Zhu Houzhao ran away again. This time he was going to Lingqiu to check it out. In order to keep it a secret, he did not choose to walk the relatively easy road from Guangling to Lingqiu. Instead, he went directly from Feihuyu to the mountain and went from the mountain path to avoid the pursuit. Even if the road was full of difficulties and obstacles, he didn't care about it.

One day after Zhu Houzhao left Weizhou, Xiao Tiaozi, Zhang Yong, Qian Ning and others were still unaware of it because Zhao Yuan’s house was too closed and the access was strictly controlled, so they were afraid of offending the emperor and could not find out.

But Ma Jiu learned the truth, and Yunliu sent someone to inform him, which made Ma Jiu frightened and was very upset about his mistakes.

"...Brother, what's going on? The young man ran away privately again? How is this possible? We have obviously taken care of the commander's house, and we haven't seen anyone come out in the past two days." Liu Ya felt that the information was unreliable. She had strong confidence in the scouts under her and thought she would not make mistakes.

Ma Jiu shook his head, put aside all negative emotions, and solemnly asked: "How long has it been since I met Lord Jiang?"

Liu Ya thought about it carefully and replied: "It has not appeared again since yesterday afternoon."

Ma Jiu shook his head and sighed: "That's it. It should be that he has escorted the young master away from Weizhou, so he has not searched for delicious and fun things everywhere as before. We have to set off quickly. This time it is already a day late. If something happens, I can't go back and explain it to the adults!"

Liu Ya pouted and said, "Didn't it mean that Guard Yun has great magical powers? Why didn't she become effective this time?"

Ma Jiu said with a dark face: "What are you saying? If the Yun Guard sent someone to inform us this time, we were still kept in the dark and were waiting here stupidly. If something happened, no one would explain it... I have to send someone to notify the master and inform the young master that he had continued his itinerary. I have to make trouble now. Take the time to pack up and leave the city as soon as possible. Let's follow the route prompted by Yun Guard."

...

...

Zhu Houzhao suddenly left Weizhou. The incident happened suddenly. Shen Xi learned that the situation was almost evening in the afternoon. It was six or seven hours since Zhu Houzhao set off. Thanks to the rapid and smooth information transmission of information by his subordinate intelligence system, Shen Xi could roughly maintain a symmetry with Weizhou's news, but even so, he felt that it was beyond the reach.

"This kid actually plunged into the mountains south of Weizhou? I have seen information about that forest. The average altitude is more than 1,500 meters, and many places are even more than 2,000 meters high. I remember that there seems to be a grassland at the top of the mountain, which is quite famous in later generations."

"Oh, it's a big trouble now, and it's even more difficult to pass on the news in the mountains and forests. Even if there is a fast horse, it's probably impossible to deliver the news in a timely and accurate manner. What should I do if I encounter danger? I've encountered two dangers before, and the stinky brat still doesn't learn from the lesson. Jiang Bin's slander only knows to flatter and never dissuade him... What should I do now to make him change his mind?"

Shen Xi was extremely speechless about Zhu Houzhao's performance.

At this time, Zhu Houzhao was like a lawless naughty child, no one could control him. As Emperor Hongzhi's only son, he lacked discipline since childhood, and now he is in the rebellious period of youth at the age of seventeen or eighteen. Now his mother cannot control him at all, and she is completely willful and acts recklessly.

Shen Xi did not go to see Lu Wan, Wang Chang and others. He did not want to create an image of a powerful minister who was always staring at the emperor. Instead, he went to see Li Pin, the commander of Longqingwei, and seconded the personnel.

When Li Pin learned that Chen Xi was going to transfer personnel from him to Weizhou, he asked in panic: "Sir, at this critical moment, do you want to transfer troops?"

Chen Xi sighed: "In theory, I shouldn't second the troops from you, but now it's about Your Majesty's safety. I have to draw 200 elite troops from you to set up defenses from Weizhou to Guangchang to prevent Your Majesty from encountering unexpected problems... Only officers and soldiers can deter the bandits and play a practical protective role for Your Majesty. Do you understand?"

Li Pin said bitterly: "Sir, you want to send someone to protect Your Majesty. It's a humble understanding of the functions, but this seconded personnel... requires a transfer order."

Chen Xi nodded: "I will issue the order to you in the name of the Ministry of War. Please relax. No one will say anything about this matter. You can just follow the orders. Also... If outsiders ask, you will say that this is my order. There is no need to talk about the rest. There is also the safety of Your Majesty when it comes to information transmission. You can't talk nonsense!"

Because Chenxi's direct troops who went to fight against the grassland remained in Xuanfu, they would be disbanded and transferred to various parts of the nine sides according to the plan, which means that he does not have a handy army now.

Or even if he has such a surprise soldier, he would not dare to dispatch it casually, because others would suspect that he had ulterior motives and wanted to be unfavorable to Zhu Houzhao.

