After the New Year, for the subjects of the world, it is just a new year, but for Zhu Houzhao, it means that he is one year older. Since the sudden loss of his father the year before last, although his willful temper is still there, he has calmed down a lot in doing things, at least when he is listening to lectures and readings at the opening feast, he can sit motionless for an hour, and he can barely survive. And when Wenhuadian was discussing politics, the number of times he, the little emperor, got angry became less and less.

On the morning of the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Luan Jia did not wait in the Chengqian Palace, but stopped in front of the Qianqing Gate.

After a while, Zhu Houzhao, who was dressed in a crown, slowly walked out of the main hall. Last night, he rarely stayed overnight in the Qianqing Palace, and he couldn't close his eyes in the first half of the night, but he gradually fell asleep in the second half of the night. In the haze, he seemed to vaguely hear the faint sigh of his father in his ears, but his eyes could not be opened, until when he finally opened his eyes in the morning, it was difficult to find the familiar trace around him. Therefore, although his steps were calm at this moment, there was a little tiredness in his eyes.

Father, if your son-in-law could bring his daughter-in-law to meet you when he marries a wife, how good would it be?

Although he was in low spirits, Zhu Houzhao did not show any fatigue on this day. After giving the ministers a banquet as usual, when it came to the evening, he had to serve the two palaces of the Queen Mother Donghua Gate upstairs to watch the lanterns. Empress Dowager Zhang watched coldly, seeing that Zhu Houzhao was always a little depressed, and mistakenly thought that her son was absent-minded because he was pretending to be someone else, so she beckoned him to come over, and then said in a low voice: "It's rare for the Empress Dowager to be so interested, you can also smile, when you don't want you to be lucky on weekdays, you have endless ghost ideas, and now I want you to entertain your relatives, but you look like this!" ”

When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he immediately glanced sideways at the Empress Dowager Wang, and when he saw that Qiguo was really looking at him, he hurriedly showed a smile, and then turned his body to hide next to the Empress Dowager Zhang, and said softly: "Queen Mother, the son stayed in the Qianqing Palace for a night last night, and it seemed that he dreamed of his father, but when he opened his eyes at dawn, he couldn't even remember the content of the dream. "Pig

Hearing this, Empress Dowager Zhang was slightly stunned, and her face showed a deep sense of amazement. Twenty years of husband and wife, now the husband has returned to the west, leaving them two orphans and widows, to say that she dreamed back at midnight, ■ I don't know how many tears have been quietly shed, but I didn't expect the son who was giggling every day to be the same. So, she also forgot that there were still many people on the Donghua Gate, so she tightly grabbed Zhu Houzhao's hand and took two steps forward.

"Don't think about it so much, if your father knows that you, the son of heaven, can take care of the government in an orderly manner, he will be very happy!" Speaking of this, Empress Dowager Zhang paused, looked at Zhu Houzhao for a while, and then smiled again, "I heard that the clothes you made to practice bow and horse martial arts can't be worn anymore?" In the past year or so, you have grown a lot taller and stronger! ”

Zhu Houzhao is naturally the most aware of his physical condition. Not to mention that people have jumped up a head and the muscles on his arms are strong, and even the amount of food has grown very fast, three meals a day, two snacks and one supper, but Rayson has to carry snacks with him, in case he is hungry when he is practicing martial arts in Xiyuan.

On this day, in the Xiyuan martial arts arena, when he easily drew his bow and shot the arrow at the arrow target in the distance, he didn't even wait for someone to report the number loudly, he knew that he must have been hit by an arrow.

"Your Majesty, you are in the middle of the heart!"

In this cold day, everyone will inevitably come to have fun, but they won't stay for long. As Liu Jin excused himself to retire first, the other big { was also a little embarrassed to stand in this ice and snow, and they retired one after another. Qian Ning had the heart to stay a little longer, but now he was not a leisurely avant-garde commander of the government army, but a subordinate to the Admiral Neichang Xu, and he had to let go of his current skiing skills and hurried back to cook. In the end, only Xu Xun, who had pushed everything to Shenying Chen Xiong and Zhang Yong early, and Lao Miao Kui, who was now idle, was on his side. …,

The people who got in the way were not there, Xu Xun held a bow and looked back and smiled: "Your Majesty, the weather is too cold, and it is not good for the East and West Officials to train the troops every day, so the minister wants to take the time to talk about things, and I have to use a lot of books these days, and I want to ask for orders to go to the Ministry of War to read the ......."

