The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 266 Fate This Thing

To the northwest of Jingzhou, mountains stretch, and a large river meanders through the mountains. This is another larger tributary of the upper reaches of the Jing River.

On the top of an isolated mountain, a wet cold wind mixed with fine snowflakes was blowing. Zhu Xiu and Yan Ping struggled to climb to the top of the mountain with crutches.

The road up the mountain was covered with mud and snow and was slippery. Zhu Xiu panted with her hands on her hips and glared at Yan Ping complainingly. She didn't know why he chose such a remote and difficult place.

Yan Ping smiled and muttered a little aggrievedly: "Young Envoy, please don't blame me. Li Guangyan led the party members to enter Qingzhou. This is the only way to go. If you take the official road between the two states, it will be too conspicuous and easy to It arouses suspicion, and if you think about it for a while, you can think that it was our Zhangyi Army who deliberately let go of the Dangxiang people."

Zhu Xiu groaned and said nothing, but Yan Ping was telling the truth. He was putting on a show and would rather suffer more to avoid more trouble in the future.

"Young Master, look quickly, Li Guangyan and Lady Hongyu are here too." Yan Ping pointed to the north slope of Gushan.

Zhu Xiu squinted and saw snowflakes falling, and two figures climbing back and forth on the northern hillside.

Looking around, the entire hillside was covered with white snowflakes, and two tiny figures fell on it, like two moving black spots.

Zhu Xiu and Yan Ping walked forward with crutches, one foot deep and one foot shallow, walking in the thick snow.

Li Guangyan was dressed in a shabby winter coat with blood stains all over his body. His messy hair was tied back casually, and he was breathing thick white air. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked tired, but he could not hide the indescribable light in his eyes.

Li Guangyan looked at Zhu Xiu, his chapped lips moved, as if he didn't know how to speak, he put his palms on his chest and lowered his head slightly.

Bi Hongyu, who was following him, used a long knife as a crutch and stood silently, her expression as cold as the weather in the wilderness.

She was wearing a fur hat, which made her face look even smaller. Her nose was red from the cold, and her bright red lips were gasping for air.

At first glance, the two of them looked a bit like a couple on the run.

"It went well, right?" Zhu Xiu smiled.

Li Guangyan nodded, turned and pointed to the north hillside: "We can reach Qingzhou by going around the foot of the mountain and walking out of this mountain range."

Zhu Xiu looked and saw in the distance that on the muddy and winding path at the foot of the mountain, the party prisoners were marching slowly, like a long black worm, slowly crawling between the mountains.

"Qingzhou is so vast and sparsely populated that it is difficult to find supplies. We still need a batch of food and water before leaving the state border." Li Guangyan said solemnly.

Zhu Xiudao: "This is easy to handle. Let Pan Mei appear as a caravan near the state border with military supplies. You will lead your army to plunder. Pan Mei and her men will flee in panic, and the supplies will be obtained smoothly."

Li Guangyan thought about it and thought it was feasible, and then asked: "How can we contact each other?"

Zhu Xiu pointed at Bi Hongyu: "Hongyu's ventriloquism is outstanding. She is also a special instructor of the Zhangyi Army, specializing in ventriloquism training. All the orderlies in the army who are good at ventriloquism are her apprentices."

Li Guangyan glanced at Bi Hongyu in surprise, not expecting that this fierce woman had another special skill.

Li Guangyan led his army to flee north, and Pan Mei led his army to pursue him.

Of course, Pan Mei's pursuit was just a show, and she shouted loudly, but in fact she was just trying to make the party members run away.

In order to rob food and grass in a seemingly reasonable way, Li Guangyan also led the Dangxiang prisoners to stage a good show of robbing the camp in the middle of the night. He boldly attacked and defeated the pursuing enemy troops and grabbed a large amount of military rations. With sufficient food, the Dangxiang people could escape all the way to The northwest border of Jingzhou.

