On the ninth day of February, Enke in the first year of Hongxi officially opened the exam. Yang Chengzu and Yang Chengzong brothers participated together. The results of the examination were announced soon, and Yang Chengzong lived up to expectations and entered the palace examination with the first place in the examination.

What Yang Chengzong didn't know was that not only the Yang family and the major families that were related to or related to the Yang family were paying attention to this test, but even the Qianqing Palace in Ouchi also sent Xiaozi to inquire about the news. After learning that Yang Chengzong was at the top of the list, the little emperor was very happy and said: "I really didn't see the wrong person!" ”

Although he admired Chengzong very much, he had mentioned him to anyone, so he had no intention of helping him cheat. Yang Chengzong was able to take the first place in the entrance examination, relying on his own ability.

A few days later, the temple examination was held at the Bohol Temple. Ye Minzhao attached great importance to his first talent ceremony after becoming the emperor, and personally discussed with several erudite Confucians and decided on a topic. After the papers of the candidates were handed in, several teachers who marked the papers released the first test papers.

Ye Minzhao deducted the name that was pasted, and sure enough, it was Yang Chengzong, his heart moved slightly, but he did not point Yang Chengzong as the champion according to the ideas of the marking teachers, but named him as the third Tanhua. Although it is a tanhua, it is still among the top ones.

Xiaozi followed Ye Minzhao the whole time, knowing that he admired Yang Chengzong very much, but he never expected that the little emperor did not pull him in the end, but gave the champion he should have given to others. Smaller than the child is puzzled. "The Emperor's ......"

Ye Minzhao slowly closed the scroll in front of him, he was in a very happy mood today, and he had nothing to hide from the eunuchs who grew up with him, so he said with a smile: "Yang Chengzong, I am going to be of great use!" ”

"But why don't you call him the champion?" Xiaozi really can't figure it out.

"Yang Chengzong had a smooth ride at a young age, I was afraid that he would be arrogant, get carried away and forget his heart, deliberately pressed him, and deposed his champion as a tanhua, so as to sharpen his temperament! I've had a lot of hard work for him! I hope he doesn't let me down! ”

Xiaozi listened inexplicably, the emperor wiped the champion that people should have gotten, and said that it was hard work for him? Xiaozi felt that his thinking really couldn't keep up with him!

Because he is ranked first, Yang Chengzong does not need to take the exam, and he can directly become a Shujishi and enter the Hanlin Academy. There is a folk proverb: "Non-Jinshi does not enter the Hanlin, non-Hanlin does not enter the cabinet", Shu Jishi is also called the prime minister, after studying the knowledge and policy of the Hanlin Academy for several years, the general promotion of officials is like a rocket.

Therefore, although the Hanlin Academy is a small position, it is actually extremely noble!

This time, Yang Chengzu was also admitted to Jinshi, the eighteenth place in the second class, and later he was also admitted to Shujishi. The Yang family has two jinshi, and it is a beautiful talk in the capital. The two brothers were involved in the fraud case last time, and they have long been forgotten.

After Zhang Bang announced the ranking of Jinshi, although Yang Chengzong did not win the top prize, he was also satisfied with the third place Tanhua. Of course, he didn't know that his Tanhua was the result of the little emperor Ye Minyu's secret manipulation. Three days later, Ye Minzhao feasted a group of new scholars in the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City, which is also known as the "Qionglin Banquet!" ”

On the second day of the banquet, Yang Chengzong was summoned to the Qianqing Palace by the little emperor, and the strange thing about Chengzong was that the emperor did not ask him about the poetry and songs, but all he asked about the art of war, strategy, marching and formation, and so on. In this way, the emperor announced Yang Chengzong into the palace every three or five times, and soon the court and the central government knew that the new science and technology were very popular with the emperor.

Then what made everyone stumble was that after the Shu Jishi exam, Chengzong should have entered the Hanlin Academy according to the usual practice and became a revision from the seventh grade, but Ye Minzhao waved his pen and sent him to Hubei, where he became a "military officer of the Hunan and Hubei Military Horse Mansion", and actually let him join the army!

At that time, the status of civilian officials was generally higher than that of military generals, and military generals of the same level had to salute when they saw civilian officials.

