The corners of Xu Xingxia's mouth twitched, and he said disdainfully: "Another one who only looks at the book numbers." I tell you, don't follow the crowd, but do the investigation! Who told you that there are 70,000 officers and troops in Ningxia Town? Those are all numbers on the books, and they are used to deceive the superiors. The actual number of people in Ningxia Town is less than 30,000! ”

Zhu Zhizhi frowned, and seemed to be a little angry and said, "Okay, even if it's only 30,000, it's a lot." 30,000 officers and troops, and still can't fight against a thousand Tartars? Thirty to one, can't you beat it? It's just a bunch of pigs, and they've all defeated the Tartars! ”

Xu Xingxia said with a smile: "Among the 30,000 officers and soldiers, the military households of Weizhen Fort account for 400 people. Do you think that these military households in Fort Weizhen can defeat the Tartars? Do you think that the military households in Weizhenbao are all pigs? Do you have the guts to go outside and say it? ”

Zhu Zhizhi was speechless for a moment, and her face looked very weird. She subconsciously wanted to refute Xu Xingxia's words, but she didn't know where to start. She obviously knew that Xu Xingxia always used crooked reasoning to teach her a lesson, but his crooked reasoning, one by one, it was really not easy for her to fight back.

After a while, she said unwillingly: "You say, the 30,000 officers and soldiers in Ningxia Town are like your uncle?" And so it goes for the soldiers? ”

Xu Xingxia nodded and said unabashedly: "My uncle is a craftsman, and craftsmen don't need to fight, so it's not appropriate for you to use him as an example." Soldiers? Hehe, how good can the soldiers be? I'm telling you, the soldiers are worse. They didn't fight for the court, they fought for their bosses. ”

Zhu Zhizhi frowned and said: "Other military households have gone to the battlefield, maybe they are not as good as your uncle's craftsman!" I'll just say, why are the officers and soldiers so afraid of war, they are all rotten like this! It's unimaginable. The poor imperial court still spends so much grain every year to feed these people! If I had known this, I might as well form a new army! ”

Xu Xingxia looked at Zhu Zhizhi sideways, and said with a smile: "Miss Zhu, you really dare to say it." Another new army? Where do these original military households go? Let them all be laid off? Do you want them to rebel? Now that money and food are in arrears, the military households have been constantly making trouble. If you drive them all away, it won't be strange that the world is not in chaos. Just disbanded the post guards, and a Li Zicheng came out, if you want to disband the military households in the world, how many Li Zicheng have to jump out? ”

Zhu Zhizhi frowned and said, "Who is Li Zicheng?" ”

Xu Xingxia then remembered that Li Zicheng was still called Li Hongji, so he smiled and said in disguise: "In short, he is a fierce man." I tell you, Miss Azhu, if you had followed your ideas, the country would have collapsed long ago. Do you think those bigwigs in the court are not as smart as you? It's whimsical and unrealistic! ”

Zhu Zhizhi said a little angrily: "It is natural for a soldier to eat food and fight. But you can't just eat food and not fight! The country's tax revenue is always limited, and it can't be wasted in vain! The limited tax revenue must be used to the best of its ability! ”

Xu Xingxia stared at Zhu Zhizhi for a while, and suddenly stretched out his hand and pressed it her forehead. His action is very natural, and it feels like he is pressing his little sister, and he has no consciousness of whether men and women are intimate.

Zhu Zhizhi was caught off guard and was pressed by her to almost retreat. Xu Xingxia's action, she doesn't think it's intimacy. She subconsciously felt that he was despising her and insulting her. She suddenly became angry and said sharply, "Hey! What do you do with your hands and feet? ”

Xu Xingxia sneered and said coldly: "I thought your surname was Wu?" ”

Zhu Zhizhi was slightly stunned, and only reacted after a while, it turned out that he was talking about Wu Zetian. What she said just now was indeed a bit too lofty and condescending. No wonder it aroused his disgust. This rough man can't look down on others the most. Her face suddenly turned a little red, and she said unconvinced: "Did I say something wrong?" ”

Xu Xingxia shrugged, stared at her seriously, and said meaningfully: "Miss Azhu, you are not wrong, but you know too much. ”

Zhu Zhizhi wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't say it. In front of this Xu Xingxia, she found that she couldn't say a lot of truths. She suddenly remembered something, and asked again: "By the way, ...... you talked about the prince last time?"

