And the reason why Yun Xi came up with this question is very simple, he has been annoyed by Wenchen who tried to persuade him to send troops to the northwest these days.

The Ming Dynasty has fought many battles since Yun Xi succeeded to the throne, and although the treasury is still full, the civil officials do not support war with Samarkand out of their own interests and out of concern for the country.

Of course, when Yun Xi was in Guangzhou, he made public that the spies of Samarkand wanted to assassinate him, and the emperor's face would be lost if he did not fight with Samarkand, according to Confucian thought, they did not dare and could not oppose a war with Samarkand, but they were against a big fight.

It just so happened that they learned that Samarkand had the intention of committing a crime against the Ming Dynasty in the east, so since he returned to Beijing, countless admonitions on this matter came to him, proposing: Although it is necessary to send troops to the northwest to punish his country, in order not to pay for the labor and reduce the burden on the country, it is only necessary to defeat the invading Samarkand army and punish it slightly. They didn't just say it, but that's what it meant.

Yun Xi was annoyed by their advice, but because the starting point of most civil officials was actually to be good for the country, but the civil officials who did not advise on this matter had doubts about the loyalty of the Ming Dynasty, and he could not dispose of them, so he set such a test topic, taking "Zhao Guangyi, Taizong of the Song Dynasty, out of the consideration of saving expenses for a while, did not completely pacify the northwest, which led to the rise of the party later, and the Song State had to fight for many years, and the expenses far exceeded the cost of pacifying the northwest at that time", telling the ministers that they could not indulge Samarkand.

The Gongshi present all thought of Yun Xi's meaning, and after a short period of stunned attention, they picked up their pens and wrote.

But Zhou Shu didn't start answering immediately, but continued to study the ink, wondering if there was anything else.

‘…… The relocation of the difficult army festival made Li Jishan the inland festival,......。 However, some members of the Li clan stayed in the local area and failed to move inward, resulting in local turmoil and could not be pacified for several years. ’

"However, there are people from the Li clan who have stayed in the local area and failed to move inward, resulting in local turmoil, resulting in local turmoil," Zhou Shu thought for a long time, thought about the Di Bao that he had read since he entered Beijing, and finally realized another meaning of Yun Xi.

After the 'rebellion' of the Semu army, Yunxi reduced all the families of the Semu soldiers who participated in the rebellion to slaves, which made some civilian officials complain that the emperor's treatment was slightly harsh. Yun Xi used the example of the Li family to show that if the families of these rebel soldiers cannot be completely eradicated, it is difficult to guarantee that they will not cause chaos in the local area.

Thinking of this meaning, Zhou Zhou did not pause any longer, and picked up the pen and began to answer.

……

……

During the palace test, of course, Yun Xi did not sit on the dragon chair and wait.

'Next year's conquest of Samarkand, should we call up the army of the Mongol headquarters to fight?' The Mongol headquarters would not be immediately threatened by Timur's eastward advance, and would not fight with the Samarkand army as the two countries of Warat and Elijangli, and even had the possibility of dragging down the whole army. ’

But it is not a good thing for the army to conquer the northwest and leave the Mongols to recuperate in the steppe. They must still be conscripted to send troops to fight, and they must not be allowed to wander outside. ’

It's just that how to recruit them and send troops to fight needs to think a lot, so it is better to summon Yang Feng and others into the palace to ask about what they are planning. ’

Yun Xi had already thought about it, and was about to send Wang Xixuan Yang Feng, Cao Xing and others into the palace, when he saw Wang Xi holding a stack of test papers in his hand and said, "Your Majesty, all the students have finished answering, please review them." ”

"Oh," Yun Xi took the more than 100 test papers from his hand and looked at them. After only a few glances at the first test paper, he said with a little surprise: "Zhou Shu actually thought of another meaning of me. ”

The first one, of course, was a weekly article. To be honest, Yun Xi was a little surprised when he saw his article. He is not discriminating against the IQ of people in this year, according to the calculation of the admission ratio, the scholars who can take the examination in ancient times are equivalent to the students who can be admitted to Tsinghua University and Peking University in most modern provinces, and the scholars who can be admitted to the Gongshi or Jinshi are equivalent to the top few in the modern province, and even the first in some provinces cannot be admitted to the Jinshi. Those who can pass the Jinshi examination, except for a very few, are all smart and hard-working people, and they can't compare to them in terms of IQ.

