Rebel Army Group.
[Administrator: All three group members have entered their answers. Your choices and the correct answer will now be revealed.]
Seeing that the correct answer was about to be revealed, Zhang Jiao and Zhu Yuanzhang fixed their eyes on the chat window before them. Only Liu Bang was a little more relaxed.
Zhu Yuanzhang, in particular, had no desire to receive another negative status like "Giving Up."
It held things up far too much.
[Liu Bang: D.] [Zhang Jiao: D.] [Zhu Yuanzhang: D.] [Correct answer: D!]
Changle Palace, front hall.
At the sight, Liu Bang could not help clapping his hands in delight and laughing. "Popular Support, just as I thought! Your old man finally got one right!"
He made no effort to hide his behavior from Xiao He, Chen Ping, or Lou Jing, leaving all three puzzled and startled.
Xiao He was curious and wanted to ask something, but he had no idea where to begin.
Meanwhile, in their different times and places, Zhang Jiao and Zhu Yuanzhang also smiled.
A correct answer meant a reward, which meant more information from later ages concerning themselves. How could they not be pleased?
Yet the next development in the group caught them somewhat off guard.
[Administrator: Congratulations to all three group members for answering correctly. Since all three answered correctly, this round will proceed to a second question.] [You may choose not to participate and receive a reward shortly. If you answer the second question, an incorrect answer will incur a penalty, while a correct answer will earn a better reward.] [Please make your choice within ten breaths.]
There was a second question?
All three were briefly taken aback, then began to think.
Compared with Zhu Yuanzhang, who lives a thousand years after me, your old man really doesn't have much of an advantage at answering questions, even with Xiao He, Chen Ping, and Lou Jing helping.
I only got the first question right because of my own insight, choosing Popular Support. If I'd followed Xiao He and Chen Ping's advice and chosen the Mandate of Heaven, I'd have been wrong again.
Since this Rebel Army Group appeared, your old man hasn't received a single reward. I might as well secure one this time and look for a chance to win something better later.
After quickly weighing his options, Liu Bang chose not to answer the second question.
Elsewhere, Zhang Jiao felt that another song video like the previous one would do little to help his present circumstances. He might as well take a gamble, so he chose to answer the second question.
Having received more rewards from the Rebel Army Group than anyone else, Zhu Yuanzhang was eager to learn what a better reward might be. He immediately chose to answer the second question as well.
Once the three had made their choices, the Rebel Army Group responded.
[Administrator: Liu Bang has withdrawn and will shortly receive his reward for answering the first question correctly. Zhang Jiao and Zhu Yuanzhang have chosen to answer the second question. Please read the question.] [Question: Which of the following is NOT a reason for a popular uprising? Please enter your answer within ten breaths.] [A: Officials drive the people to revolt!] [B: To avoid starving to death!] [C: To seek justice!] [D: Simply wanting to become emperor!] [E: The emperor is foolish and tyrannical, officials, gentry, and local strongmen oppress the people, and exploitation and oppression have become unbearable!]
Changle Palace, front hall.
Although Liu Bang was not participating, he could still see the question and options in the group. Now he was filled with regret.
Your old man knows this one!
What genuine rebel army set out with the aim of becoming emperor? It's obviously D!
He cried out inwardly, wishing he could beat his chest and stamp his feet.
If I'd known it would be this easy, I'd have answered the second question. This damned thing doesn't follow any rhyme or reason when changing the difficulty of its questions. How hateful!
Zhang Jiao and Zhu Yuanzhang, who had chosen to answer, were delighted when they read the question.
For men who had lived through a dynasty's dying days and even become rebel leaders, this question was rather simple.
But then both grew a little doubtful, especially Zhu Yuanzhang.
Logically, if the second question offers a better reward, it should be harder. Why does it look easier than the first? Could the answer be different from what I think?
With that thought, Zhu Yuanzhang carefully reread the question, but the answer still seemed obvious.
Seeing that the ten breaths were nearly up, he hurriedly entered his answer.
[Zhang Jiao: D.] [Zhu Yuanzhang: D.] [Correct answer: D.] [Administrator: Congratulations to both of you for answering correctly! Since every participant answered correctly, this round will proceed to a third and final question.] [You may choose not to answer the third question and receive the second question's reward shortly. If you choose to answer the third question, an incorrect answer will incur a penalty, while a correct answer will earn a reward better than the second question's!] [Please make your choice within ten breaths.]
Guangzong City.
Reading the text in the group chat from his study, Zhang Jiao hesitated.
He very much wanted to keep gambling and obtain the final reward. Yet he feared that if he answered the next question incorrectly, he would come away without a single reward and receive another negative status instead.
