Just when Zhu Houzhao felt that his thoughts were at an extreme and it was time to stop the horse, a eunuch suddenly came in and reported: "Your Majesty, Eunuch Zhang is asking for a meeting. Novels. "

Zhu Houzhao's mind was pulled back instantly, and she frowned and said, "What are he doing? Is it the matter of military service coming to the sun? Let him come in."

Because Zhang Yuan suddenly arrived, Zhu Houzhao did not continue to follow the previous thoughts.

After a while, Zhang Yuan entered the hall and saw that Zhu Houzhao was not eating, drinking and having fun, but summoning each other to the military map and Xiaotiaozi. He couldn't help but feel nervous and speculated that Zhu Houzhao might have made up his mind to send troops.

Zhu Houzhao said: "Eunuch Zhang, is there anything wrong?"

Zhang Yuan quickly bowed and greeted him. Zhu Houzhao waved his hand: "If you have something to say, don't talk nonsense... I will lead my troops to Zhangjiakou Fort tomorrow morning."

Zhang Yuan was shocked: "Your Majesty, why did you suddenly send troops? This... is not ready for anything, but what should I do..."

Zhu Houzhao frowned: "I have already decided to send troops tomorrow. Why did I become unprepared when I get to you? Have you not conveyed my imperial decree before?"

Only then did Zhang Yuan realize that he had a wrong word and said hurriedly: "Because the Tartars have frequently invaded the border recently and the frontier is in a hurry, I think your Majesty will not send troops rashly, so I am not prepared!"

Zhu Houzhao said annoyedly: "I know you are useless! I don't need to prepare anything, so I lead my troops to Zhangjiakou Fort directly. The Great Wall of Xuanfu is well built, and the Tartars cannot enter the surrounding area of ​​Xuanfu... Nowadays, the Tartars are mostly active outside the pass, so what can I do when I stay in Xuanfu? I have to go to the top of the city myself and urge the soldiers to fight with the Tartars."

Zhu Houzhao is martial in nature, but others don’t know it, but Zhang Yuan knows it because Zhang Yuan and Zhu Houzhao went to Zhengyangmen and Xizhimen city centers together, and saw Zhu Houzhao’s “heroic figure” fighting the Tatars.

Zhu Houzhao said again: "I want to advance lightly and lead the troops brought from the capital to Zhangjiakou. As for the border troops of Xuanfu... they can stay for the time being!"

Zhang Yuan asked hurriedly: "Your Majesty, if you want to send troops tomorrow morning, the soldiers will be caught off guard and will probably be difficult to make the trip as scheduled!"

"Since you are not prepared, then hurry up and inform me. There is still half a night left, so it will be too late?" Zhu Houzhao shouted sternly.

Zhang Yuan was originally talking about it, but now Zhu Houzhao suddenly became nervous and wanted to send troops, completely disrupting his plan. He was panicked for a moment, afraid that Zhu Houzhao would not be satisfied when he arrived at Zhangjiakou Fort, and wanted to continue leading troops out of the pass and enter the grassland.

"Your Majesty, think twice before you act..." Zhang Yuan didn't know how to persuade Zhu Houzhao, so he could only make his last effort with a frown.

Zhu Houzhao raised his hand: "Eunuch Zhang, what you have to do now is to obey orders. Since I have made a plan to send troops, I will not change it easily. In this way, everyone in the world will say that I have no faith... The soldiers are still waiting to make achievements with me. Now they will immediately pass on the army to act according to the established plan... I will rest now, so that I will have the spirit to lead troops to Zhangjiakou Fort tomorrow."

Zhang Yuan looked at the little knives next to him who lowered his head and said nothing, with a little resentment in his eyes, thinking that this guy was instigating the emperor.

Zhang Yuan said: "Your Majesty, since you insist on sending troops, I dare not stop you, but I have something to do to report."

Zhu Houzhao then remembered that Zhang Yuan was not summoned by him, which also meant that Zhang Yuan had something to do when he came to see him, so he immediately said, "Tell me!"

