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

Zhu Han heard this, and a trace of relief flashed in his eyes: "Okay! Uncle, your courage is admirable. We will definitely support you with all our strength. However, drought-resistant crops may require more care in the early stages of planting. Do you have the confidence?"

The farmer smiled naively and said, "Don't worry, sir. We farmers have nothing but tenacity. As long as you can help, I will do my best to grow it well."

Zhu Han patted the farmer on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Uncle, I feel relieved with your words. We will arrange seeds and technicians to come and provide guidance as soon as possible. Just prepare and start sowing when the time is right."

The farmer nodded repeatedly, with hope in his eyes. "Thank you very much, gentlemen. All the villagers are counting on you two!"

Afterwards, the two continued to move forward and came to a low-lying area. Due to the terrain, water accumulates here all year round, making it difficult for crops to grow, and the villagers are helpless about it.

Zhu Han squatted down and observed the soil carefully, frowning: "There is serious water accumulation here. If it is not managed, it will be difficult to grow any crops."

Zhu Biao also squatted down, thought for a moment and said: "Uncle Han, perhaps we can try to dig ditches to drain the water, divert the accumulated water into nearby rivers or ponds, and then improve the land."

At this time, an old woman came slowly with a cane. After hearing the conversation between the two men, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes: "My two lords, you two are really living Bodhisattvas! We have been waiting for many years for someone to help us solve the problem of water accumulation."

Zhu Han stood up and said to the old woman gently, "Don't worry, old lady. We will do our best. However, this matter still needs detailed planning and the cooperation of the villagers to jointly manage it."

The old woman nodded excitedly: "Don't worry, young master. As long as you two are willing to help, all of us in the village are willing to contribute. If this flooded land can be turned into fertile fields, we will have hope for the future!"

After discussing for a while, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao decided to draw up a detailed governance plan and submit it to the court for approval. At the same time, they would communicate with the villagers and strive to gain their full support.

One day, the two came to a poor family. There was only an old woman and her young grandson living together. The old woman was too old to farm, and her grandson was too young, so their life was extremely difficult.

Zhu Han felt sad when he saw this. He whispered to Zhu Biao, "Your Highness, we have to find a way to help them."

Zhu Biao nodded, took out a silver ingot from his bosom and handed it to the old woman: "Old lady, take this little silver first, buy some rice and flour to get by. We will contact the government as soon as possible to get more assistance for you."

The old woman took the silver and was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes: "Thank you, gentlemen! You are really kind people! I, an old woman, have no way to repay you, so I can only kowtow to you."

Zhu Han quickly supported the old woman and said, "Old lady, you are embarrassing us. We are officials sent by the court, and it is our duty to help the people solve their problems. You just need to take care of yourself and take good care of your grandson."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao continued their incognito tour, exploring every corner of this land. They walked through the narrow streets and came to another poor family. The front door of this family was overgrown with weeds, and the simple wooden house looked shabby. A middle-aged man was squatting at the door, frowning, holding a worn-out hoe in his hand, and his eyes were full of worries about the future.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao walked forward slowly and asked gently, "Big brother, we are travelers passing by. Can we ask for a bowl of water to drink and ask if there are any difficulties at home?"

The middle-aged man looked up and saw that the two men were of extraordinary bearing but dressed simply. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He then stood up and responded politely: "You two gentlemen have come from afar. Please come into my humble abode and sit for a while. I will go get some water."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao followed the middle-aged man into the house, which was extremely simple, with only a worn-out wooden table and a few shaky stools. The middle-aged man brought two bowls of water and handed them to the two with slightly trembling hands.

Zhu Han took the bowl of water, took a sip, and then put it down. He asked with concern, "Brother, you look worried. Have you encountered any difficulties at home?"

The middle-aged man sighed and said slowly: "You two gentlemen don't know that my family relies on a few acres of thin land for survival. However, natural disasters and man-made disasters have continued in recent years, and the harvest has become worse and worse. Although the government has provided relief, it is ultimately a drop in the bucket and it is difficult to survive."

