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

Zhu Han felt even more distressed when he heard this. He quickly helped Li Ergou up and said gently, "Brother Li, don't worry. We are here to understand the suffering of the people. The court will not sit idly by. We will report your situation truthfully and try our best to get assistance."

A glimmer of hope flashed in Li Ergou's eyes, but then dimmed again: "Sir, that's true, but in recent years, the relief provided by the imperial court has been almost gone when it reaches us. I'm afraid that even if I report it, it will fall on deaf ears."

Zhu Han shook his head and said firmly: "Brother Li, don't worry, we will make things different this time. The court has realized the seriousness of the problem and is strengthening supervision to ensure that the disaster relief materials can truly benefit the people. At the same time, we will also propose to reduce taxes to help everyone get through the difficulties."

Li Ergou's eyes sparkled again when he heard this: "Sir, if this is true, it is really good news for us people! On behalf of my whole family, I would like to thank you for your great kindness!"

Zhu Han quickly supported Li Ergou and said sincerely: "Brother Li, you are too kind. We are from the court, and it is our duty to help the people solve their problems. However, relying solely on the court's assistance is not enough. We must unite as one and overcome this difficulty together."

Li Ergou nodded heavily: "Sir, you are right. We ordinary people should help each other. But, I dare to ask, do you have any specific suggestions that can give us farmers some hope?"

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and said seriously: "Brother Li, I suggest that you try to grow some drought-resistant crops, such as sorghum and millet, to cope with drought. At the same time, we can also organize ourselves to build water conservancy facilities together, such as digging wells and repairing canals, to improve irrigation efficiency and reduce the impact of natural disasters on the harvest."

Li Ergou nodded repeatedly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Sir, what you said is absolutely right. I will go back and discuss with the villagers to see if we can take action."

Zhu Han smiled and nodded: "Brother Li, please go ahead and do it. I will also bring your ideas and suggestions back to the court to see if I can get more support and help."

At this time, a young woman in the teahouse suddenly spoke up: "Sir, I have a favor to ask. My husband was working outside and was unfortunately injured, and the family lost its main laborer. Although I can barely make a living, my two children are still growing up and cannot get enough nutrition. Can you help me think of a solution?"

Zhu Han's heart tightened when he heard this. He turned to look at Zhu Biao, and the two exchanged glances. Zhu Han then took out some silver and dry food from his arms and handed them to the young woman: "Sister-in-law, take these silver and dry food for emergency use. At the same time, we will contact the doctor as soon as possible to come and treat your man."

After the young woman received the silver and dry food, tears flashed in her eyes. She choked up and said, "Sir, you are really the reincarnation of a living Bodhisattva. I thought there was no hope in this world, but the arrival of you and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has given us, the poor people, hope."

Zhu Han patted her shoulder gently and said in a gentle voice: "Sister-in-law, please don't say that. We are from the court, and it is our duty to do things for the people. As long as we work together, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome."

At this time, an old man at the side interrupted and said, "Yes, there are still good officials in the court. I also experienced famine in the past. At that time, thanks to the relief from the court, we were able to survive. Although the situation is different now, the court will not forget us."

Zhu Han nodded in agreement: "The old man is right. The court has always been concerned about the suffering of the people. Our trip is to bring back the true situation of everyone and let His Majesty know our difficulties."

The young woman suddenly thought of something and asked anxiously, "Sir, do you think the court will send people to help us build water conservancy projects? We lack water here, and our crops don't grow well. If we can get water, the harvest will definitely be much better."

Zhu Han looked at her seriously and answered affirmatively: "Don't worry, sister-in-law, building water conservancy projects is a major event that benefits the country and the people, and the court will definitely consider it. We will record the situation here in detail and report to Your Majesty when we return."

At this time, there was a noise outside the teahouse, and several children ran in excitedly, holding wild flowers they had just picked from the fields, and circled around Zhu Han and Zhu Biao. One of the little girls with pigtails timidly handed the wild flowers in her hand to Zhu Han: "Here, beautiful flowers, for you."

