The long-term attendant brought by Lu Zhongheng was, surprisingly, the Prime Minister of Zhongshu Province, Hu Weiyong!
Zhu Su couldn't help but be a little stunned.
Although he is said to be the king of a feudal lord, in the final analysis he is not a feudal lord and has no power in the court.
Although Zhongshu Province had been reduced in power several times by Lao Zhu, the power of the prime minister was no longer what it used to be. However, a emaciated camel is bigger than a horse. He is still able to lead several ministries such as the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Justice to compete with the cabinet. He is still the most powerful person in the court.
What's more, behind Hu Weiyong was Li Shanchang, the former top power minister of the Hongwu Dynasty. Li Shanchang is Lao Zhu's old teammate. He has countless disciples and former officials. He was born in Huaixi and has a lot of say among the nobles in Huaixi. Why does Hu Weiyong show such respect to me by pretending to be a young boy and looking for me?
Could it be that... they found out the source of the cabinet policy and came here specifically to ask questions? Thinking of this, Zhu Su's face suddenly turned pale.
"Haha, I suddenly couldn't wear the sun-seeking crown to pay my respects. I'm sorry for the disrespect." Seeing Zhu Su's expression was different, Hu Weiyong thought it was Zhu Su who was shocked, and apologized in advance. His words and deeds are quite worthy of a prime minister. But in Zhu Su's eyes, it always felt like a weasel paying New Year's greetings to a chicken.
"It's okay. Prime Minister Hu went through all the trouble to come here but he has something to say to Yu Gu? Please speak up." Zhu Su naturally knew that Hu Weiyong was a cesspool. Among the four famous cases, the Hu Weiyong case was the most widely involved.
He had already told Lao Zhu all the four major cases in the Hongwu period. He already knew the reason why Hu Weiyong looked down upon the wolf but still let Hu Weiyong get away with it. Although Zhu Su didn't know the reason, it was definitely not good to have anything to do with this old man. The point of Zhu Su is still clear.
Since ancient times, emperors have been suspicious. Although Jin Yiwei was new, Zhu Su had already seen what he was capable of, so he naturally didn't have the time to mess around with Hu Weiyong in the secret room for too long. It would be best to find out what he wanted to do and end the secret conversation as soon as possible, so that Lao Zhu would not become suspicious after learning about it.
"Since Your Highness said so, I won't be shy." It seemed that he had already expected that Zhu Su would not want to say anything, so Hu Weiyong went straight to the point. "Everyone in the court said that His Highness and the Crown Prince's brothers will have no quarrel with each other, but there are some things that even His Highness the Crown Prince cannot control."
"Has Your Highness ever thought about your safety in the future? I just want to persuade Your Highness here. Don't you hear the allusion of Liu Ruyi, the former King of Zhao Yin in the Han Dynasty?"
Understand, this guy, like Ru Taisu, also came here because of the rumors that appeared in the court. Using Liu Ruyi's allusions to scare me is trying to instigate myself to fight with my eldest brother!
Liu Ruyi was originally the third son of Han Emperor Liu Bang. Liu Bang wanted to depose the crown prince Liu Ying and install Liu Ruyi instead, which aroused the jealousy of the crown prince's mother, the Lu family.
This Liu Ying is somewhat similar to the current crown prince Zhu Biao. Both of them are based on benevolence and are extremely affectionate to their brothers. He had no fear that Liu Ruyi had been a competitor for his throne. After Liu Bang's death, he directly protected Liu Ruyi personally. They lived and ate together and were almost inseparable. But even though he had become the emperor, he still did not have the ability to guard against thieves for a thousand days. Liu Ruyi was still poisoned by Lu after all.
Liu Ying was horrified and regretful about this, and cried for several days.
"Hu Xiang used the allusion between Liu Ruyi and Liu Ying to compare me and my eldest brother. Isn't it a bit inappropriate?" Zhu Su blinked his eyes, and his tone was a bit confused and fearful. "Liu Ruyi and Liu Ying are the same concubine, but my eldest brother and I are from the same mother and father..."
