The stupid son of Chongba

Chapter 134 Zhu Biao is walking in front of us?! Old Zhu was shocked!

"grandfather……"

Zhu Biao's breathing was a little rapid.

During the few seconds of being scrutinized, he even began to recall what wrong things he had done.

"Our eldest grandson... is very good."

Zhu Ju paused for a long time before speaking.

"He's just overworked. Look at him, how can he look like a young man? He's almost catching up with a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties! A young man should be full of vigor, lively, cheerful, and carefree, and not be so heavy-hearted."

Zhu Biao was slightly startled.

Lively?

Cheerful?
These two words have not appeared in his mind for a long time.

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there have been endless government affairs to deal with every day. He is willing to share the worries with his father, and his father is also willing to add burdens to him. As the burdens increase, he becomes calm and restrained.

Lively, cheerful and carefree?

That's a time that can never be returned...

"You have to take care of your father's emotions, and you have to protect your brothers and sisters, and even the officials, and help your father with his gains and losses... You are too tired."

Zhu Ju sighed softly,
"I see that you have such dark circles under your eyes. Have you not had a good rest recently?"

"You know, your health is your only asset! You are still young, don't ruin your body, you have to take care of your health! The Ming Dynasty will be handed over to you in the future!"

Zhu Biao felt a lump in his throat.

"Thank you, Grandpa. I understand..."

From these words, he clearly heard the care and love from his grandfather Zhu Wusiba.

Even his mother rarely gave him this kind of care, especially after he grew up... Everyone thought he was a mature man and treated him as an adult.

But in fact, he is less than 20 years old.

"Zhongba! Please take good care of your big son!"

Zhu Ju suddenly turned to Zhu Yuanzhang and ordered,
"He's still so young, why do you leave everything to him? Do you want to tire him to death?"

"Not everyone has a body as good as yours! Don't use your son to death just because he is useful to you! Let me warn you, if you continue like this, your eldest grandson's body won't be able to handle it, and he might die before you!"

"If this day ever comes, I will definitely climb out of my coffin and beat you up!"

Zhu Yuanzhang: “?!”

"This……"

"Dad, it's not that bad, is it?"

This warning really shocked Zhu Yuanzhang.

Biao'er walked in front of him? This was a question that Lao Zhu had never thought about...

"Haha, do you think we are exaggerating?"

Zhu Ju sneered,
"Look at you. You are still full of energy despite the hard work these past few days. But what about him? He looks weak and his steps are unsteady. He is able to stand here only because of his strong willpower. He doesn't want you to see it!"

"Think about it, how many years apart are you and your son?"

Swish!
Everyone's eyes turned to Zhu Biao, and Zhu Yuanzhang looked over fiercely!
really!

At this moment, Zhu Biao's face looked a little pale!

Even though he tried his best to control his condition and forced a smile, he could not hide his weakness!

"Biao'er! You..."

Ma Xiuying quickly picked up a few fruits from the grave and handed them to Zhu Biao, saying repeatedly,
"Why are you so strong, kid?"

"If your grandfather hadn't pointed it out, we wouldn't have known you were so weak! Come on, eat something to replenish your strength."

Zhu Biao wanted to refuse, but seeing his mother's anxious expression, he had no choice but to take the fruit and chewed it in several big mouthfuls.

"This kid! Really!"

Zhu Yuanzhang also sighed and couldn't help but said,

"Biao'er, Biao'er, you and Lao Liu are exactly two extremes."

"He is too noisy, and you are too sensible!"

"It would be better if you two could just neutralize each other, hey!"

"Eat more! Have a good rest when you get back later. Don't worry about other things. We will arrange for someone else to do it!"

Think about it too.

This time, Zhu Biao was in charge of the entire journey from Yingtian to Fengyang, which made him worry-free and comfortable. But who knew how much effort his son put in behind the scenes to ensure the safety of the journey?
There was nothing wrong with the old man's teachings. He really thought Zhu Biao was useful, so he used this eldest son to death!

"Thank you dad."