Zhu Biao frowned upon hearing this and said in a deep voice: "Brother, although we are not officials here, as children of the royal family, we should share the worries of the people. If you tell us in detail, perhaps we can help you think of a solution."

The middle-aged man looked at the two of them gratefully and continued, "To be honest, I have an elderly mother and several young children at home. My mother has been bedridden for many years and needs to take medicine all year round. The children are still growing up, and there is always not enough food at home. Although I work day and night, it is difficult to make a living."

Zhu Han felt a pang of sadness when he heard this. He turned to Zhu Biao and said, "Your Highness, we must record the situation of this elder brother in detail and report to your father when we return, so as to strive for more disaster relief supplies and tax reduction policies."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement, then took out a silver ingot from his bosom and handed it to the middle-aged man: "Brother, use this silver to deal with emergencies and buy some food and medicine. We will report your situation to the court as soon as possible, and hope to bring you substantial help."

The middle-aged man took the silver, his eyes reddened, and he was so excited that he couldn't speak. He just bowed repeatedly to express his gratitude: "Thank you two gentlemen for your great kindness, you are really the reincarnation of living Bodhisattvas!"

Zhu Han quickly helped the middle-aged man up and comforted him gently, "Brother, you are too kind. We are just doing our part. The court will not forget any of its citizens. We will do our best to strive for more welfare for you and your fellow villagers."

After leaving the middle-aged man's house, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao continued to move forward. They came to a deserted field, which was overgrown with weeds and barren land. An old farmer was sighing beside the field, holding a hoe in his hand but not interested in farming.

Zhu Han walked forward and asked softly, "Father, why don't you continue farming? If you take good care of this land, maybe you can get some harvest."

The old farmer looked up and saw two young men with extraordinary bearing. He smiled bitterly and said, "Young Master, you don't know that this field has been abandoned for many years. The soil is poor, and there has been drought and little rain in recent years, so crops can't grow at all. Even if I try my best, it's just in vain."

Zhu Han smiled and said gently, "Don't worry, old man. We will do our best. However, this matter still requires the support of the court and the joint efforts of the villagers. We will report the situation here to His Majesty truthfully and strive for more assistance." The old farmer nodded repeatedly and said gratefully, "Thank you, gentlemen. You are really our saviors! As long as the court can help, we will do our best and not let you down."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao continued to move forward, each step seemed extremely heavy, their hearts filled with worry and responsibility for the suffering of the people.

Soon, the two came to a slightly dilapidated village. Most of the houses in the village were built with mud and straw, and they looked shaky. At the entrance of the village, several ragged old men were sitting together, their eyes revealing a hint of helplessness and expectation.

Zhu Han walked forward slowly, speaking in a gentle but firm tone: "Fellow villagers, we are travelers from afar. We saw that there seemed to be some hardship here, so we came to visit. I wonder if you have any difficulties that you are willing to share with us?"

A white-haired old man looked up, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he slowly said: "Two gentlemen, we appreciate your kindness. But this village has suffered from disasters in recent years and the harvest has been poor. Although the government has provided relief, it is ultimately unsustainable. We old bones can still get through it, but the children..." At this point, the old man's voice choked.

Zhu Biao felt a pang of pain when he heard this. He gently patted the old man on the back and comforted him, "Don't worry, old man. Although we are not officials here, as members of the royal family, we will do our best to help the people. If you tell us more specifically, maybe we can think of some solutions."

The old man wiped the tears from his eyes and continued, "Sir, this village is short of water and food. The children are so hungry that they are pale and thin. We old people see it with our own eyes and are very worried. The relief food distributed by the government is not enough for the whole village to survive."

Zhu Han frowned and said in a deep voice: "Fellow villagers, we will report this situation to the court truthfully and strive for more relief supplies. But before that, can we find a way to save ourselves first?"

At this time, a middle-aged woman came over, with hope in her eyes: "Sir, if there is really a way to save ourselves, we are willing to do our best. But we don't know where to start."

