gnovel Chapter 63 We're going to Chenzhou, and nobody can stop us!
Chapter 63 We're going to Chenzhou, and nobody can stop us!
"In short, we're heading to Chenzhou now, and nobody can stop us!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's tone was resolute, his face showing no room for negotiation, his heart filled with the urgency to see Zhu Yao as soon as possible, eat hot pot, and then explore the "treasure."
Empress Ma looked at his stubborn appearance and felt helpless. Knowing that she could not persuade him, she could only sigh and slowly get up: "Fine, fine, if you want to go, then go. I will go with you and take care of you."
As she spoke, Empress Ma began to get up and change her clothes, her curiosity about Zhu Yao growing stronger.
What extraordinary qualities does this child possess that could make Zhu Yuanzhang so concerned and willing to disregard rules to travel there overnight?
Upon seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed. He quickly got up and changed his clothes. Then, he secretly summoned Erhu and Zong Yonghe. All four of them disguised themselves, avoided the palace guards, and slipped out of the palace under the cover of night. They mounted their horses and galloped towards Chenzhou.
Meanwhile, inside the Prime Minister's residence, Hu Weiyong was sitting under the lamp, diligently handling government affairs. Thick files were piled on the table, all concerning the implementation of the Single Whip Law.
Since returning from Chenzhou, Hu Weiyong has been steadily advancing the Single Whip Law step by step, following the methods taught to him by Zhu Yao. He no longer acts arbitrarily as before, but instead works diligently and personally handles everything. He also deliberately distances himself from the officials of the Huaixi Party and no longer favors his own faction.
During this period, he clearly felt that Zhu Yuanzhang's attitude towards him had changed significantly. He no longer scolded him as often as before, but instead often praised him for his efficient work. This made Hu Weiyong even more determined to follow Zhu Yao and do his job well.
Just as he was focused on handling government affairs and pondering how to further promote the Single Whip Law, a subordinate hurriedly entered the study, bowed, and reported: "My lord, news has come from the palace that His Majesty... His Majesty has left the palace again, and his whereabouts are unknown."
Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong paused abruptly, his eyes lighting up instantly. Almost without hesitation, he guessed Zhu Yuanzhang's whereabouts.
His Majesty must be heading to Chenzhou again to see Young Master Zhu Yao!
A thought struck him, and he immediately put down the dossier in his hand, stood up, and walked outside, ordering his men to prepare a horse as he went: "Quickly, prepare a fast horse! I'm going to catch up with His Majesty, I must catch up!"
He knew that only by following Zhu Yuanzhang to Chenzhou could he get closer to Zhu Yao, learn more, gain Zhu Yuanzhang's trust, and solidify his position as prime minister. He could not afford to miss this opportunity.
Hu Weiyong spurred his horse and chased after them all the way. Before long, he caught up with Zhu Yuanzhang and his entourage on the outskirts of Nanjing.
He quickly dismounted, ran to Zhu Yuanzhang, bowed deeply, and said urgently, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Please wait for me!"
"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you take me with you to Chenzhou. I wish to accompany you so I can learn more from Young Master Zhu Yao and serve Your Majesty at your side!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned, waved his hand, and firmly refused, saying, "No need. Weiyong, you stay in Jinling and handle government affairs well, especially the implementation of the Single Whip Law. You must not slack off."
"Our trip to Chenzhou is purely a private matter. As the Prime Minister, you bear heavy responsibilities. Your duty is to safeguard Jinling and handle court affairs properly. Don't follow us and cause trouble."
Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong's face showed some disappointment. He wanted to plead again, but when he met Zhu Yuanzhang's stern gaze, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue and could only bow and reply, "Your subordinate obeys the decree. Your subordinate will certainly handle the affairs of state well and live up to Your Majesty's trust."
"Your Majesty, I recently sought out two beautiful women from Yangzhou who are skilled in playing the zither, gentle in nature, and adept at their craft."
"I have nothing to offer in return, so I have prepared these two items and humbly request Your Majesty to take them to Chenzhou and present them to Young Master Zhu Yao as a token of my goodwill."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him sideways and couldn't help but casually remark, his tone tinged with a mix of mockery and helplessness: "You, you, instead of thinking about how to rectify official corruption and manage the court, you're always preoccupied with these trivial matters of love and pleasure. You've wasted all your energy on unorthodox methods!"
Even so, Zhu Yuanzhang knew in his heart that Hu Weiyong's actions were a deliberate attempt to curry favor with Zhu Yao, and also a sincere gesture. He did not criticize or refuse, but simply nodded slightly and said lightly, "Alright, accept it on Yao'er's behalf."
Hu Weiyong was bitter inside! It was clearly his son who was playing fancy games; he was just catering to his son's interests!
"Let's go back!"
Zhu Yuanzhang didn't delay any longer. He mounted his horse, whipped it, and galloped away with Empress Ma, Erhu, and Zong Yonghe to Chenzhou overnight. The group of people disappeared into the deep night in an instant, leaving only a cloud of dust.
Hu Weiyong stood on the official road, watching the figure disappear completely. He felt a deep sense of loss and had nowhere to vent it. He sighed softly, turned around slowly, and walked back to the Prime Minister's residence alone.
He had barely stepped into the mansion and had not yet sat down to rest when the sounds of carriages and horses and the clamor of voices began to rise outside. A steady stream of court officials came to visit, and the area in front of the Prime Minister's mansion was bustling with activity.
These officials were all seasoned veterans of the court, with extremely good information. In just half an hour, they found out that Zhu Yuanzhang had left the palace incognito late at night and traveled to other places.
Everyone understood that with the emperor away from Nanjing, all the important affairs of the court were in the hands of Prime Minister Hu Weiyong. At this moment, Hu Weiyong was the de facto ruler of the capital, and no one dared to offend him.
A host of civil and military officials brought rare and precious antiques and treasures to his door, not only to pay their respects and curry favor, but also to take the opportunity to curry favor and pave the way for their future careers.
At first, Hu Weiyong was still clear-headed, always keeping in mind Zhu Yao's previous prediction of his fate and the three life-saving admonitions he had given him, and dared not be the slightest bit presumptuous.
He immediately ordered his servants to close the door to visitors, refuse to see any visitors, and return all gifts. He was determined to keep a low profile, stay in his post, and avoid causing trouble.
Seeing this, his trusted confidant quickly stepped forward to dissuade him, earnestly advising, "Master, you mustn't do this!"
"Now that His Majesty has left the capital, the officials in the court are restless and everyone is watching the situation. As the current prime minister, you are the head of all officials. If you close your doors to guests at this time, you will only earn a reputation for being arrogant, self-important, and unapproachable, completely offending all the civil and military officials. In the future, you will probably find it difficult to move an inch!"
The confidant continued to analyze the pros and cons in detail, speaking clearly and logically: "In my opinion, Your Excellency should receive everyone to stabilize morale in the court and maintain order. As for those valuable gifts, we should refuse them all, focusing only on maintaining professional relationships and not accepting any bribes. This way, we won't offend anyone and can also maintain our own boundaries—a win-win situation. Why not do it?"
Hu Weiyong pondered for a long time after hearing this, carefully considering the pros and cons. He felt that his confidant's words made perfect sense, and his tense nerves gradually relaxed. He immediately gave up the idea of closing the door to guests.
"What you say makes sense; it is my oversight that I have not considered this carefully."
He nodded slightly, then gave the order to open the gates of his residence and receive all the civil and military officials who came to visit.