"Enlighten the Emperor."

"In the opinion of the ministers, this defeat in Mobei, the general, as the chief general of the three armies, has an unshirkable responsibility."

"The army rewards and punishes heavily, so the sons think that they should start with the general."

「......」

「......」

Xu Yongli stood in front of the ministers and talked eloquently with Emperor Zhengde.

In his words, there is a prince of a country, and he takes the country as the most important style.

Emperor Zhengde sat upright behind the imperial eucalyptus, his eyelids slightly lowered and listened to the sound of Lang Lang in Xu Yong's mouth.

A look of satisfaction flashed silently from under his eyelids.

"The son's humble opinion, so he made a move to throw bricks and lead jade, and I hope my father will forgive me."

After a while, Xu Yong saluted respectfully towards Emperor Zhengde, and after Emperor Zhengde nodded slightly, he slowly returned to his original position.

"Do you have a different opinion?"

After Xu Yong returned to his original position, Emperor Zhengde slowly opened his eyes and looked at the ministers below.

Emperor Zhengde's words fell, and several people immediately walked out of the ministers.

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks ......."

"Your Majesty, in the opinion of the minister......

"Your Majesty, in the humble opinion of the ministers......

A group of officials, you sing and I will appear.

For a while, the originally quiet imperial study, which could be heard of the falling needles, became lively again after Xu Yong came out to talk.

It's really wonderful. , Xu Zhen stood in the forefront of the ministers, watching the dispute between the ministers with a cold eye.

In his view, there is a hint of partiality in the seemingly fair words of some ministers.

If it is linked to Xu Yong's previous righteous and awe-inspiring words.

It is not difficult to see that it is just a white face and a red face.

The dispute lasted for nearly half an hour.

Nearly half an hour later.

Emperor Zhengde gently knocked on the royal eucalyptus.

Accompanied by 'winter, winter. , the sound came from the eucalyptus.

The noisy study gradually fell silent.

Emperor Zhengde looked at his ministers and slowly spoke: "Draft, the general Li Guangli was not strict in his command and supervised the battle unfavorably, which led to the defeat of Mobei and the loss of more than 10,000 soldiers."

"Therefore, a fine of three years and a demotion of three knights may be imposed as an example."

"General Zheng Xuanjing, fornicating with foreign enemies and leading the enemy to attack the village, the crime deserves death."

"Therefore, punish the nine clans to show the world."

"General Pi was loyal to Ben and neglected his duties, causing the army to rush into battle."

"Therefore, punish the nine clans to show the world."

"Hou Yanbo, the captain of the Tun cavalry, retreated without an order, causing the army to be defeated."

"Therefore, confiscate the wealth of the family, and exile the family scroll to set an example."

「......」

「......」

With one after another wills, slowly came out of Emperor Zhengde's mouth.

The defeat of Mobei has finally come to an end in the court.

As for whether Zheng Xuanjing really fornicated with foreign enemies.

Is Xiang Benzhong really derelict in his duties?

Is it important to the court?

It doesn't matter!

What is really important is that the loss of Mobei must be explained to the people of the world.

In short, someone has to carry this black cauldron!

Inside the Imperial Study.

Emperor Zhengde's voice fell.

The first assistant of the cabinet, Shangguan Lu, strode out of the ranks, bowed his hand and said, "The minister obeys the order."

At this point, there is no room for loopback in this matter.

Emperor Zhengde nodded slightly, and then slowly said, "The rest of the matter will be discussed tomorrow morning, except for Tian Aiqing, let's step down." ….

"Yes." The ministers saluted respectfully, and then slowly exited the imperial study.

In an instant, only Emperor Zhengde and Tian Yichu of the household department were left in the huge imperial study.

"Tian Aiqing, how much silver is left in the treasury."

Emperor Zhengde got straight to the point.

Tian Yichu paused slightly, and then replied, "Back to Your Majesty, there are four million two hundred and twenty-nine thousand taels of silver in the treasury."

As soon as these words came out, Emperor Zhengde couldn't help frowning slightly.

Then he waved his hand and said, "I know, stand down."

"Yes." Tian Yichu bowed again, and then slowly withdrew from the imperial study.

Wait for Tian Yichu's figure to completely disappear behind the imperial study.

Emperor Zhengde's originally slightly frowning brows couldn't help but lock up instantly.

"Four million two hundred and twenty thousand ......," Emperor Zhengde frowned and muttered in a low voice.

The annual tax revenue of the Great Zhou Dynasty fluctuates roughly around 20 million taels when converted into silver money.

However, where there is income, there will be expenditure.

First and foremost is military spending.