Xu Xingxia immediately pretended to be stupid, and said with a blank face: "When did I say something about the prince, you must have heard it wrong." ”

Zhu Zhizhi was stunned for a moment, frowned and said, "You obviously said ......"

Xu Xingxia said with a serious face: "Miss Azhu, you can eat indiscriminately, but you can't talk nonsense." What proof do you have that I said about the prince? ”

This is a typical scoundrel. Of course, Xu Xingxia didn't deliberately play a scoundrel, but he couldn't understand Zhu Zhizhi's identity, let alone her position. In the Wanli period, the matter about the crown prince and the Fu King was simply a high-voltage line, and anyone who touched it would be in danger. Because of this high-voltage line, at least four cabinet chiefs have fallen.

That's the head of the cabinet, the existence of more than 10,000 people under one person. Even such a big man can't bear it, let alone anyone else. He, Xu Xingxia, is not a fool, how could he easily participate in it? Last time, it was just a casual remark, and now he realizes the seriousness of the problem. Now that he is aware of the danger, of course he should be cautious.

If this Zhu Zhizhi belonged to the prince's family, Xu Xingxia didn't mind hugging the prince's thigh immediately. With the development of history, the crown prince Zhu Changluo can finally succeed in ascending the throne. Although he only ascended the throne for a month, he died. However, as long as you hug the prince's thigh, there is no problem with a splendid future. However, if Zhu Zhizhi is a member of the Fuwang Party, he will be burned if he is so open-mouthed.

The late Wanli period was the most bizarre period in the history of the Ming Dynasty. Many of the things that happened during this period were very weird, and after being constantly distorted, covered up, and embellished, they were covered with a lot of mysteries. Coupled with the struggle of the prince, the struggle between the Donglin Party, the Zhejiang Party, the Chu Party and other parties can really be described as full of dangers and landmines. Even if a big guy like Shangshu Shilang is not careful, he has to pack up his baggage and go home.

But Zhu Zhizhi held on, and said sharply: "Xu Xingxia, you said it clearly, how can you deny it?" You don't have any responsibility at all! ”

Xu Xingxia said with a hippie smile: "Miss Azhu, you are responsible, then you say, who do you want to ascend the throne?" ”

Zhu Zhizhi suddenly choked slightly, and then said: "Of course I hope that the crown prince will ascend the throne." The crown prince is the right man in the world, and of course the prince should be in charge of the world in the future. ”

Xu Xingxia restrained his smile and said seriously: "I and Miss Azhu are heroes. ”

Zhu Zhizhi frowned and said, "Are you telling the truth or a lie?" ”

Xu Xingxia said lightly: "This, I have to ask Miss Azhu to judge." ”

With that, he walked away.

…… Ningxia City, the chief military officer Yamen.

Li Guozhen is still playing with the big knife. The big knife weighing more than 30 catties was danced vigorously in his hands. On one side of the martial arts training ground, there were also stones that had been chopped. Obviously, when the dance is to the end, Li Guozhen will raise the big knife and cut directly down on the stone. Next to the martial arts training ground, there were several large knives that had been cut down.

Obviously, Li Guozhen's mood is not very good. These days, Ningxia Town has been subjected to a lot of external pressure, and the rumors inside Ningxia City have not been effectively curbed, but have had the opposite effect because of the previous government's refutation of rumors. Now, the people of Ningxia City are even more disgusted by the government's refutation of rumors.

It is really surprising that the news that a thousand-person team of Tartars has gone south has already reached the Beijing Division. This is certainly not normal. Li Guozhen believes that behind the scenes, there must be someone who is fueling the troubles. To be on the safe side, he decided to be more cautious.

Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps, and a young man appeared at the door of the martial arts training ground, it was his son Li Canran. Li Canran's face was obviously not very good. He came to his father and said a little eagerly, "Dad, why did you start to mobilize troops and horses?" Are you really going to rescue Fort Wietown? ”

Li Guozhen slowed down the posture of the dancing knife, but did not stop, and said in a deep voice: "This is a national event, don't get involved." ”

Li Canran frowned and said, "Daddy, that Xu Xingxia was too disrespectful to you, he shot the war horse you gave me." How can you let him go like that? ”

Li Guozhen said expressionlessly: "This is business, you don't understand." ”

Li Canran said stupidly: "Daddy, I can't figure it out, he is a small hundred households, and your old man will kill him with a finger." You sent him to a remote place to deal with it with a piece of paper, isn't it unaware? ”

Li Guozhen glared at his son and said coldly: "You mean, let your father personally deal with a hundred households?" ”

Li Canran was slightly stunned.

