Marquis Jingwei and others also vaguely heard some movement.

They were anxious to coax Han Qianzhi back, so they ignored him.

Seeing that Han Qianzhi did not respond, the lady secretly felt that he had no sense of propriety, and continued to encourage him, "Qian'er, I heard that you just proposed marriage to the Cheng family? You are going to get married soon, so you can't be too shabby. Look, after the family was divided, you are just a small lieutenant, and you live in the palace. How unpleasant it would be if this were spread out."

"Grandmother is doing this for your own good. The Cheng family is willing to marry their daughter to you, so you can't be so neglectful."

The lady looked as if she was taking great pains for Cheng Qianzhi.

After she finished speaking, she made her own decision: "Listen to grandma, pack up the banknotes that were given to you and come back with us. Grandma will ask your second uncle to renovate the courtyard where your parents lived in the past so that you can use it for your wedding. Is that okay?"

"Then you can go to the Cheng family to marry your bride in style."

The lady only gave birth to two sons in her life. The eldest son died early, and she only had the second son by her side. Over the years, the second son had always been filial to her. How could she not consider the second son and Shen'er?

Han Qianzhi is already useless, so why does he still hold on to the silver? This silver cannot be brought into this world and cannot be taken away after this. On the contrary, it will support him in the future. Even if he gets married and has children, his family will have enough to eat. It is better than him squandering all the property left by his ancestors.

The lady felt that she was also thinking about him.

"Hey, you've been in the Northern Frontier for so many years, and you've become estranged from your family. You didn't even tell them about something as important as your engagement." The lady said to Marquis Jingwei, "What are you still standing there for? Why don't you take Qian back with you?"

Marquis Jingwei responded hesitantly and took the initiative to come over and push Han Qianzhi's four-wheeled cart.

Han Qianzhi stroked his forehead, feeling that he had indeed underestimated this family.

This sounds very nice, but what it really means is that the family should not be divided and the money should be taken back.

As expected, the prince was right.

Han Qianzhi wanted to cry but had no tears. He felt sorry for his bet, but he showed a proper look of joy on his face and said, "So, my second uncle didn't tell my grandmother about the division of the family?"

The lady said quickly: "It's all your uncle's fault."

Han Qianzhi said readily, "Grandmother, Second Uncle, I will go back with you now."

Marquis Jingwei and the Madame Dowager were somewhat surprised; they had not expected him to be so easy to talk to.

Originally, the lady came here just to coax him back.

Even if the family was divided, the Dowager was still his grandmother. Darong ruled the country with filial piety, and he could not be unfilial to the Dowager. He should first coax her back and then take back the money, which would at least reduce the losses of the Marquis' Mansion.

The lady smiled and was about to urge Marquis Jingwei to pack his things, when Han Qianzhi said with a touching look on his face, "Grandmother, I found a good doctor who said he could cure my legs, but the medicine is more expensive than gold, costing ten taels of gold a day, and I really can't afford it."

Han Qianzhi was touched: "My grandson will go back with you now. We will still be a family in the future. My grandson's legs will still depend on my second uncle."

Ten taels of gold? The lady covered her chest, forced a smile, and said, "Didn't you get more than 200,000 taels of silver?

Well, she said, how could this silver be given to Han Qianzhi? There was no medicine worth ten taels of gold. He might have been fooled by someone out of desperation.

She thought about it and decided to agree first, get the banknote back, and then find a good doctor for him.

"All that money," Han Qianzhi said as a matter of course, "is given to the prince. Grandmother, you know that the prince is about to go to war, and he is short of food and money."

Marquis Jingwei trembled as he blurted out, "All given?!"

"I've given it all." Han Qianzhi finished speaking, and then said, "Grandma, my grandson's legs cannot be stopped for a day. The doctor said that you have to pay three hundred taels of gold first to make a month's worth of medicine for my grandson..."

The lady was almost driven to the point of having a heart attack by his wasteful behavior.

For a moment, I doubted whether he was lying to me, but when I saw Han Qianzhi's sincere look, I felt that it might be true.

No wonder King Zhenbei instigated Han Qianzhi to split up the family and asked for silver bills. He had already planned it and was just trying to appease Han Qianzhi, the fool.

It's such a waste! It's such a waste!

"Grandma." Han Qianzhi opened his palms to him and asked expectantly, "Did you bring the banknotes?"

The lady's face immediately turned cold, and she seemed like a completely different person: "I've thought about it. You're getting older, and you're about to get married. It's time to separate the family."

"We can't always be squeezed together as a family in the Marquis' Mansion."

