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

While the civil and military officials were still discussing it outside...

Wang Zhong walked out of the Taiji Hall.

"My lords, the Duke of Han has awakened. The Emperor Emeritus requests that you proceed to continue the court session!"

Upon hearing Wang Zhong's words, the civil and military officials reacted with varying expressions and began to discuss among themselves.

"Should we continue with the court assembly? It seems the Duke of Han is alright!"

"The Korean Duke is really healthy. If it were any other old man in his sixties, he probably would have died by now."

"Let's go, let's go, who knows what trouble we might cause later."

"We're just spectators; we're not the real protagonists."

As these civil and military officials spoke, they all subconsciously looked in Ouyang Lun's direction, clearly believing that Ouyang Lun was one of the main figures in this court assembly.

Even the civil and military officials had a feeling that Ouyang Lun might be the one with the most power in the future.

Ouyang Lun remained quite calm in the face of the gazes cast upon him by the civil and military officials. He didn't say much and simply followed Wang Zhong inside.

Enter the Taiji Hall.

Then they saw Li Shanchang sitting on a small stool, his face was a little pale, but he was still in good spirits.

"The Duke of Han is old and fainted from excitement, but fortunately the royal physician found nothing seriously wrong!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said calmly, "Since there's nothing else, let's continue the court assembly today!"

"Ouyang Lun, is there anything else you want to say?"

When Zhu Yuanzhang asked him a question, Ouyang Lun did not answer directly. Instead, he looked at Li Shanchang and asked worriedly, "Your Majesty, may I really continue?"

"If the Korean prince were to become the son-in-law of the emperor, he would be in a situation where he couldn't clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River."

Zhu Yuanzhang was also stumped by Ouyang Lun's question.

Just then, Li Shanchang spoke up, "Say whatever you want to say, Prince Consort Ouyang, I can handle it!"

"Ouyang Lun, since Li Shanchang has spoken, then you should speak!"

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, "But you can't curse, and you definitely can't lay a hand on people!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I, Ouyang Lun, still have basic manners. I would never do something like swearing or fighting."

Ouyang Lun cupped his hands in greeting, then looked at Li Shanchang and smiled slightly, "Since the Duke of Han agrees to let me continue, then I will speak my mind!"

"Say it!"

Li Shanchang was getting impatient.

At this moment, Li Shanchang was also mentally preparing himself. In his opinion, Ouyang Lun had already said everything that was meant to anger him.

There won't be anything too sharp said next, and I definitely won't get angry.

"Lord Han Guo, I actually wanted to tell you just now that in my eyes you are definitely a number one person!"

"They're just getting more and more regressive as they get older, and they don't even think before they speak!"

"Since the South Korean public believes that our retirement benefits for meritorious officials are not worthy of someone of your caliber, then please tell me, what kind of benefits would you like?"

"If you can't explain it, then I have reason to suspect that you're not really after the benefits of retiring to your hometown, but rather it's just an excuse you came up with to avoid retiring!"

Ouyang Lun remained remarkably calm, his words sharp and cutting, and he didn't care whether Li Shanchang could accept them.

Um! ?

Upon hearing Ouyang Lun's words, Li Shanchang was furious, but he quickly suppressed his anger.

In Li Shanchang's view, Ouyang Lun said these things to provoke him. Once he was provoked again, there would be no more divine calculations at today's court assembly.

Ouyang Lun's question was very pointed. If Li Shanchang really couldn't answer it, then it would prove Ouyang Lun's suspicions.

But if it were said out loud, it would be tantamount to confirming Li Shanchang's true intentions.

But he couldn't keep quiet, so after a moment's thought, Li Shanchang decided to speak out.

"Humph!"

"Back when we old ministers followed the Emperor Emeritus on his southern and northern expeditions, you, Prince Consort Ouyang, were just a child!"

"You have no idea how arduous the journey to establishing the Ming Dynasty was!"

"Your so-called benefits seem very generous, but in reality, we old ministers have to fight for them ourselves. If we can't get them, we'll end up with nothing!"

"You've perfectly demonstrated how to take advantage of someone else's resources!"

"Such an insincere proposal is naturally unacceptable."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned as he listened, "Li Shanchang, if you have your own opinion, you can say it directly. There's no need to keep saying that Ouyang Lun's plan is no good!"

"Whether it works or not is up to the noble families of Huaixi who approve of this welfare plan to judge!"

Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang was personally urging him, Li Shanchang stopped wasting words and said directly, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that the conditions for the meritorious nobles of Huaixi to retire and return to their hometowns should naturally be as generous as possible!"

“We are all from Huaixi, and many of us are from Fengyang. We should reward them with more money than they could ever spend in several lifetimes!”

"There's also land. At least 10,000 mu!"

"In addition, the titles and privileges of the Huaixi nobles were retained, and they received extra rewards during festivals."

"We must not restrict the freedom of the nobles of Huaixi! They can go wherever they want."

Hey!
When Li Shanchang presented his conditions, everyone in the Taiji Hall gasped in shock.

This is such a great deal!

If those conditions were true, I don't know how happy I would be!
Many of the nobles from Huaixi who had already agreed to sign their retirement papers were now tempted again.

Of course, these nobles from Huaixi were only tempted for a moment. They knew very well that if the retired Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang were willing to offer such terms, he would have done so long ago.

Even Li Shanchang himself was quite hesitant at this moment, feeling that the conditions he was asking for were too high.

However, he deliberately set the price high because he believed that even if the price was negotiated down, he could still achieve his goal by asking for a high price.

Thinking of this, Li Shanchang immediately continued, "Your Majesty, the reason I am saying this is not just to advocate for the welfare and benefits of the nobles of Huaixi, but also for the sake of Your Majesty!"

"You should know that if we, these meritorious officials, can enjoy our old age in peace and our family line can continue, it will demonstrate the benevolence of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Only then can the grace of the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty be truly manifested!"

"As a founding hero of the Ming Dynasty, if he could live out the rest of his life in wealth and honor, receive the protection of the court, and have his wife and children granted titles and privileges, that would be a wonderful story!"

"When people see this, they will be even more willing to serve the Ming Dynasty!"

After Li Shanchang said these words, the Taiji Hall fell silent once again.

It must be said that Li Shanchang's words were very tempting!
It seemed like a win-win situation.

Just then, Ouyang Lun burst into laughter.

This surprised everyone, and Li Shanchang directly questioned, "Ouyang Lun, what do you mean by this?!"

"To laugh so recklessly in the Taiji Hall!"

"You completely disregard the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty!"

Ouyang Lun looked at Li Shanchang with a mocking expression, "I say, Duke Han, don't make a mountain out of a molehill here!"

"The reason I'm laughing is simply because your statement is just too hilarious!"

"I have a low threshold for laughter. You are the cause and I am the effect. I laughed because of your words. So, you are the real culprit!"

"If we're going to deal with someone, we'll have to deal with you first!"

"You're talking complete nonsense!"

Cough!

Just as Li Shanchang and Ouyang Lun were about to start arguing, Zhu Yuanzhang coughed twice, interrupting them. "Ouyang Lun, stop arguing about things unrelated to the important matter. Continue!"

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke.

"Yes!"

Ouyang Lun nodded and continued, "The reason I find what the Duke of Han said laughable is because what he said doesn't sound like he's advocating for the benefits of the nobles of Huaixi at all!"

"On the contrary, they demanded things from the retired emperor, His Majesty, and the court, as if they owed them everything!"

"Ridiculous!"

Upon hearing Ouyang Lun's words, Li Shanchang was furious. "Ouyang Lun! Even though you hold a high position now, I and all the nobles of Huaixi are meritorious officials of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Since the imperial court wants us to retire and return to our hometowns, we will naturally comply. What's wrong with asking the court for some protection?!"

"If it weren't for the noble families of Huaixi, would the Ming Dynasty still exist?!"

Li Shanchang spoke in a deep voice.

"All right!"

“We have heard and understood everything you said!”

"The retirement benefits for the nobles of Huaixi were drafted by Ouyang Lun and the emperor together. We've seen it, and it's perfectly reasonable!"

"The meritorious nobles of Huaixi who have submitted their applications to retire and have been approved will receive an additional 30% bonus, in addition to the benefits already agreed upon!"

"Retire with peace of mind!"

Zhu Yuanzhang spoke slowly.

The retired nobles of Huaixi were overjoyed to hear this, as an extra 30% was already quite good.

"As for the nobles of Huaixi like Li Shanchang who have not submitted their retirement applications, we respect your wishes. Since you feel you can still serve the Ming Dynasty, then continue to do so!"

"However, these assessments must be strictly conducted in accordance with the official management system. If someone is not competent, they should be removed. What I want to emphasize is that once someone is removed due to their own incompetence, there will be no retirement benefits!"

