"Flatten. You and Gu Chun are very good, you train hard, and the sergeants can have neat formations and their own laws. Zhu Qizhen said gently, his voice is not high, but it can soothe people's hearts.

All the grievances and resentment disappeared, and Liu Nian said sincerely: "Being able to serve Your Majesty is the blessing of the minister and Gu Chun, although the minister does not hesitate to do so." ”

"When you go to the battlefield in the coming day, you must lead the sergeants to fight the enemy bravely."

"Yes." Liu Nian only felt that for the sake of the emperor, not to mention fighting the battlefield, even if he was asked to commit suicide immediately, he would wipe his neck without blinking.

Zhu Qizhen rewarded him with a rabbit that was almost roasted, and everyone in the audience was red except for Zhang Ning. It was the emperor's own roasted prey, who could eat it? What kind of shit luck did Liu Nian, this kid go? Isn't it because Zhang Ning is his brother?

At this moment, even Gu Chun's eyes were so red that he couldn't do it.

Liu Nian was grateful, took the steaming roast rabbit with both hands, raised it above his head, and saluted: "Thank you, Your Majesty." ”

Zhang Ning looked at the scene in front of him with a smile, and knew very well in his heart that if Liu Nian said just now that he was willing to smear the emperor's liver and brain, then at this moment, he was really willing to do this.

Zhu Qizhen's means of buying people's hearts are very powerful, a very ordinary rabbit bought Liu Nian's life, from now on, Liu Nian's life is not his own.

Zhang Ning didn't know whether it was right or wrong for him to speak for Liu Nian in front of Zhu Qizhen, there were no eyes on the battlefield, if he killed Liu Nian because of this, he would blame himself for the rest of his life. When he goes to the battlefield in the future, he has to send someone to protect him.

Liu Nian returned to the table where he was eating with his comrades, and was surrounded in an instant, everyone drooled and looked at the roast rabbit in his hand, Gu Chun also came over and said, "Ah Nian, I'm not as good as you." ”

He is telling the truth, what if his grandfather is the Marquis of Zhenyuan? Compared with Zhang Ning, the Marquis of Xingchang, it is far behind.

Liu Nian's resentment disappeared, and he said proudly: "Your Majesty rewarded me with a roast rabbit in the Shenji camp." Grab a knife and cut the rabbit meat. ”

There was thunder of joy for a while.

Liu Nian took the knife in his hand, didn't cut it first, but looked in the direction where Zhang Ning was, the meaning was obvious, and he wanted to ask Zhang Ning to take the knife.

Zhang Ning shook his head slightly. He didn't want to steal the limelight. Besides, giving roast rabbits is just a means for Zhu Qizhen's daughter to buy bones, if he can't see through it, won't he live two lives in vain?

Under the gaze of countless soldiers, Liu Nian cut the roast rabbit into thin slices of meat and shared it with each soldier.

Don't look at this kid who usually doesn't have a proper shape, he is still quite good at critical moments. Zhang Ning secretly praised. After all, Liu Nian was born in a noble family, and he couldn't be wrong on the big picture.

Zhang Ning handed the roasted pheasant to Zhu Qizhen, Jia Xiaosi came over with a silver needle, and Zhu Qizhen said: "Qing won't harm me, retreat." ”

Don't, you better test the poison, if something really happens, I will punish the Nine Clans. Zhang Ning complained silently, and hurriedly said: "The minister is hungry, eat a piece first." "I didn't have time to take the silver knife, so I tore off a pheasant wing and put it in my mouth to chew.

Zhu Qizhen was unwilling to follow, tore off the other one, followed by a big chew, and said vaguely: "It tastes good." This barbecue, Qing is better than me. ”

Zhang Ning laughed and said, "Your Majesty is the king of a country, how can you do such a trivial matter." ”

Originally, if the gentleman is far away from cooking, if he is more than cooking, won't he lose the fun of hunting?

Zhu Qizhen agreed, after eating the pheasant wings in three or two bites, he tore off a pheasant leg and stuffed it into his mouth, Jia Xiaosi, who was waiting next to him, looked straight at it, how could the emperor eat so much? Is this hungry, or is it a rare prey to eat barbecue?

