Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 123 Then... let's die together!
Inside the Hall of Literary Glory, Zhu Yuanzhang uttered a single sentence.

Prime Minister Hu Weiyong's heart skipped a beat, and an extremely bad premonition rose in his heart.

No... what did Zhu Yuanzhang want to do?
That's not how he plays!

How could you ask Li Shanchang about this?!

Li Shanchang is currently lingering in the capital and attending court sessions very frequently.

It's obvious that he's power-hungry and wants to return to the central government.

Or rather, when he was sent away by the emperor, he always longed to return to the central government and become prime minister again.

In the previous case of the blank seal, he had indeed outmaneuvered the emperor on the spot.

And in front of Li Shanchang, he won over a group of people's hearts.

After that incident, there were many civil and military officials who were originally loyal to Li Shanchang and listened to his words.

They all flocked to his side and began to follow his lead.

Although a large part of the reason is that Li Shanchang, that bastard, doesn't act like a human being.

He was so eager to become the emperor's lackey that many officials hated him to the core and were extremely disappointed in him.

But no matter what, the fact is that he, who had been suppressed by Li Shanchang before, successfully broke free from Li Shanchang's suppression.

And from that day on, she completely overshadowed Li Shanchang.

He took back many of the things that Li Shanchang had originally seized.

Even if there were reasons for it, Li Shanchang definitely had a lot of opinions about himself in this matter.

At this critical moment, Zhu Yuanzhang asked Li Shanchang what he thought of his suggestion.

How could I possibly end up in a good situation?

How could Li Shanchang possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by?

In an instant, a chill ran through him, and the hairs on his body stood on end!

The next moment, Li Shanchang's voice rang out, and as expected, he did not disappoint.

It was not much different from what he had thought.

Li Shanchang stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Excellency, the amount of money involved in the Maritime Trade Office matter is extremely large."

Every year, it costs my Great Ming Dynasty at least 20 million strings of cash!

The reason why our Great Ming Dynasty is in such a difficult situation is largely due to the fact that Hu Weiyong, as the prime minister, already knew the reasons behind it, but when the brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang submitted their memorials, he fueled the flames.

This was caused by the superiors closing down the Maritime Trade Office!
Hu Weiyong deliberately showed his superiors only the archives of the Yuan Dynasty's Maritime Trade Office from the last few decades.

This led to a misunderstanding among superiors that the Maritime Trade Office did not make money during the Yuan Dynasty.

Otherwise, given the wisdom and might of the ruler, how could the Maritime Trade Office have been abolished so easily?

Does this mean that so many people can recklessly divide up the vast amounts of resources that should rightfully be handed over to the state?

Hearing Li Shanchang's piercing words, Hu Weiyong immediately became anxious!

"Korean Duke!"

He raised his voice, interrupting Li Shanchang.

"I really didn't know that the Maritime Trade Office of the Yuan Dynasty could make so much money!"
Moreover, when looking for archives, it's best to find those that are nearby.

The closer something is to our Great Ming Dynasty, the more relevant and valuable its actual situation will be to our Great Ming Dynasty!

He dared not let Li Shanchang continue speaking like that.

If this continues, who knows what kind of trouble this bastard will cause.

"Don't you know that the Maritime Trade Office can make a lot of money?"

Are you genuinely unaware, or are you pretending not to know?
Now that things have come to this, how dare you still try to argue and spout nonsense in front of your superiors?!

Li Shanchang looked at Hu Weiyong and went all out.

"Then why did you access the files, specifically targeting those who earned less money?"

But they kept silent about the files that generated a lot of money, refusing to show them to His Majesty.

Every year they receive a large amount of benefits from the maritime merchants.

You've done things like this, yet you say you didn't know the Maritime Trade Office could make a lot of money?
I don't know, you would do these things?
Are you genuinely unaware, or are you deliberately unaware?

As the current prime minister, how can you do such a thing without feeling any remorse?
Even now, how dare they still try to justify themselves by offering 550,000 strings of cash?
Your sins cannot be forgiven with money!

After rebuking Hu Weiyong, Li Shanchang turned around and bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang once again.

He said solemnly:
"The Emperor has entrusted Hu Weiyong, the Prime Minister of our Great Ming Dynasty, with such an important responsibility."

