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

"Where my heart leads"—these four words seem simple, but they carry immense weight. A single stroke written incorrectly is "deceiving the emperor"; a single ambiguity in the wording is "having wicked intentions."

The first to step forward was Huang Lin, the Minister of Justice.

He was sweating profusely, took a deep breath, and placed his hand on the "light-fixing plate," allowing light to shine through the hole into his palm.

He picked up his pen and wrote eight characters: "My heart is set on the country, and I do not care about personal grievances."

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at it, his expression unchanged: "Approved."

The second was Wu Ding, the Vice Minister of War, who wrote: "My heart is with Your Majesty, and my loyalty is unwavering." His pen hesitated, and Zhu Yuanzhang's brow twitched slightly. His voice was as cold as a knife: "If your heart is so loyal, why do you hesitate for three breaths?"

Wu Ding's face turned deathly pale, and he kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty is terrified!"

The third person to step forward was Wang Guangyang, the Minister of Revenue.

His hand was as steady as a rock as he picked up his brush and wrote: "My heart is with all the people under heaven, and I will not fail the king's rule."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Okay."

The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly heavy. Dozens of people stepped forward one after another. Some had trembling hands, some had tears falling from their pens, and some had shifty eyes, as if a ray of light had shone into the dark corners of their hearts.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze when a figure stepped out of the queue—Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

He slowly walked up the steps, his robes fluttering in the wind.

The board stood there quietly, as if waiting for him to unveil his soul.

"Biao'er," Zhu Yuanzhang's voice carried a deeper meaning, "you come too."

Zhu Biao stared at the light and suddenly felt a moment of unease.

When he placed his hand on it, his palm was slightly sweaty.

The light shone through the small hole and fell on his face, as if an invisible gaze pierced through his flesh.

He picked up his pen, but hesitated to write anything.

"Why is the Crown Prince hesitating?" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice grew colder.

Zhu Biao gritted his teeth and finally uttered four words: "My heart is set on the light."

"What is 'Ming'?" Zhu Yuanzhang stared at him. "Is it 'Great Ming', or is it what your heart finds peace of mind?"

Zhu Biao's hand trembled, and the ink paused slightly.

After a moment, he raised his head and looked directly at his father: "It is the country founded by my father that is the light of the world and the place where my heart finds peace."

"If one day, this 'Ming' is no longer a place for you to be at peace, will you still yearn for it?" Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes suddenly turned as sharp as knives.

The officials in the hall held their breath.

Zhu Biao's breathing quickened for a moment, and he finally said in a low voice, "Your subject is inclined towards 'enlightenment,' not towards security. Security can be lost, but 'enlightenment' cannot be lost."

Zhu Yuanzhang's brow relaxed slightly, but he remained silent. He waved his hand, signaling Zhu Biao to step down.

At this moment, Zhu Han's name was called out loudly by the eunuch: "Please, Your Highness—"

All eyes turned to the figure in the green robe.

Zhu Han took a slow step, his steps sharp and decisive, each step carrying an undeniable aura.

He walked up to the "light-fixing plate," glanced at the light, and a slight, mocking smile appeared on his lips.

"Your Highness, please take heed." Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was devoid of warmth.

Zhu Han calmly extended his hand and placed his palm on the board.

The light fell into his palm, like an extremely thin chain, or a string that could break at any moment.

"My heart is with the people, not with the ruler." Zhu Han picked up his pen and slowly wrote eight characters: "My heart is with people, not with the ruler."

The entire hall erupted in uproar.

"Insolence!" Yang Xian was the first to shout. "What do you mean by that, Your Highness? Do you disregard the laws and regulations of His Majesty?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze turned cold, and his voice seemed to drift from hell: "Han—do you know the consequences of your words?"

Zhu Han raised his head, his gaze calm and clear: "Your subject knows. But your subject wishes to speak the truth: the board is not the heart, nor is the person the board. The heart's direction lies in the person, not in the wood; in the blood, not in the ink; in the people, not in a piece of paper."

The hall was dead silent.

Zhu Han continued, “If the loyalty of the officials is only reflected in the tablet, then when the tablet is destroyed, their loyalty will also vanish with the wind; if the Crown Prince’s ambition is only in his oath, then the oath will not reach his heart and will ultimately be empty words. The tablet can help people see themselves, but it cannot help people judge themselves.”

“My heart is set on people, not on wood; on the world, not on empty words.”

These words startled all the officials in the hall.

Some bowed their heads in deep thought, some broke out in a cold sweat, and some showed unprecedented respect.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Zhu Han silently for a long time, then struck his bamboo cane with a loud "thud," which echoed throughout the palace: "What a fine 'My heart is with the people, not with the ruler.'"

He suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter tinged with complexity: "Han, oh Han, you're still the same old you, daring to defy even my punishment!"

There was no anger in the laughter.