Time to stop-perhaps the second question's reward will be enough to help me.
With that thought, Zhang Jiao chose not to answer the third question.
Elsewhere, Zhu Yuanzhang was also hesitating.
The third question... will it be as easy as the second, or will it become much harder?
Should I take another gamble?
Zhu Yuanzhang was eager to keep participating.
For one thing, answering these questions had a rather irresistible pull.
For another, the two short videos about Zhu Di last time should have counted as second-tier rewards, and they had already revealed a great deal of important information. He therefore wanted to see whether answering the third question correctly could bring him even greater benefits.
As the ten breaths neared their end, Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth and chose to answer the third question.
[Administrator: Zhang Jiao has withdrawn. Zhu Yuanzhang will answer the third question. Please read the question.] [Question: As a rebel leader, you have finally established a new dynasty after great difficulty, only to discover that remnants of old enemies have colluded with pirates along the southeastern coast to raid coastal areas. Which of the following approaches is correct? Please enter your answer within ten breaths.] [A: Establish Guard Posts and Beacon Stations along the coast. Whenever enemies approach from the sea, strike at them from the coastal Guard Posts.] [B: Enforce the Maritime Prohibition, forbidding even a single civilian sail from putting to sea. Cut off the pirates' contact with the mainland and wait for them to wither away.] [C: Ban private maritime trade and give the court a monopoly over it, using its profits to support the imperial household and high officials while preventing private merchants from growing too powerful.] [D: Defend the coast against pirates and establish an Ocean Navy. Once the navy is ready, send it across the seas to annihilate the pirates and protect maritime trade.]
Liu Bang and Zhang Jiao were both somewhat surprised by this question, especially Liu Bang.
In his era, he had never even heard of pirates, let alone powerful ones capable of opposing a dynasty and forcing it to enforce a "Maritime Prohibition."
Even Zhang Jiao secretly felt fortunate that he had not continued to the third question. Although he had traveled through the provinces of the realm and had been in rebellion for nearly half a year, he had only heard a few passing mentions of pirates. He had never considered how to deal with them, so naturally he did not know how to answer.
Judging solely by the wording, none of these four approaches seems wrong... I wonder which Zhu Yuanzhang will choose.
Elsewhere.
As Zhu Yuanzhang read the question, his eyes narrowed slightly, and surprise stirred in his heart.
Isn't the situation described here exactly what our Great Ming faces along the southeastern coast?
In fact, the first three options are all measures I've taken to address it.
Yet this Rebel Army Group has turned them into a question for me to answer. Could it be... hinting that my approach is wrong?
But what's wrong with my approach? Build a seagoing navy? Every large ship capable of sailing the seas costs a fortune. Am I to squander so much money and grain just to wipe out pirates?
Wouldn't it be easier to enforce the Maritime Prohibition and let them wither away at sea?
For the moment, Zhu Yuanzhang could not make sense of it.
But time continued to slip away.
Ten breaths were brief, and they were almost over. Though Zhu Yuanzhang did not understand the purpose he suspected lay behind the Rebel Army Group's question, he still decided to choose the option most likely to be correct so he could obtain the reward.
[Zhu Yuanzhang: D.] [Correct answer: D.] [Administrator: Congratulations to Zhu Yuanzhang for answering correctly. You will shortly receive a generous reward!] [Administrator: The rewards and penalties for this round of "Rebel Army Q&A" will now be settled. Please wait...]
Seeing this, Liu Bang could not resist asking a question in the group first.
[Liu Bang: Old Zhu, there are pirates in your time, and they're powerful?] [Zhu Yuanzhang: Nothing but a rabble mixed up with the remnants of Zhang Shicheng and Chen Youliang's forces. They amount to nothing. All I need to do is maintain the Maritime Prohibition, and they'll perish on their own.]
Changle Palace, front hall.
Liu Bang paused at Zhu Yuanzhang's reply, then realized that Zhu Yuanzhang had most likely dealt with the pirates raiding his coast using methods like options A and B, or even C.
Yet he had chosen D.
Old Zhu has clearly lost confidence in his strategy against the pirates, yet he still talks like that. He really does care about saving face.
So he teased him.
[Liu Bang: Then why did you choose D?] [Zhu Yuanzhang: None of your business.]
"Hahaha..."
Amused, Liu Bang burst into hearty laughter, making Xiao He and the other two men still in the hall exchange worried looks.
Xiao He even thought, Could His Majesty have developed some ailment of the brain?
Noticing their odd expressions, Liu Bang waved a hand. "I have nothing else for you. You may withdraw."
"Yes."
The three rose, bowed to Liu Bang, and withdrew.
At that very moment, the Rebel Army Group began handing out the rewards.