The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 51 Our father's subordinates are no ordinary people either!

Chen Zhong bowed and replied, "Yes, young master, I will make the arrangements immediately and ensure that no one is allowed near the hall."

After Chen Zhong left, Zhu Yao stood in the courtyard, gazing towards the main hall, gently shaking his head, and muttering to himself:

These two don't seem to get along at all; our father's subordinates are no pushovers either!

.....

Inside the hall, after Zhu Yao left, the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. Liu Bowen picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and looked coldly at Hu Weiyong, his tone laced with sarcasm: "Prime Minister Hu, how have you been?"

"I never expected that in such a short time, you would become even more prominent, enjoying His Majesty's deep trust and wielding great power in the court."

"I should offer my congratulations!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong sneered, put down his teacup, and retorted without any politeness, "Liu Bowen, you dare to compare yourself to me?"

"You are nothing but a useless man abandoned by the court, hiding in the countryside, barely clinging to life. How dare you put on airs before me, the Prime Minister?"

"Back then in court, relying on His Majesty's trust, you were arrogant and disdainful of others, constantly ostracizing our Huaixi Party and repeatedly slandering me before His Majesty. Now you've come to this end, poisoned and abandoned by everyone—it's all your own fault!"

Liu Bowen's face darkened, his eyes flashing with even more murderous intent, and he sharply retorted, "You brought this upon yourself?"

"I, Liu Bowen, have been loyal and devoted throughout my life, assisting Your Majesty in pacifying the realm. I have always been wholeheartedly devoted to the country and its people, and have never had a single selfish thought. It is you, Hu Weiyong, who have climbed to your current position by flattering and forming cliques!"

"Do you think that just because you have His Majesty's deep trust and wield great power, you can do whatever you want?"

"You have secretly placed your cronies in power, manipulated local officials, engaged in corruption and bribery, and eliminated dissidents. Your actions are outrageous and abhorrent to both heaven and man. Do you really think His Majesty is unaware of this?"

"He's only tolerating you temporarily. I think Young Master Zhu is right; sooner or later you'll end up disgraced and your entire family executed!"

"And wasn't it you who sent someone to poison me?"

Hu Weiyong trembled with rage, slamming his fist on the table and roaring, "Insolence! Liu Bowen, how dare you curse me! You yourself were poisoned and beyond saving, yet you can't bear to see me in glory, so you deliberately spread rumors and mislead the public here!"

"Do you think you can save your life by hiding here with Zhu Yao?"

"Don't forget, His Majesty has long harbored resentment towards you. If it weren't for your past contributions, you would have been dead long ago!"

"Now that you're living under someone else's roof, like a stray dog, how dare you swagger and act arrogantly before me?"

Liu Bowen sneered and retorted without backing down, "At least I can have a clear conscience, while you are nothing more than a pawn used by His Majesty to balance the court. Once you lose your usefulness and His Majesty fully sees through your ambitions, you won't even know how you died!"

"You rose to power by relying on the influence of the Huaixi Party, yet you are always wary of Li Shanchang. On the surface, you appear loyal, but in reality, you are ambitious, attempting to control the court and even coveting the imperial power. Your wolfish ambition will be exposed sooner or later. At that time, not only will you be in danger, but you will also implicate the entire Huaixi Party, causing all the Huaixi youths to perish with you!"

"Do you think that by appearing utterly loyal before His Majesty today and recommending Zhu Yao for office, you can win His Majesty's complete trust?"

"We both know what kind of person His Majesty is. He hates nothing more than those who form cliques, engage in corruption, and are ambitious. Every step you take today is like jumping into a fire pit!"

Hu Weiyong's face turned deathly pale, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes, yet he maintained his composure and shouted angrily, "Nonsense! Liu Bowen, stop trying to sow discord here! My loyalty is unwavering, heaven and earth bear witness, and His Majesty knows the truth; how could he be deceived by your slander!"

"As for you, you can't even protect yourself, yet you dare to preach about the true nature of things here? I think you've gone mad!"

Liu Bowen smiled faintly, his tone disdainful: "I, Liu Bowen, have acted uprightly and honestly, and have nothing to fear. As for you, if you dare to mention today's events before His Majesty, if you dare to expose your ambitions, you'll likely die even faster!"

The two engaged in a fierce verbal battle, each word piercing the other's heart. The murderous intent in their eyes was almost overflowing, and the atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense, as if the two would come to blows at any moment.

Hu Weiyong was furious at Liu Bowen's retort, but he suppressed his anger and changed the subject, asking with a piercing gaze, "Liu Bowen, I ask you, who built the extensive and sturdy cement roads in Chenzhou City? Could it have been you?"

Liu Bowen raised his eyelids slightly, his tone tinged with disdain, and replied indifferently, "Of course it wasn't me. I don't have such ingenious ideas. This cement road was planned and supervised by Young Master Zhu Yao himself."

Hu Weiyong's pupils contracted slightly, a ripple of emotion stirring within him. He pressed on, "That sweet potato that swept through Chenzhou, relieving the people's famine, with its soft, glutinous texture and extremely high yield, was it also introduced and cultivated by Zhu Yao?"

Liu Bowen smiled, his tone full of pride, and slowly nodded: "Naturally, it was also Young Master Zhu Yao. It was Young Master Zhu Yao who obtained it by chance and painstakingly cultivated it, which allowed it to be promoted in Chenzhou and save the lives of countless people."

Hu Weiyong's expression changed drastically, his body trembled slightly, and the smugness on his face vanished instantly. His tone was filled with disbelief as he stammered, "Then...then the Single Whip Tax System you just mentioned, which can reform the tax system and benefit the whole country, is it also...is it also what Young Master Zhu Yao wants?"

Liu Bowen nodded heavily, his sharp eyes fixed on Hu Weiyong, and his tone was firm: "That's right, from beginning to end, it was all conceived and created by Young Master Zhu Yao alone, without the slightest assistance from others."

"His Majesty recognized Zhu Yao's exceptional talent and knew he had the ability to govern the country and bring peace to the nation, which is why he made an exception and adopted him as his son. When the time is right, the young master will surely enter the court to assist in governing the country."

"Haven't you, Hu Weiyong, always thought highly of yourself and considered yourself invincible?"

"You Huaixi Party boast of having a wealth of talent and being invincible, don't you? I, Liu Bowen, am no match for you, so I admit defeat. But Young Master Zhu Yao alone is enough to deal with the entire Huaixi Party!"

"You show such contempt for the young master today, but the day Zhu Yao steps into the court, it will be the day your Huaixi Party is destroyed, and you will all perish!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong was shocked. His face turned ashen, his body trembled slightly, and his heart was filled with turmoil.

He never expected that Zhu Yao would have such great abilities. Cement roads, sweet potatoes, and the Single Whip Law—each of these was enough to influence the world. If such a person were to actually enter the court, he would be no match for him.

But after a moment, the panic in his eyes gradually faded, and a playful smile slowly appeared on his lips. Looking at Liu Bowen, his tone was tinged with sarcasm and smugness: "Liu Bowen, you don't need to be alarmist here."

"Isn't it just that you met Young Master Zhu Yao before me and got on his good side earlier?"

"Although he is currently favored by His Majesty, it is still unknown whose side he will side with!"