The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 102 Nobles Gather, Each with Their Own Thoughts

Hou Luju from Henan stepped forward and helped Li Qi up.

"Nephew, how is the Prime Minister now?"

Li Qi shook his head.

"My father was already on edge, and now that he's heard the news of Hu Weiyong's betrayal, he's even more furious. He's fainted and probably won't wake up for a while!"

"Please forgive me for not being able to personally greet you, my uncles!"

Everyone was stunned for a moment after hearing this; it seemed they had come for nothing.

Marquis Fei Ju of Pingliang forced an ugly smile.

"Nephew, don't worry. As the saying goes, good people are always protected by heaven. I believe that nothing will happen to Prime Minister Li!"

"If you need anything, just come to us uncles and elders. We uncles and elders are still of some use!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Li Qi had no intention of saying anything more to these people, so he turned around and left.

After Li Qi left, these people gathered together.

Marquis Yongjia, Zhu Liangzu, pursed his lips, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"Goodness, this kid is so ruthless! He managed to anger Prime Minister Li like this. He's really something!"

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple for us to get the South Korean leader to take charge!"

"What do you all think we should do?"

Sitting to the side, Marquis Tang Shengzong of Yan'an was furious.

"It's all that ingrate Hu Weiyong's fault. If it weren't for him, things wouldn't be so troublesome. I think Prime Minister Li is useless now. Why don't we think of other ways to get out of this?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

They don't have many options left now. They either have to side with Hu Weiyong or find a new representative among the Huai-Xi nobles.

"We need to think about Hu Weiyong's matter again. This guy is ambitious and treacherous. He can even betray his own mentor, let alone ours. Moreover, although Zhu Xiong Ying appointed him as acting prime minister, he is not the real prime minister yet. He still has to pass the test of taking the position!"

"So I think we should go find a few old buddies and discuss it!"

After hearing this, the group nodded and then began to use their personal connections to make contacts everywhere.

The Duke's Mansion of the State of Wei.

As soon as Xu Da returned, he ordered his men to close the gate and not to open it for anyone.

Xu Yungong looked puzzled. Their Wei State Duke's Mansion could be said to be one of the wealthiest families in the entire Ming Dynasty. Why would they need to guard against others closing their gates in broad daylight?
"Father, I don't know what happened, why is the door so tightly closed!"

When Xu Da saw that Xu Yungong and Xu Miaoyun had arrived, he sighed and told them what had happened in the court that day.

Xu Miaoyun remained relatively calm, while Xu Yungong's mouth was already agape in astonishment.

"Is this really something the Crown Prince would do?"

Xu Yungong looked completely incredulous.

It should be noted that Zhu Xiong Ying is only ten years old, about the same age as his younger brother Xu Zeng Shou. It is truly unbelievable that someone his age could accomplish such a great feat, bringing down the Left Chancellor of the Central Secretariat.

Xu Miaoyun took a deep breath.

"He is indeed His Majesty's son, capable of such a thing. But with Li Shanchang down, it probably won't be long before those uncles from Huaixi will be looking for new patrons!"

"The most likely candidate is our father!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yungong felt a surge of excitement.

This was a good thing for the Duke of Wei's family, as it meant that their father's reputation had surpassed that of Duke Li Shanchang of Han.

“Father, this is a good thing. It shows that all the uncles still trust you. If that’s the case, then why don’t you approach them and instead keep them out?” Xu Da rolled his eyes in anger.

My eldest son is quite capable, but he's just too straightforward.

"Miaoyun, what do you think?"

Xu Miaoyun shook her head.

"This may not be a good thing for us. Father holds a large army, and now you, elder brother, are serving in the Five Armies Commandery. Our family's position is already very awkward, so Father has always avoided suspicion and rarely interacts with these old brothers from Huaixi!"

"These people have pledged allegiance to the Duke of Han, and now they're eager to switch allegiance. I suspect their backgrounds are anything but clean. If they really come to our Duke of Wei's mansion for help, assisting them might anger His Majesty!"

"If we don't help them, it might not look good, since they are all old brothers. It would be better to avoid them like the Duke of Xin did!"

Xu Da was extremely pleased with his daughter's words.

"As expected of my daughter, Xu Da, she sees things more clearly than others!"

Then he watched as his eldest son began to curse.

"You brat, I told you to study and observe more. What have you learned all these years at the Five Armies Commandery? You can't even understand something this simple. Do you really think the position of the head of the nobility is so easy to hold? Don't you think it's too hot to handle?"

Several nobles knocked on Xu Da's door for a long time, but no one answered. Frustrated, they had no choice but to leave.

The Zijing Tower in Yingtian during the Ming Dynasty.

Several brothers gathered here, waiting for everyone to arrive.

Not long after, several more marquises and earls arrived.

However, the group was also very anxious.

To become a new nobleman, one should at least be a duke.

The problem is that none of the dukes in the court came.

Duke Feng Sheng of Song was stationed in Yunnan and Guizhou, Duke Tang He of Xin retired to his hometown, and Duke Li Wenzhong of Cao was stationed in the north.

These people were unable to attend, so they could only pin their hopes on the remaining few.

Not long after, someone came to report.

"Duke Chang Mao of Zheng injured his leg in a riding accident some time ago and is currently recuperating at home, so it is inconvenient for him to come!"

Tang Shengzong and the others were somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

Duke Chang Mao of Zheng was the son of Chang Yuchun, so in terms of social status, he was indeed somewhat inferior.

Of course, there are some advantages, namely that the current Crown Princess Chang is his sister. If he could use this relationship, there would be something to do, but unfortunately, this guy doesn't seem to have any intention of getting involved.

Soon someone else came to report.

"Duke Deng Yu of Wei State recently caught a cold and is currently recuperating at home!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned extremely grim.

Just now in the imperial court, Deng Yu was still lively and energetic, not at all like someone who could catch a cold.

Moreover, these are all men who have been tempered in the army; how could they fall ill so easily? Clearly, Duke Deng Yu of Wei had no intention of having anything to do with them.

Even the most loyal and intelligent Duke Lan Yu of Liangguo caught a cold and is hiding at home.

These people sensed that something was amiss.

At this moment, Marquis Fei Ju of Pingliang walked in from outside, and everyone hurriedly gathered around, feeling somewhat anxious.

"Brother Fei Ju, how's the situation on your end?"

Has Duke Xu of Wei agreed to our request?

(End of this chapter)