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

Chapter 864 Feedback and public opinion, Zhu Di plots against the Jinyiwei

"Sir, the farm tools and oxen that the court recently distributed to us have really helped us a lot!" A young farmer said excitedly, "In the past, our family only had one old ox, which was really powerless during the spring ploughing. Now, the new ox is strong and efficient, and we don't have to worry about missing the farming season anymore."

Zhu Han nodded and smiled, his eyes full of satisfaction: "That's good, we feel more at ease after hearing such feedback. However, in addition to farm tools and oxen, did you encounter any other problems in the production process?"

At this time, the old farmer sighed and took over the conversation: "Sir, everything else is fine, but the pests and diseases are a headache every year at this time. Farmers like us don't know so many ways to prevent and control them. We can only watch the crops being eaten by insects. It's heartbreaking."

Zhu Han frowned when he heard this, and turned to look at Zhu Biao. Their eyes met, and they understood each other's intentions without saying anything. Zhu Han continued to ask: "So what do you hope the court can do to help you solve this problem?"

"It would be great if we could send some experienced experts to teach us how to identify pests and diseases and how to prevent and control them," the old farmer said expectantly. "Also, if we could sell some cheap and effective pesticides, I would be very grateful."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao carefully recorded every suggestion and demand from the farmers, nodding from time to time to show their understanding. After the discussion, they stood up to thank the farmers and promised to report these issues to the court as soon as possible, striving to solve practical problems for everyone as soon as possible.

On the way out of the farmland, Zhu Han said to Zhu Biao, "Biao'er, it seems that we need to increase our efforts in agricultural technical guidance and pest control. I think we can consider setting up a special agricultural technology promotion team to regularly go to the countryside to provide training and support to farmers."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement: "Uncle Huang is right. We should not only solve the current difficulties, but also focus on the long-term and improve the self-development capabilities of farmers. Only in this way can our agriculture truly achieve sustainable development."

Zhu Biao agreed with this and had a clearer plan in mind. After returning to the East Palace, he immediately summoned his trusted advisers and officials from relevant departments for an emergency meeting.

"Everyone, today we went to the fields and had in-depth exchanges with the farmers. We learned about the practical problems they encountered in agricultural production." Zhu Biao's voice was steady and powerful. He looked around at everyone present and continued, "These problems cannot be ignored. We must take immediate action to solve practical problems for the people."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and the atmosphere in the meeting room was warm and positive. Zhu Biao's decisiveness and foresight made everyone present feel his deep concern for the country and the people.

At the same time, Zhu Di was in his mansion, listening to the report from his confidant with a serious expression. Knowing that Zhu Biao's prestige among the people was increasing, he could not help but feel a sense of urgency and crisis.

“Fourth Prince, the Crown Prince’s actions are deeply popular among the people. If this continues, it may pose a threat to your position.” An official said worriedly.

Zhu Di frowned, tapping his fingers on the table. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said, "We can't just sit there and wait for death. We must take the initiative. But remember, be cautious and don't leave any handles behind."

Everyone nodded and waited for Zhu Di's next instruction. Zhu Di's eyes were sharp, and he had a plan in mind: "First, we must strengthen our influence in the court and win over more officials who support us. At the same time, we must also create some favorable public opinion among the people to weaken the prince's reputation among the people."

"In addition," Zhu Di changed the subject, his tone revealing a bit of coldness, "For those who oppose us, we must give them appropriate warnings and let them know the consequences of surrendering to the crown prince."

At the same time, the relocation of the capital was in full swing, and the Forbidden City was a busy scene. Craftsmen worked hard day and night on the construction site, carving huge stones, laying bricks and tiles, and gradually building magnificent buildings.

"Minister Li, the progress of digging this section of the moat seems to be a bit behind schedule." A deputy pointed to a certain place on the drawing and said.

Lord Li frowned slightly and quickly flipped through the relevant records: "Indeed, the recent rain has affected the progress of the excavation. We must increase manpower and equipment, and optimize drainage to ensure that the excavation work is not affected by the weather."

"But the current human and material resources are already very tight. If we redeploy them again, I'm afraid..." Another deputy looked embarrassed.

