The wind was biting cold and the snow was pouring all over the sky.

A detachment of eight hundred Tatar cavalry, galloping through the snow against a strong wind, appeared in front of Kaipingwei.

At a distance of five hundred meters, the Tatar cavalry slowed down and blew their horns.

The long and ancient sound of the trumpet broke through the heavy snow, accompanied by the wind, and reached the ears of the border troops of the guard.

The drums beat and the defenders of the city climbed the high platform and looked into the distance, raising their vigilance.

In the enemy platform, which was built with logs and stones, the border soldiers rubbed their hands vigorously, moved their fingers, and drew their longbows.

In the bunker outside the city, wooden shovels push away the snow, and sharp knives and spears stick out, reflecting the cold light in the snow.

The resurgence of drums, vigilance, and fighting have become the instincts of the border army.

"Hurry up and report to the command."

A frontier soldier received the order, quickly descended the city wall, and ran to the commander of the guard.

When the commander of the guard heard the report, he immediately rushed over.

Five days ago, the grain and grass transported from Daning arrived in Kaipingwei. After the military capital of Beijing stayed behind, there was an order from the military governor's office, and the Tatar Khan Ghost Lichi had declared himself a vassal to the Ming Dynasty, and the Son of Heaven was merciful and verbally instructed to help the people of the grassland with grain.

For this order, the vast majority of the border troops could not understand it. Last month, the Tartars also came to the border to burn, kill and rob, and changed their words to be ministers and did not blame the past? What is this called! But the holy will cannot be violated, the military order is like a mountain, no matter how much you don't understand it, you can't disobey it.

There are also smart people who think that the court's move must have deep meaning.

The simplest truth, when has the Son of Heaven ever been so polite to the Tartar? There must be something behind it.

When this statement came out, the heads of the soldiers began to turn one after another. That's right, what kind of character is Imagami, there is no calculation behind this, absolutely impossible!

The voices of discontent in the army gradually died down, and everyone was looking forward to what the Son of Heaven would do to the Tartars.

The sound of the horn sounded over and over again in the snow.

The Tatar cavalry stopped two hundred miles from the city, their bows unsheathed, their swords unsheathed, and the cavalry in the front row raised the trumpet brought back by the envoy and shouted, "Don't do it, your own people!" ”

Six words, the words are round, and the meaning is profound.

It has been learned that it was the Tatar envoys who agreed on a password with Zuo Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple in Beijing, in order to prevent the border troops from misidentifying them as rangers threshing grass, and firing thousands of arrows into hedgehogs. With the armed level of the Kaiping Border Army, it is not difficult to do this at all.

The Tatar cavalry did not want to really become hedgehogs, they had to follow the orders of the border army, step by step, and take their time.

The weapons of the border army of the guard can be so sharp, all thanks to the work of the military capital governor of Beijing.

The winter winds in northern Xinjiang are biting, dripping into ice. Under the influence of the weather, the fire gun, which was still in the stage of burning the fire stick, lost its advantage, and the cold weapon became more handy.

With the joint efforts of the Daning Miscellaneous Manufacturing Bureau and the Beiping Miscellaneous Manufacturing Bureau, the longbow and hard crossbows used by the border guards have been strengthened and improved. Thanks to the reward system established by Meng, the craftsmen were extremely enthusiastic about their work, and the number of weapons sent to the border guards not only doubled, but also far more durable than before.

After the Son of Heaven allowed the Daning and Beiping Miscellaneous Manufacturing Bureaus to make fire and thunder, pig iron and wrought iron transported from Zunhua continued to be sent into the workshop. The gunpowder sent by Nanjing was not powerful enough, so Shen Xuan and Yuan Rong jointly appealed to the Son of Heaven and asked for the establishment of a marching weapons bureau in Beijing to produce gunpowder and make firearms.

didn't think about it for long, Zhu Di approved the invitation of the two. Ignoring the opposition of the Nanjing Ordnance Bureau and the Military War Bureau, he directly sent people to Beijing to assist Shen Xuan and Yuan Rong in setting up a new department.

