Chapter 347: The Capital Camp
On the second day, when Ou Zanghua was halfway on his way to the Qianqing Palace, he received a piece of news that was both expected and unreasonable.

Emperor Zhengde did not come to the Qianqing Palace to handle government affairs as usual yesterday. Instead, he immediately returned to the Leopard Room after the morning court session.

Ou Zanghua couldn't help but think of Yang Tinghe and Fei Hong who hurried to the Qianqing Palace yesterday. They had originally thought that they could take this opportunity to discuss state affairs with the emperor, but they did not expect this result. It is predictable how helpless the two were.

When he was about to go to the Leopard House, he was unexpectedly stopped by Sanhe, a deputy general under Qiu Yue, who respectfully said, "General Sanhe pays respects to Lord Ou. The Marquis has been waiting for a long time in Bianyifang."

Ou Zanghua was stunned, and looked up at the sky, then he noticed that it was already noon. He sighed and said, "Hey, Mr. Gao, let's follow Sanhe!"

"Yes, son."

Under the guidance of Sanhe, Ou Zanghua's carriage shuttled through the intricate streets and alleys, and finally stopped in front of a quaint and narrow alley.

Mu Gaoweng looked at the narrow passage ahead that was only wide enough for two people to pass through, and had no choice but to say to Ou Zanghua, "Sir, the road ahead is too narrow, and the carriage can't go in."

"It's okay, park the carriage aside, Mr. Gao, please walk with me." Ou Zanghua walked out of the carriage and said calmly.

"Yes!"

Mu Gaoong handed the carriage to the guard and followed Ou Zanghua into the narrow alley.

Inside the alley, the walls on both sides are mottled, and occasionally there can be heard the sounds of children playing and hawkers shouting in the distance, creating a beautiful picture of city life.

Ou Zanghua and Mu Gaoweng walked through the crowd at a moderate pace.

As we continued to go deeper along the winding path, we could smell a fragrance, a unique mixture of the aroma of oil and fruit wood, which made us salivate with just the smell.

Soon, the group finally arrived in front of a somewhat old courtyard. On the lintel hung a slightly mottled plaque with the three characters "Bian Yi Fang" inscribed on it. It was obvious at a glance that it was written by an old scholar.

Sanhe took a few steps forward and knocked gently on the wooden door.

Soon, the door opened slightly, and a middle-aged man stood inside. He had a single eye that was deep and sharp. He glanced at everyone coldly, then bowed and said, "I am honored to meet General Sanhe."

"Uncle Li, please don't be polite to me," Sanhe smiled back, then stepped aside to let Ou Zanghua pass, "This is the honored guest of the Marquis, Lord Ou, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and the Chancellor of the Chancellery."

Hearing this, a trace of surprise flashed across the eyes of the one-eyed man, Uncle Li, and then he quickly lowered his head and saluted, saying, "I am honored to see Lord Ou. Please come in."

Led by Uncle Li, the group walked through the porch and entered a farm-style courtyard with firewood piled in the corner and several water jars on the other side.

Next to a busy oven on one side, the firelight illuminated a burly figure, who was turning the tools in his hands with great concentration.

Ou Zanghua took a closer look and was shocked. Isn't this the Marquis of Xianning?
Why are you making roast duck here?
Qiu Yue heard the noise, looked back and said, "You came at the right time!"

As he spoke, he suddenly picked up the rotating tool, which turned out to be a long stick with four roast ducks skewered on it.

He held the long stick horizontally, and under the influence of inertia, the four roast ducks slid onto the plate.

Then Qiu Yue transformed his stick into a sword, and rushed forward with a slip of his feet, using a chopping and slashing sword move. When the shadows of the sticks intersected, it seemed as if there were sword beams radiating in all directions, which was truly magnificent.

Upon seeing this, Ou Zanghua's eyes became stern, and then he slightly turned his body and kicked the hilt of the Sanhe sword accurately.

The long sword hummed and flew out in response, transforming into a ray of cold light, just in time to block Qiu Yue's powerful blow. The tip of the sword touched the end of the stick, stirring up circles of energy ripples visible to the naked eye.

Seeing this, Qiu Yue's eyes glowed even brighter, his fighting spirit was high, his moves became more domineering, his continuous chops came like a surging tide, his sticks shadows were heavy, and every blow contained the power to split mountains and rocks.