Zhang Yuan said: "Your Majesty, didn't you ask the old slave to count the number of Tatar soldiers and horses encountered around Xuanfu? The old slave has figured it out clearly. There are more than 40,000 Tartars..."

At this time, Zhang Yuan's mind was full of suggestions from Zang Xian. To prevent Zhu Houzhao from sending troops, the best way was to exaggerate the number of enemies around Xuanfu, so that the emperor mistakenly thought that Xuanfu had become the main battlefield of this battle and did not dare to propose military grasslands again... Since the main force of the Tatars has attracted him, then if he went out to the right place and did not go to war in the Ming Dynasty, wouldn't he cause trouble?

Zhu Houzhao asked in surprise: "What's the most? Didn't you say before, only 8,000?"

Xiao Tiaozi was anxious, and the news he got was that the Tatars around Xuanfu might not even have a 5,000-digit number.

Zhang Yuan looked nervous, and sweat beads of his forehead oozed out: "Will there be a large number of Tatars coming? Is the old slave absolutely nothing?"

Zhu Houzhao nodded without doubting Zhang Yuan's words, and said, "It's the same as many people come, just to let me show my skills. In this way, I can't stay in Xuanfu City. I have to go to the city tower to supervise the battle!"

Zhu Houzhao wanted to lead troops to the frontier, and it seemed that Xuanfu was no longer the stage for him to show his personal heroism... Zhu Houzhao was tired of eating, drinking and playing with women, and wanted to change the way of entertainment, but this time he targeted the Tatars.

...

...

The emperor's words made Xuanfu City uneasy. Whether it was the eunuchs of the Sili Supervisor headed by Zhang Yuan or the soldiers who followed Zhu Houzhao to Xuanfu, they would not expect that they would be called up to clean up their clothes in the middle of the night, and the entire city was temporarily in a state of chaos.

Fortunately, Shen Xi arranged for Zhu Houzhao to assist the leader of the army, Hu Lian, the governor of Xuanfu.

Hu Lian was experienced in leading troops and managed military affairs in an orderly manner. After receiving the imperial edict to send troops to the coming sun, Hu Lian did not dare to be negligent. Accompanied by the eunuchs of the Sili Prison Dai Yi and Gao Feng, he personally came to the camps in the city and issued the order to mobilize troops.

Because it was the emperor who was personally in charge of the army, the imperial edict was above everything else, even if Hu Lian thought it was not appropriate to send troops in a hurry, he could only follow the orders.

Hu Lian came back after walking around the military camp in the city. It was already the fifth day of the day and was very tired. However, he could not rest yet, so he wrote the arrangements for various people into a memorial and asked Dai Yi and Gao Feng to take them back and hand them to Zhu Houzhao.

When Dai Yi and Gao Feng left, Hu Lian breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to take a break and personally urged the troops to send troops in dawn. The guards came in and reported that Wang Shouren was coming to visit.

When Hu Lian saw Wang Shouren in the main hall of the Governor's Yamen, Wang Shouren asked nervously as soon as he arrived: "Brother Chongqi, will Your Majesty send troops tomorrow morning?"

Hu Lian sighed: "I didn't respond to the palace last night. I thought Your Majesty would change the plan of sending troops. The Central Army was not prepared enough, and it was a mess in the middle of the night... Fortunately, Your Majesty did not recruit the border troops of Xuanfu, so it would not have much impact on Xuanfu's defense."

Only then did Wang Shouren realize that Hu Lian had suddenly received the order of transfer and immediately said, "It was indeed very hasty to send troops. The court still has not received any news from Shen Shangshu on the grassland, right?"

"Yes." Hu Lian nodded slightly.

The two of them went inward to the inner flower hall and sat on both sides of the coffee table. Since the servants were all resting and there was no tea, Wang Shouren did not care about these etiquettes. What they were going to discuss next was of great importance, and everything else could be ignored.

Hu Lian revealed his thoughts. After hearing this, Wang Shouren sighed: "Your Majesty is in charge of the army, not seeking merits but seeking no mistakes, so as to ensure that the emperor is safe and sound."

