"The Zhenxi army is so close to Anyuan, and the Xili barbarians have attacked our territory in a big way, why didn't they find out and stop it in time?" Ling Chong asked.

"This, this...... The minister did not understand military affairs very well and did not dare to speak falsely. Xue Shouren said.

Ling Chong snorted: "Ling Li also performed a report before, saying that the Zhenxi Army had arranged a 'border sweeping operation', and the barbarians didn't dare to come, isn't this a lie......"

"The border sweeping operation does have a deterrent effect on the rogue bandits, but, it's just ......"

"Just what?" Seeing Xue Shouren talking hesitantly, Emperor Chengde twisted his eyebrows and asked.

"After the winter, the Zhenxi Army was short of food and clothing, and in order to save food, the training and border sweeping operations were stopped. General Ling also dismantled grain and grass to his ministers, but the ministers really didn't have the ability to help him......"

Ling Chong dug the pit and asked, but he didn't expect that the crux of the problem would return to the grain and grass. Emperor Chengde's face became more and more ugly, Zhong Jishu noticed that something was wrong, and immediately stepped forward, and was about to open his mouth to change the topic, Shu Shi'an, Pei Kehuai and other important ministers of the two prefectures walked into the imperial study under the guidance of the inner servant, and he had to give up.

"Give a seat to the ministers." Emperor Chengde waved his hand at the chamberlain, looking quite tired.

After the ministers invited An Libi, and after taking their seats according to their official positions, Emperor Chengde spoke: "Fangcai, I have heard Xue Qing's report on the situation in Anyuan, and the invasion of the Xili barbarians is true, and urgently summoning everyone into the palace is to discuss the countermeasures for the war in the west." ”

"Confirmed it's war?" Pei Kehuai's face was surprised, "Can you please Xue Zhizhou tell me more about Anyuan's current situation?" ”

Emperor Chengde nodded, "I'll bother Xue Qing to tell you about it." ”

Xue Shouren explained the situation reported before in detail again. He couldn't tell how many of the Xili barbarians had invaded this time, but the number of charred corpses he saw in Caopozi Town was staggering. Although he knew that the Jiao corpses were mostly young and strong men in terms of size, and not necessarily all of them were residents of Caopozi, but on the way back to Beijing, he heard the information about Xili from the spice merchants in Xigui was really amazing.

Xue Shouren told everything he saw in Anyuan and what he heard on the way back to Beijing, and the ministers changed their faces when they heard it.

"Plans to move east? I remember that Ling Li mentioned it in the imperial court ten years ago, if there is really such a plan, can the Xili people wait until my South Vietnam garrisons 80,000 troops on the border?! In order to monitor Ling Li's every move, Ling Chong had information from the west, so he didn't think much of Xue Shouren's report.

"Presumptuous!" Emperor Chengde finally couldn't bear it anymore, slapped the paperweight in front of the imperial desk on the case with a "snap", and said angrily: "As the prince of the country, you don't pay attention to the overall situation of the country, but you always worry about Ling Li for a little old thing, what kind of system do you become?!" ”

Ling Chong never expected that Emperor Chengde would suddenly become angry, and ruthlessly scolded himself in front of his courtiers, and fell to his knees as soon as his legs were weak: "My father is angry, my sons are not scheming with Ling Li, it's just that what Xue Zhizhou said is not true, and my sons are afraid that their father will listen to one-sided words......"

"Not really?!" Emperor Chengde's gaze swept towards Xue Shouren.

Shu Shi'an and Pei Kehuai glanced at each other, both with incredible expressions.

Xue Shouren's face turned pale, and he immediately knelt on the ground and said: "Your Majesty Mingjian, the invasion of our territory by the West Plough is a matter of national security, and the minister's words are true, and he dare not conceal and lie!" ”

Zhong Jishu was also stunned for a while, Xue Shouren was the person he recommended and promoted back then, and he was also one with the East Palace, how could Ling Chong be so confused that he would bite his own people? !

"Father, Erchen didn't say that Xue Zhizhou was lying, but the news that Erchen got from within the Zhenxi Army was a little different from the news that Xue Zhizhou received......" Realizing that he had said the wrong thing, Ling Li tried his best to redeem it, but in a panic, there were many loopholes, and he actually told the story of his placement of spies in the Zhenxi Army.

The crown prince planted spies in the army, which was a royal taboo!!

There was a sudden silence in the study. After all the ministers looked at each other, they all bowed their heads, for fear of drawing the thunderous wrath to their side. Even Zhong Jishu lowered his frost-white head at this moment, he raised his hand to wipe the dense beads of sweat oozing from his forehead, but he couldn't think of how to maintain Ling Chong.

"The prince is narrow-minded, his words and deeds are incomprehensible, he is punished with a six-month grounding, and he thinks about it behind closed doors!"

After enduring it for a long time, Emperor Chengde finally opened his mouth. After saying these few words, he seemed to be extremely tired, he held on to the imperial desk, and stood up tremblingly, "I am not feeling well today, please Shu Xiang and Zhongqing discuss first, and then propose a countermeasure tomorrow morning." ”

"Congratulations to Your Majesty!"

All the ministers got up and saluted, but only the crown prince Ling Chong was stunned on the ground, his face full of panic.

*********

At some point, snow fell.

The snow in South Vietnam is much finer than the snow in North Lonely, but the cold and damp feeling is a little worse.

Emperor Chengde was wrapped in a snow fox fur, leaning on the brocade couch, looking out the window at the continuous snow, and fell into deep thought.

Over the years, he has always adhered to the laws of his ancestors, and carefully guarded this country, lest he become an unworthy descendant. Knowing that Ling Chong was narrow-minded and unkind, but because he was the eldest son of the queen, he always followed the ancestral system and patiently cultivated him as a prince. Even today, he was so angry that he only punished him for being grounded in the palace.

Divided into young and old, and obeyed the etiquette, this royal family was not as harmonious and smooth as he expected; Abiding by the old system and abiding by the old rules, the South Vietnamese society was not as peaceful as he hoped. Last year, the Shuiyue Palace was built, and this year it will come early in the cold winter and invade the western plough, but the heavens are warning? ……

"Liu Duzhi, the snow has cooled down today, I don't know if my father's health is better?"

"Back to the prince's words, compared with yesterday, today is much better, and His Majesty also met with a group of ministers in the imperial study before."

"That's fine. If my father has rested, I will come back tomorrow to say goodbye. ”

Hearing this conversation outside the curtain, Emperor Chengde coughed and called, "But Zhao'er is here?" ”

Ling Zhao, who was standing outside the curtain, immediately bowed to the inner hall and said, "Father, but the retainer disturbed your rest?" ”

"I'm not asleep, so come in and talk."

"The retainers obey." Ling Zhao lifted the brocade curtain, strode towards the dragon couch where Emperor Chengde was lying, and after kneeling on the ground to say goodbye, he knelt down in front of the bed, and while smoothing the quilt at the corner of the bed for Emperor Chengde, he leaned over and asked, "Father feels better today?" ”

"Today's cough is much better, and my body bones are not so tired, but my mind is still a little ......dizzy," Emperor Chengde rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"Erchen happened to bring some refreshing spices, let Erchen smoke a dose for his father, and then perform the Taiyi Channeling Technique for you, okay?" Ling Zhao asked.

"Very good."