The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 217 Attracting the tiger to sniff
The servant finished the meal and was bringing it to the bedroom. When he saw Wei Hu walking into the courtyard, he was stunned for a moment and asked, "Who is this official looking for?"

"Does Tao Wenju live here?" Wei Hu asked calmly.

When the servant saw that he was tall, wearing a brocade robe and carrying a sword at his waist, he thought that he was most likely a general in the army and did not dare to neglect him. He hurriedly saluted and said, "My master is resting in the room."

The servant hesitated: "My master is injured and cannot see guests."

Wei Hu said indifferently: "Isn't it just that you got a beating, no one died, and you can't even say a few words?"

The servant could only say: "Please come with me, sir."

The servant led Wei Hu into the room: "Master Tao, there is a visitor."

Tao Wenju lay on the bed and said angrily: "You bastard, I told you to close the door a long time ago and don't let anyone in."

The servant glanced at Wei Hu and murmured in a low voice: "The courtyard door has been open for a few days, and not even a mouse has passed by. Who knows someone will come in today?"

This servant was not stupid. He was worried that Tao Wenju was too seriously injured and would not know when his legs would kick off, so he opened the door open to let the passing neighbors see what was going on at home and hear his wails.

Otherwise, when the person dies, he will have to bear the lawsuit for his life.

Wei Hu looked around the room and said with a faint smile: "Consultant Tao still has the strength to curse. I think the injury is not serious."

Hearing the sound, Tao Wenju turned his head with difficulty and was stunned when he saw Wei Hu:

"General Wei Wei?"

Wei Hu moved a chair and sat in front of the bed, and said with a smile, "Staff Tao didn't expect Wei to come, did he?"

Tao Wenju managed a smile: "I really didn't expect that."

Then he scolded the servant: "You haven't ordered anything you can see, why don't you serve tea to General Wei!"

Wei Hu said: "No need to bother. Go down, close the door, and don't come near me. I'll come over only when I call you."

The servant hesitated and said, "I originally planned to leave after finishing this meal."

Tao Wenju was so angry that he slapped the bed board: "Get out! Get out of here!"

Wei Hu said calmly: "Where are you going?"

The servant replied honestly: "I have refunded Master Tao's wages and no longer intend to work at his house."

Wei Hu looked at him coldly: "Come here."

The servant approached in small steps: "What are your orders, sir?"

With a bang, the sword on Wei Hu's waist was unsheathed, aimed at the servant's head and struck down, the blade hanging half an inch away from his head.

The servant felt a cold air pouring into his body from his forehead and spreading throughout his whole body. His legs trembled and he almost didn't urinate.

"If you dare to step out of the hospital, this head will not be saved. Don't even think about escaping. In Jingzhou, no matter where you are hiding, I can find you. When the time comes, it is not up to you to decide how you want to die. That’s the last word.”

Wei Hu said with murderous intent, his wolf-like eyes revealed a heart-stopping ferocity.

The servant fell to his knees and begged for mercy with a mournful face: "Great General, spare your life! The villain will never dare again! The villain is willing to serve Master Tao for the rest of his life! Even if Master Tao is disabled, the villain is still willing to take shit and piss for him. Closer than to my own father!"

Tao Wenju twitched the corners of his mouth, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.

Wei Hu sheathed his sword and waved his hand: "Get out of here!"

The servant crawled out of the house and closed the door.

Wei Hu sat down and said with a smile: "This kind of unruly slave, if it were me, I would have killed him with one blow. Wei went overboard and strictly enforced the family rules for Counselor Tao."

Tao Wenju lay on the bed and reluctantly cupped his hands: "Tao is incompetent and was held hostage by a slave. Thank you General Wei for your generous intervention."

"Counsellor Tao, you're welcome. I think your house is a little more simple. Now that you're in bed recuperating, you need someone to serve you attentively. In this way, when I go back later, I'll find some smart maids to send to Counselor Tao." Wei Hu said cheerfully. laughed.

