Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 192 Zhu Yuanzhang's Protectiveness
The little donkey brayed "Clatter, clater," and, driven by Hu Weiyong's servant, pulled the cart forward, carrying Hu Weiyong along.

I don't know if they're swearing.

Hu Weiyong had been eagerly anticipating this court session.

Since Zhu Yuanzhang acted so inhumanely in this matter, he insisted on including Zhu Biao to share his power.

Zhu Biao, that pig-brat, agreed to these heartless things without even the slightest bit of politeness.

Then don't blame yourself for being ruthless!

Governing a country is not an easy task!
We must make that pig-brat Zhu Biao suffer a bit so he'll back down!

Although the emperor now knows about the maritime trade and the previous case of the blank seal.

Zhu Yuanzhang, this beggar, took the opportunity to cut off a lot of flesh from him.

His true nature—that he was not as poor as he appeared—had already been revealed to the emperor.

However, Hu Weiyong behaved the same as before, still living in a dilapidated old house in a run-down car.

He is inferior to many officials.

He wanted to use this method to show Zhu Yuanzhang that he was truly out of money.

Let's make sure that when the emperor cuts flesh in the future, he doesn't cut off his head...

Upon arriving at the Secretariat, the Left and Right Chancellors and other officials were already there.

At the same time, many memorials and other documents were also gathered here.

"Let's go to the Wenhua Hall and report to our Crown Prince."

Hu Weiyong looked at the people from the Secretariat and spoke.

Upon hearing this, the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Secretariat smiled and nodded.

Following Zhu Yuan and Hu Weiyong, they carried memorials and other documents toward the Wenhua Hall.

The two men were laughing heartily, both waiting to see Zhu Biao get his comeuppance.

They had already learned from Hu Weiyong what methods their Prime Minister Hu would use to deal with Zhu Biao.

Although Zhu Biao, this greenhorn, had already been observing politics alongside Zhu Yuanzhang for quite some time before this incident.

There is a world of difference between observing the government and personally handling these government affairs.

Don't think that just because he's the crown prince, he can do whatever he wants.

Even a prince is human.

Compared to those who have gone through layers of selection to get to where they are, they are far inferior.

Zhu Yuanzhang was able to keep them obedient and compliant.

But if it were a greenhorn like Zhu Biao, so blatantly seizing control of the Central Secretariat, that wouldn't work.

Next, Zhu Biao needs to know his own limitations and be made to back down.

This is the best!

The emperor is still alive. If the crown prince wants to do these things, it would be better to wait a little longer!
……

"Your subject pays respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Inside the Wenhua Hall, officials from the Secretariat, along with officials from the Six Ministries under its jurisdiction, and members of the Censorate, came to pay their respects to Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao sat in the main seat: "All of you may dispense with the formalities."

Zhu Biao felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement.

After all, this was the first time he had met so many officials so formally and alone.

He also presided over the morning assembly.

If you replace the chair under his buttocks with a dragon throne, then at this point, he is practically no different from an emperor.

Although in other dynasties, many emperors would also carefully nurture and educate their crown princes as they grew older.

Let them govern the country and cultivate their abilities.

However, no emperor could have thrown all his civil and military officials at him like his father had.

He was to preside over the court assemblies and handle government affairs.

It's truly unprecedented for a father and son to share the same team!

He was a little nervous because it was his first time doing something like this, and he was afraid of not handling things well and failing his father's trust.

But then I thought, if I do something wrong, my father will help me find the flaws and fill in the gaps, so things won't get out of control.

My worries subsided considerably.

After exchanging greetings, they quickly got down to business and began this court meeting.

Prime Minister Hu Weiyong was the first to report the matter to Zhu Biao.

At first, things were normal.

Although this was Zhu Biao's first time presiding over a court meeting on his own, he had been nurtured by Zhu Yuanzhang for so many years.

Having witnessed firsthand how his father, the emperor, handled state affairs.

At this time, they were able to handle it without any major problems.

After a while, Zhu Biao gradually got into the zone, losing his initial awkwardness and caution.

However, as the court assembly continued, Zhu Biao gradually realized that something was wrong.

This time, the number of memorials submitted by the Secretariat and many officials was significantly greater than in the past.

In particular, Prime Minister Hu Weiyong submitted the most memorials.

It can be said that many matters, both major and minor, had to be reported to Zhu Biao for his opinion on how to handle them.

Normally, a typical court meeting can be concluded within an hour.

In many cases, the problem was almost solved in less than half an hour.

This time was different; it lasted for more than three hours before it finally ended.

By the time the morning assembly ended, it was almost noon.

This left Zhu Biao completely exhausted, both physically and mentally.

After leaving the Wenhua Hall, Hu Weiyong's face remained expressionless, and he continued to act as if it were business as before.

She showed absolutely no sign of happiness at having thoroughly disgusted Zhu Biao this time.

This led many people to secretly admire him, saying that Prime Minister Hu was indeed Prime Minister Hu, so composed and different in handling matters, able to keep his composure.