Lord Li pondered for a moment, his eyes firm: "Moving the capital is a national event, and we cannot afford to slack off. I will personally report to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and request reinforcements. At the same time, we must also tap our internal potential, improve work efficiency, and ensure that the project is completed on time and with quality."

On the other side, Crown Prince Zhu Biao was in the study of the East Palace, carefully reading the latest engineering report sent by the Ministry of Works. He sometimes showed a satisfied smile on his face, and sometimes frowned, obviously paying great attention to every detail of the project.

"Your Highness, Minister Li of the Ministry of Works requests to see you." An attendant reported softly.

"Please come in." Zhu Biao put down the report in his hand, straightened his clothes, and prepared to welcome Minister Li.

Minister Li hurried into the study, bowed, and went straight to the point: "Your Highness, the overall progress of the capital relocation project is smooth, but due to the recent weather, some links have been delayed. I have come here to request reinforcements to ensure that the project is completed on time."

After hearing this, Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and then said, "Thank you for your hard work, Minister Li. I already know about the delay in the project. I will immediately discuss the reinforcement with the Ministry of Revenue to ensure that the project is not affected. At the same time, I also hope that the Ministry of Works can further strengthen its internal management and improve work efficiency."

Upon hearing this, Minister Li felt relieved and quickly agreed: "I will do my best to live up to your highness's expectations."

While Zhu Biao and Li Shangshu were discussing the relocation of the capital, Zhu Di was in a secret room in his mansion, conspiring with his advisers to counterattack. The candlelight flickered in the room, and the atmosphere was solemn and tense.

"Fourth Prince, the Crown Prince's prestige among the people is increasing. We must take action." An adviser said anxiously.

Zhu Di smiled coldly, his eyes revealing unquestionable majesty: "We must take action, but we must use our wits, not our strengths. What good ideas do you have?"

"I have a plan," an elderly counselor said slowly, "We can secretly support some officials and gentry who are dissatisfied with the crown prince, and let them spread unfavorable remarks about the crown prince among the people, while exaggerating the crown prince's faults and the disadvantages of moving the capital. This way, we can not only weaken the crown prince's reputation, but also make the people doubt the move of the capital."

Zhu Di heard this and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "This is a great plan, but remember to do it covertly and not leave any handle. In addition, we must also strengthen the layout in the court and win over more officials to serve us."

Zhu Di swept his eyes over the crowd and said firmly: "This competition has just begun, we must proceed step by step!
Zhu Di knew that in order to gain the upper hand in the contest with Zhu Biao and Zhu Han, he had to obtain more intelligence and power. Therefore, he began to secretly plan and set about taking over Jinyiwei, an important intelligence agency, in order to gain an information advantage in the future struggle.

"Commander Li," Zhu Di summoned Li Fang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with an unquestionable majesty in his tone, "The court has been changing recently. The Crown Prince and Lord Zhu Han are pursuing the matter of moving the capital. You and I must be vigilant." Upon hearing this, Li Fang immediately bowed and saluted, secretly guessing the Fourth Prince's intentions in his heart: "Your servant, Li Fang, is willing to obey the Fourth Prince's orders."

Zhu Di nodded slightly, his eyes sharp, "Commander Li, the Jinyiwei are the eyes and ears of our dynasty, and their importance is self-evident. I want you to strengthen the surveillance of the important officials in the court and the prince's party, especially the movements of Lord Zhu Han. Make sure that everything is under my control."

Li Fang's heart was shaken. He realized that this was a great opportunity for him to show his loyalty to the Fourth Prince: "I will do my best to live up to the Fourth Prince's high expectations."

Zhu Di nodded with satisfaction and continued, "In addition, I want you to secretly investigate to see if there are any officials who are dissatisfied with the crown prince, or those who have suffered losses due to the relocation of the capital. They may be able to help us."

Li Fang heard this and had a plan in mind: "I understand. I will immediately make arrangements to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the intelligence."

Zhu Di pondered for a moment and added, "But remember, you must act in secret and not leak any information. The actions of the Jinyiwei must not leave any evidence behind."

Li Fang bowed again and promised: "Don't worry, Fourth Prince, I will act cautiously to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Afterwards, Zhu Di secretly summoned several trusted advisers to discuss with them how to use the intelligence collected by the Jinyiwei to formulate a more precise counterattack strategy.

