What Zhu Yunwen needed at this moment was to play both sides, on the one hand, to please Zhu Yuanzhang with his plan, so that Zhu Yuanzhang would stop purging these meritorious officials.

At the same time, he also needed to tell Fu Youde about this in a way that would make Fu Youde feel grateful to him.

When they arrived at Fu Youde's residence, Fu Youde heard that Zhu Yunwen had come. He did not dare to be careless and immediately had someone invite him into the residence, and personally came to the courtyard to greet him.

Zhu Yunwen, neither humble nor arrogant, slightly cupped his hands and said:

"Duke Ying, it's been a long time."

Duke Fu Youde of Yingguo laughed heartily and said:

"The Third Prince... no, I should now call him His Highness the Prince of Wu. His Highness's presence is an honor to my humble abode, the Duke of Ying. No wonder I saw magpies chirping incessantly on the branches when I woke up this morning; it turns out His Highness the Prince of Wu has come to visit."

Zhu Yunwen couldn't help but laugh. Although these rough men didn't have much formal education, they were all very good at saying polite things.

It's just a pity that this polite remark is indeed a bit too common.

Not a single creative element!

Without much hesitation, Zhu Yunwen entered the main hall of the mansion and, after taking his seat, said:

"First of all, congratulations to Duke Ying on this great victory."

Fu Youde clasped his hands in thanks again and said, "I must thank Your Highness Prince Wu. If you hadn't recommended me to His Majesty as a deputy general, how would I have had the opportunity to make a contribution?"

Zhu Yunwen smiled and waved his hand, saying, "If you weren't so capable, how could I dare to recommend you?"

Both of them burst into laughter, then Zhu Yunwen suddenly became serious and said, "I heard that after the Duke of Ying returned victorious, he passed through some villages and was quite..."

He stopped there and didn't continue.

Because the choice of words we use next is uncontrollable, and it might cause a misunderstanding.

Fu Youde smiled awkwardly: "This... Your Highness, please don't think too much about it. I was just a little smug after winning the battle, so I was a bit impolite when passing through some villages... I don't know why Your Highness suddenly brought this up..."

He knew that Zhu Yunwen's visit to his residence was definitely not to discuss such matters with him.

Zhu Yunwen touched his nose and said seriously:

"Previously in the Imperial Study, when I was helping my grandfather review memorials, he brought up this matter and became very angry..."

Upon hearing this, Fu Youde's nerves tensed instantly. He quickly waved his hand, and all the servants around him left.

Only the two of them remained in the large hall.

At this moment, Fu Youde cautiously asked:

"Your Highness, what was His Majesty's attitude at the time?"

Zhu Yunwen got up, took two steps, and said, "I am extremely angry. I think your achievements are too great and you are becoming increasingly arrogant."

Duke Ying, you should be aware that His Majesty is now determined to clear away obstacles for the future crown prince and the future emperor.

But you chose this crucial moment to break the rules. Do you even realize the consequences?

Upon hearing this, Fu Youde's forehead immediately became covered with fine beads of sweat.

Having followed Zhu Yuanzhang for so many years, he had a very good understanding of Zhu Yuanzhang's character and his methods.

He used to be proud of his achievements and thought there wouldn't be any problems.

However, after being reminded by Zhu Yunwen and learning about why Zhu Yuanzhang was angry about this, he immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

He hurriedly said to Zhu Yunwen, "Your Majesty, could it be... could it be that you intend to do something to me?"

Zhu Yunwen turned and glanced at Fu Youde, then said calmly:

"There are some things you can guess yourself."

This statement essentially confirmed Fu Youde's guess. Fu Youde, already feeling uneasy, quickly stood up and said to Zhu Yunwen:

"So, what does Your Majesty intend to do to me?"

Zhu Yunwen sat down; at this moment, he had completely seized the initiative with Fu Youde.

He said slowly and deliberately:

"Let me ask you a few questions first. First, if any of your grandfather's grandsons ascend the throne in the future, who will pose a threat to them?"

Fu Youde thought about it carefully, then said with a grim expression:

"We are valiant military generals."

Zhu Yunwen nodded and said, "You got half of the answer right, but you still didn't get the root of the problem."

Fu Youde frowned and thought carefully for a moment, then said to Zhu Yunwen:

"Your Highness, please forgive my ignorance, but could you please give me a hint?"

At this point, Fu Youde was already being very polite to Zhu Yunwen, and he realized that the young man in front of him was definitely not simple.

At least for now, he's here analyzing the situation for me, making it hard for me to see through him.

Zhu Yunwen smiled and said:

"While you military generals are also a threat, ultimately, the real threat to imperial power in the future will come from the regional princes."

Fu Youde nodded upon hearing this and said, "That's true. If a new emperor ascends the throne in the future, we military generals and the regional princes will indeed be a huge threat to the imperial power."

Zhu Yunwen smiled and said, "Have you ever considered that there is another type of person who poses the greatest threat? That is a capable military general who has a deep relationship with a certain prince..."

Fu Youde was taken aback at first, then his eyes widened as he stared at Zhu Yunwen and said:

"You mean me and Zhu Gang?"

Zhu Yunwen smiled without saying a word, while Fu Youde's whole body began to tremble violently.

That belated fear left him drenched in cold sweat.

At that moment, he suddenly realized how dangerous he was.

An arrogant and fierce general may be a threat, and a powerful barbarian king may also be a threat.

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