The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 32 Hu Weiyong, Confident and Full of Self-Confidence

Here, no one is superior; there are only people who need labor reform, and no one will tolerate their bad temper.

Zhu Shuang was so angry that he wanted to take action, but Zhu Su stopped him: "Second brother, don't be impulsive. This is not Jinling. No one will listen to us. Besides, we don't even have food to eat right now. If we cause trouble again, we may not even get coarse grains."

Zhu Gui gradually calmed down, looking at the wasteland in front of him and the tools in his hands, a look of bewilderment on his face. He had never done any farm work since he was a child, and he didn't even know how to hold a hoe, let alone reclaim wasteland for farming.

As the sun rose higher and the heat intensified, the three of them stood in the wasteland, feeling dizzy and parched, their stomachs rumbling. They realized that Zhu Yao was serious, and if they didn't take matters into their own hands, they might starve to death there.

Zhu Shuang gritted his teeth, picked up the hoe from the ground, and tried to clear the weeds like the young people. But the hoe was ridiculously heavy. He was panting heavily after only a few swings, his arms ached terribly, and he couldn't even straighten his back.

Zhu Su picked up the seeds, squatted down, and wanted to scatter them on the ground, but he had no idea how to dig holes or sow seeds. The seeds he scattered were either blown away by the wind or fell into the cracks in the rocks, and could not take root and sprout at all.

Zhu Gui took a sickle and tried to cut the weeds around him, but he couldn't even hold the sickle properly. Not only did he fail to cut the weeds, but he almost cut his own hand. Furious, he threw the sickle on the ground and squatted down to sulk.

Around noon, the young men took out their allotted coarse grains and ate them slowly with cold water. The aroma wafted towards the three men, who were starving but could only watch as the food stuck to their backs, unable to eat a single bite.

Zhu Yao had given orders long ago that if you didn't work, you wouldn't get any food.

Zhu Shuang couldn't resist any longer and stepped forward to grab a piece of coarse grain, but was stopped by a young man: "If you want to eat, you have to work for yourself. Nobody will give you food for free."

At that moment, Zhu Shuang's pride was completely shattered. He looked at the young man in front of him, then at his own aching arms and empty stomach, and realized for the first time that eating was not something to be taken for granted.

Zhu Su also humbled himself, picked up the hoe from the ground, and slowly learned to clear the weeds. Although his movements were clumsy and he was covered in sweat, he never complained again.

Looking at the sparse weeds in the wasteland, he suddenly understood how much hard work Zhu Yao had put into planting those sweet potatoes.

Zhu Gui stopped being stubborn and picked up the sickle, carefully learning to cut grass. Even though blisters formed on his hands, he gritted his teeth and persevered. He finally understood how precious the days when he was waited on hand and foot in the palace were.

As the sun set and night fell, the three of them finally cleared a small patch of wasteland and planted some seeds. Although they were exhausted, had blisters on their hands, and were still hungry, they stopped cursing.

They sat on the cold ground, watching the smoke rising from the chimneys in the distance and the young people resting silently around them, and for the first time, they felt a profound sense of understanding.

It turns out that food never comes from nothing. Every grain of food contains countless drops of sweat and hard work. What they used to scorn as coarse grains has now become the most precious thing.

Zhu Shuang looked at the seeds he had planted and said in a low voice, "So this is how difficult farming is. I used to waste food in the palace, but now I know how hard it is to get that food."

Zhu Su nodded, her eyes less spoiled and more composed: "Yes, I used to only know how to study herbs, but I never thought that if there was no food, even survival would be a problem, let alone studying herbs."

Zhu Gui lowered his head, a hint of guilt on his face: "I used to only think about cockfighting, dog racing, alchemy, and having fun. I never thought about how hard the people worked in the fields. No wonder Zhu Yao punished us by sending us here for labor reform."

As night deepened, the wasteland fell silent. The three huddled together beside a rock, facing the cool evening breeze. For the first time, their hearts were free of anger and complaints, filled only with reverence for the food and reflection on their past misbehavior.

.....

Jinling City.

The grand gates of the Korean royal mansion are imposing, and the pavilions and towers inside are arranged in a well-organized manner, fully demonstrating the grandeur of a noble family.

The atmosphere inside the hall was solemn.

Li Shanchang, dressed in a brocade robe, sat upright in the main seat, his face calm and his eyes deep, exuding an aura of authority that came from long-held power.

Footsteps sounded outside the door. Hu Weiyong, dressed in a brand-new official robe, walked into the hall with a straight posture and a respectful expression, his face showing a hint of smug satisfaction.

He had just been appointed Left Chancellor and was riding high on his success. His visit was both to express his gratitude and to seek instructions.

When Li Shanchang saw him enter, he slowly stood up, pretending to bow with his hands clasped in greeting. His tone was calm but carried a hint of probing: "Congratulations to Prime Minister Hu on your promotion to the position of Prime Minister. I am here to pay my respects to the new Left Prime Minister."

Upon seeing this, Hu Weiyong was terrified and quickly stepped forward, grabbing Li Shanchang's arm tightly with both hands. His expression was panicked, and his tone was earnest: "Teacher, you're making me feel terrible! You absolutely mustn't!"

"I owe my success today entirely to your guidance and recommendation. If it weren't for your strong recommendation before His Majesty, even with my great abilities, I would never have been able to rise to the position of Prime Minister. I will never forget this kindness."

He bowed slightly, adopting an extremely humble posture: "From now on, I will always put you first and follow your lead. If you say east, I will never go west. I will never let you down."

Looking at his respectful and humble demeanor, Li Shanchang's eyes flashed with satisfaction. He then sat back in the main seat and gestured for him to sit down: "Get up. I am relieved that you have this intention."

After saying that, he called out to the door, "Butler, bring tea."

The butler entered in response, brought out two cups of steaming hot tea, placed them respectfully in front of the two men, bowed, and withdrew, leaving only Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong in the hall.

Li Shanchang picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and slowly spoke, his tone tinged with expectation: "Weiyong, now that you are the Left Chancellor, wielding great power, tell me, how do you plan to perform your duties? How will you assist His Majesty in stabilizing the Ming Dynasty?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of confidence flashed in Hu Weiyong's eyes. He put down his teacup, took out a memorial from his pocket, and respectfully presented it to Li Shanchang with both hands: "Teacher, I am well prepared. This memorial details my ideas for future policies. Please take a look."

"Now that the Ming Dynasty has been established, it seems peaceful, but in reality, there are hidden dangers. The people have suffered from the war for many years. The fields are barren, food is scarce, and many people cannot even afford to eat and have been displaced. The national treasury is also very empty. Years of war have caused huge losses, and the court's finances are stretched thin."