. If it is suddenly abolished, I fear that scholars will be uneasy."

Zhu Biao said calmly, "Does the Grand Tutor intend for the national treasury to remain empty and the people to suffer, just to appease the powerful families?"

Shen Yichuan frowned, cupped his hands and said, "I have no such intention, but the administration of the court must proceed step by step and should not be rushed."

Just then, the Imperial Guards escorted Duan Ling into the hall, where he knelt and shouted, "Your Majesty! Your Highness! Grand Tutor Shen is the real mastermind behind the aristocratic families. He ordered the Zhao family and Prime Minister Qian to secretly contact each other, intending to undermine the Crown Prince's position!"

A great uproar erupted inside the hall!

Shen Yichuan's expression changed, and he turned around abruptly: "Nonsense! Duan Ling, you are already a prisoner. To frame the Grand Tutor in order to save your life is outrageous!"

Zhu Han stepped forward slowly, unfolded the letter found in the old Zhao residence, and read aloud: "'When the Crown Prince loses power, I will recommend a virtuous and capable person to establish a new heir.' Grand Tutor Shen, is this handwriting yours?"

Shen Yichuan's pupils shrank sharply, his face turned deathly pale, and his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word of explanation.

Zhu Biao suddenly spoke, his voice clear as thunder: "Grand Tutor, Duan Ling has confessed, and the Zhao family's account books are right here. How do you explain this evidence?!"

The hall was completely silent. All the ministers' eyes were fixed on Shen Yichuan, their eyes filled with shock and fear.

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly rose, his face ashen as night: "Shen Yichuan! I have treated you well, yet you dare to plot rebellion in secret?!"

Shen Yichuan swayed, finally unable to support himself, and collapsed to the ground.

Zhu Han coldly shouted, "Guards, take Shen Yichuan to the imperial prison and thoroughly investigate his remaining associates!"

The Imperial Guards immediately stepped forward and dragged him away.

After the court session ended, Zhu Yuanzhang left Zhu Han and Zhu Biao alone in the hall and said in a deep voice, "Brother, Biao, has the remaining poison in the court been completely eliminated?"

Zhu Han cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, all the people behind this have now come to light. The three major ministries have been replaced, the remnants of the aristocratic families have been purged, and Biao'er's position as crown prince is now as solid as a rock."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao with a deep gaze: "Biao'er, this time, you took control of the situation yourself, which showed me your courage. Remember, it is not only benevolence that protects this country, but also iron will."

Zhu Biao knelt down, his tone firm: "Your subject will remember Your Majesty's teachings!"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to Zhu Han, revealing a rare smile: "Brother, without your secret planning, the situation today would not have been resolved. How can I thank you?"

Zhu Han smiled calmly: "Your Majesty, this is all my duty."

The night wind howled, and the palace lanterns swayed under the vermilion corridor, the candlelight flickering.

The palace appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are churning beneath.

The news of Shen Yichuan being imprisoned in the imperial prison was like a boulder thrown into a lake, disturbing the minds of the entire court.

Zhu Han sat alone in a side hall of the Prince's mansion, twirling a jade pendant in his hand, his gaze deep and unfathomable. (End of Chapter)