Hu Lian nodded slightly and asked, "Does Bo An make arrangements?"

Wang Shouren seemed very embarrassed: "From the current situation, the local troops in Xuanfu need to be stationed in the city gates, and the mobile forces are extremely limited. However, if any Tatars pass the pass and head south, it is the top priority to maintain Your Majesty's safety. No matter what, the troops will be drawn to support the central army. Therefore, we need to set a complete plan to prevent accidental changes..."

Hu Lian immediately understood that Wang Shouren was worried about an accident on the not-long road from Xuanfu to Zhangjiakou Fort. For example, tens of thousands of Tatar soldiers and horses bypassed the defense line of the Great Wall and suddenly appeared on the flank of Xuanfu. Although this possibility is small, since the Tatar national savage Yi Sima had done it before, the risks could not be completely eliminated. Involving the safety of the emperor, if an accident occurs, it will shake the foundation of the Ming Dynasty. It is not an exaggeration to be cautious.

The two discussed in detail and made emergency plans, such as reinforcements rushing to the direction of assistance, if they encounter an enemy's carriage, whether to go to Zhangjiakou Fort or withdraw to Xuanfu, what if they are trapped...

Because both of them knew about military forces, they could resonate when discussing countermeasures, and soon the matter was roughly discussed, Wang Shouren finally breathed a sigh of relief.

For Wang Shouren, Zhu Houzhao's departure from Xuanfu was actually a relief for him, but the premise was that the imperial carriage could arrive at Zhangjiakou Fort safely. As for how the emperor dealt with the current complex situation after he arrived at Zhangjiakou Fort, although he was also very concerned, it was much better than the emperor who stayed in Xuanfu Palace to make trouble.

Wang Shouren said: "Brother Dehua, you must hurry up and hurry up. The scouts will pass the latest news to the army at any time... If you have a fast speed, you can arrive at Zhangjiakou Fort in one day!"

Hu Lian nodded and sighed: "I thought about the problem too simply before. Now I am still a marching man in the pass, so there are so many things to consider. If I go out of the frontier, I don't know what to do... The man who lost his horse is lucky. His Majesty is slow to do things, so he can avoid his brains from getting deep into the hinterland of the grassland and being taken advantage of by the Tatars."

"In addition, the morale of the army is pretty good now, but if you really encounter an enemy, you don't know what the result will be. It's really worrying! According to the investigation now, there are actually not many Tatars around Xuanfu. After Your Majesty arrives at Zhangjiakou Fort, he should be able to see the current situation of the war better and will definitely make reasonable arrangements!"

Speaking of this, Hu Lian and Wang Shouren looked at each other.

Both of them knew that the most urgent problem now was that Zhu Houzhao led his troops out of the frontier, but he did not dare to say whether he would rush to Shen Xi according to the established plan. It is very secretive to the two of them.

Wang Shouren suddenly sighed: "I don't know where Shen Shangshu is now. The news on the grassland is almost completely cut off. However, when the Tatars attacked, it is known that war may have begun on the grassland. Now, no soldiers or soldiers are sent to support each other on the nine sides, and Shen Shangshu is likely to have been trapped in a heavy siege."

Hu Lian shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Realistically speaking, the people in the Tatars are disagreeable. In the previous plan to send troops, taking more small tribes' territories would probably make the Dayan tribe thrown into trouble... But the Tatars were surprisingly united when fighting against foreign countries, for fear that Shen Shangshu's plan of discord might not be possible. The Tatars acted quickly. Once they knew the direction of Shen Shangshu's marching, the cavalry could reach them within two or three days. However, less than 30% of the cavalry under Shen Shangshu's marching were less than 30% of the cavalry, and they carried so much food, grass and supplies, which would seriously slow down the marching speed!"

Wang Shouren said: "It is precisely because of this that people can't understand... Shangshu Chen used troops before, so he was so paranoid this time, and led his troops into the grassland? If the Emperor was there, he would never allow him to take risks, but now His Majesty... Alas!"

