In the Forbidden City's Yangxin Palace, the young emperor Zhu Qizhen was reviewing the chapter in front of the imperial book case, and Yang Muyun and Zhu Xiyuan, who was dressed as a eunuch, stood under the imperial book case.

"Are you crazy enough?" Zhu Qizhen put aside the corrected piece of music and looked at Zhu Xiyuan who was standing below.

Zhu Xiyuan twisted the corner of her clothes and hung her head silently.

"Go to the Empress Dowager of Kunning Palace to receive the punishment," Zhu Qizhen did not have a trace of gloom on his face, and said lightly: "You are not a foreign minister, and I am not good for you." ”

"Brother Emperor," Zhu Xiyuan took a few steps forward, pretending to be pitiful, "The courtier's sister knows that she is wrong, you secretly let the courtier's sister go back, don't alarm the queen mother!" ”

"Xiyuan," Zhu Qizhen's face sank, "As a princess of Daming, you took the lead in exceeding the rules of the harem, if you are not punished, where is my royal system?" ”

"Brother Emperor......" Zhu Xiyuan came to Zhu Qizhen's side with tears in her eyes, and gently grabbed the corner of his clothes, "The courtier's sister is young and ignorant, so you forgive the courtier's sister this time!" ”

Zhu Qizhen did not answer with a gloomy face.

"Brother Emperor, the concubine of the courtier's sister was gone shortly after the birth of the courtier's sister, please read the lonely and bitter ...... the courtier's sister" Zhu Xiyuan became more and more sad the more she spoke, and finally she couldn't cry anymore.

"Okay, okay," Zhu Qizhen couldn't stand her tears, his face gradually softened, but he still said with a tense face: "It's just this once, not for example." ”

"Sister Chen, I know." Zhu Xiyuan suppressed her sobbing and quietly glanced at Yang Muyun.

Yang Muyun hurriedly lowered his head and didn't dare to look at her.

"Go back, I didn't see it, and I didn't know about it." Zhu Qizhen said.

"Brother Emperor Xie" Zhu Xiyuan bowed to him and looked at Yang Muyun, "Then Yang Muyun ...... him"

"I still have something to ask him, it's better for you to go back quickly," Zhu Qizhen stared at her and said, "If the Queen Mother finds out about your unauthorized exit from the palace, I won't be able to protect you." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty, my sister is retiring!" Zhu Xiyuan walked past Yang Muyun when he went down, stretched out his hand and twisted it around his waist.

"Ah" Yang Muyun was in pain and couldn't help but scream.

"Yang Aiqing, what's wrong with you?" Zhu Qizhen looked at him strangely and asked.

"I didn't ...... It's nothing," Yang Muyun hurriedly disguised: "Weichen suddenly remembered a major event to be played to the emperor. Glancing at Zhu Xiyuan fiercely, Zhu Xiyuan smiled at the corner of his mouth and quickly walked out of the Heart Cultivation Palace.

After Zhu Xiyuan's figure disappeared completely, Zhu Qizhen took a long breath and shook his head with a wry smile.

"Didn't I send you to the military department on an errand," Zhu Qizhen glanced at Yang Muyun, "Why did you end up in New Taicang?" ”

"Return to the emperor," Yang Muyun bowed and said: "The minister was ordered by Lord Shangshu to go to the Imperial Horse Prison to get 10,000 military horses, but where did he find that the entire Imperial Horse Prison was empty, and the father-in-law who guarded the door said that they had gone to New Taicang to receive rice, so the minister hurried there......"

"Kuang asked you to go to the Imperial Horse Supervisor to ask for a military horse? And 10,000 horses? Zhu Qizhen looked at him incredulously and asked.

"Exactly!" Yang Muyun lowered his head and said.

"He really thinks a lot of about you." Zhu Qizhen's mind turned, and he already understood the truth, which was obviously Kuang testing him.

"So you went to New Taicang, where you want to find Xing'an?" Zhu Qizhen then asked.

"Yes." Yang Muyun replied.

"Did you find it?" Zhu Qizhen asked with interest, and said in his heart that this was really a stunned young man, and he whimsically chased there.

"When the minister went there, he found out that the father-in-law of the high-ranking office in the palace didn't have to show up there in person to receive the salary." Yang Muyun replied with some frustration.

Zhu Qizhen smiled, "If Xing'an is there, will he let you complete the errand in hand as you wish?" ”

"This ......" Yang Muyun was speechless for a while, not knowing how to answer.

Zhu Qizhen's lips pursed into a line, closed his eyes slightly and shook his head, "Yang Aiqing, you still have a lot to learn!" ”

"Weichen is dull, and he has a negative emperor." Yang Muyun fell to the ground.

