Zhu Di has great expectations for Chen Xu.

Since the imperial court has been defeated in various provinces in a row, Jiaozhi has now become the most promising place in Zhu Di's heart to turn the tables.

And he thinks that he has affection and righteousness for Chen Xu, and Chen Xu should not treat him like this.

Chen Xu's father, Chen Bin, was friendly with Zhu Di back then and was stationed in the north all the year round.

During the Jingjing, Chen Xu surrendered as soon as possible, and then followed Zhu Di to fight in the south and the north.

Zhu Di trusted him very much, and Jing Nanzhong sent him to garrison Dezhou, but when Sheng Yong brought his troops over, Chen Xu directly abandoned the city and ran away.

At that time, several generals in the army were very dissatisfied, and they all wanted Zhu Di to cure him for his crime and behead him.

But Zhu Di looked at the face of his late father Chen Bin and did not pursue it, and this matter passed like this.

Thinking about it now, Chen Xu ran away when he saw Sheng Yong coming, and he didn't even dare to defend Texas, he was in Jiaozhi, I'm afraid he was even less daring?

Chen Xu disappointed me too much, Zhu Di thought hatefully in his heart.

Ji Gang knelt on the ground, saw that Zhu Di had been silent for a long time, raised his head slightly, and found that Zhu Di's expression was changing and thinking about his thoughts.

He rolled his eyes a few times, and said cautiously: "Zhang Haishan went to see Chen Xu and did not return, Your Majesty, do you want to take Chen Xu's family?" ”

punished his whole family, Zhu Di wanted to drink so much.

But now there is no real evidence, and only based on the words of businessmen, it is definitely not possible to do this.

What if Chen Xu has been killed by the rebel? Zhang Haishan didn't see it?

"Revisit." Zhu Di said sharply: "Go to Jiaozhi again - Angkor sent people - Jinyiwei must continue to send people over there, bring my will, no matter what, find out whether Chen Xu is dead or alive-"

"I don't believe it, I don't believe it, Chen Xu will betray me and help the rebel-" Zhu Di knew that Chen Xu was timid, even if he really didn't react for the time being, he might have been forced by the rebel.

Chen Xu is also cowardly, and he will definitely not dare to betray me.

"Obey." Ji Gang bowed his head.

This will be he is already scolding his mother in his heart, Zhu Di specially gave him a problem, and he has to send people to Angkor thousands of miles away, and he also has to catch smuggling grain merchants at sea, everything is very difficult.

Recently, Jinyiwei has been seriously damaged, especially sent to Jiaozhi, it is simply looking for death, as long as he goes, he has hardly come back.

"How's the grain smuggler going?" Zhu Di asked suddenly.

The imperial court is ready to concentrate its forces on a decisive battle with the rebels in Huguang, and food is the top priority, and the grain from Jiangnan must not be allowed to flow to the rebels.

Ji Gang stubbornly said: "Back to Your Majesty, I already have some eyebrows, and when there is real evidence, I will arrest people immediately." ”

"As soon as possible." Zhu Di said in a deep voice: "Before the battle of Huguang, I want to kill chickens and monkeys and beat the merchants in the south of the Yangtze River. ”

"These Jiangnan businessmen, all of them are of despicable character, in order to make money, they dare to do anything, they have no court in their hearts, my father is right to give them heavy taxes, according to me, they have to increase their taxes."

Ji Gang listened to him one by one, and his heart panicked.

"Your Majesty, Shengming, minister, you will do your best and will not disappoint Your Majesty."

After leaving the Qianqing Palace, Ji Gang did not go home, because he was about to go to court.

He came to the noon gate and went to the brocade guard on duty.

In addition to doing some things to arrest and try cases, the Jinyi guard of the Ming Dynasty was also the emperor's guard and honor guard.

Usually, there are about 100 Jinyi guards stationed at the noon gate, which symbolizes the highest status and is most valued among the guards of the imperial city.

In addition, when the emperor listened to the government at the imperial gate, a member of the Jinyi Guard stood on the west side of the throne and was responsible for transmitting the decree (now it is basically Ji Gang doing this).

