Ten days later, with the help of the internal guards, Zhao Zhuo successfully entered Xuzhou City.
The road into the city was quite dangerous, and was discovered by the patrolling Qi army. Fortunately, the Qi people's encirclement was not very tight now, and the internal guards found an opening and brought Zhao Zhuo in.
When he entered Xuzhou, it was already midnight. The inner guards found a place for the major general of the Huaihe Navy to stay and slept all night.
The next day, Zhao Zhuo got up at dawn. After breakfast, someone from the Di newspaper department took him to see Shen Yi.
While walking on the streets of Xuzhou City, Zhao Zhuo saw that there was no shortage of people on the streets, and some families had no meat at home, so he pulled out the vegetables grown in the yard and set up stalls on the roadside for sale.
There are many vendors of all kinds, and it looks like a normal city.
Zhao Zhuo looked at the young man who was leading him to the side and asked: "Brother, isn't there a war in Xuzhou City? When I entered the city last night, I could still vaguely hear the sound of artillery fire. There were also many corpses outside the city. How come the city
It seems like nothing happened here?"
He was led by a small leader of the Di News Division. Hearing this, he smiled at him and said: "General Zhao, there is a war outside the city, but they cannot enter Xuzhou City. The city is managed by our Division Zheng.
Everything is in good order and the food supply is normal, so there will be no chaos."
"There is no shortage of food, but there is some shortage of vegetables, so there are many stalls on the road. Most of them are bartering at the moment."
Only then did Zhao Zhuo take a serious look. Sure enough, most of the people buying things on the street did not buy them with money, but exchanged them for other things.
Just when the major general was looking around, he had already arrived at the gate of Zhizhou Yamen. He looked up and saw that the words "Zhizhou Prefecture" were still hanging on the plaque of Zhizhou Yamen, but there were no couplets on both sides of the door.
, was written in six big characters in beautiful regular script.
Huai'an Military Office.
Zhao Zhuo was startled and then realized the meaning.
“This brand is quite simple and straightforward.”
He asked: "Shen... is Minister Shen inside?"
"yes."
The young man from the newspaper office of the residence smiled and said: "My Sizheng is working inside, and he is already waiting for General Zhao."
"I will lead General Zhao in."
Soon, he led Zhao Zhuo to the door of Shen Yi's study, then lowered his head and said, "Sizheng, General Zhao from the Huaihe Navy has arrived."
Soon, the door opened with a creak, and Mr. Shen, dressed in summer clothes, opened the door and walked out. He looked up at Zhao Zhuo, then turned slightly sideways, with a smile on his face: "Brother Zhao is here, please come in."
Enter."
Zhao Zhuo raised his head and looked at Shen Yi.
Compared with when they first met in Jiankang, Shen Yi is obviously much more mature now. Not only does he look mature, but his skin has also become slightly darker.
Although he still looks very young, he seems to be out of place compared with the white-faced scholars in Jiankang City who are singing about the wind and moonlight.
He clasped his fists at Shen Yi and said, "I have met Mr. Shen."
"Brother Zhao is too polite."
As if meeting an old friend, Mr. Shen pulled him into his study and sat down. He even poured him a cup of tea himself, and then said with a smile: "I have been waiting for Brother Zhao for a long time, and I thought Brother Zhao was not coming."
Zhao Zhuo lowered his head slightly and said, "Shilang Shen has issued a military order, and the general dare not not come."
Mr. Shen waved his hand, shook his head and said, "We will not mention public duties today."
At this time, Shen Yi was obviously in a good mood.
Because Zhao Zhuo's arrival meant that the Huaihe Navy to his south would at least not hinder him, and could even help him at a critical moment.
After all, with Zhao Zhuo in his hands, Zhao Lu would more or less be able to throw a rat-proof weapon into his hands.
Mr. Shen took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "Just reminiscing about old times."
When Zhao Zhuo heard the word "reminiscing about the past", he looked up at Shen Yi, sighed slightly, and said: "Senior Minister Shen, if my little sister didn't conflict with you, would you still be enemies with the Zhao family?
?”
"Most likely I will."
Hearing his straightforward words, Shen Yi no longer hid it, but smiled and said: "It will just be a little later. Regardless of whether I met the Zhao family or not, the Northern Expedition is still going to be done. If you want to do the Northern Expedition, just do it."
There will definitely be some discord with Brother Zhao’s family.”
Zhao Zhuo looked up at Shen Yi, was silent for a while, and then said: "Anyway, my sister-in-law was really too much nonsense back then."
He stood up, bowed to Shen Yi, and bowed to the ground.
"On behalf of my sister-in-law, I want to apologize to Minister Shen."
Shen Yi stood up and helped him up, shaking his head: "No, no, I'm not so angry about what happened back then. After all..."
He smiled and said, "The fourth girl is not married yet, is she?"
Hearing these words, Zhao Zhuo's face froze, but being under the eaves, he could not have an attack, so he could only take a deep breath and endure it.
"It seems that Mr. Shen is still very upset."
Shen Yi's words were still a bit strange. Naturally, he had not completely let go of the incident of being beaten at Jiming Temple.
He shook his head slightly and rejected Zhao Zhuo's words.
"It's not that I'm holding a grudge, but that Brother Zhao, your motivation for apologizing is impure."