When he returned to the Secretariat and was alone, he closed the door, and Hu Weiyong's expression immediately became tense.

His face was beaming with smiles; he looked incredibly happy.

That little pig, he got what he deserved today, didn't he?
Did you learn something new?
Now you know that governing a country is not an easy task, right?
The better days are yet to come!

Next, he will continue his efforts to further develop and promote this matter.

I don't believe Zhu Biao can hold out!

It won't be long before Zhu Biao surrenders and admits defeat.

Even if Zhu Biao manages to hold out, this method can still be used to thoroughly annoy him, which is perfectly acceptable.

Who told his father to be so inhuman?

Since his father is inhuman, he won't hold back either!

This can be seen as a way to get revenge and vent my anger.

……

"Biao'er, those bastards like Hu Weiyong have caused you trouble, haven't they?"

Inside the Wuying Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao and asked him a question.

Today is the first time that Zhu Yuanzhang's son, Biao'er, has presided over the court assembly, so Zhu Yuanzhang naturally kept a close eye on it.

After the court assembly ended, the people who had been sent ahead of time invited Zhu Biao to the Wuying Hall.

He invited Zhu Biao to come and have dinner with him.

"Father, you are wise to see that they did indeed try to trip us up."

Hu Weiyong, that fellow, reports all sorts of things to me and lets me make the decisions.

Therefore, the court assembly only ended now.

Upon hearing Zhu Biao's words, Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his chopsticks down on the table.

"That damn Hu Weiyong, daring to trip me up in this matter, let's teach him a lesson!"

As Zhu Yuanzhang spoke, he ordered someone to summon Hu Weiyong.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Biao quickly said, "Father, no need."

Let the child have a go at him. The child will see that his purpose is nothing more than to exhaust the child and make the child unable to bear it.

If we were to ask Father to step in and resolve this matter now, wouldn't that mean I've been at a disadvantage and have surrendered to him?
This is something the child does not want.

Governing a country always involves facing various situations.

If you back down when you encounter problems, come to your father for help.

Wouldn't that make the child seem rather useless?

It was also not easy to win over the court officials.

Now that the Emperor is in charge, we can finally get it.

Those people still had some reservations and didn't dare to be too blatant.

"If my child were to govern the country himself in the future, who could he turn to for help if he encountered difficulties?"

Zhu Biao also possessed his own pride and a stubborn streak.

Hearing what his son Biao said, Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and nodded.

I agree with what my standard says.

“Biao’er has grown up. Okay, let’s do it the way Biao’er wants!”

Let's see how far this bastard can jump!
Look at this bastard, he's got a death wish!

Zhu Yuanzhang cursed aloud, and added another charge against Hu Weiyong...

In the waters near Baihua Island, numerous pirate ships are hidden behind the island.

Try to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Of course, besides the ships hiding here, some other ships have already detoured elsewhere, preparing to encircle the Maritime Trade Office's team and cut off their retreat.

While doing these things, they were careful to conceal their whereabouts as much as possible, and not to expose their true combat strength and intentions.

The reason for this was that they were worried that the government officials would discover their intentions, especially after learning about their powerful fighting force.

The Maritime Trade Office's fleet would be startled, turning tail and running like frightened rabbits, or heading to another destination.

This would contradict their idea of ​​achieving victory in one fell swoop.

They will regret it.

Fortunately, their plan was quite good this time, and they were particularly united in dealing with the maritime fleet organized by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Everyone cooperated very well.

The Maritime Trade Office did not find much of amiss.

Based on the intelligence we have so far, the Maritime Trade Bureau's fleet is now heading towards the inescapable trap they have laid.

At the current sailing speed, it will take about half a day to reach their encirclement.

At that time, when they will display their great power!

Now, they are just hoping that nothing unexpected will happen at the last moment.

The people from the Maritime Trade Office were able to completely enter the encirclement.

Of course, given the current situation, even if the people at the Maritime Trade Office have realized something is wrong and chosen to stop advancing and turn back, they might still be on the move.

For them, the problem wasn't too big.

We are already quite far from land.

By this time, the people they had arranged had essentially blocked the escape route of the Maritime Trade Office's fleet.

They were so close to the Maritime Trade Office's fleet.

Even if the Maritime Trade Office's fleet wanted to escape, it still couldn't!
It just takes a little more effort.

Whether it was the bald-headed old Fang, the leader of the Fang pirates, or Chen Zhili, the leader of the Chen pirates with a folding fan in his hand.

At this time, I'm in an exceptionally good mood.

After waiting for so long, their time to finally stand tall has finally come!

……

"Your Highness, we are probably surrounded by pirates by now."

There must be pirates who have laid a trap ahead.

Or...should we turn around and go back now?

Leaving now will minimize losses and prevent a devastating defeat.

On the deck, Wang Dayuan looked at Zhu Di with a somewhat nervous and anxious expression and said.

Wang Dayuan sailed the seas quite a bit back then, and he encountered pirates quite often as well.