Zhu Biao smiled apologetically and said,
"My body is too useless..."

After taking a few bites of the fruit, his complexion recovered a little.

"Eat, eat, eat, all of you!"

Zhu Ju suddenly said,
"Who are you putting it here for? We know you've had a hard time coming here, and you must be hungry!"

"But you all don't dare to steal food like our little grandson. Now I'm calling you to eat, so go ahead and take it!"

Hearing this, the princes and princesses all showed surprise.

They were already starving, but they were just holding back because of the pressure!

The other female members of the family also looked a little more relaxed and smiled.

This starving journey was finally over...they were so afraid of being swayed by the howling mountain wind that they might fall down if they were not careful!
Swish!

The brave Zhu Gang stepped forward first, picked up a few pieces of cakes and stuffed them directly into his mouth!
Seeing him move out, the others also started to move. Even Zhu Yuanzhang looked relieved and said with a faint smile:
"Don't grab it!"

"By the way, I have to thank Grandpa!"

Zhu Gang nodded repeatedly and said vaguely:

"Thank you, grandpa."

Zhu Chong, Zhu Di, Zhu Su and others also ate fruits and snacks while expressing their gratitude sincerely:

"Thank you grandpa!"

“Grandpa is so nice!”

"..."

Each of them took their tributes and bowed to Zhu Ju with sincere looks on their faces.

After all, they really felt cared for by their grandfather! If it were their father, would he care whether they were hungry or not?
Zhu Ju sat beside the grave mound with a smile on his face. He looked at his grandchildren with a kind eye and was extremely happy.

OK, OK, today is a great day for you!

"Zhongba, here you go."

Ma Xiuying picked up two pieces of mung bean cakes and stuffed them into Zhu Yuanzhang's hands, saying,
"You must be hungry too."

"Let's talk while we eat!"

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang naturally stopped being serious. He threw the pastry into his mouth and chewed it with relish. After finishing it, he reached out for more!
"You guys eat, let's talk about the kids at the back."

Zhu Ju held his forehead with his hand and pointed at Zhu Chong and said,
“Is this the second one?”

When Zhu Chong's name was called, he swallowed hard and almost choked himself to death.

"Cough cough!"

"Yes, grandpa, I am the second son, Zhu Chong..."

He coughed several times, straightened his back, and introduced himself hurriedly.

Zhu Ju nodded slightly.

"You kid, you're not a bad person by nature, but you can be easily led astray!"

He commented,

"So, don't deal with people of questionable character. If you want to deal with someone, look for someone with high moral character. That way, your character will also be good!"

"Of course, I'm not asking you to hang out with old-fashioned people. You know what Grandpa means, right?"

Zhu Chong nodded repeatedly.

"Yes Yes!"

"Grandpa's words, I will remember them in my heart!"

Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying also nodded in agreement.

"I didn't see this when my father was alive. He has a sharp eye and is always right when he says so."

Old Zhu murmured in a low voice.

咵。

Ma Xiuying nudged him with her elbow and spat:
"A dragon gives birth to a dragon, a phoenix gives birth to a phoenix, and a mouse gives birth to a son who can dig holes! If you think you are excellent, then you have to admit that your parents are also excellent people!"

"Dad must have had talent back then, but he just had no place to use his talents!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in agreement.

Yes!

When he was a child, his father seemed to be an omnipotent man who always arranged everything for the family, but what did it matter?
When disaster strikes and the harvest fails, won't everyone starve to death? Even if you have the ability... what's the use?
At this moment, he remembered what Zhu Ju said before - perhaps, opportunity is really far more important than ability!

"As for the third brother..."

Zhu Ju looked at Zhu Gang.

Zhu Gang's expression changed, and he stepped out and bowed.

"grandfather."

The word "Grandpa" came very naturally to him, because he no longer regarded the person in front of him as Zhu Ju, but completely regarded him as his own grandfather Zhu Wusi.

"You are a cunning person. You are smart, but most of the time you are just being clever!"

