The northwest began to assemble troops.

After many wars in the Ming Dynasty in recent years, the people in the court did not find it strange. They were just busy with the Ministry of War, while Chen Xi, who was the governor, seemed nothing happened and still took the job step by step.

Several times the Ministry of War sent someone to ask Chen Xi, but Chen Xi did not meet him.

After all, Wang Qiong, the current Minister of War, is from the Trilateral General System. He is very familiar with Xuanfu and the surrounding situation in Datong, just like Wang Shouren. The two are basically competent for all the current chores, and Chen Xi did not feel that he had to be involved.

As we were heading towards June, news came from the northwest that after traveling through mountains and rivers, the Zhang brothers finally arrived in Yansui in mid-May. The journey had tortured the two brothers very much. Empress Dowager Zhang wanted to find someone to help the two younger brothers but it was no good. After the two brothers arrived in the northwest, they were both injured and miserable.

"They deserve it."

When Chen Xi informed Hui Niang and Li Jin about this situation, Hui Niang replied lukewarmly.

Chen Xi nodded slightly: "Even if they are ill, they still have to participate in the border guard. The Governor of the Three Borders reported to the court how to deal with the two uncles. His Majesty responded with the 'dress as usual'."

Li Jin asked, "What are you not planning to do?"

Chen Xi smiled: "They are violating the king's law now, so naturally there are laws and regulations for the court to punish them. What they are about to face may be a more difficult situation than an ordinary border guard soldier."

Hui Niang looked at Chen Xi and asked, "Master, you still don't want to have too much conflict with the Zhang family, right? In fact, the master has some ways to get rid of the Zhang brothers, but in the end he was merciless."

"oh?"

Chen Xi unexpectedly faced this problem with Hui Niang. In his opinion, perhaps it was the predicament of the Zhang brothers. Hui Niang saw that he had no intention of continuing to interfere in the case, so she spoke out bluntly.

Hui Niang said: "Although the master is not very particular, he can spare no effort to protect the people around him. Moreover, their brothers have had a great impact on the status of the Shen family and even the master in the court. In the end, they have made enemies and will not completely kill them, which means that they will have a substantial threat to the master in the future... The Queen Mother is just about the same age as my aunt..."

These words seemed to wake up Chen Xi.

If you want to deal with the Zhang family, you may have to wait for decades after Empress Dowager Zhang’s death. The Zhang brothers will have a lot of opportunities to come back and take revenge in the future.

Chen Xi nodded: "Maybe I won't stay in the court for that long!"

"The master laughed."

Hui Niang knew Chen Xi's attitude, for fear that she would affect Chen Xi's decision. As soon as the topic was unfolded, she took it back.

Regarding the issue of Chen Xi becoming an official, Hui Niang was cautious and was more willing to treat herself as a woman in the boudoir who never asked about her husband's affairs. However, she usually had to help Chen Xi manage business and calculate finance. Chen Xi would tell her many things, and it was almost impossible for her to avoid talking about sensitive topics.

...

...

Around Chen Xi, except for Hui Niang and Li Jin's concern for the Zhang brothers, Chen Xi didn't need to mention anything else.

The women at home were not interested in this, and Ma Lian, who was an outdoor room, would not ask. As for Yun Liu and Xier, they knew the truth and understood Chen Xi's attitude towards the case.

Finally, June was coming, and Zhu Houzhao's preparations for the war were not over. He said that the war was going to begin, but in fact it was just a loud thunder and little rain. He was intimidating the Tatars through mobilization and training.

However, news came that Zhu Houzhao took a small number of guards to Zhangjiakou Fort, without fear of thieves attacking on the road, which made the officials in the capital who knew it later nervous for a long time.

After all, there was no crown prince in the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Houzhao had no brothers, and he had a sister but could not inherit the throne. If Zhu Houzhao had a few bad things in the northwest, whether he was dead or captured, the Ming Dynasty would look for an heir and would be searched for in the local vassal palaces, mainly among the descendants of Emperor Hongzhi's brothers, which made all civil and military officials feel very unreliable.

The uncertainty of the imperial heir means that many people are concerned about the throne, which will cause many unstable factors. When the capital and the place are peaceful, Xuanfu will naturally become the focus of attention.

For this time, Zhu Houzhao sent an imperial edict, asking Wang Shouren, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of War, to serve as the governor of Xuanda, and immediately take office.

Because Wang Shouren took his job to the northwest, he was doing the errands he had before, which puzzled many people.

Public opinion in the capital generally believed that Zhu Houzhao was still not ready to go to the expedition, so he asked Wang Shouren, a person familiar with the situation in Xuanda, to help.