"We're leaving now. We'll come see you another day."

After the lady finished speaking, she stood up and walked out.

Not only the Madam Dowager, but also the wife of Marquis Jingwei had an unhappy look on her face and was too lazy to pay any attention to him anymore.

They came here to get money. If they can't get money, they should pay for nothing? This is absolutely impossible.

Han Qianzhi called out, "Grandma, grandma, wait a minute... wait a minute!" While they were still calling out, the three of them walked faster and soon they disappeared from sight.

Chu Yuanchen came out from the back and laughed without giving any face, and everyone else couldn't help laughing as well.

Han Qian looked depressed.

He no longer had any affection for Marquis Jingwei and his wife, but he still had some affection for his grandmother. Although she had liked Han Shenzhi more since she was a child, she would still hug him occasionally.

That's fine...

This cut off the last bit of thought in his heart.

He won't be soft-hearted later.

"My Lord..."

"Give it here." Chu Yuanchen stretched out his hand to him, "Bet."

Han Qian's bet was a curved sword he got from Beiyan, which was the same as the one Chu Yuanchen gave to Sheng Yan when they recognized each other as relatives. Both were collections of the Beiyan royal family.

After breaking into the Beiyan Palace and taking control of the situation, Chu Yuanchen let them challenge each other for the trophy, and Han Qianzhi got the knife.

Han Qianzhi looked at Chu Yuanchen pitifully, and seeing that he was unmoved, he finally accepted defeat and handed over the curved knife.

Chu Yuanchen immediately gave it to Wei Xiu.

This curved knife was extremely heavy. As soon as Wei Xiu got it in his hand, it felt heavy and he almost dropped it. He looked at Chu Yuanchen in confusion.

Chu Yuanchen smiled and said, "Your brother has one too, you can each have one. You should learn some martial arts to protect yourself."

Wei Xiu: “…”

Chu Yuanchen felt from the bottom of his heart that this kid was too cunning and would easily be put in a sack if he went out, so he had to protect himself.

Of course, it doesn’t matter if you are too cunning. It is better to let others suffer losses than to suffer losses yourself!

Han Qianzhi wanted to cry but had no tears.

Is it really okay to change hands right in front of me?

Han Qianzhi stared at his knife with eager eyes and almost cried.

Wei Xiu was a little hesitant. If this knife was Han Qianzhi's favorite, he still couldn't take it away from him: "Brother Qian..."

"You can take it." Han Qianzhi forced a smile and said, "It's impossible to get back what you lost. I'm not such a bad gambler."

A dandy should also have the character of a dandy.

The important point is that you must not lose your bet!

"Wei Xiu, let me tell you, if you go out to gamble, you have to be willing to accept defeat. You must never do things like refusing to pay after losing..."

Wei Xiu: “…”

Sheng Xiyan glared at him and said, "Don't teach the child bad things!"

"Okay." Han Qian touched his nose with an innocent look.

Chu Yuanchen leaned back on the armchair and said, "Starting tomorrow, you will go to the martial arts arena at 7:00 p.m. and practice with Jiaoyang and Shengyan for an hour."

Jiuyang and Sheng Yan had to practice martial arts for three hours every day, but Wei Xiu still focused on studying, so he only had to practice for one hour.

Wei Xiu held the curved knife and nodded vigorously.

He wants to learn.

If he knew martial arts, his parents might not have died.

"Study hard." Chu Yuanchen said with a smile, "I'll win you another bow next time."

Chu Yuanchen glanced at Han Qian lightly.

Han Qianzhi shuddered and wanted to remind the prince not to always focus on one sheep.

Although he particularly likes collecting weapons, he is not the only one who has weapons.

"By the way," Han Qianzhi dragged people into the water skillfully and said, "Ji Mingyang asked Chen Wang to order a light bow a while ago."

Chen Wang is a famous bow-making master. It is a rare opportunity to get one of his bows.

"Wei Xiu's arm strength is weak, just right..."

"What did you say about me?"

Ji Mingyang stepped into the side hall, bowed to Chu Yuanchen, and then looked at Han Qianzhi.

Han Qianzhi immediately shut up and covered his mouth with his hands.

"My Lord."

Ji Mingyang was a little hesitant about the others in the side hall, until Chu Yuanchen said "Go ahead", then he reported: "The Zhenbei Army has completed the count."

Sheng Xiyan felt a little depressed, but she kept smiling without showing any trace of it.

Chu Yuanchen nodded.

Once the troops are checked, it means they can set out at any time.