Zhu Houzhao was trying on a bow that had just been replaced, and said casually while sighing: "Picture book? This thing is easy to do, just say to Liu Yu, the secretary of the Ministry of War, and give him whatever he wants, ■ He doesn't dare to call back the ticket! Okay, Lao Miao Kui has already skied, let's not lose to him! ，

The person who finally won the victory on this day was not the originally ambitious little emperor, but the old and strong Miao Kui, who could almost be called an arrow, which made Zhu Houzhao, who had the heart to come out on top, feel depressed. Of course, it was because he knew that the little emperor didn't care about others winning him, so Miao Kui dared to behave like this, and Xu Xun showed great courage again, Zhu Houzhao accompanied the last seat again, and after returning to Ning Cui Pavilion and sitting down, he glared at the two of them angrily, and then ordered Ruisheng to sift the wine hotly.

After a few glasses of hot wine, everyone's hearts warmed. Zhu Houzhao looked at Xu Xun with interest and said, "Say, what kind of medicine are you selling in the gourd, and what kind of picture book are you looking for?" ”

Xu Xun saw that there was a thick fence around Ning Cui Pavilion, and Rayson personally guarded it outside after pouring his wine, so he said: "Your Majesty, what the minister wants to find is the picture book of Zheng and Zheng Gonggong who went to the West during the Yongle Xuande period. ”

As soon as these words came out, Miao Kui, who was originally calm, suddenly changed his face, and then forgot that this was in front of the emperor, and immediately blurted out and asked, "What are you looking for this thing for?" ”

"It's just that I think about the treasure ship that went south across the Western Ocean, and all the small countries of Fanbang surrendered, and that great cause is really admirable, so I just want to remember it." Xu Xun looked leisurely and fascinated, and seeing that Zhu Houzhao and Miao Kui both had strange faces, he couldn't help but say innocently, "But why are the emperor and Miao Gonggong looking at me like this?" ”

"Xu Xun, do you think I will believe you?" Zhu Houzhao snorted lightly, and then said with a smile, "You can hide it from others, but you can't hide it from me, as soon as you say those impassioned-sounding words, you must have some kind of ghost idea in your heart." Don't think that I just promised you, you have nothing to fear, be careful that I immediately retract the preface, and see if Liu Yu will let someone find something for you! However, I have grown so big, I have seen the small boat on the Taiye Pond, the boat on the Cao River in Tongzhou, and I have never seen other boats, I don't know how majestic the treasure ship is! Zheng He's Treasure Ship ...... If I really find the chart, I really want to follow the example of Emperor Taizong and send a ship to the Western Ocean, and when the time comes, all countries will come to court...... That's magnificent! ”

Xu Xun knew that his words would arouse this thought of Zhu K, and Miao Kui, who was about to open his mouth and was silent for a while, suddenly opened: "Other classic books and atlases are easy to say, but if it is a chart of a treasure ship, I am afraid it is not so easy to find." After Xuanmiao sent Gonggong Zheng to the West for the last time, these books have been deeply locked, whether it is the Ying Temple or the Xian Temple, they have all had the idea of going to the West again, but in the end they were all stopped by the ministers. The slave maid still remembered that during the Xianmiao period, she had asked the Ministry of War for these atlases, and at that time, Liu Daxia was the staff of the Shilangzhong, and replied that she couldn't find it. Later, even after a few days of fruitless searching, I had no choice but to give up. Therefore, it is easy to say something else, and I don't know if this thing is not there. ”

"There is such a thing!" Zhu Houzhao suddenly changed color, and said angrily: "The official's treasury is empty, and it should be compensated, if such an important book is lost, they don't have to be responsible!" ”

Xu Xun had also heard the rumors of Liu Daxia burning the charts before, but now that he was in this great era, he knew a little about Liu Daxia's temperament, but he didn't dare to believe this rumor. Liu Daxia started from the military department, although he was far inferior to Ma Wensheng in terms of military strategy, but he also knew the importance of those books and classics, how could he really burn them? If this is really the case, even if the Son of Heaven is tolerant, the public opinion of the court will drown him. It is important to know that this crime of losing a book is not a small crime! …,

