After saying Qin Hong's request to Zhishi, and replacing his potential candidates.

Li Rong looked at Zhu Feng and said with a smile: "An Bianhou, our family has something to discuss with Mr. Zhang alone, can you ......?"

Only then did Zhu Feng understand that he had just let himself sit in on the matter to let him listen to something that was not very important, but now that people may have private matters or important matters to discuss, it will be an eyesore in front of him.

"Zhijie, let's go to my study and wait first, and I'll look for you after talking to Gonggong Li." Zhang Zhoudao.

"Hmm."

Zhu Feng was a little depressed, but he also knew that his status was not enough, and as a military minister, he was not qualified to participate in the discussion of major affairs in the imperial court.

Letting him listen to Qin Hong's performance is already very face-saving.

After Zhu Feng followed Liu Gui away, Li Rong showed the other few notes in his arms in front of Zhang Zhou, and said: "Your Majesty has been worrying a lot recently, and His Majesty has not been very satisfied with the votes of the cabinet department...... Guard. I don't have to bother Mr. to refer to this."

Zhang Zhou said: "Is this for me to draw up a vote?"

Li Rong said with a smile: "Our family is a master of ceremonies, and your opinion is equivalent to a vote, and there is no need to form an opinion on paper. You should also know that Your Majesty is preparing to add one or two more ministers because the cabinet has been a stagnant pool in the past few years, and now the most respected person in the Hanlin Academy is you, sir."

"I can't." Zhang Zhou waved his hand directly, meaning that this matter has nothing to do with me.

I have a good secretary of the military department, why do you want to enter the cabinet?

Entering the cabinet, looking up to the people, and being angry by Liu Jian's three?

Even if I were to be the first assistant, I wouldn't be happy about it.

Li Rong said: "After all, you are also a bachelor, with your merits in the Hanlin Academy, especially for the revision of the "Ming Huidian", who else is highly respected? However, Your Majesty has also taken into account that you are now indispensable for the affairs of the Ministry of War, and Your Majesty has even mentioned that you will be suspended in the Cabinet and you will not have to go in normal times, as if you were suspended in the Governor's Palace."

When Zhang Zhou heard this, he felt that it was easier to accept.

The secretary of the Ministry of War, who is also a real officer, can also be named as a cabinet minister, which means that after Liu Jian and a few people retire, he Zhang Zhou can directly be the first assistant of the cabinet, which is to prevent people from entering the cabinet after today, whose qualifications are above Zhang Zhou, and pave a way for Zhang Zhou to be the first assistant of the cabinet.

Zhang Zhou shook his head and said, "It doesn't make sense, if Your Majesty is really like this, then I will become a thorn in the side of many people in the court."

As a national prince, the Governor's Office is the right governor of the Governor's Mansion of the Later Army, and he is also the secretary of the Ministry of War, and now he has to serve as a cabinet minister...... The emperor had a little bit of a way to live for other ministers, as if he wanted to treat Zhang Zhou as the first minister of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Zhou naturally knew how to be hated like this, and he was still a little self-aware.

With such a short time that he has been in the court, there is no need to carry so many positions, also because these positions are actually unnecessary, and they do not affect his participation in politics, his real identity only needs to be a good emperor's staff.

When he wasn't a minister, he really didn't have that many ideas.

Li Rong said with a smile: "Your Majesty only has such an idea, and it has not yet been implemented, but Your Majesty has great respect for the Hanlin Scholar Wang Wei, and it seems that he will be the only one to enter the cabinet this time."

"Really?" Zhang Zhou said, "I really don't know anything about this, and Gonggong Li shouldn't have revealed this matter to me in advance."

Zhang Zhou actually knew what Zhu Youzhu meant.

Originally, Zhu Youzhi wanted to promote Cheng Minzheng to the cabinet, but this matter has reached the implementation stage, and even Cheng Minzheng has made all the preparations before entering the cabinet, but the problem is that Zhu Youzhi is also a person who will take care of the overall situation.

Cheng Minzheng's biggest problem was that when he had the first chance to join the cabinet, he happened to be involved in the problem, and it was obvious that someone deliberately poured dirty water on him.