Tao Wenju said hurriedly: "No, no, no, I am already grateful that General Wei can come to visit me. How can I ask for gifts from General Wei again? What's more, the house is simple and simple, and I have no salary. I really can't support too many people." "

Wei Hu said: "Staff Tao, don't worry, you can just order the slaves I sent you, and you don't have to worry about the wages. You usually spend a lot of money to recuperate your injuries. I will send you another three hundred guan for your use."

Tao Wenju was shocked, and shook his head again and again to refuse: "How can this be done? It's not right~"

Wei Hu could not refuse and said: "It's settled, there's no need to refuse, Staff Officer Tao!"

Tao Wenju was moved to tears and choked with sobs: "I never thought that when I was in trouble, the first one to lend a helping hand would be General Wei."

Wei Hu said sincerely: "Brother Tao has opened a begging road for more than a year, garrisoned Changwu City, and introduced tens of thousands of people to Jingzhou. He has made great contributions to our Zhangyi Army!

Brother Tao's hard work is not known to others, but Wei Mou sees it all.

With Brother Tao's contribution, even if he were to replace Pei Jin and be promoted to the branch officer of the Zhangyi Army, it would be more than enough. Being only a mere marching staff officer would be an grievance. "

Tao Wenju's face was bitter and he sighed: "I don't dare to covet a high position and say anything about replacing others. I came from the Xue family. It is a great kindness for you to spare my life and give me food." , how can I dare to ask for anything else?”

Anyone who is not a fool can hear the strong resentment in his words.

Wei Hu said sternly: "Brother Tao's words are wrong! The Zhangyi Army is already in a period of rapid expansion. Those who are capable will be promoted and those who are incompetent will be demoted. This is the rule set by Marshal Shi Jie! With the talents that Brother Tao has shown before, , can definitely get a place in the Changyi Army.

To put it bluntly, it can be seen from what happened to Brother Tao this time that Zhu Xiu never trusted Brother Tao at all!He doesn’t pay much attention to Brother Tao’s talent at all!
It is not an exaggeration to think that Brother Tao will receive many rewards for his contribution!For just over 400 yuan, Zhu Xiu was so angry that he beat up Brother Tao. It was really too much!

How can a person with such a narrow-minded mind and unclear rewards and punishments be worthy of serving as the commander-in-chief of our Changyi Army? "

Tao Wenju lowered his voice in horror: "General Wei, be careful! Be careful! As a subordinate, how can you make false claims!"

Wei Hu snorted contemptuously, and said with a light smile: "With Mr. Wei here, there is no need for Brother Tao to panic. To be honest, Mr. Wei has always only recognized Shi Jieshuai in his heart, and never recognized any young envoy! Brother Tao has been treated unfairly. , Wei looked in his eyes and was really angry!
Just imagine, if the commander-in-chief really hands over the Changyi Army to Zhu Xiu in the future, those of us who are marginalized by him will not even have a way to survive, let alone the day we get there! "

Tao Wenju swallowed his saliva and endured the pain and said: "General Wei is sensational, right? The young ambassador has great ambitions in the universe. Jingzhou has undergone earth-shaking changes in less than two years under his rule. With the young ambassador, You are such a person that even if you neglect us, you will not kill them all if you think about it."

Wei Hu sneered and said: "Zhu Xiu does have the talent of a king's assistant, I don't deny this. But this person is good at deceit and his mind is unpredictable. If you serve under him, you will not get any benefits, and you will easily lose your life.

This time, if the handsome man hadn't been kind and secretly ordered Yan Ping to keep his hand, brother Tao would have died under the army stick, exposing his corpse to the wilderness like a lonely ghost.

It is natural to be an official and seek wealth. Zhu Xiu was lenient on the outside and jealous on the inside. He was very suspicious and it was difficult to win his trust. If he made a small mistake accidentally, he would be severely punished.

I would like to ask Brother Tao, if there is no Marshal Shijie to protect him next time, how will he escape death? "

"This" Tao Wenju was speechless. His nervousness affected his injury, and he felt another wave of heartbreaking pain.