Instead of serving his country and being loyal to his father and the people, this scoundrel acted as a protector of pirates and merchants, committing all sorts of atrocities.

For the sake of money, they disregard the nation!
This behavior is extremely heinous and unforgivable!

"I request that Hu Weiyong be executed!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong's body trembled inwardly once again.

Although when the emperor asked Li Shanchang to express his opinion on this matter, he already knew that Li Shanchang, that old dog, would definitely not let go of this good opportunity.

They might try to take the opportunity to kill themselves.

But at that moment, I actually heard the old dog say those words.

The feeling in my heart was indescribably exciting.

Of course, if he hadn't done these things and the Wu brothers, Wu Zhen and Wu Liang, hadn't been captured, he wouldn't have been so afraid.

The key point is that now, Wu Zhen and Wu Liang have both been taken down, and he himself has actually done these things.

This makes one uneasy.

"Li Shanchang was also involved in this matter, as he rose to power."

They secretly fueled the flames.

On my side, there are indeed some ignorant nephews and nieces who have accepted money sent by the maritime merchants.

However, Li Shanchang wasn't exactly clean either.

Before this, he, the Duke of Han, was the most powerful person in our Great Ming Dynasty, second only to the emperor.

As the prime minister, I have always had to be humble and subservient in his presence.

Otherwise, how could Li Shanchang have commanded officials throughout the land and committed such acts of defiance against His Majesty before this?

Hu Weiyong is panicking, he's really panicking!

We will launch a strong counterattack right here.

Even if he dies, he'll take someone down with him!

If Liu Bowen were to say these words, he might not have a way to deal with it and wouldn't be able to say much.

But how could someone like Li Shanchang, whose own backside is also full of excrement, have the audacity to stand on such a position and speak so shamelessly as to criticize himself?

Since you dare to bring this up and try to kill me, then let's die together!

They're all fucking dead!

Hu Weiyong had a ruthless streak in his bones.

At this point, Li Shanchang was no longer addressed as a benefactor, but simply by his name.

This incident also signifies that he and Li Shanchang have completely broken off their relationship.

Before that, no matter how much has happened.

At least on the surface, things are still passable; not everything has been revealed.

The mask wasn't completely torn off.

“Every year, the money sent by maritime merchants was mostly sent to Li Shanchang.”

"Your Majesty, I request that Li Shanchang be executed, and that a bright and just world be restored to our Great Ming!"

As he spoke, he knelt directly on the ground.

Li Shanchang also knelt on the ground.

Watching Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong tearing each other apart here.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Zhu Yuanzhang unconsciously revealed a smile on his face.

Watching dogs fight is so satisfying!

He had never experienced this joy in his previous life.

Occasionally using imperial power tactics to make vicious dogs like Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong tear each other apart is quite effective.

Thinking this, the smile on his lips quickly faded, but he didn't say anything.

He just sat there in silence.

His right index finger tapped rhythmically on the desk, making a soft, clicking sound.

Just hearing it makes one feel uneasy.

The longer the silence lasted, the greater the psychological pressure on Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong.

Li Shanchang was initially quite calm.

They felt that the emperor would definitely not do anything to them.

But now, he is gradually losing his confidence.

After a long period of torment, Zhu Yuanzhang stopped tapping on the table.

Looking at Li Shanchang, he spoke: "Duke of Han, Prime Minister Hu says your crimes are unforgivable. What do you think?"

Hu Weiyong was stunned again. No... is the emperor now so blatantly biased?
Why are you asking about Li Shanchang again?
Can't you ask yourself, the prime minister?
"Upon taking office, Prime Minister Hu made some valid points."

I was foolish back then and did many things that were unworthy of my superiors and the Ming Dynasty.

Regarding the matters concerning the Maritime Trade Office, I also knew some information, but my selfishness got the better of me, and I was momentarily blinded by greed.

They were blinded by the vast sums of money offered by those maritime merchants.

A mistake was made in this matter.

"I truly deserve to die."

Li Shanchang's words completely stunned Hu Weiyong.

No... Has that bastard Li Shanchang been tamed so well by the emperor now?
How dare you say such a thing?
He had only taken the opportunity to reclaim what belonged to him as prime minister; was it really necessary for him to act so drastically?

