While all the civil and military officials in the capital were panicking and angry, in the mountains one hundred and twenty miles northwest of Beijing, Zhu Houzhao and his party of several hundred people were camping and resting in a valley in the remnants of the Taihang Mountains.
Zhu Houzhao's big tent is located in the middle of the camp, surrounded by the tents of Liu Jin, Zhang Yong and other attendants. Outside, there are the camps and defense areas of the former East Palace Guards, which are now under the jurisdiction of the Jinyiwei Dahan General Camp. The outermost area is
The camp of the two hundred cavalrymen of Fusi in Jinyiweinan Town.
The bonfire illuminated the camp, and Zhu Houzhao sat by the bonfire, eating barbecue and drinking wine from the skin. The meat was grilled in average, and the wine was ordinary wine. After all, he couldn't bring much wine and snacks with him when he sneaked out. But Zhu Houzhao ate with gusto.
, seems to be more enjoyable than eating delicacies from the mountains and seas.
For Zhu Houzhao, the process of leaving the capital itself was an exciting thing. What's more, being able to escape from the big cage of the palace and fly between heaven and earth like a bird made him even more happy.
In the first three days, in order to avoid the leakage of the news, the people and horses drove quickly and did not dare to take the main road. They could only walk through the mountain trails. In addition, the emperor was riding on horseback. He did not want to be in danger while going up and down. On the other hand, he could not let anyone go.
The emperor was too tired, so he actually only walked more than 120 miles in three days. If it was a normal march and all the cavalry were involved, I am afraid that he would have walked at least two to three hundred miles by now.
But after three days, it was more than a hundred miles away from the capital, and everyone was very satisfied that no trace of their whereabouts was exposed along the way. Besides, this trip was originally a sightseeing and hunting trip, so there was no need to rush to do anything.
Liu Jin diligently served Zhu Houzhao beside him, and the bonfire shone on his face, making the wrinkles on his face smile like a flower. The emperor was very happy, and Liu Jin was also very happy, because he knew that this move was the right one. He
The task is to leave no stone unturned
Make the emperor happy. The happier the emperor is, the more stable Liu Jin's position will be. Therefore, when the emperor was a little bored with the entertainment in the palace, Liu Jin lost no time in proposing a hunting trip out of the palace, which suited Zhu Houzhao.
"Your Majesty, the servants in this barren mountain didn't bring anything delicious, so Your Majesty suffered." Liu Jin bowed and smiled.
Zhu Houzhao swallowed a piece of barbecue in his mouth, waved his hands and said with a smile: "I was ready to endure hardship when I came out. If everything is ready, what's the point? Don't worry."
Liu Jin smiled and said: "Look, this is our emperor. He is not afraid of hardship and suffering. This is the spirit of a man."
Everyone around him nodded and laughed, praising and pointing fingers.
Zhu Houzhao said: "Today is the third day. I am thinking that the civil and military officials in the DPRK now know that I have left the capital."
Liu Jin smiled and said, "You should know by the evening. Xiao Dezi should go to deliver the order in the evening."
Zhu Houzhao nodded and suddenly laughed.
"It's a pity that I couldn't see their expressions when they heard the news. It must be very interesting. I'm afraid they never dreamed that I had a secret plan for them. Hahaha."
Liu Jin, Zhang Yong and others also laughed out loud. Wei Bin, who was thin and short in stature, laughed and said: "These people must be very angry. Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and the others must be so angry that they blow their beards and stare. Xie Qian can't do it."
I want to scold my mother."
"Let them scold you. Where does the emperor want to go, do you need to ask for their permission? The emperor is the master of the Ming Dynasty. The whole world belongs to the emperor. As the saying goes, in the whole world, is it the land of the king, and on the shore of the land, is it the ministers of the king.
The ministers must act like ministers, try to contradict the emperor, and act against the emperor's will. How can they be loyal ministers?" Ma Yongcheng, a fat-headed and big-eared man, bowed and said.
