The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 221 Tiger Hunting in August ([-])

In Anding County, Tao Wenju temporarily resided in the outer city.

Before Wei Hu went to Longshanguan, he sent Pang Guangsheng to buy this inconspicuous house secretly.

Except for Wei Hu, only Pang Guangsheng and a few close soldiers knew about it.

Tao Wenju moved out of Yacheng and moved into this house.

Wei Hu came over every few days to ask him about the progress of the matter.

Today, Tao Wenju went out and did not return. Wei Hu came and found no one at home, so he sat alone in the main room and waited.

When the sky was dark, there was a knock on the door in the quiet courtyard. Wei Hu was extremely alert and realized that the voice was not Tao Wenju's. He held a dagger in his back and asked in a low voice against the door latch: "Who is it?"

"General Wei, you are a villain!" A familiar voice sounded.

Wei Hu heard that the person was one of his close personal guards, so he quickly unbolted the door and opened a crack to let the person in.

"Why is it you?" Wei Hu pulled him to the courtyard, "But something happened in Zhecheng City? How is Pang Guangsheng?"

The visitor dressed up as an ordinary peasant, knelt down on one knee, clasped his fists and said: "Commander Pang and the brothers are all well. Commander Pang ordered the villain to report to the general, and asked the general to rush to Zhecheng City to meet up. He is already in the city. Prepare food and fodder, explore the road, and wait for the general to arrive before leading the brothers to evacuate to Pizhou!

This is a secret letter written by Commander Pang to the general! "

The personal guard raised his hands above his head and presented the secret letter.

Wei Hu opened it and scanned it roughly. The handwriting looked like Pang Guangsheng's, but it was too messy, as if it was written in a hurry.

Wei Hu said in a deep voice: "You go back and tell Pang Guangsheng to calm down for a while. When I get something important, I will rush to join you."

The personal guard said anxiously: "Commander Pang ordered the villain to tell the general that Pan Mei accidentally revealed that when Zhu Xiu came back from the land reclamation area, he would reorganize the soldiers and horses of Zheqian City. I’m afraid it will be too late!”

Wei Hu shook his head and said: "I won't leave until I get the things. Go back and tell Pang Guangsheng to find a way to stabilize Pan Mei, and make sure to keep Zhecheng City in his hands!"

The guard had no choice but to agree.

Wei Hu looked at him and suddenly asked: "Brothers, are you willing to follow me? Now that I have been excluded from the power of the Zhangyi Army, are you still willing to follow me?"

The guard's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed: "Brothers have followed the general for many years, and the general has taken good care of us. Now that the general is suffering, how can we abandon the general? We made an oath as early as Longshan Pass, I am willing to follow the general forever."

Wei Hu stared at him closely for a while, then bent down to help him up, and patted him heavily on the shoulder: "One day, I will take you back to Jingzhou."

The personal guard did not dare to look into his eyes, so he forced out a smile, cupped his fists and said, "General, take care, I will rush back right away."

"Be careful on the road." Wei Hu warned him, sent him out, bolted the door and returned to the main room to sit quietly.

His original plan was to get the evidence from the salt factory, ride away alone, escape from Jingzhou as quickly as possible, pass through Luoyang in the customs, and go straight to Kaifeng.

The soldiers and horses in Zhecheng City are too conspicuous, and any slight movement can easily cause the county to be alert.

But without this team, he would truly become a bare general, without even a single servant.

After ten years of hard work in the Changyi Army, Wei Hu felt extremely unwilling to escape alone in the end.

Since Pang Guangsheng sent someone to send a secret message, it means that Zhejiang City is still under control, and his troops are still at peace, with no signs of movement.

Pang Guangsheng acted cautiously. If he was not sure, he would not send someone to deliver a message asking him to rush to Zhecheng City to meet up.

Wei Hu still trusts his old subordinates.

If he could bring those more than a thousand troops with him, even if the road to Kaifeng was not smooth, Wei Hu would still be able to break into another place. At worst, he would go north to join the Dingnan Army, or go west to join the Shu Army.

Wei Hu sat in the main room all night, and Tao Wenju hurried back with his entourage, Qiu Shoucai, just before dawn.

"I have lived up to the general's high expectations!" Tao Wenju hurriedly asked Qiu Shoucai to hand him a thick baggage.

After holding the teapot and gulping down some water, Tao Wenju said: "We rushed back from the salt factory overnight and came back as soon as the city gate opened."

Wei Hu looked through the account books, and naturally he couldn't understand the part recorded in Arabic numerals. Tao Wenju also thoughtfully made notes beside it.

"In addition to the account books, there are also these. General, please take a look!" Tao Wenju diligently took out a stack of letters.

"These are the letters between the Zhangyi Army and Bi Zhenhai. Some were written by Shi Kuangwei, and some were written by Zhu Xiu. They are all ironclad evidence! With these, it is enough to confirm the Zhangyi Army's crime of illegally selling salt!"

Wei Hu hurriedly opened a few letters and read them. He was overjoyed. They were indeed letters written by Shi Kuangwei, Zhu Xiu and Bi Zhenhai.

