Dingjiangshan

Because Ning Yan said that he was going to go hunting in winter, the servants staying at the hunting ground had been busy cleaning up the hunting ground in the past few days. Apart from the area where they set up camp, they also cleared a large open space for future winter hunting. For hunting start.

The dead branches that have been cleared up have been tidied up, bundled into bundles and dropped around the open space, which will be used to burn bonfires later.

From this open space to the tented camp in the back, it has been surrounded by a half-person-high wooden fence, and iron chains are tied outside the fence, probably to prevent wild animals from rushing in and hurting people by watching the fire at night.

Apart from these, there are not many traces of clearing up the forest farms further away.

Ning Yan has turned sixteen this year, and he has learned martial arts riding and shooting well. He came to Dongshun to show his face, so he sent a letter earlier saying that there is no need to clean up the prey in the forest. They cleaned up only the hares and fawns, not to spoil people's interest.

The cleared area was more than three acres, and there were only a few boys who were strengthening the fence and sorting out the dead branches, most of them were on the side near the camp.

Ning Yan said that he loosened his muscles and bones, but he didn't actually run, but just walked slowly while holding the reins.

"My uncle and I have supported each other since we were young, so naturally it will only get better day by day." Ning Yan smiled lazily: "It was in the past, and it will be in the future."

Xie Jue blinked, and instinctively felt that the taste of these words was a bit wrong, but he carefully looked at Ning Yan's expression, but felt that His Majesty's face was no longer upright.

Xie Jue smacked this sentence again inexplicably, but he still couldn't taste a specific taste.

"Uncle is coming back this time, can Dr. Cheng follow?" Seeing that the two of them had finished speaking, Jing Zhan interjected, "If you come back, can you spare time to see me? There was a case of a case a few days ago I have been unable to make up my mind, and Master is not at home, so I happened to ask Dr. Cheng for advice."

"Of course I followed." Xie Jue raised his eyebrows, without turning his back on Ning Yan, and said carelessly: "And didn't your majesty say that this time Dongshou can bring suitable family members with him, so he followed me coming."

Ning Yan is already used to him talking about the virtues of his family members—Your Majesty sighed in his heart, wondering if he was destined for this fate, and the ministers who had broken sleeves around him were all righteous, Xie Jue was, and so was Jiang Xiaohan. It's just sleeves, as if wishing to make it known all over the city.

Jing Zhan was more used to it than Ning Yan. He didn't even sigh, nodded without changing his expression, and said, "I'll bother you later."

"It's easy to talk about." Xie Jue agreed with all his heart: "He likes to read things like these pulse cases and prescriptions, and he will definitely be happy. Let me tell you, these things look similar, and I don't know what looks good."

"Speaking of this, Chief He of the Supreme Hospital has always valued Dr. Cheng, and he has recruited him several times overtly and secretly." Ning Yan continued the conversation and said, "It's just that he doesn't seem to be interested in the palace?"

"It's not that he doesn't want to come. Xiao Yuan said that he is still young, so it's better to have a lot of experience in the Taiyuan Hospital. He wants to practice outside for a few years." Speaking of Cheng Yuan, Xie Jue's expression softened. He pursed his lips, unconsciously. He smiled a little and said, "There hasn't been much war in the past few years. He often goes out for free clinics in border towns, and he sees more difficult and miscellaneous diseases."

"That's true. Any minor illness or disaster in the palace is a big deal. If you have nothing to do, you have to find something to make a fuss about. It's not as good as outside." Ning Yan joked: "But since you're here, you have to ask for help." Do some coolies... Doctor Cheng, if you are free, please go and ask Prince Gong for a pulse."

"That's natural, it should be." Xie Jue said quickly.

The Xie family was in decline back then, and Ning Huaijin also helped Jiang Xiaohan to go to the Xie family. Although taking him in was a little effort, Xie Jue always remembered this point of affection very clearly.

After talking, the three of them had already rode out of the circled open space.The pasture piled with dead branches was left behind by them, except for the imperial guards who followed Ning Yan far behind, there were no idlers waiting.

Qin Liu, who was the leader, was silent and reticent. He didn't know what habit made it so, and even the sound of his own horse's hooves merged with Ning Yan's mount.He led five or six imperial guards far behind Ning Yan and the others. He was as silent as a shadow. If he didn't pay attention, he might even forget that there was such a person behind him.

Xie Jue glanced at Qin Liu inadvertently by getting on his horse earlier, and there was a sense in his heart. Now he doesn't look back, and concentrates on walking with Ning Yan, just pretending that there is no such person behind him.

After leaving the pasture, he entered the forest outside in a few steps.There is a unique scene in the forest farm in winter. The snow that fell a few days ago has not yet melted, and it fell heavily on the pine branches, freezing the pine branches in the ice.

The trees in the forest were not neatly planted, and some of the slanting branches grew shorter, and it was inevitable that some of them would be scratched when horses passed by, and snow foam and ice balls would rustle down.

Ning Yan didn't care, holding the rein with one hand, he pulled out the long knife hanging on the horse's back and held it in his hand, reaching out from time to time to cut off the branches in front of him.

