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

"Is the Ming Dynasty going to wage war against Annam?" Hu Hancang was shocked to hear this.

In an instant, he thought of many things, and finally the image froze on Hu Jili passing the throne to him.

His intuition told him that the fact that Hu Jili had passed the throne to him was most likely related to the Ming Dynasty.

"Father, what exactly is going on?" Hu Hancang looked panicked and looked at Hu Jili. He knew very well that although he was now on the throne, it was better to appear mediocre in front of Hu Jili.

Only by behaving in a way that puts Hu Jili at ease can his throne be secure. Of course, this is only a temporary measure. In time, once he has gained enough power, he can finally show his true colors.

Seeing Hu Hancang's reaction, Hu Jili frowned and said in a deep voice, "What are you panicking about? I'm still here. The sky isn't going to fall."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Now that you've ascended the throne, there are some things I should tell you."

If the Ming Dynasty had not used force against Annam, he might never have spoken about Hu Han Cang's ascension to the throne. But now that the Ming Dynasty was going to send troops to Annam, he needed to talk to Hu Han Cang about it. His purpose was quite simple: to make Hu Han Cang feel a sense of crisis.

The Ming Dynasty's military campaign against Annam helped Tran Thien Binh. This meant that if Annam failed, Ho Han Cang would not be able to keep his throne and would likely face a life-threatening situation.

When it comes to life and death, who can remain indifferent?
Hu Hancang's heart tightened, and he looked at Hu Jili. Although he had made many guesses in his mind, none of them had been confirmed.

Now that Hu Jili is willing to tell him the truth, he is naturally willing to listen. After all, only by knowing the truth can he make a better response, instead of being kept in the dark.

“Outsiders all say that I have wiped out the direct descendants of the Chen family. In fact, I thought so at first too. However, what I didn’t expect was that there were still some who escaped the net!” Hu Jili said slowly.

Hu Hancang's heart sank. He hadn't expected that the truth of the matter would involve the Chen family, which made him feel a strong sense of crisis.

His current throne was passed down to him by Hu Quy Ly, who seized the throne from the Tran clan through a usurpation. This means that if any direct descendants of the Tran clan are still alive, his throne will be in danger.

"Damn it, how could this happen!" Hu Hancang, who had been in a leisurely mood, suddenly became restless. Although he had never thought that he could sit on the throne, now that he was on the throne, he would naturally disagree with handing it over.

Even if the Chen family were to seize his throne, or even if his father, Hu Jili, were to order him to hand over the throne now, he would still resist and would certainly not give it up easily.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Hu Hancang's mind. He looked at Hu Jili and said, "Father, could the Ming Dynasty's military campaign against Annam be related to the escaped remnants of the Tran clan?"

The remnants of the Chen family had escaped, and now the Ming Dynasty had suddenly launched a military campaign against Annam. At first, he hadn't expected it, but in an instant, he understood many things.

Hu Jili listened to Hu Hancang's words and calmed down a little. He nodded and said, "That's right. It was the remnants of the Chen family who fled to the Ming Dynasty and sought help from the Ming Dynasty. That's why the Ming Dynasty is now taking action against Annam."

Upon hearing Hu Hancang's address to Chen Tianping, he knew that he had achieved his purpose in calling Hu Hancang over today. The phrase "remnant of the Chen family" carried a heavy resentment towards the Chen family.
However, upon closer reflection, he could understand. After all, Chen Tianping was currently sitting on the throne of Annam. Under such circumstances, if the Ming Dynasty led the Chen family back to Annam, Chen Tianping's throne would certainly be in jeopardy.

Hu Hancang's expression turned serious. He looked at Hu Jili and asked, "Father, what should we do now? What do you need me to do?"

At this moment, he no longer cared about hiding his abilities. With his throne on the verge of collapse, what was the point of hiding anything under such circumstances?

"Hmm?" Hu Jili was taken aback when he heard Hu Hancang's words. His brows furrowed slightly. He hadn't expected Hu Hancang to see through his intentions and point them out so directly.

