Zhang Wenmian set out for Xuanfu, and after Juyongguan sent an envoy back to Beijing to report the news to Liu Jin, there was no news.

The court continued to prepare for the celebration of the great victory of Xuanfu.

Although Chen Xi suggested in front of the emperor that there might be false reports of military achievements in Xuanfu, Zhu Houzhao asked Liu Jin to send someone to investigate very carefully, but since the news had been announced long ago, even for the sake of face, Zhu Houzhao could not stop it.

Zhu Houzhao experienced the initial worry. After seeing Liu Jin patted her chest and promised that there would be no problem, she didn't take Chen Xi's words too much and just waited for the celebration to hold, so she made him famous.

Liu Jin was very nervous. He had done more things secretly than Chen Xi. He was devoted to his first achievements and sent someone to Xuanfu again. Zhang Wenmian must urge the Governor of Xuanda Sun Xiucheng to gather the heads needed to build Jingguan.

This means that Sun Xiucheng must prepare more than 700 heads to make up enough military merits. If he wants to complete this number, the best way is to kill the Ming people who were rescued after being plundered by the Tatars and use them as the heads of the Tatars.

Chen Xi handed over the matter to Yunliu and Ma Jiu. At this time, Ma Jiu had been targeted by Zhang Wenmian. However, because of this incident, Liu Jin's trust in Li Pin was reduced a lot, which was a good thing for Chen Xi, which would make Li Pin unconsciously turn to him.

As the plan unfolded in an orderly manner, Chen Xi's life in the capital was relatively calm.

Chen Xi thought he was in his prime, but when he saw the people, he realized that they were all middle-aged, almost all around forty years old. Chen Xi was not very familiar with these people, only knowing that they worked in the Six Ministry and the Temple Office, and most of them served as doctors, official, and chief officers. For Chen Xi, he would make more friends with officials of this class, and then someone would support him when speaking in the court.

It was not until the fourth day of July that the latest news came from Xuanfu.

It was raining heavily in the capital this day, and the heat was gone. A gust of wind blew and it felt like the hot summer had passed.

Chen Xi dressed in his regular clothes and arrived at the military office. As soon as he arrived at the lobby, someone came to report that the Xuanfu sent a special envoy to the capital to report his military achievements in detail, and the people had already arrived at the Governor's Office of the Five Army.

Xiong Xiu and He Jian had both business work on that day and did not stay in the yamen to serve.

Wang Shouren had been instructed by Chen Xi before, and looked nervous at this moment, saying, "If the envoy sent by Governor Xuanda succeeded in reporting the merits, it would be difficult to recover the matter of killing Liang and taking the merits... In this way, those who have made military achievements will become sinners."

Chen Xi shook his head and said, "Does the Governor's Office of the Five Army have no idea? It would be fine if it were others. The British Duke is not Yi and he will not sit idly by and ignore it... Now it depends on how the Governor's Office of the Five Army has reacted."

Before noon, Zhang Mao came to the Ministry of War to find Chen Xi in person.

This time, Zhang Mao was accompanied by the special envoy sent by Sun Xiucheng, who was a deputy general under Governor Xuanda, named Wang Quan.

At first glance, Wang Quan was a brave warrior. He was big and thick, with a beard all over his face. He liked to scratch his head when he spoke, but he didn't have much brains... In fact, this person had not experienced the war personally. Sun Xiucheng was afraid that the person involved would be asked by a senior official in the court, so he asked Wang Quan to memorize what he told him. When he met Shangguan, he could say it according to his memory. He looked confused when he asked more questions.

Zhang Mao asked for a long time and found that there were many flaws in the local report. He knew that things were difficult, so he brought people to Chenxi and said as soon as he met:

"Yes, this great victory in Xuanfu is due to the country. The matter of requesting credit should be completed by the Ministry of War. I want to be quiet and leave the specific matters to you... I will leave first."

When someone sent him over, Zhang Mao wanted to leave after saying a few words, which was obviously a shirking responsibility.

Chen Xi hurriedly spoke out and tried to stay: "Mr. Zhang, please stay."

Zhang Mao turned sideways, looked at Chen Xi curiously, and asked, "Zhihou, what else do you have?" Because he was afraid that Chen Xi would learn from him, Zhang Mao first pretended to be polite and tried to block Chen Xi's mouth.

