Daming: I can’t kill such a greedy prince-in-law?

When Wang Zhong trotted back to report that the carriages were ready, Zhu Yuanzhang was pointing at the map. He used a cinnabar pen to draw a series of red dots along the canal, and finally circled Yangzhou: "Tell Wang Hongru to discuss matters at Yuelai Tower in three days. Just say." He narrowed his eyes, with a sly smile on his lips, "Just say that Boss Zhu wants to discuss a big deal with them."

As dusk deepened, Zhu Yuanzhang lifted the curtain of his carriage and looked at the bustling streets outside the palace wall.

The hawkers' cries, the bells of carriages, the laughter of children all rang out, and the aroma of sugar-roasted chestnuts floated in the air. He took a deep breath, and the long-lost blood surged in his chest - from begging in Fengyang to ascending the throne in Nanjing, and now he was going from being an emperor to becoming the richest businessman in the world, the splendor of the Ming Dynasty was far from over.

Wang Hongru's hand trembled slightly as he held the gold-stamped visiting card. The four flamboyant characters "Zhu Ji Shang Hao" on the rice paper were like four sharp knives, cutting through his peaceful afternoon. He stared at the bamboo shadows swaying in the wind outside the window, and couldn't help but recall the thrilling investment promotion conference in his mind.

Boss Zhu confronted the most powerful minister of the time, the son-in-law Ouyang Lun, but not only was he not liquidated, but he was also qualified to attract investment, which surprised everyone.

Since then, the name "Boss Zhu" has become a hot topic in Beijing's business community. Everyone is speculating about his background, but there is still no definite news.

At this moment, the visiting card in his hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, making Wang Hongru breathless.

He clearly remembered that after the last investment promotion conference, he had originally planned to keep his distance from this mysterious boss Zhu. After all, business is business, and offending the current prince consort is no joke.

Unexpectedly, not only did Boss Zhu not suffer any suppression, but he thrived in the business world. Some even said that he had the support of the royal family, and some speculated that the Huaixi Party was behind Boss Zhu.

After all, the only ones who can compete with Prince Consort Ouyang Lun now are the royal family and the Huaixi Party!

"What should I do?" Wang Hongru muttered to himself, pacing back and forth in the study.

He is already fifty-two years old this year. He rose from a small cloth shop assistant to the top cloth merchant in Jiangnan today, relying on his caution and ability to judge the situation. Now that Boss Zhu has invited him again, is it an opportunity or a trap?
After much thought, he felt that it would be difficult for him to make a decision alone, so he immediately sent people to invite several other giants in the capital's business community - silk king Li Wancai, rice merchant giant Zhang Fugui, and tea tycoon Chen Shouting.

These people usually have close contacts with him, and they are all old foxes who have been in the business world for decades. Perhaps they can have a foolproof plan.

Half an hour later, everyone arrived one after another.

Wang Hongru handed the visiting card to them to circulate. For a moment, there was silence in the study, and only the rustling of bamboo leaves could be heard outside the window.

"It's so old news. Who is this Boss Zhu?" Li Wancai stroked his goatee and frowned. "Last time at the Ministry of Revenue, I saw that the Prince Consort treated him differently. Normally, anyone who dared to confront the Prince Consort should have been dealt with long ago, but he was fine and even got the qualification to attract investment. There must be something fishy going on."

"Could it be someone from the retired emperor?" Zhang Fugui suddenly spoke up, with a hint of tentativeness in his voice. "Think about it, although the retired emperor has abdicated, he is still very concerned about the affairs of the court. Maybe this Boss Zhu was sent by the retired emperor to deliberately stir up trouble in the business world to see how we businessmen react."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was shocked.

Chen Shouting's face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice, "If that's the case, then we can't offend him. We've all heard about the methods of the retired emperor. He killed all those meritorious generals without blinking an eye. If we offend him, can we still keep our heads?"

"That being said, we can't jump to conclusions easily." Wang Hongru frowned and said, "What if Boss Zhu is just a wealthy local tycoon who got the investment invitation qualification by luck, and we try to get in on him and offend the Prince Consort? That would be more trouble than gain. After all, the Prince Consort is now a favorite of His Majesty and is highly valued. He was also the one who planned the investment invitation system of the imperial court."