Hu Hancang noticed Hu Jili's appearance and inwardly cursed. It would be a huge loss if his carefully constructed disguise were to be broken so easily. Moreover, after the current crisis was over, he might still be in danger.

Of course, this danger may not exist, and he may be overthinking it. However, it is possible that it exists. Most importantly, he cannot gamble on this, because the consequences of losing would be far too severe.

His mind raced as he tried to salvage the situation: "Father, I am, after all, the King of Annam. If there is anything you need my help with, please give the order, and I will do my utmost to assist you."

Upon hearing Hu Hancang's words, Hu Jili relaxed and looked at Hu Hancang, saying, "Given the current situation, we must unite all our forces to fight against the Ming Dynasty. Although the Ming Dynasty is very powerful, we are not without a chance of winning. Moreover, if we win, we might be able to launch a counterattack against the Ming Dynasty!"

"A counterattack against the Ming Dynasty?" Hu Han Cang was stunned when he heard Hu Ji Li's words. He did not expect Hu Ji Li to have such great ambitions. He did not have such a big appetite. He only wanted to keep the throne. After all, if he became mortal enemies with such a behemoth as the Ming Dynasty, it would be very troublesome in the future.

However, now that the Ming Dynasty has agreed to the Chen clan's request for help, if he wants to keep his throne, he must defeat the invading Ming Dynasty, which is a very serious matter.

"Father, can we really withstand the Ming Dynasty's attack?" He looked at Hu Jili. His previous cowardice and fear were feigned, but at this moment, he was genuinely very uneasy.

Faced with the attack of the behemoth that is the Ming Dynasty, can tiny Annam really withstand it? If it can't, it will be in big trouble.

Hu Jili glanced at Hu Hancang, his expression calm, and said indifferently, "Don't worry, although the Ming Dynasty is very powerful, do you think the Ming Dynasty will mobilize all its forces to help Chen Tianping?"

"Hmm?" Hu Hancang was taken aback upon hearing Hu Jili's words, then his eyes lit up with excitement: "Father."

Hu Jili interrupted Hu Hancang, saying, "The Ming Dynasty saw an opportunity this time, which is why they decided to help Chen Tianping. But once the Ming Dynasty realizes that we are not to be trifled with, they will give up and may even send Chen Tianping's head to us."

From the very beginning, he had no awe for the powerful Ming Dynasty, and even felt somewhat eager to try his luck, because he was very clear in his heart that if Annam wanted to become strong, the Ming Dynasty would be the biggest obstacle. If Annam could not get rid of the Ming Dynasty, it would be impossible for Annam to become strong.

Hu Hancang's fearful and uneasy mind gradually calmed down, and he said, "Father, according to what you said, the Ming Dynasty doesn't seem so terrible after all. What should we do now?"

After hearing Hu Jili's words, he was no longer so afraid of the Ming Dynasty. Of course, he also knew his own capabilities, so he would not interfere in the matter of fighting the Ming Dynasty and would leave it entirely to Hu Jili. He would take this opportunity to further consolidate his influence in the court.

In this way, once Hu Quy Ly defeats the Ming Dynasty and returns to the capital, he will find that the power structure in the Annamite court has changed. However, by then, Hu Quy Ly will certainly be powerless to do anything about it. Even if he wanted to depose him, it would be impossible. "The Ming Dynasty wasn't that scary to begin with. Besides, we all have one head, so why be afraid of them?" Hu Quy Ly said calmly.

Hu Han Cang did not respond to Hu Ji Li's words. He had already made up his mind that even if Annam repelled the Ming invasion this time, he would try to improve relations with the Ming afterwards. In any case, he absolutely could not let the relationship become too strained.

Looking at Hu Hancang's appearance, Hu Jili didn't say much more, but said, "Hancang, go and contact the ministers in the court later, tell them that the Ming Dynasty is invading, and make them realize the seriousness of the matter."

The pro-Chen faction is a very powerful force in the Annamite capital. He must appease them, otherwise, if they were to acknowledge Chen Tianping, things would become extremely complicated.

Of course, this is also Chen Tianping's greatest contribution!