From this point of view, Cheng Minzheng did have indiscretions in interpersonal relations and in handling some private matters, and even disgusted by the emperor, even if Zhang Zhou spoke for him later, let

He had the opportunity to get closer to Zhang Zhou's camp, but he couldn't do it once, and if he wanted to enter the cabinet for the second time, things would not be so easy.

On the other hand, Wang Wei.

Even in terms of qualifications and ability, Wang Wei is not higher than Cheng Minzheng, and even Wang Wei was excluded from the beginning, but at least Wang Wei is low-key, and he has not been planted in the cabinet before, plus Wang Wei is Zhang Zhou's teacher, with his calm character, the emperor feels that it is more appropriate to let Wang Wei enter the cabinet.

Li Rong said: "Sir, you should hurry up and give advice first, and our family should find a place to rest as soon as possible, and we will return to the palace early tomorrow morning to resume our lives."

Zhang Zhou's face was easy-going, and he said, "Gonggong Li has worked hard."

"On an errand in the palace, I don't dare to say that it is hard, it is all for Your Majesty and the court, and you are the same, sir." Li Rong said, "At present, the most difficult thing is still on the side of the river workers, this year's drought has eased, I am afraid that the floods in the Central Plains and the south will come again, and all places are preparing to build dikes and other things before the summer, but the imperial court cannot approve the reconstruction plan of so many places at one time, and you know, many of them are simply ...... I didn't take the opportunity to transfer the money, but I wasn't in a hurry."

Zhang Zhou said: "Won't it be for me to calculate where there may be floods this summer and prevent them in advance?"

Li Rong was pleasantly surprised: "This is the best, if it can really be like this...... Sir, you don't have to be too restrained, when we say this, it depends more on whether you can coordinate the scheduling, because the DPRK and China have been arguing about this matter since March, and even over the construction of the Yellow River dam or the Dajiang dam, they have also quarreled all over the world."

Zhang Zhou nodded and said, "Since Your Majesty asked me to refer to it, I won't say that this matter is the most urgent, and it won't be decided early tomorrow morning, right?"

"That's not going to happen." Li Rong hurriedly changed his smile and said, "As long as you are willing to come forward to share Your Majesty's worries, it is not impossible to delay it for a few days, but you still have to step up, after all, this summer flood is coming."

After Zhang Zhou sent Li Rong away, he entered the study, and Zhu Feng was already there, holding the books on the bookshelf and reading for a long time.

"Can you see it?" Zhang Zhou asked.

Zhu Feng turned around, but looked a little apologetic, after all, it was a bit rude to take the master's book to read without asking the master.

Zhu Feng hurriedly put the book back in its place and said, "Brother Zhang, your study...... It's quite chic, it's just these books, why is it different from the ones I usually read?"

Zhang Zhoudao: "The books you usually read are basically for the imperial examination, or for commenting on the scriptures, but my books are changing the times. The purpose of the books you read in the past is to explain the remarks of your predecessors, some of them are based on the past to discuss the present, but my books focus on the future, and all the changes you have seen in the Ming Dynasty can be traced in these books."

"Really?"

Zhu Feng listened to it with a half-understanding.

He was not originally from a scholarly family, no matter how big the Chengguo Mansion was, it was also a martial arts family, and the men in the family practiced martial arts more than they practiced literature, and Zhu Feng himself was not an heir, so naturally he did not have much cultural knowledge.

"Say it." Zhang Zhou sat behind the desk and asked Zhu Feng to sit down.

Zhu Feng said: "I'll leave after I finish speaking, I've been bothering for a long time, it's the matter of the eldest princess of Yongkang, she said that she had a lot of misunderstandings about Brother Zhang before, and now she understands that you are all for the good of the horse, and she is willing to release her previous suspicions, and hopes that you can provide some help in Cui Yuma's position, so that he can stay in the Beijing camp as an errand."

Zhang Zhou shook his head and said, "Such a useful talent, of course, it is better to stay in the northwest, isn't this the expectation of Cui Juma and the eldest princess of Yongkang?"

"This ...... Probably not."