After this battle, Li Guangyan became even more famous among the Dangxiang prisoners. The Dangxiang people regarded him as a lucky star and the hope of leading them to break out of the enemy's blockade and return home.

These man-made "miracles" on the way to escape greatly increased the party members' confidence in survival. Whenever they were exhausted on the way to escape, and even wanted to stay and fight the enemy to the death, an invisible hand would support them.

Li Yiyin and his son abandoned them, and the entire party aristocratic group ignored their life and death. Only Li Guangyan shared the joys and sorrows with them and led them to miraculously fight their way out.

Li Guangyan encouraged them that as long as they escaped to Qingzhou, the pursuit of the Changyi Army could be greatly slowed down. The Dangxiang prisoners believed this and followed Li Guangyan firmly.

Snowflakes are falling, and the winter wind echoes in the mountains and fields.

Li Guangyan looked at Zhu Xiu with complicated eyes, feeling both gratitude and resentment in his heart, and the many emotions were complicated and intertwined.

Zhu Xiu mercilessly tore the fragile emotional bond between him and Li Yiyin's father and son, forcing him with a knife to embark on a path that he had thought about before but dared not actually embark on.

At the same time, he was also a little grateful. It was Zhu Xiu who helped him see himself clearly and gave him the courage to face the ambition deep in his heart.

His life was given by Zhu Xiu, and he was given a chance to realize his ambition.

Zhu Xiu seemed to be aware of the complicated emotions in Li Guangyan's eyes, brushed off the snow from his body, and said lightly: "Whether you are grateful to me or hate me, since you choose to return to Xiazhou, you are destined to take this path, unless .”

Zhu Xiu looked at him and said mockingly: "Unless you are like an ostrich like before, burying your head in the sand, continuing to pretend to be deaf and dumb, deceiving yourself and others, or you can let go of your dignity and pride and kneel in front of Li Yiyin and his son begging for your life, be a loyal slave
But I want to tell you that it is never safe to leave things like fate to others. It must still be in your own hands. If you want to live, you must be your own master! "

Li Guangyan lowered his head and was silent for a long time. The confusion and complicated emotions in his eyes disappeared completely, replaced by a firm and sharp light, like a sword that wipes away the dust to reveal its true colors, like a head that licks its wounds and moves forward silently. OK lone wolf.

"I owe you a life, and I will be your most loyal friend!" Li Guangyan said in a hoarse voice, solemnly clenching his fist and punching his chest hard.

Zhu Xiu smiled and said, "Have a good journey. Return to Wuyuan, settle down your men, and then go to Xiazhou to meet Li Yiyin, and tell a tearful story about what happened in Jingzhou, and tell a perfect escape story of a narrow escape.

In order to appease the clan members, Li Yiyin may pretend to feel guilty and transfer you back to Xiazhou, Yinzhou to serve. When the time comes, he must try his best to shirk it. The closer you are to Li Yiyin and his son, the more surveillance you will receive. You must find a way to stay in Wuyuan.

You can show your deep hatred for Zhang Yijun and me, threaten to take my head for revenge, and other sad and angry words. In short, you must make people believe that there is an irresolvable personal grudge between you and Chang Yijun.

Yuanzhou Racecourse is another great gift I give you. You can send troops to occupy it, raise horses there, and recruit people in the name of the racecourse garrison. I will send people the initial funds, and you will be responsible for the profits and losses later.
As long as you stay in Wuyuan peacefully, Li Yiyin and his son will not do anything to you for the time being. They will most likely not care about such trivial matters as raising horses to make money and recruiting troops. What you have to do is to slowly accumulate strength and let others My wings are fuller."

Li Guangyan listened carefully and kept every word Zhu Xiu said in mind.

"When can I return to Xiazhou openly?" Li Guangyan said in a low voice.

"As long as Li Yiyin reigns, you will have no hope of seizing power. You will have to wait until he dies and wait until Li Guangrui succeeds as the leader of the Dingnan Army!" Zhu Xiu said lightly.