In order to kill himself, he was willing to perish together with himself!

Does he hate himself that much?

"However, having ascended to the throne, I have now come to my senses."

He was inspired by the grand dream of ascending to the throne and reshaping the Ming Dynasty.

I want to continue making some contributions to my Great Ming Dynasty.

Although I am old, I still wish to do something to atone for some of my sins.

Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to spare my life.

"I am willing to contribute the maritime trade revenue collected over the years, totaling 1.2 million strings of cash."

After saying these words, Li Shanchang kowtowed to the ground, appearing extremely sincere.

Li Shanchang, this old dog!

Hu Weiyong couldn't help but curse inwardly, gritting his teeth.

Too bad!
That old dog is really ruthless!
One million two hundred thousand strings of cash!

That's 1.2 million strings of cash!
They just took it like that!
What the Korean official said is not without reason.

I am ultimately a person who cherishes old feelings.

"In that case, we'll grant your request."

Li Shanchang immediately expressed his gratitude.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned his attention to Hu Weiyong.

"Prime Minister Hu, and what about you?"

With Li Shanchang setting an example, Hu Weiyong knew exactly what he should do.
"In these matters, I have indeed made a mistake."

I am ashamed before Your Majesty and before the people of the world.

I have now come to my senses and realize how despicable and foolish my actions were.

"I am also willing to hand over all the money my sons and nephews have received from the maritime merchants, totaling 700,000 strings of cash."

As Hu Weiyong said this, his heart was bleeding.

It was like someone was using an awl to dig deep into the skin.

pain!
It hurts so much!

Seven hundred thousand strings of cash!
That's 700,000 strings of cash!
Over the years, he has lived frugally, never daring to spend a single extra penny.

His son's expenses are the biggest.

This sum of 700,000 strings of cash nearly emptied his savings.

What should have been a task that could have been accomplished with 550,000 strings of cash has now been dragged up to 700,000 strings by that scoundrel Li Shanchang.

That old dog Li Shanchang deserves to die!

The emperor was no better than anyone else!

He finally understood.

This time, the emperor was going to bleed them dry again by pressing their necks.

Even if his family is very wealthy and he has already gained a lot of benefits.

But even that couldn't stop the emperor from using such methods to stab them in the back time and time again!

Who can stand this?
First, he suffered a huge loss during the blank seal case, and now, just a few months later, he has made himself suffer another huge loss.

So all these years, all the money I've saved up, living frugally and working tirelessly, has been hoarded by Zhu Yuanzhang?
"Seven hundred thousand strings of cash?"
We've heard that while you, Prime Minister Hu, appear to be poor, your children and nephews are actually quite wealthy.

There are more than that, aren't there?

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice rang out, carrying an unspeakable meaning. Hu Weiyong's heart skipped a beat, and he felt as if he were about to vomit blood.

"The rise to power is over, really over."

These are all slanders used to climb to power!

Zhu Yuanzhang did not respond, but stared silently at Hu Weiyong.

After a while, seeing that Hu Weiyong still wouldn't budge, they were unable to squeeze more money out of him.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded to himself. It seemed that Hu Weiyong had been squeezed dry.

Otherwise, under these circumstances, Hu Weiyong would not have continued to insist.

"It seems that the information we received may be incorrect."

If that's the case, then let's do as Prime Minister Hu says.

You two are pillars of the nation, and the future governance of the country will depend on you.

We especially can't do without Prime Minister Hu.

Even if we are extremely intolerant of any flaws, we must still give leniency to those like Hu Xiang.

"Just hand over this money, and you'll remain prime minister as always."

As soon as Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, Hu Weiyong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally passed the test!
Finally passed the test!
Although this time, the price paid was high, Zhu Yuanzhang's cut was too ruthless.

It's absolutely heartbreaking.

But no matter what, he is still the prime minister, and his position remains unchanged.

He was not replaced by Li Shanchang.

Even if it means losing some money, it's worth it.

As long as he remains the prime minister, he will eventually be able to recover all the wealth he has lost.

Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang both expressed their gratitude.

Zhu Yuanzhang made the two of them stand up, perhaps because they had received such a huge and considerable sum of money as 1.9 million strings of cash in a short period of time.

