When the fleet returned to the port, Qi Dudu was sullen all the time, not caring at all about the lively scene in the empty alleys of the port.

I understand his feelings, seeing that his motherland is slowly falling behind, but the superior is still there busy with infighting, how can he be dissatisfied with his resentment?

But what could he do? Standing above the temple, he can do more things for the benefit of the country and the people, and now that he is far away in the rivers and lakes, what can he do?

Without saying anything all the way, we returned to his residence, and Qi Dudu did not return to the back hall, but went directly to the Henghua Hall where he passed on his name to future generations.

Qi Dudu stood quietly, not knowing what he was thinking. I also stood silently behind him, not knowing how to consol him.

At this moment, the doorman outside came in to report that Jingshi had come to visit the patient, and it was none other than my good brother and good friend Ye Sizhong.

In the midst of the miscellaneous footsteps, Ye Sizhong walked in quickly, saw me, and immediately froze on the spot, and tears immediately flowed out. But he immediately laughed again, and went over to salute Qi Dudu first, and asked, "Du Du is well!" ”

Qi Dudu smiled and nodded, Ye Sizhong walked towards me quickly, held my hand tightly, his eyes were in tears, but he couldn't say a word.

He and I looked at each other with tears in our eyes, and we were speechless and choked. It's just that the hands that are clasped together shake and shake vigorously......

However, in just six or seven years, Ye Sizhong is forty years old, but he looks like he has frosty temples. If you don't know his age, you can believe that he is fifty years old. This aggravated the sadness in my heart even more, and I could only try my best to endure it and not let myself really cry.

"You haven't changed." Ye Sizhong took a few deep breaths and spoke first: "If it weren't for the occasional news from Shu, I would have just been taken away by a Western goblin!" ”

As soon as these words came out, I couldn't hold back anymore, and laughed out loud, but the smile was mixed with tears: "Brother, have you been digging coal in the past few years?" Why are there so many vicissitudes? ”

Ye Sizhong shook my hands vigorously again, before letting go, looked at Qi Dudu and said, "I heard that Dudu ...... Well, your body is not in harmony, not to mention that you took a long vacation from Jizhou, and rushed here for a day and a night, where can there be any glamor? ”

Qi Dudu patted him on the shoulder vigorously and said emotionally: "Sizhong had the opportunity to be transferred to the Beijing Division in the past few years, but he insisted on staying in Jizhou, and now he is the deputy commander-in-chief. ”

Ye Sizhong shook his head and smiled: "You are all gone, leaving me alone to guard the big camp, I can't let the banner of the Qi family army fall down!" ”

We were so excited that we didn't know what to say, Ye Sizhong suddenly looked at me and asked, "Qilan, when I came, I heard that there is a very powerful naval army stationed in Penglai, but it is not an official fleet. When I came, I wondered, now that I see you, the fleet is yours? ”

I nodded: "Exactly!" Dude, you can hand over all the private goods you want to bring to me, and I will bring them all! ”

Ye Sizhong shook his head and smiled, and gave me the following of his chest: "You kid, you are still not in shape!" I'm going to ......"

Speaking of this, Ye Sizhong suddenly stopped and looked around with a deep groan.

Qi Dudu understood and immediately said to the surroundings: "Today is full of friends, you go and prepare some wine and food, and we will drink a few glasses in a while." Let's disperse now! ”

The people understood that this was to dismiss them so that they could speak privately. No one objected, so they went their separate ways.

Those who stayed behind were Qi Dudu and me, as well as Hua Mei, Nine Ghosts Zhengxiao and Lakshen who I left behind.

Gerhardt was supposed to stay, but he didn't know Chinese, and he didn't know the inside story of the Ming Dynasty, so there was no point in keeping him, so I put him in charge of preparing the ship. If he didn't regret it, he didn't come back at all, so I asked him to take ink to do something......

