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

Ouyang Lun kept talking, and Zhu Yuanzhang listened like a student.

In the end, fearing he might forget, Zhu Yuanzhang even had Wang Zhong bring paper and pen to record everything.

"My dear son-in-law, you just mentioned that you want to implement a membership system? How exactly will this work? Could you explain in more detail?"

Zhu Yuanzhang quickly asked.

"It's simple. Just let someone deposit a certain amount of money here at once, and you open an account for them. From then on, they'll get a 20% discount on everything they buy from you!"

Ouyang Lun said, "Wouldn't you have a lot of money in your hands then? You can even use it to speculate... Never mind, I won't teach you these advanced materials yet."

"Your Majesty, have you remembered this?"

"I've memorized it all!" Zhu Yuanzhang nodded repeatedly, a smile spreading across his face as he looked at the densely written notes on the paper.

In the past, Zhu Yuanzhang would have first doubted whether Ouyang Lun's methods would be effective.

However, he and Ouyang Lun had known each other for a long time, so he knew perfectly well that what Ouyang Lun was talking about were all secrets to making money!

Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang was no longer a novice in business; with a little thought, he knew these methods could revive his massage foot bath!
"My dear son-in-law, do you have any other good ideas? Something that can help us earn even more!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said with eyes full of anticipation.

"Your Majesty, you're being way too greedy! You're trying to squeeze every last drop out of me with just one meal!"

Ouyang Lun rolled his eyes.

cough cough...

Upon hearing Ouyang Lun's words, Zhu Yuanzhang became quite embarrassed.

"Your Majesty, I've eaten and given you all the advice I needed to give. Shouldn't your son-in-law be leaving now?"

Ouyang Lun quickly spoke up.

He didn't want to stay in the Tai Le Palace any longer.

Who knows what other tricks Zhu Yuanzhang might pull?

So get away sooner and be free sooner.

"Since you've finished eating, then..." Zhu Yuanzhang was just about to nod.

Wang Zhong walked in looking flustered.

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!"

"The Duke of Han, along with several veteran officials from Huaixi, knelt outside the palace!"

Um! ?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned immediately, and his face instantly darkened.

"What is Li Shanchang trying to do? Is he trying to force the emperor to abdicate?"

"Father, the Duke of Han probably has something he wants to say. Why don't I go and see him first, and try to persuade him properly?"

Seeing that Zhu Yuanzhang was angry, Zhu Biao quickly spoke up, "The Duke of Han is also a veteran minister of our Great Ming Dynasty. I believe he can understand the bigger picture!"

snort!
Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, "He understands the big picture?! If he truly understood the big picture, he wouldn't have brought people to kneel outside our palace!"

"Let us handle this!"

As they were talking, Zhu Yuanzhang looked toward the entrance of the hall and asked, "Ouyang Lun, where are you going?!"

amount……

Ouyang Lun, who was about to slip away, had no choice but to stop awkwardly and turn around. "Your Majesty, since Kai has nothing to do, I will not disturb you and Your Majesty in handling official business. I will take my leave now!"

After saying that, Ouyang Lun wanted to leave.

Swipe!

Two guards appeared directly at the door, blocking Ouyang Lun's way like two door panels.

"Did we agree to let you leave?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice, "Do you dare to say that Li Shanchang's affairs have nothing to do with you?"

"As the Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty, the Military Grand General, and also our son-in-law, what business does the Ming Dynasty have with you?!"

"Come with me to see Li Shanchang!"

"If you don't handle Li Shanchang's matter well today, don't even think about leaving!"

Oh!
Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Ouyang Lun was quite shameless.

When they need something from us, they call us "good son-in-law" all the time, but they turn on us the moment they turn their backs!

"Brother-in-law, why don't you come with me and Father Emperor to take a look? To be honest, in the entire Ming Dynasty, besides Father Emperor, the only one who can reliably suppress Li Shanchang is you, brother-in-law!"

Zhu Biao spoke up.

Hearing this, Ouyang Lun's expression improved considerably.

That's more like what I'm saying.

If you, Zhu Yuanzhang, could speak as politely as Zhu Biao, we would have dealt with Li Shanchang long ago.

"go!"

Zhu Yuanzhang stood up and was the first to walk out of the hall.

Ouyang Lun and Zhu Biao quickly followed.

When the three arrived at the main gate of Taile Palace, they saw Li Shanchang and several old officials from Huaixi, shirtless, carrying thorns on their backs, with neatly folded official robes in front of them.

Zhu Biao was stunned when he saw this scene.

"Duke of Han and all my ministers, what are you doing?!"

