Chapter 72: The Grandson Picks a Fight

It was the same large courtyard as last time, and just as Zhu Gaoxu intended to enter, a group of people walked toward him.

The yamen runners who had previously blocked the road had long since withdrawn; after all, having so many people standing here was a bit like saying "there is no silver buried here."

Although it could not be called bustling at this moment, there were quite a few people coming and going, and Zhu Gaoxu had assumed this group was just passing by, so he did not pay them any mind.

Yet he did not expect that those people opposite were actually coming for him.

"You must be the Nanyang Commandery Prince, right?"

The leader of the group arrived in front of Zhu Gaoxu, blocked his path, and spoke first.

Seeing this, Zhu Gaoxu knew the visitor was ill-intentioned; he narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded, saying, "That is indeed this Prince."

"It is rumored throughout the capital that the Nanyang Commandery Prince is very extravagant, traveling in a Feudatory Prince Carriage with three hundred Embroidered Uniform Guards escorting him on both sides. How is it that you are so... plain today?"

Zhu Gaoxu saw the mockery in the other person's eyes.

At the same time, he understood in his heart that the other party had come specifically to pick a fight.

Regardless of whether he had three hundred Embroidered Uniform Guards by his side or not, the other party would have something to say.

After thinking it through, Zhu Gaoxu certainly could not just indulge him.

"The Feudatory Prince Carriage and the Embroidered Uniform Guards as protection are both bestowed by His Majesty; when the Sovereign bestows, one dares not refuse."

"Since His Majesty has bestowed them, how can one not use them?"

"However, I have urgent business at the moment and it is not appropriate to be ostentatious. I just do not know what your status is, as you seem to have quite a few grievances against this Prince."

Zhu Gaoxu looked at the other person, who appeared to be only in his teens, so he took the opportunity of the last sentence to probe the other's identity.

Of course, he was not afraid that the other party had too grand a background; what of Hu Weiyong?

Did he not still confront him all the same?

He was afraid that the other party's background was too small; if he were to spend a long time cursing at some random nobody, it would be too beneath his dignity.

After all, the other party was somewhat young, and although he was followed by quite a few servants and the like, he did not look like someone of much importance.

And the young man's answer was indeed as Zhu Gaoxu had expected, yet it still surprised him a little.

"Nanyang Commandery Prince, do not take offense. I am Hu Wenzheng, the eldest grandson of the current Prime Minister Hu."

Upon hearing the first half of the sentence, Zhu Gaoxu rolled his eyes at the other party and wanted to turn around and leave.

But when he heard that the other party was actually Hu Weiyong's eldest grandson, he immediately stopped in his tracks.

Facing Hu Weiyong's grandson, Zhu Gaoxu did not need to hold back at all.

It did not matter if he went to the Ministry of Works a little later; he would teach this grandson a lesson first.

Thinking this, Zhu Gaoxu said directly: "Judging by your appearance, you must be a commoner, right?"

"A commoner thinking all day about whether this Prince is traveling with an entourage—is it envy, or do you think that just because you are a member of the Hu family, you can be so presumptuous!"

After Zhu Gaoxu finished speaking, Hu Wenzheng's face immediately turned red.

Half of it was from shame and anger, and the other half was from being infuriated by Zhu Gaoxu.

He had indeed come to pick a fight today.

This large courtyard was somewhat abnormal, and after Hu Weiyong used his connections to inquire here and there, he had finally figured out what was actually going on inside.

This was also normal; it was not that the secrecy work was poor.

Lao Zhu's secrecy work was considered quite good; at the very least, among all the civil and military officials, those who knew about this matter could be counted on one hand.

After all, even Zhu Gaoxu's father, Zhu Di, could find out about it; as the Central Secretariat Chancellor, if one wanted to hide something from him, it was too difficult.

But Hu Weiyong had discovered that Zhu Gaoxu's shadow was actually inside.

Zhu Gaoxu had already seriously threatened him; both sides knew this.

Do not look at the fact that Zhu Gaoxu had not made a move now; that was truly because he had not yet found the time.

Now, Zhu Gaoxu's growth could be said to change with each passing day, and his power was growing deeper by the day.

Added to that was Zhu Yuanzhang's doting and Zhu Di's return.

If it were not for the fact that he had indeed attempted to assassinate Zhu Gaoxu before and had become mortal enemies, Hu Weiyong would have even considered making peace with Zhu Gaoxu.

At the same time, Hu Weiyong was also very passive; Zhu Gaoxu's status was his best protective umbrella.

There were many things he could do, but they could not be put out in the open.

If he dared to move against Zhu Gaoxu in the open, the corpses of his entire family would be hanging on the city walls the next day.

Therefore, in order to understand the detailed relationships within, Hu Wenzheng had been arranged by Hu Weiyong to stake out the place.

Originally, it was just to stake out the place, but after Hu Wenzheng heard that Zhu Gaoxu had angrily confronted his grandfather on the street, he felt very unconvinced.

Plus, at home, his grandfather often said he was not promising; this time, after staking out Zhu Gaoxu, Hu Wenzheng had a thought, wanting to vent his grandfather's anger and at the same time prove himself to his grandfather.

Therefore, Hu Wenzheng did not go back to find Hu Weiyong immediately, but instead found an excuse to try and mock Zhu Gaoxu.

Yet he never expected that before they had even chatted for two sentences,

Zhu Gaoxu opened fire on all fronts, not giving him a chance to perform at all; he had completely lost the upper hand in just one round.

This made Hu Wenzheng very embarrassed.

The key was that what Zhu Gaoxu said was also correct; he was just a commoner, caring about a Prince's affairs all day—by what right?

This left him unable to find a reason to retort for a moment.

As the grandson of the current Prime Minister, Hu Wenzheng certainly had a temper.

Looking at Zhu Gaoxu's disdainful expression, Hu Wenzheng broke down on the spot.

Simply deciding not to think about how to respond anymore, Hu Wenzheng intended to see the real results with his hands.

Zhu Gaoxu was only a child of fourteen or fifteen; he was afraid he could easily handle him with one hand.

As for the four Embroidered Uniform Guards behind Zhu Gaoxu, Hu Wenzheng had already thought of this point long ago.

This time, he brought at least twenty or thirty servants specifically to guard against Zhu Gaoxu's Embroidered Uniform Guards.

And the reason he dared to do this was mainly because Zhu Gaoxu really had not brought many people today.

If he hadn't been lent three times the courage, he wouldn't have dared to step forward and clamor.