Zhu Biao said: "We can teach everyone to weave straw mats, baskets and other handicrafts, and sell them at the market to exchange for some food."

The middle-aged woman heard this and her eyes flashed with excitement: "Sir, this is a good idea! We villagers are good at manual labor. But we don't have seeds or tools..."

Zhu Han smiled slightly and took out a bag of seeds and some simple farm tools from his arms: "Fellow villagers, these are some seeds and tools we brought with us. Although there are not many, I hope they can solve your urgent needs. As for more help, we will contact the government as soon as possible to seek more support."

The villagers gathered around, tears of gratitude in their eyes. The old man took the seeds and tools with shaking hands, and said in a choked voice: "You two young masters, you are really living Bodhisattvas! Our whole village is grateful to you!"

Zhu Han quickly helped the old man up and said sincerely: "Fellow villagers, we are not living Bodhisattvas, we just did what we should do as descendants of the royal family. You are the real heroes, creating a life with your own hands and raising your offspring. Please believe that the court will not forget you, and we will do our best to fight for a better life for you."

After that, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao carefully inquired about the villagers' specific difficulties and needs and recorded them one by one.

As the sun sets, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao bid farewell to the reluctant villagers and set off on their journey home. Their hearts are filled with expectations and responsibilities for the future. Zhu Han said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, we must report what we saw and heard today to His Majesty truthfully, so that he can understand the real plight of the people."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement: "Uncle Han is right. At the same time, we must also think about how to fundamentally solve these problems so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment."

As they walked and talked, the two had clearer goals and plans in their minds.

After returning to the capital, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao immediately reported the details of their incognito visit to Zhu Yuanzhang. After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang looked solemn and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he slowly said: "Brother Han, Biao, you have done a great job. I am also well aware of the suffering of the people. However, the power of the court is limited, and we need to take every step carefully to solve the difficulties of the people."

Zhu Yuanzhang's words echoed in the empty hall, carrying a majesty and depth that could not be ignored. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other, and both saw firmness and determination in each other's eyes.

Zhu Han took a step forward, bowed, and said in a steady and powerful voice: "Your Majesty is right. The power of the court must be used prudently to benefit the people. But I think that the current urgency is to stabilize the people's hearts and solve the people's urgent needs."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, his eyes deep, as if he was thinking about something. "Brother Han, what you said makes sense. The people's will is the foundation of a country. Then, how should it be implemented?"

Zhu Biao stepped forward, his tone full of concern for the suffering of the people: "Father, I think that first of all, we should increase the relief efforts to ensure that food and medicine can be delivered to the disaster area in a timely manner. At the same time, we should send capable officials to various places to supervise the distribution of relief supplies and prevent corruption from breeding."

Zhu Yuanzhang heard this and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "What Biaoer said is exactly what I am worried about. Corruption is the pest of the country and must be severely punished. Brother Han, what do you think?"

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I think that in addition to severely punishing corruption, we should also strengthen the assessment and supervision of local officials to ensure that they truly work for the welfare of the people. At the same time, we can set up a special supervisory agency to regularly inspect various places, collect public opinion, and report it in a timely manner."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes: "Brother Han, this is a very good idea. Supervision matters really need to be taken seriously. Biao'er, are you willing to take on this important task?"

Zhu Biao heard this, his eyes flashed with excitement, and he knelt down and said: "Your son is willing to share your father's worries and take on this task."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction, and then changed the subject: "However, it is not enough to just solve the immediate problem. Brother Han, you are always good at strategy. How do you think we can fundamentally solve the suffering of the people?"

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Your Majesty, I think that to fundamentally solve the suffering of the people, we need to start from three aspects. First, build water conservancy projects to ensure irrigation of farmland; second, reduce taxes so that the people can rest and recuperate; third, attach importance to education, improve the quality of the people, and cultivate talents for the future."

Zhu Yuanzhang heard this and a trace of deep thought flashed in his eyes: "Building water conservancy projects, reducing taxes, and paying attention to education... These three are all major national plans and cannot be achieved overnight. Do you have any specific strategies?" (End of this chapter)