The annual expenses for maintaining the army in the Great Zhou accounted for at least more than 30% of the annual tax revenue.

And this is still based on the premise that there has been no war for a long time.

In the event of war, military expenditures are incalculable.

The second is the expenditure to maintain the entire bureaucracy.

For example, the officials' gifts and rewards.

For example, the repair of the official office, daily use, etc.

Although the piles and pieces seem inconspicuous, if they are summed up, they are also a daily number.

And at least more than half of the annual tax revenue.

And then there is the cost of maintaining people's livelihoods.

For example, repairing water conservancy and repairing official roads.

On the premise that there are no mega projects, the expenditure of this part is also as high as more than 10%.

And then there was the court expenditure.

This part accounts for at least about 10% of the annual tax revenue.

These four types of expenditure alone account for more than 80% of the annual tax revenue.

It is conceivable that the annual expenditure of the imperial court is huge.

And all this needs to be built on the premise that there has been no war for a long time and the wind and rain are smooth!

For example, last year's drought in Guanzhong and the previous year's Shandong flood.

These two natural disasters alone led to the bottoming out of the Great Zhou treasury for a time!

If it weren't for Xu Yi's timely disaster relief, and the huge corruption of Zhang Yongnian, the Duke of Song, and other huge corruption, supplemented the treasury.

At this time, Emperor Zhengde may not even have more than two million taels!

That's what I think about.

Emperor Zhengde slowly raised his head and looked in the direction of Shanggu County.

There was a complicated look in his eyes.

I don't know how long it took.

Emperor Zhengde shook his head helplessly.

......

......

Night.

When the lights are on.

A three-wheeled carriage slowly came out of the palace.

Go straight to the palace of the king of Najin.

Xu Zhen sat on top of the soft collapse of the carriage.

Expressionlessly, he looked through the car window at the lights of thousands of homes outside the window.

There is a faint sense of nostalgia and reluctance in his eyes.

Perhaps, no one wants the country to be stable more than him.

Perhaps, no one looks forward to the lights more than him.

However, reality is reality after all.

With many years of career as a horseman, Xu Zhen has already smelled an extremely dangerous breath from this defeat in Mobei.

The extremely dangerous aura had caused him to sweat several times in the imperial study. ….

If only that were it.

He Xu Zhen is afraid of everything in his life, but he is not afraid of war, and he is not afraid of the horse leather shroud.

But unfortunately, in the subsequent deliberations in the imperial study, he smelled the last thing he wanted to smell in his life.

It was a sickeningly rotten smell.

It's an inescapable stench that radiates from the inside out!

That breath! Emanating from Emperor Zhengde and the ministers! At a rapid pace, it swept the whole week!

Inside the three-wheel green canopy carriage.

Xu Zhen, who was expressionless, slowly lowered the car curtain.

With the lights of thousands of homes being cut off by heavy curtains.

A look of tiredness slowly appeared on Xu Zhen's originally expressionless cheeks.

'Profitable, flocking. ，

'In case of disadvantage, shake the pot first. ，

Xu Zhen slowly leaned on the soft collapse, and muttered to himself with a tired face as if crying and laughing.

The words fell.

Xu Zhen slowly closed his eyes, and said with endless sorrow in his heart: "The country is going to die, the country is going to die." ，

Then Li Ling is clearly the most suitable person for the entire court to be the chief general of the reinforcements. ，

But because it was not profitable, there was no one to recommend it. ，

'A house full of vermilion, a hall full of vermilion! It's ridiculous! It's ridiculous! ，

No matter how unbearable Zheng Xuanjing is, it is not just about abandoning his wife and children who are far away in Beijing, and then committing that act of treason when the war situation is not clear. ，

"A house full of vermilion, a hall full of vermilion! Shame on you! Shameful!"

'O fathers and fathers! The kingdom is dying! The kingdom is dying! ，

Two lines of turbid tears slowly slipped from the corners of Xu Zhen's eyes, who were leaning on the soft collapse of the carriage.

I don't know how long it took.

The three-wheel green canopy carriage slowly passed through the bustling streets and alleys.

Step through the main gate of the palace, which is full of majesty.

Finally, it slowly docked in front of the carrying hall of the Jin Palace.

"Lord Wang, it's time to carry the palace."

The coachman stepped out of the carriage and stood outside the carriage and said respectfully.

Inside the carriage.

I don't know when Xu Zhen, who actually fell asleep, slowly opened his cloudy eyes after hearing the driver's voice.

"Ah~!"

Xu Zhen sat up slowly and sighed heavily.

Then he wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with cold tea.

Only then did Fang walk out of the carriage casually and enter the center of the palace, the carrier hall.

"Stand down."