Not counting to people, all expenses are allocated by Nanjing.

As soon as the will was made, some officials immediately jumped up and said bluntly, impeaching the Marquis of Dingyuan and the Marquis of Guangping, which violated the straight path of the courtiers and had bad intentions.

Sun Yu, the left attendant of the household department, spoke particularly fiercely, "Weapons, murderous things." Since ancient times, the war of the country has been out of necessity, and the husband drives people to risk death, and few are not injured and destroyed. Today's decision has been made, but when we recuperate, cultivate rituals and music, and promote education, how can we talk about the benefits of weapons! The two of them are arrogant, flattering, saying that the military affairs are used in order to be used, arrogant, disregarding the people's livelihood, and with suspicious intentions. ”

Following Sun Yu, Li Wenyu, the right attendant of the household department, Yuan Fu, the young secretary of Dali Temple, and several people came out one after another to support Sun Yu's remarks with practical actions, and even impeached Zhu Gaoxu, the king of Han, and Zhu Gaosui, the king of Zhao.

The king of Han and the king of Zhao were all in the north, and the king of Han offered fire and thunder before him, and was praised by His Majesty. Shen Xuan and Yuan Rong have today's words, and they may not be without the meaning of the two highnesses.

"How can it be a virtuous thing to be reckless in military force!"

Hearing this, Zhu Di was completely angry.

Desperate for militarism? Who are you talking about?!

Suspicious intentions and bad intentions? Are you saying that my son and son-in-law rebelled against me together?!

When I'm a three-year-old, I'm fooled?!

The anger value exploded, and Zhu Di slapped the dragon chair violently, "Enough!" ”

The Son of Heaven was furious, and the hall suddenly fell silent. The few people who were still talking just now also lost their voices in an instant.

Today, it is not as good as Jianwen, holding his head against the pillar and playing blunt, there is a chance to leave his name in history, but the possibility of raiding his family and exterminating his family is greater.

Seeing that the ministers were silent, Zhu Di's gaze became even colder.

"Zhugong is in the land of Jinling, in the midst of prosperity, can you know the hardships of northern Xinjiang and the disaster of Koubian?!" Zhu Di sneered, with endless anger in his voice, enough to burn the entire hall, "I only ask the secretaries, can you defend the border and defend the northern frontier with the education of the saints alone?!" I tell you, no! I have lived in the army for several years, and every relative has been a stone, and I am not sad to see those who die under the blade. However, if there is no war to the death, how can the country be safe, and how can the people live and work in peace and contentment! Weapons are murderous things, and without weapons, they are even more murderous things for the country! ”

Soldiers without weapons in their hands, fighting with sticks, stones and tartars?

If the army doesn't fight to the death and keep the Tartars out of the plug, can you still allow everyone to talk here?

The ministers bowed their heads, and they didn't dare to speak.

Venting his anger, Zhu Di began to deal with the people who angered him.

Sun Yu became the most heroic rafter, and Zhu Di ordered to take off his black yarn, cut off the position of the household department, and send him to Beijing Xingtaifu Temple to raise horses.

Doesn't it mean that after Beijing stayed behind, the military capital governor's mansion harbored evil intentions?

Okay, I'll give you a chance, send you to the north, and take a good look!

Also convicted was Li Wenyu, the right attendant of the household department. The disrespectful act of not accompanying the Taimiao for no reason was exposed by the palace, and the support for Sun Yu's impeachment of Shen Xuan and Yuan Rong successfully aroused the anger of Emperor Yongle.

Xia Yuanji, the head of the household department who had just returned to Beijing from western Zhejiang, was also affected.

Xia Situ was really wronged, and finally returned from water control, but the fart-stock-didn't sit hot, and was thrown to Suzhou by Emperor Yongle to control the water. Xia Situ had nowhere to avenge his grievances, so he could only pack up his burden and set off on the road.

Xia Situ didn't go alone, Zhu Di also sent him a helper, Yuan Fu, Shaoqing of Dali Temple.

