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

He raised his hand, and Lu Yicong's drumbeats fell in the morning breeze, like an invisible road being laid out in the city.

People on the road started walking, some fast, some slow, some with light, some with heavy, but all moving forward.

"Uncle," Zhu Biao said quietly from the side, "I suddenly feel that the city has become quiet."

"Is it quiet?" Zhu Han listened intently. "It's not quiet, it's a collection of sounds coming together as one."

"What's it called?" Zhu Biao asked.

“It’s called ‘Heartbeat’,” Zhu Han laughed. “Remember it. Wherever you go in the future, take this with you.”

"I'll take it," Zhu Biao said firmly.

He turned around and watched Gu Chen and Chen Tong talking between the ropes—

"You're shrugging your shoulders again."

"I know."

"If you know, then release it."

"Let it go."

"too much."

"Then give me a slow-motion replay."

"it is good."

The drumbeat paused briefly, then resumed.

With Chen Tong's weight on his feet steady, Gu Chen's brows relaxed.

The straw sandal seller handed a new pair of shoes to Manager Liu: "Try them on."

Shopkeeper Liu put it on, took two steps between the ropes, and then turned back to smile at him: "Your hand is even steadyer than the two feet on my counter."

"The two feet on your counter are for measuring cloth, but my hands are for measuring people," the sandalmaker said proudly. "They're different."

Manager Liu was about to roll his eyes, but he held back and waved his hand with a smile: "You're right."

In the distance, Han Ding brought new students.

The children tucked their books under their arms, their steps hesitant.

Han Ding didn't rush them, but led them to stand outside the rope for a while, letting them watch the people walking and listen to the drum.

He suddenly understood the meaning of Zhu Han's "meaning": the words are on the page, but the meaning is in the footsteps. If a person doesn't walk, the words are just words; once a person walks, the words come alive.

As the sun rises, the alleyway resembles a river gently illuminated by sunlight.

The people in the river were neither in a hurry nor making a fuss. Each person took their own three steps, thirty steps, or three hundred steps, and within each person's steps lay the same rhythm.

Zhu Han stood on the riverbank, watching the river slowly widen in the city. The fire in his heart burned steadily, not fiercely or ostentatiously, but irresistibly drawing people closer.

"Your Highness!" Bai Yu suddenly ran over, clutching a red rope in her hand. "I have an idea."

"explain."

"Tie the shoelaces of the three people who walked the most steadily with red ropes and hang them on the door. At a glance, others will know who walked steadily that day. We don't write anything, we just hang the shoes."

“Good idea.” Zhu Han laughed. “Shoes are words written on their feet.”

Bai Yu ran off with a grin, and soon three pairs of shoes were hanging on the door: one pair made of coarse cloth, one pair woven from straw rope, and one pair of old boots patched in three places. The three pairs of shoes swayed gently in the wind, like three flags.

“Uncle,” Zhu Biao stood under the door, looked up for a while, and suddenly said, “I’ve thought about the future.”

"In the future?" Zhu Han looked at him.

"In the future, people in this city will not be afraid to go out because of the rain, will not complain because the roads are slippery, and will not stop walking because they are afraid of falling. They will know that if they fall, they can get up and keep going."

Zhu Biao's eyes shone like morning stars. "By then, 'Listening to the Wind' won't need to be hung on the door anymore; everyone will have it in their hearts."

"You're thinking very far ahead." Zhu Han patted his shoulder. "Okay. Let's finish today's work first."

"Yes," Zhu Biao replied, turning around and disappearing into the crowd.

The sunlight shifted over the wall, and the heat at the alley entrance gradually subsided. Everyone had stood there, and everyone had walked past.

Some people put away their shoes, while others drank water.

Standing at the door, Li Yu looked at the three pairs of shoes with red ropes hanging from them, and suddenly said to Zhu Han, "Your Highness, I want to take five steps tomorrow."

