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

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "I have already made up my mind. There is an abandoned academy in the capital. It is spacious and can be used as a teaching place with a little renovation. As for the instructors, I think Miao Xing and Han Shuo are both very suitable. They have already gained a certain understanding of the 'Walking the Plate Technique' and can be competent for this task."

Zhu Han agreed, saying, "Your Majesty's consideration is thorough. Miao Xing and Han Shuo are indeed the best choices. However, in order to ensure the quality of teaching, we also need to compile a detailed teaching material, recording each step and key point of the 'Walking the Plate Technique' for students to study and refer to."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea. Zhu Han, you will be in charge of compiling the teaching materials. I will arrange for people to assist you and complete the materials as soon as possible."

Zhu Han cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my utmost to compile high-quality teaching materials as soon as possible."

Zhu Biao also expressed his willingness: "Father, Imperial Uncle, your son is also willing to participate in the compilation of teaching materials and contribute his own strength to the promotion of 'Walking the Plate Technique'."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Han smiled at each other. Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Good! I am very pleased with Biao'er's enthusiasm. With the two of you working together, I believe the teaching materials will be compiled very well."

As dawn broke, the sunlight, like a thin veil, gradually seeped into the courtyard of the old academy along the eaves.

Moss spots float on the blue bricks, shimmering faintly when the wind blows.

Three broken doors were half-closed, with door studs leaning askew, like an old man taking a nap.

"Right here?" Zhu Biao rolled up his sleeves and tapped the door knocker lightly with his fingertips.

"This place is quite spacious, with four courtyards and two main courtyards, and a small playground connected to the back."

Zhu Han stood in front of the threshold, looking up at the old plaque, "The terrain is flat, the wind is favorable, and the sound is clear. It's suitable for teaching people to walk."

Miao Xing walked around the wall, holding a bamboo brush in his hand, and said with a smile, "This morning, I swept the area first. I moved all the broken tiles on the south side to the corner. The children are quick on their feet and like to step on the edges, so I don't want them to twist their ankles."

Han Shuo wore a plain blue robe, and the sharpness between his brows had softened somewhat.

He put his hands behind his back and walked around the center of the courtyard: "The ground is not very uneven, but the gaps between the stone bricks are of varying widths, making it easy to lose your footing."

“Perfect.” Zhu Han nodded. “The first step of the walking technique, ‘stability,’ requires stability within unevenness. Stability within evenness is not a skill.”

As he spoke, he moved the wooden fence that had been kicked aside back to the corner of the wall. "Ah Huai, put up two stone tablets first."

Ah Huai responded and led two stonemasons to carry in two thin stones.

The stonemason pulled the hemp rope, and the stone stood up. Its grayish-white surface looked like two calm pools of water in the morning light.

Zhu Han took a breath, picked up his chisel, and carved with the precision of a knife on the first stone: "Stand Firm." On the second stone, he carved: "Walk Straight."

Zhu Biao held the lamp, watching the light flicker and then settle within the carvings. When the final stroke was finished, the stone surface seemed to be smoothed out as if by a breath. Zhu Biao couldn't help but laugh: "Uncle, your hand strength is getting better and better with each cut."

"A single stroke of the sword should be used where it is needed."

Zhu Han flicked the crumbs off his fingers. "We won't carve 'take it back' today. Let them carve it themselves."

Outside the courtyard gate, a dense sound of footsteps poured in.

Students from other places gathered in groups of three or five, some carrying book boxes, others carrying bamboo tubes, their expressions a mixture of restraint and barely concealed excitement.

The boys from the city arrived earlier. They already knew Miao Xing and greeted him with smiles: "Sir, I've changed the soles of my shoes to thicker ones."

"Okay." Miao Xing glanced at it, raised his hand and pressed it down, "Remember to tuck your toes in when you leave."

Bai Yu squeezed at the back of the crowd, her sleeves pulled tightly together.

He looked up at the two stone tablets, his gaze lingering on the three characters "walk straight," his lips moved, but he didn't utter a sound.

"Stand out in a line." Zhu Han took a step forward, his voice not loud, but it penetrated every corner of the courtyard. "Today I will only teach you three things: First, stand; second, walk; third, gather up. Stand still, then walk."

Before he could finish speaking, two more people entered through the door.

The man in front was the old man who wrote the character "久" (long) in front of the stone last night, carrying a bundle of newly made short bamboo rulers on his back; the man behind him was young, carrying a stack of wooden plaques, which were empty.

The old man placed the bamboo ruler beside the stone, looked up at Zhu Biao and smiled: "I'll write the character 'slow'."

"Please have a seat, sir. I'll ask you to write something later," Zhu Biao said, stepping forward. "I'll trouble you to be here today."

"I think so." The old man agreed, then sat down on one side of the corridor and lined up the bamboo rulers one by one, like arranging characters.

Zhu Han raised his hand and waved: "Stand!"

The courtyard instantly quieted down. The crowd split into four lines, with a step and a half's space between each line.