Zhu Ju commented,
"You must know that intelligence should be used in the right way! Do you understand?"

"In the future, you will all be sent to serve as vassal states. When that time comes, no one will restrain you at the border. You will have to restrain yourself! As your grandfather, I don't want you to do anything to oppress the common people! That would be very detrimental to the fortune of our Zhu family!"

"You must know that your words and deeds will have an impact on our dead ancestors! If you don't follow the right path, we will come after you when the time comes!"

Zhu Gang: “!!!”

The last sentence almost made him turn pale with fright!

"Yes Yes!"

"Grandpa, I understand. I will definitely follow the right path! I will never...never dare to take the crooked path!"

Zhu Ju nodded and waved his hand.

Zhu Gang then breathed a sigh of relief and quickly retreated, still looking frightened.

It can be seen that the four words "I'll go find you" had a great deterrent effect on Zhu Gang's young mind!

"Hey, what our father said is very good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands and laughed,
"We have wanted to discipline these guys for a long time. Now it's easy!"

Ma Xiuying couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard that.

At this moment, Zhu Ju's eyes fell on Zhu Di.

Zhu Di also raised his head and walked over very consciously.

"Grandpa...is it my turn?"

"Well, it's your turn."

Zhu Ju nodded slightly and looked at Zhu Di for several times without saying a word.

Originally Zhu Di had a strong mentality, but being stared at like this, he began to feel uneasy, and his heart was beating non-stop...

"...Hey! It's hard to comment on you, kid!"

After a long while, Zhu Ju sighed and said,
"In terms of talent, you are not inferior to our eldest grandson! You seem to have some imperial aura!"

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyebrows raised immediately.

Zhu Di: "!!!"

"Grandpa, you...don't talk nonsense!"

His face turned pale and he said in a trembling voice,
"I... where does the imperial aura come from? I..."

The term "imperial aura" sounds like a good word, but it is fine when applied to Zhu Biao. However, if it is applied to Zhu Di, then big trouble will arise!
He wants to be the emperor, so what about the Ming Dynasty?
Split huh?!

It can be said that Zhu Ju's words at this moment completely put Zhu Di in trouble!

"Well, maybe I saw it wrongly. My eyes are blurry."

Zhu Ju grinned and waved his hand.
"You don't have to be nervous. All I mean is that you have extraordinary abilities that are incomparable to ordinary people."

"I suggest that you focus more on military strategy, expand the territory for our Ming Dynasty, and become a great general king!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di nodded repeatedly.

"Yes Yes!"

He said hurriedly,
"I will follow Grandpa's teachings and focus on military strategy! If my father or my elder brother needs me in the future, I will be the first to step up, without hesitation!"

Zhu Ju nodded with relief.

"Okay, okay, Chongba, look at the sons you gave birth to, each one is pretty good, I'm very happy!"

He said,

"Each of them can stand on their own!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately smiled.

"That's natural!"

"Don't you even look at who gave birth to this child? Of course... it's because it's your child!"

While he was bragging about himself, he also did not forget to flatter his father.

"Well, that's a good point."

Zhu Ju also laughed and pointed at Zhu Su and said,
"This child is honest, but don't think that being honest means having no future. In fact, honest and kind people can often accumulate blessings and virtues!"

"Don't underestimate him. If we talk about leaving a lasting legacy, maybe he will be ahead of you."

He remembered that the book "Compendium of Materia Medica for Famine Relief" was compiled under the leadership of Zhu Su, and the later famous "Compendium of Materia Medica" was compiled based on the "Compendium of Materia Medica for Famine Relief".

Looking at all those insignificant princes in the early Ming Dynasty, Prince Zhou Zhu Su can definitely be called a white lotus!
"Thank you, thank you Grandpa!"

Zhu Su was a little excited and even stuttered when he spoke. He quickly bowed to Zhu Ju.

He really didn't expect that his grandfather would have such a high opinion of him!

"Do it well and do what you want to do!"

Zhu Ju encouraged,
"The good deeds of our Zhu family are all due to you!"

