Chapter 333: The Night Is Deep

Platform, this place has been seen in the history books. A qiē looks a bit old and shabby, and the palace walls are mottled when you come in. Zhu Youzhen is undoubtedly an emperor who is ruthless enough to himself, but unfortunately, this ruthlessness is used in the wrong place.

The palace maid served tea and rice, bowed down and retreated, Chen Xie picked up the coarse tea and light rice in the real sense, and ate unhurriedly and calmly. A bowl of gnocchi, a plate of pickles, and a plate of ham, this is Chen Xie's dinner. Wu Zhi stood opposite, watching Chen Xie finish eating these meals, he couldn't help but turn around and wipe away a handful of tears. When he was in Dengzhou, how could Mr. Chen eat such an unpalatable thing.

"I'm not full, are you still there?" Chen Xie raised the bowl and looked at Wu Zhi opposite pitifully, this thing took the bowl and said excitedly: "Yes, yes, yes." When he hurriedly went to get another bowl for Chen Xie, Zhu Youzhen, who was walking over, saw Wu Zhi coming out with a bowl and said, "Wu Zhi, what's wrong?" ”

Wu Zhi, who was in tears, came over with a bowl and said, "Long live Lord, Mr. Chen didn't eat enough, and he still needs a bowl." The slave maid just remembered the grievances suffered by Mr. Chen, and could only hide it in her heart, and she could eat here calmly, and the slave maid panicked in her heart. ”

Zhu Youzhen sighed, patted him on the shoulder and said, "You have suffered a lot of grievances, I know it." It's a pity, even if I knew, I could only let you continue to be wronged. Wu Zhi knelt down and kowtowed: "Long live Lord, the slave is not wronged, not wronged at all." The slave is a loyal dog of His Majesty, what you ask the slave to do, the slave and the maid will do. ”

Chen Xie, who heard the movement, came out and saw Zhu Youzhen in a bright yellow robe in the courtyard, with emaciated cheeks. Examining his eyes, he hesitated slightly, but he still made a decision, put his legs together, and raised his hand to salute: "Chen Xie, the chief soldier of Chendengzhou, has seen His Majesty." ”

Wang Chengen stepped forward and scolded: "Bold, why don't you kneel down when you see the Long Live Lord?" ”

Chen Xie could still laugh in the face of Zhu Youzhen's suddenly cold eyes. Calmly said: "I thought. The generals of the Ming Dynasty can't win the battle, just because they kneel too much. If the prince insists that I kneel down to verify my loyalty to His Majesty, that's fine. Saying that, Chen Xie sighed slightly in his heart and made a gesture to kneel.

"Excuse me!" Chen Xie, who was already halfway to his knees. Hear this. His body stiffened for a long time. waited until Zhu Youzhen walked in front of him before he slowly stood up. Slowly walked in front of Zhu Youzhen and stood up again.

"Chen Xie. I'm glad you can enter Beijing. Zhu Youzhen spoke, Chen Xie was not too surprised when he heard it, and said as a matter of course: "This person's duty as a minister is too famous." ”

Zhu Youzhen smiled and said: "Don't you know, nine out of ten civil officials in the world think that you will not enter Beijing. You know what? ”

Chen Xie showed a disdainful expression and said lightly: "What do they think, it's their business." I only do what I have to do, the Ming Dynasty needs a Chen Xie who fights for the country, for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, what is it to be a little suspicious? Chen Xie's loud Da Ming entered Zhu Youzhen's ears just for him. Didn't the emperor represent the Ming Dynasty?

"Sit down, I have something to ask you." Zhu Youzhen raised his hand to signal, Chen Xie shook his head and said, "In front of Your Majesty, there is no position of minister. As a general of the Ming Dynasty, the minister must maintain a state of readiness to attack at any time to fight anyone who dares to covet the Ming Dynasty. ”

Zhu Youzhen's rare face stretched his brows, smiled very heartily, nodded and said, "Then stand." I have come to ask you, why do you disobey Hong Chengchou's orders? ”

Chen Xie said lightly: "It's not that the minister wants to disobey the order, the minister does a qiē, but for self-protection." Compared to fighting, ten Hong Chengchou tied together are not the opponents of ministers. What Hong Chengchou wanted to do was not to let the Dengzhou battalion win the battle, but to let the minister, as a dog of the Wenchen, obey him. The minister thought that he was not worthy of letting the minister be like this, and the minister thought that today's generals should only listen to His Majesty alone. ”

When Zhu Youzhen heard this, he suddenly frowned, and he didn't seem to understand the meaning of this sentence very well. After a long time, Zhu Youzhen said lightly: "Then I am asking you, how should the Ming Dynasty face internal and external troubles?" What are the root symptoms of Daming? ”

When Chen Xie heard this, his face showed obvious surprise, and he looked at Zhu Youzhen's serious expression, and said in surprise: "Da Ming's question, isn't it clear?" Ministers, in fact, know very well in their hearts, and they also know the solution, but they just don't dare and don't want to do it. ”

Zhu Youzhen stood up suddenly, and said in a fierce voice: "Chen Xie, how dare you speak presumptuously about the minister?" Aren't you afraid of being punished by me? ”

Chen Xie's face did not change and said: "The minister did not say anything, the most fundamental and important problem of the Ming Dynasty is not that the treasury has no silver?" How to solve this problem, in fact, there are many ways. It's just that these methods, in the eyes of the ministers, are His Majesty competing with the people for profit. So, is it really His Majesty competing with the people for profit? Think this is just an excuse? The essence of the problem lies in whose hands these profits fall into. What the minister is saying now is completely from the position of His Majesty. ”