There are another 129 Jinyi guards, two people from 1,000 households, and four people from 100 households, who are guarding in front of the gates of Danma, Yudao, Jinshui Bridge and Fengtianmen Square. In addition, there are 500 captains of the Jinyi Guard, lined up inside and outside the noon gate, responsible for sounding the whip and holding the guard of honor.

Therefore, there are quite a lot of Jinyi guards in the imperial city, and Ji Gang is sometimes on duty, so he doesn't go home, and lives in the Jinyi Wei Duty Hall at night to wait.

Because sometimes the emperor suddenly thinks of something, he will let him do it.

If it's okay, I'll sleep here at night.

Before the Han King raised his army, Zhu Di was in a good mood, Ji Gang often slept in the duty hall by the noon gate, and followed Zhu Di day and night, he was more popular than Hou Xian, and Zhu Di took him everywhere.

Today, the thousand households Pang Ying on duty in Jinyiwei.

Pang Ying saw Ji Gang coming in the duty hall, and hurriedly came over to pay respects.

This Pang Ying is his hardcore cronies, in the original history, in the fourteenth year of Yongle, he also cooperated with Ji Gang to play a special thing about pointing a deer as a horse, and then Ji Gang's confidence swelled, and he felt that he and Zhao Gao's power could be compared.

Just now, Pang Ying put Ji Gang in from the outside, knowing that Ji Gang had gone to see the emperor, seeing that Ji Gang's face was not good, he looked left and right, there was no one around, and Xiao Qian whispered: "What's wrong, it's not good over there?" ”

Ji Gang was also in an irritated mood and said: "Zhang Haishan hasn't come back, and there is no sound, how good can Jiaozhi be?" ”

Pang Ying's face changed slightly: "I heard that the imperial court is in Jiaozhi, and there are 300,000 troops?" ”

"Yes." Ji Gang wanted to say something, but he still didn't dare to say it.

If the 300,000 troops in Jiaozhi were used by the King of Han again, the situation in the court would become even worse.

Ji Gang, who has been thinking about stepping on two boats, has tilted the balance in his heart slightly to the Han King Zhu Gaoxu at this time, and if he has the opportunity, he is willing to show kindness to the Han King again.

"That little eunuch is also a person from Concubine Li's side?" Ji Gang suddenly asked Pang Ying.

Pang Ying said: "Yes, Yisha will either leave the palace, as long as he is in the palace, he will definitely be by Concubine Li's side." ”

"Does he leave the palace often?"

"Often, anyway, the lower officials are on duty every five days, and ten times on duty, at least half of them can meet him out of the palace."

Ji Gang had a thoughtful expression on his face.

Before, he suspected that Yishiha and Zhu Gaoxu were connected, but Yishaha, as Li Guifei's personal eunuch, must have a problem with leaving the palace so diligently.

Other concubines, including the queen, did not leave the palace so diligently by the eunuchs.

This proves that at least Yizha will only leave the palace with the approval of Concubine Li.

Why do you have to go out of the palace often? Could it be that Li Guifei and Zhu Gaoxu are also connected?

Impossible, right?

But Li Guifei is about the same age as Zhu Gaoxu.

Don't? Could it be that the two have a leg?

Thinking about it again, Zhu Gaoxu dared to rebel, and there was nothing he couldn't do.

"When you were on duty, who were the Hundred Households of Shoudan?" Ji Gang asked.

"It's Zhou Qing, the confidant of the lower officials."

His Majesty is the platform in front of the Taihe Palace, and it is also the closest territory of the Jinyi Guard to the harem.

It can be said that after entering the noon gate, the north of the Dan Majesty is not under the control of the Jinyi Guard, and the south of the Dan Majesty is almost all guarded by the Jinyi Guard.

There are four doors on the left and right of His Majesty, which are called the middle right door, the middle left door, the right wing door, and the left wing door.

Generally, the eunuchs and palace maids who come out of the harem come out of these four gates.

"Let Zhou Qing find an opportunity, make friends and lose it, and make it convenient for him." Ji Gang said quietly.

Jin Yiwei is in charge of guarding the noon gate, and this is a good opportunity for him.

