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

An elderly craftsman wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied respectfully: "Your Highness, although these houses are simple, the materials used are of the best quality and the structure has been carefully designed to withstand normal wind and rain. Please rest assured, Your Highness."

Zhu Biao felt relieved after hearing this, but he still reminded: "This is very good, but we must always pay attention to inspection and maintenance to ensure the safety of the victims. When conditions permit in the future, we will build more solid houses for them."

The craftsmen nodded one after another, saying that they would do their best. Zhu Biao talked with them for a while, learned about some details of the construction process, and gave them corresponding guidance and suggestions.

As the sun set, Zhu Biao ended a busy day and returned to the makeshift rest area. Sitting at his desk, he carefully reviewed the disaster reports and reconstruction progress reports collected from various places by the dim candlelight. With each report he read, he felt heavier and more determined.

When it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Zhu Biao gently put down the pen in his hand and rubbed his sore eyes.

The next morning, Zhu Biao got up early and started a new busy day facing the rising sun. He shuttled between the disaster areas, personally inspected the distribution of relief supplies, and talked cordially with the victims to understand their actual needs and difficulties. At the same time, he also kept an eye on the progress of the river dredging project to ensure that every task could proceed smoothly.

During one of his inspections, Zhu Biao met an elderly disaster victim, Mr. Li. Mr. Li held Zhu Biao's hand tightly, tears in his eyes: "Your Highness, you are really a living Bodhisattva! We thought our lives were over, but we never expected that we would be able to rebuild our homes one day."

Zhu Biao smiled gently and consoled him: "Mr. Li, you are too kind. This is the responsibility of the court and the wish of every one of us. As long as we work together, there will be no obstacles that cannot be overcome."

Uncle Li nodded repeatedly, with hope in his eyes: "With your words, we feel relieved. We will definitely follow the arrangements of the court and work hard to rebuild our homeland."

Zhu Biao and Uncle Li talked for a long time, and said goodbye reluctantly until the sun set. Looking at Uncle Li's hunched but determined back, Zhu Biao felt a warm current in his heart.

"Your Highness, it's getting late. Let's go back and rest early." The attendant at the side reminded softly. Seeing Zhu Biao standing there for a long time without moving, he couldn't help but persuade him.

Zhu Biao came back to his senses, sighed softly, and nodded: "Okay, let's go back. But before we go back, I want to take another look at those temporary shelters to make sure the victims can sleep peacefully tonight."

The attendant quickly agreed and went with Zhu Biao to the temporary settlement for the disaster victims. Night had fallen, and the makeshift tents and simple houses looked particularly warm under the dim light.

"Your Highness is so kindhearted, we are so grateful." A middle-aged woman held Zhu Biao's hand and said with tears in her eyes. Her husband died in the flood, leaving her and several young children to depend on each other.

Zhu Biao patted the back of her hand and comforted her gently: "Sister-in-law, the dead are gone, and the living are like this. You still have a long way to go, so you must be strong. The court will not give up on you, and I will always pay attention to the situation here until you completely rebuild your home."

When leaving the resettlement site, it was already dark, and the moonlight was like water on the winding path. Zhu Biao walked back to the temporary resting place under the moonlight, but his heart could not calm down for a long time. He sat at the desk and wrote down what he saw and felt today, preparing to present it to his father, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, early tomorrow morning to let him know the real situation in the disaster area in the south of the Yangtze River.

The next morning, Zhu Biao got up early, had a simple breakfast, and then summoned the accompanying officials to prepare to start a new day of disaster relief work.

"My Lords, our main task today is to continue distributing disaster relief supplies and ensure that all disaster victims are properly resettled." Zhu Biao stood in front of everyone, his tone firm and powerful, "At the same time, the river dredging project must also be accelerated to lay a solid foundation for long-term flood control."

All the officials nodded and left. Zhu Biao personally led a team to the depths of the disaster area to check the distribution of relief supplies. Wherever he went, he carefully asked the victims about their needs to ensure that nothing was missed.

During the visit, Zhu Biao met a young mother holding a baby in her arms, her eyes full of worry. "Your Highness, our family has run out of food, and the child is so young, I really don't know what to do." She choked up and said.

