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

Chapter 104 Adding flowers to brocade is not as good as providing charcoal in the snow.
Hu Weiyong is a smart man, and he couldn't possibly be unaware of these things. However, he has recently been burdened by his position, and after experiencing a period of great joy and sorrow, he has lost his ability to judge things.

Now that I've come to my senses, I'm sweating profusely as I think about these things carefully.

This is troublesome; it seems the Crown Prince intends to sideline him.

He was just curious: since the Crown Prince didn't intend for him to be the prime minister, why put him here and let him temporarily assume the prime minister's authority?

Hu Weiyong paused for a moment, his complex thoughts forming a coherent line in his mind.

there is only one truth.

Zhu Xiong Ying had no intention of letting him inherit the position of prime minister. The reason he made him act as prime minister was to let him try the case of the blank seal.

This is an extremely offensive matter. Once this matter is resolved, his relationship with the Jiangnan gentry will be irreconcilable.

Hu Weiyong was furious that they would remove him from office and appoint a new prime minister.

I thought I had finally reached this position after all this time.

The outcome was merely a fleeting moment for him, ultimately nothing more than a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror.

Now that the power of the Six Ministers has been directly transferred to the Crown Prince, bypassing the Secretariat, what use is there for me as the Chancellor? At this moment, a voice came from outside.

"Master, several lords and marquises have come to pay their respects!"

The arrival of these nobles from Huaixi gave him some ideas.

With Li Shanchang gone, these noble families of Huaixi had no one to protect them anymore.

The gentry families of Jiangnan and the north have deep roots and have developed for nearly a thousand years, possessing abundant resources. Even if they have been affected this time, it is believed that they will fully recover in just a few generations.

However, the nobles of Huaixi were different; they were all veterans who had followed Zhu Yuanzhang in conquering the country.

However, after only ten years of development, once a major setback is suffered, it becomes very difficult to recover.

These people probably came to me hoping to seek my protection.

Everything has two sides; bringing them together has both advantages and disadvantages.

The downside is that you have to clean up their messes, which might arouse Zhu Yuanzhang's suspicion. The upside is that it provides him with assistance, and these Huaixi nobles still have considerable influence in the court.

Having their support will make my future path easier.

Thinking of this, Hu Weiyong gritted his teeth.

"Have those people invite them in!"

After the steward left, Hu Weiyong's face turned ferocious.

"Well done, grandson! At such a young age, you've managed to manipulate us like this. In that case, let me see what great abilities you have that you dare to challenge me!"

At this moment, the Crown Prince Zhu Xiong Ying, who was lying in the Hall of Diligent Governance, suddenly sneezed. He wondered who was thinking about him. Could it be Yu'er? Or someone's young lady?

After Lu Zhongheng and his entourage arrived at Hu Weiyong's residence, they were seated in the living room for tea. However, Hu Weiyong did not appear for a long time.

Several people were getting a little impatient.

It shouldn't be a problem to let Li Shanchang or Xu Da wait.

After all, these people were superior to them in both status and position.

These people genuinely admire these two big shots.

But what was Hu Weiyong anyway? When they were following Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the country, he could only follow behind and pick up scraps.

If it weren't for Li Shanchang's favor and his appointment as a councilor in the Secretariat, I wouldn't have achieved my current position.

Lu Zhongheng cursed and swore. "That damned guy, does he really think he can be so arrogant just because he's become the acting prime minister, and doesn't he care about us?"

"No matter what, we have all shed blood and rendered meritorious service for the imperial court. How can we be treated so disrespectfully by such a petty person!"

Several other people nodded.

"That's right! This Hu Weiyong has some nerve, daring to disregard us!"

"We're here on important business, not for tea!"

At first, they were somewhat restrained.

When these people finally lost their temper, they stopped caring and started hurling increasingly offensive insults.

The conversation was clearly heard by someone at the back of the living room.

This person was none other than Hu Weiyong.

Hu Weiyong had already arrived at this place, just wanting to see how these people would react.

As expected, these people were all short-tempered.

Hu Weiyong sneered, his eyes full of disdain.

Only with this kind of attitude can he be most easily manipulated.

Hu Weiyong hurriedly came out from behind and said apologetically.

"My lords, I have some matters to attend to at my home. I apologize for any inconvenience caused and ask that you not hold it against me!"

"The marquises and earls are all our seniors. Back when you were fighting on the front lines, I was just a clerk under the Duke of Han. I will need your guidance and support in the future!"

Hearing Hu Weiyong's words, the group felt somewhat satisfied, and even their earlier anger subsided considerably.

Hu Weiyong's attitude was quite good, much better than Li Shanchang's before.

Hou Luju from Henan said in a sarcastic tone.

"What do you mean by saying this, Prime Minister? We are just some idle officials with no great abilities. We came here today to congratulate you on your promotion!"

"It didn't mean anything else!"

Hu Weiyong said with a smile.

"The Marquis of Henan is right. After all, we are all fellow townsmen from Huaixi. We should look out for each other. My position is only acting. After all, once this matter of the empty seal is resolved, His Highness the Crown Prince may very well remove me from office. So, I don't know how long I can remain as acting prime minister. Please don't laugh at me!"

Upon hearing Hu Weiyong's words, the group immediately felt that something was amiss.

It's unclear how long Hu Weiyong will remain in this position, and this is precisely the time when he needs help.

Their move at this time will definitely bring Hu Weiyong a lot of benefits.

It wouldn't be particularly difficult to use his imaging connections to protect them at that time.

Both sides had their own needs, and everyone was extremely happy.

Marquis Fei Ju of Pingliang said in a very casual manner.

"Alright, Lord Hu, we won't beat around the bush with you here. We think you're a good person, and you have the makings of a prime minister. Although you're only acting prime minister now, it won't be long before you're officially appointed!"

"We are all old brothers who fought alongside our superiors to conquer the world, and we have considerable influence over them. Why don't we recommend them to him? What do you think, Lord Hu?"

(End of this chapter)