Pang Ying nodded immediately and didn't ask why.

He thought that Ji Gang wanted to befriend Li Guifei, because he heard that the queen was no longer good, and Li Guifei was young and beautiful, and she might be favored in the future.

Pang Ying thought to herself, Commander Ji is really smart, he knows that he paved the way early, in case the queen is not there in the future, Concubine Li Guifei will be favored, and Commander Ji will be developed.

Ji Gang squinted again in the duty hall, and soon it was time to go to court.

Zhu Di's face was still not good when he was in the court, and then the things discussed were even worse.

Shangshu of the Ministry of War first reported some figures, how many soldiers and horses were dispatched by what guards, how many people were sent out of what places, how many people were transferred from Zhejiang, and how many people came from Shandong.

Ji Gang listened to the meeting and felt that the state apparatus of the Ming Dynasty was running, and since the three defeats last year, he has been recruiting troops and horses everywhere.

But more than half a year has passed, and it doesn't seem to be quite in place.

This efficiency is a bit slow, isn't it? Ji Gang has never led soldiers, and he feels that the efficiency of the court is a little slow.

But this time, Zhu Di wanted to gather about 800,000 soldiers and horses, mobilize 200,000 people, and claim to be a million people.

So the whole assembly process is extremely long.

This is the embodiment of the comprehensive capabilities of the dynasty in terms of logistics supply, water and land transportation, mobilization capabilities, and departmental cooperation.

When the military department Shangshu was halfway through, he was interrupted by Zhu Di.

Ji Gang didn't expect him to have such a good memory.

"In October, I remember, more than 10,000 people from Ninghaiwei and Chengshanwei in Shandong began to be transferred to Hangzhou, and it has been two or three months, and they are still in Shandong?"

The military department Shangshu smiled bitterly: "The minister wants to report it, and then talk about it." ”

"Your Majesty." Tobe Shangshu Natsuhara Yoshishi is here again.

When Zhu Di heard his voice, the corners of his mouth twitched, and now he was most afraid of Xia Yuanji speaking.

"Your Majesty, there is really no money." Xia Yuanji came to this sentence again.

"Ning Haiwei, Cheng Shanwei from Shandong to Hangzhou, without baggage, need 100 to 200 boats (depending on the size of the ship), and at least 300 boats with baggage."

"Each boat is counted as eight boatmen, and each person has to pay twenty wen a day, plus grain and rice, and consumes at least five hundred taels of silver a day."

The local political envoy has no money, and the household department has no money.

Some time ago, Zhu Di requisitioned troops and horses from all over the country, used ships, prepared grain and grass, built artillery, and spent all kinds of money.

You can't do anything without money, you transport the army from the rear to the front, don't you want money?

Eating food on the road is a huge consumption, if the transportation is heavy, a large number of people have to be raised, and horses and mules have to eat forage, all money.

Zhu Di's face turned dark.

Zhu Gaoxu's money seems to be inexhaustible, but his Ming Empire is overstretched when it comes to spending money.

"I don't want to suspend the construction of the Imperial City of Beiping." Zhu Di said angrily.

"The silver from Peking has also been used up." Xia Yuanji spread his hands: "Your Majesty has gathered a million troops, and eating a meal every day is a huge consumption. ”

“。。” Zhu Di.

There was a sudden silence in the Fengtian Temple.

Zhu Di was silent for a while, slowly raised his head, and looked at Hou Xian on the right (east side).

During the last dynasty, Ji Gang was on the west side of the throne (left) and Hou Xian was on the right side (east side), both of which had the role of transmitting decrees and words.

After Zheng He left, Hou Xian took over Zhu Di's inner library.

Of course he has money in the treasury.

Zhu Di now knows that it is impossible not to bleed.

Once the war is lost, no matter how much money the inner treasury has, it will become a rebel.

"I'll settle the matter of money." He would not ask Hou Xian in public how much money he had, and immediately said that he would solve it.

"Your Majesty." Xia Yuanji finally smiled, he should be happy that he didn't have to find a way to get money by himself, because he really couldn't get money.

(End of chapter)