Zhu Biao hurriedly comforted her: "Don't worry, madam, the court will never let you starve. I will have someone send food to you right away." As he said that, he immediately ordered the accompanying officials to ensure that the food was delivered to the mother as soon as possible.

Seeing Zhu Biao's concern for the people's suffering, the officials accompanying him were all moved. They worked harder, hoping to do more for the victims.

In the afternoon, Zhu Biao held a meeting in a temporary command tent to listen to work reports from various departments. The Minister of Revenue, Mr. Zhang, spoke first: "Your Highness, after days of hard work, we have distributed most of the relief supplies. At present, the supply of food and clothing in the disaster area is basically stable."

Zhu Biao nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, Lord Zhang, you have worked hard. However, we still cannot let our guard down and must continue to pay attention to the supply of materials to ensure that there will be no shortage."

Then the official in charge of the river desilting project reported on the progress of the work: "Your Highness, we have cleared many severely silted rivers, and the progress of the project is in line with expectations. However, due to continuous rainfall, some of the cleared rivers have become silted again."

Zhu Biao frowned upon hearing this: "This problem must be solved as soon as possible. We can consider adding drainage facilities to ensure that the cleared river channel will not be quickly filled up by rainwater."

Zhu Biao sat in the makeshift, crude command tent, his brows furrowed but his eyes were unusually determined.

"Sir Zhang, regarding the subsequent supply of grain, do we have enough reserves?" Zhu Biao looked at Sir Zhang, the Minister of Revenue, with an unquestionable seriousness in his tone.

Lord Zhang quickly stood up and replied with a folded hand, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I have ordered all places to urgently allocate food to ensure a continuous supply to the disaster area. At the same time, we are also discussing with local gentry to encourage them to donate food to solve the urgent problem."

Zhu Biao nodded in approval: "Very good, food is the basis of disaster relief. We must ensure that every grain of food can be delivered to the victims without any mistakes."

At this time, a young official in charge of distributing porridge came forward, looking a little nervous: "Your Highness, when distributing porridge today, we found that some victims were unable to come in person to receive it due to inconvenience in movement. I am worried that if this continues, they may not be able to continue." Zhu Biao frowned even more when he heard this. He pondered for a moment, and then ordered: "Immediately organize people to deliver porridge to those victims who are unable to move. At the same time, we must also pay attention to the elderly and children and ensure that they are properly cared for."

The young official took the order and left. Zhu Biao turned to the civil affairs official and said, "Lord Li, how is the resettlement of the disaster victims going? We need to ensure that every disaster victim has a place to stay."

The civil affairs official bowed and replied, "Your Highness, I have arranged for personnel to build temporary residences in various places and try to use existing resources, such as schools and temples, as temporary shelters. At the same time, we are also actively coordinating the surrounding unaffected areas with surplus houses for the victims to stay temporarily."

Zhu Biao nodded, his eyes revealing a little relief: "Very good, Lord Li, you need to personally supervise the resettlement work and ensure that every link is fair and transparent, without any slackness."

After the meeting, Zhu Biao did not rest immediately, but decided to go to a disaster settlement site to check the actual situation. He changed into simple clothes, mixed in with the disaster victims, and personally experienced their lives.

In a makeshift shantytown, Zhu Biao saw a group of children sitting around a fire, staring at the boiling porridge in the pot. Their faces were full of hunger and helplessness, but their eyes still flashed with desire for the future.

Zhu Biao walked over to the children, squatted down, and asked gently, "Children, are you hungry? The porridge will be ready soon, please wait patiently."

When the children saw Zhu Biao, they gathered around him, some holding his hands, some snuggling in his arms. A little girl said timidly: "Thank you, uncle, we haven't had a full meal for a long time."

Zhu Biao felt sad and quickly comforted them, "Don't be afraid. With your uncle here, you won't go hungry anymore. The court will definitely help you rebuild your homes and let you live a good life."

At this time, a middle-aged woman came over with a bowl of hot porridge and said with tears of gratitude: "Your Highness, you are really a living Bodhisattva! Our whole family is grateful to you."

Zhu Biao took the bowl of porridge and fed it to a little boy beside him. While feeding, he said softly: "Sister-in-law, this is what we should do. You are the ones who are suffering. You must be strong and live on."

