Shen Guo Duke's Mansion.

Xiao Jing came to visit, but it was not a decree or a discussion on official matters, but a private person.

"Shangshu Chen, I shouldn't have come to see you. There are always many taboos between this eunuch and the foreign ministers, but I have to come this time, after all, it is related to the stability of the court."

Xiao Jing looked like he had no choice but to complain.

Chen Xi nodded: "Eunuch Xiao has something to do but he says it's okay."

Xiao Jing smiled a little flatteringly, and his face became even more wrinkled. "After Master Xie left, all matters in the court, including local people's livelihood, depends on Liang Zhongtang's meaning... However, if it involves military affairs, we have to rely on you!"

Chen Xidao: "Eunuch Xiao is over-reputable."

Xiao Jing waved his hand quickly: "I don't have any exaggeration at all, this is also a consensus between the government and the opposition. Wen Zheng asked Liang Zhongtang that the martial arts matters must be based on the opinions of Shangshu Chen. Your Majesty said this on weekdays..."

He came up with a compliment, saying it seemed that the court would not work if it was away from Chen Xi, but Chen Xi knew that this was just Xiao Jing who said he was blocking his mouth, so he immediately narrowed his eyes: "Is this the purpose of Eunuch Xiao coming?"

Xiao Jing didn't have much contact with Chen Xi, thinking that the other party was polite, but he didn't expect that he would be so direct and couldn't even listen to a perfunctory word.

"Cough...Shangshu Chen should understand the purpose of the old man coming." Xiao Jing coughed and then said seriously.

Chen Xi shook his head: "I don't understand."

Xiao Jing sighed: "Your Majesty has been thinking about the issue of sending troops to the Bolangji for a long time. Now he is about to set off for Xuanfu. There should be a more proper arrangement in the capital... Is it too hasty to let Nanjing coordinate the sending troops?"

Chen Xi was a little surprised and asked, "Before Eunuch Xiao came, have you been to the Ministry of War or met Shangshu Wang?"

"hehe."

Xiao Jing replied with a smile, "Shangshu Chen must not be in a hurry to push things away. It is natural that the Ministry of War should deal with military affairs, but you must do this."

Chen Xi asked, "Is Eunuch Xiao delivering the order for His Holiness?"

Xiao Jing was a little panicked: "It's not this intention. Your Majesty did not let me come. It was just that I realized that the Ministry of War had submitted a memorial on going to sea to fight recently. When I arrived at the cabinet, my Majesty asked many times that I really had no choice but to come and ask for help. As a cabinet minister, Mr. Chen is a clerk of the Ming Dynasty. Shouldn't he ignore this matter, right?"

Chen Xi looked serious: "What's the point? I believe that in the Ganqing Palace that day, Eunuch Xiao heard it very clearly... It takes a long time to prepare for the troops overseas, and the deadline given by Your Majesty is only three years, which means that in three years, Your Majesty will send troops to sail to sea... This matter is not responsible for it. If it involves too much, it will inevitably cause criticism from the people in the court. How can you avoid suspicion?"

Xiao Jing said: "Why should Secretary Chen avoid suspicion?"

Chen Xi shook his head seriously: "Others may not need to avoid suspicion, but they must avoid suspicion... They are in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, which involves the assessment of officials, and in addition to working in the cabinet, they are too busy to take care of themselves and have no thoughts on matters beyond their responsibilities."

As he said that, Chen Xi showed an unpolite attitude, "So Eunuch Xiao asked, it is difficult for him to obey his orders. This matter should be done more by obeying Your Majesty's will."

"this……"

Xiao Jing's face looked extremely ugly.

He thought that he would come to see Chen Xi and express the emperor's intentions in a gentle way. Chen Xi would definitely sell him this face. Unexpectedly, Chen Xi did not make any compromises on this matter, and was completely a formal attitude.

Xiao Jing asked angrily: "If Your Majesty asks Shangshu Chen to be fully responsible for this matter, what are your attitudes?"

Chen Xi said firmly: "I will refuse."

"you!"

Xiao Jing almost turned against Chen Xi. After all, he was different from others. His qualifications determined that he did not need to give Chen Xi face. Xie Qian was considered an old senior in the court. In fact, Xiao Jing's qualifications were older than Xie Qian. He was also one of the ministers appointed by the former emperor and had a noble status.

Chen Xi said: "Eunuch Xiao might as well ask Your Majesty to see what Your Majesty is. If Eunuch Xiao only surrenders to his subordinates as a personal identity, it will break the rules of the court. If Eunuch Xiao is in charge of his subordinates, he will never break the rules... Eunuch Xiao please come back."

Xiao Jing looked at Chen Xi, very reluctant, after all, he was considered to be the emperor's order.

But at this time, he found that Chen Xi "don't get in", so he had to get up and say goodbye.

"Shangshu Chen, you should know how to be a good person."

Before leaving, Xiao Jing seemed to be reminding and warning, "Your Majesty's kindness to you is rare in the ages. Even if Shangshu Chen does not want to repay Your Majesty's kindness to know, he should contribute all his strength to the Ming Dynasty, rather than as he is now, he will be responsible for the affairs of the court. It is not clear rules that can be determined, but his own rules."

"Thank you for the reminder."

Chen Xi's tone was cold.

Xiao Jing glanced at Chen Xi, but still lacked the courage to confront Chen Xi head-on, and left with a sad mentality.

...

...

Chen Xi sent Xiao Jing out and came back. The sun was already hanging on the west mountain. It was too late and he would not go to the Ministry of Personnel again.