After Ye Yichen learned about this from Yulan, he was also quite surprised. It's not that he is dismissive of his brother-in-law, it's that he's too busy during this time. Before the New Year was over, Liu Zhang, Emperor Xiaowu of the Shu Han Dynasty, quietly led his army into Hubei under the cover of heavy snow, and quickly captured Xianning, Huangshi, Ezhou and other places, swept away the peripheral cities of Xiangyang, and formed a strategic encirclement of Xiangyang.

Wang Xingyi and Liu Zhang fought a few battles, Liu Zhang is very steady in his use of troops, and is known for being able to fight tough battles, although Wang Xingyi is not a mediocre talent, and has very rich experience in warfare, but after all, compared to talent, and Liu Zhang is still much worse. Therefore, almost all the battles were in the north, the morale of the army was low, and the situation was very unfavorable.

Wang Xingyi asked Ye Yichen for help one day with an urgent recital. Ye Yichen also put all his main energy on the war ahead. The officials of the Ministry of War and the Governor's Office of the Five Armies held meetings until late at night for several days, and everyone's judgment was very consistent, Liu Zhang concentrated all the forces of Shu Han and sought a decisive battle with Great Chu.

Ye Yichen returned to the main room that night, and saw a light like a bean, it was already past the hour, Yulan was still waiting for him to come back, and a feeling of guilt rose in his heart. Took Yulan's hand and sat back on the bed, and after thinking for a long time, he said with difficulty: "Lan'er, I may soon leave for Hubei!" Liu Zhang's use of troops is very old and fierce, and the battle ahead is imminent, so I must personally command in front of the battle to rest assured......"

Yulan knew that this day would come sooner or later, but she didn't expect it to come so quickly. She was stunned for a long time before she found her voice: "Have you already decided?" ”

Ye Yichen nodded: "Tomorrow, I will arrange for the DPRK and China, and I will leave in five days at the latest!" ”

Yulan felt like a boulder pressed against her chest, so heavy that she couldn't breathe. Somehow, her eyes turned red: "I won't stop you...... I just ask you to take care of your body and come back to see me and my child safely! ”

Ye Yichen hugged her tightly in his arms: "Don't worry, I will take good care of myself!" ”

Five days later, Ye Yichen entrusted the cabinet ministers with all the important affairs of the DPRK and China, leaving Ye Fengqi to watch the stalls at home and personally lead 50,000 Beijing troops to aid Hubei.

In the past six months, Ye Yichen has removed two scholars in the cabinet and installed his own people, and now in the cabinet, except for Ding Gelao, it is either his own people, or people like Shen Shoufu who maintain a neutral attitude among the little emperor and the regent. So basically, the cabinet is also under his control.

Ye Minzhao personally held a grand ceremony and sent away Ye Yichen's army, and Yulan also said goodbye to the prince with tears.

Cining Palace.

The Queen Mother, the Little Emperor and Chen Jia were all at the scene. There was no one in the huge palace, and all three of them had solemn faces, and the atmosphere seemed very depressing.

In the silence, the little emperor suddenly began: "Where has the regent gone?" ”

"Back to the emperor's words!" Chen Jia respectfully replied: "As soon as the regent arrived in Tongzhou, he left behind the large army, followed lightly, and only brought hundreds of personal guards on the road. The route taken by the prince is top secret, and I am afraid that no one in this world can know except for the captain of his own soldiers. ”

"Really?" Ye Minzhao glanced at Chen Jia with a smile: "I asked you to lay nails among the regent's personal guards, haven't you done it yet?" ”

Chen Jia's face remained unchanged and said: "Although the process is very difficult, fortunately, I am not dishonored!" ”

Ye Minzhao's face suddenly flushed, he slapped the armrest of the throne fiercely, and stood up awkwardly: "Okay!" What I've been waiting for is today! He walked up to Chen Jia quickly, and said quickly and hurriedly: "You go and arrange it quickly...... Isn't there a spy arranged by Shu Han in Beijing? You go and pass Ye Yichen's position to Liu Zhang. I don't think that Liu Zhang will be willing to see Ye Yichen arrive in Xiangyang safely! ”