“Okay,” Zhu Han said, “but if you mess up the third step, stop and don’t take the last two steps.”

Li Yu thought for a moment and nodded: "I'll listen."

"And another thing," Zhu Han suddenly said, "the one who will be drumming tomorrow is not Lu Yicong, nor Gu Chen, but you."

Li Yu was stunned: "Me?"

"You played well today," Zhu Han smiled. "Your hands may tremble, but your heart doesn't. The drum is yours, but the journey is yours."

Li Yu nodded vigorously, his eyes glistening with tears.

He held the drumsticks to his chest, as if embracing a newly born wish.

The evening breeze swept across the highest rooftops in the city, bringing a touch of coolness.

Zhu Han stood under the "Listening to the Wind" wooden sign and pushed it up slightly.

He wasn't sure how much he pushed, nor was he sure if it was really too high.

"Your Highness," Shi Buwai stretched at the doorway, "I'm going to have a drink."

"Don't drink too much," Zhu Han laughed. "You'll be the one swearing tomorrow."

"I don't rely on alcohol to curse people," Shi Bu grinned. "I rely on my mouth."

"Then you shouldn't drink at all," Zhu Han said. "If you drink too much, your mouth will get all tied up."

As dusk completely fell, only a few lights remained at the alley entrance.

Shi Buwai tossed the empty basket over his shoulder, humming an off-key tune as he went out the door.

Zhu Han stood under the "Listening to the Wind" wooden sign, glanced at it one more time, and then turned back to the corridor.

Before the rooster crowed the next day, people were already quietly standing in the old schoolhouse.

Three ropes were laid out under the eaves, the middle one being the straightest, with the two on either side slightly curved.

The floor was polished until it shone, the edges of the earthenware pots were pressed down, and even the dust in the crevices was swept out in small clumps.

"Stand down first." Zhu Han stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Solid soles, loose toes, knees not locked, waist not slumped. If you can't stand, don't show off, move to the side and sit for a while, then come back."

Wang Fu was the first to stand on the rope, his coarse cloth clothes feeling slightly cool from the morning dew.

He shifted his feet slightly forward and backward, holding his breath and remaining still.

Lu Yicong held the drum but didn't play it. He simply stuck a thin cloth on the drumhead, as if covering everyone's heart with a layer of tranquility.

"Wang Fu, put your shoulders down," Zhu Han said.

Wang Fu said "Oh," and his shoulders felt like two stones had fallen to the ground.

"Gu Chen, stop staring at other people," Zhu Han said again.

Gu Chen turned his gaze away from Wang Fu and stared at a white mark on the floor tile in front of him.

"Li Yu, give me a quarter of an hour first." Zhu Han looked at him. "If you're trembling, then tremble. Don't try to tough it out."

Li Yu nodded, his palms sweaty, but he tried his best to spread his fingers wide.

He stole a glance at the three pairs of shoes on the lintel; the red ropes swayed in the wind, as if cheering him on.

Shi Buwai arrived unsteadily, with a hint of weariness in his eyes.

He squeezed through the crowd and reached out to press on Wang Fu's elbow: "Don't get stuck. If you get stuck, your leg will cramp."

"Oh." Wang Fu grinned. "I thought it was more stable if it was stuck." "The one who's stuck is the easiest to fall," Shi Buwai clicked his tongue. "Loose to the bone."

As dawn broke, a series of footsteps stepped in from the alley entrance, light yet steady.

Zhu Han didn't need to turn around; he already knew who it was. Zhu Yuanzhang was wearing a faded short jacket and carrying a small cloth bag, looking like an elder bringing breakfast.

"Brother Emperor," Zhu Han smiled, "Good morning."

"I was afraid you'd slack off." Zhu Yuanzhang placed the cloth bag on the corridor table. "I brought some food with me, so you can have a bite after standing. Standing for a long time makes your stomach empty and you'll easily break out in a cold sweat."

