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

Chapter 1480 Are Scholars Poor and Stingy?

Chen Fengnian's face turned pale instantly.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze was like a knife piercing Chen Fengnian.

"Chen Fengnian, I'll ask you one more time. Are you going to sell the grain you have?"

Chen Fengnian's legs began to tremble. He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, then at Zhu Qiwu, and finally his gaze fell on Xu Da's hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

"Sell...sell! I'll sell!" Chen Fengnian practically shouted. "How much does Your Highness want? I'll give you as much as you need! The price...the price is negotiable!"

"Easy to negotiate?" Zhu Qiwu laughed. "Then it'll be one tael of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure). Will you sell?"

One or two?

Chen Fengnian's face turned green. He couldn't even recoup his initial investment of one tael of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure).

"Young Master Qiwu, one tael is too low! I would really lose money!"

"Losing money?" Zhu Qiwu's smile vanished, his gaze turning icy. "Chen Fengnian, you hoarded fifty or sixty thousand shi of grain, waiting to sell it at a high price when Yingtian Prefecture ran out of food. Do you know that every extra tael of silver you earned cost the lives of ordinary people? The people of Liujia Village are eating clay while you're counting your silver. You think one tael per shi is too expensive?"

Chen Fengnian knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Your Highness! Young Master Qi! I was wrong! I'm willing to sell it for one tael! No, for eight qian! Eight qian per shi! I only beg Your Highness to spare my life!"

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Qiwu, then said to Chen Fengnian, "Eight qian per shi, I'll take all the grain you have. But there's one condition—from today onwards, I will set the price of grain in Yingtian Prefecture, and you are not allowed to raise prices privately. If I find out you dare to inflate grain prices, you can forget about having your head."

Chen Fengnian kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "I dare not! I will never dare again!"

Li Shanchang, standing to the side, had already started calculating on his abacus, muttering, "Fifty or sixty thousand shi (a unit of dry measure), eight qian (a unit of currency) per shi, forty-eight thousand taels of silver... Where will this money come from...?"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand dismissively: "Take it from my private treasury."

Everyone was stunned.

Li Shanchang was the first to react: "Your Highness, you don't have much silver left in your private treasury. Last month's war cost a lot, and now you only have a little over twenty thousand taels at most..."

"We'll cover the shortfall for now," Zhu Yuanzhang said. "Once we defeat Zhang Shicheng, his private treasury will be ours."

Zhu Qiwu listened from the side, a feeling he couldn't quite put into words welling up inside him. Zhu Yuanzhang was incredibly stingy with himself, wearing the same clothes for three years, but he always gave his all to the common people and his brothers.

That's why he's willing to work for this person.

Chen Fengnian was taken away to sign the contract, and the atmosphere in the council hall relaxed a bit.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Qiwu: "Qiwu, the grain issue has been resolved, but that's only the immediate problem. What about after forty-five days? If the grain supply lines are still blocked, Yingtian Prefecture will still run out of food."

Zhu Qiwu nodded and took out the agricultural technology manual from his pocket.

"Fourth Brother, forty-five days is enough." Zhu Qiwu placed the manual on the table. "This is something I obtained; it contains a method for cultivating rice that yields three times more than the current method. If we can cultivate it successfully, the food problem in Yingtian Prefecture can be solved at its root."

Liu Bowen was the first to come over, picked up the manual, flipped through a few pages, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"What...what is this? Hybrid rice? No, hybrid rice doesn't exist in this era...what kind of cultivation method is this?"

“Mr. Bowen, you don’t need to worry about that,” Zhu Qiwu said. “You just need to tell me whether this method can be used.”

Liu Bowen put down the manual and took a deep breath: "It works. Not only works, but if it can really triple production, it'll be a lifesaver. Seventh Prince, where did you get this?"

"My fourth brother gave it to me," Zhu Qiwu said without changing his expression.

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback: "I gave it to you? When did I give it to you?"

“My fourth brother appeared to me in a dream last night,” Zhu Qiwu said in a serious tone.

Everyone in the room was stunned, and then Tang was the first to burst out laughing.

"Seven-five, you're making this up again!"

"No matter where you got it from, if this stuff really works, implement it immediately. Qi Wu, you're in charge of this. Whatever personnel or funding you need, just contact Shan Chang directly."

Li Shanchang nodded with a bitter expression.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. A guard ran in and knelt on one knee.

"Report! Your Highness, a group of people has arrived outside the city. They say they are from Suzhou and wish to see you."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes turned cold: "Zhang Shicheng's men?"

“No,” the guard said. “The man who came said his name was Zhao Bulan, and he was an advisor to Zhang Shicheng. But he said he wasn’t here to fight, he was here… to discuss business.”