Everyone was in a dilemma, looking at each other, not knowing what to do. Li Wancai suddenly slammed the table and said loudly: "In my opinion, we should send someone to find out the details of this boss Zhu, to see what he has been doing recently and who he is in close contact with. If he really has the support of the emperor, it won't be too late for us to seek help; if he has no background and is just a clown, we should just ignore it and do what we should do."

Everyone nodded in agreement. So Wang Hongru immediately ordered his most capable spy to investigate Boss Zhu's every move.

In the next two days, Wang Hongru and others felt like each day was a year long.

Every day, the spies brought some news about Boss Zhu, but it was all like seeing flowers in the fog, making people confused. Some people said that they saw Boss Zhu taking a group of people to Yangzhou, saying that they were going to investigate the salt transportation route; some people said that Boss Zhu opened several silk and satin shops in the capital, and his business was very hot; others said that they saw Boss Zhu drinking tea with Wang Zhong, the eunuch next to the retired emperor, and their behavior was quite intimate.

"With Wang Zhong?" Wang Hongru's heart skipped a beat when he heard the news. "This is no joke. Wang Zhong is the most trusted person by the emperor. If Boss Zhu really has dealings with him, then the backers behind him are self-evident."

Li Wancai nodded solemnly and said, "It seems that Boss Zhu's identity is extraordinary. He may really be related to the emperor. We must be careful now. If we hesitate any longer, we may miss a great opportunity."

At this moment, Chen Shouting suddenly slapped his thigh and said loudly: "Do you remember the attitude of His Majesty towards Boss Zhu at the last investment promotion conference? The look in his eyes and the tone of his voice were clearly full of respect. I found it strange at the time. Your Majesty is the current emperor, second only to the emperor, how could he be so polite to a businessman? Now that I think about it, maybe Boss Zhu and His Majesty have some special relationship."

Everyone suddenly understood what was going on. Zhang Fugui slapped his forehead and said, "That's right! Why didn't I think of it? The emperor's surname is Zhu, His Majesty's surname is Zhu, and this Boss Zhu's surname is Zhu too. Maybe he is a royal relative! Although we don't know which branch he is from, as long as he is related to the royal family, we can't afford to offend him." For a while, everyone talked about it, and the more they talked, the more they felt it made sense. Wang Hongru looked at the excitement of the crowd, and gradually made up his mind. He cleared his throat and said loudly: "Everyone, in my opinion, no matter whether this Boss Zhu is the emperor's man or not, we can't offend him easily. The last time he was able to overpower the prince consort at the investment promotion conference, it shows that he is by no means an ordinary person. Now he invites us again, if we don't go, we may get into trouble. Besides, even if he is not the emperor's man, he has such strength and means, and it may not be a bad thing to cooperate with him."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Li Wancai smiled and said, "Brother is right. We are doing business, as long as we can make money, who cares? Besides, even if he is really the emperor, wouldn't it be more secure for us to do business with him?"

So, everyone decided to go to Yuelai Building together three days later to accept Boss Zhu's invitation.

Three days later, the sun was shining brightly and the breeze was gentle. Wang Hongru and his companions arrived at Yuelai Building early, feeling both excited and nervous. They deliberately changed into their most respectable clothes and brought generous gifts, hoping to leave a good impression on Boss Zhu.

Yuelailou is the most famous restaurant in Beijing. It is luxuriously decorated and has exquisite dishes. It is frequented by dignitaries and wealthy businessmen. As soon as Wang Hongru and his companions entered the door, a servant came up to greet them and said with a smile, "Are you Mr. Wang, Mr. Li, Mr. Zhang, and Mr. Chen? My master has been waiting for you upstairs for a long time."

Everyone followed the servant upstairs and came to a spacious private room. The furnishings in the room were simple and elegant, with several famous paintings and calligraphy hanging on the wall, and famous tea and snacks on the table. An old man in gorgeous clothes was standing in front of the window with his back to them, admiring the scenery.

"Boss Zhu, we are here." Wang Hongru said respectfully.

The old man turned around and said with a smile: "Please take a seat, bosses. I have invited you here today for no other reason than to make friends with you and discuss business."

Only then did everyone see the old man's face clearly. It was Boss Zhu whom they had met in Jubao Pavilion last time. For some reason, when they met him again today, the old man seemed to have a kingly aura that made people want to submit to him involuntarily.