"Your Majesty knows a lot." Bai Zan smiled and took the hairpin. "I'll go divide it up."

Zhu Yuanzhang walked around the rope with his hands behind his back, without saying a word.

Sweat dripped from Li Yu's palms, trickling through his fingers and onto the ground. He heard the faint sound, and the panic in his heart slowly subsided.

He quietly counted to one hundred and eighty, and suddenly felt as if his legs had been replaced with new bones; they were empty inside and didn't hurt.

My uncle stood outside the crowd, his hands clenched tightly. His face was calm, but his eyes were quietly moist.

"That's enough." Zhu Han looked at Li Yu. "Sit down for a moment, and let Wang Fu take his place."

"I can still stand." Li Yu subconsciously wanted to show off, but Shi Buwai glared at him, so he quickly retorted, "I'll sit."

Some people stood firm, some swayed, and some gritted their teeth and persevered.

Han Ding led several students to watch from outside the rope, occasionally taking a step or two closer and gesturing with his eyes to "relax" and "breathe".

Gu Chen remained silent, his eyes even more somber than yesterday. He placed a thin wooden stick at each person's feet, saying, "Land here with the soles of your feet," his voice as low as the wind.

At the beginning of the morning, Zhu Han clapped his hands gently and said, "Stop." He had someone bring warm water, and asked everyone to take a small sip before swallowing, before telling them to sit down. Wang Fu handed the bowl of water to the old woman and said, "Drink slowly, it's hot."

"It's hot enough," the old woman smiled, "It'll warm your hands."

"Warmth makes walking more stable." Wang Fu learned this phrase and nodded earnestly.

"I will not walk in the courtyard for the second part of today's journey."

Zhu Han turned the wooden sign that read "Stand, Walk, Collect" over, revealing two newly engraved characters on the back: "On the long street."

"A long street?" Bai Yu was taken aback, her eyes lighting up first. "That sounds fun."

“It’s not for fun.” Zhu Han glanced at him sideways. “The paving stones on the long street are uneven, there are many shops, and many people. We’ll walk around the bends, the narrow paths, and the gaps in the crowd.”

Gu Chen looked up: "Should we clear out the street?"

“It’s unclear.” Zhu Han shook his head. “If it were clear, it would become an empty space. What we need to learn is to keep our minds steady even when things are unclear.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly hummed in agreement: "That's a good point."

He glanced at Zhu Biao and said, "Remember this."

Zhu Biao said "Yes," with his hands behind his back, as if he had engraved the sentence in his heart.

The procession left the old academy, putting away all the ropes, pots, and pebbles, leaving only three small drums, one on each side of a bamboo frame, and the middle one held by Li Yu.

Bai Zan carried about ten short wooden poles, saying they were "road markers," and tied small red ropes to each pole.

"What are you going to do with this thing?" Shi Buwai asked, puzzled.

“When you encounter a narrow spot, stick one in there to remind people to ‘give way’.” The white hairpin swayed proudly. “In addition to ‘stand, walk, and put away’, add one more word: ‘give way’.”

"Who taught you that?" Zhu Han asked.

"It was my own idea," Bai Zan chuckled.

"Smarter than you usually are." Shi Buwai snorted, but handed him the basket on his shoulder. "Then put a few more in, and don't put them in the wrong ones."

The long street still carried the dampness of last night's rain, and tiny grasses sprouted from the cracks in the stones.

A row of stalls with shelves peeking out from the street. The sauce vendor looked up and saw a group of people walking in a line. He couldn't help but laugh: "Your procession looks like a wedding procession."

“We can’t send them out,” Shi Buwai chimed in. “We’ll send them footsteps.”

The sauce vendor paused for a moment, then laughed and stuffed two pieces of dried sauce into Wang Fu's hand: "While they're hot, don't let your prince see them."

Wang Fu's eyes darted around, he stuffed the dried bean curd into his pocket, walked to Zhu Han's side, and asked cautiously, "Your Highness, would you like to try some?"