The forest is quiet, and because it is winter, there are very few birdsongs, and only occasionally a few sparrows can be seen flying through the forest, coming and going in a hurry, running around for some grass seed rations.

"Zhaoming." Ning Yan called out Xie Jue's name instead, and asked, "How has the frontier been in recent years?"

"There have been wars in the frontier year after year, but they are not serious, and have never encountered a border town," Xie Jue said. The horse happened to be hit by broken ice, and he flicked his tail a little restlessly.Xie Jue was afraid that it would run ahead of Ning Yan, so he tightened the reins quickly, and then continued: "The Xiongnu live on pastures and herding sheep. Every winter, the pastures turn yellow and the Zimu River freezes. It is difficult for them to survive in winter, and there is no guarantee that they will give birth. The heart of robbery will attack the rich villages near the border city."

"This matter has been repeatedly banned, but it's okay after we have a patrol team, and we won't lose too much." Xie Jue has been staying in the border town for these years, guarding the Shule River to deal with foreigners, and he is familiar with these things. : "It's just that the patrol team can't keep an eye on the village all the time. Sometimes they go there late. Although they can recover part of the money and food, the village will inevitably suffer disaster. So sometimes, some villages with more money and food are in order to avoid harassment. Then they will put some rice grains at the entrance of the village on their own initiative—those foreigners are also afraid of the patrol team, so they will not embarrass the village when they see this, and they will leave after taking it.”

Ning Yan frowned when he heard the words, and said in a bad tone, "How can I pay tribute to foreigners when I am a courtier?"

Xie Jue knew that he wouldn't feel comfortable hearing these words - no emperor would be comfortable either.

But there is no way, this is the truth after all, the frontier has always been like this, it has been like this for decades, Ning Yan must be clear in his heart, and it is impossible to hide it.

"Other than that, there will be no more serious battles," Xie Jue said.

Ning Yan clutched the reins and didn't speak for a while.

He exerted a little more strength in his hands, and the horse under him stopped in pain.Seeing this, Jing Zhan and Xie Jue behind him stopped their horses one after the other, only waiting for Ning Yan to speak.

Xie Jue stood on the left side of Ning Yan and looked at his little majesty for a while.

The last time he returned to Beijing was three years ago. At that time, Ning Yan lost his childishness. He sat on the high dragon chair with his toes barely able to touch the feet underneath. No matter how steady and polite he is, he still looks like a child.

But three years later, the older child at that time has completely transformed into a handsome young man, the childlike curvature of his face has completely disappeared, and his stature has risen a lot, as if he is almost as tall as him.

To be an emperor, clothes and accessories must be prudent on weekdays - Ning Yan is no exception.

His clothes are mainly black, and occasionally he will wear brighter colors when the weather is good or when he is in a good mood.When he was young, he didn't like goldware, nor did he like jewelry, so most of them would only be decorated with silverware or jade.

Ning Yan has just turned sixteen and has not reached the crown yet. Now he only uses a jade hairpin to tie up his hair, and his whole body looks a little plain.

He lowered his head slightly, pursing his lips and thinking about something thoughtfully.

The horse flicked its tail uneasily under his seat, Ning Yan held the rein in one hand, and held the saber in the other hand, the tip of the knife was hanging down casually. It quickly slid down the blood groove, and a small splash of water quietly fell on the ground.

Jing Zhan might not be able to sense it, but Xie Jue could easily see a trace of sharp murderous aura from him after fighting in the barracks like this.

Ning Yan was obviously raised by Ning Huaijin, but his temperament is not quite like him, Xie Jue thought with interest.Now if there is anyone in the court who treats Ning Yan as a child, they are either idiots with a vegetarian diet, or they have to wait to be eaten until there is no bone left.

So Xie Jue raised his eyebrows, and said bluntly: "Excuse me, your Majesty wants to do it once and for all."

Jing Zhan was stunned.

Ning Yan came back to his senses, turned around on his horse, and looked at Xie Jue.

He looked very calm, but his eyes were very bright, with a firm and deep ferocity, as sharp as a green blade drawn out of its scabbard.

"Under the couch, how can you allow others to snore?" But his tone was very relaxed, no different from the usual chats when he was wrapped in a blanket and warmed up by the fire: "But if you want to solve the long-term worries, you must first calm down the near-term worries." Okay. The matter of the border town is Shen Ke who has accumulated for many years, and there is no way to solve it for a while."

"Your Majesty is right." Xie Jue said.

How can Jing Zhan not understand the meaning of Ning Yan's words. Since ancient times, no emperor did not want to make some achievements to be recorded in the annals of history when he was in power.

"But then again, since there is nothing wrong with the frontier, Zhaoming will stay in Beijing for a while longer." Ning Yan said: "The frontier is bitterly cold, and you haven't taken a rest these years, so you have a good rest in Beijing for a few months. There are a few good Zhuangzi outside Beijing, and I will give you one when I return to Beijing, and I will take Dr. Cheng to have a good time."