At dusk, the wind rose. The wind outside the Funing Hall clanged for a while.

"Isn't it going to snow again?" Sending the imperial doctor away, Liu Yin, the governor of the Inner Chamberlain, looked at the leaden gray sky outside the eaves and frowned. Emperor Chengde has been infected with wind and cold for several days, and if there is another snow, I am afraid that the year will not be good.

Liu ...... Liu Duzhi, Anyuan Zhizhou...... Xue ...... Xue Shouren was outside the Jiuqing Palace...... Beg...... Ask to see Your Majesty. ”

Liu Yin was about to lift the brocade curtain and enter the hall, when an attendant hurriedly stopped him at the bottom of the steps.

"Where's the stutter?" Liu Yin put down the curtain and turned around, and saw a fifteen or sixteen-year-old waiter standing panting and hunched down at the foot of the steps, thinking that he was running too fast, and he couldn't breathe for a long time.

Liu Yin immediately reprimanded: "Your Majesty is lying inside, what kind of body are you shouting and screaming like this?" Go to the corner of the wall outside and get ten palms. ”

"Little ...... The little one is commanded. Looking at Liu Yin, who was standing high on the steps, Wei Shen, the little chamberlain, trembled, and turned around to walk outside the palace wall.

"Slow down, go and lead Xue Zhizhou to wait outside the hall first, and then receive the punishment."

Wei Shen was busy and promised to answer.

Liu Yin lifted the brocade curtain and walked straight towards Emperor Chengde's bedroom. The hall with a low curtain is filled with the warm fragrance mixed with Su Hexiang. On the splendid stacked dragon couch, two palace maids were waiting for the emperor to take medicine.

Seeing this, Liu Yin stood silently aside. It wasn't until Emperor Chengde finished taking the medicine and the palace maid served and lay down that he stepped forward and whispered.

"Xue Zhizhou has arrived?!" Emperor Chengde's dim gaze suddenly lit up.

"Just arrived at the Jiuqing Palace. Your Majesty, don't worry, the old slave has already let people bring him in......"

"Go, go and inform the two governments and a few generals, that I will consult with them about the war in the west." Emperor Chengde immediately sat up with his arms struggling, "Invite the crown prince to ...... too"

"The old slave obeys, so let's do it." After Liu Yin responded, he didn't leave immediately, he hesitated: "Your Majesty, just now Li Yuan was telling the old slave that your body must be well and ...... to rest."

"I've taken the medicine and I'm getting better." Emperor Chengde lifted the quilt with one hand and said to the palace maid beside the bed: "Serve me and freshen up." ”

Liu Yin couldn't stop admonishing him, so he bowed down and withdrew from the dormitory.

According to the usual practice, Liu Yin arranged for other chamberlains to go to the homes of the ministers to announce the summons, and he personally went to the East Palace to inform the crown prince Ling Chong.

The East Palace was full of silk and bamboo, Ling Chong summoned a group of guests and friends to feast and drink in the inner courtyard, and the girls of the Teaching Workshop Division played and sang during the banquet. Witnessing the scene of pushing the cup and changing the lamp indoors, leaning on the red and green, Liu Yin couldn't help frowning. As the crown prince, his father was sick and did not go to serve the illness, but he dared to feast and drink in the inner courtyard.

Liu Yin shook his head, walked through the crowd of people in the banquet, and walked to Ling Chong before he spoke.

"Xue Zhizhou has arrived?!" When Ling Chong heard this, he pushed away the woman in his arms and stood up suddenly, "How is this possible?" My father-in-law's people have been waiting at the post station, and there is no news......"

"Xu is General Zhong's people have a wrong eye, Xue Zhizhou has been stationed in the border area all the year round, and it is inevitable that the subordinates who do things will not recognize him." Liu Yin smiled embarrassedly.

"Where's my father-in-law? Can you enter the palace? Ling Chong's face showed a look of anxiety.

"After the old slave arranged for someone to go to the Auxiliary General's Mansion, he rushed to His Royal Highness, according to the distance, General Zhong should not have entered the palace yet......"

"I have to go to the palace gate and wait for him immediately." Ling Chong waved his sleeves and immediately walked out.

