Chapter 38: Inciting the Emperor’s Son to Rebel

The three brothers were instantly on high alert.

Already harboring a belly full of suppressed anger and complex emotions, they were hardly in the mood for anyone to be up to no good against them in the middle of the night. However, they did not act rashly. Firstly, they needed to catch the culprit red-handed to have solid grounds for any confrontation. Secondly, they feared a misunderstanding that might lead to unnecessary trouble. Their experiences during this half-day in the Central Capital had already significantly shifted the three brothers' perspectives.

"Can't sleep? Neither can I."

Just as the brothers were on the verge of taking action, the person who had approached them spoke. His voice was hushed, as if he feared disturbing the others who were asleep. The brothers' tense, ready-to-strike demeanor vanished, and they sat up. They had recognized the voice—it was Old Miao, the foreman of their work team.

"Uncle Miao."

"Uncle Miao, you can't sleep either?"

"Uncle Miao."

This time, it wasn't just Zhu Di greeting him; Zhu Gang and Zhu Shuang also spoke up, addressing him as Uncle Miao. If Old Miao were ever to discover the identities of these three, he would have a story to boast about for the rest of his life: three princes calling him "uncle"—a level of prestige that was simply unrivaled.

"The world has turned into such a state. The Emperor is building the Central Capital without regarding us as human beings. We are worked to the bone. Who knows when one might just drop dead? With wives and children back home, how could anyone sleep?" Old Miao sighed. Compared to the daytime, he was much more talkative. "You three brothers have only been here for half a day, and you already feel that the Central Capital is hopeless, don't you? This is only the beginning. Stay a few more days, and you will see even more darkness. I came to this team a year and a half ago. Back then, the team had thirty people. Now, only eight of us are left alive..."

The three brothers grew increasingly silent, at a loss for words. They could only sigh along with him. They had come to the Central Capital on a mission from their father, the Emperor, for only two months, and already they felt crushed under the weight of it all. It was hard to imagine the plight of the countless laborers who saw no hope at all.

"Join our Ming Cult. Joining the Ming Cult brings hope. From the very beginning, the world has been divided into light and darkness. Our Ming Cult stands on the side of light, intended to dispel all darkness in the world and save the masses from fire and water. Now, we are all trapped deep in the darkness. To transcend, to defeat the darkness, there is no other way but to believe in the light and commit ourselves to the light..."

Old Miao changed his tone, shifting the conversation to this topic. A sliver of moonlight fell through the gaps in the straw shed, lending him an air of solemnity. Zhu Di and Zhu Gang were shocked—this was proselytizing for the Ming Cult! Was this Old Miao actually a member of the Ming Cult? They were no strangers to the Ming Cult; after all, their father, Zhu Yuanzhang, had once been involved with it. It was a group synonymous with rebellion, and it had long been listed by their father as a target for severe crackdown. And yet, here was a follower of the Ming Cult preaching to them! The two brothers exchanged an involuntary glance, then turned their heads away, their expressions full of disdain.

"You're absolutely right! This Central Capital is darkness, and it must be conquered by the light!" While the two brothers were still reeling from the shock, Zhu Shuang could not help but chime in with praise, agreeing wholeheartedly with Old Miao. He was ready to commit himself to the light and defeat the darkness.

Zhu Di and Zhu Gang were left speechless. Their second brother clearly had no idea what he was getting into.

"Uncle Miao, do you truly believe that light can conquer darkness? Do you really think that by believing in the light and joining the Ming Cult, we can eliminate the darkness and break out of this predicament?" Zhu Di asked, looking at Old Miao earnestly.

"Of course!" Old Miao replied decisively, his expression becoming even more solemn. But this solemnity lasted only a moment before a long sigh replaced it with profound exhaustion. "To tell you the truth, I don't believe it either. But now that the Central Capital has become like this, no one cares whether we live or die. If I don't believe in this, what else is there to believe in?"

"Believe in the authorities, believe in the Emperor! The Emperor would surely not ignore us; he would certainly grant us justice!" Zhu Gang could not help but interject.

"Heh..." Old Miao’s expression was mocking. "The suffering we are enduring now is brought upon us by the authorities, by the Emperor. The Central Capital is being built for the Emperor. Do you really think the Emperor cares whether we live or die?"

"The current Emperor cares most for his people. I've heard he came from a poor family himself and cannot bear to see us suffer. The state of the Central Capital must be because the Emperor has been deceived and is unaware of the true situation. If he knew, he would certainly intervene! He would give us justice!" Zhu Di also spoke up to defend his father.

"Yes, yes, that’s exactly it." Prince Qin also realized that the Central Capital was being built for his father, and he couldn't very well rebel against him. He had to defend his Imperial Father.

"Heh, you brothers are just too naive! The Emperor is the Emperor of the Huai-Xi nobility; he and Li Shanchang are cut from the same cloth. In his eyes, where is there room for commoners? It's true he came from humble beginnings, but does that mean he treats the people well? There are plenty of officials from humble backgrounds! Just look at the Central Capital now; many officials are from poor origins, yet they are no different from the others, and in fact, are even more ruthless toward the poor! As for this Emperor, I think he’s just the same!"

The sarcastic voice did not come from Old Miao, but from the man surnamed Shen who was sleeping not far away.

"It’s different, the current Emperor is truly good. He really wants the people to live well." Zhu Shuang, belatedly realizing he had chosen the wrong side, was the first to defend his father this time.

"Heh..." The only response to Zhu Shuang was a cold sneer.