Zhu Su nodded vigorously, looking excited.

"Let's not talk about the younger ones... If we have to comment on them, they will be similar to the comments on the second and third children."

Zhu Ju waved his hand and then said seriously,

"Let's focus on our little grandson Zhu Ju! This child is incredible, he is simply the reincarnation of a god!"

Everyone: "???"

Zhu Yuanzhang: "???"

"The reincarnation of a god?"

Ma Xiuying opened her mouth wide and said in surprise,
"Really? Little Orange... has such a history?"

Zhu Ju shook his head and said firmly:

"Yes! This child has an extraordinary origin!"

"Does his behavior often seem unusual to ordinary people?"

"Does he often do things that are beyond your expectations, or even things that make you angry?"

Ma Xiuying nodded.

Zhu Yuanzhang also nodded in agreement.

More than often?
It happens every day! This guy has different ways to make me angry every day!

"Haha, that's because his realm is not on the same level as yours!"

Zhu Ju said calmly,

"Sometimes you cannot understand his words and actions, so don't rush to deny it, but be tolerant of him and give him enough space to play!"

"Who knows, he might be able to bring you a surprise!"

"Especially you, Zhu Chongba!"

He suddenly raised his tone and stared at Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Don't yell at our little grandson all day long! He is the treasure of our Zhu family!"

Zhu Ju scolded,
"If you keep beating and scolding me, your mother and I will never forgive you!"

"You must know that his talent surpasses all his brothers. He is the true chosen one! Treat him well, and you will have good luck, and the Ming Dynasty will have good weather and peace!"

"Do you understand?"

Take this opportunity to borrow your grandfather's name and give yourself a protective buff!

Maybe it will come in handy when you get into trouble in the future!
Zhu Yuanzhang: "???"

Is it that exaggerated?

Zhu Ju, this kid, could actually be linked to his fortune, and even to the Ming Dynasty? !
This is too outrageous!
"We understand, Dad. We understand."

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang in a daze, Ma Xiuying quickly said,
"Don't worry, we will treat Little Orange well! I have always loved him very much!"

Zhu Ju nodded with satisfaction.

"I am very satisfied with your wife. It is a blessing for Chongba to marry you."

He smiled and praised.
"It's a pity that I didn't get to see you when I was alive, otherwise, I would have laughed so hard that I couldn't stop!"

"But you have to take care of your health. I see that you are in poor health. You should exercise more and don't rely too much on medication. OK?"

Hearing her father-in-law's approval, Ma Xiuying smiled brightly and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, my daughter-in-law knows."

"I'll go exercise with Xiaojuzi later."

Zhu Ju hummed, and suddenly, he yawned for a very long time.

"what--"

"No, I can't stay here any longer, we have to leave..."

"Zhongba, remember what we said. Making the people live a good life is what you should do for the rest of your life! Do this well! You can continue to be the emperor in your next life! Let's go... uh! Uh uh uh!"

Suddenly, Zhu Ju rolled his eyes and began to burp continuously, with several mouthfuls of white foam coming out of his mouth!
Everyone watched this scene but didn't even dare to breathe. Only Liu Bowen narrowed his eyes with a look of doubt in his eyes.

"Uh……"

"What happened?"

Zhu Ju opened his eyes with difficulty, looked around blankly, and muttered.

"Little Orange? It's you... You're back?!" Ma Xiuying rushed forward and wanted to hug Zhu Ju, but she didn't dare to do it for a moment, so she asked instead.

She was also afraid that if she went up to hug him, she would hug not her son but her father-in-law...

"Mom, what am I back for?"

Zhu Ju looked stunned, then suddenly revealed a painful expression, and said,
"Where have I been? I...hiss, ouch my head hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

"very painful!"

He held his head and shouted a few times, then his whole body went limp and he fell into Ma Xiuying's arms!
"Little orange, little orange!"

Seeing this, Ma Xiuying said with a worried look on her face,
"This... being possessed, does it hurt that much?"

"Dad, if you want to show your spirit in the future, then, how about changing someone else..."