Tao Wenju's eyes flashed and he sighed deeply: "I owe this humble life to you, the young envoy, so I can save it. In the future, I don't seek glory and wealth, I just want to live a stable life. It's only my fault that I got greedy and failed the young envoy." You trust me and you deserve to be punished."

Tao Wen's words were unclear, and Wei Hu could hear the deep unwillingness hidden in them, as well as the deep-seated strong resentment. "Brother Tao, don't you want to one day be able to be crowned an official, or even be ranked in the imperial court?" Wei Hu said.

Tao Wenju said in a trembling voice: "What does General Wei mean by this?"

Wei Hu cupped his hands toward the southeast: "Instead of hanging on a tree in Zhangyi Army, it is better to take a longer view and go to Kaifeng. Isn't loyalty to the current officials better than loyalty to a town?"

Tao Wenju couldn't help but support himself: "What General Wei meant."

Wei Hu's eyes flashed and he said in a deep voice: "The deputy envoy of Jiedu, Houzan, is a close official of the official family. He came here to consolidate the power of the Zhangyi Army. If you and I can help him achieve his goal and help the official family control Zhangyi, Rebels, make great contributions, and your career is just around the corner!"

Tao Wenju's throat was dry and he murmured: "What do you mean, we ask Houzan to help us join the imperial court and work for the officials?"

Wei Hu smiled and said: "Isn't it better to work for the emperor than to work for Zhu Xiu?"

Tao Wenju's expression changed rapidly, and he said in a cryptic way: "Young Master saved me from fire and water, how can you betray the Lord?"

Wei Hu sneered: "It's just mutual use, how can there be any kindness at all? Even if there is, you help Zhu Xiu move the population of Pizhou and settle in Jingzhou, which is already a repayment of gratitude, and neither party owes anything. If Zhu Xiu really cares about the old relationship, what will happen this time? Will they beat you up indiscriminately?"

Tao Wenju buried his head in silence, looking like he was struggling.

Wei Hu further tempted him by saying, "I have already made initial contact with Houzan. Although this person is unreliable, as long as we are of use to him, he will agree to recommend him to the officials.

As long as you make contributions and enter the emperor's sight, you and I can escape from the Changyi Army and go to a wider world.In the future, you and I will help each other and work together to create a future. "

Tao Wenju gritted his teeth: "What needs to be done?"

Wei Hu suppressed his joy, and said in a low voice: "If the imperial court wants to move the Zhangyi Army, there must be a reason that can convince the public. The meaning of the post-praise, I hope we can get evidence that the Zhangyi Army secretly sold salt."

Tao Wenju suddenly said: "He wants us to start with the salt factory?"

Wei Hu nodded: "That's right! The salt factory has huge interests and is closely guarded. It is run by Zhu Xiu's cronies inside and out. You were in charge of the cashier of the salt factory and were in charge of connecting with the Zhenhai camp. Only you can figure out a way to transfer the salt. I got the account books handed over between the factory and Zhenhaiying.

With this irrefutable evidence, the Chang Yi Army can be found guilty of secretly selling salt to seize the interests of the country's salt administration!The imperial court decreed that Marshal Shi Jie would be summoned back to Beijing for interrogation. If he refused, he would be rebelling against the order. If he went to Kaifeng, the power of Zhangyi Army would definitely fall into the hands of Houzan.

In this way, the official's goal will be achieved. You and I have made contributions, and the official will not forget it. "

Tao Wenju was shocked and said: "If the handsome man enters Kaifeng, won't he become a fish on the chopping block and be slaughtered by others?"

Wei Hu said calmly: "Master Shuai has been in Jingyuan for many years and still has some connections in the court. The emperor will not execute him easily. At most, he will be dismissed from office.

The handsome man was deceived by Zhu Xiu and had already lost his mind. It would be good for him to return to Kaifeng and enjoy his old age. "

Tao Wenju sighed and said: "Anyway, the survival this time is all thanks to the kindness of the handsome man. I can't bear to hurt the handsome man!"