Therefore, seeing that Zhu Houzhao was furious for a while, he hurriedly said: "I don't know if the thing is not there, and the emperor will be angry for the time being." The minister was looking for this thing because he had just read the late Qiu Ge Lao's "University Yanyi Supplement", which mentioned the article Chen who used sea transportation to make up for the lack of transportation, and he thought of Zheng Gonggong's nautical chart for a while. The minister first went to the military department to find it, if he couldn't find it, then ask Xiao Jing Xiao's father-in-law, he has been in the palace for many years, and the old things should be clear. If there is no gain, the minister can only ask for the order to go to Liu Daxia to ask the reason for the matter. ”

The book "University Yanyi Supplement" was sent by Xie Duo before. Although Xu Xun now goes to the imperial examination, he may not even be able to pass the first county examination of Tongsheng, but at least the reading and writing of classical Chinese is not too much of a problem. After reading such a 160-volume book, it took several months one after another. For this old man who advocated opening a sea in the Ming Dynasty, he felt that the people of the time were prescient, so he and him, coupled with his own foothold now, and he had secretly let Zhang Wenmian in Liu Jin's curtain take the test. wm

But everything is new, Zhu Houzhao is interested, at this moment heard Xu Xun mention such a set of books, he immediately asked, and then remembered it in his heart, and finally ordered: "This picture must be found, otherwise I am sorry for Emperor Taizong, Zheng Hexing, who went to the West seven times and finally died on the sea, will also die." If Xiao Jing didn't know, he would have sent someone to bring Liu Daxia to the capital, he had been going around in the military department, and he needed to be responsible for such a big thing! ”

When he resigned from Ning Cui Pavilion, Xu Xun groaned as he walked, and then suddenly felt that his surroundings were a little too quiet. Seeing that Miao Kui was also absent-minded, he couldn't help but stretch out his hand and shake it in front of Miao Kui's eyes.

"Father-in-law Miao?"

"Huh?" Miao Kui came back to his senses suddenly, and when he saw Xu Xun looking at him thoughtfully, he coughed dryly in embarrassment, and he was going to find a random topic to divert from, but the ghost made the gods worse, so he actually opened his mouth and said, "Civil officials often think that Gonggong Zheng went to the West seven times to waste countless money and food, and worked hard and lost money, but thinking about the overwhelming situation of treasure ships at that time, how can we not make our juniors sigh and sigh."

Really speaking, if our family can go to Fanbang like Gonggong Zheng to show his prestige in China, it will be really a happy life, and there will be no regrets in death! ”

After getting along with these eunuchs for a long time, Xu Xun also knew that they were all ordinary people with flesh and blood - there were ambitious people like Liu Jin, contented people like Gu Dayong, greedy people like Qiu Juwei Bin, and people like Miao Kui Zhang Yong who wanted to establish meritorious deeds - therefore, he naturally did not make fun of Miao Kui's sudden thoughts, but said with a smile: "Gonggong Zheng first conquered the world from Emperor Taizong, and then went to the West seven times. Father-in-law Miao doesn't have to put a dead word on his lips. ”

As if his words were in people's hearts, Miao Kui stood for a moment, and suddenly said: "Uncle Pingbei, our family heard Uncle Jingyang mention it, saying that you have the intention of touring the north." Our family is still the north side of the sentence, and our family will do it, and it will be the whole thing. And if there is a real opportunity to sail to the West on another day, I hope to leave a place for our family. Our family has fought battles on land in this life, and I hope to be able to fight a battle at sea to raise the country's prestige! ”

"It's easy to say, it's easy to say." Xu Xun would not say that this matter is still in the realm of talking on paper, he nodded with a smile and said categorically, "If there is really that day, I will definitely let Gonggong Miao get his wish!" ”wm

Although Liu Yu, the secretary of the Ministry of War, knew that his position was snatched from Yang Yiqing, and he was a little wary of Xu Xun suddenly coming to the Ministry of War in person, he did not dare to really disobey the Yang and the Yin. Xu Xun personally checked the old files from the previous department, and in the past few days, he sent a cronie to follow him step by step, and reported everything to him, and he went to Liu Jin every night to report. The first day or two was fine, but on the third and fourth days, Liu Jin became impatient, and blasted him out after a sentence to find out clearly. So, in desperation, he had to pour his anger on the main person and train people to be bloody. …,

