The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Emperor Hongzhi was generous for once, and rewarded Yan Chengjin with 200 mu of imperial farm in Daxing County outside the capital, and rewarded Zhu Houzhao with 10 taels of silver per month in the monthly allowance of the Eastern Palace. Zhu Houzhao was so happy that he kowtowed to express his gratitude.

Zhou Yu and Liu Wentai were rewarded with different amounts of "gold".

After Emperor Hongzhi finished the reward, Yan Chengjin said: "Your Majesty, folk veterinarians do not understand pharmacology, and there are very few people who can read. It is really difficult to implement this policy. Why not let Liu Taiyi be a veterinarian?"

Liu Wentai killed Emperor Hongzhi by treating him, which was actually an accident. Yan Chengjin believed that he had no intention of harming Emperor Hongzhi.

However, the imperial doctors of the Ming Dynasty had a fine tradition that they would feed red pills to patients who were helpless.

Letting him be a veterinarian was also considered to save Emperor Hongzhi's life.

Liu Wentai's face turned green. How could he, a senior official of the Imperial Hospital, be a veterinarian!

"Your Majesty, I..."

"Father, I think what Lao Gao said makes sense. I originally thought he was a quack. Today, when I went to the cowshed, Doctor Liu recognized at a glance that the cows were poisoned by eating flat bamboo. I realized that I had misunderstood him." Zhu Houzhao looked serious.

Liu Wentai's face turned green. He couldn't be happy with such praise.

It's insulting, it's insulting...

Emperor Hongzhi said: "Good, the cowshed in Shijingshan will be handed over to Doctor Liu. By the time of the birth next year, I want these cows to be unharmed. Let the secretariat convey my imperial decree and promote this good policy to the world. The thirteen imperial censors in the two capitals will supervise for me. If there are lazy and dereliction of duty, they will never be forgiven!"

Liu Wentai's face was ashen.

Not long after coming out of Fengtian Hall, Zhou Yu received a summons from the eunuch of the Eastern Palace.

No matter how ruthless Zhou Yu was outside, he had to behave himself when he met Zhu Houzhao. He followed the eunuchs of the Eastern Palace and walked further and further away. He was not in the direction of the Eastern Palace at all. He was very scared.

"Eunuch Zhang, what does His Highness want to see me for?"

The handsome young eunuch said, "Don't be afraid, my Lord. We are almost there."

The eunuch stopped at the dead end.

Zhou Yu turned around and saw Zhu Houzhao holding a big wooden stick like a mace, smiling and walking towards him.

He took this baseball bat from Yan Chengjin's sedan chair. He didn't expect that there was such a handy weapon in the world.

Zhou Yu was shaking like a sieve, and almost cried: "Your Highness, we can discuss it. I have done everything you asked me to do. Why is it so... Why is it so!"

There were too many people in the Eastern Palace. The master of the Zhanshi Mansion went to the Eastern Palace to find him when he had nothing to do. It was not convenient to do it.

So, Zhu Houzhao invited Zhou Yu here.

Zhu Houzhao smiled and said to the eunuch: "Read it."

The eunuch Zhang Yong took out a decree from his arms, "The Prince of the Heavenly Mandate, the decree says that from today on, Zhou Yu, the Earl of Changning, will be specially appointed as the second bravest man under the Prince's seat, this is the decree!"

Zhou Yu was dumbfounded: "Your Highness, this Prince of the Heavenly Mandate...?"

"Don't be afraid, as long as you accept this decree, I will naturally not embarrass you." Zhu Houzhao was beaming with joy.

The Prince actually dared to challenge the decree?

Zhou Yu was delighted and happily accepted the decree. This is the evidence. If he takes it to His Majesty, he will not be skinned alive by the Prince.

Zhu Houzhao came to the Hanyuan Yamen and said to Yan Chengjin happily: "Lao Gao, I have collected the second warrior, but the reputation of Changning Bo is worse than the stone in the toilet. How should I use him?"

Yan Chengjin said calmly: "Your Highness, can you play chess?"

Zhu Houzhao was stunned for a moment, blinked his eyes and said: "Of course I can."