Li Guangyan's dark brows knitted together and he looked at him solemnly without speaking.

Zhu Xiu spread her hands: "I know that Li Yiyin is still strong when he is over forty. He can shoot a two-stone bow, eat three to five kilograms of meat in one meal, marries several brides every year, and has his sons and daughters every year." Based on this calculation of his birth, this guy probably won’t have any problem living another 30 to [-] years.”

"Not bad." Li Guangyan said two words with an ugly face. "But the sky is unpredictable, and people are prone to misfortunes and misfortunes. Who knows whether this guy will fall to death while riding a horse, fall into a latrine and drown, eat meat and drink alcohol to death, or die from exhaustion due to too many women." Zhu Xiu laughed. Very insidious.

Li Guangyan's face trembled and he was speechless.

"So, instead of worrying about when Li Yiyin will die, it is better to focus more on managing yourself. The stronger you accumulate in Wuyuan, the greater the possibility and easier it will be to seize power when you return to Xiazhou in the future!" Zhu Xiu warned.

Li Guangyan took a deep breath: "I understand!"

After a pause, he said in a deep voice: "What do you need me to do for you?"

Zhu Xiu smiled and asked, "You have nothing, what can you do for me?"

Li Guangyan was silent.

Zhu Xiu stood on tiptoes a little, patted his broad shoulder, and said comfortingly: "Our cooperative relationship will last for a long time. In the future, I will be an official in Kaifeng and you will be the king in Hetao. I really need someone like you." Help from powerful allies!”

Li Guangyan nodded and stared at him with deep eyes: "I hope we can be true friends. If we become your enemy, it will be a scary and interesting thing!"

Zhu Xiu shrugged, the snowflakes on her body shook off, and she smiled brightly: "I hope so!"

Li Guangyan clasped his fists heavily, turned around and walked down the north slope, waiting in the distance.

Zhu Xiu stepped on the snow and walked up to Bi Hongyu, hesitatingly said: "Are you really determined to go back to Wuyuan with Li Guangyan? It's still too late to change your mind, go back with me, and send someone else."

"I've decided!" Bi Hongyu interrupted coldly before he could finish.

Zhu Xiu rubbed his hands and said melancholy: "To be honest, Li Guangyan's development in Wuyuan is very important. There is no one with outstanding ability and trust in me to follow him. I am really worried about letting you go, but I am still a little reluctant to let you go. "

The corners of Bi Hongyu's lips curved up slightly, a glimmer of light flashed in the depths of her eyes, but her face remained cold as she said: "Li Guangyan doesn't have a capable person to help him, so I'm afraid it will be difficult to accomplish anything. With me here, it will be easier for you to contact him."

"But, once you leave, there is no hope of your return. It may be three to five years, or it may be ten or eight years. If Bi Zhenhai comes back, knowing that I sent you to help the party members, I'm afraid you will blame me in your heart." Zhu Xiu hesitated. Unsure about paying attention.

Bi Hongyu said calmly: "This is my own decision and has nothing to do with anyone else! I will explain it to my brother when he comes."

Seeing her firm attitude, Zhu Xiu sighed: "Okay, just remember to put your own safety first in everything! If things fail, you can try to find a way, but if you die, it will really be over."

Bi Hongyu glanced at him and muttered: "That's embarrassing~"

"Let's go~"

After saying this casually, Bi Hongyu turned around and strode down the hillside, facing away from him, she raised her hand and waved.

The two figures gradually moved away in the wind and snow, disappearing into the white mountains.