However, Xu Xun only knew everything about Zhu Houzhao and Miao Kui, and when he looked at the atlas in the department, he was simply interested in everything, flipping through this and seeing that he was still taking notes in the book from time to time, and the principal couldn't ask Xu Xun what he had memorized after asking for it, even if he complained bitterly in his heart, he could only follow bitterly. However, from the old file of Xuande to the old file of Yongle, Xu Xun found that all kinds of records about the sea charts, the countries of Nanyang and Zhang Fu's recruitment and transfer of troops in Yongle were all gone, and he couldn't help but have doubts in his heart, but he didn't say a word to the person, which made the main matter even more confusing, and finally scolded Liu Yu again.

After leaving the Xuanwu Gate and arriving at Xiao Jing's private house in the afternoon of this day, he asked about it directly. Although during the Chenghua period, Xiao Jing was not the number one person in the ceremonial eunuch, but after all, he was already the celebrant eunuch, and he had some impressions of this old thing, and after inviting Xu Xun to sit down, he personally boiled water and made tea and sighed.

At that time, Wang Zhi used things and paid the most attention to side work, because the Chen family lost to Laos, Wang Zhi wanted to take the opportunity to take the old credit, so he instigated Xianmiao to imitate the old Yongle thing, and took the opportunity to take the handover. But how much expensive money and grain were thrown into it during the Yongle years, but it was like a bottomless pit, after the rebellion, the rebellion was fought again, and the courtiers did not think so, so Xianmiao sent people to the military department to pay the geography and the number of troops transferred that year, Liu Daxia lied that it was a long time ago, and the books had been lost, and the interests of the military department at that time were clear. Later, Wang Zhi still did not give up, and instigated Xianmiao to go to the military department again and again to investigate, but at that time, Huai'en Huai's father-in-law, who was still the palm seal of the celebrant supervisor, blocked it. I don't know who mentioned the treasure ship again, Liu Daxia simply hid the sea charts. ”

Burning and concealing are two completely different concepts, so Xu Xun secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard it, and hurriedly asked, "Then does Grandpa Xiao know that these albums are still there now?" Where is it? ”

"If you go to ask Liu Daxia openly, if you don't say that you have to go all the way to Huguang, even if you go, he may not tell you if he is stubborn. In addition to the original library, there should be another secret library in the Ministry of War, which is only known to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of War. Most of them are important things, but they don't want the emperor to see them. I heard that Zhang Cai under you is the person Ma Wensheng likes, and you and Ma Wensheng also have some relationship, if you go to Liu Daxia, it is better to go to Ma Wensheng and ask one or two.

Liu Jin's major events are in full swing, and through a test method, he only feels that this is the most confident moment in his life. The high-sounding reason, coupled with this useful means, his head has been held high since he became the eunuch of the Celebrant Seal, and now he is raised even higher. When the matter of Ning Wangfu's guard, which had been delayed for a long time, was finally made up by him, he smiled for a while in the face of the generous gift that was sent to him again.

"His Royal Highness King Ning is really too polite, but it's just a little thing, and it's been given again and again, how can our family afford it?"

"This can be done, all of it is made possible by my father-in-law, my Royal Highness is grateful, not to mention such a gift, even if it is doubled, I can't express my gratitude." Roddick, who came to the door again to give gifts, was more humble and enthusiastic at this time than before, and then said with a smile on his face, "If it weren't for the fact that the officials from top to bottom of Jiangxi often look down on my Royal Highness, my Royal Highness originally wanted to cast a golden Buddha and give it to my father-in-law, so as to show my father-in-law the virtue of the Buddha of all families." ”

Since Liu Jin is a eunuch, he naturally believes in these Buddhist teachings. At this moment, his mouth was polite, but his eyes were dripping. Knowing that several magistrates in Jiangxi had repeatedly impeached King Ning, he waved his hand disapprovingly and said: "This matter is easy to handle, now that the examination method has been implemented, I am not afraid that they will not make mistakes when the time comes!" You go back and tell your Royal Highness, the dignified and noble golden branches and jade leaves, you are afraid of what those guys are doing, if there is anything, just tell our family, and our family will support him! ”…,

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

waited until Zhang Wenmian was ordered to send this Roddick away, and Liu Jin asked Sun Cong to take the gift list. He had just revealed his identity, and he didn't look at what kind of thank-you gift it was, but when he opened it up and saw that it was a set of gold and silver sacrificial vessels, he remembered that he had just prepared to let people go back to his hometown to rebuild the ancestral hall and tomb for his parents, and his eyes lit up, and when he later presented a land deed on the outskirts of Beijing, he was even more happy.

