Lord Gao," without waiting for Zhu Qizhen to speak, Cao Nai said: "The age of Ningyang Hou is not a few years younger than that of the British Duke. ”

"Even so, the Marquis of Ningyang should be strong and strong," Gao Yu said: "A few days ago, the Marquis of Ningyang Mansion held a birthday, and the Marquis of Ningyang danced the Chen family knife technique in front of a full house of guests and friends. Your Majesty, you must know that the machete used by the Marquis of Ningyang to kill the enemy weighs seventy pounds, and he dances like a tiger! When a cup of tea, the face is not red, the breath is not panting, and it does not reduce the courage of the year. ”

"Oh?" Zhu Qizhen was interested, "Is this true?" ”

"The old minister will never dare to deceive the emperor." Gao Yu arched his hand.

"Then you will go to find out the tone of the Marquis of Ningyang for me, and you are willing to lead the troops to pacify the bandits in the southeast."

"Obey." Gao Yu responded.

"The minister heard that the eldest grandson of the Marquis of Ningyang accompanied the avant-garde of the army to the north," Cao Nai interjected: "But he failed to return to Beijing, it is said that he died in battle, and the Marquis of Ningyang was depressed......

"Lord Cao probably doesn't know yet, right?" Miao Zhen smiled and said: "Chen Chengfeng, the eldest grandson of the Marquis of Ningyang, has just returned to the capital, as long as the emperor decrees, the Marquis of Ningyang will not refuse." ”

"Huh? Chen Chengfeng: He's back? Zhu Qizhen looked at Miao Zhen and asked.

"Before that, the former military capital governor's mansion has sent an official letter to the military department," Miao Zhen said: "Inform Chen Qianhu that he has returned to the capital this morning and is now in the Ningyang Hou Mansion." ”

"And how did he get back?" Zhu Qizhen then asked.

"According to Chen Chengfeng, he was rescued by Yang Muyun." Miao replied.

"Really?" Zhu Qizhen frowned, "But Yu Aiqing from the Ministry of War told me that Yang Muyun escorted him all the way back to Beijing...... So how did this Yang Muyun save Chen Chengfeng? ”

"This ......" Miao was stunned, a little speechless.

Zhu Qizhen paced back and forth in front of the imperial case with his hands behind his back, raised his head and said to the four cabinet ministers: "The southeast is the fundamental place of my Ming Dynasty, don't let that group of bandits make any more trouble, the four of you go back and discuss it well, see if there are any other suitable candidates, and then report to me." ”

"Yes!" The four of them responded in unison.

"Go down!" The young emperor's face was slightly tired, and he reclined in the dragon chair and waved to the four of them.

The four of them glanced at each other, and they didn't mean to leave.

"What, is there anything else to play?" Zhu Qizhen straightened his body slightly.

"Your Majesty," Miao Zhen hesitated for a moment and said: "Zhu Mian, the chief soldier of Datong, sent a military report to the military department, saying that the Datong army was fighting all the way back to the south to receive the advance guard of the Fu army, and the casualties were large, and it needed to replenish troops and horses......"

"Hmm, I want soldiers and horses to come," Zhu Qizhen's lips turned up slightly, and he said in a lengthened tone, "How much does he want from me?" ”

"The Datong army has 20,000 troops, all of which are elite cavalry, and there are only more than 3,000 left in the pass, and less than 2,000 war horses," Miao Zhen said: "Zhu Mian said in the military newspaper that if you want to ensure that the defense of Datong is not disturbed by the Tartars, you need to replenish at least 15,000 elite soldiers and 20,000 war horses. ”

Zhu Qizhen's face was impassive, and he asked lightly, "Is there anything else?" ”

"Hmm...... There are also pensions for the dead and wounded soldiers in the battle," Miao Zhen glanced at Chen

Xun said: "It takes about 400,000 taels of silver. ”

"He can really speak," Zhu Qizhen raised his eyebrows, "Is there anything else?" ”

"It's gone."

"What about Xuanfu? Isn't there a recital? Zhu Qizhen raised his voice and asked.

"Not yet." Miao replied.

"No?" Zhu Qizhen sneered, "Didn't the Xuanfu soldiers go out with the Datong Army?" Xuanfu is closer to Jingshi than Datong, and Datong has reported to me for soldiers and horses, so Xuanfu has nothing to say to me? ”

"This ......" Miao hesitated for a moment and said: "Maybe the military report of the Xuanfu will reach the military department in a few days!" ”

"How many days?" The corners of Zhu Qizhen's mouth twitched slightly, "What, are they suffering more losses than the Datong Army, and they are afraid that they will scare me when they report to you?" ”

"This is absolutely impossible," Miao Cheng said: "The soldiers and horses of the Xuanfu are only 10,000, and no matter how much they lose, it is impossible to surpass the Datong army." ”

"You are quite honest in what you say," Zhu Qizhen sat up straight, looked at the four cabinet ministers and said, "Yu Aiqing of the Ministry of War went out with Xuanda's army this time, followed it all the way to fight, and reported the situation to me one by one when he came back. Xuanfu's army did not suffer many losses, except for some baggage, only more than 1,000 people were killed in battle, that is to say, when they returned to Guannai, there were still more than 8,000 people, which was really unexpected! His eyes fell on Miao Xin, "Miao Aiqing, do you know the reason?" ”

"Oh......" Miao Xin hesitated for a moment and said: "The military newspaper said that the avant-garde of the government army was besieged by at least 100,000 Tartar cavalry, and Governor Luo, General Zhu and Shi Heng Shi Biao and other Datong generals in order to get Xiu Wubo and them out of danger, they entered the Tartar array several times, and after a series of bloody battles, they rescued hundreds of remnants of the avant-garde of the government army, for which Governor Luo was also injured......"