For him, he has been a little tired these days. He is an official in the center of the court, especially the head of the six ministries. He has to take care of all aspects of the matter. For a moment, he feels exhausted physically and mentally.

When she returned to the study, Xie Yuner brought ginseng tea over and was sitting at the desk reading with a quiet face.

"Have you gone out to see off the guests?"

When Xie Yuner saw Chen Xi, she put down the book and greeted her.

"Um."

Chen Xi nodded slightly and said, "It's Eunuch Xiao in the palace."

Xie Yuner smiled: "It must be that Your Majesty has something to discuss with you... My husband is very busy recently, right?"

Chen Xi shook his head: "It's not easy to explain to you in the affairs of the North Korean government, but he has a purpose."

Xie Yuner realized that she might have asked too much, and hurriedly said, "My husband, I don't know if I should tell you something... My mother went to the palace earlier today. I just heard from Xiaoshan that Xiaoshan went there to deliver things, but I didn't see my mother. I found out some things from the people and told me back."

Chen Xi didn't take it seriously and said, "Mom may have entered the palace to see Yi'er."

Xie Yuner said, "I am afraid that my mother will not understand the rules in the palace and offend the nobles inside."

Chen Xi smiled and said, "Not hindrance, the palace is not much different from the usual places. I am not the first to come to the capital. Even if there is something wrong with it, I believe that the people in the palace will not blame it."

"oh."

Only then did Xie Yuner feel a little relieved and no longer mentioned the Zhou family.

...

...

When Zhou entered the palace, he looked like Grand Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden, and he enjoyed the scenery along the way.

Chen Yi'er hadn't seen her mother for a long time. After meeting, she held her mother's hand and chattered, and it was almost dark before she knew it.

Zhou took the imperial court item "given" by Chen Yier, and asked several eunuchs to carry it. Just as he was about to leave the palace, he just left Jiaotai Hall when he saw Zhu Houzhao coming in front with Xiao Tiaozi and two eunuchs.

"See the Emperor."

Zhou ran to Zhu Houzhao across the distance, and knelt down and kowtowed after meeting him, just like singing on the stage.

Zhu Houzhao had known that Zhou was coming for a long time. He was not unfamiliar with Zhou. He had seen him when he arrived at the Shen family before, but he was the one who helped her mother-in-law enter the palace that day.

Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "The old lady is polite... You should help the old lady up."

Xiaotengzi hurriedly went to help.

Zhou didn't want Xiao Tiaozi to touch her. Now she has a status and feels that "a man and a woman are not allowed to kiss her." Even if she knows that Xiao Tiaozi is a eunuch, she doesn't want Xiao Tiaozi to approach her.

Of course, this is also related to her having watched too many Southern Dramas and being taboo about villains like eunuchs.

Zhou's legs and feet were flexible and healthy, so he got up from the ground without knowing how to avoid it. He looked at Zhu Houzhao and said with a smile: "The emperor has such a strong body. You must take good care of the dragon body... Oh, it's not too early, so old body is leaving now."

Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "The old lady just came, why are you in a hurry to leave? Let's have a meal together?"

"No, no!"

Zhou probably knew that the emperor was speaking politely. She was very proud before entering the palace, but when she saw Chen Yier asking about the emperor's situation, she felt that the situation was not good... This daughter was willful in the palace, and she found that the relationship between Zhu Houzhao and her daughter was not so harmonious, and she would not have such extraordinary thoughts under such circumstances.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Houzhao insisted: "I have told the queen a long time ago that I will keep the old lady for dinner in the palace, please."

Zhou was a little confused and didn't quite understand Zhu Houzhao's intention, but he insisted: "Your Majesty, it's not too early, and there are opportunities to have dinner together in the future... Or you can take the queen to the house, and the old man will have good wine and good food to treat."

"Puchi."

The two eunuchs behind Zhu Houzhao couldn't help laughing when they heard Zhou's words.

Zhu Houzhao turned around and glared at the two of them, scaring the two eunuchs to kneel down and kowtow. When their foreheads were broken, she smiled and said to Zhou: "The mansion must be there. I promised the queen to go out for a walk from time to time. Now, I have prepared some gifts and asked someone to send them to the mansion... There is another thing, I haven't met Chen Qing's family recently..."

"Um?"

Zhou didn't understand why the emperor talked about his son in front of her.

Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "There are some things. I hope the Chen Qing family can participate more. The old lady is a wise man. You might as well persuade the Chen Qing family more. Besides, you can come to the palace from time to time, reunite with the queen and talk to each other. In this way, the queen will not be too depressed in the palace."

Although Zhou didn't understand, he nodded and bowed: "I understand."

Zhu Houzhao thought Zhou was the kind of smart man who could be so clear, and said with a smile: "Then I won't delay the old lady from the palace... Where can I send the old lady out of the palace, and use my carriage to send the old lady back to the house."

"How can you be so embarrassed?"

When Zhou heard this, he smiled and said this, but he didn't know how excited he was.

Zhu Houzhao said: "The old lady has given birth to a good daughter. She is now in the world. Looking back, I plan to depose Empress Dong and use Ling Yuan as the queen of the palace."

"Hehe, that's a good relationship." Zhou smiled and said as the emperor said, but he didn't know how taboo she said.

Zhu Houzhao smiled and waved her hand. Someone immediately sent Zhou out of the palace.

When Zhou walked away, Zhu Houzhao looked at her back and murmured: "Do she really understand? Oh, she actually forgot to tell her that she would advise the queen to fulfill her family with me as soon as possible... Look at my pig's brain!"

...

...
To be continued...