My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

The night was as dark as ink, but the hotel rooms were still lit up.

After returning to their respective rooms, the princes did not go to bed as usual.

Instead, they all opened Mao Zedong's Selected Works.

After reading for a while, Zhu Biao put down the book, his face full of emotion.

No wonder Brother Chen didn't give him the book before.

With these thoughts in mind, Zhu Biao first opened "Modern History".

Not long after, veins bulged on his face.

Zhu Biao took a deep breath and continued reading.

The more I looked, the angrier I became; the more I looked, the more I wanted to kill someone.

Cession of territory, indemnities, concessions...

Various treaties... various unequal conditions...

Finally, when he read the line "Use the resources of China to win the favor of foreign powers," Zhu Biao couldn't hold back any longer.

How could anyone have the nerve to say something like that?!

Zhu Biao slammed his fist on the table, feeling incredibly frustrated.

His usually gentle and refined eyes were now bloodshot.

He was taught from a young age that "all land under heaven belongs to the king" and that "all nations come to pay tribute and submit to the king."

But now, they are watching as the vast land of China is crushed to pieces by ironclad warships and powerful cannons.

The land was ceded inch by inch.

The blood and tears of 400 million compatriots were used to pay the indemnity...

The thought of my fellow countrymen being oppressed in the future, the thought of Chinese treasures being plundered by foreigners, the thought of…

There are so many things I can think of!

But that's precisely why he felt so frustrated!

I'm sure that any Chinese person who reads that history will feel indignant!

At the same time, the roars of Liu Ju and others could be heard from next door.

"Outrageous! This is outrageous!"

"Outrageous!"

"Looks like they've seen this place too!"

Zhu Biao muttered to himself as he continued reading.

Then, when he saw the revolution, Zhu Biao fell silent, his face filled with complex and indescribable feelings.

Sure enough, what Brother Chen said happened.

It was inevitable!

Whenever productivity development encounters a bottleneck, it will inevitably clash with imperial power.

The inevitable outcome was the defeat of imperial power and the end of the emperor's era.

Zhu Biao took a deep breath and continued reading.

Even though Chen Mo had mentioned it before, seeing the tiny country of Japan launch an invasion for such an absurd reason still made me realize how difficult it was.

Zhu Biao couldn't help but feel angry.

He braced his hands on the table, his knuckles turning white from gripping it so tightly.

"A tiny, insignificant country! I will surely destroy it!"

Zhu Biao continued reading, and when he read the extremely exaggerated casualty ratio, he fell silent once again.

The Ming Dynasty's army was among the most powerful.

Basically, a regular soldier can beat a soldier from another small country as easily as beating his own son.

The saying "one Han man can fight five Hu tribes" is no joke.

but now……

Zhu Biao saw only complexity.

Is the gap really that big?

Zhu Biao remained silent.

He continued reading, growing more and more desperate with each word…

Especially when I read about the fall of Nanjing, I was so moved that I couldn't even breathe.

How... can we possibly win?

How to win?

Zhu Biao was breathing rapidly.

Suddenly, he remembered the book "On Protracted War" that Chen Mo had mentioned earlier.

He immediately opened Mao's Selected Works, found that article, and began to study it carefully.

At first, the pace was slow, each word like chewing a raw olive.

But gradually, his back straightened unconsciously, and the curve that had been bent by the pressure was quietly replaced by another force.

"Defense, stalemate, counterattack..."

"The people and the soldiers are the foundation of victory..."

Zhu Biao's breath hitched, and an incredulous light flashed in his eyes.

He was well-versed in military strategy from a young age and deeply understood that "he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world."

But never before has the power of the "people" been elevated to the core of war in such a systematic and thorough way.

Zhu Biao continued reading, becoming more and more excited and shocked with each reading.

He finally understood why Chen Mo admired this person so much.

Without that near-drowning feeling, one cannot appreciate the immense weight and desperate wisdom contained in every stroke of this strategic concept.

The sound of pages turning was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

The previous crimson and pale hues have faded, replaced by a restrained luster reflected by profound thoughts.

When he finished reading the last word, Zhu Biao let out a long breath.

He gently closed the Selected Works of Mao Zedong and turned his gaze back to the book on modern history, but his eyes were now completely different.

He reopened "Modern History".

I started reading from the beginning, beginning with the first article in Mao Zedong's Selected Works and comparing them with the text.

