Ming Dynasty: The Jingnan Rebellion has just been successful, and Zhu Yuanzhang has been resurrected

Upon hearing this, Chen Tianping was overjoyed and said, "Please rest assured, my lords, if I am able to return to Annam, I will never forget your great kindness."

After saying this, in order to emphasize the truthfulness of his words, he immediately knelt down in front of Xia Yuanji, Xie Jin and the others.

Xia Yuanji and Xie Jin were a little embarrassed by Chen Tianping's actions. Look at him, what a genuine person he is.

However, although they felt very embarrassed, they had no intention of giving up on tricking Chen Tianping. After all, they were subjects of the Ming Dynasty and cabinet ministers. Their status and position did not allow them to develop goodwill towards the foreign prince.

As our ancestors said, those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts.

Of course, although they tricked Chen Tianping, they did help him in some ways. After all, if Chen Tianping could get the help of the Ming Dynasty, he would no longer be a homeless dog hiding everywhere, but would become the King of Annam who held power.

So, although they are plotting against Chen Tianping, isn't it a kind of luck that Chen Tianping is currently in a situation where they can outmaneuver him? Perhaps Chen Tianping already knows their purpose and is deliberately being deceived by them?
"This King of Annam is really a strangely kind person."

"This King of Annam, who kneels at the drop of a hat, is indeed in a very precarious situation!"

"I wonder what His Majesty's plans are. If he really intends to intervene in Annam, Chen Tianping's current performance is indeed a good opportunity. However, intervening in Annam now will inevitably lead to a major war!"

"."

Xie Jin, Hu Ying, and others observed Chen Tianping's behavior and various malicious thoughts arose in their minds. It's hard to say what else, but it's true that Chen Tianping is very easy to manipulate. However, this also reflects that the current Annam issue is very thorny.

For a king to be reduced to kneeling at the drop of a hat is no ordinary problem.

“Your Majesty, there’s no need for such formality. You’re too kind. We’re only helping you because we’ve received benefits in return.” Xia Yuanji stepped forward and helped Chen Tianping up.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, our Great Ming has always been a land of propriety and cannot tolerate the chaos caused by traitors. When His Majesty returns, I will speak on your behalf before him and try to persuade him to help you restore your kingdom."

“That’s right, Your Majesty need not worry too much. Although His Majesty has not yet returned, your attitude is very good. I believe His Majesty will definitely uphold justice for you.”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. Don’t overthink it. Just enjoy yourselves at the reception hall these next few days. Once His Majesty returns, we will do our best to persuade him. That will be the end for Hu Jili.”

"."

Xie Jin, Hu Ying, and others chimed in, showering Chen Tianping with compliments, all of which were exactly what Chen Tianping wanted to hear. However, it was hard to say how much of what they said was genuine.

Moreover, their words left room for interpretation, implying that it depended on Zhu Yunwen's wishes. They only said they would help Chen Tianping persuade Zhu Yunwen, without making any guarantees.

Chen Tianping, a spoiled young master, had never experienced anything like this before. Hearing Xie Jin, Hu Ying, and the others' words, he was deeply moved. He cupped his hands and said, "My lords, I have nothing more to say. Although there are interests between us, I will remember your help. If you need anything in the future, please come to me anytime."

"Okay!" Xia Yuanji nodded. To avoid arousing Chen Tianping's suspicion, he readily agreed. There is no such thing as a favor without a reason, especially for Chen Tianping, who had just experienced a life-or-death escape. Compared to a favor without a reason, he preferred an exchange of benefits.

It was this kind of thinking that made him suspicious of the behavior of Xie Jin, Hu Ying and others. After suffering a loss once, Xia Yuanji became much more tactful the second time. He readily agreed to the words of Xie Jin, Hu Ying and others.

With benefits to be had in store, Chen Tianping might still have doubts about Xie Jin, Hu Ying, and others' motives, but the situation would be much, much better.

at the same time!

Annam, in the royal palace.

After successfully usurping the throne, Hu Quy Ly moved his family to live in the palace.

For Hu Quy Ly, the success of the usurpation not only meant that he was now on the throne, but also that there was no longer any danger above his head.