Li Pin sent troops differently. Although there was a relationship between them, the officers and soldiers of Longqingwei belonged to Wanquandusi, and the possibility of being willing to obey Chen Xi's orders was very small. This would make the court less criticized by him.

At this critical moment when people are always staring at, Chen Xi can only be cautious when doing anything.

...

...

Li Pin obeyed Chen Xi only the order. When Chen Xi issued a transfer order from the Ministry of War, although he knew that doing so might not be so in accordance with the rules, he still obeyed the order and dispatched 200 troops to Chen Xi. Of course, he felt a little nervous.

As soon as the troops on this side were opened, they immediately attracted the attention of all forces.

Dai Yi and Gao Feng visited the door as soon as possible, but were turned away by Chen Xi's guards.

"What's wrong with Lord Shen? Suddenly dispatching troops from Juyong Pass. Is it because of His Majesty's situation?" Dai Yi looked nervous at the door of Chenxi's residence and asked Wang Chang who was waiting in front of the door.

Wang Chang followed Lu Wan, but he did not enter, only Lu Wan went in. Outsiders thought Chen Xi was saying something to Lu Wan inside, but they didn't know that Chen Xi was not in the residence at this time.

Wang Chang comforted: "You two father-in-law don't have to be anxious. You'll know when you ask clearly? Look, isn't the person coming out?"

While talking, Lu Wan came out of the house.

After learning that Chen Xi was not inside, Lu Wan stayed for a long time and was about to discuss countermeasures with Wang Chang, but unexpectedly, he met Dai Yi and Gao Feng who came to inquire about the situation at the door.

"Two father-in-law, what are you doing?"

Lu Wan asked with a smile without pointing it out.

Gao Feng came over and said, "Mr. Lu, have you ever seen Master Shen in? I heard that Lord Shen transferred some people from Longqingwei out of the city, but have you asked clearly what's going on?"

Lu Wan smiled and said, "There are some bandits wandering in the Taihang Mountains. Your Majesty is now in Weizhou, so he will send people to protect His Majesty... Just 200 people do not need to pass the approval of the Sili Supervision Commission, right?"

Everyone knows that the eunuchs in charge of the seal of the Sili Supervisor are vacant, which means that even if you send this military commander to the Sili Supervisor, it will be futile, let alone taking the cabinet line, which will delay things indefinitely. Chen Xi skips these steps directly and directly mobilizes local troops in the name of the Ministry of War. The number is small. Although it has a large population, it is also a helpless move to protect the emperor's safety.

Dai Yi said anxiously: "Without Your Majesty's permission, even if there is a warrant from the Ministry of War, you cannot just dispatch troops at will, right?"

When Wang Chang saw this posture, he immediately raised his face.

Perhaps Chen Xi’s decision was really a mess of the rules, but he and Lu Wan were the Minister of War. Even if they only protect the interests of the Ministry of War, they should stand on the same position as Chen Xi, the boss, and advance and retreat together.

Wang Chang asked back: "Your Majesty is not in Longqingwei now, and so far, Eunuch Zhang and the others have not seen Your Majesty in Weizhou. I heard that they were still unable to afford to sit on the bed because they were asked to see you and couldn't afford to sit on the bed... In this way, you still have to ask for your Majesty's consent? Two old man, this is a temporary solution. Don't you understand?"

"This is going to happen!" Gao Feng said helplessly.

Lu Wan calmed down and said with a smile: "No matter what happens, there is a tall man named Chen Shangshu. Since the use of troops against the grassland, isn't Your Majesty's move made in advance? From beginning to end, Chen Shangshu has made careful plans, which has led to a great victory against the Tatars. I believe that this time, Shangshu Shen will not disappoint. The two father-in-law can just put their hearts back in their stomachs."

"this……"

Gao Feng glanced at Dai Yi.

Although Dai Yi was also very anxious, he had no choice. After all, the nominal war against the Tatars had not ended yet. As long as the soldiers did not return to Beijing for a day, Chen Xi, as the deputy commander of this battle, had the power to coordinate the troops and horses in Xuanda, Sanbian and other places. It was not the same for mere two hundred soldiers to be transferred.

To take a step back, even if Chen Xi was deprived of the power to lead the troops, he would have no problem in himself by sending 200 people from Juyongguan to protect the troops in the name of the Ministry of War.

"Can our family go in and meet Shangshu Chen?" Dai Yi asked.

Lu Wan shook his head: "It's better not to see you. Shangshu Chen is worried about His Majesty's safety. He is trying his best to mobilize people within his ability. The two father-in-laws should not cause trouble for him. Please come back!"

...

...

Dai Yi and Gao Feng left. Although they didn't see Chen Xi, they were still a little relieved. As Lu Wan said, Shen Xi would take care of the incident, and it had little to do with them.

The emperor disappeared, the chief minister of the cabinet and the chief supervisor of the Sili were vacant, and the decision-making level of the entire court was purely a decoration. As the Minister of War, Chen Xi took the initiative to stand up and preside over the overall situation, which is understandable.

Lu Wan never said from beginning to end that Chen Xi was not in her residence.