"Furthermore, even if they voluntarily retire and return to their hometowns later, they will no longer enjoy exemptions from past events!"

hiss--

When Zhu Yuanzhang said this, many people present gasped, and Li Shanchang and others' expressions became extremely solemn.

Those nobles from Huaixi who had already agreed to retire and return to their hometowns were even happier, because they had successfully landed!
Aside from losing their current power, they have gained wealth and status. Most importantly, they can land safely and wipe the slate clean of the past!

Even Ouyang Lun had to give Zhu Yuanzhang a thumbs up in his heart.

Old Zhu truly lives up to his reputation!
These methods are truly sophisticated; I'm afraid many of the nobles and officials of Huaixi will choose to retire and return to their hometowns soon.

"Alright, let's leave this at that. We're tired!"

"The Emperor will continue to preside over the court session. We'll be leaving now."

After Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking, he stood up from the dragon throne and quickly left with Wang Zhong, muttering to himself as he went, "I wonder how well our foot massage tubs are selling!"

"We're definitely going to make a fortune this time!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was not quiet, and many officials heard it, all of whom showed helpless expressions.

None of them expected that the retired emperor Zhu Yuanzhang would become obsessed with doing business, but this was not necessarily a bad thing.

At least with Zhu Yuanzhang's departure, the atmosphere in the court became much more relaxed.

"My esteemed ministers, let us continue our discussion of state affairs!"

Zhu Biao was already used to it, so he naturally sat on the dragon throne and continued to preside over the court assembly.

During the ensuing court discussion, neither Ouyang Lun nor Li Shanchang listened attentively. The difference was that Li Shanchang simply had no interest in listening, while Ouyang Lun did not want to listen at all.

Finally, it was time for the court session to end.

Surrounded by a group of officials, Ouyang Lun left the Taiji Hall.

Li Shanchang turned around and looked at Ouyang Lun's departing figure, feeling somewhat lost and dejected.

Lost again!
Over the years, ever since Ouyang Lun stepped into the Taiji Hall, Li Shanchang has never won against Ouyang Lun even once!
The situation is getting worse and worse!

A sense of powerlessness rose in Li Shanchang's heart.

"Perhaps it's time for this old man to retire and return to his hometown?"

This thought crossed Li Shanchang's mind.

Just then, a eunuch suddenly ran out, panicking, and cried out, "Quickly, call the imperial physician!"

"Your Majesty has fainted!"

Um! ?

A glimmer of hope suddenly flashed in Li Shanchang's eyes!
Ouyang Lun had finally managed to get rid of the officials who flattered him and was about to return to the Imperial Clan Court when he was stopped by the eunuch Xiao Li.

"Eunuch Li, didn't we just meet? Why are you here again? Do you want a new gift?"

Ouyang Lun asked with a smile.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has fainted! You must go and see him right away!"

Little Li said anxiously.

"what!"

Hearing Li Zi's words, Ouyang Lun was also startled. As a time traveler, hearing "Zhu Biao fainted!" was quite a shock.

I subconsciously think the worst.

"Come on, take me to see this right away!"

Ouyang Lun dared not delay in the slightest. If Zhu Biao had just fainted, that would be fine!

But if that's the case, then things could get very serious!

When Ouyang Lun arrived at Zhu Biao's palace, the entrance was already crowded with imperial physicians.

"How is His Majesty?"

Ouyang Lun quickly inquired.

"Your Highness, I have just examined His Majesty. It seems that he caught a cold and was overworked, which caused him to faint!"

"You need to rest more."

The imperial physician replied.

Upon hearing the imperial physician's words, Ouyang Lun nodded.

A simple cold and some fatigue are nothing to worry about!

Just then, Zhu Yuanzhang arrived. He was even more worried than Ouyang Lun when he came in. The imperial physician explained again, and only then did Zhu Yuanzhang's expression relax.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Ouyang Lun stood outside waiting.

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Ouyang Lun and slowly said, "You did a good job today, kid. You managed to push Li Shanchang to that point. You're only a little bit worse than us."

"Thank you for the praise, Your Majesty. I am able to perform so well entirely thanks to Your Majesty!"

Ouyang Lun said irritably.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally heard the resentment in Ouyang Lun's words, and gave an awkward smile, "Ahem, we did this to train you, and it seems our method has been very successful!"

"Oh, by the way, what do you think should be done with Li Shanchang next!"

What the hell!

Here we go again! (End of Chapter)