Ruan Biyun was greatly wronged this time, and early the next morning, the people blocked the door and demanded a refund, and she didn't even have time to shed tears.

At the same time, Ruan Qingzhi had been summoned into the palace with Ye Han, and a bunch of small palace maids and eunuchs were waiting around him, waiting for the end of the early dynasty in the side hall.

That's not a good thing either.

Obviously, when he entered the palace, the early dynasty had not yet begun, but the emperor specially instructed Ye Han to wait in the side hall, which clearly meant that he was not allowed to go to the court. Apparently, the emperor had completely lost his patience and was no longer willing to hide his displeasure.

Ruan Qingzhi sat next to Ye Han and asked in a low voice, "Guess, what did Your Majesty ask us to do early in the morning?" ”

Ye Han glanced out the window and said with a smile: "It's about to settle the general account." ”

"Then it's time to do the math," Ruan Qingzhi waved his hand and drove away the little palace maid who added tea, "It's been so long, everything has been delayed!" If you drag it out any longer, it's the New Year! ”

Ye Han shook his head, the smile on his face was a little reluctant.

The emperor summoned him not to take stock of how many grievances he had suffered and how many merits he had made this year. The emperor wants to find someone to settle the general account, and according to the custom, there is usually a "twenty-four articles of great sin" and the like.

At this time, he didn't want to talk about this, so he changed the topic and asked with a smile: "What did Lin An say to you last night?" Why is it that you don't even let me listen to it? ”

Ruan Qingzhi smiled bitterly: "What else can there be, he is watching Ruan Biyun, and what he has passed back is nothing more than the little thing between sisters who live and die!" He refuses to let you listen, probably because he pities me, and is afraid that you will dislike me because you think the affairs of the inner house are too troublesome, right? ”

"Hey!" Ye Han laughed, "Lin An, this stuffy gourd, also has his own idea?" He used to only know how to follow orders, but now he will think about you—did you buy him? ”

Ruan Qingzhi shook his head seriously: "I won't buy people." If you feel that he has betrayed you, it is time to reflect on whether you are too fierce to him. ”

Ye Han exaggerated his helpless look: "Even you want me to reflect, I think I should reflect on whether I was deceived by you in the first place......"

The two of you said something boring and meaningless, and the two little palace maids at the door finally got impatient, looked at each other and retreated at the same time.

The people who had been waiting for the tea had been sent away, and now only two little eunuchs were left guarding the door, motionless and dutiful.

Ruan Qingzhi exhaled silently and complained in a low voice: "This is looking at us as thieves!" Hey, you say, can we get out alive today? ”

"Of course." Ye Han also followed her example and lowered his voice: "Even if there is a big event, it will not be us who will die." ”

Ruan Qingzhi nodded, knowing in his heart.

Today's situation, the most serious is just the palace change, these young people are not afraid, is she an old monster afraid?

The biggest problem here is boredom. After all, it was inconvenient to talk in the palace, so Ruan Qingzhi had to ask the little eunuch for a pair of Go, and beckoned Ye Han to come and play chess to pass the time.

But Ye Han is not good at this. Ruan Qingzhi didn't bother to teach him, so he simply grabbed a chess piece and threw it at him, and the two practiced playing with hidden weapons.

The two little eunuchs outside the door only heard a chaotic sound inside, and secretly said in their hearts that they had never heard of this way of playing Go. This Qingyang County Lord's calligraphy and painting is already a must, is it possible to play chess and not be able to do it?

That's really ...... It's a pity.

Of course, Ruan Qingzhi didn't know that he was being sincerely pitied by the two little eunuchs. She only knew that today's early dynasty was extremely long, and the chess pieces in her hand had almost been lost, and there was no news from the main hall.

"Don't play, don't play!" Ruan Qingzhi irritably threw a handful of chess pieces back on the chessboard, and the hall suddenly clanged.

Ye Han also dropped the chess pieces like her, and said with a smile: "The secret weapon you like is really different." At first, when I saw you carrying chess pieces with you, I thought you were crazy about chess, but now that I think about it, you were going to use these things to beat people, right? ”

"Didn't you already know?" Ruan Qingzhi lazily leaned on the soft couch, "I haven't had a stable life in my life, of course I have to be ready to beat people at all times!" I don't have time to pay attention to chess embroidery! ”

Ye Han came over and sat down and was about to answer, when he heard a shout outside, "Your Majesty retreats from the dynasty", and then the emperor's voice came in with the flickering of light and shadow at the door: "Who made our Qingyang County Lord have no good life?" Tell me, and I'll teach him a lesson! ”

Ruan Qingzhi slowly stood up and bowed to greet him, the word "you" pressed in his throat, and he let out a soft snort.