Zhu Han took the wild flower with a smile and gently touched the little girl's head: "Thank you, this flower is so beautiful. What's your name?"

"My name is Xiao Cui." The little girl answered shyly with an innocent smile on her face.

Zhu Han handed the wild flower to Zhu Biao and said with a smile: "Your Highness, look at this flower, how beautiful it is. Just like the smiles of these children, full of hope and vitality."

Zhu Biao took the wild flowers, smiled and nodded: "It is indeed beautiful. The smiles of these children give us hope for the future. We must create a better world for them."

At this time, the teahouse's proprietress came in with a plate of hot steamed buns and greeted them warmly: "Gentlemen, are you hungry? Eat some steamed buns to fill your stomach."

Zhu Han quickly stood up and thanked her: "Thank you, Madam Boss. We are starving." He took the steamed buns and passed them to the people beside him: "Share it with everyone. Don't starve."

The people took the steamed buns with gratitude and expressed their thanks. The teahouse was filled with a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

After eating the steamed buns, Zhu Han continued to talk with the people. He asked in detail about the planting conditions in the village, the harvest, and what difficulties needed to be solved. The people also opened their hearts and answered one by one.

"Sir, the land here is all dry land. When the dry season comes, there is no water to irrigate the land and the crops all dry up." A dark-skinned middle-aged man sighed.

Zhu Han frowned, thought for a moment and said, "Brother, we can try to dig a well or build a canal to divert water. This will not only solve the irrigation problem, but also increase water reserves."

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up: "Yes! Why didn't I think of this method? You are really smart!"

Zhu Han shook his head and smiled, "It's not that I'm smart, it's that we all work together to come up with a good solution. We can organize the young and strong people in the village to do this work together."

The people nodded in agreement, expressing their willingness to participate in the work of digging wells and repairing canals. Seeing this, Zhu Han felt a warm current in his heart.

It was getting late, and the people in the teahouse gradually dispersed. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stood at the door of the teahouse, looking at the gradually darkening sky in the distance, their hearts filled with emotion. "Uncle Han, today we have gained a lot." Zhu Biao said with emotion, "We not only understand the people's sentiments, but also find ways to solve the problems."

Zhu Han nodded and smiled: "Yes, Your Highness. As long as we work hard, we will definitely be able to bring real help to the people."

As night fell, the lights in the teahouse became particularly warm. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stood at the door of the teahouse, looking at the gradually quiet village in the distance, with complicated emotions in their hearts. Zhu Biao sighed softly, turned to Zhu Han and said, "Uncle Han, what I saw today is really sad. The people's lives are so difficult, and we, as royal family, cannot immediately solve all their problems. I feel guilty."

Zhu Han patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Your Highness, it takes time to show sympathy for the people. What we see today is just the tip of the iceberg. But as long as we persevere and improve bit by bit, it will eventually converge into an ocean and bring about substantial changes."

As the two were talking, an elderly villager slowly approached them, his back hunched, his eyes gleaming with gratitude. "My two lords, I have a humble request," he said tremblingly.

Zhu Han quickly stepped forward to support the old man and asked gently, "Old man, please tell us. We will do our best to help you."

The old man hesitated for a moment, and finally mustered up the courage to say: "I have a grandson at home, who has been smart since he was young, but because of his poor family background, he cannot go to school. I dare to ask, can you two gentlemen help introduce him to a good school so that he can have the opportunity to learn to read and write?"

Zhu Han felt sad when he heard this. "Don't worry, old man. We will report this to His Majesty and strive to allow more children to have the opportunity to receive education. At the same time, we will also try our best to find financial support to help your grandson go to school."

After hearing this, the old man was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes and he bowed repeatedly: "Thank you very much, gentlemen, and thank the court for its great kindness! On behalf of all the children in the village, I kowtow to you!"