Ji Mingyang added: "Food and fodder can be prepared within three days."

"I understand." Chu Yuanchen said with a smile, "Ji Mingyang, you will go with me this time."

"The last general?"

Ji Mingyang was stunned. He thought he would take Zhou Jian away from them.

"Just you." Chu Yuanchen said meaningfully, "Go and get ready."

Chu Yuanchen had already given the order, and Ji Mingyang would not ask any more questions. He clasped his fists, accepted the order, and then retreated.

"Ayan." Chu Yuanchen said again, "I plan to take Sheng Yan for a walk."

Sheng Xiyan: “…”

She was a little surprised at first, and also a little worried.

Sheng Yan was only twelve years old.

However, she knew in her heart that if Sheng Yan planned to go down this path in the future, it would be impossible for him to hide under someone else's wings for the rest of his life. No matter how reluctant she was, she had to let go.

What's more, he is not allowed to go into battle alone, Chu Yuanchen is here.

Sheng Xiyan nodded in agreement and said with a smile: "If Yan Ge'er knew, he would be so happy."

Wei Xiu felt a little envious. He couldn't help but think of the last time Chu Yuanchen took them to ambush Wang Qinghong.

Chu Yuanchen said, "I'll take you there next time."

Wei Xiu curled his lips, with a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.

He felt that he might not be as brave and heroic as Sheng Yan to be a general, but he could be a military advisor!

When Sheng Yan and the others got out of school, Chu Yuanchen told him about this. He was so happy that he almost jumped up and followed Chu Yuanchen like a little tail, calling him "brother-in-law, brother-in-law". Chu Yuanchen was in a very good mood and told him that the army would set out at any time, so he should go back and tell them first and stay in the Zhenbei Palace for the next few days. Sheng Yan agreed readily.

After returning home, Sheng Yan packed his luggage and then reported to Sheng Xing'an.

Although Sheng Yan had never been in the army, he knew that nothing is trivial in the military. He only said that Chu Yuanchen would take him to Minzhou and didn't mention anything else.

After careful consideration, Sheng Xing'an agreed. So, Sheng Yan moved to the Zhenbei Palace that night and lived with Wei Xiu.

By the time Sheng Xiyan had packed Chu Yuanchen's luggage, the food and fodder for the expedition were also ready.

Sheng Xiyan was busy for several days, and she also went to ask the lady if there was anything else she needed to bring. Finally, she prepared everything properly, and she became tired and thin.

"The white porcelain bottle contains a golden medicine. I made it myself. It works really well!"

The golden medicine was specially made by Sheng Xiyan according to the notes left by her grandfather. The prescription was revised again and again and is much better than the one Chu Yuanchen is using now.

Not only that, she also brought him a jar of aged mustard brine, just in case.

Chen Jie Cai Su has been used nearly a hundred times in the Northern Frontier in recent days. It has been used on seriously injured soldiers with high fevers, and it has been effective in reducing fevers in 70 to 80 cases. However, there are also cases where it is ineffective. There was even one person who convulsed all over after taking it and died not long after.

However, soldiers were too easily injured. Before the invention of mustard brine, any soldier with a high fever caused by an injury was almost hopeless. But now, 70% of them can be saved, which is already very good.

To quote Chu Yuanchen, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, even if it is poison, it is worth a try.

However, aged mustard brine is very scarce, and there are only two jars left in the Zhenbei Palace.

"I also put a small bottle of golden medicine in your purse, and a bottle of heart-protecting pills..."

Watching her put the small medicine bottle into his purse and mutter something, Chu Yuanchen gently hugged her from behind and kissed her on the cheek. Then, he held her shoulders, made her face him, and said, "The palace is now in your hands."

Sheng Xiyan smiled.

She liked his trust in her.

"rest assured."

She only said these two words, tiptoed, and kissed him on the lips, like a dragonfly touching the water.

Chu Yuanchen never went against his good luck. Just when she wanted to hide after the kiss, he put his arms around her slender waist and deepened the kiss.

He liked her scent.

"It's so kind of you."

He spoke a little unclearly, then picked her up by the waist.

Sheng Xiyan let out a soft cry, and the next moment, she sank into the soft couch.

She chuckled and responded to him.

Chu Yuanchen felt that his luck today was extremely good, and suddenly he began to look forward to what others said: "A short absence is better than a new marriage."

Chu Yuanchen kissed her plump and small earlobe and whispered, "I will leave in three days..."

"wait for me……"

Sheng Xiyan's mind was in a mess after being kissed by him, and she responded softly subconsciously.