"Get up," Zhu Qizhen opened his eyes, "Tell me how you met the princess?" ”

"After Weichen arrived at the new Taicang," Yang Muyun stood up, thought for a moment and said, "The official in charge of the grain depot is Zheng."

Rice is distributed to the father-in-law in the order of the roster...... Later, because of the verbal disagreement, the two sides fought......"

"Did they do it?" Zhu Qizhen's eyes froze.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Yang Muyun replied, "The situation was very chaotic at that time, and there were killers who pretended to be father-in-law in the palace to find an opportunity to kill people......"

"There is a killer pretending to be someone in the palace?" Zhu Qizhen frowned.

"Wei Chen found out in the chaos that the princess and her personal palace maid Cuirou were also among them, so he pulled them to safety............ Yang Muyun nodded and said: "That killer took advantage of the chaos to assassinate the master of ceremonies and the master of ceremonies Bingbi Wei Jiong, and then prepared to escape, the minister chased after him and was about to catch him, who knew that he was not weak, jumped off the wall and fled on horseback" said and lowered his head and said: "The minister is incompetent, he failed to arrest him, please ask the emperor to punish the crime." ”

"It happened suddenly, it's not easy for you to protect Xiyuan thoroughly......" Zhu Qizhen glanced at him, "I'm just this royal sister, I don't want her to cause any more trouble with me because of you." ”

"Yes, the minister is guilty, and the minister is terrified......" Yang Muyun was so nervous that sweat oozed from his forehead.

"You're not guilty now, what's so nervous?" The corners of Zhu Qizhen's mouth curled slightly, and he said leisurely: "Even if you really do something because of Xiyuan, I won't kill you," squinted his eyes slightly and looked him up and down, "Xiyuan likes you so much, you can enter the palace and always be by her side......"

"Your Majesty ......" Yang Muyun was shocked, his legs trembled, and he fell to the ground with a pop.

"The emperor" hurriedly entered the main hall through a small yellow door, bowed down and reported: "The prince has arrived"

"Got it," Zhu Qizhen raised his chin slightly, "You take Director Yang to the side hall to rest for a while, and then send him out of the palace when it gets dark." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty," Xiao Huangmen turned to Yang Muyun, "Lord Yang, please!" ”

"Your Majesty," Wang Zhen hurriedly walked into the main hall and bowed in front of Zhu Qizhen, "Slave Wang Zhen sees the emperor." ”

"Mr. Wang came to see me in such a hurry, is there anything urgent?" Zhu Qi calmly glanced at him.

"Your Majesty," Wang Zhen's face flushed, as if he had been greatly wronged, "The people in the household granary were lawless, and they insulted the ministers who received the rice......" accentuated the tone, "That's not all, they actually moved their knives and assassinated our ceremonial supervisor Bingbi Wei Jiong on the spot, the emperor ......" Wang Zhen's cheeks trembled, choked and said: "You have to be the master of our ministers!" ”

"Mr. Wang is saying that the person in charge of the grain in the household department killed the celebrant Bingbi Wei Jiong?" There was not the slightest look of surprise on Zhu Qizhen's face.

Looking at the emperor's unusually calm appearance, Wang Zhen's eyebrows trembled slightly, "The old slave doesn't dare to hide it from the emperor." ”

"The murderer was caught?" Zhu Qizhen then asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Wang Zhen said with some indignation: "The household department killed the people of my inner court, and his military department actually sent troops to surround the scene, and also escorted a cadre of criminals to the criminal department, especially the left attendant of the military department, Lang Hou......"

"So the prisoner was taken to the criminal department?" Zhu Qizhen asked with interest.

"Yes, the emperor, their military department, household department, and criminal department have joined forces to bully our ministers, and the emperor has to be the master for us!" Wang Zhen said with a sad face.

"Then how does Mr. Wang want me to make decisions for you?" Zhu Qizhen raised his eyebrows, "Do you want me to come forward and hand over the prisoners to you, sir?" ”

Wang Zhen's face froze, and he found that the emperor's face seemed to be a little unkind, and he couldn't help muttering in his heart.

"Let me think about it for Mr.," Zhu Qizhen said leisurely: "I will hand over the prisoners to Mr., and Mr. will hand them over to Jinyiwei, and then they will be tortured by Jinyiwei Prison, I'm afraid that even if a dead pig wants it to recruit anything, it will have to recruit anything!" ”

"Your Majesty......" Wang Zhen couldn't help but be stunned when he heard it.

"What, am I not right?" Zhu Qizhen looked at him and smiled slightly.

