Just when Zhou Chen looked at the middle-aged eunuch and the dozens of riders in Dongchang, they also found Zhou Chen, who had just walked out of Youyu County.

Dozens of horsemen from Dongchang raised their whips and accelerated towards the gate of Youyu County.

Walking to the gate of the county office, these Dongchang fans hurriedly turned over and dismounted and lined up on both sides of the road, and began to greet the middle-aged eunuch who followed behind.

Another rapid sound of horses' hooves kicking sounded, and under the arch guards of Chen Yun and Xu Yan and other brocade-clothed guards, the middle-aged eunuch and the tyrant finally came to the door of the Youyu County Ya.

Turning over from the horse, Badao walked quickly to Zhou Chen's side, bowed and said, "My subordinates meet my lord!" ”

"No need to be polite, this trip to the capital is quite smooth?!"

Zhou Chen stretched out his hand and asked out loud.

"Don't worry, my lord, although there are some twists and turns on the road, but with the concerted efforts of the fellow sergeants and the brocade guards, all the matters you ordered have been handled in the end."

Because after all, there are still a lot of fans of Dongchang in the field, so Badao did not directly explain the process of this trip to the capital.

Zhou Chen bowed slightly when he heard this, he chuckled and said approvingly: "It's been hard along the way!" ”

Ba Dao bowed his hand again and again and said humbly: "This is the responsibility of the subordinates, the adults are serious, and the subordinates dare not take it." ”

Zhou Chen smiled and didn't continue to say anything, but Badao and Chen Yun and Xu Yun and others still took all the credit to yours in his heart.

Immediately, Zhou Chen didn't continue to pay attention to Badao, Chen Yun and Xu Yan's trip to the capital, he turned his attention to the middle-aged eunuch.

"I don't know who this father-in-law is?!"

Zhou Chen looked at the middle-aged eunuch with a smile on his face and asked out loud.

"Our Cao Zhengchun has seen Lord Zhou!"

The middle-aged eunuch's fingers were slightly cocked, and he replied with a smile on his face like a chrysanthemum.

Hearing the name of the middle-aged eunuch in front of him, the look on Zhou Chen's face couldn't help but be slightly stunned, and he suddenly thought in his heart: "This is Cao Zhengchun?!" After the future Emperor Zhengde succeeded to the throne, he was in charge of the East Factory for more than ten years, and the great eunuch who leaned towards the government and the opposition? ! ”

Just when Zhou Chen was secretly distracted, he only heard Cao Zhengchun say again with a smile: "Before our family left the capital this time, my master specially instructed our family to say hello to Lord Zhou!" ”

Cao Zhengchun's slightly shrill voice made Zhou Chen come back to his senses in an instant.

There was no need to think about it at all, Zhou Chen immediately understood who the master in Cao Zhengchun's mouth was.

To be able to take charge of the violent institution of Dongchang for more than a decade, Cao Zhengchun is undoubtedly a close confidant of the emperor.

Therefore, the master in his mouth is not the current prince, who is the future Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houzhao?

Zhou Chen didn't expect that the crown prince Zhu Houzhao would specially order Cao Zhengchun to greet him.

But if you think about it carefully, this matter is also reasonable, after all, Zhou Chen can be regarded as saving Zhu Houzhao's life before.

Zhu Houzhao, who is still a young man with a very simple heart, thinks that Zhou Chen's life-saving kindness is better than him, so it is naturally very likely to happen.

"I didn't expect His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to remember this official, this official is really frightened."

After coming back to his senses, Zhou Chen hurriedly arched his hand and said.

This salute is not Zhou Chen doing to Cao Zhengchun, but because of Zhu Houzhao, who Cao Zhengchun represents behind him.

Cao Zhengchun hurriedly took two steps forward, he stretched out his hand to help Zhou Chen up, and said with a smile: "Lord Zhou doesn't know, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has often mentioned you in front of us subordinates.

It is said that you are not only brilliant in literature and talent, but also have a strong martial arts, which is really a rare talent with both civil and military skills. ”

Zhou Chen straightened up, he shook his head with a chuckle and said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has praised it falsely, how can this official deserve such a great honor as both civil and military." ”

The two of them just glanced at me and exchanged words for a while, and then entered the Youyu County Ya under the guidance of Zhou Chen.

Walking to the guest hall of the county office, a quick-sighted and astute servant had already sent a pot of tea at a suitable temperature.

Zhou Chen and Cao Zhengchun sat down in the column, Zhou Chen personally poured a cup of tea for him, and asked with a chuckle: "I don't know if Gonggong Cao left Beijing and came to Youyu County on this trip, but is there any will in the capital?" ”

Cao Zhengchun took a sip of tea unhurriedly, and then Shi Shiran stood up and said, "Your Majesty has a will!" ”

Hearing this, Zhou Chen also hurriedly stood up from his seat, walked quickly to the opposite side of Cao Zhengchun and bowed his hand.

At the same time, I saw Zhou Chen's face extremely solemn and said, "The emperor bows to Jin'an!" ”

This time, Cao Zhengchun didn't step forward to help Zhou Chen, he said in a deep voice with an indifferent face: "Zhen'an! ”

Then, Cao Zhengchun regained his smile on his face, and saw him reach out and pull out a bright yellow holy decree from the hidden pocket in his sleeve.

While stepping forward and handing the holy decree to Zhou Chen with both hands, Cao Zhengchun said with a smile: "This is Your Majesty's secret decree to Lord Zhou, it is inconvenient for us to read it, and please read it by yourself, Lord Zhou." ”

Zhou Chen smiled and stood up, he quickly flipped through the contents of the secret decree.

The content of the secret decree is very simple, it is nothing more than affirming Zhou Chen's merits, and at the same time commending Zhou Chen.

With the successful establishment of the Northern Xinjiang Mutual Market, and Zhou Chen's decision to completely clear up the rudder of Datong, including the candidate of the Holy Maiden of the White Lotus Sect, was completely wiped out.

Emperor Hongzhi directly promised in a secret decree that when Zhou Chen was transferred back to the capital after his term of office ended, his official position would at least be promoted by three consecutive levels.

In addition, the most important meaning of this secret decree is the treatment of those revenues in the Northern Xinjiang Mutual Market.

According to the normal situation, the revenue earned by the Northern Xinjiang Mutual Market should actually be handed over to the household department of the imperial court.

However, Emperor Hongzhi made it clear in this secret decree that all the silver taels earned by the Northern Xinjiang Mutual Market in the future will not need to be handed over to the Imperial Court Household Department, but to special personnel, except for the daily operation of the Northern Xinjiang Mutual Market.

At present, a large part of these dozens of Dongchang fans who came with Cao Zhengchun are specially responsible for escorting the next mutual market revenue.

There is no doubt that Emperor Hongzhi did not intend to attribute the revenue of the Northern Xinjiang Mutual Market to the imperial treasury, but was ready to enrich it into his own inner palace.