She felt a little sorry for Zhu Ju being tormented like this.

"My little brother has fainted. Let me carry him down."

Zhu Biao said,

"Grandpa won't harm him. I guess he just consumed too much energy."

"Go back to the county town, have a good rest, and find a doctor to check him out. He should be fine. Don't worry too much, mother."

As he said that, he stepped forward and wanted to carry Zhu Ju on his back.

However, just as he was about to move, a pair of strong hands grabbed his shoulders.

"Biao'er, you are also very tired, take a rest."

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice,

"We have the strength. Let's carry him down the mountain."

Zhu Biao was stunned.

Everyone was shocked.

Your Majesty is actually going to carry someone on his back? !

"This... Father, how can this be done?"

Zhu Biao said quickly,
“You are worth a ton of money, how can I let you carry my little brother on your back?”

"We can handle this kind of thing! I'll just let my brothers carry it!"

"Second brother, third brother, fourth brother, you guys..."

He was about to call for help, but saw Zhu Yuanzhang waving his hand.

"It's okay. It's natural for a father to carry his son on his back. What's wrong with that?"

Old Zhu raised his head and said,
"Besides, didn't your grandfather say that you should treat this brat well? Good luck will come to you if you treat him well!"

"Let's see if we can really have good luck, hehe!"

As he spoke, he leaned down and carried Zhu Ju on his shoulders.

"Hey! This kid is pretty heavy!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's steps were unsteady, and he took two steps forward before he could finally steady himself.

"Take it easy, don't fall!"

Ma Xiuying said with a worried look on her face,
"Don't do bad things with good intentions, the road downhill is hard to walk!"

What would happen if this father and son accidentally rolled down together?

"Hey, what's this little distance? We can walk on it as if it were flat ground!"

Zhu Yuanzhang also became arrogant and said,

"Not to mention he's the only child, even if we take you with us, we can still carry you!"

"Hurry, pack up, we have to go back!"

Hearing this, Ma Xiuying was somewhat helpless, and finally could only nod and instruct the people around her to clean up the offerings and incense sticks.

In a short while, the small field slope was cleaned up.

Even the weeds and thorns had been pulled away, and now it looked like a nice grave.

Zhu Yuanzhang carried Zhu Ju on his back and stared at the small grave mound in front of him in silence for a long time.

He didn't say anything and didn't leave, so everyone just stood there carrying their bags.

After a long while, Zhu Yuanzhang finally spoke:

"Father, mother, the unfilial son Zhu Chongba came in a hurry and left in a hurry."

"We will remember what Dad told us. We will arrange for someone to repair your grave as soon as we get back. If you don't want to be alone, we won't touch any other graves."

"You guys down there, you have to be good too. If you have anything to say, you can do it in a dream. If not, we can come again next time like we did today. It's nothing more than to give this brat a few beatings. He has thick skin and can handle it!"

Hearing this, everyone looked a little strange.

Could it be that every time I visit the grave, I will have to see the emperor possessed and telling stories?

That could even be turned into a supernatural novel!

"I promise you that I will come here every year to talk with you!"

Zhu Yuanzhang carried Zhu Ju on his back, knelt heavily on the ground, kowtowed and said,

"My son is gone!"

Bang bang bang!
Ma Xiuying, Zhu Biao and others also knelt down and kowtowed three times towards the grave mound.

After kowtowed three times, Zhu Yuanzhang held Zhu Ju's buttocks, straightened up, and walked down the mountain.

Zhu Ju, who was leaning on his back, enjoyed the sense of security of having his father as his 'backer', and he closed his eyes and actually fell asleep!
……

Fengyang County, inside the post station.

"Lin Xiu, you did a great job this time. You didn't let me down."

Hu Weiyong patted the man's shoulder and praised him.

"Everything was well managed, and the people assigned to the team also managed to stabilize the situation, so His Majesty didn't find any flaws."

The man was the current Fengyang County Magistrate. He knelt on his knees and bowed before Hu Weiyong, saying earnestly:

"All this is thanks to my teacher's teaching!"