The letter basically explains how Zhenhaiying secretly sold illegal salt over the years. How much was sold in which states and counties, how much salt was collected, and which local forces it colluded with can all be analyzed from it.

"Brother Tao, please accept Wei's greetings!" Wei Hu's face was filled with gratitude and he bowed his head.

Tao Wenju hurriedly helped him up and said with fear: "General Wei has defeated me! When General Wei becomes famous in the future, please don't forget me!"

Wei Hu laughed and said, "If I can go to Kaifeng and meet the emperor, I will definitely recommend Brother Tao to the emperor!"

Tao Wenju pretended to shed tears of gratitude: "I owe it all to General Wei for my support!"

"It's not too late, I will send General Wei out of the city right now! Although I have lost my official position, this old face is still of some use to the city gate guards. They will definitely not interrogate the people I bring out of the city."

Wei Hu once again cupped his fists and thanked: "Thank you, Brother Tao!"

The two got into the carriage, and Qiu Shoucai drove to the east gate of the county.

When leaving the city, the guard stopped him for questioning. Tao Wenju opened the curtain and stuck his head out. He said a few words with a smile. As expected, the guard did not force the people in the car to get out of the car for inspection and allowed them to leave.

After being sent five miles away, Qiu Shoucai took off the harness of the carriage, put on the saddle, and handed the reins to Wei Hu.

"General Wei, let's go on horseback now. With the footsteps of this poor horse, he can reach Zheqi City in a few hours at most."

Wei Hu mounted the horse and said, "Brother Tao, please come back. Wei will leave now! When we meet again in the future, we will repay Brother Tao's kindness!"

"General, take care and have a safe journey!" Tao Wenju saluted with a smile.

Wei Hu whipped his whip fiercely and galloped away.

Seeing him running away, Tao Wenju's expression changed, and he spat and cursed: "It's bad luck! You've gone to the underworld, and it's only the devil who wants to meet you again!"

Qiu Shoucai's face was full of doubts. He looked at him like he was a fool and whispered: "Master Tao, why don't we go back to the doctor to have a look at your brain. I'm worried that your butt injury is not healed and your brain is confused again."

Tao Wenju jumped in anger: "Idiot! You are the only one with a disease in your head!"

Qiu Shoucai said with a smile: "General Wei is going to Kaifeng to enjoy the glory and wealth. Why do you say, sir, that he is going to the underworld?"

Tao Wenju glanced at him and snorted coldly: "Wei Hu will definitely die if he goes here. Sir, I will be the executioner who sends him on his way."

Qiu Shoucai scratched his head: "I still don't understand."

Tao Wenju chuckled and said: "If you don't understand, just read carefully, think more, talk less, follow me, your master, and you will gain experience later! I will take you to Zhecheng City later, and you will understand if you see it with your own eyes." "

Qiu Shoucai said happily: "That's good! A villain likes to gain knowledge." Tao Wenju saw that he was silly and happy, and couldn't help laughing: "You are really a silly and bold guy. You don't know anything, so you dare to follow me. Run west."

Qiu Shoucai said with a naive smile: "I don't understand what I want to do, but I know that I am a smart man, and smart people will never do stupid things."

Tao Wenju rubbed his chin, thinking about what he said inadvertently.

"Smart man, yes. Wei Hu ended up where he is now because he is not smart enough and cannot assess the situation."

Tao Wenju suddenly sighed, as if he had learned a lot of lessons from Wei Hu.

"Go~"

The master and servant returned the same way and spent some money to hire a mule cart that went into the city to sell vegetables to take them back.

Returning to the east gate of the county town, Tao Wenju saw more than a hundred cavalry troops lined up in front of the city gate from a distance. The leader of the group was Shi Kuangwei, a general wearing a helmet and carrying armor.

Tao Wenju hurriedly jumped out of the mule cart, trotted up to him, bowed and said, "Greetings, handsome man!"

Shi Kuangwei was riding a war horse, his eyes seemed a little confused. Seeing that he didn't respond, Tao Wenju raised his voice again.

Shi Kuangwei was silent for a moment and said calmly: "Wei Hu went to Zhe'an City?"

Tao Wenju hurriedly replied: "Yes~"

Shi Kuangwei's eyes darkened a bit, and his voice was slightly hoarse: "When you handed the things to him, was he a little hesitant or difficult to make a decision?"

Tao Wenju thought for a while, then raised his hand and said: "Return to the handsome master, Wei Hu was so happy when he got those things, his eyes were gleaming, and he told his subordinate that with these things, the handsome master and the young master could be trusted." The imperial court has a reason to take action against Chang Yi's army."

Shi Kuangwei was silent for a long time, his eyes full of disappointment.

He took a deep breath, took the Fengzui Overlord Sword from Guan Tieshi, lifted the reins and shouted angrily: "Let's go!"

The war horses kicked up, and more than a hundred cavalry rushed straight to Zheqian City like a torrent.

Tao Wenju breathed a sigh of relief and looked around hurriedly: "Carriage? Where is the carriage that was prepared before? Hurry! Otherwise, you will not be able to catch up with this big show!"

