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

Chapter 886: Court condemnation and public opinion

"Yes, reform is not a one-day job. We need a long-term plan." Zhu Han turned around and glanced at everyone. "Mr. Li, the evidence you present tomorrow must be exhaustive so that Zhu Di has nowhere to hide."

Mr. Li bowed and said firmly: "I will live up to your trust and expose Zhu Di's crimes one by one, and restore justice to the court."

Commander Liu was more direct. He clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with fighting spirit. "I will handle the military affairs properly. As long as Zhu Di dares to make any unusual moves, my personal guards will be able to protect your majesty and the prince."

The old man, the leader of the Qingliu, stroked his beard gently, his eyes full of praise: "It is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty to have His Royal Highness Prince Han and other loyal and honest people working together for national affairs. Although I am old, I am willing to do my part for the reform."

Zhu Han smiled slightly and bowed deeply to the old man: "Master Scholar, you are a man of high moral character and integrity, and you are truly a role model for us. Tomorrow in the court, we will still need you to speak out for justice, lead the way, and eliminate the current ills together."

The old man quickly returned the greeting, his tone full of humility: "Your Highness, you are too kind. This is my duty. I hope that we can work together to restore the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty."

At this time, there was another announcement from outside the door. A servant hurried in and reported nervously: "Your Highness, there is news from the palace. Zhu Di seems to have made some preparations and is secretly mobilizing people. His intentions are unclear."

Zhu Han frowned slightly upon hearing this, but then regained his composure: "Humph, Zhu Di really won't sit still and wait for death. However, the more he does this, the more it shows that our actions have touched his sore spot."

He looked at Commander Liu and said, "Commander Liu, you need to be more cautious and make sure that all the movements in the palace are under our control. At the same time, strengthen the surveillance of Zhu Di's confidants to prevent him from taking desperate actions."

Commander Liu nodded and said, "I will immediately step up our guard to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Zhao Canjun added: "Your Highness, I also need to strengthen the monitoring of the intelligence network in the court, especially those ministers who have close relations with Zhu Di, to prevent them from turning against him in the face of battle."

Zhu Han nodded in agreement: "I'll leave this matter to you. Be careful and don't alert the enemy."

Seeing this, the old man also put forward his own suggestion: "The upright people can also launch a public opinion offensive among the people, let the people know Zhu Di's true face, and create public opinion pressure on Zhu Di."

Zhu Han's eyes flashed with approval: "Mr. Scholar, you are right. The power of public opinion cannot be underestimated. General Zhao, you can work closely with the upright people to jointly guide the direction of public opinion."

Zhao Canjun replied, "Yes, I will make arrangements immediately and make sure Zhu Di's conspiracy will be exposed." He turned around and was about to leave, but then he seemed to remember something and said, "Your Majesty, regarding tomorrow's morning court, we still need to make full preparations in case Zhu Di comes prepared."

Zhu Han nodded, his eyes deep: "General Zhao is right. Zhu Di is cunning and we must be on guard. Go and prepare, and make sure everything goes well."

At this time, Mr. Li stepped forward, with a bit of worry in his tone: "Your Highness, I have compiled a list of corrupt officials in the court, but there are many powerful people among them. If we expose them rashly, it may cause a stir in the court and the country."

Zhu Han pondered for a moment, his eyes flashing with determination: "Shock is inevitable, but it is this shock that can wake up the dreamer and let the court officials see Zhu Di's true face. Just go ahead and do it, the king will support you."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Li's eyes flashed with gratitude: "I will live up to your trust, Your Majesty, and I swear to catch all the corrupt officials in the court."

General Liu, who was standing nearby, was so excited that his blood boiled. He clenched his fists and said, "Your Majesty, I beg your Majesty to lead the guards to protect you if there is any change in the court. I swear to ensure the safety of your Majesty and you."

Zhu Han patted Commander Liu on the shoulder, his tone full of trust: "Commander Liu is loyal and brave. I feel at ease with you protecting me. But remember, you must act cautiously and not be reckless."

Just as everyone was discussing, another announcement came from outside the door. An attendant hurried in and reported nervously: "Your Highness, there has been a change in the palace. Zhu Di seems to have noticed our deployment and is secretly mobilizing the imperial guards. His intentions are unclear."

As soon as these words came out, the study suddenly fell silent. Everyone looked at each other in surprise, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Zhu Han was not in a hurry, and smiled slightly: "Zhu Di really can't hold back, but his move is exactly the opportunity for us to fight back."

He turned to Commander Liu and said, "Commander Liu, you must immediately strengthen the guards at the palace gates and send elite scouts to infiltrate the imperial guards to investigate Zhu Di's movements. You must ensure the safety of His Majesty. There must be no mistakes."

