The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 53 Zhu Yao: My dad is a good-for-nothing!

Zhu Yao couldn't help but laugh at Hu Weiyong's fawning expression. He waved his hand and said casually, "Manager Gu, since you're here, don't just stand there. Sit down and let's enjoy ourselves. We're just killing time anyway."

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong's eyes flashed with joy, but he pretended to decline for a moment. Seeing Zhu Yao's sincere attitude, he no longer stood on ceremony and replied with a smile, "Then I will respectfully accept your offer. Thank you, young master."

As he spoke, he walked to another recliner next to Zhu Yao and lay down, relaxing his posture. The maids who were already waiting nearby quickly stepped forward. One gently massaged his shoulders, while the other carried a fruit plate and carefully fed him fruit. Their skills were so proficient that they were in no way inferior to the maids who served Zhu Yao.

Hu Weiyong closed his eyes, feeling the pressure on his shoulders, tasting the fresh fruit, and a look of contentment appeared on his face. The tension and fear of the past few days had dissipated at this moment.

Zhu Yao glanced at him sideways, a playful smile on his lips, and slowly said, "Manager Gu, to be honest, you and Mr. Liu have completely different styles."

"Mr. Liu is a calm and steady person. Every time he comes to my place, he either plays chess with me or talks about the past and present and discusses the way of governing the world. Every sentence is about the country and the people. He never makes a joke. He is very boring."

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong's eyes lit up instantly, and he secretly rejoiced.

Zhu Yao's words clearly showed his dissatisfaction with Liu Bowen, which presented him with a good opportunity to win over Zhu Yao and slander Liu Bowen.

He quickly opened his eyes, a hint of agreement on his face, his tone tinged with disdain and mockery: "What you say is absolutely right, young master!"

"That Liu fellow always pretends to be aloof and arrogant, acting as if he's above worldly concerns. In reality, he's incredibly pedantic and only knows how to spout empty platitudes, which are of no practical use whatsoever."

"Back when he was under your command, all he did was stir up trouble and ostracize his colleagues. Now that he's lost power, he's hiding here with you, young master. He probably wants to use your reputation to make a comeback. You'd better be careful!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao waved his hand slightly, his smile fading slightly, and said casually, "Hey, Manager Gu, you can't say that. It's not good for us to talk badly about people behind their backs."

Hu Weiyong's smile froze, and he was speechless for a moment, silently cursing in his heart:

How dare you say that?

Just now at the hot pot banquet, you belittled me to the point of worthlessness in front of His Majesty, saying that I would be ruined and my whole family executed sooner or later. That was not talking badly behind my back, but slandering me to my face!

But he dared not voice his dissatisfaction, and could only feign composure, smiling obsequiously as he said, "What you say is true, sir. I misspoke and will not mention it again."

Seeing his slightly embarrassed expression, Zhu Yao couldn't help but laugh, his tone tinged with curiosity: "Speaking of which, Manager Gu, you and Mr. Liu seem to be quite familiar with each other, right?"

"Moreover, it seems that the relationship between you two is not good. I saw you two arguing in the hall just now."

"You two both work for my father, you see each other all the time, what grudge could you possibly have?"

"How about this, let me find an opportunity to play matchmaker for you two, so you can turn hostility into friendship and get along well in the future, which will save me from having to worry about you."

Upon hearing this, Hu Weiyong quickly sat up, forcing a respectful smile, and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, young master!"

"It's all up to you, young master. If we can turn hostility into friendship with Mr. Liu, that would be the best outcome."

But inwardly he sneered and muttered to himself:

Matchmaking? That's wishful thinking!

Liu Bowen and I are mortal enemies who are irreconcilable. He targets me and ostracizes me at every turn, wishing he could kill me. How could I possibly get along with him?

If it were a feud between ordinary businessmen, perhaps it could be resolved through mediation. But between him and me, we are entangled in court struggles and power battles. It's either his death or my demise; there is absolutely no possibility of reconciliation!

Once I return to Jinling, I will strike first and completely eliminate Liu Bowen, this major threat!

Suppressing his inner thoughts, Hu Weiyong lay back down, his face still bearing a fawning smile. He changed the subject cautiously and asked, "Young Master, I have something I'm curious about, but I'm not sure if I should ask it?"

Zhu Yao waved his hand casually, "Ask away, what are you curious about? Just say it, don't be so reserved."

Hu Weiyong paused, his tone tinged with a hint of probing: "Young Master, do you know... what kind of business the Master is in?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao nodded slightly, a calm expression on his face, and said casually, "I know. When I reunited with my father, he told me that he was doing business in Jinling, and that he was the owner of some kind of chamber of commerce. I didn't ask him anything about the specifics."

As he spoke, he sighed softly, a hint of helplessness and emotion on his face, his tone tinged with self-deprecation: "Speaking of which, my life story is truly tragic."

"I was separated from my parents when I was very young. My mother passed away when I was very young. My maternal grandfather raised me with great difficulty and suffered a lot. I finally reunited with my father, but he was just an ordinary businessman with no great achievements and could not provide me with any support."

"I don't have any grand ambitions. I guess this is how my life will be. I'll just stay here in the Liu family mansion, eat and drink, and live a leisurely life. I'll be content with that."

Hu Weiyong sat to the side, listening to Zhu Yao's sighs, his lips twitching involuntarily, his expression quite subtle, and he was inwardly both amused and exasperated.

He secretly thought to himself:

An ordinary businessman?

Young master, you've really been kept completely in the dark by the master!

Your father is no ordinary businessman; he is the Emperor, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty!

Holding the power of the world and ruling over all directions—if that's considered unambitious, then there's no one ambitious in the world!

But he dared not expose the truth, so he could only feign sympathy, sighed, and said respectfully, "Young master, you flatter me. Master is very capable of managing the guild so well. You are now living a life of comfort and leisure, which is what many people dream of."

Zhu Yao waved his hand dismissively and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about these troublesome things. Let's just enjoy the present moment. It's rare to have such a peaceful time."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes again, signaling the maid to continue the massage, and a look of contentment returned to his face.

Looking at him like this, Hu Weiyong became even more certain that Zhu Yao was truly unambitious, only knew how to enjoy himself, and knew nothing about the master's true identity. His apprehension lessened a bit.

The two enjoyed themselves comfortably for a long time. Zhu Yao stood up first, patted his robes, and said to Hu Weiyong, "Manager Gu, you've enjoyed yourself enough. Come on, I'll take you to find Mr. Liu. Today, we'll settle your score."