Zhu Han walked to the front of the first row and lightly tapped the boy's instep with his fingertip: "Toes slightly inward, knees facing inward, soles of feet firmly pressed down."

His fingertips then landed on another student's shoulder: "Don't hold your shoulders too high, or you'll become arrogant."

He walked through four rows, as if pressing down on each node in a long line.

Han Shuo followed closely, his eyes scanning the feet, hands, shoulders, and even the breathing.

Miao Xing moved around in the last column, his gestures so small they were almost invisible. He would tap the waist and back, lift the elbow, and then gently withdraw.

"Let's go," Zhu Han uttered a single word.

The first row takes the lead.

The uneven blue bricks made my steps unsteady, like a series of newly started drumbeats.

When they reached the third step, some people's stride shortened by half a finger, and their bodies drifted outwards.

Zhu Han coughed lightly: "Turn back."

The boy immediately pulled his foot back half an inch, aligning his stride with the next brick.

Han Shuo watched from the side and nodded secretly—the four words "fold and convergence line" were all contained in this half-inch.

"Go on." Zhu Han pointed to the second column. "The two columns intersect. Don't let your eyes wander or your breathing become chaotic."

Two lines of people walked side by side, their clothes rustling softly against each other.

A student from out of town had his shoulder brushed, stumbled, and almost missed a step.

Bai Yu stepped over and patted his back: "Don't rush, draw the breath down into your stomach."

The student glanced at him, did as he was told, and stood still.

Bai Yu retreated back to the group, but his ears turned red—this was the first time he had ever made a move in front of so many people.

"Stop." Zhu Han raised his palm.

The procession moves like the receding tide, with the toes of the front foot landing first, followed by the heels, and the center of gravity shifts gently from front to back.

Three breaths later, the courtyard calmed down again.

“The second section,” Zhu Han said, “straight. Straight doesn’t mean hard; it means the energy flows smoothly. I’ll give you three lines—the threshold, the shadow of the pillars, and the cracks in the stone. Follow the lines.”

He used a bamboo stick to draw three light white lines on the ground, neither straight nor curved, extending along the center of the courtyard.

The group followed instructions and stepped onto the platform from different points.

The first method is front lighting, the second is backlighting, and the third is half-lit and half-hidden, which is the most difficult.

Bai Yu chose the third option, hesitating slightly as he lifted his foot, but his foot landed steadily.

He exhaled, as if he had let go of something.

“Not bad.” Zhu Han’s voice reached his ears through the two rows of seats. “Even if you’re afraid, you can still be honest, and that’s worth it.”

Zhu Biao observed this, his eyes gleaming. He suddenly clasped his hands in a fist salute to the old man and asked, "Sir, may I ask you to write the character 'straight'?"

The old man stood up with a smile, picked up a bamboo ruler as a pen, and wrote a neat "straight" on the wooden sign.

The characters were small, but their structure was extremely stable. After he finished writing, he asked, "Should we add one more stroke?"

"Add?" Zhu Biao asked curiously.

The old man lightly drew a line in the air with his dry brush: "Straight down, add a small curve. Tell them that there is a curve in a straight line, and a straight line in a curve."

Zhu Biao paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I've noted this down, sir."

As the students practiced until noon, the heat in the courtyard intensified, and beads of sweat slid down their cheekbones, landing in their collars, where they felt slightly cool.

Zhu Han had everyone sit in the shade, and then moved the two stone tablets to the corridor: "Practice will end in the afternoon."

"Your Highness." Miao Xing approached and handed over a cloth bundle. "Here's the sour jujube candy." Zhu Han smiled and shook his head: "Leave it here. Many people are learning it; one in your mouth won't make you thirsty."

“Then I’ll put a basin of water at the door.” Miao Xing turned around and instructed, “Fifth brother, bring the wooden basin by the well, wash it clean, and put it in the shade.”

"Yes," the fifth brother replied, hurrying along.

Han Shuo sat in the shadow of the pillars, leaning against the stone, looking up at the "three characters".

He remained silent for a long while, then suddenly said, "Prince Han, if I were to teach a class as well, would that be acceptable?"

"You teach me," Zhu Han nodded. "You choose the second line."

"Why not first place?" Han Shuo raised an eyebrow.

“The first one is with the light, easy,” Zhu Han laughed. “You don’t like easy ones.”

Han Shuo laughed too: "I'll choose the second one."

The gathering resumed in the afternoon, and the courtyard quieted down again. Zhu Han raised his hand and said, "Let's stop."

“Receiving it back is not about ‘stopping’,” he said. “It’s about warming up the air that has just left and sending it back.”

Bring your toes in first, then your heels, slowly lower your shoulders, keep your waist engaged, and keep your chest full.

He made a gesture, as if he were carrying a warm cup of tea back to the coffee table.

Everyone did as instructed, some steadily and some trembling.

Bai Yu swayed slightly at the last step, so Zhu Han stood beside him and gently pressed the back of his hand against the inside of his arm: "Think of this step as saying to yourself: 'I've arrived.' Once you've arrived, you won't panic."

"I've arrived..." Bai Yu said to herself, and suddenly felt calm.