Before leaving, Wang Shouren wanted to see Chen Xi, so he took the initiative to submit a message, but Chen Xi never sent anyone to call him to see him. In addition, time was in a hurry, so Wang Shouren hurriedly embarked on the journey to the northwest without having any communication with Chen Xi.

It was not until two days after Wang Shouren left that Li Ju came to Chen Xi to report the progress of the river repair project.

"Boan was anxious before leaving, probably because he felt that unexpected things might happen after he arrived in the northwest, such as the sudden sending of troops, or the discontinuation of external news. There are too many uncertain factors on the grassland, and no one is willing to lead troops out of the frontier..."

Li Jue understood Wang Shouren's mentality very well. In his opinion, only Chen Xi could do the same thing as leading troops to attack the grassland.

Since Taizu Taizong, the Ming forces gradually withdrew from the grassland, and few attackers were dispatched. Only Shenxi galloped across the grassland, establishing immortal achievements on the grassland, laying the foundation for the current relatively stable situation in northern Xinjiang.

Chen Xidao: "From the following perspective, the war in the northwest cannot be fought."

Li Li asked in surprise: "Is Your Majesty prepared for so long, not to calm the grassland in one fell swoop?"

Chen Xi shook his head: "There is no tribe on the grassland waiting for His Majesty to pacify. Each tribe is too busy to take care of itself. Where can I have time to start a war with the Ming Dynasty? The biggest problem with sending troops to the grassland is not the resistance of the grassland tribes, but the unfamiliarity with the environment and natural disasters... Your Majesty cannot leave the barriers, otherwise there may be chaos."

"oh."

Li Jue seemed to understand something and nodded, "In this way, it is actually just a worry. Perhaps His Majesty has been to rectify the border defense from the beginning, not to send troops."

Chen Xi smiled and said, "That may not be the case. Do you think your Majesty really knows all the situations mentioned below?"

Li Li was very puzzled by Chen Xi's sceptical attitude, but he knew that many things were futile to ask. Chen Xi could not explain the details to him, and he would not understand some things even if he said them.

Chenxidao: "I actually reported the current situation of the grassland a year ago, but Your Majesty still does his own way. He goes to Xuanfu several times, and now he has established a palace there and will not return to the capital for a long time. In the long run, even Your Majesty himself knows that sending troops is not of great significance, but he cannot withstand the instigation of the people below and advances in the current situation. If there are any grassland tribes who don't know what to do, they run to the border to scatter a few shots and add a fire, Your Majesty may lead troops out of the frontier at any time."

"I really... I don't know what to say."

Li Li was very worried about this. What he was worried about was not whether this war should be fought, but that with such an emperor, it would be difficult for the Ming Dynasty to maintain the existing peace.

Chen Xi shook his head slightly and smiled bitterly: "It is difficult for the ministers to interfere with the matters that Your Majesty decides. He can only make more memorials and state the pros and cons, and make more different sounds in front of His Majesty. Perhaps Your Majesty can listen to it, otherwise... there is only one voice, Your Majesty may really send troops."

...

...

Regarding the northwest issue, Zhu Houzhao had no intention of seeking help from Chen Xi.

After two months, Zhu Houzhao was still struggling, but there was one thing he was as stable as Mount Tai. Even the main officials in the court, including the Silijian, did not make any personnel changes.

During this period, someone asked to resign. For example, Xiao Jing, who had repeatedly resigned, still sat firmly in the position of the Sili Supervisor's seal in early June.

However, one thing happened during this period, that was that Zhu Houzhao transferred Zhang Yuan, who was guarding the imperial tomb, back to the capital, but did not assign any errands, but just allowed him to live in the capital. Many people think that Zhu Houzhao had plans to use Zhang Yuan again.

After returning to Beijing, Zhang Yuan asked to see Chen Xi several times. On the third day of June, he simply stayed at the entrance of the alley where Shen Xi's courtyard was. The guards knew who Zhang Yuan was and did not drive him away. When Chen Xi came out, Zhang Yuan wanted to intercept him, but Chen Xi did not give him a chance and was taken away by the guards.

"Who do you think you are?"

Zhu Hong reported to Chen Xi several times about Zhang Yuan's situation, and his expression was a little impatient.

Chen Xidao: "That person is the former Sili Supervisor who is still missed by His Majesty. Be careful when speaking to him."

"Master, it's strange. He is waiting at the entrance of the alley and doesn't go to the mansion... If you don't live here, wouldn't he have no chance?" Zhu Hong said strangely.