"My lords," Zhu Yuanzhang slowly rose, his dragon robe pressing down on the palace like a mountain, "Today's test is not for killing, but for self-reflection. Do you know that if the method of self-reflection loses its original intent, it will be the most powerful weapon in the world, and also the most evil. If one day, the 'heart' becomes a rope binding the world, even I, the emperor, will sever it with my own hands!"

All the officials replied in unison, "We will heed the imperial edict!"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to Zhu Biao: "Biao'er."

"My son is here."

"Your words today, though not entirely good, were sincere. Remember, the Crown Prince's 'heart' is not to please me, nor to please the world, but to please 'reason'."

"Your subject will remember this."

Finally, his gaze fell on Zhu Han, and the majesty in his eyes faded slightly, replaced by a deep sense of satisfaction: "You said 'hearts turned to the people,' and I have remembered it. Perhaps one day, this world will also need to rely on these four words to stand firm."

Zhu Han cupped his hands in greeting: "Your subject will not forget."

After the grand court session ended, the autumn rain had stopped, and the pomegranate trees on both sides of the palace road rustled in the wind.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Han walked out of Fengtian Hall side by side, the blue bricks under their feet shining from the rain.

“Uncle,” Zhu Biao suddenly spoke, his voice so low it was as if he were afraid of disturbing something, “Just now on stage, I could barely hold the pen.”

"What are you afraid of?" Zhu Han turned his head to look at him.

“I’m afraid of making a mistake, afraid of disappointing my father, and afraid that the world will use this as a pretext.”

Zhu Biao gently clenched his fist. "So, the hardest part of 'looking into one's heart' is looking into oneself."

Zhu Han smiled, his eyes gentle: "It's not easy to look after yourself. The human heart is not like a sword. A sword will become sharper if you sharpen it for a long time, but you will become afraid of the human heart if you look at it for too long."

"But my uncle isn't afraid at all."

"Wrong." Zhu Han's gaze drifted towards the distant palace walls.
"I'm afraid too. Afraid of writing empty words, afraid of being blinded by the light. But I've walked a few decades longer than you, and I know one thing—the heart isn't for others to see, it's for oneself to guard."

“Uncle,” he suddenly smiled, “I’ve figured it out. ‘Illuminating the Heart’ isn’t about making people trust me, but about making myself afraid to betray myself.”

Zhu Han smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "If you can always remember this saying, you won't get lost when you sit on the dragon throne in the future."

The candlelight in the imperial study remained burning all night.

Zhu Han stood by the window, looking at the shadows of the palace walls outside.

The shadow was like an invisible net, covering the entire capital city.

“Uncle.” Zhu Biao strode in, his expression anxious. “Is Father really going to write the ‘Heart Sutra’ into the law?” “He has already begun writing.” Zhu Han turned around, his eyes deep. “The imperial brush is currently copying it.”

"But this isn't governing a country, it's governing a soul!"

Zhu Biao exclaimed excitedly, "Once the mental cultivation method becomes a law, everyone will have to examine their own heart. Those with even the slightest flaw in their hearts—even just fear or doubt—will be punished? This—"

"—That's exactly what my brother is asking for," Zhu Han said in a low voice.

Zhu Biao was taken aback: "What are you asking for?"

"Seek a world where there is no dissent."

Zhu Han walked to the desk and gently tapped a newly copied manuscript of "Heart Rhythm" with his fingertips: "He doesn't want all officials to be wholeheartedly virtuous, but rather he wants all officials to be wholeheartedly devoted to him."

Zhu Biao was stunned: "Isn't that... a mental prison?"

Zhu Han smiled, a hint of weariness in his smile: "You finally understand the true meaning of this name."

The following morning at the Fengtian Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang personally read aloud the "Heart Law".

"The governance of the world depends on the law; the foundation of the law lies in the heart."

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was deep and resonant, like a drum: "The Gu family's disorderly conduct stems from their own hearts; the officials' sycophancy and flattery arise from their own hearts. If the heart is not upright, how can the law be upright? Therefore, I have established the 'Ministry of Heart Law' to order the world to act in accordance with their hearts, so as to rectify the social order."

The courtiers in the hall held their breath.

Han Ji, the Minister of Rites, was the first to step forward, prostrating himself and kowtowing: "Your Majesty, the law of judging by the heart cannot be bound by the law. The human heart is ever-changing. If officials are judged by their hearts, the whole world will be terrified; if crimes are determined by the heart, countless people will die unjustly—this is not a clear law, but a doubtful law!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at him and slowly said, "Han Qing, were you sincere about what you just said?"

Han Ji was taken aback: "Your subject... Your subject speaks the truth."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled slightly and pointed – two Imperial Guards had already stepped forward with the "stable board".

"Then so be it."

Han Ji's face turned deathly pale. When the light shone on his palm, it felt as if his entire body had been dissected. With trembling hands, he wrote: "My heart fears chaos, not the law."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at it for a long time, then said calmly, "Agreed."

“However, this fear has already been stirred.”

Han Ji couldn't catch his breath and almost collapsed.

No one in the hall dared to speak again.

After the court session ended, Zhu Han was summoned to the Imperial Study.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat alone on the couch, his expression calm: "Han, why have you remained silent in court today?"

