On the bank of Fen River outside Taiyuan City.

Behind Zhu Yunxi, bursts of clanging sounds could be heard.

Those were the officers and soldiers of the Northern Patrol, setting up camp.

These all have their own rules and regulations, and even Cao Zhen does not need to show up. There are many generals in the army to supervise the soldiers.

The supply camp had already chosen a location upstream of the camp, and began to collect water and bury the pots for cooking. Along with the rising smoke, tents were set up one after another.

When the materials prepared in advance by the Shanxi Daodu Commander-in-Chief were sent outside the camp, the troops and horses of the Northern Patrol had already begun to dig deep ditches and build fences around the camp.

The snow in the sky is quite heavy.

Snowflakes began to fall on the first day of the new year, and then the sky was filled with heavy snowflakes, which blocked everyone's sight before people noticed it.

The ground still has some warmth. When the snowflakes fall on the ground, they first melt and moisten the soil, continuously cooling the ground.

When the temperature reaches freezing point, the snowflakes falling from the sky begin to accumulate thinly layer by layer.

With just a cup of tea, the entire earth has been covered with a thin layer of snow. And the snowflakes falling from the sky are still thickening this thin layer of snow, trying to cover the entire land.

The whole earth was covered.

On the shore next to the water, someone had already held up a big umbrella for the emperor's grandson and others who were looking at the snowy scene.

The thick umbrella handle was inserted deeply into the soil under the feet, blocking this small area from the heavy snow.

Under the umbrella, the snow reflected the shape of the umbrella, revealing circles of clean open space.

Zhu Fan looked at the scenery outside Taiyuan City that he had seen for countless years, and asked curiously: "Now that we are in Taiyuan, you know the situation here well. What are you going to do now?"

Zhu Yunxi looked at the falling snow outside the umbrella in front of him, thinking that Yingtian City was probably just a little colder at this time, but if he wanted to see snow, it would probably take some time.

He turned to look at Zhu Fan and said with a smile: "Of course I'm waiting for the food and grass to be ready, and then after my third uncle's birthday has passed, I will send my troops north to inspect the borders."

Zhu Fan stared: "Seriously! How do you plan to deal with the people in Shanxi Road?"

"Of course I'm waiting for them to take action." Zhu Yunxi blinked, and his face finally became serious: "Now that I've thrown out the lead for auditing, it depends on how they take it."

Gao Yangzhi stepped forward from behind the two of them and said softly: "In fact, the Taiyuan Prefecture does not need to raise one month's worth of food and grass for the Northern Patrol. It only takes five days of food and grass to reach Datong, and Datong will provide the required food and grass."

"

Zhu Yunxi took the words and looked at Zhu Fan: "Actually, from the beginning, Taiyuan asked for food and grass for one month, just so that he could stay in Taiyuan. He also wanted to use this to raise the matter of auditing the accounts."

Whenever a large army is out and passing through local prefectures and counties, generally speaking, it only requires the local prefectures and counties to provide about five days of food and grass supplies.

If Zhu Yunxi were not the emperor's grandson of the Ming Dynasty, or if he were replaced by any other military general, and if he asked Taiyuan to prepare a month's worth of food and grass, there would only be one result.

That is to be flatly rejected.

No local government would agree to provide an army with food and grass supplies for a month.

This is to ensure that the military outside is always under the control of the imperial court and needs to rely on the imperial court's support at all times. It is also because local governments cannot have so many grain and grass reserves, thereby reducing the burden on local governments.

Zhu Fan's eyes hesitated: "What do you think you can find out from Shanxi Road's accounts?"

Zhu Yunxi shook his head and said: "The audit is not the purpose, it is just a means. The purpose is just to check the accounts and see what they will do. It is like two people playing chess. The nephew has already made the move, and now it is their turn to make the move."

Zhu Yunxi's eyes flickered.

There was no accounting matter from the beginning, it was just an excuse. What he is doing now is to scare the snake, and he slapped the grass in Taiyuan City with a stick to see what kind of reaction there will be in the grass.

Gao Yangzhi stood aside and stared at Zhu Fan dimly, staring and thinking for a while.

Then he whispered: "Is it true that all three of the prince's guards are at Ningwu Institute?"

Zhu Fan was stunned for a moment: "The three guards of the Jin Palace have indeed been transferred to Ningwu."

Gao Yangzhi asked doubtfully: "Did the prince really not leave any backup plan?"

Zhu Fan looked at the young cabinet minister and suddenly laughed: "I never fight a battle that I am not prepared for. It's just that I have determined that brother Xi will not come to Taiyuan City, so those people can't take action too early. Now Xi

Brother is here, I have sent people to Ningwu this morning to recall the three guards of the Jin Palace."

Zhu Fan knew very clearly which one was more valuable, the clan king or the emperor's grandson who was in charge of the country.

Not to mention the past, now in the eyes of those people, I am probably just a casual thing.