The emperor beckoned her to excuse her, and asked with a smile: "What, unhappy?" Quarreled? ”

"Nope!" Ruan Qingzhi immediately rushed over and hugged Ye Han's arm, "The two of us are very good, we have never quarreled!" ”

The emperor laughed, walked to the hall and sat down, and when he looked up again, there was not even a smile on his face.

"What the hell is going on?" He looked at Ye Han and asked in a deep voice.

Of course, the question was about the attack. Ye Han did not hesitate, and said calmly: "Soon after we left the city, we found that someone was following behind, and then the wind and snow were too strong and we walked slowly, so the other party chased after us." During the battle, it was found that the other party knew the formation in a neat and orderly manner, and it was by no means an ordinary bandit. There were only more than ten of us including the maidservant coachman, and we were soon defeated, but fortunately, the Jinwuwei soldiers rushed to reinforce us. ”

"And then the Jinwu guards who reinforced you will be wiped out?" The Emperor asked.

Ye Han calmly replied "yes", and said: "The Jinwuwei soldiers are brave, but they are too reckless when they fight, and they refuse to form a formation, so they have suffered many misfortunes. Erchen pleaded: I am willing to teach the Northwest Army's formation against the enemy to Jin Wuwei, and ask my father for permission! ”

The emperor didn't answer his words, paused and asked, "How many thieves are there?" How many dead and wounded? How many escaped? Where to flee? ”

Ye Han replied one by one in a hurry: "I can't see clearly in the wind and snow, I think there are more than 100 people, most of the dead and wounded, and the sky will take some of the injured to the northeast and flee into the mountains, leaving about 20 corpses." ”

The emperor waited for him to finish, thought silently for a while, and did not speak for a long time.

Ye Han doesn't explain much, that's how he must answer questions, and if he doesn't ask, he won't answer.

In the end, the emperor couldn't help it, and asked again: "In your opinion, who did this?" ”

Ruan Qingzhi couldn't help but raise his head.

When the emperor asked this sentence, it meant that he had almost believed in the cold of the night.

She left early that night, and she didn't know how Ye Han finally arranged it, but judging from the emperor's performance at the moment, he obviously didn't find anything suspicious.

Yehan is a person, folk legends say that he is upright and stubborn, and few people really know that he is also a good hand at cheating.

Ruan Qingzhi pursed his lips and smiled, and heard Ye Han finally speak again, but his tone was a little hesitant: "Erchen doesn't know." Erchen has not returned to Beijing for a long time, and there must be no enemies in Shangjing, unless he offended people in the north in the past year and incurred revenge. ”

The emperor snorted coldly, very disapproving.

Ye Han didn't argue or ask much, and honestly bowed his head to listen to the training.

When the emperor saw his appearance, he became angry again, and scolded coldly: "No matter what, all forty people of Jin Wuwei died under your nose, and you can't escape the responsibility of poor rescue!" ”

Ye Han bowed his head and said yes, and re-examined: "Erchen is willing to teach Jin Wuwei the formation of the Northwest Army, and make up for the merits ......"

"No need!" The Emperor interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "I have more important things for you to do!" ”

Ye Han hurriedly responded yes, kneeling on one knee to obey orders.

The emperor looked at him, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Do you know about the burning of King Qi's mansion?" ”

Ye Han seemed to be a little puzzled, and raised his head: "I only heard about it after returning to the city yesterday. The Qi Wangfu is of great significance to our Southern Qi, and there must be a reason for this fire. Does the father want his sons to find out the truth? ”

The emperor stared at his face carefully for a long time before shaking his head: "Recently, there has been a general snowfall in the northern provinces, and thieves have swarmed; Now that the Qi Wangfu is on fire again, there must be rumors among the people. In the long run, it is inevitable that the world will be turbulent, and the people will not be able to make a living, and someone must guard the north and stabilize the people's hearts. ”

Ye Han bowed his head and said yes.

