Father can be an enemy to the country

Before dark that day, the team arrived at Cangzhou, 350 miles away.

The leading ice cart drove to the river and raised a red flag. The ice carts behind saw it and also came to the shore. The drivers took the tents and firewood from the carts, ready to set up the tents and make fires to cook.

"It feels like we have run more than 350 miles today." Zhu Di got off the car and stretched his body, ready to inspect the situation of the team.

"That's not right." Zhu Zhen also got off the car, he was ready to go around with the fourth brother. Even he needed to digest the food after eating twenty plates of mutton. "The river is not straight. From Tongzhou, we went southeast first, and then went south when we arrived in Xianghe. So we actually ran 400 miles today."

"It's exactly the same as you expected." The fourth brother couldn't help but admire.

"Only experienced drivers can achieve this result." Zhu Zhen said softly, "Those rookies should be thankful if they can run 200 miles."

"The first time is new, the second time is familiar, and you will become an experienced driver in three days." Zhu Di smiled and patted the sixth brother, saying, "It is good to be cautious, but being too cautious will make you too tired."

"Really?" Zhu Zhen was stunned for a moment, and thought about it, "It seems to be like this. I am always afraid of poor planning, poor execution, and variables."

"The responsibility that father has put on your shoulders is too heavy." Zhu Di looked at his sixth brother, who was taller than him, with some heartache.

"So the fourth brother has to help me." Zhu Zhen smiled and said, "The most comfortable time for me was the time when I was with you and the third brother."

"Haha, it's because someone took the blame for you." Zhu Di couldn't help laughing.

The two of them came to the middle of the drivers and watched them cook porridge. Time was short, and the government only provided rice, flour and salt, but on New Year's Day, the drivers brought some roast chicken and duck sauce, chopped them up and put them into the porridge, and finally added some vegetable leaves, which tasted very fragrant.

Although Zhu Di and Zhu Zhen were already full, the drivers were enthusiastic and gave them a big bowl.

"Well, it's really delicious." The two gluttons praised it after drinking it, and Zhu Zhen asked: "Does this porridge have a name?"

"It's just cooked randomly, how can there be a name?" Everyone laughed and said: "How about the prince give it one?"

"Okay, let me think about it." Zhu Zhen smiled and said: "Guangdong boatmen have boat porridge, and our Beiping ice cart driver created the porridge, so let's call it ice porridge!"

"Good, good!" No matter what others think, at least the drivers are very happy. Having a porridge named after yourself is enough to brag about for a lifetime.

"Rest quickly after eating the porridge, we have to continue on the road tomorrow." Zhu Zhen gave a few more instructions, asking them to keep warm and keep the fire going, so they don't have to worry about running out of firewood. Because the prefectures and counties along the way have received orders to support them, at least they don't have to worry about firewood.

"Before going to bed, check your limbs and ears for frostbite. If so, go to the military doctor immediately for treatment, don't delay." Zhu Di instructed again.

"Okay." The drivers responded happily. Although it was freezing cold, it was not very warm by the fire, but they were still warm in their hearts to get the care of the two princes.

~~

Early the next morning, Zhang Jicai, the prefect of Hejian, personally brought two thousand ice carts full of firewood.

These were the ice carts and supplies that Hejian Prefecture urgently transferred from various counties after receiving the order.

And not only would the drivers join the team to go south together, but even Prefect Zhang took the initiative to ask to go south together.

"Hejian is a big prefecture, and the counties are too far away to transport all the supplies to Cangzhou at once. I will ask the counties in the south to transport them to Jingzhou." Zhang Jicai said to the two princes: "So I'd better go south with you, so that it will be easier to coordinate the handover." "Yes, that makes sense." Zhu Di looked at him suspiciously and said, "Then why do you want to go to Shandong with me?" "I want to contribute." Zhang Jicai smiled and said, "Besides, there are 4,000 drivers in these two places, and someone has to take care of them, right?" "Are you northern officials so conscious?" Zhu Zhen couldn't help but admired: "Southern officials are not so proactive." "You must have other intentions? Tell me honestly, otherwise get out of here." Zhu Di said unhappily. "I really don't mean anything else." Zhang Jicai knelt down and said, "I just want to make a contribution for the princes." "Want us to recommend you to the court?" Zhu Di looked at him. "No, no, absolutely not." Zhang Jicai waved his hands and said repeatedly: "Xiaguan has no unreasonable thoughts, but I heard some rumors and was afraid, so I asked the two princes for protection."

"I said something happened? What rumors?" Zhu Di said in a deep voice: "Tell me once and for all, don't tell me half and half!"

"Yes, yes." Zhang Jicai nodded hurriedly and told the truth: "I heard that the emperor ordered that all officials of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Revenue be arrested, and that all official warehouses in provinces and prefectures be checked!"

"Oh? When did it happen?" When Zhu Zhen heard it, three words immediately popped up in his mind-Guo Huan case!

"The first day of the first lunar month." Zhang Jicai whispered.

"You are the Emperor Shizu of Yuan Dynasty - what nonsense?" Zhu Di said in disbelief: "You, the prefect, knew something we didn't know?"

"Normal." Zhu Zhen said without feeling strange: "First, we are on the road now, and it has nothing to do with us, so we didn't receive any urgent reports. Secondly, they have offices in Beijing, and they will definitely report back as soon as they have any news."

"What office in Beijing?" Zhu Di was stunned.

Zhang Jicai understood: "Your Highness, you are talking about the experience of the Provincial Administration and the Provincial Supervision Office stationed in the capital to contact various departments?"

"That's what I mean." Zhu Zhen nodded. "Don't you have any arrangements in your house?"

"Xiaguan only sent people to contact Peking, and they couldn't contact the Beijing level." Zhang Jicai hesitated for a moment, and then answered honestly: "But Xiaguan has some friendship with the two people stationed in Beijing in the province, so I passed by Hejian Mansion Sometimes, I will also have some explanations with my subordinates.”

"Just last night, Hou Qiang of the Chasi Dynasty rushed back from the capital like crazy and exhausted his horses to death." Zhang Jicai nodded and said, "I went to the magistrate's Yamen to ask for horses from my subordinates, saying that there was an extremely urgent matter. I want to report to my family Zhao Zhitai and Li Fantai."

"The lower official told them not to worry, because they have already been sent to jail." Zhang Jicai continued: "It was only then that Hou experienced what happened in Jingli and told me that this time was not a joke, especially In Peiping, everyone must be tried and pass the test.”

As he spoke, he looked at the two princes pitifully and said, "So please protect me from the two princes and let me avoid this disaster. I will definitely repay you wholeheartedly."

Zhu Zhen and Zhu Di looked at each other, and the latter asked coldly: "Are you also involved in embezzling military rations?"

"That's absolutely not true!" Zhang Jicai hurriedly pointed to the sky and swore: "If I embezzle even a grain of military ration, my whole family will be killed!"

"Then you're afraid of a ball?" Zhu Di asked in confusion.