"Yes! Minions, let's arrange it! ”

"Wait!" Ye Minzhao was very emotional when he spoke just now, and the Queen Mother didn't bother him, and finally interjected: "Emperor, you can think clearly!" Although Ye Yichen is authoritarian, his military command talent is unparalleled in the world, if he really dies, who will help you resist Shu Han, and who will help you eliminate Ye Minyu? ”

"Queen Mother!" Ye Minzhao suddenly turned his head, his eyes were red and said: "How many losses and humiliations we have suffered in his hands, how can you still speak for this traitor now!" Even if we unify the world in the evening for ten years, I will also completely eliminate this traitor! I can't take it anymore! An hour a day and a quarter of an hour are not tolerated! ”

The Queen Mother said calmly: "The mourning family doesn't want to stop you from anything. Instead, it reminds you that now, you are the emperor of this huge empire, and the mourners hope that no matter what decision you make, you can calmly judge and analyze the situation, not out of a moment! You want to become a generation of holy masters who surpass Tai-Ancestor Taizong, this is the most fundamental! ”

Ye Minzhao's whole body was shocked, he slowly calmed down, but he still said very resolutely: "My son has figured it out, and in the future, he will definitely not regret it!" ”

Ten days later, before the gates of Beijing City were closed, a war horse swept into Xizhimen. Immediately, a knight dressed in black, the knight had exhausted two horses along the way, and had been running sleepless for two days and two nights, and the bumps along the way had made his legs a blur of flesh and blood.

An hour later, in the mansion of Qin King Ye Fengqi, Qin Wang Ye took the secret report handed over by the man in black, and only glanced at it, the always suave prince was like being struck by lightning, and he couldn't hold the secret letter in his hand in shock.

"This, how can it be ......"

That night, Yulan had been sleeping very unsteadily. has been nightmares, and in the second half of the night, she was suddenly woken up by the maid: "Princess, the chief manager is here, waiting in the front hall, saying that there are 100,000 urgent things to report to you!" ”

Yulan came to his senses, Ma Fu has always known the rules, and he will not enter the inner courtyard easily, and when he comes to visit at this time, something terrible must have happened. Yulan immediately thought of the prince first, and a very bad premonition enveloped her.

She hurriedly instructed the personal girl: "Help me get dressed!" ”

She hurriedly dressed and took the maid into the main hall, and saw Ma Fu, Chengying, and Hanguang both there. Chengying and Hanguang were supposed to follow Ye Yichen to the front line, but Ye Yichen was not worried about Yulan and the two children, so he left his personal servant to Yulan to call.

Yulan saw that the three of them were all pale, and Chengying and Hanguang had tears in their eyes. She felt weak under her feet and couldn't stand. It took a long time to find his voice: "Manager Ma, you came to wake me up in the middle of the night, what happened?" ”

Ma Fu swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his face was ashen, Yulan had never seen him like this. The impression of Ma Fu has always been confident.

"Princess, don't worry, it's a ...... That's bad news! ”

"Is there something wrong with the prince? Say it quickly! ”

"When the boat that the prince was riding crossed the river on the territory of Shu Han, he was somehow discovered, Liu Zhang arranged heavy artillery on both sides of the Yangtze River, and the boat that the prince was riding was sunk by heavy artillery, and now the prince does not know whether he is alive or dead! But don't worry, Prince Qin has already taken someone to the place of the incident overnight to investigate, and the prince and his old man will definitely turn evil into good fortune! ”

Yulan only felt that her head was buzzing, she could understand every word Ma Fu said, but when she synthesized a sentence, she didn't want to understand what it meant. Tears flowed down her mind, but she didn't know it. All she could think about was "The ship is sinking!" "Life and death are unknown!" A few words like that.

One second, it's the difference between heaven and hell!

She muttered, "You promised me that you would come back to see me and the child well!" You promised me! It was only at this moment that she felt a sharp pain in her heart, like a thousand or ten thousand steel needles piercing her heart, and the pain was so painful that she could barely breathe.

Immediately after that, her eyes went dark, her consciousness was blurred, and her whole person fainted.