At this moment, just look at the occasional small ships that have appeared in the distance throughout the day, and think about how His Majesty has offended these pirates by establishing the Maritime Trade Office.

This makes it clear that these pirates were all determined to inflict heavy damage on their side.

If you don't run away quickly at this point, things will definitely get very difficult.

Many people will lose their lives here.

"Don't worry, Mr. Wang, that's exactly what we want—for them to surround us!"
"If they don't surround us, how can we possibly wipe out all these bastards in one fell swoop?"

This was a strategy devised by Zhu Di, Yu Tongyuan, and Liao Dingguo after discussions.

The best way to deal with these pirates at sea is to gather them together and annihilate them in one fell swoop.

If the first attempt failed to wipe out most of them, then after they witnessed the power of the Ming Dynasty's naval artillery...

So finding another opportunity to easily get rid of these people won't be so easy.

The sea is so vast that it could be scattered like stars across the sky.

They hid themselves and avoided direct confrontation with the Maritime Trade Office's fleet.

Such a scene, bringing so many people together, will never happen again.

The pirates were plotting to throw them into the sea to feed the fish, while the pirates were also thinking of throwing all these pirates into the sea at once.
For them, this is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

It can be said that both sides have extremely high confidence in their respective capabilities and methods.

They both wanted to deliver a fatal blow to the other.

You could say they thought of the same thing.

That's why we're in this situation now.

After hearing Zhu Di's words, Wang Dayuan's anxiety did not diminish in the slightest.

His Highness put him at ease?

How could he possibly feel at ease?
So many pirates!
They are about to enter the pirates' encirclement!
Moreover, the pirates at sea at this time were far more numerous and much stronger than those at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

How could they possibly resist?
As far as he knew, the pirates now had more than thirty large ships, each with a capacity of two thousand liang, not to mention anything else.

On the other hand, they only have three ships now, which is a huge difference!
There is no comparison at all.

In naval warfare, the difference in ship size cannot be compensated for by any other means.

Even the bravest soldiers cannot overcome this.

"Don't worry, we have a secret weapon here."

Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you, Mr. Wang.

Our ship is covered with cannons, which are extremely powerful.

With these cannons, the difference in ship size can be made up for.

Not only can it compensate for the shortcomings, but it can also greatly surpass the enemy, giving these pirates a real taste of their own medicine.

Zhu Di looked at Wang Dayuan and spoke.

Things have come to this point, and the outcome will be revealed soon, so there's no need to keep this matter a secret any longer.

Moreover, Wang Dayuan was also chosen by the Emperor.

After such a long period of contact, Zhu Di had already come to recognize his character.

Especially in terms of navigation technology, it is beyond reproach.

With him around, the voyage has been smooth sailing so far, and we haven't run aground or hit any reefs even once.

"More than three hundred cannons, all of them covered by tarpaulins!"

When he spoke of these things, Zhu Di's voice rose slightly.

Upon hearing this, Wang Dayuan breathed a sigh of relief, but he was still quite anxious.

He knew about the cannon, and he had guessed before that it was covered by a cannon.

This is also the source of confidence for His Highness Prince Yan and his entourage this time.

However, he had seen cannons before and knew their power.

Even with so many cannons, it was difficult to compensate for the huge disparity in the number of ships, the number of people, and especially the size of the ships.

"These cannons are not the original kind."

This is a cannon that the Emperor ordered the artillery battalion to improve; its power is astonishing and will give them a run for their money.

Let them surround them; only by surrounding them can we better eliminate them.

Wang Dayuan was still worried.

Even with the greatest firepower, how powerful can artillery really be?
But since things have come to this, there's nothing more to say.

Now, all he can do is hope that what His Highness said is true.

These cannons are really that useful; they can rout these pirates!
……

Half a day later, a large number of pirate ships hidden here raised their sails, and many pirates roared and came toward the Maritime Trade Office fleet, forming a semi-encirclement.

Further back in the sea, ships were also approaching this direction.

It was also a ship belonging to pirates.

Seeing that they were surrounded, they not only did not flee, but instead used the gunwales of their ships to face the fleet of the Maritime Trade Office.

Chen Zhili opened the folding fan in his hand with a whoosh, and he was extremely excited.

I felt like I was about to laugh my teeth out.

He truly hadn't expected these people to be such incompetent fools, completely ignorant of naval warfare.

They actually used a side bow to meet the enemy!

With such a large ship on their side, there's nothing else to do but fill the sails and crush their numerous ships in half!

Let them sink the boat and all its people into the sea!

"Full speed ahead!"

He gave the order.

Immediately, someone used flag signals to relay his orders.

Then, their two thousand-ton-long ocean-going ships, as big as small mountains, sailed at full speed and headed straight for the Maritime Trade Office fleet!

At this moment, Yu Tongyuan also issued an order.

"Show your cannons! Prepare to fire!"

His voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement...

……

"Chongba, have you had some extraordinary adventure?"

(End of this chapter)