"If it weren't for the guidance of my master, how could I be so thorough?"

Li Shanchang, who was sitting at the table, smiled slightly and took a sip of tea.

"Weiyong, now you also have a disciple."

He said with a smile.

Hu Weiyong also laughed when he heard this, pointing at Lin Xiu and saying:
"He is a disciple of my disciple, so in terms of seniority, doesn't that mean he is your disciple's grandson?"

"Lin Xiu, why don't you meet your master?"

When Lin Xiu heard this, he was overjoyed. He didn't even stand up, but knelt down in front of Li Shanchang and kowtowed:
"Lin Xiu, meet the master!"

By chance, he, a small seventh-rank county magistrate, actually had a relationship with Li Shanchang, the prime minister of the time!
How could he not be happy to have such a great backer?

"Get up, get up, the master is here..."

Li Shanchang stroked his beard and smiled,
"I am old and useless now. The world will belong to your mentor in the future."

"If you really want to make a difference in your career, you must follow your mentor's steps and do whatever he tells you to do! In this way, you will be able to rise to the top. Do you understand?"

Lin Xiu nodded repeatedly.

"Follow the master's teachings, and the students will follow the master's lead!"

Hu Weiyong nodded and said:

"Your Majesty has gone to pay respect to his ancestors. I don't think he will stay in Fengyang for too long. After all, the court is busy with affairs."

"I estimate that he will stay for two or three days at most before setting off. So you have to be alert in these two or three days and make every detail perfect! There can't be any mistakes!"

"You have to let His Majesty see how prosperous Fengyang is after you took over! This way, he will have a good impression of you, and it will be easier for me to promote you in the court later."

"I know you're under a lot of pressure, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you seize it, I will make you a meteoric success!"

"Do you understand?"

When Lin Xiu heard this, his expression immediately straightened.

"Teacher, rest assured, students understand!"

"In the next few days, I will definitely show your majesty the beautiful scenery of Fengyang! I have a route map here. If you can give it to your majesty and let him follow this route, it will be absolutely safe!"

As he spoke, he handed over the paper in his hand.

Hu Weiyong took a quick look and shook his head.

"Your Majesty's will is not something we can guess at will. As your subjects, we only have the power to recommend. The specifics still depend on what he does."

"But I'll find time to recommend it to him."

"Get up, kneeling on the ground is tiring."

After hearing this, Lin Xiu dared to stand up, but even when he stood up, he still hunched over like a servant.

"Brother Hu, do you think His Majesty's visit to Fengyang this time is really just to pay homage to the ancestors?"

Liao Yongzhong, who was sitting in the house, couldn't help but ask,
"Why do I feel like...he has other ideas?"

The other generals all nodded, looking a little worried.

"Haha, even you can think of it, why can't I think of it?"

Hu Weiyong held the teacup and said casually,

"Your Majesty, you have gone to so much trouble. Of course, this trip is not just for ancestor worship. Otherwise, why would you bring all of us along? He must have heard some rumors."

"But don't worry too much. Judging from today's situation, His Majesty is quite satisfied with Fengyang's situation. As long as we maintain today's level and make it flawless, and let him see it with his own eyes, his doubts will naturally be dispelled. Because our Majesty believes that seeing is believing, and he will only believe what he sees with his own eyes!"

"By that time, we can all land smoothly."

After hearing this analysis, everyone's expressions eased a little.

"It's a good thing this way. After your Majesty has made this on-site inspection, you won't believe any rumors anymore."

Hu Weiyong laughed and said,
"In the future, if we can do things more perfectly, we can truly rest assured!"

"Of course, there are always risks. You never know when the truth will be revealed. That's why I always emphasize to you that wealth and honor come with risk! How can you live a truly prosperous and wealthy life relying on the grain from the court? If you want to be rich, you have to take certain risks!"

"If anyone is timid and wants to quit now, it's not too late. When our business becomes bigger, we will be in the same boat and share life and death! By then, we will truly prosper together and suffer together!"

