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

The staff members followed the order one after another, and the atmosphere in the study was tense and orderly. Zhu Han's eyes looked particularly firm under the candlelight.

"In addition," Zhu Han pondered for a moment and continued, "Although we won this battle, it also exposed the shortcomings of our intelligence system. We must strengthen the collection and analysis of enemy information to ensure that we can provide early warning and be fully prepared in the future."

Upon hearing this, an intelligence staff member immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Highness is absolutely right. I will immediately start strengthening the intelligence network, increase intelligence personnel, and improve the efficiency and accuracy of intelligence collection."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, his eyes revealing approval: "Very good, intelligence is the basis of decision-making, it must be fast and accurate. At the same time, we must strengthen the training of intelligence personnel to ensure that they are loyal and reliable."

At this time, another military aide stepped forward and said solemnly, "Your Highness, although our army won this battle, we also suffered heavy casualties. I suggest that we strengthen the training and equipment of the soldiers to improve the overall combat effectiveness of the army."

Zhu Han frowned upon hearing this and said in a deep voice, "That makes sense. The army is the foundation of the country and must continue to grow and improve. You should immediately start formulating a training plan and investigate whether there are more advanced weapons and equipment that can be introduced."

The military staff bowed and accepted the order. Just as they were about to leave, Zhu Han added: "Also, the soldiers who showed bravery in this battle must be rewarded generously to boost the morale of the entire army."

The military staff nodded and stepped aside. Zhu Han looked around and saw that everyone had accepted the order. He felt relieved and continued, "In addition, post-war reconstruction cannot be ignored. I suggest that a special reconstruction committee be established to coordinate the restoration and construction of the capital."

Upon hearing this, a staff member in charge of the project immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, rest assured. I am willing to take on this responsibility and will do my best to ensure that the capital will soon return to its former prosperity."

Zhu Han nodded, his eyes revealing trust. "Very good, I will leave this matter to you. Remember, the reconstruction work must not only be fast and efficient, but also pay attention to quality, to ensure that every project can stand the test of time."

As the discussion deepened, the night deepened and the candlelight in the study gradually became dim. Zhu Han saw that everyone was exhausted, so he waved his hand to signal the end of the meeting.

"Thank you for your hard work. Today's discussion concerns the future safety and development of the capital. I hope you can perform your duties and live up to my high expectations." Although Zhu Han's voice sounded tired, it still revealed unquestionable majesty.

All the staff members stood up and bowed, expressing that they would do their best to live up to the trust. Zhu Han nodded slightly and watched them leave one by one. When the study room was quiet again, he slowly stood up and walked to the window.

The night was dark, and the moonlight sprinkled on him like water, adding a bit of loneliness and contemplation to him. Zhu Han looked at the night view of the capital outside the window, feeling mixed emotions.

However, he did not back down. As a prince and important official of the Ming Dynasty,
"Uncle Han, it's late at night. Are you not resting yet?" Zhu Biao's voice suddenly sounded outside the door, interrupting his thoughts.

Zhu Han turned around and saw Zhu Biao had already pushed the door open with a concerned look on his face. He smiled slightly and motioned for Zhu Biao to sit down.

"Biaoer, why haven't you slept yet? Do you have something to talk to me about?" Zhu Han's voice was gentle and full of love.

Zhu Biao walked to the table and sat down, saying softly, "Uncle Han, I saw that the light in your study was still on, so I knew you were still busy. Biao was worried about you, so I came to visit you."

Zhu Han felt a warm current in his heart when he heard this. He was very pleased to have such a crown prince by his side.

"Biao'er is thoughtful." Zhu Han smiled and said, "I'm just dealing with some post-war matters. You came here so late at night, is there something important to discuss?"

Zhu Biao nodded, his expression becoming serious: "Uncle Han, Biaoer does have something to discuss with you. Although we won this battle, Biaoer still has worries in his heart."

"Oh? What makes you so worried?" Zhu Han asked, his eyes revealing concern.

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Uncle Han, what I am worried about is the situation in the court. Although this battle boosted morale, it also exposed many shortcomings in the court. If we don't rectify the government in time, I'm afraid it will be difficult to cope with future challenges."

Zhu Han frowned slightly when he heard this, then relaxed his brows, with a hint of approval in his eyes. Although Zhu Biao was young, he was able to see through the court situation, which was rare. He slowly stood up, walked to the window, stared at the quiet night sky outside the window, and said in a deep voice: "Biao'er, you are right. The situation in the court is complicated, corruption is rampant, and party struggles are constant. If it is not rectified in time, it will be difficult to cope with the future storms."

