The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 275
"That's all, let's not talk about this person, lest we spoil our appetite for dinner tonight."

Guo Wei shook his head, his face full of disgust. There were many treacherous people in the court, but people like Li Ye who were as poisonous as him were rare.

"The late emperor was kind to me, and he held my hand before his death. He entrusted me with the official family and the Han Dynasty. In the past three years, I helped the new emperor ascend the throne, suppressed the vassal towns in various places, and pacified Li Shouzhen's rebellion. During the chaos, he occupied the Khitans in the north and conquered the Puppet Tang Dynasty in the south. He asked himself whether he was worthy of the late emperor's earnest instructions before his death."

Guo Wei is sitting upright, his burly body is as towering as a mountain, and his powerful face has a sense of awe and solemnity, which is awe-inspiring.

"Remembering the care that the late Emperor and the Queen Mother had for me, I am always respectful to the officials and obey them in everything. If they ask me to lead the troops, I will lead the troops, and if they ask me to hand over the power, I will hand over the power, whether guarding the feudal town or assisting in the capital. Regarding military affairs, I, Guo Wei, will act in accordance with the orders without any hesitation!
Even if Li Ye, Nie Wenjin, Guo Yunming and other treacherous and villainous villains rely on the favor of the officials and sneer at me and suppress me, I can bear with it and retreat, and I am not as knowledgeable as I am!
But only one thing.”

Guo Wei paused, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a low voice: "The bottom line for me, Guo Wei, to give in is my family and friends. If it harms my family,"

Guo Wei did not continue speaking, his eyes were already filled with a cold and stern look.

Chai Rong's heart trembled slightly. This was the first time his father had expressed his true inner thoughts in front of his face.

Although his father didn't finish his words, he already understood the deep meaning.

Chai Rong stood up, put down his robes, knelt down on the ground, clasped his fists and said solemnly: "No matter what my father decides, the child will unswervingly support his father! Whenever the father gives an order, the child will charge forward with determination. In the past, even though he died nine times, he still has no regrets!"

"My son, get up quickly!" Guo Wei laughed loudly and boldly, holding Chai Rong's arm and pulling him up with a little force.

"My elder brother is also a hero of the world!" Guo Wei slapped Chai Rong on the shoulder with a heavy hand, "Looking at your rapid growth in recent years, even if my father is no longer around one day, you can still support this family! As a father, I feel very happy~ Haha~"

Chai Rong said anxiously: "Father must not say such unlucky words! The child is far inferior to the father, and Brother Qing and Brother Yi are still playful and ignorant teenagers. The big family still needs a father to maintain it!"

"Haha, don't worry, sir. Being a father is just a casual comment." Guo Wei stroked his beard and smiled, "It's not that easy for those bastards like Li Ye to kill me! I still have a few more years to live. Hold a few grandsons and let them wet themselves a few more times, haha~"

Chai Rong also smiled, "My father is very powerful, and in two years time I might even hug my son and grandson together."

Guo Wei was startled, his face obviously dull for a moment, and then he laughed loudly, his rough voice so loud that it seemed that the beams of the room were shaking.

Chai Rong smiled narrowly, but said apologetically: "The child is rude. After hanging out with Zhu Xiu in Jingzhou for half a month, I learned a bit of the kid's colorful skills."

Guo Wei pointed at him and laughed and scolded: "If Zhu Xiu were here, he would definitely roll his eyes at you. Don't pass all the blame on others!"

Chai Rong said with a smile: "Anyway, it has become a consensus that Zhu Xiu is evil. Zhu Xiu has led many people to evil, and he has a lot of dirty water on his body. It is worth it."

"Hmm~ That's true! Wei Renpu came to me recently to complain, saying that Li Chongjin held a mahjong competition in the Tianxiong Army, which made the generals unintentional to practice and played mahjong around the square table every day. This mahjong must be the same Did Zhu Xiu tinker with it? You bastard boy, he only thinks about things that make people addicted to play and harm others and himself. He really deserves a beating! Next time we see you, I have to slap his ass."

The father and son turned their complaints against Zhu Xiu, and both went into battle to scold innocent people thousands of miles away.

But when it comes to mahjong, Chai Rong's face looks a little unnatural. He himself is a serious mahjong fan.

Chai Rong asked tentatively: "Father, does he know how to play mahjong?"

Guo Wei said disdainfully: "Isn't it just a new type of game? When I was in my hometown in Yaoshan, Xingzhou, I had never played any game. I am very proficient! If you want to learn, you can become a master in just three or five moves!"

Chai Rong smiled and said, "Nothing to do tonight. After dinner, let's play a game with the children. Then call Zhao Kuangyin and Zhang Yongde over to compete with father?"

"Okay! I want to see what's so great about this mahjong that it can make people addicted!"

Guo Wei looked disbelieving, with a stern look on his face, and was somewhat dismissive of the new game of mahjong.

Chai Rong secretly laughed. His father looked like he did when he first came into contact with mahjong.

I'm afraid it won't be long before my father will understand why this new gadget can spread so quickly among the Tianxiong Army.

It is foreseeable that there will be another heavyweight fan in the mahjong world.
Guo Wei stroked his beard and thought for a while, "Forget it with Zhao Kuangyin, call Zhang Yongde and Wei Renpu. Wei Suiru has also been thinking about this thing recently, so we happened to call him to study it together."

Chai Rong heard something beyond what he said and frowned: "But father thinks Zhao Kuangyin"

Guo Wei stared intently and said: "I have received news that Zhao Kuangyin's father, Zhao Hongyin, may be transferred to the command of the Longwu Army."

