Chapter 375 The Enemy Before Our Eyes
In the Leopard Room, Emperor Zhengde was slowly flipping through a book. After an unknown amount of time, he put the book down and looked at Ou Zanghua and asked, "What do you think of these Portuguese people?"

After saying the name, Emperor Zhengde had a strange expression on his face. How could there be a country in the world named after a fruit?

This is too ridiculous!

They are indeed barbarians.

"Your Majesty, whether it is the Portuguese, the Portuguese, or even the Moses, they are all foreign races to the Ming Dynasty." Ou Zanghua stood straight and said indifferently: "Those who are not of our race must have different hearts."

Emperor Zhengde looked at the completed "Map of Europe" and asked hesitantly, "What Mr. Ou said is quite novel to me. Could it be that these small countries far away across the ocean and seemingly insignificant can pose a threat to our Ming Dynasty like Mongolia?"

Ou Zanghua's expression became more solemn when he heard this. He bowed and answered carefully, "Your Majesty is wise, but the world is unpredictable, and the strong and weak are not static. If our dynasty is complacent with the glory of the past and does not make progress, the changes in the future will be difficult to predict."

"As your majesty said, the Mongols were famous for their bravery and fighting skills in the past. However, although our army in the capital of the Ming Dynasty does not have the legacy of ancient famous generals like the Shen Ce Army of the Tang Dynasty, it is able to make the powerful enemies of the past flee with its powerful weapons such as the mother-and-child cannon and the Shenwei cannon. This is not a victory of manpower, but the result of technological advancement and the strength of the country."

"So I think," Ou Zanghua continued, "Although the European countries are far away, their internal changes are changing with each passing day, and they have strengths in technology, trade, and military. If our dynasty still does not care about the outside world and is unaware of the changes in the outside world, it is inevitable that one day, these seemingly insignificant small countries will bring humiliation to the Ming Dynasty in ways that we have never expected."

"Um"

After hearing this, Emperor Zhengde couldn't help but laugh and said, "Mr. Ou, you are worrying too much! How long do you mean by one day? One hundred years? Two hundred years? Five hundred years? That's too far away. The most important thing right now is Mongolia."

As he spoke, Emperor Zhengde stood up, handed a memorial on the table to Ou Zanghua, and continued: "This Borjigin Batumengke is a talent."

"In his early years, under the leadership of Manduhai, he led troops to conquer the Oirat, forced them to move westward, and eliminated the threat from the west. After he became an adult, he focused on cracking down on powerful officials of different surnames who usurped power. In the fifth year of Zhengde, he successively eliminated Yismain and Huoshai, defeated the right-wing separatist forces Yibula and Mandulai Agulehu, and unified the various tribes of Eastern Mongolia. He abolished the positions of Taishi, Prime Minister, Zhiyuan and Yushitai, and restored the system of Yuan Taizu. His ambition was obvious."

Emperor Zhengde pointed to the memorial and said seriously: "He is a hero, but we are enemies. If we don't get rid of him, he will become a threat to the Ming Dynasty in the future. Mr. Ou, this is the formidable enemy right before our eyes. Portugal and Portugal should all be put aside."

Ou Zanghua was stunned for a moment, then he thought of many things. He sighed secretly, bowed and said, "Your Majesty is right. I am sorry for what you said."

"Haha, this is the Ou Qing I'm familiar with!"

Emperor Zhengde smiled with satisfaction, and then said: "I have issued an edict, ordering the three camps to be fully staffed as soon as possible. First is the 3,000-man camp, led by Qiu Yueqing. He has already completed the personnel, and now has 6,000 cavalry."

"What needs to be replenished now is the Fifth Army Camp and the Divine Machine Camp. I have handed over the manufacturing of various artillery pieces to Wang Chengwu, and he will serve as the military officer, and his disciples will serve as the chief officers. So far, Wang Qing has done a good job."

"There are some problems in the Fifth Army Camp. There are too many vacancies and it will take some time to fill them. Originally, I planned to let Zhang Lun take over the Fifth Army Camp, but after experiencing Zhu Lin's incident, I feel a little uncomfortable with these nobles."

Zhang Lun is the grandson of Zhang Mao, the second Duke of England. He was designated as the third Duke of England at an early time. He was once a good friend and sparring partner of Boss Zhu, so naturally their relationship was much closer than that of Zhu Lin.