After a few of us entered the Hengqi Hall, Qi Dudu sat high above, and we each sat down below, Qi Dudu opened his mouth and asked, "Now you can say it, Sizhong." ”

Ye Sizhong nodded: "Governor, it's not good!" I'm afraid that if I am not careful this time, it will inevitably shake the mountains and be irretrievable! ”

Qi Dudu stroked his beard and looked solemn: "You tell me in detail!" ”

Ye Sizhong slapped his thigh hard, picked up the tea bowl next to him and poured a sip of water, and then said hatefully: "Now, in order to knock on the front door of the Ming Dynasty, the two armies of Dongying Yu Chai Hideyoshi and Shibata Katsuya will attack Goryeo, and agree that whoever occupies the majority of Goryeo land will become the overlord supported by Dongying!" But the imperial court turned out to be ...... Hey! ”

As he spoke, he was so angry that he almost wanted to break the tea bowl, but he remembered that this was the Qi Du Governor's Mansion, so he held back and put down the tea bowl heavily.

Qi Dudu asked again: "How does the imperial court react?" ”

Ye Sizhong's eyes were red with anger, and his voice was hoarse: "The imperial court? The court was busy with the dispute over the national capital all day long, and when he received Goryeo's distress document, he just didn't believe it, and suspected that Goryeo and Dongying were conspiring to defraud the Ming Dynasty, so he just repeatedly asked about the situation of the Goryeo war! ”

As he spoke, he slapped the table hard, making a muffled sound of "bump": "But now I have received a report that most of the territory of Goryeo has been lost, and King Li Hao has asked for help many times, but the emperor just doesn't listen to it and continues to be busy with his battle for the crown prince!" Shi Xing, the new secretary of the Ministry of War, is bent on seeking stability but seeking no trouble, where is there half of the arrogance of Lord Li Zaixing? ”

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered Hua Mei next to him, and immediately saluted Hua Mei and said, "Brother and sister, it's a pity that my uncle is not in good health, otherwise this matter would not be so difficult." ”

Hua Mei smiled and said softly: "My father has no intention of pursuing a career since his mother went, I only wish him the health of the old man, and I don't want him to get involved in these things." ”

Ye Sizhong nodded again: "It's a pity that there are no more people in the DPRK who dare to act like Zhang Jiangling and Master Li!" ”

I frowned and said, "Lord Yu Shenxing's eyes are like torches, how can you make Zhu Yijun make this mistake?" ”

Hearing me call the emperor by his name, Ye Sizhong was not angry, it can be seen that he was also extremely angry with the little emperor in his heart: "Qilan, you don't know, Lord Yu has returned to his hometown two years ago, and now it is Shen Shixing who is the first assistant." ”

I said "oh", "That good old man ......" and then I couldn't go on.

Ye Sizhong nodded and said in a muffled voice: "Exactly!" Shen Shixing was busy persuading the emperor to establish a prince all day long, but he was quite conservative in sending troops, and there was no trace of Zhang Jiangling - even if Yu was cautious and resolute in his demeanor! ”

Qi Dudu stayed away from the temple in the past few years, so he asked: "What is the dispute over the country's capital?" ”

Ye Sizhong arched his hand to the governor of Qidu: "Back to the governor, according to the rumors of the Jingshi, in the ninth year of Wanli, the emperor went to Cining Palace to ask the Empress Dowager Cisheng for peace. The Queen Mother was not there, and the Queen of the Palace brought water to him to wash his hands. The emperor favored the Wang family on a whim. ”

Hearing that it was a matter of the palace, Qi Dudu frowned, this should not have been passed on, but now it is spreading, it can be seen that the matter can no longer be suppressed.

Ye Sizhong continued: "After the Wang family was conceived, the queen mother asked the emperor, and the emperor did not admit that it was his work at first, and the queen mother ordered someone to take the "Inner Living Note" to check that it was correct. The palace maids in the palace called each other 'Duren', so the emperor called Zhu Changluo, the son of the Wang family, the son of Duren, the son of Duren, very disliked. ”

And the beauties of the three palaces and six courtyards, the emperor favored the Zheng family alone, and was named a concubine in the tenth year of Wanli, and a concubine in the following year. In the fourteenth year of Wanli, Zheng gave birth to a son, Zhu Changxun. The emperor was overjoyed and loved her very much, and intended to be crowned as the imperial concubine, but he snubbed Concubine Gong in every way. Soon, there were rumors in the palace that Shenzong and Zheng Guifei had gone to the Dagao Xuandian to pray for God and swear, and made an appointment to make Zhu Changxun the crown prince, and sealed the secret oath in a jade box for Zheng Guifei to keep. ”

"Waste the long and the young, the way to take trouble! How could the emperor be so confused? Qi Dudu scolded angrily.