When Fang and his party arrived at the Carrier Hall, Xu Zhen scattered his entourage.

Then he walked alone to the study in the side hall.

Slowly sat down on the Taishi chair behind the book eucalyptus.

Xu Zhen sat on the Taishi's chair and pondered for a long time.

Fang Cai slowly got up and took out a picture from the mezzanine of the bookshelf on the side.

As the map slowly unfolds and spreads flat on the eucalyptus.

Xu Zhen stood beside the book with a solemn face, staring at the map motionlessly.

The map is not a side object, but the whole picture of the Western Regions.

The Silk Road, the countries of the Western Regions, the Protectorate of the Western Regions, the Jin Palaces of the Western Regions, and the old cities of the Xiongnu are all listed.

If there is a large-scale rebellion in the Western Regions, the efforts of several generations for nearly a hundred years will be wiped out.

"There must be no chaos in the Western Regions." Xu Zhen stared at the countries of the Western Regions in the map and muttered, "At least, there will be no chaos for three years."

The words fell. ….

Xu Zhen looked up at the starry sky in the distance through the windowsill.

Look in the direction of the Upper Valley County.

For some reason, the starry sky is exceptionally bright tonight.

I don't know how long it took.

A sigh of deep weakness suddenly came from the study room of the side hall of the Jin Palace's Carrying Hall.

Xu Zhen slowly withdrew his gaze from the starry sky on the windowsill.

Silently put the map back in its place.

Then he silently returned to the book eucalyptus, grinding ink and laying paper.

Xu Zhen was silent for a long time with a wolf pen in his hand, and finally slowly wrote on the left side of the rice paper: "Jie'er personally opened."

With the pen in Xu Zhen's hand, he continued to wander.

A letter to the family that wrote the general trend of the world, the situation in the Western Regions, and the way of using troops was gradually completed.

Half an hour later.

Xu Zhen paused the wolf pen in his hand, and his eyes wandered solemnly on the more than 1,000 words that had been written with great painstaking work.

treat

Once you are sure that it is correct.

Xu Zhen slowly cut out the paper with more than 1,000 words written on it, and then sealed it in an envelope.

When it's all over.

Xu Zhen's face became more and more serious, and he brought up the wolf pen again.

On the other half of the rice paper, he wrote, "Yi'er personally opened."

With the pen in Xu Zhen's hand, he continued to wander.

Since Xu Yi's departure, many major events that have happened inside and outside the government and the opposition have been written down by Xu Zhen one by one.

It naturally also contains the defeat of Mobei and the deliberations of the imperial study.

Before you know it, half a piece of rice paper is soon filled with it.

At this time, half an hour had passed since he put pen to paper.

Xu Zhen stared at the rice paper that was no longer blank and frowned slightly.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he took out a piece of white rice paper again and spread it on the side of the eucalyptus.

He lifted the wolf pen again, and wrote everything on the white rice paper.

When the second piece of white rice paper was covered with dense handwriting.

The time had quietly arrived at midnight.

Xu Zhen slowly put down the wolf pen in his hand, and then rubbed his sore wrist.

After getting up slowly, he put the two sheets of rice paper covered with dense handwriting neatly into the envelope.

Finally, it was sealed with fire clay and coated with beeswax, tung oil and other substances.

When it's all over.

Xu Zhen put his hands slightly together and put them to his mouth.

After a few breaths, a slight whistle slowly came out of Xu Zhen's mouth.

This whistle is slightly different from the whistle it taught to Xu Yi.

But the end use is the same.

A moment later.

Outside the study room of the side hall of the Jin Palace, there was a sudden sound of footsteps.

After a few breaths, the footsteps slowly stopped outside the study door.

"Winter ...... Dongdong."

A slight knock sounded slowly from outside the study door.

"Enter."

In the study room of the side hall, Xu Zhen sat on the Taishi chair and said slowly.

After receiving the promise.

The man outside the study door gently pushed the door open.

With an extremely low creak, a sound sounded.

An extremely thin black figure quietly walked into the study room of the side hall.

"E, meet the master."

A cold female voice slowly emanated from the thin black figure.

Xu Zhen slowly looked up at the thin woman named 'E, in front of him. ….

Then he slowly got up and took out two letters, one thick and one thin, from the eucalyptus.

Xu Zhen lowered his head slightly, staring at the two letters, one thick and one thin, for a moment.

Then he looked up and solemnly handed the slightly thin letter to E.

And commanded in a deep voice: "Give this letter to A, and order him to send this letter to the Western Regions in the shortest possible time, and hand it over to the prince himself."

Wu Wenyan's face was straight, and after receiving the letter with both hands, he bowed and saluted, "Wu obeys the order!"