Zhu Han quickly supported the old man and said sincerely: "Old man, you don't have to do this. We are the people of the Ming Dynasty. It is our responsibility to seek the welfare of the people."

At this time, a middle-aged woman walked out of the teahouse, holding a bamboo basket filled with vegetables grown at home. "Gentlemen, I heard that you are here to help us, so I picked some fresh vegetables. Please accept them."

Zhu Han took the bamboo basket with a smile and said gratefully, "Sister-in-law, we appreciate your kindness. But you should keep these vegetables for yourself. We brought enough dry food for this trip."

The woman shook her head and insisted, "Sir, you have come from afar and done so much for us, how can we not show some appreciation? These vegetables may not be worth much, but they are our token of appreciation."

Seeing this, Zhu Han no longer refused, thanked the woman warmly, and promised to bring every bit of kindness here back to the court to let His Majesty know.

As night fell, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao bid farewell to the small village amid the villagers' gratitude and reluctance. They set out on their journey home, but their hearts were full of expectations and determination for the future.

The next morning, the two continued their incognito journey. They arrived at a vast field, where farmers were busy working. Their clothes were soaked with sweat, but their faces were filled with simple smiles. Zhu Han walked up and chatted with an old farmer who was weeding.

"Father-in-law, the crops in your field are growing so well!" Zhu Han exclaimed.

The old farmer straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said with a smile: "My lord, you are too kind. This is a job that depends on the weather. This year, the weather is good and the crops will grow well. I just hope that the court can collect less taxes so that farmers like us can have more food."

Zhu Han nodded and said seriously: "Don't worry, old man, we will report your opinions to His Majesty truthfully. The court has always been concerned about people's livelihood and will do its best to reduce the burden on the people."

After hearing this, the old farmer's eyes sparkled with hope: "That's great! Farmers like us don't ask for anything else, we just want to live a stable life."

The two continued to move forward, talking to every villager they met along the way to understand their living conditions and needs. Everywhere they went, they could feel the villagers' simple and sincere emotions and their beautiful vision for the future life.

In the afternoon, the two came to a small bridge and saw a group of children playing in the river, laughing and talking. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao stood by the bridge, looking at this warm scene, their hearts filled with warmth.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at the children in the river with gentle smiles on their faces. Zhu Biao said softly to Zhu Han: "Uncle Han, it is really comforting to see these children looking carefree. I hope that our efforts can allow more children to have such a childhood."

Zhu Han nodded, his eyes full of determination: "Yes, Your Highness. Our trip is not only to solve the current difficulties, but also for their future. We must do our best to create a better growth environment for the children."

At this time, a young mother came running over, calling out her children's names anxiously. The children climbed out of the water and ran towards their mother, laughing. The young mother scolded them for getting their clothes wet while lovingly helping them dry the water drops on their bodies.

Seeing this, Zhu Han stepped forward and gently said to the young mother: "Sister-in-law, children are lively by nature, and it is inevitable that they like to play in the water. However, don't worry, we will recommend to the court to strengthen the village's infrastructure construction to provide more entertainment and safe places for children to play."

The young mother's eyes flashed with surprise and gratitude when she heard this: "Really? That's great! As parents, we are most worried about the safety of our children. It would be great if there were a safer place for children to play in the village!"

Zhu Han smiled and nodded. "Yes, sister-in-law. We will do our best to promote these changes. At the same time, we also hope that the education in the village can be improved, so that more children have the opportunity to read and learn, and have better development in the future."

The young mother said excitedly, "That's great! I have always hoped that my son could read more books and go out of this village to see the outside world. Young Master, you are really our benefactor!"

Zhu Han waved his hands and said modestly: "Sister-in-law, you are too polite. We are sent by the court. It is our duty to seek the welfare of the people. However, these changes require time and effort. I hope you can be patient and support our work." (End of this chapter)