However, Gao Yangzhi frowned and said, "Ning Wu is going south to rush back to Taiyuan City. It will take four days at the fastest and about five days at the slowest time."

Zhu Yunxi said softly: "In total, it is around the time of my third uncle's birthday."

The third uncle in front of him really sent the princess and children to Yingtian City. He wanted to be with Taiyuan City.

Zhu Yunxi knew this very well.

He suddenly said, "The snow is getting heavier and heavier, it's going to be really cold."

Zhu Fan said with a smile: "Every time it snows in the north, it becomes cold. It will gradually clear up and warm up after the New Year's Eve. It will not be completely warm until spring begins."

Zhu Yunxi said quietly: "The soldiers in the camp have enough charcoal fires for the night. Be careful of catching fire. You must also remember to ventilate. Don't suffocate to death in the tent just to stay warm."

Cao Zhen, Marquis of Jingchuan, who had been accompanying Taisun, immediately said in a muffled voice: "The general has already informed us, pits are being dug everywhere in the camp to prepare water, and holes have been opened in the tents."

Zhu Yunxi nodded, and then looked at Zhu Fan: "Third uncle, it is better to return to the palace early. Don't let those people worry about whether third uncle is conspiring with Gu."

Today on the official road in the south of Taiyuan City, when Changsun Gong and others saw Zhu Fan clearly, the expressions on their faces were very wonderful.

I don’t know how these people are feeling right now.

Zhu Fan waved his hand casually: "Those people are probably thinking that we, uncle and nephew, can be reunited together."

Joking casually, Zhu Fan had already lowered his head and walked out from under the umbrella that was protecting everyone from the wind and snow. The royal guards stepped forward holding the umbrellas, trying to block Zhu Fan from the wind and snow coming from the sky.

Zhu Fan waved his hand, got on his horse despite the heavy wind and snow, and rode away with a loud roar.

Under several large umbrellas on the shore of Fenshui River, everyone watched the departure of King Zhu Fan of Jin with calm eyes.

After a long time.

Cao Zhen just said: "Prince Jin is a man!"

It was rare for him to speak in a calm tone, with a hint of admiration. Although it sounded like a sick sentence, everyone present understood what he meant.

Gao Yangzhi also nodded and said: "If His Highness has not changed his mind, I am afraid that King Jin really intends to coexist with Taiyuan City."

"Uncle King Zhou was naughty at first and was demoted to Yunnan by the emperor. After he came back, he devoted himself to medicine. Uncle King Jin was the same way. He was violent in his early years and now often leads troops to go to the north for expeditions." Zhu Yunxi lamented that these people in the old Zhu family seemed to

More or less, they all have some bad deeds, but they all suddenly wake up to the same thing: "The incident where the uncle of the King of Jin tied people and horses to pieces in public has now been found out. He can have the same mentality as the city, which is unprecedented.

I feel surprised.”

Actually, I think so.

People like the King of Jin and the King of Zhou all grew up next to Queen Xiaoci.

How could someone like Queen Xiaoci really educate children who are violent and indifferent to human life?

There are so many unknown things in this, and I am afraid only these parties are the ones who know it best.

Sun Cheng, who had been patrolling the camp, now came over covered in wind and snow.

He passed by in front of everyone and glanced at them calmly.

When he arrived in front of Zhu Yunxi, the people around Zhu Yunxi had already quietly stepped back a few steps.

Sun Cheng stepped forward, nodded, bent down, and whispered: "Your Highness's Chinese army tent has been built, and the entrance and exit are inside the tent."

Zhu Yunxi nodded: "Just wait and see what happens in Taiyuan City in the past few days."

Sun Cheng hummed and silently stepped back.

…

That night.

The heavy snowfall during the day has not stopped yet.

It seems that the snow will bury the entire Taiyuan Prefecture before it stops.

In the dark night, the dark clouds carrying wind and snow blocked the moon behind. In the hazy night, except for the snowflakes floating in front of my eyes, I could no longer see anything else.

In a small courtyard in the north of the city.

Zhu Yunwen was wrapped in a large cotton coat, which was tightly wrapped from shoulders to calves.

He stood behind the door of the house, relying on the candles lit inside the house, watching the snow outside continue to fall and pile up layer by layer in the courtyard.

Zhu Yunwen just stared at the falling snow outside quietly.

After a long time, there was movement at the door of the back room.

Then came the sound of Qiuniang's footsteps.

"Erlang."

Qiuniang called out softly, and Zhu Yunwen quickly turned around.

Seeing that Qiuniang was only wearing a sleeping shirt and came to him, Zhu Yunwen quickly took off the cotton-padded clothes on his body and wrapped them around Qiuniang without any explanation.

"Don't refuse, I'm still wearing my coat." Zhu Yunwen tugged at the clothes he was wearing, held Qiuniang's hands and frowned, "Why are you awake?"

Qiuniang pursed her lips: "I can't sleep if I can't see Erlang by my side. Is Erlang thinking about something?"
To be continued...