Faced with Zhu Biao's question, Li Shanchang slowly raised his head and said calmly, "Your Majesty, after these days of deliberation, we believe that the court's strategy of clearing out the nobles of Huaixi is correct!"

"As veteran officials, we should not be idle and incompetent, much less obstruct the court's strategy!"

"We have come today for two reasons: first, to plead guilty! Second... we also wish to implore the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty to consider our contributions to the Ming Dynasty..."

As Li Shanchang spoke, he glanced at Ouyang Lun, then gritted his teeth and said, "Give us a good retirement and return-to-our-hometown treatment!"

"So that we, your subjects, may enjoy our old age in peace!!"

Hey!
So they came here to negotiate terms!
Ouyang Lun understood immediately. Hearing Li Shanchang's words, he realized that Li Shanchang had come to bargain.

Of course, this matter has nothing to do with Ouyang Lun, and he has no intention of getting involved.

So, Ouyang Lun silently took two steps back, even further back than Wang Zhong, and merged into the ranks of the guards.

Zhu Yuanzhang naturally noticed Ouyang Lun's little tricks, but he no longer had the energy to pay attention to Ouyang Lun and instead focused his attention on Li Shanchang.

"Li Shanchang, please explain in detail. Since there is already a welfare system for nobles to retire and return to their hometowns, why should we give you a special treatment?"

Zhu Yuanzhang did not immediately lose his temper, but instead asked in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, this old minister knows that, through the manipulation of the Retired Cadres Division of the Ministry of Personnel, many nobles have already retired to their hometowns, but this old minister feels it is a waste for them!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding guards and officials who had come to watch were all shocked!
Li Shanchang's words seem harmless at first glance, but in reality, they express his dissatisfaction with both Zhu Yuanzhang and Ouyang Lun.

The reason is quite simple. This system of allowing meritorious officials to retire and return to their hometowns was established by Ouyang Lun and approved by the retired Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.

It can be said that the current situation where nearly two hundred nobles from Huaixi have voluntarily retired and returned to their hometowns was facilitated by Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, and Ouyang Lun.

Li Shanchang's statement, "I feel sorry for them," is an overturning of the original meaning!
Li Shanchang was well aware of the consequences of his words, but he had no other choice at the moment.

When he witnessed the grand "retirement" farewell party organized by the Bureau of Veteran Cadres, he knew that if he didn't step forward, more of the Huaixi nobles would inevitably choose to retire and return to their hometowns.

What is the foundation of the Huai-Xi Party?
It wasn't Li Shanchang, but these Huaixi nobles who followed Zhu Yuanzhang to conquer the country!

In the past, Li Shanchang, as the representative of the Huaixi nobles, once became the person with the most influence in the entire Ming Dynasty court, second only to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Now that most of the Huaixi nobles have retired and returned to their hometowns, their power has naturally been taken back. He can still represent the Huaixi Party, but the power he represents has been greatly reduced!
Moreover, this power structure is constantly collapsing.

This is something Li Shanchang absolutely does not want to see, so the only way is to launch a counterattack!
We must secure more benefits for the Huaixi nobles so that they can be united once again.

These thoughts flashed through Li Shanchang's mind, which also strengthened his resolve. He immediately continued, "Your Majesty, it is not that this old minister is greedy!"

"The Bureau of Veteran Cadres really didn't give us enough!"

"We don't even have a single piece of permanent land. We nobles from Huaixi will probably starve to death by the roadside. If that happens, it will be a disgrace to the imperial court!"

After saying that, Li Shanchang immediately prostrated himself on the ground, the thorns on his back already drawing blood.

Zhu Biao frowned and said, "Duke of Han, this matter has already been settled. Those nobles who have retired to their hometowns can do business with the court, and the court has even set up special bank accounts for them!"

"Not only will there be daily profits from business, but also subsidies from the imperial court, ensuring that retired nobles will live a life of plenty without any problems!"

"But the demands you made, Duke of Han, are truly too many. Not only do you want a large amount of land, but you also want the court to provide financial support, and these demands must be passed down through generations. This is too much of a burden for the court!"

Li Shanchang shook his head at Zhu Biao's words, raised his head and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang with a sorrowful expression, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I can understand what Your Majesty just said!"

"But this old minister has served Your Majesty the Retired for so many years, and now that I am in my twilight years, is there any problem with bestowing more rewards upon me?"

"Your Majesty, how can you be so heartless!"

hiss--

Upon hearing Li Shanchang's words, the surrounding officials all gasped in shock.

What Li Shanchang said today was incredibly audacious!
It feels like they're forcing the retired emperor!
In other words, Zhu Yuanzhang! Don't forget who helped you conquer this empire. Now you won't even give us these basic conditions, and you want us old ministers to retire and go back to our hometowns. If the world finds out about this, they will surely criticize you behind your back!
Li Shanchang's coercion.