"That's it, give them face. They are all pretentious and bully our emperor. This time I'm going to slap them in the face. Let them know who they are." Several people nearby agreed.
Zhu Houzhao waved his hand and said: "Don't talk nonsense. They wrote to dissuade you, but they have their reasons. But what they don't know is that I am not my father. I will not become a person like my father."
Liu Jin quickly apologized in a low voice and said with a smile: "Yes, what the emperor said is absolutely true. Ministers have their own reasons."
Zhu Houzhao took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "Let's not talk about this anymore. Since we have come out, let's have a good time. How far are we from Xuanfu?"
Liu Jin said: "Your Majesty, we are still in Changping County at the moment. Strictly speaking, we have not left the capital. However, ten miles ahead is the Juyongguan Pass. Tomorrow, when we leave Juyongguan, we will reach the boundary of Xuanfu."
Zhu Houzhao nodded and said excitedly: "Okay. I have heard about the danger of Juyongguan for a long time. It's great, I can finally see it."
Liu Jin smiled and said: "Juyong Pass is not only steep, but also has beautiful scenery. Has Your Majesty heard of the name of Juyong Pass? From the Juyong Pass in the south to the Badaling Pass in the north, the scenery along the way is magnificent. I have heard that the scenery is magnificent."
, since ancient times, it has been called one of the eight scenic spots in Yanjing."
Zhu Houzhao smiled excitedly and said: "When you say that, I can't wait to see it. I will set off to cross the border early tomorrow morning."
Liu Jin nodded and said: "I obey my command."
Zhu Houzhao took a big bite of a piece of barbecue. His cheeks were bulging and he was very excited.
Liu Jin smiled and looked up at Zhang Yanling, who was sitting on the other side of the bonfire. Zhang Yanling was chewing a piece of barbecue with a thoughtful expression.
Liu Jin smiled and said, "Why is Mr. Hou so quiet and silent?"
When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he also looked at Zhang Yanling and said with a smile: "Yes, uncle, why don't you say anything? Tomorrow we will enter the Xuanfu territory and see the Juyong Pass. Don't you look forward to it?"
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "Of course I look forward to it, and I am also very happy."
Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "But I didn't see you looking happy."
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "I'm just thinking about something. Your Majesty, we will arrive in Xuanfu tomorrow. I'm thinking, it's better to go hunting in the mountains outside Juyong Pass. There's no need to go any further."
Zhu Houzhao asked in surprise: "Why?"
Zhang Yanling said: "Xuanfu Town is already a border town. The border town is not peaceful. The closer you go to the north and the border, the more dangerous it is. I think it is better to be careful. The emperor is here to relax on this trip, so there is no need to go further.
Go north. To the left of Juyong Pass, there are high mountains and dense forests, and there are plenty of prey."
Zhu Houzhao thought for a moment and said with a smile: "Uncle, I'm not here just for hunting. I told you that this time I was going to inspect the defense of the border town. How could I stop moving forward outside Juyong Pass? I'm going to the border to inspect the border troops.
I have thought about it, I will not go to Xuanfu Town, we will go directly north after leaving the customs.
Go straight to the place where the Longmen Guards Station is in the border town, walk to the border of our Ming Dynasty, and meet the officers and soldiers of the border guard army. That is the real inspection of the border. I am thinking, if I suddenly arrive at the border
In the garrison and fortress, aren’t our frontier soldiers rejoicing and having strong morale?”
Zhang Yanling hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, this is not possible. It is too dangerous to go to the border. As far as I know, the border of Xuanfu is not peaceful. Tatar soldiers and horses often come into our territory to harass. Your Majesty goes deep into the border area. It's too dangerous."
If you encounter Tatar soldiers and horses, the consequences will be disastrous. I feel that the emperor wants to
If you are patrolling the border, you can go directly to Xuanfu. There are 50,000 soldiers and horses stationed in Xuanfu. Zhu Hui, the protector of the country, is also the chief soldier of Xuanfu. He can fully protect the escort. If the emperor wants to go further north,
, that is not impossible, but with the Xuanfu soldiers and horses escorting you, you won’t be afraid of any accidents."