Zhu Biao stood up, walked to Zhu Han, and said with a firm look: "Uncle Han, I think the most urgent thing now is not only to stabilize the government, but also to select talented people, enrich the court, and allow truly talented people to realize their ambitions."

Zhu Han turned around and patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder, his eyes full of satisfaction: "It is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty that Biaoer has such insights. However, selecting talents is not easy. You need to be fair and selfless to know how to use them."

Zhu Biao nodded, his tone more resolute: "Uncle Han is right. The most important thing in selecting talents is fairness. I suggest that we add a system of recommending special talents in addition to the imperial examination, so as to open up a wide range of talents."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, and after a moment's silence, he said, "This is a great idea, but we need to prevent people from using it to engage in corruption. We can set up a special review agency to conduct strict inspections of the recommended people to ensure that they are both virtuous and talented."

Zhu Biao's eyes flashed with admiration: "Uncle Han is very thoughtful. I have learned a lesson. However, corruption is rampant in the court. If we don't eradicate it from the root, it will be difficult to truly select talented people."

Zhu Han sighed, his eyes deep: "The root of corruption lies in the greed of people. It will take time to eradicate corruption. We need to start from the system, strengthen supervision, and severely punish the offenders. At the same time, we must also strengthen the anti-corruption education of officials and improve their moral standards."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement: "Uncle Han is right. I will immediately start preparing for the relevant matters and strive to eradicate corruption from the system."

While the two were discussing, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, followed by a servant who hurried in to report: "Your Highness, Your Highness Prince Han, there is an urgent document from the Ministry of War. Please read it quickly."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other, and both saw solemnity in each other's eyes. Zhu Han said in a deep voice: "Present it."

The attendant quickly handed over the document. Zhu Han took it and quickly read through it, frowning. He looked up at Zhu Biao and said in a deep voice: "Biao'er, the Ministry of War has an urgent report. The Jiangnan region has been experiencing heavy rains for several days, causing floods in many places, and the people have suffered serious disasters." Zhu Biao's face changed when he heard this: "Jiangnan is a land of fish and rice. If the floods continue, it may affect the national economy and people's livelihood. Uncle Han, we need to discuss countermeasures immediately."

Zhu Han nodded, his eyes revealing determination: "Biao'er is right. You should go to the Ministry of Revenue immediately to allocate disaster relief materials and send capable officials to the disaster area to organize disaster relief. At the same time, strengthen the repair of water conservancy facilities to prevent the flood from further expanding."

Zhu Biao received the order and was about to leave, but he seemed to remember something and turned to Zhu Han and said, "Uncle Han, there are many things to do in the court, so you should take care of yourself. I will leave the disaster relief work to Biao, and you can stay in the court with peace of mind."

Zhu Han smiled slightly, his eyes full of love and trust: "Biao'er is thoughtful. You can go ahead without worry, I will take care of the affairs of the court. Remember, disaster relief is like putting out a fire, it must be quick and effective."

Zhu Biao bowed and said in a firm tone: "I obey your command and will do my best to live up to the expectations of Uncle Han and my father." After that, he turned and left in a hurry, leaving Zhu Han alone standing in the study, looking at his departing back, with a complicated light flashing in his eyes.

Zhu Biao hurried back to the East Palace and immediately summoned the Minister of Revenue and several trusted ministers to prepare to set off for disaster relief in Jiangnan. In the study, the atmosphere was solemn and tense.

"Everyone, Jiangnan was hit by a sudden flood and the people suffered. As court officials, we have an obligation to do our part. We must go all out on this trip to ensure that the disaster relief work proceeds smoothly." Zhu Biao stood in the middle of the study, his voice firm and powerful.

The Minister of Revenue, Mr. Zhang, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I have ordered people to urgently prepare food, medicine and disaster relief supplies to ensure that they are transported to the disaster area as soon as possible. However, Jiangnan is low-lying and floods occur frequently. How to prevent disasters from happening again in the future requires long-term planning."

Zhu Biao nodded, a trace of deep thought flashed in his eyes: "Master Zhang is right. In addition to disaster relief, we do need to consider how to fundamentally solve the flood problem in Jiangnan. I think that this trip should not only provide relief to the victims, but also conduct on-site inspections to understand the causes of the flood and provide a basis for formulating flood prevention strategies in the future."