The night deepened.

Chu Yuanchen set out three days later. He took with him 20,000 of the 30,000 Zhenbei troops stationed in the capital, as well as Ji Mingyang, and left behind three young generals of the imperial guards, including Zhou Jianli.

Chu Yuanchen was wearing silver armor, with a black banner with a golden eagle fluttering in the wind, just like when he returned to Beijing last year.

At that time he came with the coffin.

And now, he led his army away.

The common people and students of the capital all came to see him off spontaneously.

The northern border is at peace, and Northern Yan surrenders!

These days, Chu Yuanchen has been working hard to clear the two princes of the grievances.

Now he is sending troops to Fujian. This is obviously not what the King of Zhenbei should do, but he still fights bloody battles for the people of Darong...

All of these things have left a deep impression on the people, and their mood has changed greatly from when they welcomed him back to Beijing last year.

At that time, they were looking at their heroes.

And now, the way they looked at Chu Yuanchen was as if they were looking at their beliefs.

The story of the white tiger turning into a dragon had already spread, and the people believed it.

Although most students do not believe in such things, they can't help but think in their hearts that it would be great if it were true.

Sheng Xiyan accompanied him all the way to Shili Pavilion.

He watched the army leave until Chu Yuanchen was completely out of sight, then he withdrew his gaze.

"Princess." Xigui looked at her worriedly.

The prince and princess just got married, and it's been less than a month, but they have to go to war. The princess must be very uneasy, right?

Sheng Xiyan turned around and smiled at her, saying nonchalantly, "Let's go back and go to Huashang Street first to buy some preserved fruits for Jiaoyang."

Xigui said with interest, "I heard that a new pearl flower shop has opened on Huashang Street. The pearl flowers inside are very beautiful, all in the southern style."

Sheng Xiyan knew that she was teasing her, so she happily responded, "Let's call Chu Yu and Jiao Yang and go pick them together!"

"Pick one for you and E Rui as well."

Whether in Shili Pavilion or in the capital, there were many people staring at Chu Yuanchen.

As soon as the King of Zhenbei left, someone immediately reported to Zheng Zhongming, saying, "The army is not delayed on the road. I have already asked someone to keep an eye on them all the way."

What Zheng Zhongming was worried about was that Chu Yuanchen would suddenly turn back halfway, nodded slightly upon hearing what he said, sent the person away, and then suddenly burst into laughter.

good!

very good!

Xiao Shuo and Chu Yuanchen thought they were one step ahead, but they still fell into his trap.

Zheng Zhongming laughed heartily. Ever since he returned to Beijing, he had been feeling aggrieved and patient in everything, but finally he had waited until this day.

Xiao Shuo was a rather conceited person, and thought that he could suppress him by relying on the Minzhou incident. Little did he know that he just wanted him to transfer the King of Zhenbei away.

"Dad," Zheng Xintong said, "There are still 10,000 Zhenbei troops in the capital."

Yes, only ten thousand left.

Moreover, even Chu Yuanchen is gone. What's the use of these 10,000 Zhenbei troops? Can they still obey Xiao Shuo?

Even if Xiao Shuo is Xue Yao, this matter of military power is no different from other matters. Fathers and sons and brothers can fight to the death. How could Chu Yuanchen believe Xiao Shuo? !

To put it another way, even if Chu Yuanchen and Xiao Shuo's wishes were fulfilled and they took over the world, when the time came, they would be the ones to fight.

Xiao Shuo has been in power for a long time. Can he hand over power to Chu Yuanchen without any grudges?

And Chu Yuanchen, can he really watch the throne fall into someone else's hands?

Even if he could, throughout history, there was no reason to allow a eunuch to ascend the throne!

By then, either Chu Yuanchen would be willing to be a puppet, or Chu Yuanchen would want Xiao Shuo to die.

Zheng Zhongming's thin lips curved slightly.

Things have come to this point, with victory or defeat only a fine line away. He doesn't believe that Chu Yuanchen has not considered the future.

This is his chance.

"Now, we have to find a way to see the emperor." Zheng Zhongming pondered and said, "No matter what, we must have a legitimate reason."

Only with a legitimate reason can we eradicate the problem completely.

However, for Zheng Zhongming, it was not an easy thing to meet the emperor.

Not to mention that he couldn't enter the palace now, even if he could, he wouldn't dare to say too much to the emperor.

Even a fool knows that the entire palace is now under the control of Xiao Shuo, and the emperor is surrounded by many of Xiao Shuo's spies. If he says something to the emperor, it is no different from saying it directly to Xiao Shuo's face.