Previously, although he held great power, the imperial authority above his head always made him tremble with unease, fearing that one day this imperial power would fall and cut off his head.

However, now everything is fine, and with his successful usurpation, the Chen royal family has been wiped out.

Originally, he was very happy, but soon he learned that not all of the Chen clan members had been killed by him. There were still some who had escaped, and they were the king's younger brother and the second son of the former king.

Given his status and the current situation in Annam, he would undoubtedly inherit the Annamite throne automatically. In other words, what was thought to be a flawless usurpation turned out to have a major flaw.

Although Hu Quy Ly now holds the reins of power in Annam and no one openly opposes him, Chen Tianping's existence is like a time bomb that could explode at any moment. Therefore, for safety reasons, Hu Quy Ly immediately dispatched men to hunt down Chen Tianping.

Before long, the ministers in the court learned of Chen Tianping's existence, which completely ruined things. The whole court and the public were openly and secretly trying to force Hu Jili to abdicate and bring Chen Tianping back.

This incident ruined Hu Quy Ly's initial excitement. Although he had seized power in Annam through a surprise attack, everyone was now against him. Under these circumstances, he couldn't very well kill all the court officials, could he?

If that were the case, Annam would likely descend into chaos, which was not the scene he wanted to see. Moreover, if he killed all the court officials, it would be tantamount to handing over all the power behind them to Chen Tianping, something he would not do foolishly.

"Damn it, why did we miss Chen Tianping!" Hu Jili thought to himself, somewhat frantic.

If he were just an ordinary member of the royal family, it wouldn't matter, but Chen Tianping is an undisputed direct descendant, and the most direct descendant of all, with the most orthodox status imaginable.

He had sent men to hunt down Chen Tianping a long time ago, but no news had come back, which made his heart sink.

The fact that his subordinates hadn't sent back any messages meant that Chen Tianping hadn't been killed. Otherwise, if they had, his subordinates would have immediately sent him messages to claim credit.

"We can't wait any longer; the situation in the court is getting out of control." Hu Jili's expression was uncertain. He really didn't want to give up the throne, but now he truly had no other choice.

Recently, after much deliberation, he came up with a solution that was hardly a solution: his second son, Hu Han Cang. Back when the previous king, Trần Nghục, was in power, he doted on Hu Quý Ly, even going so far as to marry his daughter, Princess Huý Ninh, to him. It was precisely because of Trần Nghục that Hu Quý Ly gradually gained power and eventually became all-powerful.

Hu Hancang was the son of Hu Jili and Princess Huining. He was not only Hu Jili's son, but also had a trace of Chen's blood in his body, and it was the direct line of blood.

Using Hu Han Cang's pure Chen bloodline as a reason to put him on the throne, this excuse was full of loopholes, but it was undeniable that it had a chance of success. What the court officials needed was a member of the Chen family to sit on the throne, not Hu Ji Li.

Although this sounds very convoluted, this was often the case in feudal dynasties. For example, Li Ke of the Tang Dynasty had the most noble status, even more so than Crown Prince Li Chengqian, because he was a descendant of the royal families of both the Sui and Tang dynasties.

To put it simply, if Li Shimin had suddenly died during his reign, Li Ke, if he was capable enough, would indeed have had the potential to ascend the throne.

Of course, the process would be extremely difficult, after all, those who fought alongside the Tang Dynasty were rebelling against the Sui Dynasty. But what if Li Ke claimed to be a member of the Li family? Of course, all of this was on the premise that Li Shimin would protect him; otherwise, Li Shimin would never allow Li Ke to ascend to the throne.

This shows that bloodline is a very important symbol no matter where you are. Annam was ruled by the Tran family for hundreds of years. It is no exaggeration to say that only those with the Tran bloodline could sit on the throne of Annam. Ho Han Cang happened to have the direct bloodline of the Tran family in his body. Moreover, Ho Han Cang always put the interests of the Ho family first.

"Someone come here!" After making the decision, Hu Jili didn't hesitate and immediately prepared to get things done as soon as possible.