Zhu Feng said, "Brother Zhang, I understand it this way, husband and wife can't always be separated from each other, and not everyone has such great ambitions, it's like, I think it's better to stay in Jingshi than in the northwest."

Zhang Zhou smiled: "This kind of thing still depends on His Majesty's arrangement, right?"

Zhu Feng scratched his head and said, "That's what I told the person she sent, but for some reason, she seems to care very much about being able to settle her old suspicions with you, plus our two families have a good relationship, this time even my grandmother thinks I should help her, so I have to come."

Zhang Zhou said, "It seems that the two of you want to form an alliance. Do you want to find a lady from the Cui family and renew it for you?

？」

Zhu Feng hurriedly said, "Brother Zhang, don't make fun of me, I'm just here to pass on a message, if you think it's inappropriate, you can directly refuse her." Write a letter or ask me to send a message."

Zhang Zhou said with an indifferent expression: "Let's say it clearly, I think it's better for Cui Yuan to stay in the northwest, or after this battle, he still has a chance to be knighted or something, there are many places in the northwest that lack generals, and there is no problem at all to give him a vacancy." On the other hand, within the Beijing Division, this errand for the transfer of various battalions in the Beijing camp is being robbed by all families."

"That's the eldest princess, it shouldn't be difficult, right?" Zhu Fengdao.

Zhang Zhou said, "That's not the case. As far as Your Majesty is concerned, it is better to arrange the capable people in the most suitable position, and you can go back and say so. She won't embarrass you."

"Oh."

Zhu Feng responded.

Suddenly, I felt that I had been waiting for more than an hour at night, and it was simply unnecessary.

waited for a long time in vain, but was perfunctory by Zhang Zhou's words.

"Zhijie, rest early, I still have something to do, we will have a chance to talk about it later." Zhang Zhou yawned, which was equivalent to giving an eviction order.

You kid came to disturb my good things at night, I don't blame you for being polite, and you still want me to be kind to you?

The next morning.

There is still no news of the battle report of the Yellow River in the court, but after the court meeting, there are already ministers who have discussed it in private.

"I heard that Di Yi was preparing to cross the Yellow River and plunder on the ground in Ningxia, which is also the reason why they abandoned Shigou City, in order to attract the local defenders of Ningxia, so that if the defenders of Ningxia could not catch up, then Di Yi could harass the people around Ningxia Town. It's vicious."

"This is reasonable, many people are speculating like this, saying that as long as the Tatars cross the Yellow River, they will be like entering a no-man's land, and winning those two battles before and killing the Tatars is not enough for the loss of the Ming people, the Tatars are arranged."

"So, is it a merit or a fault before? This matter, the one from the military department...... How should merit and demerit be distinguished? Are you still responsible?" ……

A group of people had a heated discussion.

Let's just say, Zhang Zhou, you made a mistake in your calculations, even if you won two battles, but at the key point, the Tatars still did not lose in the overall strategy, as long as the Tatars crossed the river and plundered the people around Ningxia successfully, then this war can be counted as five or five at most.

We can even buckle the basin on you.

It could have been fine, just because you insisted on using the Ningxia defenders to fight ***, although you won the flag, but in the end you still lost a lot.

Of course, how to call a defeat, there are many words, it is up to us to distinguish and decide.

Lin Han, as the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, turned a deaf ear to the surrounding discussions, but he still communicated with Shen Lu, the political envoy, and walked over and said, "Did you hear that?"

This is to remind Lin Han, everyone is talking about your son-in-law, you won't pretend to be deaf and dumb, right?

Lin Han said, "What can it be? I don't understand what is going on the battlefield."

For Lin Han, he has been a scholar of the Ministry of Rites, his life goal has been achieved, and now he is almost living a chaotic life, and he doesn't feel how strong he feels in the court, but because of his relationship with Zhang Zhou, he has to be careful about being led into the ditch at all times.

And Shen Lu in his eyes is precisely "uneasy and kind".

Shen Lu said: "I think that there are masters behind the scenes to guide this atmosphere, you said that the war thousands of miles away has not been fought yet, how can there be so much discussion in the capital? Don't you explain the story?"

Lin Han looked sideways and said, "You mean, someone is deliberately guiding in the tone of winning first and then losing, and deliberately wants to shirk responsibility on Bingkuan?"