Qiu Shoucai, who was in a daze, came to his senses, ran into the city and drove out in a carriage, picked up Tao Wenju, and the master and servant chased the cavalry again.

~~~
It was already past noon when Wei Hu arrived at Zhecheng City. Today, there was a vague and chilling atmosphere outside Zhecheng City.

Standing under the old and dilapidated city gate, Wei Hu looked up at the mottled plaque, and his heart suddenly felt tight.

This military garrison city built during the Western Wei Dynasty has survived hundreds of years of war and has remained standing.

More than 300 years ago, it was here that Emperor Taizong quelled the Xue Rengao Rebellion, regained the lost land in Hexi, and pushed the territory of the new Tang Dynasty to the Hexi Corridor.

Zhecheng City can be regarded as witnessing the rise and fall of Xue Ju, the overlord of the Western Qin Dynasty, and his family during the chaotic times of the late Sui Dynasty.

There were no guards at the city gate. After passing through the gate and entering the city, I occasionally saw groups of soldiers, all of whom were unfamiliar faces.

None of the familiar Pang Guangsheng or his old soldiers could be seen.

Passing through the city gate is the school grounds, surrounded by towering walls on all sides, and there are gates leading to the inner city.

When Wei Hu rode his horse to the center of the school field, the four city gates suddenly closed, and all the soldiers in the school field lined up and formed an infantry square to surround him on all sides.

On the top of the Sifang City, the Yajun soldiers stood behind the walls and looked at him with indifferent eyes.

The flag of the Changyi Army was waving, and Pan Mei appeared at the front of the city.

"General Wei, are you safe?" Pan Mei said loudly with a smile
Wei Hu put his hand on the saber, raised his head and glared, and said sternly: "Pan Mei? What do you want to do? Where is Pang Guangsheng? Where are my brothers?"

Pan Mei waved her hand, and Pang Guangsheng, who was locked in a cage, appeared at the top of the city.

Pang Guangsheng was wearing a blood-stained prison uniform, with his hair disheveled. He struggled to hold himself up and looked down the city. When he saw Wei Hu, he couldn't help crying: "General! I'm sorry for you~~"

Wei Hu was shocked and furious. He pulled out the knife with a clang and roared: "Pan Mei! I swear to kill you!"

Pan Mei snorted contemptuously, and ordered Pang Guangsheng to be taken down, and those Wei Hu's personal soldiers were brought up, and one of them was the person who rushed to the county to report.

Seeing Wei Hu, they all lowered their heads in shame.

Pan Mei laughed and said: "Wei Hu, you are at the end of the road, quickly dismount and surrender, maybe you can still be dead.

Your brothers are much smarter than you. They decisively abandoned the dark side and turned to the bright side. Not only were they able to save their lives, they were also able to continue to serve in the army.

But you are just a lost dog! "

Wei Hu's eyes were on fire, his knife-like gaze passed across their faces, and his throat was so sweet that he almost vomited blood.

The figures on the top of the city shook. Shi Kuangwei led Guan Tieshi and Tao Wenju to appear. Pan Mei clasped her fists in salute and retreated to the side.

Shi Kuangwei held his sword in his hand and looked towards the school grounds below the city. His stern eyes showed mixed emotions, like anger, sadness, regret, and disappointment.
Guan Tieshi stood aside with his sword firmly in hand, sighing in his heart that he had finally reached this point.

"General Wei, I didn't expect to meet again so soon." Tao Wenju smiled and raised his head towards the city.

When it comes to beating up a drowned dog, he doesn't mind when the villain succeeds.

Seeing Tao Wenju, Wei Hu's face suddenly turned red, his chest rose and fell sharply, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

He could figure out the cause and effect in an instant.

"Zhu Xiu! Zhu Xiu! Come out! Get out of here!"

Wei Hu roared like a madman, raised his sword to the sky, and roared at the city walls on all sides.

Tao Wenju said sadly: "General Wei, there is no need to waste your efforts. The young commander is not here. There is no need for the young commander to come forward in person to deal with you."

Wei Hu pointed the tip of his sword directly at him and roared: "Did Zhu Xiu instruct you to deliberately set a trap and lead me into a trap?"

Tao Wenju laughed strangely and said: "Ouch~ General Wei has wronged the young envoy again. The young envoy has always wanted to live in harmony with you. It was your own ambitions and ignorance, and you tried to trap him again and again. The handsome man and the young envoy.

This time you came to me on your own initiative, trying to instigate me to defect to the imperial court, which exposed your treacherous intentions.

I, Tao Wenju, am loyal to the handsome master and the young ambassador, so how can I be deceived by you? "

Tao Wenju scolded Wei Hu righteously and sternly, and glanced at Shi Kuangwei from the corner of his eye, whose face was as heavy as water.

Tao Wenju knew in his heart that he must not expose the traces of Zhu Xiu's manipulation behind this matter, otherwise it would make Shi Jieshuai feel resentful, and Zhu Xiu would be the first to spare him.

"Young Master, Mr. Tao has worked hard for you. You must not forget Mr. Tao's contribution in the future."

　I wish all book friends good luck in the Year of the Tiger!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)