Although he passed the throne to his son, he still held real power, which was not much different from him sitting on the throne. The only problem was that his eldest son could not inherit the throne, but there was nothing that could be done about it.

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?" A guard approached and asked respectfully.

Hu Jili waved his hand and said, "Call the Second Prince over. Remember, do not disturb anyone."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The guard nodded, turned and walked away.

"Yuan Cheng, I'm so sorry!" Hu Jili sighed inwardly and said softly.

Given the current situation, there are three ways to maintain stability in the court: one, Chen Tianping dies; two, Chen Tianping returns to the throne; three, Hu Hancang sits on the throne.

Having finally succeeded in usurping the throne, Hu Jili still had to hand it over to the Chen family. This was something Hu Jili could not do, and he would never allow himself to do so, because doing so would mean handing the knife to Chen Tianping, who might find a reason to kill him one day.

He killed hundreds of Chen family members. Under these circumstances, he didn't think Chen Tianping would let him go. He wouldn't gamble. So, although there seemed to be three options, only one option was actually feasible at the moment.

It didn't take long.

With his doubts in mind, Hu Hancang approached Hu Jili: "Father, you were looking for me?"

"Han Cang, sit down and talk!" Hu Jili waved his hand.

"Oh!" Hu Hancang nodded, looking at Hu Jili's appearance, he was even more puzzled.

During this time, he was also terrified, fearing that his father would kill him in a bloodthirsty rage. After all, he had Chen's blood in his veins, so he had been trying his best to please his father.

"Bang bang bang!" Before Hu Jili could speak, a series of urgent knocks sounded on the door, followed by a guard's voice from outside: "Your Majesty, a letter from the Ming Dynasty!"

"Huh?" Hu Jili was taken aback, then got up and went to open the door.

The guard handed the letter to Hu Jili.

"A letter from the Ming Dynasty? What's going on?" Hu Hancang's eyes were filled with surprise and doubt.

"Swish, swish, swish!" Hu Jili opened the letter in a few quick movements, glanced at its contents, and his face darkened. He cursed, "Useless! What a bunch of useless trash!"

The letter contained little information, but what it said was like a bolt from the blue for him. The men he sent to hunt down Chen Tianping not only failed, but Chen Tianping escaped to the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, Chen Tianping was now under the protection of the Ming Dynasty, making it impossible for him to be eliminated.

"What happened?" Hu Hancang felt a sense of unease.

Hu Jili took a deep breath to calm himself down. He looked at Hu Hancang in front of him and made up his mind.

The current situation leaves him no room for further hesitation. He must quickly put Hu Hancang on the throne and make the die a certainty. In that case, his usurpation will be null and void, and even if the Ming Dynasty intervenes, it will be too late.

The Ming Dynasty is far from Annam, and now that Annam is in his hands, he is afraid of internal instability in Annam, but not of the Ming Dynasty. If Annam can be stabilized after Hu Han Cang takes power, and the Ming Dynasty wants to intervene, he may have to fight the Ming Dynasty.

"Father, what's wrong?" Hu Hancang asked anxiously.

Although he didn't know what was written in the letter from the Ming Dynasty, he knew from Hu Jili's reaction that the contents were probably not good.

"It's nothing!" Hu Jili waved his hand, not telling Hu Hancang the truth.

"Oh!" Hu Hancang nodded. Since Hu Jili didn't say anything, he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Hu Jili closed the door and came to Hu Han Cang. He looked Hu Han Cang up and down, and just as Hu Han Cang was about to succumb to the pressure, Hu Jili spoke up, saying, "Han Cang, do you want to sit on the throne?"

"Huh?" Hu Hancang was stunned upon hearing this, then his face turned pale and he knelt on the ground: "Father, I have never had such a thought, please spare my life!"

He had the blood of the Chen family in his veins, so when he heard Hu Ji Li ask him if he wanted to sit on the throne, he subconsciously felt that Hu Ji Li wanted to kill him.

Although he was Hu Jili's son, in a sense, he was also a member of the Chen family. Hu Jili had killed hundreds of members of the Chen family, so one more of him wouldn't make much difference. (End of Chapter)