"Okay, very good, our family didn't see the wrong person in the end, this King Ning is a loving and righteous person!"

As soon as he said this, Sun Cong didn't have time to answer, and a voice came from outside: "Uncle is free, nephew asks to see him." ”

"Is it Erhan?" Liu Jin himself has no sons, and he values several nephews very much, Liu Erhan and Liu Kui were the first to be brought to the capital, so they are naturally more cared for. At this moment, he waved his hand at Sun Cong, and immediately ordered, "Come in." ”

When Liu Erhan entered the door, he saw Sun Cong going out with a gift list, and knew that someone had given Liu Jin a heavy gift. Although he is still favored, Liu Jin has more than one nephew, but there can only be one heir in the future, so after he entered the house, he obediently kowtowed, and flattered Liu Jin for a long time along the pole before he spoke: "Uncle, my nephew was eating out today, and I happened to meet Qian Ning, so I had the heart to invite him to the same table." In his speech, he was grateful to his uncle for giving him Xiaolou Mingyue, and later drank a few more glasses and revealed one more thing. ”

Liu Jin asked Qian Ning out from the avant-garde of the government army, not just to pry Xu Xun's corner, the most important thing is that he has no foundation in the army, and now he is in charge of the seal of the ceremonial supervisor, and it is impossible to go to the 12th regiment battalion of the Beijing camp to supervise the army, and he has to win over a few people who really have military achievements. And Qian Ning didn't disappoint him, although the two ends were left and right, but after all, the important things were not leaked to Xu Xun, if the time came to let that Shang Fen Fendor blow the pillow wind, and give him information on another day, it would be a good move.

Therefore, as soon as Liu Erhan revealed something, he immediately asked with great interest: "What is it?" ”

Although he was very dissatisfied with Qian Ning's coarse old man and beautiful girl, Liu Erhan still knew the importance clearly, and stood beside Liu Jin at this moment and bent down deeply and said: "Qian Ning said that Pingbei Bo Xu Xun seems to be interested in going out of Beijing to inspect the border defense. ”

"Is this true?"

Liu Jin Huoran got up, and waited until Liu Erhan nodded vigorously, although he was a little incredulous, he still breathed a long sigh of relief. One mountain does not tolerate two tigers, and Xu Xun has been wrestling back and forth for most of the past half a year, although he has done several big things, but he has failed more, if Xu Xun is not there, he will be much calmer. Thinking of his new policies, Xu Xun never really stopped him, but just surrounded people under the door one by one, and he thought that he had seen this kid's ambition clearly.

has no ambitions, just wants to be on an equal footing with him Liu Jin, and has no ambition to dominate the dynasty. If you want to go out to patrol the border at this time, you can't say that you are counting on fighting a battle to build military merits, and return to the dynasty to be promoted to an official and a knight. But this kid doesn't want to think about it, where is there a sure victory in a war?

"Uncle, this is a great opportunity... ・・・”

Liu Jin remembered that Xu Xun went back to Jinling to move the grave last time, but suddenly came back and turned the situation around, and he turned over and overturned, he inevitably felt a little jealous, and after thinking about it again and again, he said categorically: "Needless to say, this kid is more slippery than a loach, he will leave Beijing when he leaves Beijing, and our family has things to do!" ”

There is no need to deal with those people in the Xu Party, he just needs to expand his strength, which is enough to make that kid unable to catch up!

PS: Although it is said that Liu Daxia burned those things, but after consulting countless materials, the words of the parties or others were misunderstood, proving that there was no such thing at all・・・・・・ although Liu Daxia was a stubborn person, but as the chief official who burned the sea chart classics, he was not afraid of the imperial history to derelict his duties・・・・・・