Wei Hu smiled and said: "I regard the handsome man as my father, so naturally I will not harm him."

Tao Wenju's expression changed, he struggled for a while, and said, "This is a big matter, and I'm so confused at the moment, it's hard to make a decision! General Wei, please give me some time, let me think it through before I speak."

Wei Hu said: "Don't worry, Brother Tao, think about it slowly. I will visit you again in two days."

Wei Hu thought for a while and said: "Brother Tao is not safe to live in Yacheng, I will arrange a residence for you in the outer city, and send someone to pick you up tomorrow to settle down."

"General Wei is very considerate! That's it, I am very grateful! The Jiedu Mansion ordered me to move out of Yacheng as soon as possible, and I am worried that I have nowhere to stay. Alas~~ Thinking that I, Tao Wenju, was born and died in Changwu City for the great cause of Jingzhou. In the end, it ended up being miserable.”

Tao Wenju burst into tears when he talked about his sadness.

Wei Hu patted him on the shoulder and comforted him: "Brother Tao, don't be sad. After this difficulty, everything will be fine."

Wei Hu told him to recuperate and rest before saying goodbye and leaving.

In the courtyard, the servant was sitting listlessly in front of the main room in a daze. When he saw Wei Hu approaching, he stood up quickly, lowered his head in fear, and saluted tremblingly.

Wei Hu gave him a cold look: "Remember what I just said. Take good care of your master. If you make any mistakes, your life will be at risk! Also, just pretend you have never seen me today, do you understand? "

"Grand officials, don't worry, I will understand." The servant bowed tremblingly.

Wei Hu strode out and left, got on the carriage parked in a side alley, and drove away in a circle.

The servant hurriedly closed the courtyard door, breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and trotted back to the room.

"Sir, the high official is gone." The servant bowed his head and spoke with a much more respectful attitude than before.

Tao Wenju glanced at him sideways and grunted: "Is the courtyard door closed?"

"Master, it's closed."

Tao Wenju turned his body slightly and touched his belly: "Hurry up and bring the food, I'm starving to death."

The servant hurriedly followed the instructions, put the hot food back on the table, filled a bowl with it and squatted in front of the bed to feed it to him.

"Master, who was that high official just now? It seems that he has a good relationship with you?" The servant asked tentatively.

Tao Wenju chewed his food, and said vaguely, "None of your business! Don't inquire about what you shouldn't! Be careful and lose your life!"

The servant sneered and shrank his neck, but couldn't help but mutter: "That man must be a military master, and he has killed many people."

Tao Wenju stared at him, and suddenly felt that this guy was a bit shrewd.

"By the way, what's your name? I asked you when I hired you, but I forgot about it."

The servant grinned and said, "The villain's name is Qiu Shoucai."

"Qiu Shoucai, Qiu Shoucai." Tao Wenju nodded repeatedly. The more he looked at him, the more he felt that this guy looked like himself when he was a follower of the Xue family.

"That's a good name. Follow me and work hard. I won't treat you badly." Tao Wenju extended an olive branch.

Qiu Shoucai curled his lips and whispered: "Master, your ass has been smashed and you have lost your official position. What else can I do with you?"

Tao Wen raised his eyes and glared, so angry that he wanted to hit him with his shoe.

After a slight movement, the wound hurt. Tao Wenju said angrily: "Later, go to Shenghe Mansion and ask them if they sell tiger paws. If so, buy it for eighty cents."

Qiu Shoucai was stunned: "I've only heard of eating bear's paws, but never of eating tiger's paws. Besides, if I want to eat tiger's paws, I have to go to Taihe Building and ask what's going on in a mansion?"

Tao Wenju said angrily: "Idiot! Tiger paw is just a medicinal material, not a food ingredient! There are often medicinal material dealers coming and going in Dishe to stock up on goods. Go and ask what's going on?"

Qiu Shoucai said with a sneer: "Master, don't worry, the villain is stupid and ignorant. Don't worry, master. After eating and serving the master to rest, the villain will do it."

(End of this chapter)