The Minister of Finance and the Vice President of the Supreme Procuratorate were sent to dredge the river and build a dam, should it be said that Emperor Yongle was dizzy, or are the officials of the Ming Dynasty all talents, one specialization and multiple abilities?

The Ministry of Industry Shangshu wanted to be listed, and said to the emperor that water control is the work of the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Household Books is forgotten, what is the matter with Shaoqing of Dali Temple?

Without waiting for a step, he was stopped by the left waiter of the Ministry of Works.

What is the situation now, the Son of Heaven is breathing fire on the dragon chair, and whoever dares to come out will be unlucky. Lord Sikong also wants to go to Beijing to raise horses? Or let the entire Ministry of Industry colleagues go to the Liaodong border?

The Ministry of Industry hesitated, and he couldn't take a step in the end.

So, the left and right servants of the household raised horses and raised horses, and the border of the border of the household, the household department Shangshu and the Shaoqing of Dali Temple went to Suzhou to control the water hand in hand. Several people who participated in the work were also sent to support teaching, and the education cause in the remote mountainous areas is about to usher in a beautiful spring.

The controversy in the court suddenly subsided, and no one opposed the establishment of the Beijing Marching Weapons Bureau.

When Meng saw the Di report, Sun Shilang and Li Shilang were already on their way to departure. Guangyingku, the former Beiping Political Division, has been reassigned to the Beijing Administration Department, and is temporarily the Yamen of the Military Weapons Bureau, in charge of the establishment and production of the Ordnance Bureau.

Meng did not interfere in the establishment of the Marching Weapons Bureau. He knew very well that with Emperor Yongle's character of protecting his shortcomings, even if he did not approve the establishment of the Marching Weapons Bureau, he would not blame Shen Xuan and Yuan Rong. Whoever dares to hold on to this matter in the court will not end well, and the two waiters in the household department are ironclad evidence.

If you get involved, even if you wipe the edges, you won't have the treatment of Shen Xuan and Yuan Rong. His life can be saved, but he will inevitably suffer some flesh and skin. It is possible to stay in prison for a period of time in the Criminal Department.

After making a few suggestions to Shen Xuan in private, Meng expressed his attitude and successfully removed himself.

In this regard, Shen Xuan didn't say much, and Yuan Rongzhi said a little, but he also remained silent.

In mid-December, the first mines and rockets manufactured by the Miscellaneous Bureau and the Marching Weapons Bureau arrived at the Side.

The Tatar grain convoy also arrived as scheduled.

In the heavy snow, Kaipingwei sent a cavalry, stepped forward to check the documents carried by the other party and the thousand households issued by the imperial court, and signaled to the city.

The Tatar liaison who had been waiting for five days in Kaipingwei immediately rode his horse and galloped over, and the Tatar Qianhu who led the team confirmed each other's identities, and assured the Ming army Qianhu who went out of the city that this team was indeed a warrior who could fight well under the command of the Ghost Li Chi Khan.

Thousands of households returned to the city to report, but before it was time, the city sent a message, so that the Tatar cavalry retreated a hundred miles, and at the same time sent out a sentry, under the strict defense of heavy troops, the south gate slowly opened.

Although there is an imperial order and the identity has been verified, those who should be on guard must still be guarded.

Who knows if these Tartars will have a whim, and when the food is in hand, they will grab another handful by the way.

The wagons carrying grain stretched in long columns, and the sturdy horses, with extremely docile personalities, paced gently in the snow, and spewed white mist from their mouths and noses.

500 stone of grain, 60,000 catties, seems to be a lot, and when it is transported back, only the herdsmen under the accounts of Guilichi and Tatar high-ranking officials have a share. Tribes that are not strong or far away still can't get a single grain.

In addition to grain, the carriage also contained Taiping clothes and other items that were rewarded to the attached tribes, and there was also a lot of cotton, which was urgently needed on the grassland.

The Tatar warriors were very touched, the Ming Dynasty Emperor was a real hero!

The Tatar thousand households led by him dismounted and saluted, beating their chests with one hand and banging. The sturdy figure is like a hill.

This gratitude is sincere, but a short touch does not mean that the friendship lasts forever.