After Ou Zanghua was hit by two consecutive sticks, he felt his arms were numb from the shock. When facing the third stick, he decisively used Tai Chi sword to relieve the force.

With a dull thud, the stick hit the ground. The spectators only felt their feet vibrate. They looked at each other in shock, unable to imagine that the stick could be so heavy.

No wonder almost no one on the battlefield can survive three moves from the Marquis. With this kind of strength, any ordinary person would die if he were to take it.

Then, everyone looked at Lord Ou with admiration. He actually took two hits from such a heavy stick.

This is what is called a man of all trades and talents!
"Qing Ou Keqing has great skills." Qiu Yue put the iron stick away and said gently.

Ou Zanghua returned the sword to Sanhe, rubbing his arm which was slightly sore from the previous confrontation, and said modestly: "My Lord, you are too kind. If you hadn't shown mercy, I'm afraid I would have been unable to resist."

"You are wrong. I did not hold back." Qiu Yue shook his head and then said, "Come! Try my cooking skills."

Qiu Yue led Ou Zanghua to the table and introduced: "I discovered this shop by chance when I first came to Beijing. At first I was attracted by the aroma, but after tasting it, I found it was indeed extraordinary. Later I learned that the ancestors of the owner of this shop migrated from Yingtian Prefecture with Emperor Taizong. His roast duck has been passed down for a hundred years and has a unique taste."

"Because the food tastes good and is cheap, over time, the restaurants and big businesses around here started calling this shop Bian Yi Fang."

At this point, Qiu Yue couldn't help but sigh: "When I have nothing to do on weekdays, I like to come here and sit and taste this flavor. After a long time, I just learned this craft."

Then, Qiu Yue personally cut a roast duck for Ou Zanghua. The golden and crispy duck skin, paired with the tender and juicy duck meat, was fragrant and mouth-watering.

Ou Zanghua took the roast duck, took a bite, and immediately his mouth was filled with fragrance. He couldn't help but exclaimed: "It is really a delicacy. Lord, please roast two more and I will take them back for my family to taste."

"Okay!" Qiu Yue agreed with a smile.

After they finished eating a roast duck, Sanhe came over with a jar of wine and poured a glass for each of them.

After Qiu Yue finished drinking it in one gulp, he looked at Ou Zanghua and asked, "What does Ou Keqing think about the Beijing Camp issue?"

"I have never led troops from the Beijing camp, so it is difficult for me to comment." Ou Zanghua thought for a while before speaking.

Qiu Yue tore off a duck leg and said calmly, "After the national disaster at Tumu Fort, the Beijing Camp suffered heavy losses and lost its glory. Later, Yu Shaobao reorganized the three camps, but their combat effectiveness is not as good as before. If the orthodox emperor caused the three camps to suffer heavy losses, then the one who really ruined the three camps was the late emperor."

Ou Zanghua's face changed. Not to mention now, even after hundreds of years, Emperor Hongzhi's reputation would be among the top among the sixteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty. When talking about Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, everyone praised him for his loyalty and for being with one person for his whole life. But for a feudal dynasty, this was not a good thing.

Another one is the famous "Hongzhi Restoration". This is the leader of the restoration, who can't help but praise him!

You should know that the current ministers in the court and the three big bosses of the cabinet all came from Emperor Hongzhi, and the majority of the six ministers were also from the Hongzhi dynasty.

Among the civil and military officials above the fourth rank, only Ou Zanghua and Qiu Yue truly belonged to the Zhengde Dynasty.

The first number one scholar in the Zhengde period, Lu Tan, and the second number one scholar, Yang Shen, are currently still working as editors in the Hanlin Academy.

This also explains why Emperor Zhengde had difficulty in taking any step in the court and could only rely on eunuchs to slowly take back some power.

Under such circumstances, Qiu Yue actually dared to say that the person who abolished the three camps was Emperor Hongzhi. This was not just a matter of courage, but also that he regarded Ou Zanghua as his own.

"Why do you say that, Lord Marquis?" Ou Zanghua collected his thoughts and his expression became serious.

"Four words: conscription to the Beijing camp." Qiu Yue looked at Ou Zanghua's concerned look and his expression softened a little.

If he had just stood up and left, it would mean that Your Majesty had trusted the wrong person.

Fortunately, Ou Zanghua did not disappoint His Majesty!
(End of this chapter)