Read it one by one, word by word!

The more I read, the more I was struck by its power.

Whenever I read a certain part of "Modern History", I would look for an analysis of the social background in "Selected Works of Mao Zedong".

Upon witnessing a crushing defeat on the battlefield, he sought out discussions on the class forces and strategic errors of the time.

But soon, this contrast became a shocking confirmation.

Looking at the timeline, almost all of Mao Zedong's predictions and analyses have proven to be correct.

When he read about the warlords fighting each other and the people being displaced.

I didn't feel anything when I first read this part, but after reading Mao's Selected Works, I immediately understood the situation at each level.

Zhu Biao read it like that, word by word, as if missing a single word would mean missing out on a lot.

He had never been so serious before, not even when he was learning government affairs and reading various ancient classics under the guidance of the teachers arranged for him by Zhu Yuanzhang.

He could feel the power contained in this book.

Zhu Biao read it with complete absorption.

The only remaining words in the room were Zhu Biao's occasional sighs and awe.

"You can analyze it like that?"

"I see……"

"Incredible!"

The other three rooms were much the same.

Almost every prince was captivated by its contents.

At first, they, like Zhu Biao, felt frustrated and depressed while reading modern history, but once they read Mao's Selected Works, they instantly felt enlightened.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, all that was known was that the night had reached its deepest point, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

Perhaps the sun will rise soon.

Zhu Biao closed the book, letting out a barely audible sigh.

His fingertips unconsciously caressed the cover of "Selected Works of Mao Zedong," but the heat made his heart tighten.

Logically, once he understood, he should have felt relieved.

But why... does it feel so painful?

Zhu Biao closed his eyes.

He was the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, the successor appointed by his father, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. From a young age, he studied the classics and learned the principles of "the ruler is the guide for the subject, and the father is the guide for the son," and upheld the principles of "the imperial power is divinely ordained and the state is of utmost importance."

The empire that Zhu Yuanzhang painstakingly built is the foundation that he will have to protect in the future.

For him, imperial power was a responsibility, a foundation, and a belief etched into his very bones.

But Zhu Biao recalled the treaties in "Modern History" that ceded territory and imposed indemnities, the blood and tears of 400 million compatriots, and the despair when Nanjing fell...

"Imperial power...China..."

He murmured softly, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

My father conquered the country so that the Chinese people could live in peace and prosperity.

When he ascended the throne, wasn't it to protect this peace and ensure the continued prosperity of China?

If imperial power becomes an obstacle, and if adhering to ancestral rules will lead future generations to repeat the same mistakes, then what is the meaning of this "responsibility"?

So, what should he do?

Should we pretend we know nothing, or... guide the Ming Dynasty onto a new path?

Zhu Biao opened his eyes, his gaze filled with complex emotions.

He looked out the window, but it was pitch black outside and he couldn't see anything.

Just like the future of his Ming Dynasty.

After pondering for a long time without finding a solution, Zhu Biao felt frustrated and simply walked out of the room, where the air was slightly damp.

But they discovered that Liu Ju and the others were also outside.

Liu Ju leaned against a pillar, his hands clenched so tightly they turned white, when he saw Zhu Biao come out.

"Brother Biao, can't sleep either?"

Zhu Biao nodded.

Are you the same?

Liu Ju sighed.

"My mind is filled with those filthy thoughts of ceding territory and paying reparations, but the thought of defying my father..."

"On one side is my father, the emperor who gave me life and raised me, the Han Dynasty to which I swear to serve to the death; on the other side are countless descendants of the Chinese nation, the unbroken flame of civilization..."

"Brother Biao, what should I do?"

Liu Ju looked at Zhu Biao.

"Ask the same question"

Fusu also spoke up.

"My father unified the six kingdoms, a feat that will be remembered for generations. Moreover, he places great hopes on me. What should I do?"

Li Chengqian also sighed, looking annoyed.

"If it were before, I definitely wouldn't have hesitated at all, after all, I've long disliked that old man Deng, but now... Father has high hopes for me, and I can't let him down!"

What does "Old Deng" mean?

Liu Ju couldn't help but ask a question.

Li Chengqian glanced at him.

"It's okay... It's not a bad thing to know less."

"Sigh!"

The four looked at each other and sighed.

"If all else fails... shall we ask Brother Chen?"