The words fell.

Xu Zhen's face suddenly became extremely serious.

"This letter, you escort it with B, D, G, and Xin." Xu Zhen handed over the slightly thick letter in his hand to Wu very solemnly.

Wu Wenyan's body couldn't help but tremble slightly, in his impression, the Ten Heavens Dry Secret Guard was the last line of defense to protect Xu Zhen's safety.

Mo said that six people were dispatched at the same time, and even the number of times three people were dispatched at the same time was very rare.

And now, for the sake of a letter, five Tiangan secret guards were dispatched at the same time to escort them.

The importance of this letter can be imagined.

For a moment, the dark guard felt that the second letter in his hand weighed a thousand catties.

After the Dark Guard took the letter.

Xu Zhen commanded in a deep voice: "This letter must be handed over to King Yan in person, if it is not possible, it should be the first time

Destroy this letter, do you understand it?"

"I understand." The dark guard subconsciously shook the letter in his hand, and then bowed solemnly and saluted, "Please rest assured that the master would rather die than live up to the master's trust."

Xu Zhen shook his head slightly and said, "Wait for you to come back alive."

Dark Guard's body trembled slightly, and then slowly saluted and left.

Wait for the figure of the dark guard to completely disappear behind the study.

Xu Zhen still stared intently at the direction in which Dark Guard Wu had disappeared, unable to recover for a long time.

For Xu Zhen, whether it is the conscience Baiwei given to Xu Yi, or the secret guards of the Twelve Earth Branches who stayed in the Western Regions to secretly protect the safety of his two sons.

Or the Ten Heavenly Dry Guards who are always guarding him.

These people are all his sweethearts, and every lack of one will make his heart ache.

God knows how much energy and material resources he has spent in the past twenty years or so in order to cultivate these secret guards.

I don't know how long it took.

Xu Zhen gradually came back to his senses, sighed and slowly sat down on the Taishi chair.

Its gaze looked out of the window through the half-open windowsill.

I don't know when dark clouds have obscured the originally bright starry sky.

The night seemed to grow thicker from this moment on.

With the passage of time.

The thousands of lights in the streets and alleys of Chang'an City gradually returned to the thick night.

In the dead of night.

Several black figures silently shuttled through the streets.

Then, with the help of the thick night, it disappeared completely.

This night, I don't know how many undercurrents are flowing slowly in this thick night.

......

......

Nothing was said all night.

The next day.

When a ray of golden light appeared in the eastern sky.

The palace Jinluan Hall is already full of civil and military officials.

With the figure of Emperor Zhengde slowly appearing in the Jinluan Palace.

One day in the morning, the court officially kicked off.

Correct.

The strange thing is that above the early dynasty today, neither Emperor Zhengde nor more than a dozen officials in the imperial study yesterday took the initiative to mention the defeat of Mobei.

The boring early dynasty gradually came to an end in the cliché.

time.

Emperor Zhengde slowly left the Jinluan Hall with the support of the great eunuch Zhan Zhu.

More than half of the time.

Yesterday, the dozen or so officials reappeared in the imperial study.

As the door of the study slowly closes.

The small pilgrimage meeting kicked off again.

The small pilgrimage meeting that started in the middle of his time lasted until dusk before the curtain came to an end.

And so it went on for the next two days.

It wasn't until September that the pages were completely turned and the affairs of the small pilgrimage meeting came to an end.

......

......

October 1, 30th year of Zhengde.

Several holy decrees were like boulders falling into a calm lake, and Yu Jingshi Chang'an set off a storm of waves.

The first to bear the brunt was the defeat of the army that went out to Mobei and lost more than 10,000 soldiers.

Zheng Xuanjing, the general of Pi, fornicated with foreign enemies and led the enemy to attack the village, resulting in the defeat of Mobei and the punishment of the nine tribes.

General Pi was loyal to Ben and neglected his duties, causing the army to rush to the battle and punish the nine clans.

Hou Yanbo, the captain of the Tun cavalry, retreated without order, resulting in the rout of the army, confiscating his family property, and exiled his family scrolls.

The general Li Guangli, who was not strict in his command and supervised the battle unfavorably, was fined for three years and demoted to the third rank.

The second is that the imperial court issued a document again, and after the many injustices of the Xiongnu, the imperial court sent soldiers and horses again!

Ordered Dali Temple Zuo Shaoqing Li Ling to be the general of the expedition to the north! Lead 5,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry to reinforce Mobei!

Ordered the border kings of all places, except for Xu Yi, the king of Yan, to send 5,000 troops to go deep into Mobei to encircle and suppress the king of the Xiongnu Zuoguli!.

Iced tea is always there