The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Emperor Hongzhi glared angrily and said, "Where did the horse bandits come from in the capital? Even if you want to deceive me, find a smarter reason."

Zhang Heling had a worried face: "The letter talks about horse bandits. If your Majesty doesn't believe it, just read it."

He took out the letter paper from his pocket and handed it to Xiao Jing.

A month ago, His Majesty issued a decree to open the Silk Road.

After some encouragement from Zhou Yu, the Zhang brothers happily wanted to build a house in the northwest.

A dilapidated house in Liangxiang can earn hundreds of taels of silver a month, which is more profitable than a restaurant in the capital.

After hearing that His Majesty handed over the collapsed house to Yan Chengjin for construction, the Zhang brothers were not happy and rushed to the northwest to build the collapsed house before Yan Chengjin.

Yang Yiqing suppressed the bandits in the northwest, cornered the bandits, and robbed them everywhere.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yanling was arrested, and Zhang Yanling nonchalantly told the bandit leader that he was the brother-in-law of the current emperor.

The horse bandit was delighted when he heard this and ordered his men to be tied up and arrested.

He sent a letter to Shouning Houfu in the capital, forcing the imperial court to withdraw its troops.

Emperor Hongzhi was furious: "You dare to carry me out of the capital. Someone comes and drags Shouning Marquis out and punishes twenty big boards!"

It must have been Zhang Heling's idea for Zhang Yanling to go to the northwest.

After the young eunuch dragged Zhang Heling out, Xiao Jing whispered: "Your Majesty, Eunuch Wei from Kunning Palace is here. Marquis Shouning went to Kunning Palace just now. The queen must have been...?"

Emperor Hongzhi was in a dilemma, whether to save or not.

The northwest territory is vast and there are many hiding places for horse bandits.

If you want to save people, you need to send an army. Once you use the army, it will cost a lot of money.

…

To the northwest is Yansui, with peaks and peaks in the mountains.

Zhang Yanling was locked in a wooden cage. Also locked in the cage was a man who was eating too much.

Zhang Yanling asked: "What's your surname?"

"Our surname is Zhang." The big eater glanced at him nonchalantly.

Zhang Yanling was happy and came over and said, "What a coincidence, my surname is Zhang too!"

After a while, Zhang Yanling stared at him stupidly, feeling something was wrong. The name of the big cannibal was longer than that of the Tatar.

I have been doing overseas business for more than ten years and I have never heard of anyone named Zhang.

"Who are you lying to? What's your name Zhang?!"

The big eater seemed to be insulted: "My name is Zhang Yong, and I am from the palace!"

Zhang Yanling widened his eyes, plucked the hay on the ground, and sat down with his clothes: "I am Jianchang Bo! Which palace are you a eunuch in? What are you doing in the Western Regions? Why are you dressed so gorgeously? Isn't food everywhere? It’s all silver?”

Zhang Yong had heard of the names of the Zhang brothers.

"How could you be those two lords of the Zhang family! You want to lie to us!"

Zhang Yong picked up a brick on the ground and rolled it over, hitting Zhang Yanling on the forehead. Zhang Yanling fell to the ground, twitched and stopped moving.

"Hmph! The two lords are enjoying the glory and wealth in the capital, why would they come to the desolate land in the northwest?"

Nowadays, the methods of scammers are becoming more and more sophisticated.

Zhang Yong met many scammers along the way, and after defrauding him of all his money, he began to be cautious.

However, this liar's deception is too good to be allowed to go out and harm people.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yong picked up the brick again.

…

Beijing, East Palace.

Zhu Houzhao had a stomachache for a long time. When he returned to the palace, he squatted in the toilet and drank the goat milk given to him by Yan Chengjin before he felt better.

"Your Highness, I heard that the empress was crying sadly in Kunning Palace. Why don't you go and take a look?" Liu Jin was very well-informed about the news in the palace.

Zhu Houzhao said happily: "My father must have made my mother angry again. Let's go and have a look."

After the death of the emperor's sister, the emperor's father was busy with political affairs all day long, and the queen mother was alone in the harem, with few people talking to her.

Only the princess went to accompany her.

Zhu Houzhao felt a little concerned when he thought that Queen Zhang always interceded for him and saved him from being whipped a lot.