But Yun Xi's idea of the question is unprecedented in this era, although the ancients often used metaphors, but it is not the same as Yun Xi's thinking, and he did not have many questions, so far Xie Jin and others have not been able to fully understand what he wants to express in the question. So Yun Xi was a little surprised to see that Zhou Shu could understand what he meant.

He carefully looked at the style and context of the article, and found that it was very logical and outstanding, so he immediately thought about it.

Even Zhong Sanyuan is also a good story, so he is named the champion. As for the future, he stayed by his side as a scholar as usual, and saw how he was assigned an official position by nature. Yun Xi made arrangements for Zhou Shu.

Then Yun Xi looked at the next test paper. There are not many tributes who think of another meaning, but there are also one or twenty, Yun Xi ranked these people in front, and the rest let Xie Jin and others consider and arrange the ranking of this palace test.

At the end of the palace test, the waiter led the prospective scholars to salute the emperor and left the palace, Yun Xi returned to the Qianqing Palace and instructed Wang Xi to send people to announce Yang Feng, Cao Xing and others into the palace, and he returned to the front hall to answer the answer.

It was noon after a while, Yun Xi put down his pen, had lunch with the four auxiliary officials, and took a nap, and was about to continue to answer the folds when he got up from time to time, when suddenly Brother Yu's little eunuch ran in and said: "Official, the eldest princess of Zhongshan and Her Royal Highness the eldest princess of Huainan ask to meet." ”

"What are they doing here?" Although Yun Xi was slightly puzzled, he still said, "Let them in." ”

After a while, I saw Yun Zhi taking Yun Lan's arm and trotting into this dormitory, and when she saw Yun Xi, who was not dressed neatly, she did not shy away from it, but walked over and took the belt from the little eunuch, and said to Yun Xi with a smile: "Brother Huang, let my sister tie your belt." ”

Yun Xi calmly accepted her service, and asked with a smile: "Why are you so diligent today, and you still tie your brother's belt?" ”

"These eunuchs are clumsy, how can they serve the imperial brother well?" Yun Zhi replied.

"They are all people who have served my brother for a long time, and they can serve people more than you can serve." Yun Xi smiled and said, "Do you have something to ask your brother, that's why you are so attentive," he said, he glanced at Yun Lan: "You also pulled your second sister over, because the matter you asked for is important, so let your second sister help you intercede?" ”

"I can't hide anything from the royal brother." Yun Zhi, who finally tied the belt, said with a smile: "My sister has something to ask the royal brother." ”

"Brother Huang, it's the beginning of April, the weather has warmed up, it's a good time to go out, and my sister wants to go outside the palace for a walk. I didn't go anywhere else, so I went to the Zhuangzi that the imperial brother gave to my sister, tasted the farmer's meal, and saw how hard the peasants worked. ”

"You don't come." Yun Xi immediately said: "Brother doesn't know you yet!" Look at how hard the peasants are, you say so now, but you won't do it when you really leave the palace. ”

"What's more, you love to be lively, how can you be satisfied just by going to Zhuangzi to see? I'm definitely going to go shopping on the streets. If you are not accompanied by your brother, how dare those guards and palace maids go against your will? In the end, I will definitely go back to the palace after turning around on the busiest street in the capital. ”

"So my brother will never agree to let you leave the palace, so you will die of this heart."

"Brother!" Yun Zhi immediately grabbed his arm and coquettishly became coquettish. In the third year of Jianye, Yunlan was found to like Yang Feng, and Yun Xi became wary of the princess seeing a foreign man, when he was angry, Yun Zhi didn't dare to ask him to let her out of the palace.

After the beginning of the spring of the fourth year of Jianye, the court was unstable, and Yun Xi pondered about Annan all day long, and Yun Zhi didn't dare to ask for it.

Finally, there was nothing to do this year, and the relationship between Yun Xi and Yun Lan eased a lot, so she had the courage to come over and beg Yun Xi to allow her to leave the palace, but she would not give up so easily.