Zhu Han cupped his hands in greeting: "Your brother already knew what I meant."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Yes. I knew you would object."

"Oppose?" Zhu Han smiled. "Your subject dares not object, but is merely worried."

What is there to worry about?

“If worry enters the law, the law will lose its heart.”

Zhu Yuanzhang put down his bamboo cane, his gaze as firm as iron: "Han, do you think I am unaware of this principle? But do you know the chaos among the officials of the empire? They deceive their superiors and subordinates, outwardly comply but inwardly defy, smiling while hiding daggers. I can use a knife to control their bodies, but I cannot control their hearts. If you do not use the heart as the standard, how can you command the people?"

"To win over the masses?" Zhu Han said in a deep voice, "To win over the masses is to instill fear. When the masses are fearful, chaos ensues. Laws are external, while the mind is internal. External laws can prohibit, and internal laws can warn. But if they are mixed together, no one in the world will dare to think, speak, or act. At that time, the Ming Dynasty will not be a country, but a prison."

Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long time, then suddenly said, "Han, do you know why I still insist on doing this?"

"Why?"

"Because I am afraid."

Zhu Han was shocked.

Zhu Yuanzhang lowered his voice to a whisper: “I fear the people’s hearts will not be united, I fear the world will fall into chaos again, I fear that one day this country will be engulfed in flames once more. I am old and do not wish for the world to be shattered again after my death. If I were to bind the hearts of the people with a single rule, though I would be unkind, I would have no regrets.”

Zhu Han remained silent for a long time.

"Brother," he finally said in a low voice, "you govern the world with all your heart, but if the world has no heart, how can there be enlightenment?"

Zhu Yuanzhang closed his eyes, his voice weary: "I do not seek that the world be enlightened, but only that the world not be in chaos."

"But if one loses one's sight out of fear of chaos, it will be more terrifying than chaos itself."

The room was silent. The candlelight flickered in the wind, casting swaying shadows.

After a long silence, Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "You may leave."

On the eve of winter, Zhu Biao was summoned to the imperial study.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood alone by the candlelight, his voice hoarse: "Biao'er, do you know about today's imperial edict?"

"Your subject knows that the 'heart rhythm' has been implemented throughout the world."

Do you agree?

Zhu Biao remained silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, "Your subject dares not comment on the law, but only wishes that Your Majesty would protect the people."

Zhu Yuanzhang raised his eyes and slowly asked, "If one day the laws I have established cause people to lose their original intentions, what will you do?"

Zhu Biao raised his head, his eyes blazing: "At that time, I will uphold my heart, not the law."

Zhu Yuanzhang was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Indeed, it was taught by your uncle."

"Your subject has reflected on what he has learned."

“Very well—” Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slowly, “If one day I lose my way, will you dare to tell me?”

Zhu Biao knelt down solemnly: "I dare."

"Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived," the steward whispered a reminder.

Zhu Han snapped out of his daze and turned to see Zhu Biao, dressed in a black brocade robe, walking steadily into the courtyard.

His face looked slightly haggard, but his eyes revealed a firm determination.

"Uncle," Zhu Biao bowed respectfully.

Zhu Han smiled and walked up to Zhu Biao, patting him on the shoulder: "Biao'er, what brings you here today?"

Zhu Biao sighed softly: "Uncle, I've been troubled by the affairs of the court lately, so I've come to talk to you about it."

The two entered the study, and Zhu Han personally poured Zhu Biao a cup of hot tea.

Zhu Biao picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "Uncle, since the implementation of the 'heart rhythm', all the officials in the court are in a state of panic. Many ministers have submitted petitions, hoping that Father Emperor would rescind his decree, but Father Emperor remains unmoved. I am truly worried that if this continues, something unexpected may happen."

Zhu Han frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Biao'er, your father's actions are truly due to his fear. He fears that people's hearts will not be united and that the world will fall into chaos again, so he wants to use this 'heart rhythm' to bind people's hearts. But he doesn't realize that if the heart is bound, people will lose their vitality, and how can the world prosper?"

Zhu Biao nodded: "I understand this principle as well. But now that Father has made up his mind, I don't know how to persuade him."

Zhu Han stood up, paced around the study for a moment, then stopped and looked at Zhu Biao with a firm gaze: "Biao'er, as the Crown Prince, you should take the world as your responsibility. Although this 'heart rhythm' was promoted by your father, if its disadvantages outweigh its advantages, you cannot sit idly by."

Zhu Biao looked troubled: "But Father Emperor..."

Zhu Han interrupted him, saying, "Your father was also confused for a moment. He fought all his life and made unparalleled contributions to the Ming Dynasty, but now he is being stubborn about this matter of 'heart rhythm'. You should persuade him with reason and make him understand the pros and cons involved."

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Uncle is absolutely right. I will go to see Father tomorrow and discuss this matter with him properly."

Zhu Han nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. However, you should also be prepared that your father may not easily change his mind." (End of Chapter)