On this night, the monarchs and ministers enjoyed themselves, and the soldiers were united in one heart, and they did not disperse until the second watch.

The next day, Zhu Qizhen issued an order that the whole army should rest for one day and return to Beijing on the third day.

…………

Gessel led a few followers into the tall and majestic city gate for the second time and came to the temple of Yuhong. Compared with the first time when more than 2,000 people accompanied him, the figures of several people seemed extremely lonely.

The temple is still the same as before, but they are no longer treated preferentially, and are arranged in a remote courtyard by the servants, and the request to see Batu is also rejected. As for the letter of state, he was told that the emperor would go hunting in Xishan and wait for the emperor to come back.

Gessel was indignant, and when he heard about An Xingbo's mansion, he guarded the road that Zhang Ning had to pass to return to his house, and wanted to question Zhang Ning face to face, but he didn't want to stay until dark and didn't see Zhang Ning's carriage passing by, so he had to give up.

The next day, he wanted to go to the Imperial Prison to inquire about the situation, but was told that he could not leave the courtyard where he lived, and that he had to wait in the courtyard for the emperor to return to Beijing to summon him.

He was furious, was this to imprison him? Could it be that there was a secret agent of the Ming court in the royal court, and he knew that the envoy of the Ming court was imprisoned, so he was also imprisoned?

…………

In the early morning, Zhu Qizhen was still with Zhang Ning.

The two of them drank tea and played chess all the way, and they were also comfortable. Compared with going out of the city, both of them were very relaxed, the results of the exercise met expectations, and the morale of the three battalions was also mobilized.

Zhang Ning said: "As long as the grain can keep up, the Northern Expedition can be done at any time." ”

If the Northern Expedition is made, Zhang Fu will inevitably be the commander, and Yang Shiqi will be responsible for the grain and grass.

"Exactly." Zhu Qizhen agreed: "I can't wait to unify Warat and let the grassland become the land of my Ming herding horses." "As long as the timing is right, it is not difficult to find an excuse to go to war.

"Your Majesty, the war is about logistics, and no matter how much food is prepared, it is not too much, not to mention that in early autumn now, if you can't take Warat in one fell swoop within two months, the grassland weather is cold, and there will be a white plague, I am afraid of ......."

Either do it quickly, or wait for the coming spring. Buckle the chin figure, this battle is inevitable.

Zhang Ning's buckle of Batu is not a reckless act, but after careful consideration, as a confidant of Yexian, Batu learned the inside story of Warat that Jinyiwei's secret agents could not learn with great difficulty, rather than sacrificing countless secret agents and not necessarily finding out important news, it is better to take a risk.

Anyway, there is always a battle between the two sides, and if the Ming court does not go north, is it possible that he will not lead troops to the south first? First of all, he was ambitious and bent on restoring the glory of Genghis Khan and occupying the Han people again.

"In another half a month, the grain and grass will be ready." Zhu Qizhen is very confident.

First, the treasury is full, and it is easy to do things with silver, so it is purchased at a high price nearby; Second, the treasury is also full, and in addition to the annual conscription, it also hires a lot of people to transport grain and grass, which is many times faster than usual.

In a word, it is easy to do things with silver, but it is difficult to move an inch without silver.

The news of the envoy Shi Dacheng's imprisonment has been sent back, someone has to make a sacrifice, and what Zhang Ning can do is to make Shi Dacheng's sacrifice worthwhile. Therefore, although it is early autumn and the weather is getting colder day by day, it is not a good time for the Northern Expedition, but he did not retreat, let alone suggest that Zhu Qizhen should go on the expedition in the coming spring.

"That's the best." Zhang Ning said. As long as the grain and grass are ready, it is the time of the Northern Expedition.

"But do you want to choose Ji first for you to marry Youyou and Miss Yang?" Zhu Qizhen was careful and did not forget the lifelong events of Zhang Ning and his cousin.

Of course, Zhang Ning wanted to get married quickly, but he didn't count it, and it was mentioned in the letter that the Empress Dowager didn't agree. He pondered for a long time and said, "For this matter, I still have to consult the Empress Dowager and her old man." ”

"That's right." Zhu Qizhen nodded in agreement, now he didn't dare to go against the old man's wishes.

As he spoke, the emperor entered the city gate.