"You can think about it carefully now..."

Gudong.

He took a sip of tea.

However, all the Huaixi generals had firm expressions.

boom!
"Brother Hu, what are you talking about? We have been through swords and guns, blood and fire. If our heads fall off, it will only leave a scar the size of a bowl! When have we ever been cowardly?"

"That's right! We must do it! And we must do it on a grand scale! As Huaixi people unite, and with think tanks like Brother Hu and Prime Minister Li to protect us, what is there to be afraid of? We just have to sit back and wait to get paid!"

"That's right! To put it bluntly, with the little grain and salary from the government, how could we support such a big business? We would have been out of business long ago! Let's make this clear, let's work together and make money together! If anyone falls behind and becomes a coward, we will be the first to turn against him!"

"..."

The generals shouted and rubbed their hands, looking like they were ready for a big fight.

"Okay! Since you brothers say so! Then I feel relieved!"

Hu Weiyong bowed to everyone and said loudly,

"Thanks to everyone for their kindness and for treating me and my master as the backbone. I, Hu Weiyong, will spare no effort to support this business and let more people join in!"

"The more people there are, the safer we are! Take for example the case of Lu Zhongheng this time. He was originally going to be executed, but when we submitted our memorial, didn't His Majesty hesitate? He still hasn't executed Lu Zhongheng yet! This is why there is strength in numbers! Even the emperor has to think twice!"

Everyone was excited when they heard this!
In their eyes, Zhu Yuanzhang's authority was greater than heaven. Who would dare to go against him?

But now, there is really a person who has stood up and is willing to be the leader and lead them to play against the emperor!
The current situation seems to be quite encouraging!
I have to say, this is quite exciting, even more exciting than killing enemies on the battlefield!

"Brother Hu, speaking of Lao Lu, what should we do next?"

Zhu Liangzu asked,
"Submitting a petition for mercy will only make His Majesty hesitate. It will still be difficult to rescue him!"

"If you can lead us all to rescue him, there is no doubt that you will be the leader of the Huaixi people from now on! We brothers will all listen to you from now on!"

When everyone heard this, they all nodded in agreement!
If it succeeds, it will mean that the pie that Hu Weiyong painted is indeed not false, and mutual protection among nobles is feasible!
"After we return this time, His Majesty will probably have to reward the meritorious officials,"

Hu Weiyong thought about it for a moment and said,

"At this time, you can list all of Lu Zhongheng's military achievements, exaggerate them, and present them to His Majesty, so that His Majesty can see that he has made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty! Some of those who are close to him can even threaten to give up their titles and ask His Majesty to spare his life!"

"Besides, we can also..."

As he was speaking, there was a knock on the door.

Hu Weiyong frowned.

"Who is it? Don't disturb us if it's nothing important!"

He scolded.

We are talking about something important! Lu Zhongheng is a chess piece that determines whether he can be elected as the leader of Huaixi!

"My Lords, His Majesty has returned from worshipping his ancestors and he wants to invite you all to a dinner."

The servant outside said respectfully.

Hearing this, Hu Weiyong nodded with a serious face.

"Okay, got it."

"We'll be there soon."

He looked at the generals and Lin Xiu, waved his hand and said:
"You all should go and take your seats first."

"Lin Xiu, although the dinner is prepared by the imperial kitchen, His Majesty might want to eat some hometown dishes. You have to ask someone to prepare them. Don't use delicacies from land and sea. Just simple local products will do. This way it will seem authentic."

Lin Xiu understood what he meant.

"Teacher, this is indeed a thoughtful thing. I will keep it in mind."

He bowed and went out first.

Everyone also bowed to Hu Weiyong and followed Lin Xiu's steps.

"Weiyong, congratulations to you."

Li Shanchang stroked his beard and said,

"You are becoming more and more brilliant now, and you are wise and decisive in doing things. Your ability is even better than mine..."

When Hu Weiyong heard this, he didn't even dare to say anything.