Hearing the hesitation in Zhu Su's words, Hu Weiyong couldn't help but feel happy. After all, he is still a child. Even if he really has some guidance from an expert, his mind is still not mature yet. He only has a little bit of fear in his heart. What's more, if you really have no idea about that position, why bother mentioning the distinction between legitimate concubine and concubine? Although they are both legitimate sons, their status will be very different in the future. How can this prince, who has already begun to show his extraordinary talents, really have no doubts in his heart?
In the past, in order to enter the Central Secretariat, he searched for family assets and bribed his mentor Li Shanchang, and then he achieved his current status as prime minister. Now that the cabinet is about to rise, how can I, Hu Weiyong, sit back and wait for death? How can a man be without power for a day? The Fifth Highness must have a desire for power in his heart when he tries to save others by himself.
It is impossible for anyone in this world to have no ambition, absolutely impossible!
"Even without Empress Lu, does Your Highness think Liu Ruyi can save her life?" Hu Weiyong continued to scaremongering. "Your Highness, you are still young. How could you know about this struggle for power? As soon as the signs are revealed, one of the parties must be completely wiped out."
"Even if Empress Lu does not take action, the officials under Hui Emperor Liu Ying will personally take care of Liu Ruyi. The glory and wealth of the officials are all tied to the emperor. How can such a big threat be allowed to continue to exist?"
"Not only Liu Ruyi of the Han Dynasty, but also various precedents such as Fusu of the Qin Dynasty and Yang Yong of the Sui Dynasty are vividly visible. Which one of them has not already established his position, but still kills the opponents he has fought for before?"
"Although it may not be His Highness's original intention, there are now rumors in the court that His Highness wants to compete for the position of Crown Prince. Then His Highness's subordinate officials must have kept His Highness's threat in mind. If His Highness had not taken precautions early, wouldn't he have destroyed the Great Wall? The day before yesterday, there was a prince who disobeyed the prince's orders and impeached His Highness. Who knows if there will be other supporters of the prince who will continue to pursue you in the future?"
"Even though you are not in danger of life under the protection of the Crown Prince, once the Crown Prince ascends the throne, you, who have been rumored to have seized the throne, will definitely be hostile to all the officials under His Royal Highness. Although His Majesty has issued an edict not to execute the royal family, he is still in Fengyang. A high wall was built to serve as a prison cell. Is Your Highness really willing to spend his remaining days within that high wall?"
Hu Weiyong's words were extremely inciting, and he looked like he was all fighting for Zhu Su's injustice, and he even had the tendency to beat his chest and feet.
Little did he know that Zhu Su's eyes lit up when he mentioned Fengyang High Wall, and he managed to hide his heart-moving gaze. He lowered his head calmly, and when he raised his head again, he looked helpless as if he had been frightened.
What Hu Weiyong saw was the horror on Zhu Su's face, but he still forced himself to speak calmly: "Does Hu Xiangmi meet with me just to scare me? Please make it clear what you want, and don't talk about him!"
He is worthy of being the fifth prince who is valued by His Majesty. Speaking of this, it is extremely rare for people of his age to still maintain sanity. Hu Weiyong secretly said to himself, but he also felt a little complacent that he had everything under control. After all, he is just a child. Although his mind is different from ordinary people, that's all.
He whispered to Zhu Su: "I came here secretly because I came here specifically to offer my allegiance to His Highness and help His Highness."
"As long as His Highness is determined to seek that honorable position, I, Hu Weiyong, will make arrangements for everything in the court."
"Your Highness, there is no way out. We have to sink the boat! If you succeed, you will have the world under your control. If you fail, you will just fall into the high wall of Fengyang. You are a disciple of a master, and you should know the truth of breaking when you need to." Hu Weiyong's words The sound is extremely beguiling.
(End of chapter)