Although he was a king in exile, he still had some prestige, especially since the Tran family had ruled Annam for hundreds of years. This was similar to the situation of the Liu family in the Central Plains. As long as Tran Thien Binh could prove his identity, he would still be very influential.

"Yes, Father!" Hu Hancang nodded, understanding Hu Jili's purpose in summoning him—to win over those who supported the Chen lineage.

He was not prepared to disobey Hu Jili's orders, because this matter was not only helping Hu Jili, but also for his own sake.

In the matter of resisting the invasion of the Ming Dynasty, his interests were aligned with those of Hu Jili.

The Prince of Jin's Mansion in the Ming Dynasty!

Zhu Zhen, Zhu Tan, Zhu Chun, and others arrived at Zhu Gang's residence.

After the victory banquet, Zhu Yunwen kept Zhu Gang behind alone. Everyone was very curious and did not understand why Zhu Yunwen suddenly kept Zhu Gang behind. However, not long after, news spread that Zhu Gang was going to lead troops to attack Annam.

None of the kings were fools.

It is now common knowledge that Zhu Yunwen wants to interfere in Annam affairs. Under such circumstances, Zhu Gang's sudden order to lead an army to attack Annam is obviously a matter of great importance.

Zhu Zhen, Zhu Tan, and the others were extremely shocked. They never expected that Zhu Gang, whom they relied on, would silently defect to Zhu Yunwen, which caught them completely off guard.

"My brothers, please have a seat!" Zhu Gang waved to Zhu Zhen, Zhu Tan, and the others, his expression perfectly calm. He was well aware of his brothers' intentions.

In fact, when he decided to pledge allegiance to Zhu Yunwen, he had already anticipated what was about to happen.

It's not Zhu Zhen, Zhu Tan, and the others' fault. Originally, they hadn't thought about seeking refuge with Zhu Yunwen, but things just developed too quickly.

"Third Brother, why?"

"Third brother, what benefits did His Majesty promise you that made you submit?"

"Third brother, with your abilities, it would be very easy for you to go out and carve out a territory. Is His Majesty threatening you?"

"Third Brother, we're all brothers. If you encounter any problems, please don't hide them from us!"

"Third Brother, what's going on? Why are you humiliating yourself like this!"

"Third brother, why are you like fourth brother? Why is that?"

"."

Zhu Zhen, Zhu Tan, and the others spoke up one after another, their hearts filled with doubt, finding it extremely difficult to understand Zhu Gang's surrender to Zhu Yunwen.

Some people even began to suspect that Zhu Yunwen had threatened Zhu Gang, otherwise, given Zhu Gang's abilities, there would have been no need for him to pledge allegiance to Zhu Yunwen.

Zhu Gang looked at his brothers, who were all talking at once, and said softly, "Alright, stop making wild guesses. There's nothing complicated about me helping His Majesty. I just think His Majesty is very capable and want to see a better view with him."

"As for carving out a fiefdom outside, that's certainly not difficult for me, but I don't want that kind of life."

"What the hell?" Everyone looked at Zhu Gang in front of them, exchanging bewildered glances.

Zhu Gang's reason was so simple that it was hard for them to believe. In layman's terms, Zhu Gang was captivated by Zhu Yunwen's personal charm.

It was a ridiculous reason, but they could tell that Zhu Gang was really not joking.

"Third Brother, are you going to follow the same path as Fourth Brother?" Zhu Zhen's expression was complicated. He didn't know what Zhu Gang was thinking. Zhu Gang had actually chosen the same path as Zhu Di.

He was bewildered and began to doubt himself. Did Zhu Yunwen really possess such great magic?
Zhu Gang took a deep breath, looked at his brothers in front of him, and said, "Actually, the fourth brother is the smartest. I knew about his abilities before, but from His Majesty, I have seen even more clearly how formidable he is."

Putting aside other factors, Zhu Di's situation was originally the worst among his brothers. However, in the end, Zhu Di decisively and readily surrendered, clinging to Zhu Yunwen's coattails and escaping from the abyss. He is now even stationed in Beiping and has gained Zhu Yunwen's trust. (End of Chapter)