"Brother Shen, do you also have grievances? If you can, why not share them?" Zhu Di quietly pulled back Zhu Shuang, who was still trying to argue and prove that their father was different from the one they described, and looked at the man. By now, he had figured it out. His father had sent them to the Central Capital not just to see how the construction was progressing, but to observe everything else—especially the, suffering and hardships of the laborers, which were the most critical part. This was an opportunity to learn more.

"Grievances are everywhere. Among those who came to build the Central Capital, how many have peace in their hearts?" the man surnamed Shen said indifferently. Perhaps it was the deep night that obscured many things and made emotions easier to touch, or perhaps it was the words of Zhu Di and his brothers that stirred his heart. After a period of silence, just when Zhu Di thought this fellow would remain mute as he had during the day, a voice finally sounded again.

"Brother Wu, in the future, you must never again go around talking about giving generous rewards or promising official posts to others. Judging by the speech and conduct of you three brothers, your family background must have been extraordinary. But one must take things one step at a time. Now that we have reached this point, what is the use of saying such things?"

His opening remarks were directed at the Prince of Jin, Zhu Gang, which made Zhu Di feel a secret sense of satisfaction. He thought this Brother Shen spoke very well and hoped he would say more. Zhu Gang’s face darkened, and he swallowed the words that had been rolling in his throat.

"Speaking of family background, who doesn't have some history? If we really want to compare, Brother Wu, you might not necessarily outshine me." He paused and added, "My surname is Shen, named Shen Jing. My great-grandfather’s name was Wansan, and my grandfather’s name was Rong."

"The richest man in Jiangnan, Shen Wansan, was your great-grandfather?" Zhu Gang, who was well-read and had a good memory, spoke before Zhu Shuang or Zhu Di could react, his voice filled with surprise. The name Shen Wansan was legendary; even though he had been dead for over twenty years, Zhu Gang had heard of him from others. Of course, his reaction was not just from the surprise of meeting Shen Wansan's great-grandson, but more from the shock that the descendant of such a man could end up in such a state.

"Then... how did you end up like this?" Seeing Zhu Gang’s reaction, Shen Jing was somewhat satisfied, and even forgave the fact that the other party had used his great-grandfather’s name in his shock. The name of the Shen family still carried weight, and from Zhu Gang’s reaction, he recalled some of his family's former glory. But upon hearing Zhu Gang’s follow-up question, he fell into silence.

"It’s all the evil caused by the Emperor! Claiming he wanted to build the Central Capital, he relocated many wealthy families from Jiangnan to populate it. My Shen family was famous, so naturally, we couldn't be spared. I originally thought the Emperor was a good ruler, and that moving to the future capital would be fine. But who could have imagined that once we arrived, we fell into a wolf's den! The Huai-Xi nobles are like kings; they walk everywhere, and even their servants dare to bark and bully us. They forced us to bleed. We thought, since we were newcomers, it was better not to fight with officials and just spend money to avoid disaster. But after paying out time and again, we found it was no use. Their appetite is too large! They want to eat us until not even our bones are left! Taking advantage of the construction of the Central Capital, they took seventy percent of my family's wealth! A few days ago, Li Shanchang's nephew, Li You, came to our door again, demanding two million guan to support the construction. Even if we sold our entire family and ground our bones into oil, we couldn't produce that much money! So, I, along with many others in my family, were dragged here to work. It’s not just my family; many who came from Jiangnan are in the same boat..."

As Shen Jing spoke, his eyes turned red, though in the darkness of the night, no one could see.

"Why don't you go to the capital and beat the Dengwen Drum? As long as the drum is sounded, the Emperor will surely handle the matter with justice," Zhu Di said, though it was unclear whether he was truly ignorant of the reasons or asking intentionally.

"How could we? Two years ago, we were prepared to go. Just as we set off, my second uncle, fourth uncle, and others involved in the matter encountered 'bandits' and were all killed..." His voice was hoarse and nasal. "So, Uncle Miao is right to say that joining the Ming Cult is the only way. There is too much darkness here; it makes it impossible to live! The Emperor is useless. We can only rely on ourselves, on the Ming Cult. Rely on the light to defeat the darkness!"

In the darkness, his expression could not be seen, but one could hear the grinding of his teeth.

"You must still believe in the Emperor. The Emperor will surely grant your family justice!" Zhu Di said in a deep voice.

"Haha, too naive! How could the Emperor possibly know what has happened to us?" Shen Jing laughed, as if he had heard a hilarious joke, laughing until tears streamed down his face.

"What if I told you that the Emperor will come to the Central Capital in a short while? If that day comes, would you dare to present a petition to the Emperor?" Under the sliver of moonlight, Zhu Di looked at Shen Jing and asked.

"Heh, you brothers, your boasts grow larger by the minute, as if you were the Emperor's own sons. First you talk about granting official posts, and now you say the Emperor will come to the Central Capital shortly. You're even more full of nonsense than the Ming Cult!" Shen Jing finished, turned on his side, and presented his back to them.

A moment later, a muffled voice sounded: "If the Emperor really comes, if I have the chance, I will present my petition even if I am to be cut into a thousand pieces! But how could the Emperor ever come? By the time he arrives, the Central Capital will already be built. All he will see is a magnificent and majestic city! He will not see the suffering of people like us, he will not see the piles of bones and the blood and tears beneath the Central Capital..."

...

In the Wenhua Hall, Crown Prince Zhu Biao received a secret message delivered by carrier pigeon. Upon opening and reading it, his expression changed drastically. He immediately left the Wenhua Hall and headed toward the Wuying Hall...

"Imperial Father, look at this!" Zhu Biao handed the secret letter to Zhu Yuanzhang, his voice grave and tinged with panic...