Zhu Yuanzhang was in a good mood

They even ordered two brocade stools to be brought over so that Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang could sit down and talk.

Zhu Yuanzhang was indeed in a great mood; the feeling of slaughtering a fat pig was wonderful.

In my past life, I was a little too upright in my dealings with Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang.

They didn't squeeze out all their remaining value before killing them all.

Although their homes were later ransacked, the amount of money seized was far less than what was extracted through the blank seal case and this latest incident.

No one knows where they hid their money.

With such a large sum of unexpected income, there are now many things to do.

For example, another million strings of cash could be allocated to manage the Yellow River.

Take out another 300,000 strings of cash and allocate it directly to the firearms battalion.

Order the artillery battalion to cast cannons as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Another 200,000 strings of cash can be allocated for research on new steelmaking methods, as well as for site construction and production expenses.

Another 400,000 strings of cash were allocated to Longjiang Shipyard.

The Longjiang Shipyard should then focus on producing large ships of 2,000 tons.

Another 500,000 strings of cash can be allocated for immigration purposes.

Further accelerate the integration of the North and South, and expedite the recovery of the population and economy in the North.

Of course, the 500,000 strings of cash are still unaccounted for.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang believed that it would be available soon.

One Hu Weiyong and one Li Shanchang were enough to extract as much as 1.9 million strings of cash.

The homes and various properties of the Wu brothers, Wu Zhen and Wu Liang, were not confiscated.

There were also many easy targets for the Japanese naval forces.

Kill them all, and you'll have more than enough to make 500,000 strings of cash.

It feels so good to slaughter a fat pig.

Isn't this much more straightforward than issuing government bonds?

Moreover, the funds needed to reopen the Maritime Trade Office can be raised through this round of profiteering.

Having money in your hands gives you more confidence in getting things done.

Many things that were difficult to handle in the past will now become very easy to handle.

Our own Ming Dynasty will accelerate its development.

"The Maritime Trade Office is so profitable that it must be re-established."

The maritime ban must also be abolished.

We've finally figured it out: this maritime ban is only for the honest, simple people along the coast; it's the government's business.

However, it could not stop the large-scale smuggling operations.

Doing so would actually make it easier for these people to monopolize maritime trade in accordance with the court's policies.

They're all eating their fill and making a fortune!
We can't let them eat up this huge piece of meat in the maritime trade sector.

The imperial court needs to reclaim the interests that rightfully belong to it.

What is Prime Minister Hu's opinion on this matter?

Zhu Yuanzhang suppressed his joy and looked at Hu Weiyong to ask a question.

Neither Li Shanchang nor Hu Weiyong were surprised that the emperor would make such a decision.

Given the current emperor's personality and the Ming Dynasty's current financial difficulties, this is a case in point.

They've taken such drastic measures because they know the secrets of the Maritime Trade Office and the secrets of maritime trade.

It would be strange if the emperor could refrain from taking action.

However, re-establishing the Maritime Trade Office is not so simple...

Hu Weiyong did not immediately reply upon hearing the emperor's words.

Instead, he fell silent, pondering the matter and mentally rehearsing his thoughts.

We must strive to give the emperor a satisfactory answer.

After all, he had just been reprimanded by the emperor because of this matter.

If they don't know what's good for them, then those 700,000 strings of cash will be wasted!

……

"Your Highness, news has arrived from the Prince of Yan's side!"

Someone rushed to the Wenhua Hall.

He held the secret letter in both hands.

Upon hearing this news, Zhu Biao was immediately invigorated. He jumped up from his seat, strode over, and personally took the secret letter from the man's hand.

I couldn't wait to take it apart.

However, when I wanted to watch it, I hesitated.

It's not that he doesn't want to watch; he wants to watch more than anyone else.

What I fear is that what I will see is not good news, but... bad news.

If that were the case, it would be unacceptable!
I stood here, took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself down.

Zhu Biao then mustered his courage, suppressing his trepidation and anxiety, and looked toward the secret letter.

Soon, the unease on Zhu Biao's face disappeared, and all his worries vanished!
I was filled with boundless, intense joy!

Then, unable to contain himself, he burst into cheers.
"Great! Great! Absolutely great!"
Very good!