Zhu Youzhen stared at Chen Xie for a long time without speaking, Chen Xie's expression was always very calm, and he did not avoid Zhu Youzhen's cold eyes at all. Finally, Zhu Youzhen spoke: "Okay, tell me, what are the methods?" ”

When Chen Xie heard this, he was infinitely disappointed, it was very simple, Zhu Youzhen knew what he was going to say, the uncertainty in his eyes just now betrayed his inner thoughts. After ascending the throne, Zhu Youzhen held high the banner of Wei Guangzheng and destroyed Wei Zhongxian, many things could not be changed. At least that's what Zhu Youzhen thinks, he can't lose face in front of his courtiers. The courtiers could compromise on the matter of restoring the eunuchs and supervising the army, but when it came to silver, the struggle was inevitable. When the time comes, Zhu Youzhen will think that he is very embarrassed, he actually wants to be an emperor like Zhu Yuanzhang the most.

"The minister thinks that the Southern Song Dynasty has been supported by half of the country for more than 100 years, and some financial practices are worth learning from." Chen Xie said it very tactfully, and did not directly point out the open sea. He already knew very well that Zhu Youzhen would not accept this approach, and what he needed now was just an excuse to be kicked out.

"Chen Xie, do you really think I won't kill you?" Zhu Youzhen's eyes are red, what is the method of the Southern Song Dynasty worth learning from? Isn't this a negation of a series of proud measures taken by Zhu Youzhen since he came to power? Zhu Youzhen is not an emperor who has never read a book, and he also knows the practices of the Southern Song Dynasty.

"Even if the minister knew that he would be beheaded, he didn't dare not say it." Chen Xie stood up straight, his back was usually on his back, and his hands were down.

Zhu Youzhen's face was as black as the bottom of a pot, he looked at Chen Xie for a long time, looking at his fearless face, and suddenly felt that this kid was really annoying. Kill Chen Xie? Isn't that a joke? Isn't this Zhu Youzhen in self-denial? Zhu Youzhen, who has always loved face the most, how could he do such a thing?

"Wu Zhi, send him out of the palace." Zhu Youzhen finally highlighted such a sentence, and stood up straight so as not to be discouraged. Chen Xie decisively stood upright, turned around and walked out. In the process of leaving the palace, the face of a little girl flashed from behind a pillar, looking at him curiously, Chen Xie returned a gentle smile.

In a very disappointed performance, Chen Xie did not give an answer that Zhu Youzhen wanted to hear. Let's put it this way, Chen Xie's willingness to go bankrupt to support the treasury is the answer that Zhu Youzhen wants to hear the most. It's a pity that Chen Xie didn't mention this.

Seeing Chen Xie walking out, Zhu Youzhen felt unusually irritable in his heart. There were two voices in his head talking, one saying that he was right, and the other saying that he was deceiving the king. Zhu Youzhen, who had been silent for a long time, sat on the chair, supported his cheeks with one hand, and closed his eyes with a painful expression.

"Big companion, tell me, how is Chen Xie's construction?" The voice echoed in the empty hall, and Wang Chengen knelt down like a frightened rabbit: "Long live the lord, the slave doesn't read much, and I don't understand this." The slave and maid only know that whatever is beneficial to the Lord of Banzai, the slave and maid will do their best. ”

There was no moon in the sky, no stars, only low clouds. Standing outside the palace gate, looking back at the high palace wall, I thought of the curious eyes of the little girl in the palace, and Zhu Youzhen's painful expression. Chen Xie suddenly felt that he was happy. At least I figured out what to do, not like some people who know what to do but can't do it.

"Mr. Chen, you get on the horse." Wu Zhi brought the war horse, Chen Xie looked at him with a smile and said, "Gonggong Wu, you still owe me a bowl of gnocchi." Wu Zhi was stunned, endured his excitement, and said lightly: "Our family will lead the horse for you." ”

Amid the sound of horses' hooves at Tata Tower, Chen Xie went away, leaving behind a Forbidden City huddled in the dark.

Three days later, Chen Xie did not see Zhu Youzhen again, but saw Wang Chengen, who came to announce the decree: "Verbal, Chen Xie, I know what you mean, you go back to Dengzhou, let me think about it again." ”

After Wang Chengen announced the decree, he looked at Chen Xie and solemnly arched his hand and said: "There are not many people in our family who respect, and Chen Zongbing is one." ”

Chen Xie slowly bowed his hand in return: "There are not many people that Chen Xie respects, and the prince is one." ”

This answer made Wang Chengen a little confused, but he still felt very happy, and nodded slightly: "Let's go back to our lives." Wang Chengen left, Chen Xie looked at his back, and what came to mind was such a scene, Li Zicheng entered the Beijing Division, Zhu Youjian hanged himself on the coal mountain, and it was this eunuch who died with him.

Chen Xie once again gave up his hand from afar, facing the back of this loyalty.

The next day, early in the morning. The horse team went out of Guangqu Gate, Chen Xie turned around and took one last look at the city, waved his whip, and said loudly: "Let's go, go home!" The sound of Tatata's horses' hooves left Kyoshi behind. Although he didn't get any reward from Zhu Youzhen, Chen Xie was happy because he found what he wanted to do. (To be continued......)