The Great Ming Demon Pill: Your Majesty, please address me as the Crown Prince!

The hall was deathly silent. Zhu Zhanji was red-faced and his chest heaved violently as he was rebuked by Zhu Zhanjun's barrage of questions. His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

He felt a burning sensation on his face, as if he had been stripped naked in public.

Anger, resentment, and shame gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn't utter a single word.

The entire Qianqing Palace was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The civil and military officials had different expressions, and most of them were deep in thought.

At that moment, Zhang Fu, the Duke of England, stepped forward first from the ranks of the nobles.

His eyes were wide open, and his voice was booming.

"Your Majesty! Prince Jiyang's actions, though seemingly crude, are in fact a display of great wisdom!"

"Only those who deeply understand the ways of the world and the hearts of people, and who truly care about the disaster victims, could conceive of such a practical and emergency relief method!"

"Thirty thousand strings of cash will be transformed into one hundred thousand bushels of life-saving grain, weeding out the villains and benefiting the truly starving people, allowing them to survive for two months while waiting for the grain transport!"

"This is a great act of merit that has saved countless lives! This old minister congratulates Your Highness and Your Majesty on having such a virtuous grandson!"

Duke Zhu Yong of Cheng followed closely behind, excitedly cupping his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty! What Lord Zhang said is absolutely right! Although Your Highness is young, your thoughts are thorough, your actions are decisive, and your heart is kind."

"We are mere warriors, we may not understand grand principles, but we know that any method that can truly save tens of thousands of lives is a good method! Your Highness, you are truly a genius!"

Marquis Li Bin of Fengcheng said in a deep voice.

"That's right! Forget about bran and chaff, as long as it fills your stomach and keeps you from starving, it's a good thing!"

"Your Highness is spending every penny wisely, while also preventing anyone from embezzling or taking advantage of the situation!"

"I am utterly impressed by their ingenuity and skill!"

Following this, a group of officials close to the Prince of Han, and those who admired Zhu Zhanjun's pragmatic style, such as Chen Shan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Xu Kuo, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, also spoke out:

"His Highness Prince Jiyang has a keen understanding of the people's conditions and adapts to local circumstances; this is truly a talent for governing the world!"

"Your Highness resolved the urgent crisis with a brilliant strategy, saving countless lives; your merit is invaluable to the nation!"

"While Wu Siye's words are drawn from the classics, they are impractical. In such extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken, and Your Highness's actions are precisely the best way to save the day!"

The wind direction inside the hall completely changed.

The doubts that had previously arisen about Zhu Zhanjun due to Wu Changjiang and Zhu Zhanji's remarks have now all turned into admiration and praise.

Zhu Zhanjun's remarks that "only those who survive are truly human" and "only worthless things can truly reach those who need them" deeply shocked them.

Zhu Di sat high on his throne, taking in all of this.

He looked down at Zhu Zhanjun, who stood tall with clear and firm eyes, and then glanced at Zhu Zhanji, who was now dispirited and had lost all the eloquence he had displayed earlier. He sighed inwardly.

Zhu Di's gaze fell on Zhu Zhanjun.

"Zhan Jun".

"Your grandson is here." Zhu Zhanjun bowed.

"Your use of bran for disaster relief, though controversial, is commendable in its intentions and effective in its results."

"At a time when the imperial court was facing severe food shortages, he was able to raise funds on his own, saving tens of thousands of people and supporting them in their wait for reinforcements. This is a great achievement."

Zhu Di paused.

"As for whether the method is 'unseemly,' the primary consideration should be whether it can help the people in need."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded slightly.

Zhu Gaoxu's mouth was wide open; if it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, he would have burst into laughter.

Zhu Di pondered for a moment.

"I am very pleased with Zhan Jun's meritorious service in disaster relief."

"I should have immediately rewarded you with a hundred bolts of brocade and a thousand taels of gold as encouragement, but the current situation is special, so these rewards will be given to you later."

"I hope you will remain humble and prudent, continue to run the soup kitchen well, comfort the disaster victims, and make proper arrangements once the grain arrives in Beijing."

"Grandson thanks His Majesty for his grace! I will certainly live up to your expectations!" Zhu Zhanjun replied loudly, a bright smile on his face.

He didn't care whether he received a reward or not.

Today he is almost at the point of breaking off relations with Zhu Zhanji.

He won a major victory in this encounter.

The civil and military officials also took note of this.

The fact that those nobles stood up to support him is enough to prove that he and his father, Zhu Gaoxu, still had a chance to compete in their eyes.

.....................