Ou Zanghua stood aside in silence for a moment before recommending: "Your Majesty, I recommend Zuo Lengchan, the commander of Luoyang Guard and captain of Songshan Guard. He is a man of outstanding martial arts and courage. He has made many outstanding achievements on the battlefield and is fearless of life and death. He is truly a rare talent in the army. If he and the elite soldiers of Songshan Guard under his command can be transferred to the Fifth Army Camp, it will surely be even more powerful and enhance the combat effectiveness of the Beijing Camp."

"Zuo Lengchan! I remember him. Qiu Qing also mentioned him. He is indeed a brave general."

Emperor Zhengde thought for a while and said, "Then transfer all the Songshan Guards to the Beijing Camp!"

Upon hearing this, Ou Zanghua immediately smiled. With Lao Zuo and the talented people from the Songshan School coming to the capital, his home would be more lively again.

Afterwards, Ou Zanghua advised Emperor Zhengde to hold a court meeting. It had been almost two months since the last morning court meeting, and everyone missed their boss.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhengde smiled slightly, showing his imperial demeanor, and immediately agreed: "My dear minister, what you said is very true. I am very pleased. Next time, I will live up to your expectations and personally preside over the court meeting to discuss state affairs with you ministers."

When Ou Zanghua heard this, he felt that this was a bit too familiar.
When Ou Zanghua recommended Zuo Lengchan to Emperor Zhengde, the old Zuo in Luoyang was smiling and receiving the family of Zhao Tongpan, discussing the marriage.

Zhao Tongpan's two sons and two daughters, the eldest son Zhao Pengshan and the second son Zhao Penghong also came together.

Both parties were very satisfied with the marriage and discussed choosing an auspicious date to hold the wedding.

Tang Ying'e, who was sitting nearby, flipped through the calendar and noticed a date. He smiled and suggested, "Brother, I think July 19th is a good day for getting married, traveling, and offering sacrifices."

Zuo Lengchan looked at Zhao Tongpan and asked gently, "What do you think, Brother Zhao?"

Judge Zhao stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Haha, Brother Zuo will decide on this matter. I will fully support it."

He had already inquired with his colleagues and had confirmed without a doubt that this Zuo Tongzhi and Lord Ou, an important official in the court and the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites and the Chancellor of the Imperial Household, were indeed close friends.

For him, this background undoubtedly provides an additional option for his family and even his two sons, which is of great benefit.

As for Zuo Ting, he had heard of him a long time ago. He was a kind person and cared about his daughter, which made him quite satisfied.

He had also heard of the girl from the Wang family. She was just having some teenage sentiments that would not affect his daughter.

"Then it's decided!"

Zuo Lengchan clapped his hands happily, and turned his gaze to his fellow apprentices present, his tone full of expectation, "We must make this marriage a grand occasion, and invite everyone we can!"

"Yes!"

Tang Ying'e, Ding Mian, and Lu Bai responded in unison: "Brother, please relax, we will definitely help you with all our strength!"

At this moment, Zuo Ting was in the backyard, alone with Zhao Hongxiu. The two had known each other before, but this was the first time they were alone like this.

Zuo Ting looked at Zhao Hongxiu. Although she did not have a stunning appearance like Wang Xiaoliu, she had a gentle temperament. The softness in her words made him feel very comfortable.

Talking about beauty.
Zuo Ting's thoughts could not help but drift to the experience of being taken to Baihua Tower by Master Fei. It seemed like a fantasy land full of flowers, and the women were all showing their charms, some were sweet and lovely, some were playful and smart, some were bright and shining, and there were also some who were extremely charming, in various poses, blooming in competition. And they were very active, which scared him so much that he used Qinggong to escape.

Since then, Zuo Ting's expectations of a partner have quietly changed.

He increasingly felt that a lady like Zhao Hongxiu, who came from a prominent family, had dignified manners and elegant temperament, was his ideal partner.

After all, appearance fades with age, but inner temperament and knowledge are like aged wine, which becomes more fragrant and intoxicating with time.

As for Uncle Fei, after the trip to Baihua Tower, he was severely punished by his father for taking him to the brothel without permission. He was hung on a beam and whipped, and then sent back to Songshan, which made him feel guilty for a long time.

"Mr. Zuo," Zhao Hongxiu looked at Zuo Ting and said seriously, "If you have someone you like, tell me and I will convince my father. It's not too late now. After you get married, you can't change it."

Zuo Ting looked at Zhao Hongxiu and said seriously, "Miss Zhao, we are married according to our parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. You are my wife!"

(End of this chapter)