Shen Lu nodded and said, "There is such a tendency. Sometimes, we can't ignore it, right?"

Lin Han frowned, he didn't like Shen Lu's way of speaking.

If you have something to say, you have to beat around the bush like a dumb riddle, and you say it to someone like me, who seems to have no quarrel with the world.

You just don't want to come out and use me as a gunman?

"Then I should remind Bingkuan to be careful when I turn around." Lin Han said, "But how should this matter be determined, it doesn't depend on the movements of the Tatars? A few people's private criticism will not affect the overall situation."

"Old Lin, you have a point, by the way, I told Old Lin before that the Song family wants to marry you, and Miss Song wants to enter your door, what do you think?"

"No need!"

Lin Han knew very well that Shen Lu knew that he was very keen on having children, so he wanted to "be a matchmaker" for him.

Shen Lu was still chattering, praising the goodness of the Song family's women, until he reached the gate of the palace, and after they separated, Lin Han didn't say a word to him again.

Shen Lu looked at Lin Han's back as he left in a huff, and muttered, "What's wrong with a pear tree pressing a begonia? How is this ...... Still hypocritical?"

Mandarin Palace, noon.

Zhu Houzhao unfolded a very large map of the northwest in front of him, holding a magnifying glass in one hand and a chicken leg in the other, and was studying the military situation of the Ming Dynasty while eating.

"This land of Ningxia is also strange, north of the Yellow River is such a small area, and further north is a desert and mounds where no grass grows, why do the Tatars have to stare at such a place? It's me, and I know I can't beat it, so why don't you run away?"

Zhu Houzhao did not seem to understand why the Tatars crossed the river to the north.

Liu Jin said: "His Royal Highness the Prince, there is no saying that the Tatar cavalry will definitely cross the river, but the result of the discussion in the Yanwu Hall is that it is more likely to cross the river."

Zhu Houzhao sighed and said: "In the battle of Shigou City, *** has to find a place to settle down, and it is also necessary to loot, I can still understand that it is a bit unwise to go north to the Yellow River. Although there are not many people and horses in my Ming pursuit, I have won a few battles, and the momentum is in full swing, *** Even if the little prince personally leads the troops, does he have enough boats to cross the river? As long as there are suspicious soldiers on the other side of the river, and then they are killed in an ambush, then don't you have to honestly retreat to the south bank?"

"This ......"

Liu Jin didn't expect that this prince's insight was different from others.

Qiu Ju came over and said, "Back to the prince's words, the slave maid heard that the Tatars were unwilling to retreat like this, and wanted to get some results before leaving. Otherwise, the little prince of Tatar will not be able to save his face, and he will not be able to be a co-ruler in the steppe from now on."

"There are still co-masters, the co-masters are only our Daming, and they are just the courtiers of the Daming."

Zhu Houzhao was aggressive, and took a bite of the chicken leg, as if the chicken leg was the meat on Batu Munch's body, and it was fragrant after eating it.

Gao Feng reminded, "Your Highness, don't drip oil on the map, it will get dirty. Now this is the one in the palace, if His Majesty asks......

Such a good map was obviously not prepared by Zhang Zhou for Zhu Houzhao, but prepared by Zhang Zhou for Zhu Youji, Zhu Houzhao shouted many times before borrowing it from his father, which was regarded as a reward for his learning progress, of course, it also showed that if he did not study well, he would be confiscated at any time.

Zhu Houzhao said: "With that person, he can get as many maps as he wants, isn't it just a few days? Besides, there are craftsmen in the palace, so just go back and let them copy and paint a picture."

Liu Jin said, "Your Royal Highness the Prince, it's not early, you should have lunch and prepare for the afternoon exam."

"Exams, exams, exams every day." Zhu Houzhao said sullenly, "It's all that person's fault, since he gave me a gentleman, he was okay to give me the entire exam, even my father thinks this is the standard to test my grades, isn't this nonsense?" If it is only necessary to govern the country, is it true that if Confucius is the king, he will be able to govern the world well?"

Liu Jin hurriedly said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is cautious."