Ye Sizhong slapped the table angrily again, and said in a deep voice: "The courtiers are worried about this matter, and they have asked the emperor to set up the East Palace early. Lord Shen Shixing led many people to advise, but the emperor rejected them all, and also punished a group of courtiers. After all, Lord Shen Shixing Shen is the first assistant, and it is inconvenient for the emperor to punish him, and Lord Shen knows that the emperor is already gracious, so he is conservative in sending troops to Goryeo. ”

Qi Dudu nodded and said: "Shen Shixing has been cautious all his life, if he is allowed to light a fire at both ends, I am afraid that it is better to kill him." In this way, I don't blame Lord Shen. ”

Ye Sizhong said with a heavy "um": "Exactly!" Lord Shen also knows that he is suffering! If you want to blame it, blame Zhu ......, who has been arguing with the courtiers for the sake of establishing a prince and not going to court for many years Cinnabar...... Emperor! ”

I know that Ye Sizhong already hates Zhu Yijun in his heart, but the gentlemen and ministers over the years have made it impossible for him to call Zhu Yijun's name directly.

Qi Dudu pondered for a moment, then raised his head and asked, "Now that the matter has come to this, what has Sizhong decided?" ”

Ye Sizhong's face flushed, and he smiled shyly: "Honestly, I'm helpless." After all, I am a foreign minister, and I cannot speak on militaristic matters. I have come to visit the Governor, and at the same time to ask you, but now I ......"

The guy turned to me and grabbed my sleeve: "Now that I see the world's most cunning man coming back, I refuse to let him go!" Tell me, what to do? You're going to think of these ideas! ”

As soon as these words came out, Qi Dudu just looked at me and smiled, and only said after a while: "Qilan, don't hide it, tell me what you just thought!" ”

When Ye Sizhong heard this, he immediately came to his senses: "Sure enough, there is a way?" That's great! Speak up, talk fast! ”

I shook my head helplessly and smiled bitterly, patted Ye Sizhong's hand lightly for comfort, and then said again what I had told Qi Dudu about inviting the enemy and going to Beijing to persuade him.

If there is a person in the Ming Dynasty who can understand me, Qi Dudu is the first, and Ye Sizhong is the second. After listening to my speech, this benevolent brother first sighed and said: "In the past few years, when you have left, every time you encounter problems in the military and politics and the officials cannot solve them, people often sigh that Zhang Jiangling died early, and say that Qilan has a legacy of Zhang Jiangling, but unfortunately he is also gone - but these words can only be said in private, but the emperor is extremely disgusted. ”

As he spoke, he sighed at me again: "When we defeated the Tatars, the enemy has surrendered, Qilan once wrote to the governor, willing to save the name of one person, in exchange for thirty years of peace on the frontier!" Qilan is true to his word, and now it is this pattern again, I, Ye Sizhong, obey you! Qilan! ”

Having said that, what else do I have to say? Qi Dudu immediately expressed his position, and immediately revised a letter, only sent Shen Shixing. I naturally fulfilled my promise, and today I got together with the governor and Ye Sizhong to discuss the details of the specific action, and as soon as they came back, I immediately rushed to Beijing and told Zhu Yijun about the benefits!

Truth be told, it's a very dangerous thing to do. Over the years, Zhu Yijun has been extremely disgusted with his second uncle and his legacy out of the rebellious psychology of being disciplined for many years, and he has almost swept it away. If it weren't for Yu Shenxing and Shen Shixing's multi-party maintenance, I am afraid that many people will not be able to die well!

But how can I hold back? Coming back thousands of miles away, it was for the sake of national righteousness, how could he retreat at this time?

For the sake of the future I envision, no matter what the road ahead, let me go to Jingshi! After a long time, you must not fall into the prestige of Goldfinger! Is that right?