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

Hu Jili frowned as he looked at Hu Hancang, but he didn't say anything. He just waited quietly for Hu Hancang to calm down.

Although he was somewhat disappointed by Hu Hancang's appearance, if Hu Hancang was truly calm at this moment, then he should be a little worried.

He relinquished the throne, but he did not want to relinquish the power that came with it. There were various factors that led him to choose Hu Hancang to ascend the throne, but Hu Hancang's character was undoubtedly the most crucial one.

The carrier pigeon was weak and posed no danger to him. Therefore, no matter how dissatisfied he was with Hu Hancang's reaction, if he were to choose a successor again, he would still choose Hu Hancang, because it would be most advantageous for him.

"Father, what should we do now?" Hu Hancang looked at Hu Jili with a somewhat panicked expression.

Of course, his panic at this moment was not entirely feigned. He was genuinely worried about the powerful Ming Dynasty. If they were to lose, it would be too late. His concealment of his abilities was only in relation to Hu Jili. If the Ming Dynasty occupied Annam, he would not only be unable to conceal his abilities, but he might also be beheaded.

He knew perfectly well that the Ming Dynasty's military expedition to Annam was to support the Chen family, and that with Chen Tianping in power, he would surely die if Annam were to fall.

"What are you panicking about? We haven't even started fighting yet. I admit that the Ming Dynasty is very powerful, but does that mean we are bound to lose?" Hu Jili said with a gloomy face.

He was already in a very bad mood, and seeing Hu Hancang's appearance in front of him, he became even more furious. Of course, another reason for his behavior was to boost Hu Hancang's courage.

If Annam is cowardly before the battle even begins, how can it possibly win? Annam's strength was originally inferior to that of the Ming Dynasty. If it fought with the courage of a do-or-die battle, it might have a chance of winning. But if it backs down immediately, then there's no point in fighting at all.

"Yes, yes, although the Ming Dynasty is powerful, our Annam has a complex terrain, and the Ming Dynasty has just fought with the grasslands. Now they are coming to fight us again. I estimate that the Ming Dynasty will not be able to hold out for long." Hu Hancang said with an embarrassed expression.

"Hmm?" Hu Jili was taken aback by Hu Hancang's words, a look of surprise appearing in his eyes. He looked up at Hu Hancang with a look of astonishment and doubt. Hu Hancang's words made his mind suddenly bright.

He was incredibly surprised and could hardly believe that these words came from Hu Hancang's mouth.

Hu Hancang felt a pang of indignation as Hu Jili stared at him, but he didn't show it on his face. Instead, he looked at Hu Jili with a blank expression and asked cautiously, "Father, did I say something wrong?"

Having said what needed to be said, it is now essential to maintain a facade. Otherwise, if this arouses any suspicion in Hu Jili, it could lead to his loss of the throne.

His current abilities are simply insufficient to contend with Hu Jili, so he should try his best to disguise himself and make Hu Jili believe that he can still control the entire situation.

Hu Jili stared at Hu Hancang for a while, then shook his head and said, "It's nothing. What you said makes a lot of sense. In fact, we still have a very good chance of winning. There's no need to lose our courage to fight against the Ming Dynasty in advance. Maybe we'll be the ones to win in the end!"

He calmed down again. As for what had just happened, he thought it was Hu Hancang's unintentional act. The main reason for this was that he never thought Hu Hancang was particularly outstanding. How could someone with average abilities put forward some very impressive ideas?
"Father, should we send someone to kill Chen Tianping?" Hu Hancang hesitated for a moment before asking.

Although Chen Tianping has lost everything, he remains a threat as long as he lives. Moreover, despite having nothing now, he can play a significant role when he joins the Ming Dynasty in attacking Annam.

Hu Jili looked at Hu Hancang with a meaningful gaze and said, "I will arrange this matter. However, the Ming Dynasty will probably protect Chen Tianping well now, so it will be very difficult to achieve this. Don't have too high hopes."

"Yes!" Chen Tianping nodded. He knew that the Ming Dynasty would definitely protect him now, but even so, they had to try. After all, the benefits of killing Chen Tianping would be too great.

"By the way, you should spend more time with the court officials lately," Hu Jili said.

He had recently heard rumors and knew very well that Chen Tianping's existence had been exposed. Of course, judging from the feedback, his previous decision to pass the throne to Hu Hancang was very correct. Chen Tianping's existence did not cause too much of a stir. Everyone knew about it, but as if they had agreed beforehand, no one mentioned it.

Of course, this was also the reason why he killed all those loyal to the Tran family, but more importantly, he protected the interests of those powerful families. Faced with such great interests, what could the Tran family do, even though they had ruled Annam for hundreds of years?

Supporting Chen Tianping at this time may not yield any tangible results, but the consequences one would have to bear are very real. Moreover, what if Hu Jili still wins in the end? Most people may not consider this in such detail, but which of those who can establish themselves in the Annam court does not have a powerful family behind them?
The Tran family ruled Annam for hundreds of years. Such a long period of time has made some things fixed, such as certain interests, the pie has long been divided up.

Under such circumstances, who would risk the destruction of their family to help Chen Tianping? Especially since Hu Jili had made compromises with them all. They could betray Hu Jili, but they could not betray the benefits they had gained, because this interest group involved many people.

"Yes!" Hu Hancang nodded.

Hu Jili paused for a moment, then added, "If necessary, you can change your surname without any problem."

Upon hearing this, Hu Hancang's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly tensed up. A resolute look appeared on his face as he said, "Father, what are you saying? I am a descendant of the Hu family, and that will always be the case. If anyone forces me to change my surname, I would rather die."

