plumnovel Chapter 66 Is the young master perhaps plotting something grand?
Chapter 66 Is the young master perhaps plotting something grand?
Liu Bowen was filled with doubt and apprehension. He could no longer suppress his suspicions and apprehensions, so he quickly stepped forward, lowered his voice, and asked the question with a solemn expression.
"My lord, please forgive my bluntness!"
"You've constructed such a massive, impregnable building, complete with layers of traps and heavy defenses, its defensive layout comparable to the imperial city's military fortifications. What is the purpose of this terrifying arrangement?"
He hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been nagging at him: "Young Master, could it be... that you intend to accumulate power, raise an army, and plot a great undertaking?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao shook his head slightly, with a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"Raise an army in rebellion? I have no interest in that."
"Striving for power and profit, fighting on the battlefield, is time-consuming, energy-draining, and mentally exhausting; the gains are not worth the losses."
Then he revealed the real reason behind all the arrangements.
"Mr. Liu, I spent a lot of manpower and resources to build this Pentagon and set up heavy defenses and strict guards. In the end, it was not for the sake of conquering the country, but just a selfish desire of mine as a son."
"My father always liked to sneak away. I couldn't keep him or stop him. I built this impregnable house just so that I could keep my father here for a few more days. That's all."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bowen was stunned. The original intention of building such a large building was just to keep one person. He was filled with mixed feelings.
Just as everyone was pondering, the guard on duty at the highest point of the roof, holding a high-powered telescope and staring intently at the road in the distance, suddenly shouted out loud after recognizing the figure of the approaching person, his tone urgent and full of joy.
"Young Master! Someone's coming from ahead! It's the Master! The Master has returned with a entourage!"
Zhu Yao looked in the direction the guard was gazing and, sure enough, saw a familiar figure. His eyes instantly lit up with joy, and all the composure on his face vanished.
He immediately raised his voice and decisively ordered, "Open the main gate wide and come with me to greet our guests."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Yao straightened his clothes and stepped out of the towering Pentagon to personally greet him.
Zhu Yuanzhang and his entourage dismounted and stood on the flat cement ground, quietly watching Zhu Yao walk quickly towards them.
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled broadly and quickly raised his hand to greet Zhu Yao, his tone extremely warm: "Yao'er, how have you been?"
Zhu Yao strode forward, bowed respectfully, and then his gaze fell on the two unfamiliar people beside Zhu Yuanzhang, with a hint of doubt.
Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang quickly smiled and stepped aside to introduce her: "Yao'er, let me introduce you. This is my current wife."
He then pointed to Zong Yonghe and continued, "This is Father's steward, who manages Father's many businesses and accounts. He is loyal and reliable."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao, with impeccable manners and a gentle and amiable attitude, bowed slightly to Empress Ma and said, "Greetings, Madam."
He then turned to Zong Yonghe and greeted him politely, "Butler, you must be tired from your journey."
Empress Ma looked at Zhu Yao, who was gentle, handsome, and had an extraordinary demeanor, and felt a great deal of goodwill towards him. She nodded gently in return, her eyes full of curiosity.
Zong Yonghe quickly bowed in return, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent. The person in front of him was a prodigy whom His Majesty valued highly, and also his future partner.
After this simple greeting, the scene fell silent for a moment, and the atmosphere became subtly awkward.
Zhu Yuanzhang sensed that something was wrong and quickly changed the subject, pointing to the magnificent Pentagon behind him and asking with a look of surprise.
"Yao'er, tell your father the truth, how did you manage to build such a unique and magnificent building?"
"I've lived most of my life and never seen a building like this before!"
Zhu Yao smiled faintly, his tone casual, as if building such a magnificent building was just a piece of cake.
"Dad, it's not difficult. It's just made of cement mixed with steel bars and poured together. I call it a reinforced concrete structure."
"The entire building was poured as one piece, and the time was a bit tight. Currently, only the three main floors have been completed, and it is still in a rough state. The interior decoration and room layout have not yet started."
He paused, then added with a smile, "And this isn't even the final look. I plan to continue adding to it, making it higher and more stable as it goes on."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, Zong Yong, and several others gasped in shock.
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "My goodness! Yao'er, you're not just building a house, you've built an impregnable fortress!"
"The imperial palace of my Great Ming Dynasty is unparalleled in its scale and design; in terms of sturdiness, it probably cannot compare to your building!"
Zhu Yao raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, seizing on the detail in the words, and asked curiously, "The palace? Father, you've been to the palace?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's heart tightened, and he quickly waved his hand, casually trying to cover it up: "Hey, I'm just a distant relative of the imperial family, and I was just lucky enough to see it once from afar. It's nothing special."
Zhu Yao, unsuspecting, nodded slowly and did not pursue the matter further.
Zhu Yuanzhang then looked at Zhu Yao again, full of doubt, and asked, "Yao'er, I'm really curious, why did you build such a fortified building?"
"Ordinary houses don't need to be this heavily fortified."
Just as Zhu Yao was about to explain, his butler Chen Zhong spoke first, laughing as he answered.
"Sir, to be honest, my young master built this building with the biggest concern in mind: he was afraid you'd leave without saying goodbye again. He made it so sturdy to prevent you from sneaking away!"
These words were straightforward and frank, without any attempt at concealment, instantly plunging the atmosphere into extreme awkwardness, as if the air itself had frozen.
Zhu Yao glared helplessly at the quick-tongued Chen Zhong, then quickly stepped forward to salvage the situation, offering a serious explanation.
"Father, don't listen to his nonsense and wild guesses. I didn't build this building entirely to protect myself from you."
"The main reason is that Father, your family is now very large and your family and followers are increasing. There will definitely be many more people coming after you."
"The old courtyard was too small to accommodate so many people. I built this building and added more rooms so that when Father's people come, they will have a place to stay and live comfortably."
Zhu Yuanzhang's lips twitched violently twice, his face feigning complete belief, while inwardly he was cursing incessantly.
You're trying to fool us! That's just something you can tell outsiders. It was clearly built specifically to prevent us from escaping. Do you think we can't see through it?
Although he was fully aware of the situation, Zhu Yuanzhang was brimming with confidence. He thought to himself, "You think you can trap me with just a building? That's a joke."
Having roamed the world for half his life, he had seen all kinds of cages and barriers, and a mere modern mansion could not confine him at all.
He immediately suppressed his inner complaints, smiled, and raised his hand to indicate, "Good, good, good, my Yao'er is sensible and thoughtful."
"Since there are so many rooms, let's go inside and see just how magnificent this unparalleled building my son personally constructed truly is!"
After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang took the lead, followed by Empress Ma, Zong Yonghe and his entourage, and then Zhu Yao stepped into the magnificent Pentagon.