The emperor waited for a long time and didn't see him take the initiative to say the sentence "The ministers are willing to go", so he had to say again: "There are soldiers you brought out on the northwest border, and I am not worried; The people of the Northland have always believed in you, and if I think about it, it is best for you to go to this matter. ”

Ye Han bowed his head and arched his hand: "Erchen takes the order." ”

There are no more side words.

The emperor's brows tightened even tighter, and he was obviously very displeased: "The situation is uneasy, and the soldiers of the Beijing camp cannot be mobilized; If you have not found your talisman, the Northwest Army will not travel thousands of miles to help. So, don't you ask who I'm going to let you take to suppress the bandits? ”

Ruan Qingzhi's heart sank when he heard this.

Let's just say that things are not so easy to solve. The emperor is now unwilling to speak to Ye Han in a good voice, if there is an exception, there must be a reason, and now it is really here.

You can't let him go to the bandits alone, so this pretentiousness just now is actually to ask the soldiers around the bush?

Ruan Qingzhi thought of the prescription for the plague in his hand from the soldier talisman, and immediately realized that something was wrong, and he was busy thinking about it quickly in his heart.

At this time, Ye Han had already opened his mouth, and he was still calm and unhurried: "At this time, Erchen still doesn't know the situation of thieves in the Northland, so it's inconvenient to say more. Now that the heavy snow has closed the mountains and closed the roads, the bandits are afraid that they will not be able to win with courage and bravery, but they still have to rely on grace and power to be effective. ”

"So?" The emperor was puzzled.

Ye Han said in a deep voice: "Erchen is willing to take a few guards and go into the mountains to look for thieves with light clothing." ”

"Ridiculous!" The emperor scolded sharply, "The provinces have reported that there are no less than ten places where the northern bandits occupy the mountains as kings, and the total number is tens of thousands!" Are you going to go into the mountains single-handedly to find thieves? Are you sure you're not looking for death? ”

Ye Han bowed his head and looked moved: "Thank you for your care." The father does not have to worry, in the past, when his sons were in the northwest, he often took three or five relatives and guards to go deep into the bandit cave to lobby and persuade them, and they were often calm, not necessarily if they went and did not return. ”

The emperor said in his heart, I'm not worried about you. But since the other party performed "moving" so well, he had to work hard to play a loving father, and sighed: "It's not that I don't believe that you have the ability, it's just that ...... Alas, in this case, I will send you a thousand elite soldiers from the Beijing camp, just in case! ”

"Father," Ye Han hurriedly refused, "The soldiers of the Beijing camp are all elite soldiers who defend the city, and it is safe to defend Shangjing, but it is not good to trek into the mountains, and I am only afraid of more evil and less luck when I go." Moreover, although there have been no bandits in the suburbs of Beijing for many years, this year is different from usual, so it is still necessary to be more careful. ”

Of course, the emperor also knew that keeping Shangjing was the most important thing, and Ye Han's refusal was exactly what he wanted. Anyway, his mind had already arrived, and at this time he just got off the donkey and said, "If you have an idea, that's fine." How many other people are there around you? ”

Ye Han hurriedly said: "There are more than 100 survivors who have returned to Beijing from the northwest, and there are more than 40 people serving in Jinwuwei, and there are 73 people around Erchen and the old and weak wounded soldiers, which is enough to enter the mountains." ”

Seventy-three people, including the old, the weak, the sick and the disabled, this is really shabby.

Ruan Qingzhi immediately shouted when he heard this: "I don't agree!" Take seventy-three people to suppress bandits? Do you think you are a god? Tell me clearly: are you going to die? Are you going to make me a widow? ”

Ye Han hurriedly shook his head in denial, and repeatedly promised that he would come back alive.

Ruan Qingzhi hurriedly said: "I don't believe it! You said that the officers and men of the Northwest Army were one hundred, and they almost died at the hands of bandits that day! I don't know if the Northwest Army can fight or not, unless you are willing to take me with you, I won't allow you to go out! ”

"Qingyang, don't mess around!" The Emperor scolded.