Both the Tatar cavalry and the border army knew that peace was short-lived, and when the food ran out, the warriors of the steppe would still seek opportunities to go to the border to threw grass. This is the way of survival of nomads for thousands of years.

The trumpets sounded again, and the Tatar cavalry set off with grain wagons.

The border troops of Kaipingwei were behind them, and they traveled a hundred miles before turning back one after another, in order to make sure that the Tatar cavalry was really gone, and would not hide the grain and kill a horse pistol.

The gates of Kaipingwei are closed.

The Tatar grain convoy marched as fast as possible towards the royal tent of the Ghost Red Khan.

The sturdy steppe warriors were accustomed to the wind and snow, and the edges of their fur hats were frosty, but their speed did not slow down.

Children who are less than the height of the wheels know how important food is in the winter grassland. The 500 stone grain is like a piece of fat that runs through oil, which is coveted.

In the territory of Tatar, basically no one dares to blatantly look for trouble, but in the territory close to Varat, there are several wavering tribes, and no one can guarantee that they will not unite with Varat and cover their faces to rob.

A procession of 800 men marched through Chaganor, and immediately another force of Tatar cavalry came to meet them. The two cavalry teams converged, and the number of troops carrying grain increased to nearly two thousand.

"Five hundred stones?"

The Tatar thousand-household Burke Timur, who was in charge of the reception, looked at the wagon carrying grain, and thought in his heart how much his tribe would get.

The knights dispersed, guarding the grain wagons in the middle, alerting the Warat cavalry that might appear at any moment.

Perhaps it is the favor of God, this time the grain transportation operation can be regarded as a thrilling operation. 60,000 catties of grain arrived, and the long-awaited Tatar Khan Gui Lichi, the right prime minister of the Taishi, Ma Hawe, the right prime minister of the Taifu, and the Taibao Privy Council Arutai personally greeted them.

Bags of grain were carried off the carriage, Ghost Li Chi pulled out a dagger, a knife pierced the sack, golden corn flowed out, Ghost Li Chi grabbed a handful, put it directly into his mouth, and bit it creakingly, and then Ha Lu Ha Da Lu laughed, "The Son of Heaven of the Ming Dynasty is a trustworthy person!" ”

Ma Ha We, Ye Sun Tai and others stepped forward one after another, learned the appearance of Ghost Lichi, grabbed a handful of corn and sent it to the mouth to chew. Arutai, who has always been not optimistic about this negotiation, has no longer been loyal to his ears. No matter what intrigues and tricks the Ming Dynasty had, the grain was real. At this time, he was in opposition to Ghost Lichi, and clearly sent an excuse so that Ghost Lichi could deduct the food that should be given to him.

For the sake of food, Arutai decided to endure this time.

In the evening, torches were set up in the king's tent, the whole roast sheep exuded a tempting aroma, the Tatar khans raised their wine glasses, and the Tatar warriors, who had not eaten for many days, opened their bellies. The young girl in a glamorous dress walked into the royal tent, and the curtain was lifted, and the lively voices and laughter became clear.

In the middle of the night, the north wind was biting, and the two teams lurked quietly in the snow.

The team led by Zhu Gaoxu, the king of Han, was the first to discover the "companions" around him.

"Your Highness, do you want to do it?"

After following for two days, I finally found the king tent of Ghost Lichi, and it was a pity to give up like this.

Zhu Gaoxu didn't make a sound, lying on the snow, staring closely ahead.

The guards were unwilling, and he was even more unwilling. But he can't take risks easily, once the operation fails, the responsibility is not something he can bear alone, and I am afraid that tens of thousands of northern border troops will be implicated.

"Your Highness?"

"Silence, retreat."

Zhu Gaoxu rubbed his cheeks, which were about to freeze, and gave the order to retreat.

We must not do anything that damages a thousand enemies and injures eight hundred.

Either you don't do it, or you have to make yourself invincible. Zhu Gaoxu's way of thinking is getting closer and closer to his father Zhu Di.