"Everyone, intelligence is the eye of war. Now that the Jinyiwei is under my control, we must make full use of this advantage and launch precise strikes against the prince and Zhu Han." Zhu Di's voice was low and powerful, and every word revealed his unquestionable determination.

A counselor nodded in agreement and said, "The Fourth Prince is wise. With the help of the Imperial Guard, we will be able to fully understand the movements of the Crown Prince and his party, and thus formulate a more effective response strategy."

Zhu Di knew that to fully control the Jinyiwei, it was not enough to rely on the loyalty of Li Fang, the commander. He also needed to ensure that he had enough leverage to check and balance Li Fang and other Jinyiwei members, just in case. So he began to deploy secretly and let his trusted men start to collect evidence inside the Jinyiwei.

"Han Feng, I'll leave this matter to you." Zhu Di summoned one of his most trusted confidants, Han Feng. This man was cautious and skillful, and was the best choice to carry out such a task.

"Yes, Your Highness." Han Feng bowed and accepted the order, with a determined light flashing in his eyes.

The next morning, Han Feng changed into casual clothes and quietly left the Fourth Prince's Mansion. He first came to an inconspicuous teahouse in the capital, which was an intelligence exchange point he had run for many years. The teahouse was crowded with people, and Han Feng walked straight to an empty table in the corner, where a middle-aged man had been waiting for a long time.

"Sir Han, long time no see." The middle-aged man stood up and saluted. He was an informant of Han Feng in the underworld and was good at collecting all kinds of secret information.

"Li Si, I need detailed information about the Jinyiwei, especially the evidence against those high-ranking officials." Han Feng said directly.

Li Si looked troubled. "The Jinyiwei are on high alert, so it's hard to get intelligence. But I heard that some of them are addicted to gambling and have a lot of gambling debts. Maybe we can start from there."

Han Feng's eyes lit up: "Okay, go and find out the identity of this person immediately, and I will arrange the follow-up."

A few days later, through a series of complicated transactions and arrangements, Han Feng finally got in touch with the Jinyiwei official who was in debt due to gambling. On a dark and windy night, the two met in a remote alley.

"Master Zhang, I heard that you are a little short of money recently?" Han Feng asked in a mysterious tone.

Mr. Zhang looked pale and sweaty: "You... who are you? How do you know about me?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that I can help you solve the current predicament." Han Feng took out a stack of banknotes from his arms and gently placed them on the table. "But you have to tell me something I want to know."

Mr. Zhang's eyes lit up, but then he hesitated again: "This... this is a matter of losing your head!"

"Don't worry, Lord Zhang. As long as the information you provide is valuable, I will guarantee your safety." Han Feng lowered his voice, with unquestionable majesty in his tone.

After some bargaining, Lord Zhang finally gave in and told all the illegal things he knew about the Jinyiwei. Han Feng recorded them one by one and promised that there would be more benefits after the matter was completed.

In the following weeks, Han Feng used similar methods to contact and bribe several important figures in the Jinyiwei one by one, and gradually pieced together the thick file.

Zhu Di returned to the study, holding the heavy file presented by Han Feng tightly in his hand, with a complex light flashing in his eyes. He sat down slowly, gently turned to the first page, and began to carefully study the contents. As he read deeper, his expression was sometimes solemn, and sometimes he showed a satisfied smile.

"These people are really not clean." Zhu Di whispered to himself, with a sneer on his face. This file will become the key to his control over the Jinyiwei and even the entire court situation.

After reading through it, Zhu Di gently closed the file, closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then called Zhao Yong, the commander of his trusted guards.

"Zhao Yong, go and gather a few reliable brothers quickly. We have things to do." Zhu Di's voice was low and powerful, revealing unquestionable majesty.

Zhao Yong took the order and left. Soon he returned with several capable guards. Zhu Di handed the file to them and said in a deep voice: "You should act separately and contact these people one by one according to the list on this file. Remember, you must keep it confidential, act cleanly and neatly, and do not leave any handles."

The guards took the files, nodded in agreement, and left immediately. Zhu Di stayed in the study, continuing to think about the next plan.

A few days later, Zhu Di's residence welcomed several uninvited guests. These people were all high-ranking officials in the Jinyiwei, and they usually did not have much interaction with Zhu Di, but at this moment they all seemed unusually respectful.