"To discuss business?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered. "Let him in."

The guards obeyed and left.

A moment later, a middle-aged man dressed in a blue long gown walked in. He looked to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a thin face, three long wisps of beard, and a folding fan in his hand. He had a similar temperament to Liu Bowen, but his eyes held a shrewdness.

Zhao Bulan entered the council hall, looked around, and then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Your Highness, I am Zhao Bulan, a staff officer under King Zhang. I apologize for my intrusion in visiting you today."

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't offer him a seat, but asked directly, "What did Zhang Shicheng send you here for?"

Zhao Bulan smiled and said calmly, "Your Highness, Prince Zhang sent me not to fight, but to deliver a great gift."

"A grand gift?"

Zhao Bulan took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to him with both hands. The guard took it and presented it to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang opened the letter and read it, his expression growing increasingly grim. After finishing, he slammed the letter on the table.

"Zhang Shicheng, that bastard!"

Zhu Qiwu leaned over to read the contents of the letter, and his expression changed.

The letter stated that Zhang Shicheng was willing to join forces with Zhu Yuanzhang to fight against Chen Youliang's former troops. The condition was that Zhu Yuanzhang would cede three counties north of Yingtian Prefecture to Zhang Shicheng as a buffer zone for the allied forces.

"This isn't cooperation, this is taking advantage of someone's misfortune," Zhu Qiwu said.

Zhao Bulan smiled slightly beside him: "Seventh Prince is right. But Your Highness should also consider that if we don't join forces, Chen Youliang's former troops will eventually march on Yingtian Prefecture. At that time, Your Highness will be attacked from both sides, and it won't be something that three counties can handle."

Zhu Yuanzhang stared at Zhao Bulan, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Go back and tell Zhang Shicheng that he won't give up a single one of the three counties. If he wants to fight, I, Zhu Yuanzhang, will fight him to the bitter end. If he doesn't want to fight, then he shouldn't try anything funny on my territory."

Zhao Bulan's smile froze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

"Your Highness, please reconsider. Prince Zhang said this letter is only valid for three days. After three days, if Your Highness does not agree, Prince Zhang will have to find a solution himself."

"What method?"

Zhao Bulan did not answer directly, but instead took out another piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"This is a notice drafted by Prince Zhang, which will be posted at all the major city gates of Yingtian Prefecture tomorrow. As for the content…" He paused, "Your Highness will understand once you see it."

Zhu Qiwu picked up the paper and glanced at it, his face immediately darkening. The notice read: "King Wu, Zhu Yuanzhang, imposes exorbitant taxes, causing widespread suffering. The people of Yingtian Prefecture are in dire straits; it is better to submit to King Zhang, at least they will have food to eat. Anyone willing to come to Suzhou will receive fifty catties of grain, be provided with lodging, and be exempt from taxes for three years."

“Zhang Shicheng is trying to uproot us.” Zhu Qiwu handed the notice to Zhu Yuanzhang.

After reading it, Zhu Yuanzhang tore up the notice.

“Zhao Bulan, go back and tell Zhang Shicheng. If he dares to post this kind of thing in Yingtian Prefecture, I'll smash up his recruitment hall. Not only will I smash up the recruitment hall, but I'll also arrest everyone he has in Yingtian Prefecture. Do you believe me?”

Zhao Bulan's expression finally changed.

He looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, then at Xu Da and Zhou Dexing beside him, who were holding the hilts of their swords, and swallowed hard.

"Your Highness, I was merely delivering a message. I will certainly convey your words. Farewell."

After saying that, Zhao Bulan turned and left, walking twice as fast as he had come.

After Zhao Bulan left, the atmosphere in the council chamber became even more tense.

Liu Bowen slowly fanned himself with his folding fan and said, "Young Master Qiwu, Zhang Shicheng's move is far more ruthless than Chen Liang's spreading of rumors. He not only wants to poach our people, but also the hearts and minds of our people."

Zhu Qiwu nodded: "Mr. Bowen is right. But he has a flaw."

"What flaw?"

"He said each person would receive fifty catties of grain," Zhu Qiwu said. "We'll receive one hundred catties. He said he'd exempt us from taxes for three years, so we'll exempt us for five. He said he'd provide lodging, and we'll give him land. What he can give, we can give. What he can't give, we can still give."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Qiwu, and a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes.

"How long does it take to see results with that rice cultivation method you mentioned?"

"Forty-five days," Zhu Qiwu said. "As long as the seeds are sown, the first harvest can be completed in forty-five days. Although the yield won't be as high as the later harvests, it will be enough for Yingtian Prefecture to get through this most difficult period."