"Fart, this prince will be the ruler of the country in the future, what's wrong with saying this?"

Zhu Houzhao ignored Liu Jin's gaze and continued to look at the map and said, "I really hope that the Tatars are really going to cross the river, so that the border army will have another chance to make meritorious contributions. Haha, I'll kill a group of people until they admit it, and then obediently follow this road for me to get out of the pass, and then I'll send troops to intercept them at the pass, and let them be annihilated."

Several eunuchs in the East Palace looked at each other.

They didn't feel any sense of anticipation, nor did they understand why the prince was so excited at the mention of this.

They can't understand Zhu Houzhao's martial realm, and they still think that Zhu Houzhao is suffering from hysteria.

Liu Jin said, "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, if you have any thoughts on this battle, you should write a copy of the above table and present it to Your Majesty, so that Your Majesty can know your knowledge."

"That's right." Zhu Houzhao said, "Father always thinks that Bengong is a child, but Bengong has grown up! Every time I see, I can accurately hit the development of the war, and my father himself can't, I am the man who can match that person."

Several eunuchs stared at each other again.

I was thinking in my heart, Prince, who gave you the self-confidence, when did you hit the development of the battle every time? Can we get a face?

Liu Jin cocked his thumb and said: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is wise and powerful, if he has the opportunity to conquer in person in the future, he will definitely be able to sweep away the Tatars in one fell swoop, and then the sky will be under the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and no Di Yi will dare to violate the realm."

"Well said. Add a chicken leg and I'll give it to you!"

Zhu Houzhao was almost full, so he directly handed the half-pulled chicken leg to Liu Jin as he spoke.

After Liu Jin got the chicken legs, he was excited.

"Eat!" Zhu Houzhao said.

Liu Jin said, "The slave is reluctant to eat, so she has to go back and offer it."

"Cut!" Zhu Houzhao said, "Let you eat it, this thing is not some kind of antique calligraphy and painting, how can you offer it?" Do you want to wrap it in lime? It's just a temporary reward, and in the future, after the opening of the palace, more rewards will be given. So do you."

Liu Jin knelt down and said, "Slave and maid, thank you."

Gao Feng and the others also bowed their hands to receive the order, but they were thinking in their hearts, as far as you Liu Jin talk a lot, eat a chicken leg to make you excited like this?

Zhu Houzhao didn't wipe his hands, he directly pointed on the map with his hand stained with oil stars, and said: "I think they will withdraw from the Ming Dynasty here, but I don't know if the rest of the people from all walks of life can come over in time to intercept it, they think that it is no fun to cross the Yellow River, unless the governor of Ningxia who leads the troops wants to be beheaded." Obviously, whoever goes to the other side to lead the troops will be given the credit, and if you can't get it, there will be another Wang Shouren or something."

Liu Jin said, "Your Royal Highness the Prince, don't you think that there is another god of war in the Ming Dynasty?"

"I don't know, it depends."

Zhu Houzhao didn't say anything, clapped his hands casually and said, "If you have chicken legs, eat them quickly, and after eating, accompany the palace and others to take the exam, and after the exam, I must tell my father that I will be let out of the palace recently." It's really suffocated in the palace, and he can't see anyone, and he doesn't know where he's happy lately."

Gao Feng said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is talking about Cai Guogong, right? He's been busy with official business lately, and he doesn't have time to come."

"Shit!" Zhu Houzhao scolded, "Every time I go to see him, I see that he has leisure and leisure, I think he is usually complaining, the Taoist family, you know, what is the emphasis on quiet and inaction, to put it bluntly, is it lazy?"

Several eunuchs were stunned again.

The prince's insight is different from others, even the emperor can't say that Zhang Zhou is lazy, but the prince "slanders" his husband so much.

Zhu Houzhao said: "If I become the emperor in the future, he fools me so much, see how I clean him up!" He's just bullying me and I'm still the prince!"

Gao Feng hurriedly said again, "The prince is cautious."

"Be cautious, don't you be able to speak yet? I said this even in front of my father! You must keep someone busy, so that there is hope for Daming Zhongxing, otherwise he will be lazy every day, and Daming Zhongxing will be far away!"