"Hahaha, he truly lives up to his reputation as my fourth brother! My fourth brother is invincible!"

"You did a good job too, the message was delivered in time!"

In high spirits, Zhu Biao also praised the person who delivered the message.

He picked up one of his own pens from the table and gave it to the man as a reward.

Then, filled with joy, she strode out of the Wenhua Hall to find her father, the Emperor.

I must tell my father, the Emperor, this good news as soon as possible...

……

"Upon taking office, the maritime ban must be abolished, and the Maritime Trade Office must be reinstated."

There is no doubt about this.

Such large profits should indeed be nationalized.

We can't let those numerous smugglers swallow up all these huge profits.

Inside the Hall of Literary Glory, after some deliberation, Prime Minister Hu Weiyong spoke.

He should state his opinion first, so as not to cause any misunderstanding to the emperor.

"However, how to open it and what specific steps to take are all things that need to be carefully considered."

We need to learn from the lesson of the Yuan Dynasty's Maritime Trade Office, which eventually became unprofitable, and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

We need to understand why the Maritime Trade Office declined.

This is the only way to avoid the problem of not making money even after the Maritime Trade Office is opened.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, signaling Hu Weiyong to continue.

"The biggest problem now is that many maritime merchants have controlled the maritime trade for many years."

The relevant profits have already been divided up completely.

Now that the imperial court wants to reopen the Maritime Trade Office and seize the lion's share of the profits, these people are certainly very unhappy.

Meanwhile, in the Jiangnan region, smuggling through maritime trade has involved a vast number of people.

Pulled around and moved the whole body.

If they were all big-time smugglers, this would be fine.

The real fear is that if things really come to a head, many people will become incredibly audacious and determined to resist.

They used various means to incite the people to cause trouble.

These all require careful consideration and should be taken into account.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded again.

"Also, we need to be wary of the pirates at sea."

These pirates were very powerful; even the Japanese naval forces prepared against them were no match for them.

They come and go without a trace at sea.

Moreover, their ability to grow to such a size is not unrelated to their collusion with smuggling merchants.

Those pirates already had a grudge against our Great Ming Dynasty.

With the establishment of the Maritime Trade Office by the higher authorities, I certainly won't let these pirates get away with it.

We need to find a way to get rid of these pirates.

Otherwise, when the Maritime Trade Office is re-established and maritime trade is carried out, these pirates will surely cause trouble.

They will inevitably plunder from multiple directions.

The same problem exists with the Japanese-prepared navy.

While the brothers Wu Zhen and Wu Liang certainly deserved to die, many others in the anti-Japanese naval force were likely also very corrupt.

If Wu Zhen and Wu Liang were captured suddenly at this time, the Japanese naval forces would be thrown into chaos if not handled properly.

Many people would flee to the sea and become pirates.

Zhu Yuanzhang said, "There's no need to worry about the Japanese navy; we've sent our fourth son there."

With the Prince of Yan around, the Japanese naval forces prepared against the Japanese pirates won't be able to cause any trouble.

Upon hearing the emperor's words, Li Shanchang suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart.

A sense of familiarity washed over me.

The emperor actually sent his son back again?
This reminded him of what happened on the walls of Zhongdu.

If it weren't for the emperor secretly sending his sons to Zhongdu to observe everything, he wouldn't have been able to keep track of everything.

How could I, on the walls of Zhongdu, have suffered such a complete defeat?
How could we have fallen to this state step by step?

Hu Weiyong also seemed somewhat surprised that the emperor had actually done this in secret.
However, even if Zhu Laosi were sent out, he is young and inexperienced in many major events. The situation with the Japanese naval forces is complicated, so can he really handle it?

The emperor was incredibly confident in Zhu Laosi.

If, by some chance, bad news comes out next, things will get really bad.

At that time, Zhu Yuanzhang probably wouldn't even have a place to cry.

The emperor has tasted some success in the matter of Zhongdu.

He then began to send his son to do this repeatedly.

But this time, it's completely different from Zhongdu City; the danger is immeasurable.

Just as he was thinking this, Crown Prince Zhu Biao hurriedly walked in.

"Father, there's news from the Japanese naval forces!"
Fourth Brother has won a resounding victory!

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong was stunned on the spot...

(End of this chapter)