Yun Lan also said to help: "Brother Huang, the fourth sister is still young, and she likes martial arts since she was a child, and she wants to go around the palace more, so the royal brother might as well agree to her." ”

"It's not small," Yun Xi glanced at Yun Zhi: "It's about to be fourteen birthdays, it's time to look like a big girl." ”

"Fifteen years old is a big girl, and Yun Zhi is still more than a year old. What's more, even if it's a big girl, you don't have to be able to leave the palace. My sister once went to the girls' school, and I heard them say that before entering the palace to go to school, sometimes they would go out of the house to look outside, and even after entering the palace to go to school, they would follow their parents to the market during the Chinese New Year. Yun Lan said again.

"Okay then, Brother Huang will allow you to go out of the palace for a walk. But you must not leave the palace by yourself, tomorrow afternoon, the imperial brother will take you outside the palace. Yun Xi said. After all, he is a person from later generations, and he can't bear the fact that the royal princess can't leave the palace before she gets married, and finally agrees to her request to leave the palace. But she can't be let out of the palace alone with her subordinates and guards, it is not a big deal for him to be impeached by the officials, but it will be very bad if Yun Zhi's reputation is ruined. It happened that he had been back in Beijing for 20 days, and he also wanted to understand the people's feelings, so he decided to take her outside the palace in person.

"Thank you, Brother Huang. The royal brother is the best for his sister. Yun Zhi immediately said happily.

Yun Xi said a few more jokes to them, and Yun Lan was about to retire with Yun Zhi. But Wang Xi suddenly trotted in, glanced at Yun Lan, leaned into Yun Xi's ear and whispered, "Official, Yang Feng and Cao Xing ask to meet." ”

Hearing this, Yun Xi also glanced at Yun Lan. At this time, Yun Lan said: "Brother Huang, since Brother Huang still has something to do, my sister will retire with Yun Zhi." With that, he was about to leave the dormitory with Yun Zhi.

But she didn't want to suddenly come from behind her and said, "Second sister, don't leave yet, the imperial brother will have something to tell you in a while." ”

Yun Lan stopped, turned her head and asked curiously, "What else does the imperial brother have to tell his sister?" ”

"I'll talk about it later, and I'll come back and tell you when the royal brother sends the two of them away." Yun Xi said to Yun Zhi again: "Fourth sister, go back first." ”

"I also want to hear what the imperial brother wants to explain to the second sister." Yun Zhi said.

"This," Yun Xi hesitated for a moment, and then said after thinking for a while, "It's okay." ”

Yun Xi instructed the two of them a few more words, and walked out of the dormitory with Wang Xi by himself. But after walking a few steps, he walked into a room, and instructed Wang Xidao: "Call Yang Feng and Cao Xing to come here to see me." ”

Wang Xi understood his plan as soon as he saw the room he had chosen, and immediately turned around to announce the two of them.

Yun Xi glanced sideways at the wall on the right, and then sat down, asked the little eunuch to make a pot of tea, and waited for Yang Feng and the others to come over.

……

……

'How can Your Majesty receive us both here?' Yang Feng looked at the houses on both sides and thought with some doubts.

Just now he and Cao Xing waited outside the Qianqing Palace for a while, Wang Xi came out and led the two of them to meet Yun Xi, and the two of them immediately followed Wang Xi over. But the more he walked, the more confused Yang Feng became: 'This is already the place where His Majesty rests on weekdays, why do you want to meet the two of us here?' ’

At the same time, I was also a little apprehensive. He didn't think of something like 'Lin Chong accidentally broke into the White Tiger Hall', Yun Xi had a way to kill him without having to do this; he thought: Since ancient times, the companion of the king is like a companion tiger, and the distance between the minister and the emperor is too close, although it is easy to be promoted, but if the emperor is disappointed, the punishment is often heavier than that of ordinary ministers.

But when His Majesty receives him, can he choose a place? I could only worry secretly in my heart while following Wang Xi.

However, they walked into a pavilion, where Yun Xi was sitting reading a book. The two of them immediately knelt down and said, "I have seen Your Majesty." ”

"I told you that it would be good to call the official." Yun Xi put down the book, stood up and helped the two of them up, and smiled.