Commander Liu took the order and left. The discussion in the study resumed. Zhu Han looked at Officer Zhao and said, "Officer Zhao, you need to strengthen intelligence gathering, especially the details of Zhu Di's imperial army deployment. At the same time, contact the upright people and have them spread the news among the people, so that the people will know about the changes in the court and put pressure on Zhu Di."

Zhao Canjun nodded and agreed: "I understand, I will do it immediately."

The old man, the leader of the Qingliu, also spoke up at this time: "Your Highness Prince Han, the Qingliu people will definitely cooperate with us. We must not only denounce Zhu Di in the court, but also stir up a storm of public opinion among the people, leaving Zhu Di nowhere to hide."

Zhu Han bowed deeply to the old man and said, "Master Scholar, you are so righteous and upright. I am very grateful to you. Tomorrow in the court, I will need you to speak up for justice and punish the treacherous officials together."

The old man stroked his beard and smiled, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Although I am old, my heart for the country and the people is still strong. Tomorrow in the court, I will argue with you and will never back down."

With the careful deployment of Zhu Han and his staff, the capital seemed to be quietly covered by an invisible net. At the other end of this net, in Zhu Di's mansion, the lights were also on, and an emergency meeting was in progress.

Zhu Di sat in the main seat, his brows condensed with solemnity, and he unconsciously rubbed the jade ring in his hand, making a slight sound. He looked around, and every counselor looked nervous, waiting for his instructions.

"It seems that the old fox Zhu Han has already noticed something. We need to be cautious in every step we take." Zhu Di said in a deep voice. Although his voice was low, it revealed unquestionable majesty.

The old counselor stepped forward, bowed and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. Although Zhu Han is very smart, I have a plan that may resolve the current crisis."

"Oh? Tell me about it." Zhu Di's eyes flashed and he motioned the old strategist to continue.

“Your Highness can pretend to be weak and spread rumors about the internal discord among our side, or even spread the news that you are ill, so that Zhu Han can relax his vigilance. At the same time, we will secretly mobilize troops and set up a tight net, and when Zhu Han reveals a flaw, we will defeat him in one fell swoop.” The old strategist’s voice was low and full of calculations.

The young strategist heard this and a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes: "Although this plan is brilliant, Your Highness is in good health. If the news of your serious illness spreads, it may damage Your Highness's reputation." Zhu Di smiled slightly, with a cunning look in his eyes: "Reputation is nothing but an empty name for me. If this can resolve the crisis and even reverse the situation, what's the harm in a little sacrifice? What's more, this is just a play."

Seeing that Zhu Di had made up his mind, all the advisers nodded and began to prepare to implement this plan.

At the same time, the atmosphere in Zhu Han's study was also extremely tense. Officer Zhao hurried in, looking a little anxious: "Your Highness, there is news from the palace that Zhu Di seems to be showing weakness, and there is even news that he is seriously ill. This is quite strange."

Zhu Han frowned when he heard this, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Showing weakness? Humph, this Zhu Di is really cunning. He may be doing this to paralyze us and make a secret plan. Pass the order down, strengthen the vigilance, and don't let down your guard at all."

The next morning, Zhu Han and Zhu Di finally confronted each other in the court. Zhu Di was indeed as "sick and weak" as rumored, and was supported by his attendants as he walked into the hall. He looked pale and seemed like he could be blown down by a gust of wind.

The atmosphere in the court was tense and subtle. Zhu Han and the upright people denounced Zhu Di's crimes as planned, with solid evidence and sharp words. Zhu Di pretended to be weak, coughing from time to time, closing his eyes to rest, as if he turned a deaf ear to all the accusations.

However, just when everyone thought that Zhu Di had been powerless, he suddenly opened his eyes, staring at Zhu Han with a sharp gaze: "Brother Han, the evidence you presented was indeed my negligence, allowing the villains to take advantage of the opportunity. But I have a clear conscience, I will find out the truth and clear the court."

As soon as these words came out, the court was in an uproar. Zhu Han was startled, but he remained calm and just sneered: "Zhu Di, don't think of delaying time and covering up your crimes. Today, we will make sure you have nothing to hide!"

Zhu Di smiled slightly, as if everything was under control: "Brother Han, why are you so impatient? Since I have shown weakness, I want to be frank with you and discuss state affairs together. Why rush?"

After the morning court session, Zhu Han and his staff urgently discussed countermeasures. Army Officer Zhao said worriedly, "Your Majesty, Zhu Di's move is really strange. Does he have other plans?"