Zhu Gaoxu ordered to retreat, but did not leave too far. He believed that whoever touched him in front of him would definitely take advantage of the ghost's red defense. At that time, you may be able to pick something cheaper.

Sure enough, after waiting for less than an hour, the people in the king's tent were almost drunk, and the guards on patrol were also sleepy-eyed, and those who had been lying in ambush in the snow began to move silently towards the king's tent and the place where the grain and grass were stored.

The sound of blades chopping bones was drowned out by the north wind.

Bright red blood splattered, and heads rolled off.

The killing took place in the darkness of the night.

Finally, a scream woke up the drunken people, the torches were instantly lit, the sneak attacker became the prey in the trap, the king's tent was opened, and the red-faced but undrunk Arutai and the others walked out. Looking at the surrounded sneak attackers, Oni Li Chi sneered and raised his right arm.

Bows and arrows rained down.

Blood stained the snow red, and the smell of blood filled the night sky.

Zhu Gaoxu clenched his fist to his lips, and like the soldiers around him, his eyes watched everything that happened in the Tatar camp without blinking.

Everyone looked at Zhu Gaoxu with admiration in their eyes, if it weren't for the wit of King Han, those heads who rolled to the ground would be their own fate eight out of ten.

Zhu Gaoxu bit the corner of his lip, the blood and killing made him excited, but it also made him more calm.

He remembered his father's teachings and was glad that he had made the right judgment. At the same time, the content of Meng Xin's letter also flashed in his mind.

"Your Highness, don't underestimate the Tatar Khan, the ghost power can have today's status, and he will never be a stupid person to make the Tatar tribes submit to him."

"This is a long-term solution, not a war that can be accomplished. As the saying goes, sharpening a knife is not a mistake in chopping firewood, and His Royal Highness should think twice when encountering something. ”

"Not once, twice, three times. acted rashly, the palace □ was in danger, the beacon fire in the northern Xinjiang rose again, and the ministers were unable to resign. ”

Zhu Gaoxu knew that Meng's words were not just to him, but more to show his attitude to his father. He was glad that he was no longer as reckless as he had been four years ago, otherwise, he would have fallen into the path of the Tartars tonight.

The killing finally stopped.

Ghost Lichi didn't order to stay alive because it wasn't necessary.

The best evidence is the appearance of these sneak attackers, they are from Warat.

After receiving the urgent report from Xuanfu, Meng knocked on his head, he never expected that the back hand he had prepared was not used, but Ma Hamu took the initiative to come up to help. However, Ghost Lichi couldn't bear to suppress this matter in anger and didn't come to the door, which really impressed him.

It seems that if you want to be a qualified yellow finch, you have to continue to work hard.

In late December, there was a brief period of peace in northern Xinjiang.

The Tatar rangers no longer harassed the border, and the Varat was stopped by the Tatars and rarely appeared on the border.

The Tatar Khan Ghost Lichi wrote a letter to Emperor Yongle with all kinds of praise, admiration, and praise.

After reading it, Zhu Di immediately rubbed his arms.

After dealing with each other for so many years, how did he never find out that Ghost Lichi was so emotional?

Zhu Gaochi was once again called to Fengtian Hall to listen to the government.

Due to sitting and reading for a long time and not exercising, the food in the palace also has strict regulations, and it is impossible for the prince to eat millet porridge and sorghum cakes three times a day, and Zhu Gaochi's weight is very remarkable.

Zhu Di really couldn't stand it.

If you don't want to see him again, it's also your own son.

Dao Yan was summoned to the palace to give a lecture to the prince. When Zhu Di is in the court, he will also call Zhu Gaochi. No matter what else, from the Wenhua Hall to the Fengtian Palace, a back and forth, and then standing for half an hour, can increase the amount of exercise to some extent.

The changes in the palace gave hope to the Wenchen, who supported Zhu Gaochi. took the opportunity of the banquet in the palace to mention the establishment of the prince.

Zhu Di didn't react much, but Zhu Gaochi wanted to faint immediately, or pick up the bricks and shoot the few who spoke to death.

As soon as his father's attitude towards him eased, he came to do this, is he helping him or harming him?!