"Okay, as the Imperial Clan King, I am responsible for contacting the eight countries of the Western Regions and asking them to prepare for war together, and they will definitely believe it if I come forward."

Xu Shizhen said with a smile:

"If you need to borrow money in my name, I can also come forward, but you are responsible for the collateral and interest payment."

"Not only that, you have to be responsible for the Z governance work."

Zuo Helin reminded:

"You and Dai Xuan, two highnesses, one is responsible for acting as a flag internally and maintaining the morale of the army, and the other has to return to China often and keep in touch with the cabinet - we have to cry, and this is how the cabinet can reassure us."

"Heh......, okay, I'll take care of it."

Xu Shizhen smiled and agreed:

"However, I am only in charge of the secular work of the Han soldiers and the foreign soldiers, and the belief in the foreign soldiers, the imperial court intends to appoint a person to govern them."

"Appointed by the imperial court? That's a lot of trouble, which monk is it? ”

Zuo Helin was not surprised that the imperial court appointed a senior monk to preside over the religious work in the Western Regions, from Xingling all the way to the Green Mountains, all of which were the territory of the Buddha, and sending a senior monk with the same heart as the empire would help stabilize the local people's hearts.

In fact, if the cabinet was not appointed, Zuo Helin still wanted Xu Daixuan or Xu Shizhen to come forward and specially invite a monk who was trusted by the empire to come over.

It's easy now, but I don't know if the cabinet candidates are good or not, but don't be a pedantic monk who persuades his own people to put down the butcher's knife every day!

"The imperial court appointed Master Zhishen to come to the Western Regions."

"Master Zhishen? I haven't heard of it, which treasure temple is a monk? ”

"It's Lu Zhishen! How could you not have heard of him! ”

"Huh? Lu Zhishen? Zuo Helin was thundered: "That flower monk can't even memorize the Diamond Sutra, and the cabinet asked him to come to the Western Regions to preside over the work of faith?" ”

Lu Zhishen served as the commander of the trapping army for a long time, and after the formation of the trapping army was abolished, he continued to serve in the field army, retiring with the rank of colonel two years ago, and then took the old brothers who had fallen together in Wulian Mountain to explore Liaodong - it is said that he also went to Fusang last year.

This guy has nothing to do with the Buddha and the Dharma except for having a shaved head and a Dharma name, but the sixty-pound iron Zen staff is solid and killing, not so much that he is a disciple of Buddhism, it is better to say that he is a demon star.

The imperial court let such a guy come to the Western Regions to ......, is this an intention to form a monk army?

"Come on, look at you like that, can't you dislike others? What does Zen Master Zhizhen, who knows about Wutai Mountain, evaluate Master Zhishen? ”

"'Although it is fierce and stubborn at the moment, it is mixed with fate, but after a long time it is pure, and the positive results are extraordinary.'" Do you understand? After all, people can get the right results. ”

Xu Shizhen said with a smile:

"Moreover, there is little water and thin soil here in the Western Regions, and there is yellow sand everywhere, and there are often disputes between various countries and departments.

"I know this better than you, but the level of Dharma here is actually very high." Zuo Helin said: "If Lu Zhishen is argued in Buddhism, his work will not be carried out. ”

"Hehe, if you can't argue with the Dharma, you can argue with your fists, and then you can't argue with his Zen staff, and you can argue with muskets and cannons, Dharma? Something mysterious and mysterious. ”

Xu Shizhen sneered and said:

"The court said that whoever is orthodox in Buddhism is orthodox! If it doesn't work, let's go to Tianzhu and knock down the Bodhi tree! Besides, our main target is to the west of the Green Ridge, which is the territory of Zoroastrianism, so it is just right for a guy like Lu Zhishen to debate scriptures with a Zen staff. ”

"Okay, okay, you are the prince, you have the final say, anyway, you are in charge of the Z governance work, and you will have a headache when the time comes."

Zuo Helin finally made a compromise:

"Let's go our separate ways as soon as possible, and let the eight countries of the Western Regions give some money and food, even if that money and food is dispensable—Pars is their enemy, let's fight their enemy, how can they not pull out a dime? Even if it's a symbolic one, you can get it! ”

"I agree, that's all."

……

The empire's southward fleet sailed from Yangzhou into the Yangtze River.

In fact, at this time, the fleet had been reduced from more than 200 ships to 120, because most of the guards sent by the army stayed on the banks of the Huai River - Jiangnan Dazhou did not dare to let more than 1,000 Chinese troops enter the territory, after all, the imperial army now has the prestige of "Huaqian is invincible".

And unlike the Jurchens who boasted that they were "invincible", the Chinese Empire hammered the Tartars in all directions of the east, west, and north one by one, and never lost any battle with more than 1,000 troops - in fact, it never even failed with hundreds of troops.

This deterrent force made the heavily armed red-clothed soldiers stand at the bow of the ship, and the entire economic division of the Great Zhou Dynasty had to tremble.

In addition to the guards who stayed behind, some merchant ships that accompanied the fleet to Jiangnan also left halfway.

In this way, the 120 large river boats, although still large in ranks, are not too conspicuous.

After entering the Yangtze River, the number of ships that did not belong to Jiangbei began to gradually increase, and Xu Daizhuo found that some of the ships that obviously belonged to the private fleet were not small, and some were even much larger than their own fleet.

For example, the fleet that is now sailing side by side with the imperial fleet on the Yangtze River has a total of 300 inland river boats, several of which are carved beams and paintings, which are simply other courtyards sailing on the river.

"Dai Xuan, what are you looking at?" Wen Ji stood behind Xu Daixuan and asked lightly.

"The boats." The imperial grandson of the empire pointed to the fleet not far away: "Three hundred and eleven ships, I am calculating their distance and speed. ”

"Oh? What's the use of calculating these? ”

"Artillery problems, calculating these can make the ship's guns more accurate, this is the homework of the naval school." Xu Daixuan explained simply: "We often calculate these data with friendly ships as targets, and I am used to it. ”

"You're no longer an officer in the Navy." Wen Ji said: "When this trip to Jiangnan is over, you have to learn how to deal with government affairs, you are the emperor's grandson, and this knowledge is useless to you." ”

"I'll always be a naval officer, uncle." Xu Daixuan was calm, but said very seriously: "This will not change because of my identity. ”

"Heh, you can think so if you want."

's father is seriously ill, and Wen Ji doesn't have the heart to give his nephew a lesson, anyway, there will be time in the future.

"But don't stare at the ships, especially the most luxurious ones."

"Why? What's so special about those ships? ”

"That's the ship of Lord Lin Hailin's family in the Great Zhou Patrol Salt Palace, if someone who knows you sees you staring at his ship, they will be misunderstood."

"Hah, patrol the salt imperial history? What a big official, no wonder the fleet is so large and luxurious. Xu Daixuan smiled and said, "But what's the misunderstanding here?" Afraid that I will rob them of their salt? ”

"Master Lin's family has been passed down for four generations, and now there is only one daughter under his knees." Wen Ji glanced at Xu Daixuan: "The imperial grandson of the empire is staring at other people's boudoirs, do you think there will be a misunderstanding?" ”