Everyone sat down, and the servant served them fragrant tea. Boss Zhu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, "I'm sure you all have some guesses about my identity. Today I'd like to tell you that my surname is Zhu, my name is Yuanzhang, and I'm the current emperor."

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the room was shocked. Wang Hongru and the others were so scared that they immediately stood up, knelt on the ground with a plop, and trembled all over. They couldn't even speak clearly: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I was blind and didn't know it was you, old man. Please punish me!"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed loudly, stretched out his hand to signal everyone to stand up, and said: "No need to be polite. I am talking to you today as Mr. Zhu, a businessman, not as the emperor. You just need to treat me as an ordinary businessman, there is no need to be so panicked."

Everyone stood up tremblingly, but their hearts were filled with shock. They never thought that this mysterious boss Zhu was actually the emperor, the father of the current emperor. For a moment, everyone felt dry mouth and at a loss.

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the nervous faces of the crowd and said with a smile: "I know that you have some concerns about my identity. But I came here today to do a real business with you, not to use my power to pressure you. You can rest assured that we will follow the rules of the market, trade fairly, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results."

Wang Hongru bravely asked, "I wonder what kind of business does the emperor want to do with me?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes sparkled as he slowly said, "I want to work with you to promote the investment invitation system throughout the country. Your Majesty has decided to promote the investment invitation system throughout the country. Whether it is building roads and bridges, constructing government offices, or purchasing food and weapons, it will all be implemented in accordance with this system. I plan to set up a business called 'Zhu Ji Business' to participate in the bidding for these projects. You are all elites in the capital's business community. I would like to invite you to join 'Zhu Ji Business' and grow bigger and stronger together."

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to respond. They had never thought that the emperor would have such an idea. In the past, the royal family was considered to be high above everyone else. How could they personally do business?
Li Wancai hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, although I have been doing business for many years, I still don't know much about the imperial court's investment promotion system. I wonder what benefits this system will bring to us businessmen after it is implemented?"

"When doing business, I prefer people to call me Boss Zhu!"

"It's Boss Zhu!"

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "This has many benefits. First of all, the investment invitation system emphasizes fair competition, and only the talented are promoted and employed. In this way, you powerful and capable businessmen will have more opportunities, and you don't have to rely on connections or backdoors like before. Secondly, after the system is promoted, there will be more and more projects from the court, and unlimited business opportunities. As long as you can seize the opportunity, the money you earn will not be a small amount. Finally, our 'Zhu Ji Business' has a royal background. After you join, it is equivalent to having a powerful backer, and you will be more comfortable in the business world."

"No one dares not to give you fairness!"

After hearing this, everyone was shaken. Indeed, Zhu Yuanzhang was right. The merchant invitation system was indeed a rare opportunity for businessmen. If they could cooperate with the royal family, it would be even more powerful, and their business would definitely get better and better in the future.

However, when they thought of Ouyang Lun, they hesitated again. After all, Zhu Yuanzhang and Ouyang Lun had a confrontation at the last investment promotion meeting, and no one knew what the relationship between them was. If they joined "Zhu Ji Business", would they offend Ouyang Lun?
Zhang Fugui bravely asked, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask, will the Prince Consort have any objections? After all, he was the one who planned this investment promotion system. If we cooperate with you, I'm afraid he will be unhappy, right?"

Zhu Yuanzhang heard this, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and then he smiled and said: "Don't worry, there is no grudge between me and the prince consort. Last time at the investment promotion conference, it was just normal business competition. Besides, this world belongs to my Zhu family. Whether it is Biao'er or the prince consort, they are all my family members. We are all one family. How can there be any conflict?"

After hearing this, everyone felt relieved. At this moment, a servant suddenly ran in in a panic and whispered in Wang Hongru's ear: "Master, I just received news that the court has officially issued an order to promote the investment promotion system throughout the country and set up a special supervision department to ensure the fair and just implementation of the system."

Wang Hongru was shocked when he heard this, and he quickly told everyone the news. Everyone was even more shocked when they heard it. They didn't expect that what Zhu Yuanzhang said was true, and the court actually wanted to fully promote the investment invitation system. (End of this chapter)