While Xiao Ruxun's army was attacking the capital with a hot heart in the cold wind, the capital, which was also in the cold wind, had no equally hot heart.

After the capital was in chaos due to Li Hualong's defeat on October 10, the capital entered the third blockade of martial law, with soldiers all over the ground, and the people were careful, and even the literati dared not act too arrogantly.

The Jinyiwei's sense of oppression has also become very great. At every turn, Jinyiwei in flying fish suits will take some people away from the street. She looks fierce and evil, which is really terrifying, but this is just the norm.

In recent days, the people of the capital have obviously felt that they have bought things much more expensive. Not only are the prices of oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, etc., but even the most important rice and grain prices have become more expensive. Many small rice and grain stores are no longer open, and only some larger stores are still open.

The price of rice and grain has doubled from the end of September to mid-October, which has made many ordinary people very puzzled and dissatisfied. Even some scholars with relatively poor living are dissatisfied with this, but they have no choice but to buy it. If they don’t buy it, they will have no choice but to eat it.

Compared with food, other things are also rising prices, quietly rising. Five cents, ten cents, fifteen cents, which seems not much, but it is rising every day. In this way, people gradually find that their savings are not enough. Although martial law has been lifted, their living plan has been greatly hindered.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Canal cannot operate, and there is no place to replenish supplies. People who are struggling to eat have no place to eat. These idle and strong men have no place to eat and make trouble. They make trouble every few days, and finally they kill three leaders in the street for a team of Jinyiwei to pacify.

But even so, even if the most violent means are used to suppress these unrest and dissatisfaction, the anger in people's hearts will not disappear, but will be hidden deep, but it still exists. For such a crisis, Xiao Daheng, who often patrolls the capital, is not unaware of it.

He was the one who brought the Jinyiwei to calm the troubles of those strong men. He saw people's fear and cowardice on the spot, but also the anger hidden in it. He knew that all this was temporary at the moment, but once the situation continued to deteriorate, it would become out of control.

Since the martial law in the capital was lifted on October 15, he has been constantly persuading Shen Yiguan to immediately send 30,000 elite troops under the command of Gansu General Da Yun to resist Xiao Ruxun's advance north, and once again tried to take the initiative to fight for strategic initiative instead of trapping the capital, but Shen Yiguan has not made a clear reply.

It was not until October 25, the day when Xiao Ruxun vowed to the Northern Expedition in Nanjing that Shen Yiguan met with Daheng Xiao.

"The situation at the moment is very bad, and the capital is becoming increasingly unstable. Although you have your order, prices are still rising uncontrollably. Behind them are those nobles and some ministers pushing them. When the country is in danger, these bastards are still making money in the national crisis. How can we ignore it?"

As soon as he saw Shen Yiguan, Xiao Daheng couldn't help speaking in a strong tone and fierce wording.

He couldn't help but feel anger in his heart.

Shen Yiguan, who was at the desk to approve the official documents, was as calm as ever. He just looked at Daheng Xiao silently and continued to lower his head to approve the official documents.

"Prime Minister! You can't continue like this, otherwise even if Xiao Zhe cannot continue to go north, we will be trapped in the capital. Now Dayun's 30,000 Gansu soldiers are a big amount of daily food and drink. The food in the capital is decreasing, and we will not be able to stabilize prices if this continues!"

"knew."

Chen Yiguan said calmly: "Xia Qing, you are so old, why can't you hold your breath? Isn't this kind of thing expected? You understand, I understand, why do you need to make a fuss?"

"Fuss?"

Xiao Daheng said in confusion: "This is a big matter related to the life and death of the Ming Dynasty! Chief Minister, we cannot continue to let them go, and the 30,000 elite troops cannot be placed in the capital without moving. We should immediately organize troops to go south to suppress the thieves again!"

"Of course, you need to suppress the thieves, but it's not now. You have other things to do now."

As Chen Yiguan said that, he took out a stack of invitations from a box on his right hand.

"Take this away."

Chen Yiguan handed the invitation to Daheng Xiao.

"This is?"

After looking at the stack of invitations, Xiao Daheng found that they were all invitations sent to the martial arts masters in the capital, such as the British Duke Dingguo Duke Wuning Duke Taining Duke Zhenyuan Duke Wu'an Duke Fengcheng Duke, etc., a thick stack of invitations.

"Sinceremony, what do you want?"

Daheng Xiao looked at Chen Yiguan in surprise.

"Invite to dinner."

Chen Yiguan did not raise his head: "By the way to discuss with them the matter of stabilizing prices, isn't this what you hope? I have been investigating prices these days and found that these people are secretly manipulating prices, so I asked them to come and warn them to stabilize prices."

Seeing that Chen Yiguan was finally about to take action, Xiao Daheng felt a little relieved.

Although the current situation is in a crisis, Xiao Ruxun can advance north to attack the capital at any time to defeat Li Hualong, but the capital is not powerless. After all, he still has the card of the emperor. No matter how powerful Xiao Ruxun is, he is still a minister. Unless he rebels and proclaims himself emperor, he must be careful under this card.

The capital was not without a chance. At least looking at Chen Yiguan's calm look, Daheng Xiao believed that the capital still had a chance and a chance to turn the tables.

So Xiao Daheng visited these nobles from house to house and told him that Chen Yiguan wanted to invite them to dinner and chat. Everyone was in a harmonious atmosphere. Those who received the invitation said that they would definitely go. Then after Xiao Daheng left, they gathered at Zhang Weixian's house to discuss the reasons why Chen Yiguan did this.

"Can it be that it's because we've raised prices so he's coming to beat us?"

"It is very likely that this old guy has been saying that we are not allowed to raise prices. He will give additional compensation, but I can't see where this compensation is. The current situation can make a little profit. If Xiao Ruxun really comes, we will spend money to buy our lives, right?"

"That's right, who knows that Xiao Ruxun is so capable of fighting, and Chen Yiguan is so useless. I really think he is very powerful and able to protect us. Who knows that it's just a fake move. Xiao Ruxun can escape him alone in the capital. Now he is coming with hundreds of thousands of troops. Chen Yiguan has a big solution?"

"There will not be anyone who helps him on Jiubian. How smart are those guys? Everyone knows that the current situation is Xiao Ruxun, and the emperor is almost certain. If we don't understand the direction of the situation and die by then, who will reason with it?"

"We did nothing good, although we didn't support or object, at least we agreed that if we didn't do anything, we would probably not be able to guarantee our current position if we didn't spend some money."

The nobles and marquis discussed their respective retreat issues with each other, and Xu Wenbi sat silently beside Zhang Weixian, looking at Zhang Weixian with a very obscure look.

Zhang Weixian naturally understood what Xu Wenbi meant.
Chapter completed!