"Your Highness, wait a minute." Liu Yin hurriedly followed, "Your Highness's clothes are stained with alcohol, and the old slave suggests changing and washing first, after all, Your Majesty has ......been sick for a few days."

Ling Chong reacted, and immediately arched his hand towards Liu Yin and said, "Thank you Liu Duzhi for reminding me." ”

"Your Highness is gracious. The old slave received the favor of Zhao Xiangye back then, and it was natural for him to run errands for His Royal Highness. You go to change your clothes first, and I will go to the palace gate to wait for the old general, let him wait for you to come, and then go in to meet you together. ”

"In this way, it will be troublesome for Liu Duzhi." Ling Chong didn't say anything more, and went straight to change clothes.

When Liu Yin hurried to the gate of the palace, Zhong Jishu had just arrived. As soon as he saw Liu Yin, Zhong Jishu complained and scolded himself for raising a group of waste, and he couldn't keep an eye on a big living person.

After Ling Chong came to change his clothes, Zhong Jishu slapped himself in the face, and scolded himself again and again for being confused, just thinking about waiting for the rabbit, and didn't think about taking the initiative to find someone.

Ling Chong said impatiently: "Uncle Yue said that Xue Shouren is your person, but he didn't greet him in advance, with you present, he won't talk nonsense, right?" ”

"This is natural. It's just that if everything that Zhenxi Jun played is true, and he hasn't explained it to him in advance, it's hard to guarantee his ......"

"His Royal Highness the Prince, the old general, the adults of the two mansions live farther away, and there will be a moment to come, it is better for the two of you to go to the imperial study with the old slave first, and maybe you can meet Xue Zhizhou in advance." Liu Yin reminded in a whisper.

Ling Chong and Zhong Jishu understood, and immediately rushed towards the Funing Palace.

It's just that Emperor Chengde was worried about the war in the west, so he had already chatted with Xue Shouren in the imperial study. After Ling Chong and Zhong Jishu entered, they could only stand beside them and do their job.

"In the middle of the night, Song You, the captain of the Zhenxi Army, brought grain and grass to ask for help outside the city, the defenders disobeyed the order to open the east city gate, more than 100 armor-clad West Plough barbarians chased in with torches and scimitars, fortunately, the defenders were well-trained every day, and quickly gathered at the east city gate, and the barbarians fought to the death. When the ministers got the news and rushed to the east gate, most of the barbarians who had invaded the city had been wiped out by the defenders, and there was no major problem in the city, except for a few families near the east gate that were ignited by torches thrown by the barbarians, and there were a few casualties......"

"Damn, the barbarians of the West Plough dare to rush into my Nanyue towns and plunder, burn and kill!" Emperor Chengde slammed the tea cup in his hand on the table.

"Xue Zhizhou, the person who opened the city gate in violation of the law can be dealt with?" Zhong Jishu hurriedly interjected, and glanced at Xue Shouren while asking him.

"Back to the old general, it's been dealt with." Xue Shouren only bowed his head respectfully to answer the question, and only ignored the look he handed him.

"Tell me about the situation in Caopozi Town." Emperor Chengde sighed and commanded again.

"Back to Your Majesty, the minister led the Anyuan garrison and the people in the city to fight the fire that night, and it was already dawn when the fire was under control. Knowing that Caopozi Town also had a barbarian enemy, the minister immediately rushed over with his men and horses, but he was too late...... That town, that town was burned to ashes, and the town was full of charred corpses......"

"Scorched corpses all over the place?" Ling Chong couldn't help but ask, "That town is just a temporary resting place for merchants and pawns, how many people can there be?" ”

Xue Shouren lowered his head and said in a sad tone: "Back to His Royal Highness the Prince, Caopozi Town was originally just a temporary resting place for merchants, and it was sparsely populated. It's just that after the Zhenxi Army was stationed in Jinlintan, there were no barbarians in the Anyuan area, and there were more people who came and went to trade goods, and the population also increased. Due to the large population movement, it is difficult to accurately count the household registration, and the number of people may reach thousands in summer and autumn, and in the middle of winter, there are five or six hundred......

"Five or six hundred?" Emperor Chengde's face suddenly darkened.