He asked, "I sent someone to call you two in the morning, why did you come now?" ”

"Official, the minister went outside the city in the morning." Cao Xing said: "When the minister was in Xuanfu, he got two good horses, one of which was dedicated to the official family, and the other was ridden by himself. ”

"The minister has returned to Beijing, because he has been in the city, and there is no time to run a horse, so he went out of the city and rode a horse this morning without anything. But he didn't want the official family to just announce the ministers. Although Yang Feng did not leave the city, he waited for the ministers to enter the palace to see the officials' house, so he entered the palace with the ministers at this time. I also ask the officials to forgive the sins of the ministers. ”

"What are your sins? You are not doing an errand in the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies now, and you are not deliberately delaying my affairs, and you are not guilty. Yun Xi said with envy again: "Speaking of which, I haven't ridden a horse for a long time, and I really want to ride a horse." ”

He immediately made up his mind: "Tomorrow afternoon I will go to the horse farm outside the city to ride a horse." Then he said to the two of them, "You two will enter the palace tomorrow afternoon, and go horseback riding with me." The two of them hurriedly agreed.

After saying this, Yun Xi talked to them about business. "Yang Feng, Cao Xing, do you think that if I want to recruit the soldiers and horses of the Mongolian headquarters to follow me to conquer Samarkand, I can make it?"

"Your Majesty, if you want to recruit the Mongols to fight together, it will naturally be. However, Ghost Lichi could not bear the threat of Samarkand's eastward advance, and even if he reluctantly sent troops and horses to follow the battle, he would be half-hearted, and he might drag the whole army back. ”

"What's more, if Your Majesty needs light cavalry, and the two kingdoms of Yili and Warat, they are also the countries of the Mongols, and they face Samarkand, they will definitely be willing to send troops to fight."

"What's more, if you want to recruit them to fight for the Ming Dynasty, even if you don't pay the military according to their merits, you must always give them some swords, guns and armor before the battle. When the battle for Samarkand is over, how about returning to the steppes and harassing the border with these weapons and armor? ”

"Therefore, the minister thinks that it is better for Your Majesty not to recruit soldiers and horses from the Mongolian headquarters." After a while, Yang Feng said very seriously. The salutations have been restored.

"I have also thought about what you said, but there will be no shortage of soldiers dispatched to conquer Samarkand, and I can't say that I will transfer troops from the north, and I don't feel at ease if I leave them to fight in the steppe."

"What's more, the fierce battle between the Ming Dynasty and Samarkand has made many Mongols recuperate on the steppe, and I always feel that this should not be the case. As for some of the knives and guns given to them, I didn't care. With these swords and guns, they will not be able to break through the city, as long as they do not give armor. Yun Xi said.

Yang Feng was about to speak, and suddenly Cao Xing said: "Your Majesty, the minister thinks that if you want to recruit people from the Mongolian headquarters to fight, it will not be impossible, but you can't let the ghost power send troops." It's not just that they fight half-heartedly. ”

"The reason why the Mongols had to retreat to the steppe was that they were driven out of the Central Plains by Emperor Taizu, and people with the so-called golden family bloodline like Gui Lichi were very resentful of this, but now the Ming Dynasty is powerful and has to surrender."

"So for Ghost Lichi, dealing with Daming is more important than dealing with Samarkand. If the army of the ghost is recruited, they are likely to collude with Timur and act as a traitor for him. ”

"In this way, if the commander of the army is not noticed, he will be defeated; Even if they are aware or on guard, the army of the Devil will hold many armies in check, and the gains outweigh the losses. Therefore, Your Majesty, you can't requisition the army of Ghost Lichi. ”

Hearing his words, Yun Xi suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. What Cao Xing said he didn't expect at all, and it was not unreasonable to think about it. Although Ghost Lichi may not have a good impression of Timur, but the Ming is his enemy of life and death, if the army of the Ming Dynasty to Samarkand is wiped out or suffered heavy losses, and Timur's handsome soldiers are forced into the pass to fight to the death with the Ming Dynasty, he can watch the play and recuperate peacefully on the grassland.

"Cao Xing, what you said is right, it's as simple as I thought." Yun Xi said: "But when you say that you can recruit people from the Mongolian headquarters to fight, who are you recruiting?" ”

"Your Majesty, if you are determined to recruit the people of the Mongolian headquarters to fight, you can only keep the ghost Lichi from knowing and recruit those small tribes that are not subordinate to him."