"Minions...... The slave didn't dare to deceive the emperor," Wang Zhen knelt on the ground, knocking his head like pounding garlic, "Wei Jiong's death is really unjust." ”

"Okay, get up quickly, see what you look like," the corners of Zhu Qizhen's mouth hooked slightly, "Mr. Wang, I don't know if Wei Jiong died unjustly, but I know that you won't let him die in vain." ”

"Minions...... The minion ...... "Wang Zhen doesn't know

What is the emperor's intention, he doesn't know how to continue.

"The rice in the inner court was originally distributed according to the old system of Hongwu," Zhu Qizhen said as he paced: "Now the rice is directly distributed to them to sell in the market, which is a lot of ......loss."

Wang Zhen listened silently.

"Mr. Wang thinks that it must be their foreign ministers who rectify your inner court, right?" Zhu Qizhen said.

“......”

"This is actually what I mean," Zhu Qizhen said that Wang Zhen was taken aback.

"I can't help it," Zhu Qizhen glanced at Wang Zhen helplessly, "The fourth conquest of Luchuan is about to begin, and the soldiers, horses, grain and grass are frequently transferred, and this money is spent like running water," he sighed: "The household department is very nervous, and I have to make this decision, I want to deal with it for a few months first, and then restore the old system when it is a little more relaxed, but I don't want to ......"

"Your Majesty's ......" Wang Zhen couldn't help but feel sour when he heard it, and cried bitterly, "It's the old slave who didn't take into account the emperor's difficulties." ”

"Now that the war is imminent, the military horses have not moved, the grain and grass go first, and the officials in charge of the money and grain of the political envoys in the south are waiting for the deployment of the household department, if you want to do them now, the entire household department is afraid that it will stop operating, and the grain and grass cannot go first, how can the military department and the governor's office of the five armies responsible for the transfer of troops and troops ensure the normal transfer of soldiers and horses?"

"The slave is shallow, and he asked the emperor to condemn him." Wang Zhen said in a trembling voice.

"So......" Zhu Qizhen said slowly: "This criminal is still tried by the Criminal Department, and you Dongchang and Jinyiwei don't interfere." ”

"The old slave obeys the emperor's holy orders."

"As for Wei Jiong, I will definitely give him kindness; I will make up for other people's money in the future; If there are other criminals, I will ask the criminal department to find someone from them to confess; Liu Zhongfu has no way to employ people, and he needs to wear a flail to watch things for ten days...... Mr. Wang, are you satisfied with what I said? Zhu Qizhen stared at him and said.

"The emperor is sacred, and the slaves are obedient!" Wang Zhen bowed his head.

"That's a good ......" Zhu Qizhen's face straightened, and he said solemnly: "Now, you go back and inform the stewards of the other eunuchs in the inner court, they have all restrained the people under me, and then give me Yin, don't blame me for being polite." "Speaking of which, the voice is very strong.

"The old slave understands, the old slave must do it." Wang Zhen wiped the cold sweat from the corner of his forehead and said busily.

"Whoever works for me loyally, I will not forget his benefits," Zhu Qizhen said here, and his words changed sharply, "but if anyone plays me like a fool, I will never spare him." ”

"The old slave doesn't dare, the old slave has no second heart for the emperor......" Looking at the emperor's resolute and majestic expression, Wang Zhen felt secretly afraid in his heart, how could he let the emperor know about his careful arrangement? He couldn't figure it out, and he had to sigh in his heart, the emperor has grown up, and he is no longer as easy to control as a child.

When the sun had set in the west and night fell on the earth again, Yang Muyun hurriedly walked out of the palace from Xihua Gate under the guidance of a small eunuch, because if he didn't go out at this time, all the palace doors would be locked, and the time was so wonderful that he grasped it.

Yang Muyun walked out of the palace depressedly, but he didn't know that because of his words, he helped the emperor expose a trap set by Wang Zhen, and also avoided the mutual tilting of the inner and outer courts. He looked up at the sky, twilight was falling, and now the military department should have released the government, and it was not appropriate to go back, but the capital did not have its own place to stay, and the question of where to go now suddenly stumped him.

He staggered along the streets of the capital, walking aimlessly.

After a busy day, the errand was not completed, but because of escorting the princess back to the palace, the emperor was counted down, and he was locked up for a long time after it was over, and he was released after dark.

He remembered what the emperor said to him at the end, and a chill ran down his spine, and he went to the palace to be a father-in-law, which he would rather die than go.

What will I say to the army department tomorrow when I return to Lord Shangshu? The inner court is in a lot of trouble with the foreign ministers because of the issue of money, and I am afraid that this errand will not be able to be completed for a while. Yang Muyun shook his head, feeling that he had never been like this.

In front of him, there were more and more people, and he had come to a lively market. At night, the city of Beijing was brightly lit, and the gentry officials put on civilian clothes and walked the streets and alleys with the common people. Therefore, the prosperity of the entire city of Beijing is no less than that of Jinling, the southern capital.