Zhu Han pondered for a moment, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes: "No matter what his plan is, we just need to hold our ground and respond to all changes with the same attitude. At the same time, we must strengthen intelligence gathering and make sure to find out his details."

Mr. Li also nodded in agreement: "Your Highness is right. Zhu Di has shown weakness, so this may be a good opportunity for us to strike back. As long as we are careful, we will be able to find his flaws."

Commander Liu clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with fighting spirit: "I am willing to lead the personal guards to be on standby at any time. If Zhu Di makes any unusual moves, we will be able to attack quickly and protect your majesty and the prince."

Zhu Han looked at the determined eyes of the crowd and felt a warm feeling in his heart.

"Okay!" Zhu Han's voice was steady and powerful. "Now that we have laid out our plan so far, we cannot give up halfway. We must proceed with caution in every step that follows and make sure that nothing goes wrong."

Zhu Han's voice echoed in the study room, with an unquestionable firmness. Everyone was invigorated when they heard his words, and their eyes became more focused.

Officer Zhao pondered for a moment and spoke first: "Your Highness, Zhu Di's move may seem like a sign of weakness, but it actually hides a hidden agenda. We need to be more vigilant to prevent him from secretly deploying troops or using this time to win over people's hearts and consolidate his power."

Mr. Li nodded in agreement: "Yes, Zhu Di is a cunning and changeable person. We cannot take it lightly. We must redouble our intelligence efforts and make sure to grasp his every move."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, a trace of deep thought flashed in his eyes: "General Zhao and Mr. Li are right. We must be prepared for both situations. On the one hand, we must continue to collect evidence and strengthen the public opinion offensive; on the other hand, we must also guard against Zhu Di's counterattack."

At this time, the military commander Liu Dudu stood up and said in a loud voice: "Your Highness, I think we can strengthen the guard in the palace and the important areas of the capital, and send elite scouts to closely monitor Zhu Di's residence and the movements of his followers. If there is any change, we can take action immediately."

Zhu Han looked at Commander Liu approvingly and said, "Commander Liu, this is a brilliant plan. However, the action must be secretive and swift, and we must not alert the enemy."

During the discussion, an attendant hurried into the study and reported nervously: "Your Highness, the palace has reported that Zhu Di's performance in the court today seems to have won the sympathy and support of some court officials."

As soon as these words came out, the study suddenly fell silent. Zhu Han frowned, and after a moment he said in a deep voice: "It seems that Zhu Di is really using the strategy of showing weakness to win people's hearts. We must speed up our actions and not let his plan succeed."

Zhao Canjun suggested: "Your Highness, we can increase the public opinion offensive and let the upright people write more articles exposing Zhu Di's crimes and spread them widely among the people. At the same time, we can contact those court officials who are dissatisfied with Zhu Di and jointly denounce his crimes."

Mr. Li added: “In addition, we can also use the power of the people to organize some demonstrations and marches, so that the people can see Zhu Di’s true face with their own eyes and create greater public pressure.”

Zhu Han heard this, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "Okay, I'll follow your plan. However, all actions must be carefully planned to ensure that there are no mistakes."

Then, he turned to the staff responsible for contacting the princes: "How is the situation over there? Has the princes' attitude changed?"

The aide replied respectfully: "Your Highness, most of the princes are still wary of Zhu Di's ambitions, but a few princes have been bewitched by Zhu Di and their attitudes have wavered. We are stepping up our efforts to try to regain the support of these princes."

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and said, "For those wavering princes, we must take a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, we must continue to strengthen communication and clarify the interests; on the other hand, we must also be prepared to deal with them turning to Zhu Di."

In the study, the atmosphere became more solemn because of the news brought by the servant. Zhu Han was silent for a moment, his eyes were like torches, scanning everyone present, as if looking for inspiration to solve the dilemma.

"Your Highness, perhaps we can think about it from another angle." At this time, an aide who usually kept a low profile spoke slowly. Although his words were light, they carried a weight that could not be ignored. "Zhu Di's move seemed to have won the sympathy of some court officials, but in fact it may have aroused the disgust of more people. After all, a truly wise man can always see through hypocrisy."

Zhu Han's eyes lit up when he heard this. He nodded slightly and said, "That makes sense. Go on."

"We can use this to expose Zhu Di's hypocrisy and let the officials and the people see his true face. At the same time, we can secretly contact those officials who are dissatisfied with Zhu Di's behavior but have not yet expressed their views, and encourage them to stand up and jointly expose Zhu Di."

Zhao Canjun immediately said, "Indeed, we can start from multiple angles, such as Zhu Di's actions on the border and the evidence of his forming cliques for personal gain in the court. These are powerful weapons. We can compile this information into a book and distribute it to key figures, allowing them to speak out at critical moments."