Chen Xidao: "Old Zhang should know that the local government has been asking for credit for this time, and Eunuch Liu, the chief supervisor of the Ministry of Justice, was responsible for the handling of the matter. When was it our Ministry of War's turn to deal with it? Moreover, before, His Majesty sent an envoy to Xuanfu to investigate whether there was any false reporting of military merits. The Ministry of War did not take over, so I really dare not accept it... It would be better to ask Mr. Zhang to bring someone to see Eunuch Liu!"

Zhang Mao was stunned when he heard this, but he didn't expect Chen Xi to speak so bluntly.

It seems like I am afraid that others will not know what the court is doing these days.

He couldn't help but look at Wang Quan next to him, and noticed that the general looked nervous when he heard the court's false reporting of military achievements in Xuanfu, and probably understood Chen Xi's intention.

Zhang Mao secretly called out "Little Fox" in his heart and said with a smile: "The matter should have been handled by the Ministry of War, but Zhihou also said that it was the Supervisor of the Literature. I was at a loss. Why not... ask General Wang to find Eunuch Liu on his own?" Later, he faced Wang Quan directly.

Chen Xi doesn’t want to care, and Zhang Mao doesn’t want to care.

As soon as the two of them exchanged their eyes, they understood everything, so Zhang Mao directly expressed his attitude... You, Wang Quan, shouldn't just come to the Ministry of War and the Governor's Office to make trouble. Our two yamen do not welcome you, so you can go find Liu Jin by yourself.

Chen Xi nodded: "It should be like this... General Wang, please go to Eunuch Liu's mansion and inform Eunuch Liu of this matter in detail. Eunuch Liu will be responsible for checking the military achievements so that the construction of Jingguan will be carried out in the future!"

Zhang Mao nodded repeatedly and said, "Zhonghe (Wang Quanzi), you go to visit Eunuch Liu on your own. Remember not to go too early. Eunuch Liu will only come back at dusk... If there is anything else, you can deal with it first!"

...

...

Zhang Maoke was said to be the most politically wise old fox in the Ming Dynasty.

In Shen Xi's opinion, Zhang Mao was not easy to mess with. The court was a soldier who was fighting with iron and civil officials one after another, while Zhang Mao was in charge of the Governor's Office of the Five Army, which was a hereditary chore.

Zhang Mao was very tactful and knew how to get out of trouble. Even if the court was upset by Liu Jin, he was content with him. He could do something with Liu Jin that he would not offend me. From this point of view, Chen Xi was ashamed of himself.

Zhang Maoke said that he had helped Chen Xi a lot in this incident. The two of them sang together in front of Wang Quan, the deputy general of Xuanfu, and frightened Wang Quan to the point of being stunned.

Zhang Mao's last urging words were like telling Wang Quan: Are you scared? If you feel scared, why don't you write a letter to tell Sun Xiucheng that the court has sent Liu Jin to investigate the case thoroughly? You'd better send the news first and see Liu Jin again. When you see Liu Jin, you should also be careful and don't leak the matter easily!

Seeing Wang Quan bowing and leaving with a pale face, Chen Xi looked at Zhang Mao who was smiling and shook his head and smiled: "Old Zhang should go back and rest earlier. It's raining outside. Your legs are not good, so it's troublesome if you fall."

Zhang Mao nodded with a smile: "To be honest, I heard that your Zuntang had been in the medicinal material business and should have some understanding of this aspect. I have to prepare a few prescriptions for me... I am not flexible at this age, so I don't want to go out after rain. I came to visit today and made a lot of determination to get off."

"Oh by the way, I'll go back and say hello to Xie Yuqiao for me... I'll leave, hurry up and go back before the rain is getting heavy, so as not to block the road..."

The conversation between the two people sounded stable and had no taste. Chen Xi could not express his gratitude to Zhang Mao, and Zhang Mao would not easily evaluate Liu Jin in front of Shen Xi. He was so tacit that he could not force Zhang Mao to provide much help in overthrowing Liu Jin. As long as Zhang Mao had the army, it would be equivalent to ensuring that Liu Jin could not plan to usurp the throne.

Keeping Zhang Mao neutral is actually Chen Xi believes that the best way to deal with Liu Jin. As long as Zhang Mao does not have a head-on conflict with Liu Jin, Liu Jin will not dare to move Zhang Mao easily. The military power is under the control of the Governor's Office of the Five Army led by Zhang Mao.