"If today I were not the minister of the Ministry of War, but still a poor scholar, would Brother Zhao bow to me? Would he bow his head?"
Without waiting for Zhao Zhuo to answer, Shen Yi smiled and shook his head: "I'm afraid it will never happen."
"This is a common problem among the sons of princes like you. I can't blame you."
While the two of them were talking, a messenger from the Diji News Agency hurried over outside the door, lowered his head and said: "Sizheng, the enemy is attacking at the north gate!"
Shen Yi nodded, indicating that he understood.
He turned to look at Zhao Zhuo and said with a smile: "Brother Zhao, let me take you to see how the battlefield in Xuzhou is?"
Zhao Zhuo paused for a breath, then nodded.
"Thank you, Minister Shen."
………………
Just when Zhao Zhuo arrived in Xuzhou and climbed onto the North Gate Tower, almost at the same time, his old father Zhao Lu also arrived at the palace, and under the leadership of the eunuch Gao Ming, came to the entrance of the Manlu Palace.
Gao Ming led him into the Manna Palace and brought him to the Emperor's Majesty.
When Zhao Lu met the emperor, he knelt down without saying a word, bowed his head and kowtowed: "I, Zhao Lu, the commander-in-chief of the Huaihe Navy, kowtow to your Majesty."
At this time, His Majesty the Emperor was looking through a general ledger handed over by the Ministry of Accounts. After hearing what Zhao Lu said, he put the account aside, looked up at Zhao Lu, then stood up and walked to General Zhao.
In front of him, he bent down and helped him up, and said with a smile: "Why is the general doing such a great gift?"
The ministers of Chen Dynasty could kneel or not when they met the emperor in private. Generals like Zhao Lu could only half-kneel on the ground at most. Prime ministers like Zhongshu all gave up their hands.
thing.
The emperors of the past dynasties did not pay much attention to these things. Except for national ceremonies, they did not force their ministers to kneel down.
Zhao Lu knelt on the ground and refused to get up. He touched his forehead to the ground and said in a hoarse voice, "Old minister, I am here to apologize to the Holy One."
The emperor couldn't help him up, so he stood in front of him. Looking at the general who was kneeling and bowing his head to apologize, the corners of his mouth curved in an obvious arc.
"What crime is the general guilty of?"
Zhao Lu took out the memorial he had prepared from his sleeve, held it in both hands and handed it to the emperor. He bowed respectfully and said: "Your Majesty, since I have been in charge of the Huaihe Navy,
There are many violations of the laws of the imperial court at the level of the Huaihe Navy. Among them, the situation of taking short quotas is repeatedly prohibited. I am not strict with my subordinates. This is my crime."
"In the seventh year of Hongde, I was ordered to attack Qi and suffered a huge defeat. As a result, the imperial army suffered more than 20,000 casualties. This is my second crime..."
"I inherited my father's business, took the Huaihe River Navy as my ancestral business, and appointed private individuals. This minister commits three crimes..."
Having said this, he knelt on the ground, kowtowed and said: "I feel that I have committed ten unforgivable sins, and they have been written in the memorial. I am guilty of ten thousand deaths, and please be punished severely by your Majesty!"
Emperor Hongde reached out and took the memorial from Zhao Lu's hand, put it aside casually, and then quietly looked at Anping Hou who was kneeling with his butt sticking out, and the smile on his lips became more obvious.
It's almost to the point where it can't be covered up.
He took several deep breaths before he became serious and continued to help Zhao Lu. He sighed and said: "The Huaihe Navy has been in the navy for sixty or seventy years. It is not surprising that some silverfish have emerged. Whoever eats the empty quota will be punished by the court."
No matter who is punished, the general cannot be blamed."
Zhao Lu took advantage of the situation and stood up, lowered his head and said: "There are many guilty officers among the generals of the Huaihe Navy. Your Majesty, please send someone to investigate the Huaihe Navy."
The emperor frowned: "There is a war on the front line. Are you afraid that if you check the army at this time, it will cause turmoil?"
Zhao Lu lowered his head and said: "I will take my place as the general of the Forbidden Army for the time being."
After hearing this, the emperor finally couldn't bear it anymore.
He patted Zhao Lu on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Okay, just follow the general's instructions."
"As for other sins committed by the general."
His Majesty the Emperor yawned and waved his hand.
"I will slowly send people to investigate. I will put it aside for the time being and wait until I find out the results."
Zhao Lu knelt down with a plop, kowtowed and said: "I...kowtow to thank Your Majesty for your grace."
"It's just that I have already committed a crime and no longer have the face to command the Huaihe Navy. Your Majesty, please remove me from all positions and punish me as a common man!"
The emperor shook his head and said seriously.
"There is going to be a big battle soon. How can the general give up at this time?"
Zhao Lu repeatedly asked to resign, but was rejected by the emperor.
Finally, His Majesty the Emperor said with a smile.
"In any case, how about the general taking charge of the Huaihe Navy for me for a few more years, and then discussing the choice of the chief military officer after the war situation stabilizes?"
Zhao Lu knelt on the ground again, tears streaming down his face.
"Old minister, thank you for Your Majesty's grace!"
"Everyone in the Zhao family is so devastated that they cannot repay their saintliness just in case!"
At this moment, His Majesty the Emperor had already sat back on the throne. He picked up the accounts he had put aside, still smiling on his face.
"Gao Ming, send my general back home and reward..."