The Ming Dynasty started with caution

When Yan Chengjin entered the palace, he saw a huge Siberian tiger in a wooden cage in the courtyard of the Meridian Gate.

From time to time, there was a low roar like an emperor's engine.

His Majesty has never been interested in silver-eating beasts with big appetites, so where did the Siberian tiger come from?

"Get out of the way, I will feed it myself." Zhu Houzhao was anxious.

The eunuchs in the East Palace, with expressions as if they had just been castrated yesterday, knelt down and cried: "Your Highness, please leave the palace, or go to Liangxiang. This beast has not eaten for a few days and will bite people to death."

It was transported all the way back from the northeast, and it was rarely allowed to eat.

Its appetite was huge, and it was afraid that it would starve to death. After it was sent to the palace, the eunuch dragged a piece of pork meat to feed it.

Zhu Houzhao dragged the pig to the cage, but found that the grille was too small to fit in.

He pulled out a knife, cut the meat into small pieces, and threw it into the cage.

The Siberian tiger smelled blood but couldn't eat meat, so it became irritable. It crashed a few times and broke the wooden cage and ran out.

Wow~

Yan Chengjin wanted to join in the fun, but when he was ten steps away, the tiger ran out of the cage.

He wanted to run, but he heard Zhu Houzhao's exclamation.

This guy was closest to the tiger and had more than ten pounds of pork in his hand.

"Run, run, your highness?"

"Go and report to your majesty, the big insect ran out."

The little eunuch rolled and crawled, running around.

Zhu Houzhao's Adam's apple moved, squatted down, and called to the tiger affectionately: "Dad, are you hungry?"

Yan Chengjin's face was full of black lines, "Your highness, what are you doing?"

"Even tigers don't eat their own cubs." Zhu Houzhao took courage and said to the eunuch who was frightened beside him: "Hurry up and call dad."

"..." Yan Chengjin.

He couldn't run now, although he practiced short-distance and long-distance running every day and was as fast as the wind.

But tigers would chase those who run.

At this time, Zhu Houzhao and the three young eunuchs were all beside the tiger. For the sake of prudence, it was safest to stay still.

His Majesty knew that the tiger would run out, and he would definitely send people to encircle and suppress it. The tiger's attention would be distracted, and it would be safe to run at that time.

Moreover, Zhu Houzhao was here, and he couldn't run away... If His Majesty knew...

The young eunuch rushed into the Fengtian Hall like a madman, gasping for breath: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty is not good!"

Xiao Jing scolded: "How dare you break in without reporting!"

"Your Majesty is not good, the big tiger has run out, Your Highness, Your Highness is next to the tiger cage, you can't run away..." The young eunuch said anxiously.

Emperor Hongzhi was so scared that cold sweat suddenly broke out.

Li Dongyang and others were shocked. Although the queen was pregnant with another child, but...

"Hurry to the Meridian Gate!"

Emperor Hongzhi stumbled, and with the support of Xiao Jing, he walked down the steps and ran towards the Meridian Gate. He walked too fast and lost one of his shoes.

Li Dongyang and others followed behind, holding the crown.

When he ran to the Meridian Gate, he saw the tiger next to Zhu Houzhao. From a distance, it looked like it was eating Zhu Houzhao.

The Hongzhi Emperor felt weak and almost fainted.

Although he usually punished him, it was out of love.

Qin Hong was sharp-eyed and said hurriedly: "Your Majesty, don't panic. This tiger is eating meat. Bring a knife and I will chop it!"

Whose meat is it eating? The Hongzhi Emperor's heart was like being hit hard by a sledgehammer and shattered into pieces.

The tiger was eating pork meat and was about to finish. Zhu Houzhao didn't dare to move and called him dad again.

The tiger seemed to have a spirit and ignored his son.

"Beast, give me your life."

Yan Chengjin turned his head slightly and saw Qin Hong holding two embroidered spring knives in his hands and chopped it over.

I heard that Wu Song had fought tigers countless times, but this was the first time I watched it live.

Qin Hong was worthy of being the Minister of War recommended by him. He was knocked away in the first round. However, he was courageous and skilled, and seemed to be immortal.

The guards held weapons and dared not go up.

"Protect the emperor, protect the emperor, hey, quickly bring our bow!"

Yan Chengjin saw Xiao Jing standing on the imperial steps, with Emperor Hongzhi and Li Dongyang and others beside him.

The tiger pounced on Qin Hong, but Qin Hong dodged it and chopped the tiger's back with a knife.

Swish!

Swish!

Several arrows were accurately shot on the tiger's neck.

Xiao Jing's archery skills were one in a thousand, comparable to Wang Shouren. It seems that he will have to escort him out of the palace more often in the future.

Yan Chengjin saw Xiao Jing holding a bow and standing on the imperial steps and couldn't help thinking.

Qin Hong chopped several times in succession, and the last knife stabbed deep into the tiger's belly and killed it.

"Your Highness, are you okay? Are you injured?"

Zhu Houzhao said happily: "Master Qin is mighty! It's just... a pity for this tiger."