Ruan Qingzhi didn't comply, and wanted to mess around: "Your Majesty, you can't let Ye Han go to death!" What should I do if he dies? I also told people that I was a phoenix, have the world ever seen a phoenix who has not been widowed before it? That's a shame too! ”

"Hugh is going to talk crazy!" The emperor suppressed his anger and shouted, "It's a matter of peace in the world, not the time for you to lose your temper!" If a good man wants to make a contribution, how can he delay the love of his children! ”

Ruan Qingzhi opened his mouth before he could speak, but the emperor immediately interrupted again: "You are not allowed to go with you again!" The northern mountain roads are rugged and snowy all over the place, but there is no place for you to run a carriage, and there is no place to place your cloak, stove, snack box, pen, ink, paper, inkstone! King Li is going to suppress bandits, not to play! ”

Ruan Qingzhi was very aggrieved by these reprimands, and pouted for a long time before he heard the emperor say again: "Since Wang You and the others are used to following you, you can take them with you this time." You used to see a lot of wind and snow in the northwest, and you are more accustomed to it than others. ”

Ye Han bowed his head and agreed, and his face did not show any emotion. The emperor scrutinized him for a long time, but found nothing, so he had to give up.

Ruan Qingzhi didn't intend to stop there, and asked the emperor again: "Since there has been a snowstorm in the northwest and the people have gone to be thieves, wouldn't it be miserable that the soldiers near the border have no food and no charcoal?" ”

The emperor frowned and reprimanded: "In the affairs of the court, you little child has a lot to say!" ”

"Even if I'm a child," Ruan Qingzhi argued with his head tilted up, "I also know that people need to add clothes when they're cold, and they need to eat when they're hungry!" Your Majesty, the soldiers in the northwest are freezing to death and starving to death, who will guard the border? Yehan alone can find a way to appease the thieves, but he doesn't have the ability to appease the robbers of Beiyan! The war between these two countries depends on the soldiers! ”

The emperor was bored when he heard this, and immediately looked at Ye Han: "Did you teach her to say that?" ”

Ye Han shook his head and looked calm: "Erchen has never taught it." However, what Qingzhi said was exactly what Erchen wanted to say. - Father, the heavy snow is ruthless, and the officers and men of the Northwest Army are afraid that they have been frozen for many days, so I ask my father to instruct the household department and the military department to coordinate and purchase food and cotton clothes for reinforcements as soon as possible, otherwise the northern Xinjiang front line is only afraid of being in danger. ”

The emperor's face was gloomy and he was silent for a long time.

He wasn't afraid that the Northwest Army's officers and soldiers would suffer too much and cause Beiyan to take the opportunity to go south, he just felt angry: Why did Ling Han leave the Northwest Army for half a year, and he was still thinking about asking the imperial court for money and food for them? Could it be that he has already regarded the Northwest Army as his own?

Does he know that since the moment he was recalled to Beijing, the Northwest Army has nothing to do with him at all!

Now the commander of the Northwest Army is highly trusted by the emperor, and it has been a few months since he took office, but there has been no news for a long time recently. This phenomenon made the emperor feel a little uneasy, which was one of the reasons why he was reluctant to agree to send grain to the northwest.

But now, it should be about the same, right?

The emperor calculated in his heart that he had been starving them for more than ten days, which should be enough for them to settle accounts in their hearts and weigh who was the master.

He knew Ye Han's temperament: if he didn't do this well, the thief would not obediently go to the north to suppress the bandits.

The emperor thought secretly in his heart, and slowly smiled: "Naturally, I will not sit idly by and watch the soldiers of Southern Qi suffer from cold and discouragement. You can rest assured, Liu Shangshuyan, the 100,000 stone military rations and 8,000 pieces of cotton clothes raised by the household department have been prepared, and they can set off for the north within three days. ”

"Thank you, Father!" Ye Han's face finally showed joy, "In this way, Erchen will immediately start arranging, and he can go north to suppress the bandits in three days!" ”

The emperor's eyes widened in anger.

The military rations went north within three days, and he set off three days later, which clearly meant that he would be willing to do things only after watching the grain and cotton clothes be shipped out.

To serve the imperial court has to be so calculating, his heart can be punished!

At this time, Ruan Qingzhi still didn't give up, and asked urgently: "Will you leave in three days?" Don't you spend the Chinese New Year in Beijing? ”

Ye Han seemed to be a little helpless, patted the back of her hand and persuaded: "I have been in the northwest for a long time, and I am not used to celebrating the New Year." Don't make any noise, just wait for me at home. ”

Ruan Qingzhi still refused, and the emperor hurriedly reprimanded: "The victims in the north have been harassed by bandits for a long time, life and death hang by a thread, and it is urgent to suppress the bandits!" Qingyang, this is not the time for you to be noisy and angry! ”

Speaking of which, it would be nonsense to say more.