Zhu Han took a small piece, held it in his mouth without biting it, and said, "We'll talk about it after we finish."

The procession stopped at the intersection of the long street. Li Yu pressed the drum to his chest; his palms were sweaty, but his hands were not trembling. He looked at Zhu Han.

"Take thirty steps first," Zhu Han said. "Take ten steps and then stop. Look straight ahead, don't look at your feet. When you encounter a puddle, don't avoid it, step over it gently and use its coolness."

"I'll go first." Wang Fu rolled up his sleeves and stepped out.

As the drumbeats faded, Wang Fu's heels, soles, and toes landed one by one in time with the slow beat.

His second step landed on a slightly protruding blue brick, and the sole of his foot felt like it was stepping on a warm core. He didn't panic and used the warmth to transfer the force to his front foot.

He stopped at the tenth step, keeping his shoulders still and his eyes straight ahead.

"Great!" The sauce vendor patted his stall. "This foot is like flipping a pan on my stove."

"Don't flip the stove." Shi Buwai waved his hand. "I won't eat it if you do."

Everyone laughed. Amid the laughter, a second person went up, then a third. As Gu Chen left, he caught a glimpse of a child chasing a paper ball wildly around the street corner.

He kept his footing steady, and as the child rushed past, he gently took a half-step to the side, and the child passed right in front of him, the paper ball bouncing in the sunlight.

“Mr. Gu,” Han Ding lowered his voice, “your move is called ‘yielding’.”

"Bai Zan's idea," Gu Chen smiled. "It works."

The line moved forward gradually. The further they walked into the long street, the more uneven the ground became. In some places, a brick was missing half a corner, and in others, mud and water were pooled together, forming a thin layer like a mirror.

A flower vendor carrying a load of flowers swayed over from the opposite side, wafting waves of fragrance over people.

Her eyes were smiling, yet she was also a little anxious. She was used to using the load for support, and when she walked into the middle of the crowd, her foot slipped and she almost bumped into Li Yu.

"Stand!" Zhu Han shouted, and Li Yu's drumsticks, suspended in mid-air, fell to the ground.

That moment seemed to stretch out time; the flower seller's shoulders slumped, and she regained her balance.

She looked up, still shaken: "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

“You’re carrying too high a load.” Gu Chen glanced at him. “You usually rely on others for support, but today you get anxious as soon as you see someone. You’re pushing yourself up, so you’re floating. Pull the rope down a bit, and see.”

The flower seller stood there, frozen. Chen Tong came running up from the back of the line, his hands moving deftly: "I'll help you."

He quickly lowered the rope by half an inch and let her try taking a couple of steps.

The flower seller was now in a stable position; his shoulders seemed to have returned to their proper place, and the fragrance of flowers no longer wafted aimlessly along the road.

"Thank you." She turned back and smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Come tomorrow," Chen Tong said, a little embarrassed, but his voice was firm. "I'll teach you."

“I’ll teach you,” Gu Chen retorted. “She wants to learn from me.”

"What are you going to study?" Chen Tong asked, his eyes wide.

“Learn to ‘yield’,” Gu Chen said matter-of-factly. “All you know how to do is ‘charge’.”

The two glared at each other for two seconds, then simultaneously turned their faces away, each trying to suppress a laugh.

Li Yu lightly tapped the drumstick, and the people on the long street once again joined together.

After passing the sauce shop, there was a knife sharpening stall ahead.

The knife sharpener squatted on the stone, his wrist moving in and out, the blade following the shimmering water.

Upon seeing the group, he placed his knife on the edge of the basin, grinned, and asked, "What are you doing?"

“Teaching you to walk.” Bai Yu went over and stuck a short wooden stick into a crack in the ground with a snap. The red rope fluttered. “It’s narrow here, move aside.”

The knife sharpener took a step forward, but his eyes were immediately drawn to the red rope. (End of Chapter)