Only when he returned to the inn would Lu Wan inform Wang Chang of the truth.

"Where has this... Zhihou left?" Wang Chang was a little nervous when he heard the news. Chen Xi was not there, the problem was big or small, and he was still thinking about the joints.

Lu Wan shook his head helplessly: "The follower told him that Zhihou went out at night and went to the Longqingwei commander's residence to second the troops, and then disappeared."

Wang Chang asked in surprise: "Disappeared? This is not a good proof that Shangshu Chen still has plans behind his back. He might not have to follow the two hundred officers and soldiers to Weizhou directly... Alas, why didn't he say hello to you and me before he made the decision..."

Lu Wan didn't say anything, just as the two of them were silent, a knock on the door suddenly came from the door.

"Two lords, Shangshu Chen sent someone to inform me, asking Lord Lu to return to Beijing immediately, there is his transfer letter here." The voice of the guard came from the door.

Lu Wan went over and opened the door and took the transfer letter from the guards. After reading it, he couldn't help but frown. Wang Chang shut the guards away for him and closed the door, asking, "What does Zhihou mean?"

Lu Wan frowned: "If expected, Zhihou really wants to go to Weizhou and advise His Majesty to return to Beijing, and the Ministry of War must not be left alone, especially the rebellions in the Central Plains are growing and urgently need to be quelled... Due to the use of troops on the grassland, the Yellow River floods this year have not been fundamentally managed, and refugees are homeless, which finally led to a large-scale rebellion..."

Wang Chang said: "Drug floods and relief for disaster victims should not be what the Minister of Revenue should do?"

"Yang Yingning, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, has this ability?"

Lu Wan flattened his mouth and did not answer Wang Chang's question. He continued: "If Secretary Chen wants to go to Weizhou, he doesn't need to ask for instructions. Maybe he has really gone south at this moment. Since that's the case, I will go back to the capital first. The Ministry of War needs someone to handle official duties. You can stay in Juyongguan and the army will stay here. If something happens, you can take care of it."

"You just left?"

Wang Chang asked frowned.

Lu Wan smiled and said, "Someone is here. At least one person is the one who makes the decision. If he leaves, he will not be able to argue with everything. Let's just follow the trend and return to the capital first. There will always be no problem."

...

...

No one knew where Chen Xi went that night and whether he would go out of the city directly to Weizhou to chase Zhu Houzhao, but Lu Wan began to pack his bags and prepare to return to the capital early the next morning.

The situation in the capital was quite peaceful, especially after Zhu Houzhao issued the lifting of martial law.

The lifting of martial law was made by Shen Xi before Zhu Houzhao left Zhangjiakou, and the imperial edict was issued, and finally it was implemented with the approval of Empress Dowager Zhang.

Although the martial law order was lifted, the curfew and city gate patrol were still there. However, during the day, people could only move, not as early as before, only one morning and one night can go out.

The Shen family has been in peace these days, especially after Emperor Zhengde sent him a reward of silver.

Chen Xi's military merits were not finalized. There was no specific news whether to remain as Minister of War or to be granted a title. However, rumors were flying everywhere. Even Zhou learned some information, saying that her son might be awarded the title directly. She was happy and hurried over to ask Xie Yuner, but she did not get any answers from her daughter-in-law and had to return in disappointment.

Xie Yuner gathered the women in the family together and conveyed Chen Xi's opinion, which roughly meant to make the family feel at ease. The army has returned to the inner gate of the outer gate. Now everything is safe, just waiting for him to return safely.

The women at home naturally miss Chen Xi very much.

After all, Chen Xi married all the beautiful women who were like flowers and jade. Chen Xi was not an old man in his forties or fifties. He was in his prime in his twenties, and his family was full of expectations for his return.

At the same time, in a courtyard in the capital, Ma Ang's sister Ma Lian was still waiting for news about Chen Xi, but Chen Xi did not send anyone back to tell her about her recent situation.

But her sister-in-law brought back the news about Ma Ang. Ma Lian finally knew that Chen Xi had returned from victory. Ma Ang meant that the girl's previous efforts were completely worth it. The Ma family finally rose again by currying against Chen Xi. Ma Ang has now received military merits and rewards, and promotion is just around the corner.

"...Your brother stays in the northwest for the time being, but he will come back before the end of the year. The military affairs are complicated and some things are difficult to explain clearly for a while."

The woman was still saying something, but she was just perfunctory to her sister-in-law. Ma Lian was smart and could naturally hear the reason.

Ma Lian said: "It should be because the adults have obtained great military achievements and are afraid of being suspicious, so they left their direct troops in the northwest and found a way to transfer them back to the capital in the future?"

The woman shook her head: "I don't know much about these things, and your elder brother doesn't understand them very well. He sent back a letter from home, and he can't disclose military secrets casually. However, it is already a great merit to write a letter after making a contribution. You stay in the house every day, like a canary in the cage... I know some news about the market, what else do you want to know?"
To be continued...