A few days later, the front page of the *Da Ming Xin Bao* published a report with a prominent headline:

The Truth Behind the Prince of Jiyang's Disaster Relief with Bran and Rice: 100,000 Shi of Grain Saved 100,000 People, a Clever Plan to Sift the Truth from the Falsehood

The article details the severity of the disaster in Huaibei and the straitened state of the imperial grain reserves, providing a clear account of the situation. The report also includes interview transcripts with several disaster victims.

This vividly and thoroughly showcases Zhu Zhanjun's painstaking efforts.

The report concluded by stating:

"Some may say, 'How can bran and chaff be given to humans to feed livestock?' But in years of famine, saving lives is of paramount importance. His Highness Prince Jiyang has forsaken empty fame for tangible relief, using his ingenuity to resolve this dire situation. Now, order prevails outside the city, and the cries of hunger and cold are becoming increasingly rare. Is this not a benevolent act?"

The newspaper caused another sensation in Nanjing.

In teahouses and taverns, literate teachers read the news aloud, and people occasionally applauded in admiration.

"I see! I knew His Highness Prince Jiyang wasn't a petty person!"

"Twenty thousand strings of cash turned into one hundred thousand bushels of grain... This scheme is brilliant!"

"Indeed! I even joined in the cursing earlier, which was a complete miscarriage of justice... Your Highness is risking criticism to genuinely save lives!"

"His Highness really donated 30,000 strings of cash!"

"Those barking dogs don't even know if they've donated or not."

"..."

.........................

Near the Hanlin Academy, several students gathered in a teahouse to discuss something.

One person sighed, "The Prince of Jiyang's method, though seemingly contrary to common sense, is actually deeply in line with the 'principle of expediency.' As the sage said, 'The superior man understands righteousness, the inferior man understands profit.' Your Highness uses profit to drive away the inferior man, while preserving righteousness for the disaster victims; this is the wisdom of adapting to circumstances!"

Another person nodded: "What's even more remarkable is that Your Highness, at such a young age, is able to see through people's intentions and interests, not being bound by empty fame, but seeking practical results. This mindset and sense of responsibility are truly admirable."

.........................

Some of the upright scholars who had previously accused Zhu Zhanjun of "insulting the people" and "breaking the moral order" also fell into deep thought after reading the newspaper.

Some people privately said to their peers, "We only know how to cling to the form of 'benevolent governance,' but we haven't deeply considered the urgent situation of famine and drowning. Although the actions of the King of Jiyang seem rough, his heart is truly benevolent. This time, we have been too pedantic."

In the streets and alleys, the people spread the word, and the image of Zhu Zhanjun, the Prince of Jiyang, suddenly changed from "stingy and mean" to "pragmatic and wise".

Even more extreme, some people turned the story of "bran relief" into simple rhymes and sang them among children.

A few days later, some wealthy households in the city, together with several small and medium-sized grain merchants, took the initiative to approach Bowen Pavilion, expressing their willingness to provide a batch of miscellaneous grains and soybean meal at cost price to supplement the soup kitchen.

A wealthy man surnamed Zhao said, "Your Highness, with your noble birth, has gone to such lengths for the disaster victims. How can we, as citizens of the Great Ming, remain unmoved? We offer our humble efforts to express our gratitude."

Upon learning of this, Zhu Zhanjun instructed Yu Qian to handle the matter properly and ordered a thank-you note to be published in the corner of the People's Livelihood section of the next issue of the "Da Ming Xin Bao" newspaper, which attracted even more merchants to make charitable donations.

Inside the Qianyuan Palace, Zhu Di was reading the newly delivered "Da Ming Xin Bao" newspaper, a smile deepening on his lips.

He said to Yang Rong, who was standing to the side, "This kid doesn't make a fuss about being scolded. Once the newspapers are out, the truth will be clear."

"Now that the people are convinced, this maneuver to reverse public opinion is quite skillful."

Yang Rong bowed: "Your Highness Prince Jiyang has skillfully guided the situation and refuted the rumors with facts, demonstrating your magnanimity. After this incident, Your Highness's reputation among the people will likely rise even higher."

Zhu Di gently put down the newspaper, looked at the clear sky outside the palace, and said leisurely.

"He also thought of using newspaper publicity, which attracted many businessmen who wanted to gain fame, and raised a lot of donations."

"This child is a true genius."

"Going back a few generations, which monarch didn't scratch his head and rack his brains because he had no successor?"

"I am now somewhat worried."

"Gao Chi has gained some weight, but he's still quite capable at governing the country."

"Gao Xu is like me, capable of winning battles. Apart from me, no one in the army can control him."

"Gao Sui was cunning, but unfortunately short-sighted."

"Zhanji is calm and refined."

"Zhan Jun is naturally intelligent, far-sighted, and possesses both strategic talent and benevolent and courageous virtues."

"There are too many excellent successors."

Yang Rong remained silent.

He couldn't accept that kind of response.