He knew what Hu Quy Ly meant; he was being told to change his surname to Tran. This wasn't impossible, but it had to wait until he had real power in Annam, not now. He knew Hu Quy Ly very well. If he really changed his surname to Tran while Hu Quy Ly was still alive, he was absolutely certain that he would be dethroned, or even die.

Hu Quy Ly's relationship with him was not as close as one might imagine. After all he'd been up to, was it possible that he would eventually hand the throne of Annam back to the Tran family?
Although he carries the blood of the Hu family, once his surname rights are stripped away, then mere bloodlines offer no protection whatsoever. Ultimately, the right to name one's surname is far more important, and the implications are far greater.

After hearing Hu Hancang's words, Hu Jili remained silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "You handle this matter." Although Hu Jili's words were very calm, Hu Hancang could still sense a sense of relief in his tone. In that instant, he knew that he had made the right choice.

Perhaps changing his surname at this point would have been a better choice, as it would have garnered the desperate assistance of the powerful families still loyal to the Chen clan. But what about afterwards?
How should this matter be resolved? What will Hu Jili do then? Thinking about it deeply, it seems to be an unsolvable dead end, unless he changes his surname back. But if he does that, even if he survives, he will definitely lose his throne.

How fortunate he is to have finally ascended the throne, only to find himself doing something that could cost him it. He must be out of his mind to do such a thing.

"Father, should we pass on the news that the Ming Dynasty is coming to invade us?" Hu Hancang hesitated for a moment, then continued.

"Hmm? This... is fine!" Hu Jili paused for a moment, then nodded.

The Ming Dynasty was clearly helping the Chen family suppress their rebellion, but Hu Hancang is now calling it an invasion. Although both were attacks by the Ming Dynasty, the meanings they represent are completely different, and the soldiers' attitudes in battle may also be different.

Of course, doing so would be a little shameless, a bit like the villain accusing the enemy first, but compared to the fate of the nation, what does a little face matter? If doing something shameful could make the Ming Dynasty withdraw its troops, he would do it without hesitation.

"Alright, you can go now. I need to summon the others." Hu Jili waved his hand at Hu Hancang.

He had already spoken with Hu Han Cang, and he believed that Hu Han Cang should know what to do next. The attack by the Ming Dynasty was a huge test for all people with the surname Hu, and Hu Han Cang, the King of Annam, was an even more important target.

This time, with the Ming Dynasty attacking, Hu Hancang will absolutely go all out, even if it's just for his own sake. There's no doubt about that. After all, Hu Hancang is now the one sitting on the throne.

"Father, I entrust everything to you. If there is anything I need you to do, please do not hesitate to give the order. I will take my leave now!" Hu Hancang cupped his hands, turned around and walked away.

He knew very well that Hu Jili was quite capable, and the key to this struggle with the Ming Dynasty would depend on Hu Jili's performance. He only needed to play a supporting role and provide assistance as best he could. Of course, taking advantage of this opportunity to rise up, he also had to build up his own power as much as possible.

With a formidable enemy at hand, although this may bring chaos, in some ways it is also an opportunity!

Hu Jili remained calm and did not say much. This time, he was going all out to fight against the Ming Dynasty and strive for victory. If he won, he would be able to keep everything he controlled and bring many years of stability to Annam.

After a while.

Hu Hancang disappeared from Hu Jili's sight.

At this moment, Hu Jili took a deep breath and walked towards another palace.

"Father, why did you summon me so late? Is there something you need?" Hu Yuancheng asked expectantly, looking at Hu Jili.

He was called over in the middle of the night, and he mistakenly thought that Hu Jili might have gone back on his word regarding the succession to the throne and was now going to let him sit on the throne. Based on this wrong idea, he was extremely excited at this moment.

Hu Jili looked at Hu Yuancheng in front of him, feeling very puzzled. However, he did not ask, but calmed himself down and looked at Hu Yuancheng and said, "Yuancheng, I called you here so late because I have some very bad news to tell you."

"Huh?" Hu Yuancheng was stunned and confused when he heard Hu Jili's words.

Although he wasn't particularly quick-witted, he wasn't stupid either. As soon as Hu Jili spoke, he knew he had definitely misunderstood, and for a moment, he felt a little empty inside.

Hu Jili did not pay attention to Hu Yuancheng's change in expression. He took a deep breath and said, "Just now, I received news that the Ming Dynasty has sent troops."

Brothers fighting tigers, father and son go into battle.

At this critical moment, he dared not trust anyone and could only choose to let Hu Yuancheng take the lead. After all, he had seized the throne by usurpation, and Chen Tianping was certainly following him in the Ming army.

In this situation, if things don't go well at the front, and Chen Tianping says something, it's very likely that the soldiers at the front will defect. Therefore, he needs to have his own people in charge to avoid such a dramatic scenario.

Hu Yuancheng is his eldest son, and the two have a very close relationship. They are now in the same boat. Others might surrender, but Hu Yuancheng would never do so, because he is a member of the Hu family and is Hu Jili's eldest son.

He massacred hundreds of members of the Chen family. Under such circumstances, if Chen Tianping were to become the King of Annam again, would he retaliate? No one dared to gamble, so even if Hu Yuancheng were to die in battle, he probably would not surrender.

"What? The Ming Dynasty has sent troops!" Hu Yuancheng was shocked upon hearing Hu Jili's words, his face filled with disbelief: "How could it be so fast?"

He found it hard to believe. How long had it been since he learned of Chen Tianping's whereabouts? Moreover, Chen Tianping was practically destitute. Under such circumstances, how could the Ming Dynasty have so decisively dispatched troops? Shouldn't they have dragged things out for a while? (End of Chapter)