The strongest eldest son of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 54: Mediating a Reconciliation Between Liu Bowen and Hu Weiyong!

Hu Weiyong quickly stood up, a smile plastered on his face, and replied, "I will follow your arrangements, young master."

The two arrived at the hall one after the other, where Liu Bowen was sitting drinking tea, his expression still indifferent.

Zhu Yao pulled Hu Weiyong to Liu Bowen and got straight to the point: "Mr. Liu, Manager Gu, you two are both people working for my father, and you'll see each other all the time. It's not good for you to always be at odds. Today, I'll act as a mediator. Let's shake hands and make peace, and get along well from now on, okay?"

Liu Bowen frowned, his heart filled with reluctance. Hu Weiyong also secretly pursed his lips. The two looked at each other, their eyes still full of hostility, wishing they could argue again on the spot.

Zhu Yao's words were straightforward and earnest, and neither of them could find a reason to refuse.

One was living under someone else's roof and couldn't refuse Zhu Yao's good intentions; the other wanted to win over Zhu Yao and dared not offend him.

After a moment's hesitation, Liu Bowen extended his hand first, his tone indifferent: "Since you have spoken, young master, I will give you face."

Hu Weiyong quickly extended his hand, forcing a stiff smile: "Mr. Liu, you flatter me. It is my honor to be able to reconcile with you."

Their hands clasped together gently, and the moment their fingertips touched, they instinctively tightened their grip, their hostility undiminished.

A moment later, Hu Weiyong couldn't hold back any longer, his tone laced with sarcasm: "You surnamed Liu, don't think that just because the young master has made peace, I'll let you off the hook. This isn't over!"

Liu Bowen, not to be outdone, gripped his hand tightly and said coldly, "Likewise, if you dare cause trouble again, I won't be polite!"

The two argued more and more fiercely, and before they knew it, they started to fight, pushing and shoving each other. In no time, the hall was in chaos, with tables and chairs knocked over and over.

Seeing this, Zhu Yao frowned in anger and shouted, "Stop! All of you, stop!"

But the two were engrossed in their fight and didn't listen to anything. Helpless, Zhu Yao glanced to the side and spotted the round stool in front of him, and immediately had an idea.

He stepped forward, forcibly pulled the two apart, and pointed to the round stool, saying, "Since you refuse to reconcile properly, then both of you stand on this round stool and hug each other. Whoever falls first will be kicked out of the Liu residence and never allowed to come back!"

Liu Bowen and Hu Weiyong were both stunned, their faces showing extreme embarrassment. They stood on the stone bench and hugged each other. This was too embarrassing, but they dared not disobey Zhu Yao's words, for fear of being kicked out of the Liu residence.

After all, Zhu Yao's place will definitely become a hot commodity in the future. If he can't get in in the future, it will definitely do more harm than good.

Left with no other choice, the two could only slowly stand on the round stool, stiffly stretch out their arms, hug each other, and sway slightly, afraid of falling off by accident.

The initial hostility gradually gave way to awkwardness, and the two even subconsciously reminded each other: "Stand firm, don't sway!" "And don't push me, or we'll both fall!"

Just then, Zhu Yuanzhang returned. As he entered the hall and saw the scene before him, he was first surprised, then couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaim, "Excellent! Excellent! Yao'er, your method is brilliant!"

Zhu Yao's eyes lit up when he saw Zhu Yuanzhang. He quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "Father, you're finally back! Now that you're here, I'll leave the two of them to you. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now!"

After saying this, without waiting for Zhu Yuanzhang's response, Zhu Yao slipped away and disappeared in a flash.

Zhu Yuanzhang watched Zhu Yao's fleeing figure, shook his head helplessly, then turned to the two men on the stone bench with a mocking smile, and teased, "You two are both seasoned veterans who have been navigating the court for many years, yet you were completely subdued by my son, a young man. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at if word gets out?"

Liu Bowen and Hu Weiyong blushed and paled in turns, then lowered their heads in embarrassment. They quickly got off the round stool, bowed, and stood aside, not daring to utter a sound.

Zhu Yuanzhang's smile faded, and his tone became serious: "Let's get down to business. You were arguing and fighting here just now. Did you manage to reveal your true identities? Don't let Yao'er see through your disguise."

The two men quickly shook their heads. Liu Bowen spoke first, saying, "Don't worry, sir. I have always kept to my duty and have never revealed my identity."

Hu Weiyong quickly echoed, "Yes, sir, I would never dare to reveal my identity."

After a pause, Hu Weiyong couldn't suppress his doubts and cautiously asked, "Master, there's something I don't understand. Young Master Zhu Yao isn't your biological son, just an adopted one. Why don't you tell him your true identity, and instead keep it from him all this time?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened, and he glared fiercely at Hu Weiyong, saying sternly, "What do you know!"

"As you have all seen, Yao'er is a peerless talent. He can benefit the world with cement roads, sweet potatoes, and the Single Whip Method. But he hates court politics and has a deep prejudice against the current emperor, that is, me. He thinks I am cruel and bloodthirsty."

"If I were to reveal my true identity now, given his personality, he would undoubtedly become even more resistant to me, perhaps even avoiding me altogether. How would I then obtain any further good ideas on governing the country from him?"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to look at Liu Bowen, his tone softening slightly, but still carrying a warning: "Old Liu, do you not want your health to improve?"

"Yao'er has a way to treat your illness. If you reveal your identity and anger him, who will help you?"

Then he looked at Hu Weiyong, his tone becoming stern: "And you, Hu Weiyong, didn't you want to implement the Single Whip Law?"

"If your identity is exposed, the Single Whip Law will not be able to be implemented, and you will bear the consequences yourself!"

"Besides, we want to eat Yao'er's hotpot, and we want him to help us build more roads and plant more sweet potatoes to benefit the people. If our identities are exposed, all of this will be ruined!"

After speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang's sharp gaze swept over the two men, and he warned them again in a stern voice: "Remember, you are absolutely not allowed to expose my true identity. If you dare to make the slightest mistake, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Liu Bowen and Hu Weiyong were startled and quickly bowed, replying, "Your subordinates obey!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the two men's respectful demeanor and nodded in satisfaction, his tone softening: "That's more like it. Spend time with Yao'er and go along with his temperament. As long as you can learn something real from him, put aside your past grievances for now."

After Zhu Yuanzhang appeased Liu Bowen and Hu Weiyong, his gaze shifted slightly, and a sense of curiosity suddenly arose in his heart.

He stayed at the Liu residence for a long time, but never really took a good look at the surrounding scenery.

After thinking for a moment, he waved to the two of them and said casually, "Since we're just killing time anyway, why don't you two come with me for a walk and see what this place is like?"

Liu Bowen and Hu Weiyong dared not disobey and quickly bowed, replying, "Yes, sir."