After feeding the porridge, Zhu Biao stood up and said to the victims around him: "Don't worry, the court will not give up on you. We will continue to work hard until everyone can rebuild their homes and live a stable life."

Upon hearing this, the victims knelt down one after another, tears in their eyes, full of gratitude. Zhu Biao quickly helped them up and comforted them gently: "Fellow villagers, please get up quickly. The court is with you and will tide over the difficulties together. We must not only solve the current problem of food and clothing, but also help you rebuild a beautiful home."

At this time, an elderly man stood up tremblingly, his voice a little hoarse: "Your Highness, I dare to ask, what is the long-term plan of the court for post-disaster reconstruction?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao looked at the old man firmly and said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, old man. The court has a detailed reconstruction plan. We will first ensure everyone's housing problem, build more sturdy temporary residences, and gradually repair the damaged houses. At the same time, we will also organize forces to thoroughly dredge and reinforce the river to prevent future floods from happening again."

After hearing this, the old man's eyes flashed with hope, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's good, that's good. With your words, we feel much more at ease."

At this time, a young woman plucked up her courage and stepped forward, her voice choking with sobs: "Your Highness, my husband unfortunately died in this flood, leaving me and a few children behind. We are an orphan and a widow, how are we going to live in the future?"

Zhu Biao felt a pang of sorrow when he heard this. He comforted her softly, "Sister-in-law, the dead are gone, but the living are like this. The court will not leave you alone. We will provide you with the necessary living assistance, including food, clothing and temporary housing. At the same time, we will also try our best to find new sources of livelihood for you to ensure that you can be self-sufficient."

After hearing this, the woman's eyes welled up with tears, but the despair in her eyes was gradually replaced by hope. She bowed deeply and said gratefully: "Thank you, Your Highness, and thank you to the court. We will definitely stay strong and live on and rebuild our home."

Zhu Biao nodded, his eyes gently swept over every disaster victim present, and continued: "Fellow villagers, although the disaster has caused us to lose a lot, as long as we unite as one, there will be no difficulties that we cannot overcome. The court will always stand with you and face the challenges of the future together."

Zhu Biao then asked about the other needs and difficulties of the victims in detail and wrote them down one by one. He promised to bring these issues back to the court and try his best to get more assistance and support for everyone.

Before leaving the shantytown, Zhu Biao once again reminded the accompanying officials: "You must ensure that every piece of relief supplies can be delivered to the victims in a timely and accurate manner, without any negligence or omission."

Zhu Biao stood in the center of the shantytown, looking at the victims in front of him, his eyes full of determination and warmth.

"My fellow villagers, I know that you have had a very difficult time during this period, but please believe that the court and I will not give up on you." Zhu Biao's voice was warm and powerful, penetrating every bit of chill in the cold wind. "We will continue to increase our disaster relief efforts to ensure that every disaster victim can be properly resettled and receive the necessary help."

After the disaster relief work was successfully completed, Zhu Biao and his entourage set out on their journey home. As the convoy slowly drove into the capital, people on both sides of the street stopped to look at them with admiration and gratitude. Zhu Biao felt mixed emotions, both pleased with the disaster victims rebuilding their homes and worried about the upcoming affairs in the court.

After returning to the palace, Zhu Biao hurried to the imperial study to report the details of the disaster relief in Jiangnan to his father, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, without taking a rest. Zhu Yuanzhang sat on the dragon throne, looking solemn but unable to hide his fatigue. However, a trace of relief flashed in his eyes when he saw Zhu Biao's return.

"Biao'er, how is the disaster relief in Jiangnan?" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was low and powerful.

Zhu Biao bowed and said firmly, "Reporting to the Emperor, I have successfully completed the disaster relief mission in Jiangnan. The victims have been properly resettled, and relief supplies such as food, clothing and medicine have been delivered in a timely manner. At the same time, I have also organized forces to carry out river dredging and embankment reinforcement work, striving to fundamentally solve the flood problem in Jiangnan."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, with a look of approval on his face: "You have done a great job, and I am very pleased. Jiangnan is a land of fish and rice, and its safety is related to the national economy and people's livelihood. Your trip not only saved the people from danger, but also made great contributions to the stability of the Ming Dynasty." (End of this chapter)