Ruan Qingzhi shut up aggrievedly, and muttered again: "However, the injury of the night cold is not healed yet." ”

The emperor coughed and said with a straight face: "A man is not afraid of death when he fights on the battlefield, what is a little injury?" ”

"Is that a 'little wound'?" Ruan Qingzhi was angry, "He's dying!" ”

"Hugh is nonsense!" The emperor scolded sharply, and his face turned black.

Ruan Qingzhi didn't dare to say more, so he had to rub to Ye Han's side, tugging at his sleeve and muttering, "What can I do?" You are going to the north to suppress bandits, and it is freezing cold, and I am not allowed to follow...... No one will hurt you anymore! ”

Ye Han grabbed her hand and said helplessly: "I'm used to this, you don't want to be noisy." ”

Ruan Qingzhi wanted to be noisy, and he must follow along. Anyway, she knew that no matter what kind of noise she had, she could endure the cold at night.

But the emperor could not bear it.

He snorted coldly and said in a deep voice: "Lord Qingyang, you can't follow. ”

"I can do it!" Ruan Qingzhi immediately retorted, "I can do without a beautiful cloak, without a delicate stove, or without a pen, ink, paper, and inkstone!" I can also ride horses, walk and climb mountains, so why can't you take me with you! ”

"Because Shangjing needs you." The Emperor said coldly.

Ruan Qingzhi was stunned for a moment.

I heard the emperor say again: "Regarding the matter of the plague, several imperial doctors have studied it a little bit. But after all, they have never been to Yangcheng in person, so whether the prescription can be used or not depends on you. I have already made the decision for you, and you will be in charge of the rest of the hospital until the plague prescription is fully restored. ”

Ruan Qingzhi stood up, expressionless.

She knew there would be such a play. Since the emperor used the bandits to test the whereabouts of the talisman in Ye Han's hand, of course he would also use the Tai Hospital to test her prescription.

He didn't even intend to hide his intentions at all: if Ye Han wanted to mobilize the Northwest Army, he had to admit that the talisman was in his hands; If she wants to follow Yehan to the northwest, she must also admit that she has a prescription in her hand.

It was a tacit matter between the two sides, but now the emperor does not even want to maintain this apparent peace.

Ruan Qingzhi glanced up at Ye Han, and when he saw him shaking his head slightly, he said with a bitter face: "It's been so long, I have long forgotten the original prescription!" Your Majesty, the prescription was written out in a flash of inspiration in my mind at that time, and it disappeared after curing the Yangcheng plague, which is obviously because the gods don't want the fairy prescription to circulate in the world! Later, I also inquired, Nanqi did not have any envoys of Longxi Festival at all, and the person who came to borrow the prescription from me that day may have been sent by the gods! ”

"That's nonsense!" The emperor scoffed.

Ruan Qingzhi firmly believed that he was right, and was so anxious that he stomped his feet: "In any case, I can't remember anything, it's useless for you to leave me in Shangjing, I can't help the hospital at all!" Your Majesty, I'm going to help Ye Han......"

"Lord Qingyang!" The emperor interrupted her arguing angrily, and his face was very unkind: "I remember that you have made great achievements, and I have always been tolerant of you, but this does not mean that you can act recklessly!" It's a matter of the world, how can you be allowed to mess around like this! ”

"But ......" Ruan Qingzhi is still unwilling and wants to continue arguing.

The emperor had already slapped the table and stood up, brushing his sleeves and saying angrily: "It used to look decent, but now it is becoming more and more speechless!" ”

Being said by the emperor to "can't speak" is not a good thing. Ruan Qingzhi hesitated and stopped talking.

Ye Han took her hand and bowed his head to send the emperor out, and said in a low voice: "Don't argue, this situation is already very beneficial to us." ”

"Where's the advantage?" Ruan Qingzhi was angry, "He wants you to go to the north alone to suppress bandits!" ”

Ye Han shook his head and smiled: "How can you be alone?" Didn't my father return Wang You and them to me? The officers and men of our Northwest Army gathered, afraid that where would he come from? ”