Listening to Miao Zhen finish one by one, Zhu Qizhen seemed to have a smile on his face, and said for a long time, "It's really hard for Luo Hengxin, not only to fight against the Tartars, but also to come forward to settle the group of arrogant soldiers and fierce generals in Datong Town one by one, and also give me a letter to cover up, which is really well-intentioned." Looking at Chen Xun, "Zhu Mian asked me for 400,000 taels of silver, can you still get it from the household department?" ”

"Back to the emperor," Chen Xun said bitterly: "This year, I have used troops everywhere in the Ming Dynasty, and the silver of the household department has long been exhausted. The minister is not afraid of the emperor's blame, and now even the money in the palace for the New Year can't be taken out. Not to mention 400,000 taels, it's 4,000 taels, and the household department is gone! ”

"I want you to find a way for me, but I don't listen to your complaints," Zhu Qizhen frowned and said, "If the household department has no money, don't you have to do things?" So what do I want you to do? ”

"Your Majesty," Chen Xun said: "The military report of this Datong army is really strange, why is it that the same is fighting against the Tartars, the Datong army has suffered heavy losses, and the Xuanfu soldiers have not suffered many losses?" Chen was really a little skeptical. ”

"What do you suspect?"

"It is suspected that General Zhu deliberately exaggerated the losses of their Datong army," Chen Xun said: "Now even the people in the capital know that the soldiers of Datong Town are not inferior......"

"Where did you hear about this?"

"This is what just happened during the day," Chen Xun said proudly: "On the North Street of Xidan Pailou in Xianyifang, the soldiers of Datong Town do not give money for dinner.

also beat people, the people of the Five Cities Terracotta Division came, they not only resisted arrest, but also got into a fight with the people of the Five Cities Terracotta Division. If someone hadn't stopped it, I don't know how much chaos would have happened...... Your Majesty, these people should be punished well. In addition, it is necessary to send someone to Datong Town to thoroughly investigate how much they have lost, how they have lost, and why there is such a big difference with the loss of Xuanfu soldiers. ”

"Hmm......" Zhu Qizhen was silent and glanced at him, this old fox was obviously buying time for himself, how could it be done in a while to find out thoroughly? The end of the year is the busiest time for the yamen, how to spare enough manpower to thoroughly investigate the affairs of Datong Town? dragged it out, and when the spring started, maybe it would turn around, and he immediately reached out and patted the table, "Is there such a thing?" This group of Qiu Ba actually made trouble under my nose, how did this Zhu Mian lead the troops? What about the troublemakers? Where is it now? ”

"I have been escorted to the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies by the people of the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses."

"Is this case going to be tried by the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies?" Zhu Qizhen frowned, "I'm not at ease, you help me draw up a fold, and let the Criminal Department, the Metropolitan Procuratorate and Dali Temple send people to the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies to observe and see how they are tried, and come back to report to me in detail." ”

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"As for the thorough investigation of the losses of the Datong Army, I order your household department and the military department to jointly send people to investigate thoroughly," Zhu Qizhen's gaze swept over the faces of the four people, "However, the defense of the Datong line cannot be slackened in the slightest, and the soldiers and horses will be transferred from the Beijing camp first, and 10,000 people and 5,000 horses will be drawn over first." ”

————————————

"Is that where you came from?" Yang Muyun was standing by a lake on the north side of the imperial city at this time, and there was a sluice gate on this section of the city wall that connected the Taiye Pool and the lake outside the city, and now the sluice was closed.

Zhu Xiyuan nodded.

"My God," Yang Muyun couldn't help but gasp as he looked at the three-zhang high city wall, "How did you get out?" ”

"It was Cuirou who helped me out," Zhu Xiyuan grinned, looked at him and said, "You also know her martial arts, it's not too difficult to secretly send me and Jing'er out." ”

"What about Cuirou?" Yang Muyun asked.

"When she secretly sent us out, a team of patrolling guards came over," Zhu Xiyuan described the situation, "and she told us to go first and lead the guards out of the way." ”

"Did the Praetorian Guards find you?" Yang Muyun's heart tightened.

"I don't know," Zhu Xiyuan shook her head slightly, "I left with Jing'er in a hurry." ”

Yang Muyun stared along the city wall and the lake, everything around him was quiet, nothing abnormal, Fang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If the palace found out that the princess was missing, it would never be so quiet if it didn't turn the entire capital into a genius monster.

"It should be the end of the hour," Zhu Xiyuan looked up at the sky, estimated the hour and said, "It is the time when the guards in the city change shifts, and it is the most difficult to be discovered when you go in at this hour." ”

"Hmm." Yang Muyun looked solemn, put his ear under the city wall and listened, and then walked to the sluice gate by the lake step by step.

"Do you want to swim in from here?" Zhu Xiyuan asked.