However, Liu Jin has already won people's hearts in the Governor's Office of the Five Army and the Beijing Camp, and many generals have secretly turned to the eunuch party.

The Xuanfu and the nine-sided generals were also infiltrated by the eunuchs.

This is a special period. Chen Xi dared not expect all generals and officials to be honest and self-disciplined. In such an era where there is no supervision and all the conscious work depends on self-consciousness, Chen Xi himself dared not guarantee that he would not use his power for personal gain, let alone demanding on others?

After Zhang Mao left, Chen Xi had just returned to his office room, and Wang Shouren followed him in and asked as soon as he entered the door: "Zhihou, Mr. Zhang brought Deputy General Wang of Xuanfu to come here to declare his military achievements, right?"

"Um."

Chen Xi nodded slightly, sat down after returning to the desk, picked up a document from the table and looked at Wang Shouren a few times, then looked up at Wang Shouren, "Maybe Brother Bo'an is going to leave in the next two days, and I will go to meet the saint and talk to His Majesty about the false reporting of military achievements in Xuanfu... But it still depends on how Liu Jin reported it, I can only deal with it."

When Wang Shouren heard this, he fell into deep thought.

Chen Xi did not explain. He wanted to remind Wang Shouren that you were going to Xuanfu soon and that the local area would report false military achievements would fall on you!

...

...

He said he wanted to see Zhu Houzhao, but Chen Xi never set off.

Before officially meeting with the emperor, Chen Xi must make sure that Liu Jin had reported his specific military achievements to Zhu Houzhao, and it must be confirmed that Liu Jin ordered local officials to falsely report their military achievements in order to strive for merit.

Chen Xi went to Xie Qian's courtyard in Chang'an Street and met the chief minister of the dynasty.

During this period, Xie Qian rarely entered the palace, mainly because Zhu Houzhao was not in the palace. Liu Jin was unscrupulous and always sent the memorials directly approved by the cabinet. Xie Qian, the chief minister, was deprived of his qualifications for the vote. In a fit of anger, he just went to the cabinet to call Mao every day, and then returned to the courtyard to be pampered.

Seeing Chen Xi coming, Xie Qian was somewhat surprised and said, "You kid is quite conscientious. When you encounter something, come and ask me your opinion first. If you insist on doing it alone, see if I will help you again!"

Xie Qian has always been a stubborn person. He looks like an old stubborn person, but in fact he always makes silent efforts behind his back. Chen Xi is very grateful to Xie Qian for paving the way and building bridges for him. Without Xie Qian as the chief assistant, he really dared not return to the court. Facing the aggressive eunuch party, he lives a life of intrigue every day. It is better to try to be a minor official to be a quiet official.

Fighting with Liu Jin is not only a job of strength, but also a job of technical work. The most important thing in technology is connections, which is exactly what Chen Xi lacks.

After entering the study, Xie Qian sat down first, drank a cup of hot tea, and then poured the tea cup in front of Chen Xi, and said, "It's cold today, and it's still one day before the Mid-Autumn Festival book, but it feels like a cold wind. It seems that winter will not be good this year, and many things need to be prepared in advance... By the way, why are you here to meet me?"

Chenxidao: "The Governor's Office of Xuanda sent Deputy General Wang Quan to the capital to report to the request for merit..."

Xie Qian smiled helplessly: "What's the use of coming here? Your Majesty doesn't come to court, so he doesn't even have the chance to meet the saint... Take a step back and say, even if you meet the saint, how much can such a reckless man know? It's not caused by the civil servants in the local area... Oh, by the way, what are you going to do?"

Chen Xi told Xie Qian truthfully what Zhang Mao and himself said before Wang Quan.

Xie Qian muttered for a long time before shook his head and said, "It's not good either. I'm afraid Sun Xiucheng has already explained everything to Wang Quan and asked him to say what to say when he met Liu Jin. Isn't this just taking advantage of their wishes? It's also a bit unfavorable to Mr. Zhang..."

Chen Xi disagreed: "If I were Sun Xiucheng, I knew that what I did might arouse suspicion from the court, and I would never send an insider to the capital. I would definitely find someone under my command who had not experienced the battlefield personally, and give a few words, and report it according to the established words after arriving in the capital..."