Zhu Houzhao chuckled and said: "Uncle, you are too cautious. You are not that kind of person. What's the point of going to Xuanfu and having Baoguo Gong escort you? Isn't it meant to be strictly protected? There is no meaning at all.
No more. I just want to go to the border without anyone noticing. I heard that there are large insects in the Yanshan area where my Longmen Guard Station is located. In addition to patrolling the border, I also want to hunt a large insect and return to Beijing."
Zhang Yanling said solemnly: "Your Majesty, you must not disregard your safety. As I said, the border mountains are high and densely forested, and the passes of the Great Wall have not yet been completed. Small groups of Tatar soldiers and soldiers often sneak in. If we encounter them, we will be in trouble."
Liu Jin laughed at the side and said: "Master Hou, the Emperor is not afraid of them. What are you afraid of? Encountering Tatars? Master Hou is too careful. Even if we encounter them, so what? Will the Emperor be afraid of them? If we encounter the Emperor, they are Tatars.
The fate is bad. Maybe the emperor will kill a few Tatars with his own hands."
Zhu Houzhao laughed and said: "Liu Jin understands my thoughts. Am I afraid of Tatars? If I don't meet them, that's it. If I do, I will kill a few Tatars with my own hands. When I return to Beijing, I will hang their heads on the
On the saddle. Is it a joke that I have been practicing riding, shooting and learning the art of war all these years? I wish I could meet the Tatars."
"Hey, our emperor is so domineering. Let the Tatars wish themselves well." The others admired and laughed at the same time.
Zhang Yanling wanted to say something more, but Liu Jin said: "Your Majesty, Lord Marquis, let's go to bed early. It would be best to get up and leave the customs early tomorrow morning while the weather is not too hot."
Zhu Houzhao nodded, took two sips of wine and stood up. Zhang Yanling stood up to see him off. Several chamberlains attended Zhu Houzhao and went in to rest.
Seeing Zhu Houzhao leaving, Zhang Yanling also turned around and walked towards the tents on the outskirts of the camp.
"Master Zhang, please stay." Liu Jin called softly from behind.
Zhang Yanling stopped and turned around, saw Liu Jin walking over quickly, and asked, "What are your orders, Eunuch Liu?"
Liu Jin said with a smile: "Master Hou, please don't offend me. How dare we give orders to you? We saw that Master Hou was worried, so we came to talk to him."
Zhang Yanling smiled bitterly and said: "What do I have to worry about? I still need you to enlighten me."
Liu Jin said: "Master Hou, don't you blame our family for dragging you to accompany the emperor?"
Zhang Yanling smiled and said: "So what if it's your fault?"
Liu Jin smacked his lips and said: "The Marquis is generous, but I can't help it. The Emperor is determined to come up with it, so our family can only find a solution with the Marquis. There are not enough guards, and there are no trustworthy ones. Only with the Marquis can we feel at ease."
Zhang Yanling said: "I understand. There is no need to say more about this matter. I don't blame you at all."
Liu Jin nodded and said: "That's good. We also understand what the Marquis was worried about just now. However, our family feels that things are not so unlucky, but we met the Tatars. The emperor finally made a trip to the capital.
, I always want to make the emperor feel better. I didn’t mean to refute your words, please don’t misunderstand me, Lord Marquis."
Zhang Yanling sighed: "I don't want any accident to happen. If anything happens to the emperor, we will never redeem ourselves, Eunuch Liu. You have to think clearly."
Liu Jin muttered: "I understand Mr. Hou's worries, but I don't think things will be so unlucky. I've always been lucky. Mr. Hou is right to worry, but don't disappoint the emperor. Just go back and be more vigilant.
.Master Hou, do you think so or not?"
Zhang Yanling smiled bitterly and said: "What else can I say? That's all I can do. I will try my best to send people to conduct investigation and early warning. I hope that as my father-in-law said, it is best if nothing happens."