At this time, an official in charge of water conservancy stepped forward and added: "Your Highness, I think that the floods in Jiangnan are mostly related to the silting of rivers and the disrepair of dikes. I suggest that we organize water conservancy experts to accompany us on this trip to carry out emergency repairs on the damaged dikes and plan long-term water conservancy projects to prevent future disasters."

Zhu Biao nodded approvingly: "This is a very good plan. Water conservancy is the foundation of people's livelihood and should not be underestimated. You should start preparing immediately and select capable water conservancy experts to accompany me."

Zhu Biao then turned to another minister in charge of transportation and said, "Lord Li, the transportation of materials will be left to you. You must ensure that the materials are delivered to the disaster area safely and quickly without any mistakes."

Lord Li bowed his hands and responded: "Your Highness, rest assured, I have made all the arrangements. All the checkpoints along the way have been opened to ensure smooth transportation."

Zhu Biao nodded slightly, feeling a little relieved.

"Everyone," Zhu Biao looked around and said more firmly, "We are representing the imperial court and the benevolence of our father. We must be fair and selfless and ensure that every piece of supplies can be delivered to the victims. We will never allow any corruption."

All the ministers expressed their opinions, vowing to go all out and live up to the trust of the court. Seeing this, Zhu Biao became more determined.

"Okay," Zhu Biao said solemnly, "Let's set off immediately. The sooner we arrive at the disaster area, the more people we can save."

After that, Zhu Biao led a group of people to set off in a hurry and headed straight to the disaster area in the south of the Yangtze River. Along the way, they not only had to face complex and changeable weather and road conditions, but also had to keep an eye on the latest developments in the disaster area to ensure the smooth progress of disaster relief work.

Zhu Biao and his entourage galloped along the winding road to the disaster area in the south of the Yangtze River. Along the way, they not only felt the hardships of the journey, but also witnessed the severe disasters brought to the people by the floods.

One evening, the convoy came to a village hit by a flood. They saw that most of the houses in the village had collapsed. The survivors were either sitting on the ruins or crowded in makeshift shacks. Their faces were haggard, and their eyes were full of confusion and helplessness about the future.

Seeing this, Zhu Biao felt sad and ordered the convoy to stop. He got off the carriage and walked into the village. Several officials who were accompanying him also followed him.

"Fellow villagers, I am the disaster relief envoy sent by the imperial court. I have come to visit you specially." Zhu Biao's voice was gentle but powerful, trying to bring a little comfort to the villagers.

The villagers looked up at the young crown prince, with a glimmer of surprise and hope in their eyes. An old man stood up tremblingly and said in a hoarse voice: "Your Highness, it's great that you are here. Our village was destroyed by the flood, and our food and clothes were destroyed. How can we survive..."

Zhu Biao stepped forward, held the old man's arm, and said firmly: "Don't worry, old man. The court will never abandon any of the people affected by the disaster. We have prepared food, medicine and disaster relief supplies, which will be delivered here soon. At the same time, we will also organize manpower to help everyone rebuild their homes."

Hearing this, the old man's eyes sparkled with tears, and he thanked the emperor repeatedly: "Thank you, Your Highness, and thank you, the court. We thought we were dead this time, but we didn't expect that the court would still remember us, the common people."

Zhu Biao looked around and saw that most of the villagers were in tattered clothes and looked hungry, which made him more determined to provide disaster relief. "Don't worry, we will deliver the supplies to you as soon as possible. At the same time, we will also investigate the cause of the flood and solve the problem fundamentally to prevent similar disasters from happening again."

At this time, a middle-aged woman came forward holding a crying baby and said in a choked voice: "Your Highness, our child has been hungry for several days. Can you give us something to eat first?"

Seeing this, Zhu Biao quickly ordered the accompanying officials to fetch dry food and water from the carriage and personally handed them to the woman. "Hurry up and give the child something to eat. The child is starving," he said with concern.

The woman took the dry food and water and burst into tears of gratitude: "Thank you, Your Highness, and thank you for the court's kindness." While feeding the child, she wiped the tears from her face with her sleeves.

Zhu Biao toured the village, had cordial conversations with the villagers and learned about their difficulties and needs.

As night fell, Zhu Biao and his party settled down in a temporary shed in the village. Sitting under the dim oil lamp, he discussed the next disaster relief plan with the accompanying officials.

"We must deliver supplies to disaster-stricken areas as quickly as possible to ensure that the basic living needs of the affected people are guaranteed." Zhu Biao said firmly, "At the same time, we must also strengthen health and epidemic prevention work to prevent the occurrence of post-disaster epidemics." (End of this chapter)