Yan Chengjin said: "Your Highness can play chess, you should know that there are black and white pieces, as well as visible and hidden pieces. Although Changning Bo has a bad reputation, he can do things for Your Highness in secret. All the dirty and tiring work can be thrown to him. People are divided into good and evil, and chess pieces are divided into black and white. If they are used well, they are all wise ministers. Please don't discriminate against Changning Bo."

Dirty work?

After saying this, Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up, and he suddenly felt that Changning Bo could be of great use.

The order of Emperor Hongzhi was sent to all departments, and the prefects of all prefectures and counties sent people to select several breeding cows. If the common people had cows that needed to be bred, they had to bring them to the government office, and they were not allowed to bred privately.

Wang Shouren was very interested in this, and went to Shijingshan to examine the cows for a long time, but he still didn't understand the principle of the law of the strong.

Zhu Shengren said, "Investigate things to gain knowledge, investigate things to gain knowledge", but he still didn't figure out the reason after all.

When he was off duty, in front of the dismounting monument at the Meridian Gate, Yan Chengjin met Li Dongyang again. He seemed to have recovered from his illness and was much more energetic.

"Hello, Lord Li!"

Li Dongyang nodded: "I'm thoughtful. How is your father at the frontier?"

Yeah?

Yan Chengjin almost forgot that his cheap father was still guarding the border. Speaking of which, he hadn't written a letter back for a long time.

The situation in the northwest is even more grim. A few days ago, the censors in the Hanyuan said that there was a major epidemic there. Thinking of this, Yan Chengjin became a little worried.

………………

At the Ningxia border, Yan Kesong, wearing a black cloak, rode a warhorse, led a few followers, and galloped to the granary on the border.

After staying in the army for a long time, the scholarly air of a weak scholar gradually faded, and the green steel sword on his waist showed the burly and heroic figure of a military general.

After getting off the horse, Yan Keshou handed the reins to his personal soldiers and asked quietly: "Is there any grain in this granary?"

The supervising guard of the granary whispered: "Report to the Lord, the remaining grain... is less than ten stones."

Ten stones?

Yan Kesong sighed lightly. This was the sixth granary he had inspected. It was cold and freezing, how could he survive without grain.

This severe cold weather killed many sheep, the grassland was covered with snow, and fodder was more scarce than usual, which made him realize that it was urgent to rectify the border grain collection.

………………

In mid-December, it snowed heavily and the weather was unusually cold.

One day, Yan Chengjin received a letter from his father.

The housekeeper came back from the border, and Yan Chengjin told Yan Kesong that if he wanted to send something important, he should let the housekeeper send it back.

After not seeing each other for a long time, the housekeeper burst into tears: "The young master has grown taller than the last time I saw him. The master must be very pleased."

Should I tell him that there is a warm height-increasing cushion in my shoes?

"I haven't seen you for many days. Uncle Fang has aged a bit." Yan Chengjin said.

Usually, the housekeeper always brings some sheep back from the border. This time he returned empty-handed. Yan Chengjin guessed that the situation at the border was not good.

After opening the letter written by his father, he confirmed his thoughts.

Dad wanted to rectify the grain warehouse of the Ningxia border army, so he asked the housekeeper to send a memorial back.

Yan Kesong knew that this rectification might hurt the interests of many people, and was afraid that his own son would be hurt, so he asked the housekeeper to come back to inform him and transport some more grain.

When he heard that he had to transport his own grain to the border, Yan Chengjin couldn't help but sigh: Being an official makes me poorer, and I hate my father for not being able to do anything.

The personal army was waiting outside the mansion, ready to send the memorial to the palace at any time.

Yan Chengjin thought about it carefully.

Some time ago, the Ministry of Revenue had allocated a batch of military pay. Now it seems that it was not allocated to Ningxia Prefecture. After all, there are nine borders in the Ming Dynasty, and Ningxia is only one of them.

Wang Yue has been the general of the three borders for a long time, and his power is much greater than that of his father, the general. There must be some problems that he cannot solve that cannot be handled rashly.

Yan Chengjin ordered someone to invite Wang Yue.

Wang Yue smiled happily and rubbed his hands, saying, "My dear nephew, why did you think of me? Do you want to learn sword skills? I will teach you right away. I also know boxing."

Yan Chengjin shook his head: "I have something to ask you. Perhaps only you can answer it."