Li Guozhen snorted and said coldly: "You think that the identity of your father is too worthless, right?" ”

Li Canran was speechless for a moment. Also, the dignified chief military officer, personally dealing with a small hundred households, will indeed be ridiculed. The status is too high, in fact, sometimes it is not omnipotent. He suddenly said, "Dad, can you let me lead a team too?" I also want to go to Fort Wytown. ”

Li Guozhen stopped the big knife and said with a little surprise: "You are going to Weizhen Fort?" What do you do at Fort Wytown? ”

Li Canran said with an unnatural expression: "Brothers in fights, fathers and sons in battle, I ......"

Li Guozhen sneered, interrupted him, and said sharply: "Who told you what?" ”

Li Canran had no choice but to say, "...... Someone told me that there was a girl named Zhu Zhizhi in Weizhenbao......"

Li Guozhen frowned and said, "Who told you?" ”

Li Canran said hesitantly: "...... It is Zhang Qiuqing, the deputy thousand households of the Pingyu Thousand Households. ”

Li Guozhen is obviously not very familiar with this name. However, he is still very disgusted by other people's special things about dragging his son into the water. After all, no one wants their son to be an embroidered pillow, isn't it? He shouted angrily, "You don't mix with those people! I know how to entangle women all day long! Isn't one of the eldest lady of the Lin family enough? You don't want to lose your qualifications to give up people, do you? ”

Li Guozhen is the chief military officer of Ningxia Town, which is a set of official positions. He also has a set of official positions, that is, the hereditary commander of the guard. His son, Li Canran, is the alternate commander of the guard. His identity has a special name, called "Sheren", which is basically equivalent to the substitute status of later generations. If his father dies in battle, or if he retires, he can make up for it.

Of course, this substitution is not an easy one. More than 1,000 households need to go through the assessment of the military department, and this is especially true for the Wei commander. Although, in most of the time, this kind of assessment is a formality, and it is even more so at the end of the Ming Dynasty. However, if the level of the sacrifice is really not good, it is not ruled out that the military department may make things difficult.

It's just that with Li Canran's surname, he doesn't take the assessment of the military department in his eyes at all. He felt that except for Li Yunrui, the eldest son of the governor Li Maohui, the others were not as powerful as him. The world is big, and he's basically the biggest.

"Get out!" Li Guozhen hated iron and scolded.

Li Canran hurriedly hugged his head and ran away.

…… Ningxia City, Governor Yamen.

Governor Li Maohui was pacing back and forth outside the study with a gloomy face. In front of him, his son, who also stood, was Li Yunrui. Li Yunrui was hanging his head and accepting Lao Tzu's reprimand. Just now, his Lao Tzu reprimanded him fiercely for half an hour. Such treatment is unprecedented.

Li Maohui is moody and invisible, and when dealing with people, he is always a group of harmony. But if his face is gloomy, it is also quite terrifying. I usually don't have much communication with Li Yunrui. Civil officials basically believe in the strict father and filial piety, and think that they must not be too gentle with their sons, and must be strict with their sons.

"Who's making a little report to you?" Li Maohui said gloomily.

"Yes...... The deputy thousand households of the Pingyu Thousand Households...... Call...... Zhang Qiuqing. Li Yunrui said cautiously.

"Get out!" Li Maohui shouted angrily.

Li Yunrui hurriedly ran away.

…… Of course, Xu Xingxia didn't know everything that happened outside. In the morning, he organized the training of white-clothed soldiers, in the afternoon, he presided over the Keju competition, and in the evening, he was mainly inspecting the city wall. Occasionally, I would chat with some military households to understand their thoughts and comfort them.

In addition to monitoring the movements of the Tatar cavalry every day, the life of the military households in Fort Weizhen seems to be no exception. Zhu Zhizhi's teahouse still opens on time every day and closes on time every day, but Xu Xingxia did not take any further steps. Zhu Zhizhi doesn't seem to have come out either. Wang Qinian's grocery store is closed. His inventory is basically sold out.

Half a month passed quickly. Inside and outside Fort Weizhen, there doesn't seem to be much change. The Tatar cavalry, unable to hold back, finally launched a second attack.

(To be continued)