When they arrived at Kunning Palace, Queen Zhang's eyes were full of pear blossoms and she was wiping away tears.

Emperor Hongzhi patted her back gently and comforted her, saying: "If the bandits are not eliminated, the Silk Road in the northwest will be difficult to open. The people in the northwest have no rice to eat, and the horse bandits threaten the Ming Dynasty to withdraw its troops. The queen understands How am I feeling?"

There are so many hiding places in the Hetao that it would have taken Wang Yue half a year to search the entire Hetao with 50,000 people.

It is definitely impossible for the imperial court to send 50,000 soldiers and horses to rescue one person.

The imperial power of the Ming Dynasty is inviolable and will not retreat.

If His Majesty said this, he must not be saved.

"I understand." Queen Zhang wiped away her tears.

Empress Dowager Zhou sighed and said: "When Yingzong was captured and sent to Wala, the Ai family was just like you, crying to death.

But even the late emperor has to think about the country, the country, and the country, not to mention women like us. The emperor is not a heartless person. I hope you can understand him, Aijia. "

Liu Jian shook his head and sighed.

Yang Yiqing only has 5,000 people. If he wants to search the river to save people, he may have to wait until the Year of the Monkey and the Moon of the Horse.

To search the entire Hetao and find the people, the border troops in Yansui must be mobilized.

Now that spring has begun, it is time for the Tatars to come south and invade the borders.

If Yansui's 50,000 troops are transferred away, the border defenses will be empty, which will allow the Tatar Khan to succeed.

And if so many people are mobilized, much fertile land will be laid waste.

"Please put the overall situation first!"

Li Dongyang, Xie Qian and others were not interested in Zhang Yanling's life.

Not to mention spending a lot of money to rescue this person.

Empress Zhang took a deep breath and said: "I can distinguish between family affairs and state affairs. When my late father was still alive, I asked my concubine not to bother Your Majesty with the affairs of the Zhang family, so that Your Majesty and the Queen Mother would have to worry."

At this time, Zhu Houzhao walked in and said, "I know how to save the Earl of Jianchang. Don't be sad, mother."

Everyone saw Zhu Houzhao walking in with a smile on his face, as if the life and death of the Earl of Jianchang had nothing to do with him.

Emperor Hongzhi knew that he was a boaster, and said coldly, "Don't make trouble today."

Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and the other two had different expressions after seeing Zhu Houzhao. The words of the prince could not be taken seriously.

Empress Dowager Zhou was happy, waved to Zhu Houzhao, and said, "Come here."

Zhu Houzhao walked a few steps and stood in front of Empress Dowager Zhou to greet her: "Hou Zhao greets the Grand Empress Dowager."

Empress Dowager Zhou smiled kindly and nodded: "I just heard you say there is a way?"

"In the world, apart from me, only Lao Gao is the smartest. Let Lao Gao think of a way." Zhu Houzhao said.

Emperor Hongzhi, Li Dongyang and others had dark faces. They thought that we were all fools. In the world, only you two little bastards were the wisest?

Empress Dowager Zhou laughed. In her opinion, there was nothing wrong with what she said. The prince was the heir to the throne and would be the emperor in the future. He was the smartest person in the world.

Emperor Hongzhi had forgotten Yan Chengjin. This boy always had strange ideas.

"Call Yan Chengjin to Kunning Palace."

After a while, Yan Chengjin came to the hall. He didn't know what happened. Empress Zhang had obviously just cried, and even Empress Dowager Zhou came.

Emperor Hongzhi sat upright, and Li Dongyang and the other two and Zhu Houzhao were waiting beside him.

"Your servant Yan Chengjin..."

"No need to be polite. The Earl of Jianchang was captured by horse bandits in the northwest. I don't want to mobilize the border troops. Do you have a way to save him?"

Emperor Hongzhi waved his hand and held the tray in front of Yan Chengjin.

Yan Chengjin picked up the letter and saw a few lines of crooked words on it, which roughly meant: The court should withdraw the troops immediately, or they will be killed?

Yan Chengjin thought he was a person with a correct outlook on life and death, and it would be better to kill people like Zhang Yanling!

I still have difficulty with chapter names... I struggled for half an hour before posting it. Can I ask for a monthly ticket? I'll ask for it~~!