"This time Wang Quan heard the news from the Ministry of War, and he would be panicked and would go back to write to Sun Xiucheng. Even if Wang Quan was not aware of false reports of military achievements, as a border general, he should have guessed it. Now that he already knows that the court doubts, how can he not communicate with Sun Xiucheng and let his superiors be wary?"

"It's useless, it's useless!"

Xie Qian continued to shake his head, "It is purely futile to do these things. Liu Jin and Sun Xiucheng must have privately taught each other. Even if you take the letter written by Wang Quan, what can you do?"

Chen Xi smiled and said, "I didn't say what I wanted to do, I just wanted to disturb the audio-visual... Master, the students came to you today, just to implement the next plan... It's time to send Wang Bo'an to Xuanfu."

Xie Qian frowned: "Why is it so fast? Are you sure the Tatars will follow the steps you set?"

Chen Xi nodded and said, "It's almost time to calculate. Within one or two days, Liu Jin will report the matters of Xuanfu. As long as he reports, I will submit a copy of him. I will go to the leopard room to meet the saint in person. As long as I can produce conclusive evidence, Liu Jin can only bow his head and admit his mistake in front of His Majesty."

"Mysterious."

Xie Qian was still not sure about Chen Xi's approach, "I would like to remind you to be careful when doing things, don't think that Liu Jin is easy to deal with. He can do this today, and there are really some tricks... I can't help you when I meet the saint! If the impeachment fails, don't force it. Your Majesty will not do anything to you because of this matter, and you still have great trust in you!"

"There are many people in the court looking at you. Don't be discouraged. Choose to retreat from the position of Minister of War... Those who are not doing anything in their sixties and seventies can retreat, but you can't!"

Chen Xi was a little awkward to hear this, but Xie Qian seemed to have something else to say, and this person who was alluded to by the prime minister of the dynasty who was "not doing anything in sixty or seventy years" seemed to be talking about Zhang Mao.

The two talked about the details of the following saints.

At the end, Xie Qian asked with some concern: "Boan was a Jinshi from the second class. Since becoming an official, he has served in the six ministries and has never led troops. Can he be competent for this matter?"

Chen Xidao: "This time I wanted to lead my troops to Xuanfu personally, but the current situation is not allowed to leave the capital. Moreover, I cannot explain the motive in advance, otherwise it would be difficult for His Majesty to not make any requests for the imperial commander in person..."

"This battle has always been a bit risky. I don't seek merit, but I want no mistakes. As long as the results of the battle are within a reasonable range, the basis for Your Majesty to establish his authority will be established. I really can't think of anyone who can do this job except Wang Bo'an."

Xie Qian smiled and said, "You kid really know how to gild your face. What do you mean is that if you go by yourself, will you win this battle?"

Chen Xi spread his hands and asked, "What do you think Ge Lao?"

"Even if you can win, don't think about going on your own. It's useless to do such a job well. You are already the Minister of War. How old are you? What achievements do you need to build? Stay honestly in the capital, be an official with peace of mind, be a beautiful wife and concubine, and be full of branches and leaves. Don't be like me, work hard all your life, but in the end you lose your holy family, and your old age is miserable!"

Xie Qian's words were filled with sadness.

He seemed to envy Chen Xi for being favored.

Chen Xi sighed slightly: "Since ancient times, the king and the ministers depend on each other. If you can meet a wise king, what else can you ask for?"

Speaking of this, Chen Xi glanced at Xie Qian, his face full of comfort.

Thank you for being trusted by Xiaozong and becoming a famous minister in one day, and having no regrets, why do you have to be a veteran of several dynasties and show your fame?

Xie Qian glared at Chen Xi angrily and said, "You will meet His Majesty today shortly after you become an official. They are of the same age as each other. If the king and his ministers support each other for decades, there must be a beginning and an end. I am old now. I have said before, find a successor for myself. I have seen it in Hanyuan. How many people have a higher reputation than you. If they enter the cabinet, you may not have anything to do... It's not your turn..."

When Chen Xi heard this, he couldn't help but smile.

Xie Qian’s meaning is very clear. Although I really want you to be my successor, the position of Minister of War cannot be left to the eunuch party now, and you can only stick to it!
Chapter completed!