He couldn't help but laugh, and sweat trickled down his face along with his smile.

The train taught by Han Shuo was initially out of sync, but gradually, the rhythm was drawn out by his words "stop—"

The sound was neither hurried nor slow, like a string being drawn together.

During the third round, he suddenly stopped: "Close your eyes, and let's do it one more time."

After closing their eyes, many people became quiet.

No one can see anyone else. They listen to their own breathing, the rise and fall of their breaths pulling their shoulders down, down into their hearts.

Zhu Han looked at that row and nodded slightly.

"Your Highness," Ah Huai whispered in his ear as he circled around from the doorway, "there are two groups of people outside, standing far apart, as if they are also watching."

"Look if you want," Zhu Han said, "but don't touch it."

"Yes." Ah Huai stepped back.

After three rounds of practice, the sun was setting, and a breeze slipped in through the gaps in the locust leaves, brushing against the back of my neck; it was quite cool.

Zhu Han raised his hand: "Stop, disperse and rest in the shade."

People sat or squatted, wiping their faces with cloths, drinking water, and panting.

Some people laughed, while others simply looked down at their feet, as if checking every step they took that day.

Bai Zan walked over and handed Bai Yu a thin silk handkerchief: "Put the sweat on your forehead, don't let it get into your eyes."

Bai Yu took it, pressed it gently, and looked up: "Thank you for letting me run in the corner room—I ran really well."

"It's because you were willing to run away," Bai Zan laughed. "I'm just making way for a small piece of land."

She turned to Zhu Han and nodded slightly: "Your Highness, there are people guarding those two groups of onlookers outside the door. If they get close, my men will circle around them and watch their feet."

“Looking at their feet is enough,” Zhu Han said.

"Yes." Bai Zan stepped back, her shadow falling on the pillar, a faint wisp.

Zhu Yuanzhang arrived just as the sun was setting.

He wasn't wearing court robes; his sleeves were rolled up an inch, as if he were just walking around casually.

He paused at the gate of the courtyard, first looking at the two stones, then at the crowd, and finally at his son.

Zhu Biao stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Father."

"Standing firm?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked with a smile.

“Steady.” Zhu Biao said seriously, “Today I learned to ‘close’, and the best time I closed my eyes was the one time.”

"Even with your eyes closed, you must remain steady," Zhu Yuanzhang praised, then turned his gaze to Zhu Han.
"Your strategy looks to me like a small drum. When the drumbeat is slow, people's hearts are slow; when the drumbeat is synchronized, people's hearts are synchronized."

“Your Majesty is right,” Zhu Han laughed. “However, the drum isn’t outside; it’s under your feet.”

"The drum at the foot." Zhu Yuanzhang smacked his lips and suddenly said, "You should carve the third stone as well."

“Let them carve it.” Zhu Han shook his head. “The phrase ‘recovered’ only counts if they carve it themselves.”

"Very well." Zhu Yuanzhang said no more, stood by the stone, and suddenly said to everyone, "Whoever collects the best today, shall carve it."

The courtyard fell silent.

After a while, the old man stepped forward, shook his head with a smile, and said, "It wasn't me."

He handed the bamboo ruler to Bai Yu, saying, "Kid, you carve this. I heard you say 'I've arrived' today."

Bai Yu was startled, and her palms immediately started sweating.

He looked at Zhu Han, and Zhu Han nodded.

Bai Yu held the bamboo ruler, rubbing its back inch by inch three times with his fingers, as if confirming a certain weight.

Then he used the ruler as a chisel, and with a flick of his wrist, he carved the first dot of the character "收" (shōu).

That dot was tiny, yet steady. The second stroke silenced the faint sound emanating from the stone's heart.

As he finished the third stroke with a hook, he quietly exhaled, and the line disappeared into the character.

"Okay," Zhu Han said softly.

"Write two more words," the old man said.

Bai Yu gritted his teeth and finished writing the words "get back".

When he stopped, the back of the ruler made a soft sound, like a stone answering him.

He smiled unconsciously, and his tightly pursed brows relaxed completely at that moment.

A murmur of cheers erupted from the crowd.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the three characters, then suddenly turned to Zhu Biao and said, "Tomorrow, move this stone to the steps of the Imperial Academy and leave it there for three days. Then put the first and second stones back on their original positions. After three days, remove them."

"Yes," Zhu Biao replied.

Night fell inch by inch, and two ox-horn lamps were lit in the courtyard.

The light was dim, making the carvings on the stone surface look like lukewarm water.

The crowd dispersed slowly, as if reluctant to let the heat escape from their feet.

Miao Xing gave the last few jujube candies to the last few children, who thanked him and ran out the door.

“Your Highness,” Ah Huai darted out from the shadows to Zhu Han’s side and whispered, “Of those two groups of onlookers, one group left quickly, their footsteps scattering. The other group left in unison, as if they were counting.”

"If they're counting, let them count."

Zhu Han's eyes were calmer than the night. "If you count too many, your legs will go numb."

"Should we go?" Ah Huai asked. (End of Chapter)