"If it weren't for the guidance of my mentor, how could I be so wise?"

He said repeatedly,

"I am just a pawn of my teacher, fighting in the front for you. If I get hurt in the future, I will get hurt. It won't hurt you at all."

Li Shanchang smiled slightly.

He is an old fox. How could he not see Hu Weiyong's ambition?
These words are nothing but sweet talk to appease yourself.

However, Li Shanchang was also happy to be coaxed.

After all, he is old and has made enough achievements. What he wants is stable income rather than risky profit.

"By the way, Master, regarding this business in Huaixi, I would like your brother Cunyi to join in and take a share of the profits. What do you think?"

Hu Weiyong said with a smile,

"His share is as large as mine."

Li Shanchang waved his hand.

"This matter has nothing to do with me. You can discuss it among yourselves."

"Let's go to the banquet..."

He walked in front, and Hu Weiyong knew that the matter was settled, so he followed diligently with a bright smile.

……

Fengyang Palace.

It is called a temporary palace, but in fact it is just a larger post station. Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to build a "Zhongdu" in Fengyang, but was dissuaded by many ministers, so the construction has not started yet, and even the temporary palace has not been completed.

There was no way. The country had just been founded, things were busy and the economy was stretched.

However, Old Zhu still had an obsession in his heart. As long as he had enough money, he would build Fengyang, the birthplace of the dragon, into a magnificent one!
Snapped!
boom!
Inside the palace, all the tables, chairs and benches were occupied, and all the royal family members were so tired that they lay down and sighed.

My feet are covered with blisters from walking all the way!
Some of the tender ones were even bruised and bleeding, and were now groaning and shouting.

"A bunch of useless people! I told you to exercise more every day, but you didn't listen. Now you know you're tired, right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and scolded,

"You were still clamoring to come out. Now that you're out, do you feel better? Are you satisfied?"

"Hehe! Look at me, I'm carrying someone on my back! I can walk down the mountain as if it were flat ground! If you could be half as good as me, you wouldn't be like this!"

After hearing the ridicule, all the princes and princesses dared not say a word.

"Okay, Chongba, stop being sarcastic here. You're the only one who can stand this. I'm almost exhausted."

Ma Xiuying sat on a chair, holding Zhu Ju, who was sleeping soundly, in her arms, and spat,

"Also, your palace is too simple. There are only a few sets of tables, chairs and benches. At best, it can only be regarded as an inn for resting."

"I guess I won't be able to sleep well tonight... Going out with you will shorten my life by two years. It's too much trouble..."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang could only smile awkwardly.

"We are already planning to build the Fengyang Palace, and this palace will be renovated soon."

He said,

"When you come next time, I promise this place will be as magnificent as the palaces in the Forbidden City!"

Ma Xiuying curled her lips when she heard this.

"That's not necessary. The Ming Dynasty was founded not long ago, and money and people are needed everywhere. You have to use the best steel where it matters most."

"Fengyang only comes a few days a year anyway, so we can just make do with it. There's no need to waste manpower and resources."

In her opinion, building a palace in Fengyang was just like Emperor Yang of Sui building temporary palaces in various places. It was pure extravagance and waste!

However, Zhu Yuanzhang was unhappy when he heard this.

"How can that be? You are just a woman's opinion. This is our hometown! As an emperor, if my hometown is in tatters, I will be laughed at!"

"No matter how tight the national finances are, we cannot let Fengyang suffer!"

The two were about to quarrel when suddenly, Zhu Ju in Ma Xiuying's arms cried out and opened his eyes.

"Hiss—yo!"

He stretched and squinted his eyes comfortably.

I had such a good sleep!

"Sixth brother, are you awake?"

When Zhu Yuanzhang saw that he had woken up, he stopped arguing with Ma Xiuying and went up to Zhu Ju to greet him.

"Oh, Chongba..."

Zhu Ju rubbed his sleepy eyes and responded casually.

The next second, he was suddenly startled!
Oh no! I was so immersed in the role that I didn’t know how to address him!
(End of this chapter)