Zheng Zhongming couldn't help but think of King Zhao.

King Zhao and the Queen Mother failed to see the situation clearly and thought that things would be the same as before, which is why they were defeated so quickly and so badly.

Only if the emperor is allowed to leave the palace will he have a chance.

"Commander-in-chief."

Someone came to report that the Ministry of War was urging them to do so.

Previously, Zheng Zhongming promised to send out the imperial guards to suppress the bandits. Now the ten-day deadline is almost up. The Ministry of War has been urging them again and again these days, as if it were a fire, and they wish they could send them three hundred times a day.

Zheng Zhongming slammed the desk and said angrily, "Hurry, hurry, hurry, you just know how to hurry."

Without providing food and fodder, without providing military pay, they would just let the imperial guards take action.

Anyway, Zheng Xintong has been brought back, and Zheng Zhongming actually thought about shirking the debt. However, shirking the debt is a small matter. This shirking of debt is equivalent to handing the handle to Xiao Shuo.

The King of Zhenbei had already left the capital.

If he regretted it now, Xiao Shuo could use this as an excuse to question whether he was fit to be the governor of the Beijing camp.

Xiao Shuo is really good at taking advantage of the scholars and people's hearts.

Now everyone in the capital is staring at him and the imperial guards.

Zheng Zhongming looked gloomy and did not speak for a long time.

"Dad." Zheng Xintong said, "Are we going to the war?"

Not to mention whether they can come up with so much military pay, even if they can, it is not easy to provide food and fodder for 100,000 people.

"Go to war."

Zheng Zhongming said in a deep voice, "Let your elder brother lead the troops."

At this point, we must not let Xiao Shuo get hold of any evidence, lest the situation be disrupted.

In order to secretly build up troops, he had also secretly prepared enough food and fodder to last 100,000 people for a month. These food and fodder were not easy to come by, so he could only use them now.

Zheng Zhongming felt somewhat uneasy.

He always felt that Xiao Shuo might have discovered something, otherwise why would he propose 100,000 people?

If Xiao Shuo knew even the amount of food and grass that he had hidden, then it was obvious that Xiao Shuo's purpose was to exhaust him to death.

However, no matter what, Zheng Zhongming had no other choice.

After Zheng Zhongming went to the Ministry of War in person, he ordered the mobilization of the imperial guards when he returned.

The 100,000 imperial guards were divided into three groups, who left the capital one after another and headed to Yizhou to suppress the bandits.

The students also learned about this matter very quickly, but they were all calm. They thought to themselves that the imperial guards had been slack in all these years. They could see that the banditry in Yizhou had been going on for a long time, but unless the bandits came to the capital, the imperial guards had never taken the initiative to suppress them. The imperial guards were willing to take action now, but it was only because they had no other choice.

This was their victory, not the merit of the Janissaries.

When Zheng Zhongming heard these words, he was so angry that he could only pretend he didn't hear them.

After the imperial army went to war, Zheng Zhongming calmed down for a while.

Xiao Shuo also seemed to have no intention of taking advantage of the victory to launch another attack, and the court was unusually quiet for a while.

On the tenth day of April, the day of the imperial examination, Wei Xiu sent Chi Yu to the examination room early in the morning.

It was not until three days later that Chi Yu came out of the examination room, looking a little tired.

It was Wei Xiu who came to pick him up again, but he was just passing by. As soon as he saw him, he said, "Brother Yu, you go back first."

Chi Yu was stunned. Originally, she wanted to go out for a nice meal with Wei Xiu.

Wei Xiu said, "I promised my brother that I would go play polo with Ah Cheng on his behalf today."

This was something Sheng Yan had agreed to before he learned that he would be joining the army on the expedition. Since he himself could not go, he let Wei Xiu go instead.

Playing polo? Chi Yu was stunned. Wei Xiu could ride a horse, but his riding skills were poor. How could he play polo after only being in Beijing for a few days?

"No." Seeing his doubt, Wei Xiu said seriously, "I'll be a military advisor."

Chi Yu: “…”

He couldn't help but smile. That's good. After the incident at the Wei family, Wei Xiu had been unwilling to interact with others. Now that he came to the capital, it was good to be able to make friends.

"Then I'll take you there... What are you looking at?"

Chi Yu noticed that his eyes were always looking in a certain direction, so he looked in the direction he was looking, and saw an ordinary horse-drawn carriage parked on the street.

Wei Xiu said: "It seems like someone is looking at me..."