Zhu Yuanzhang, however, calmed down and looked coldly at Li Shanchang and the others kneeling on the ground.

"Ouyang Lun!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice.

No one responded.

"Ouyang Lun!"

"Ah—your subject is here." Ouyang Lun was just watching the show from behind when Zhu Yuanzhang called him out.

"Ouyang Lun, you are the Grand Secretary, and you formulated these policies, so it's up to you to explain them!"

"If you fail to satisfy Li Shanchang and the other veteran officials of Huaixi, we will hold you accountable!"

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice.

Old Zhu!

You're shameless! You have no shame!

Upon hearing Zhu Yuanzhang's words, Ouyang Lun almost betrayed his country on the spot and directly sided with Li Shanchang.

When Li Shanchang heard Zhu Yuanzhang call out to Ouyang Lun, he was a little flustered, but when he heard Zhu Yuanzhang's last words, he was overjoyed!
Finally, we've made some progress!
As long as they persist in their demands and prevent Ouyang Lun from resolving the issue, Zhu Yuanzhang will inevitably make Ouyang Lun a scapegoat.

"Yes! The Emperor!"

"Your subject will do his utmost."

Ouyang Lun also saw the shrewd look in Li Shanchang's eyes and instantly decided to teach Li Shanchang a lesson.

This Li Shanchang really doesn't learn his lesson. This time, I'm going to teach him a lesson he won't forget!
clap clap-

Ouyang Lun didn't stand on ceremony and stepped forward to applaud Li Shanchang and the others.

"Everyone says that the Duke of Han is the true mastermind behind the Emperor Emeritus. I didn't believe it before, but after seeing him today, I'm starting to believe it a bit more!"

"It was something that was already a done deal, but you, Duke Han, managed to tear a hole in it!"

"But unfortunately, you've run into me today!"

"I just heard from the Duke of Han that his coming to apologize was a pretense, but his real intention was to pressure the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty!"

Upon hearing Ouyang Lun's words, Li Shanchang became enraged and retorted, "You're talking nonsense!"

But Li Shanchang quickly calmed down, "Your Highness, it's best not to bring up things without evidence!"

"I kneel here today not for myself, but for the nobles who followed the Emperor Emeritus in conquering this empire!"

"I also believe that the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty will not disappoint the nobles of Huaixi!"

Ouyang Lun shook his head, "Since the Duke of Han wants to talk about merits, then let's talk about merits!"

"From what I just heard from you, Duke of Han, that the Emperor Emeritus was able to establish the Ming Dynasty entirely thanks to the merits of the Huai-Xi nobles!"

"You have indeed made contributions, but in my opinion, the contributions of you Huaixi nobles are only a small part!"

"The real great achievement belongs to the countless soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the establishment of the Ming Dynasty!"

"They built the Ming Dynasty with their lives and blood! As the saying goes, 'One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers.' It was not you who made the Ming Dynasty what it is, but the millions of soldiers who made you what it is! And it is the millions of soldiers who made the Ming Dynasty what it is!"

"If it weren't for you, there would have been other generals and strategists, but without the millions upon millions of Ming soldiers, there would truly be no Ming Dynasty as we know it today!"

"Now you're using their achievements to demand your so-called benefits. Do you think that's fair?"

"If you've come here today to ask the Emperor Emeritus or His Majesty to increase the pensions for the fallen soldiers and improve the welfare of the veterans, then I, Ouyang Lun, respect you as true men!"

"I would even kneel down with you and beg the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty!"

"But unfortunately, you are not like that. You only have yourselves in your eyes, and only the so-called nobles of Huaixi!"

"Not only do you enjoy the fruits of the labor of countless soldiers with a clear conscience, but you also attempt to enjoy them for generations to come!"

"In my eyes, you are nothing but bloodsuckers of the Ming Dynasty!!"

After hearing Ouyang Lun's words, Li Shanchang and several other veteran officials from Huaixi turned red and then purple with each passing moment!

"presumptuous!"

“Ouyang Lun, you are nothing but a clever mind who has misled the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty. When I am speaking with the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty, what right do you have to interrupt!”

Li Shanchang could no longer suppress his anger, and at the same time, he didn't want Ouyang Lun to continue speaking!

After all, if this guy were to keep talking, he might start to believe it himself.

"His Majesty!"

"We old ministers have risked our lives alongside you!"

"Are you just going to let Ouyang Lun humiliate this old minister like this?!"

"Is my request really so unreasonable?!" (End of Chapter)