“Alright.” Zhu Yuanzhang stood up. “Seventh Five, you handle this matter. Send whoever you need. Xu Da, send a detachment to escort Seventh Five to the city to select a site; take care of the well-digging at the same time.”

Just as Zhu Qiwu was about to accept the order and leave, another voice came from outside the door.

"Young Master Qi Wu! Young Master Qi Wu!"

A young man rushed in, covered in sweat and panting. Zhu Qiwu recognized him as Song Lian.

"Jinglian, what's wrong?"

Song Lian rushed to Zhu Qiwu, breathless, and said, "Young Master Qiwu, Fang Zijing is in trouble! He went to help out at the registration office for the special imperial examination this morning, and he was beaten up! The person who beat him up said he was Zhang Shicheng's subordinate, and he also said... and he also said..."

"What else is there to say?"

Song Lian swallowed hard. "They even said the special imperial examination was a scam, and that even if you passed, you wouldn't get an official position. They tore down the notice for the special imperial examination in front of all the registered candidates."

Zhu Qiwu's eyes suddenly turned cold.

Fang Zijing was beaten. Enke's notice was torn down.

Zhang Shicheng's men have already begun to take action.

"Tang He!"

"exist!"

"Take men to the Enke registration office and arrest all the troublemakers. Anyone who resists, beat them. If they die, it's on me."

Tang He's eyes lit up, and he patted his chest: "Fourth Brother, don't worry, I'm an expert at this kind of thing!"

Tang turned and ran outside, but after a couple of steps he came back.

"Seven-Five, are you coming with me?"

Zhu Qiwu glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Go. The imperial examination cannot go wrong. Anyone who dares to cause trouble, you deal with them for me."

Zhu Qiwu left the council hall, where Tang He was already waiting at the door, followed by eight personal guards, each carrying a knife.

The two jogged all the way to Enke's registration office.

From afar, you could see a crowd gathered at the registration office, and the noise could be heard from half a street away.

Zhu Qiwu squeezed into the crowd and spotted Fang Zijing at a glance.

Fang Zijing sat on the ground, his lip cut, his left cheek swollen, and his clothes torn. But he still clutched the imperial examination notice tightly in his hand, refusing to let go.

Opposite him stood three men dressed in black short-sleeved shirts. The leader, a scarred man, was holding a short knife and pointing it at Fang Zijing's nose while cursing.

"I'll say it again, this special imperial examination is a sham! King Wu came from humble beginnings; what use is his examination? You poor scholars, don't be fooled! Come with me to Suzhou, and King Zhang will give you official positions, money, and houses! What's the point of taking the exam here? Even if you pass, you'll just be a lackey for these peasants!"

The surrounding candidates began to waver, and the whispers grew louder.

"What he said makes sense..."

"The King of Wu was indeed of humble origins..."

"What if I pass the exam but they really won't give me an official position?"

Zhu Qiwu walked over to Fang Zijing, squatted down, and examined his injuries.

"How badly are you injured?"

Fang Zijing shook his head and handed the half-torn notice to Zhu Qiwu: "Young Master Qiwu, the notice... they tore it up..."

Zhu Qiwu took the notice, looked at it, then stood up and turned to the scarred man.

"May I have your name?"

When Scarface saw Zhu Qiwu, he was first taken aback, then burst into laughter.

"You're Zhu Qiwu? The King of Wu's younger brother? I thought you were someone important, but you're just a kid who hasn't even grown his first hair!"

Zhu Qiwu wasn't angry; instead, he smiled.

"You say my fourth brother came from humble beginnings and that his imperial examinations were fake?" Zhu Qiwu walked step by step toward the scarred man. "Then let me ask you, what is your background? What did your father do? What did your grandfather do? Going back three generations, has anyone in your family ever been literate?"

Scarface's smile froze.

"you……"

"You can't say it, can you?" Zhu Qiwu stood in front of the scarred man, half a head shorter than him, but his imposing manner completely overwhelmed him. "Because your family, going back three generations, were all tenant farmers. You can't even write your own name, what right do you have to call scholars poor and pedantic?"

Scarface's face turned a deep purplish-red, and the short knife in his hand trembled.

Zhu Qiwu continued, "My fourth brother was a peasant, that's true. But what did he do after becoming a peasant? He fought wars so that ordinary people wouldn't be bullied by the Yuan soldiers anymore. He opened special imperial examinations so that you scholars could have a chance to rise in society. And you? You became Zhang Shicheng's lackey, and what did Zhang Shicheng give you? A short knife? Or a few taels of silver to tear down notices?" (End of Chapter)