Yan Chengjin stepped forward: "It's not a pity, I'll take it back to your house to soak in wine."

The air was quiet for a few seconds.

Yan Chengjin asked again: "Where did the tiger come from?"

"My Lord Yan, it was the goods sent back to Beijing by Commander Zhang Tianxiang, and it was a tribute from the Jurchen envoys." The eunuch said after regaining his normal color.

The Jurchens lived in Liaodong and hunted for health.

They often hunted tigers and leopards, so it was not uncommon to send a Northeast tiger as a tribute to the court.

Zhu Houzhao looked at Yan Chengjin and was surprised: "Big insects can also be soaked in wine? Is it delicious?"

Qin Hong rolled his eyes at him, dropped his knife, and bowed slightly to Emperor Hongzhi.

Yan Chengjin and the eunuchs saluted one after another. They saved Zhu Houzhao's life. Qin Hong made a big profit this time.

Emperor Hongzhi looked nervous and looked at Qin Hong and asked, "How is Qin Qing's family? Is he injured?"

"Your Majesty, it's just a minor injury. I'm fine." Qin Hong said.

Zhu Houzhao was worried that his father would not beat him to death, so he took the initiative to say, "Father, don't blame me. It was the loose cage that allowed the tiger to break free. I wanted to study in the Zhanshi Mansion."

The House of the Imperial Household and the Six Ministries are close to each other, so there is nothing wrong with walking from here.

Emperor Hongzhi was furious: "You think I don't know? Kneel aside! Without my order, you are not allowed to get up until dawn."

After that, Emperor Hongzhi continued: "Go get a book for the prince!"

"What does your son want a book for?" Zhu Houzhao blinked.

"Don't neglect your studies!"

"..." Zhu Houzhao.

A moment later, Fengtian Hall.

Yan Chengjin estimated the time. It would take two months for Zhu Hui to go to Korea and another two months to train the soldiers.

According to the time, we should prepare to attack Jianzhou.

Jianzhou must have received the news and then paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty to seek asylum.

"Zhang Tianxiang is really too reckless. If it weren't for Lord Qin, the consequences would be disastrous."

"Your Majesty, the tiger cage was made by the Jurchens. It was bumpy along the way and the cage frame was loose. I'm afraid Zhang Tianxiang didn't expect it."

The censors disagreed and gave advice one after another.

Emperor Hongzhi sat on the throne, thinking of what happened just now, he still felt a little scared. If it weren't for the pork, the prince would have been buried in the tiger's belly.

However, Yan Chengjin is also worthy of praise.

This boy has always been timid and cautious, but he didn't run away alone when he saw the big insect.

Looking at Yan Chengjin, he couldn't help but feel a little more relieved.

"Zhang Tianxiang must... have never expected that the big insect would escape from the cage, so I won't pursue this matter." Emperor Hongzhi said lightly: "The merits and demerits offset each other, and I don't want to reward him."

Jiao Fang bowed his head slightly, and Zhang Tianxiang ordered someone to send him a secret letter.

But in the current situation, how can he ask for credit for Zhang Tianxiang?

Liu Jian nodded slightly. It was a mercy not to punish such a big thing.

At this moment, a voice that was neither hurried nor slow sounded from the direction of the Censorate: "Your Majesty, I beg you to thoroughly investigate Zhang Tianxiang."

The case of Zhang Tianxiang's false credit was extremely lively in history.

He didn't kill the bandits, but the people in the border areas. He took their heads and pretended to be a military merit to the court.

In the Ming Dynasty, such pretending to be a military merit happened from time to time in the nine borders.

As an imperial censor, he exposed this matter, which was another great achievement.

I just don't know if Your Majesty can bear it?

Jiao Fang looked at Yan Chengjin with a gloomy face: "Lord Yan's words are absurd. Zhang Tianxiang killed the bandits. What can be investigated? And Your Majesty has said that the merits and demerits offset each other."

If this boy really investigates, he will definitely find the secret letter and the bribes he received.

He suddenly became uneasy.

Yan Chengjin turned a deaf ear: "The Jurchens make a living by hunting and fighting tigers and leopards. They are naturally brave and good at fighting. The envoys' convoy is at least more than 200 people. It was hijacked by 38 bandits. Your Majesty and the gentlemen don't think it's strange?"

Liu Jian's face changed slightly. This boy made sense, but he missed it.

Li Dongyang and others had different expressions.

Emperor Hongzhi froze like an insect in amber, and at this moment he was also thinking deeply.

Yan Chengjin knew that they didn't think of taking credit for it. These dark histories were probably only known by Wang Yue.

"The Censorate ordered people to go to Ningyuan for a thorough investigation." Emperor Hongzhi had a bad feeling.

Coming out of the Fengtian Hall.

Yan Chengjin saw a solitary figure, Zhu Houzhao kneeling in the courtyard of the Meridian Gate, holding up a book and reading.

"Lao Gao?!"

"Your Highness, recite the book well, I am leaving the palace."

Zhu Houzhao threw the book away, stood up as if no one was around, and said happily: "You are going to brew tiger wine? I will go and see it too."