In Zhu Hong's opinion, the best choice is to stop Chen Xi from being alone in front of the Shen family's mansion. It can also make things happen and force Chen Xi to come forward.

But he didn't know that Zhang Yuan could not go to the Shen family because many people in the Shen family knew him, and only Zhu Hong did not know him after entering the Shen family.

"Don't care."

Chen Xi said casually, "If he is willing to wait, let him wait. I will not assign his errands. If Your Majesty asks him to return to the capital, then let him wait patiently for Your Majesty's news. If he asks you, you will reply to him like this."

"Sir, he said he wanted to discuss important matters with you. His expression was serious. You really didn't see you?" Zhu Hong asked when he thought of Zhang Yuan's previous terrifying attitude.

Chen Xi shook his head: "No matter how big the matter is, I don't have to meet him. It's a turbulent time in the capital. Eunuch Xiao may retreat at any time. Isn't he just want me to help him? If he has the ability, go directly to Xuanfu to see His Majesty, instead of being a clown here, so that the world can know his little bit of his intestines!"

...

...

The emperor was not in the capital and could not hold a court meeting, but there were still necessary discussions between ministers.

Liang Chu was the chief minister of the cabinet. Although he was not the one who was in charge of government affairs in the capital, he also had a very high voice. On the sixth day of the sixth month, Liang Chu convened a meeting of six officials, and the location was set outside the Ming Gate.

Liang Chu was very thoughtful. He knew that the emperor was not in the capital now. If he rashly met with officials in private occasions, it would definitely cause criticism, so he chose the location in a relatively spacious place outside the palace. In addition to the three Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, he was also the six ministers of the ministers, and even the left censor of the Censorate Lu Wan did not invite him.

Everyone was summoned, and even though they felt that doing so was inappropriate, no one opposed it.

It was almost noon that day, people came in groups of three or three, and Chen Xi and Li Li finally appeared. Chen Xi's appearance made many people feel relieved.

"Zhihou, I'm about to send someone to ask you... Is there any news about Xuanfu?" Liang Chu came over to say hello to Chen Xi and immediately asked about his concerns.

Originally, Chen Xi and Liang Chu were both the Grand Secretary of the Government, but because of Chen Xi's outstanding status, Chen Xi was not very concerned about cabinet affairs, so he deliberately avoided suspicion and had not been to the cabinet for many days. Liang Chu felt a little unfamiliar for a while.

Chen Xi smiled: "Your Majesty has never given an order."

Liang Chudao: "Where is the candidate for the eunuch in charge of the Sili Supervisor? "

Chen Xi smiled and shook his head, everyone's faces were somewhat relieved.

The news about Zhang Yuan waiting in the capital to meet Chen Xi has long been spread. Everyone present is a ministry and has many eyes and ears, and some knowledge of this.

The group gathered together, but because they were outside the palace, there was not even a seat, so they stood there.

Yang Yiqing, Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, asked with concern: "Liang Zhongtang, what major thing should be announced to us? But something extraordinary happened in the court?"

Zhang Zilin, Minister of Justice, said: "In the past two months, many memorials have been kept and have not been posted. Is it related to this?"

Liang Chudao: "It's about the use of troops in the northwest."

Originally, everyone thought Liang Chu had something important to discuss with everyone. After he said what he had said that day, the people present could not hide their disappointment, because they felt that this matter did not need to be discussed by the court officials.

Wang Qiong, Minister of War, said: "Your Majesty has rectified military affairs in the northwest and has not issued an order to send troops to the Ministry of War. However, has the situation in the northern border changed recently?"

Liang Chu took out a letter from his arms, "The news came from the northwest that the thief of the grassland tribe was not dead, and several tribes united to invade Datong and intended to provoke. His Majesty has discussed with the generals of the army and decided to send troops to counter the provocation of Di Yi in the near future."

Speaking of this, Liang Chu turned his gaze on Shen Xi, and many people were also secretly looking at Chen Xi's reaction. Seeing that Chen Xi was calm and did not show much surprise, they all figured it out.

Wang Qiong said: "But until now, the Ministry of War has not received any news... I wonder if the situation is true?"

According to Wang Qiong's intention, if the Ministry of War does not know such a big deal, it is impossible to make a decision. However, Wang Qiong also knew that the emperor was not rational in doing things. Originally, Zhu Houzhao was in the northwest and said that it would be a matter of time to send troops, so there was no need to discuss with the Ministry of War.

Liang Chu explained: "It was a letter written by Wang Bo'an. It was delivered at the fourth update last night. I didn't have time to explain it to you."
To be continued...