For some reason, Zhu Xiu suddenly felt a sense of loss in her heart. She looked up and sighed, and the crystal snow foam hit her face, making it cold.
~~~
As the New Year approaches, Anding County is bustling with activity.

The people of Jingzhou who have worked hard all year are looking forward to the arrival of the New Year.

Starting from this year, the Jiedu Government has issued a new order that there will be a five-day holiday for the Yuan Day Festival every year. Starting from the day before New Year’s Eve and ending on the third day of the first lunar month, the holiday will be held. During this period, the Yangjinchuan Salt Factory and water conservancy construction teams from various places will , various state and county government offices have a holiday, and only some on-duty personnel are assigned to take care of daily affairs. During the holidays, they will still receive their wages and salaries, and the on-duty personnel will also receive double wages.

Zhu Xiu spent his own money and arranged for Guanghe Store to rush to produce a batch of New Year's condolence gift packages, which were distributed to all officers and generals under the Changyi Army. There were more and less gifts according to their positions, but they were all guaranteed to have a gift package.

They are all daily necessities such as rice, flour, oil and meat, and there is also a Guanghe sugar gift bag, which can be described as affordable and festive.

The Jingzhou Life tabloid also published a letter to all soldiers and civilians a year ago, introducing the civil, military and economic development and achievements of the Zhangyi Army over the past year, expressing condolences to all the people, officers and soldiers, and encouraging everyone to continue to work hard in the coming year.

The letter is signed by Shi Kuangwei and written by Zhu Xiu.

After all, Lao Shi is the governor of the Changyi Army, and it is more reasonable to issue a proclamation in his tone.

Anding County was decorated with lanterns and streamers, immersed in the festive atmosphere of celebrating the New Year.

Tomorrow is the end of the year, and Zhu Xiu took Shi Lingyan to express condolences in several villages outside the city. On behalf of Jiedu Mansion, he sent warmth, visited some lonely elderly people, and also commended several heroic mothers who had nurtured several children.

In Jiedu Mansion, Yan Ping, dressed in a new scarlet brocade robe, was instructing several servants to hang lanterns and put up peach charms.

A soldier from Jiedu Mansion found him and whispered a few words in his ear. Yan Ping nodded and went to the gate house.

Hu Guangyue, the steward of Shenghe Dishe in Anding County, was waiting here. When he saw Yan Ping, he hurriedly stepped forward to salute: "I've seen the deputy commander!"

Yan Ping smiled and said, "You are not preparing to celebrate the festival in the mansion, why do you come to see me?"

Hu Guangyue said hurriedly: "Today, my subordinates received several secret reports. After analyzing them, I felt they were a bit strange, so I came here to report them."

"Oh? What's so strange, tell me?"

Hu Guangyue frowned and said: "In the past five days, three large-scale caravans have entered the country, each with no less than 60 people. One came from Yilu County, Pizhou, one came from Xinping, and one came from Ding'an, Ningzhou. Come, they circled around the county town and then went to the farming area.

Two of these three caravans came from Pizhou, and their destinations were all agricultural reclamation areas. The three caravans were selling agricultural tools. The subordinates found it a bit strange, so they came to ask the deputy commander to make a decision! "

"What's so strange?" Yan Ping thought about it and disagreed. "The agricultural reclamation area already needs a large amount of agricultural tools, and there have always been caravans selling them. According to the Jiedu Prefecture's policy of benefiting the people, the trafficking of agricultural tools to the agricultural reclamation area is tax-free. This is If the business is good, there will naturally be many people doing it.”

"But the three caravans this time are quite large. I wonder if I should send someone to stop them first, and then let them go after interrogation?" Hu Guangyue suggested.

Yan Ping objected: "We will start to rest tomorrow, and many vendors will go home to celebrate the New Year. People in the farming areas must also prepare farm tools before spring, so as not to be unable to find even a handy hoe when digging the soil after the New Year."

"But~" Hu Guangyue wanted to say something else, but Yan Ping waved his hand and said with a smile: "Okay, no need to make a fuss. I'm a New Year's Eve person. You surprised me and disturbed the atmosphere of the New Year. Go back and work hard all year long. , take a good rest for a few days."

After Yan Ping finished speaking, he left happily. He had to rush back to direct the people to decorate Jiedu Mansion and create a New Year atmosphere.

Hu Guangyue smiled bitterly, walked out of the mansion and hurried back to his residence.

(End of this chapter)