Both of them remained silent. They knew that Zhu Houzhao now had a nearly blind trust in Chen Xi. Under this trust, any decision Chen Xi would adopt by Zhu Houzhao, and it was not surprising that the crisis in front of him would arise.

...

...

The Xuanfu Palace was in chaos.

The eunuchs were busy helping the emperor to pack things, and Concubine Li was not free. Fortunately, she didn't need to clean up herself, and her servants would do it for her. This time she was also on the list of accompanying her, which means she would also go to Zhangjiakou Fort to face the brutal Tatars... But she hoped to accompany Zhu Houzhao, so that she would have a higher voice.

While the eunuchs and palace maids were busy, Concubine Li came out of her yard and sent someone to invite Xiao Tiaozi to the quiet flower hall. Xiao Tiaozi was also in a state of great anxiety.

Concubine Li said: "...Don't you say that Your Majesty has no plans to send troops for the time being, why are you leaving suddenly?"

Xiao Wuzi said with a frown: "This servant is not very clear... Your Majesty suddenly said after dinner today that he wanted to see the military map. It took a few hours to see it. Even the entertainment program arranged in advance was cancelled... Later, when His Majesty met Eunuch Zhang, he decided to send troops after a few simple words, which was very hasty. However, following His Majesty's words, the army would be stationed in Zhangjiakou Fort and would not go out of the frontier in a short period of time."

Concubine Li nodded: "Your Majesty is you wanting to visit the front line and observe the movements of the Tatars at close range?"

Xiao Tiaozi leaned forward and whispered: "Empress Li Concubine, this is a good thing. After Your Majesty arrives at Zhangjiakou, you will definitely know that there are actually not many Tatars outside the pass. Then Your Majesty may lead troops out of the frontier in one step, and Lord Shen will be saved."

As he spoke, Xiao Tiaozi had a little hesitation on his face. Obviously, he didn't know whether to support Zhu Houzhao to get out of the box or stay in Zhangjiakou Fort.

Concubine Li smiled slightly: "How can I know that Lord Shen needs His Majesty's help?"

"Well……"

Xiao Taozi stopped talking. He had suffered a lot of losses because of his own cleverness. Even if he knew that Concubine Li would not target him, he would not be careful. Both sides are ally for the time being, so they would not be sure in the future.

Concubine Li said: "Since Lord Shen dares to do this, he must have a backup plan. Perhaps it is rumored from outside that he hid after going out to the frontier and waited for His Majesty to besieged by the Tatars before appearing to rescue the emperor. As long as he wins in the end, even if the person who uses it is the emperor? If he fails, he will be scolded. Who cares about what means he uses after success?"

Xiao Guozi looked at Concubine Li with surprise, suspecting that this was actually from Concubine Li's mouth.

Concubine Li said again: "Since we are about to set out tomorrow morning, we should prepare to assist Your Majesty in Zhangjiakou Fort first... In fact, for Your Majesty, flattening the grassland is just a beautiful wish. Perhaps in Your Majesty's mind, it is not easy for this matter. Your Majesty hopes that he will stay in the pass, and someone will have done the matter. In the end, you only need to leave the reputation of the wise king of the ages to him."

Xiao Tiaozi said, "Empress Li, you can't say something randomly."

"That's the truth."

Concubine Li said, "Don't you be the same when you fight, father-in-law? You also hope that the one who wins the battle in the end is Lord Shen? It would be best that Your Majesty stays in the city so that your Majesty's safety will not go wrong, and you don't need to take risks with your body. The Ming Dynasty can ensure peace... Everyone is happy after victory, so no one cares whether Your Majesty fought this battle himself. The credit will always be remembered on Your Majesty, and you will also receive rewards at that time."

Xiao Zhuozi looked awkward, but in the end he nodded and admitted that Concubine Li was right.

Concubine Li smiled and said, "Not only do you think so, but I actually want to see this scene... Since there is a genius like Lord Shen, who is willing to risk his life to kill the enemy? No one wants to hide behind him, just wait for me to receive the credit!"—
Chapter completed!