Chai Rong was stunned and wondered: "The Longwu Army is a high-ranking army in the Forbidden Army. It has as many as [-] soldiers and horses. It guards the north of the imperial city. It has always been held by Wu Qianyu, a close official of the official family. How could it be suddenly transferred?" Zhao Hongyin"

Chai Rong stopped speaking suddenly, opened his eyes wide, and murmured: "Is it because the officials are deliberately trying to win over Zhao Hongyin?"

Guo Wei sneered and said: "That's right! The officials asked Nie Wenjin to visit Zhao Hongyin in private. As long as Zhao Hongyin nods, he can be promoted to the commander of the Longwu Army.

There are not many reliable generals under the government. Although Zhao Hongyin is old, he went to Qianzhou to fight the Shu army last year and is still as brave as his prime.

Zhao Hongyin has always been respectful to the officials and has never intervened in the struggle between the officials and the ministers. In the eyes of the officials, he is a person worth winning over.

Wu Qianyu is a general who is a close confidant of the official family. He once accompanied me to Guanzhong to quell the rebellion and served as the commander of our army's camp. He can be considered brave and resourceful.

Shi Hongzhao sent a letter saying that Wu Qianyu might be transferred to serve as the Jiedu envoy of Zhengzhou. Once he left, the Longwu Army needed a reliable leader. "

Chai Rong frowned: "What does father mean? If Zhao Hongyin agrees to be promoted to the commander of the Longwu Army, it means that the Zhao family has completely surrendered to the officials and Li Ye's group and is no longer trustworthy?"

"That's not the case." Guo Wei clasped his hands with a slight smile on his face, "Zhao Hongyin is mature and prudent, quite a bit of a city man. As a father, he will not easily choose sides until the situation is clear.

Even if he agrees to be transferred to the Longwu Army, it doesn't mean that he will be my enemy.

It's just that there are serious conflicts between factions in the court and the Zhao family's attitude is unclear. Zhao Kuangyin is not suitable for entering and leaving Situ's mansion for the time being. You should also reduce your contacts. "

Chai Rong nodded silently: "The child understands what father means. The child will keep a distance from Zhao Yuanlang, and family affairs will not be disclosed to him." Guo Wei patted him on the shoulder: "Zhao Kuangyin has been transferred to the inner palace to serve as Yuhou, and he will become I have become the palace guard, and I am no longer your subordinate."

"But father, I believe that Zhao Kuangyin is definitely not a treacherous person!" Chai Rong said sternly, "Even if he now enters the palace and becomes an official guard, it seems that he is getting further and further away from us, but the brotherhood is still there, and he will never We will not follow Li Ye and others to become our enemies!"

Guo Wei looked at him lovingly, as if he saw himself 20 years ago, with the same majestic appearance and the same commitment to justice.

"Don't be anxious, Da Lang. My father also believes that Zhao Kuangyin and Li Ye and other treacherous men are not on the same road." Guo Wei said carefully, "But times change and people's hearts change. This is also a common thing."

"After all, in comparison, joining the officialdom seems to be the right and bright path. This is also the biggest reliance of Li Ye and others. It is also why many people know that Li Ye, Nie Wenjin, and Guo Yunming are just a group of people who steal high positions. I’m a rat, but I’m still willing to take the initiative to work for him.”

Chai Rong said solemnly: "Because they have the favor of the officials. If they don't rely on them, it will be difficult for their official career to go smoothly. And the officials need to rely on Li Ye and others to fight for power with the ministers. It is not the behavior of human ministers to fight against the emperor. So they have no choice but to hold their noses and recognize the thief as their father!"

Guo Wei clapped his hands and laughed loudly: "My son can see clearly! This is exactly the truth!"

"But father, Li Ye and others have no talent or virtue, but they control the country's money, food, officials, administration and justice. Now they want to interfere in military affairs and make the court a mess. If this continues, the country will not be a country! When will the filth be washed away? Give all the people in the world a bright and clear sky?"

Chai Rong clenched his hands into fists with a look of resentment and reluctance.

Guo Wei stroked his beard and shook his head and said: "In the eyes of the officials, it is not important how Li Ye and others behaved. What is important is that the officials must clear the stumbling blocks on their way to imperial power and truly be dictatorial. That's why they rely on Li Ye." Wait for the traitor!
But governing a country and bringing peace to the world cannot be achieved by playing with power and fighting for power and gain.Li Er once said, "Governing a big country is like cooking small dishes." There is nothing wrong with an official wanting to take charge of the government personally, but he should not act too hastily, let alone persecute Zhongliang, otherwise it will inevitably cause great changes!The way of gaming is by no means as simple as fighting and killing!
This country is far from as stable as he has seen!

These principles should be understood by a king, but unfortunately our officials don’t understand, and they don’t have the patience to learn.”

Chai Rong nodded thoughtfully, sensing a clue from Guo Wei's slightly sad expression, and asked with concern: "Father, have you heard what news has happened in the court recently?"

Guo Wei said in a deep voice: "There has been a rare peace in the DPRK recently. It is really rare that Li Ye, Nie Wenjin and others did not quarrel with the Second Duke Shi Hongzhao and Yang Xing during the several times they went to the DPRK to discuss politics.

But the father had a hunch that this kind of calmness was not normal.

With this change in the Longwu Army, Shi Hongzhao also wanted to take the opportunity to recommend his close associates to be transferred to this position. I am afraid that a new round of fighting will begin around this matter.

In addition, recently, officials have issued decrees to change vassal towns one after another, and the military governors in various places have been changing frequently, which is also somewhat abnormal.

However, the change of defenses in the feudal towns was a normal change in military affairs, and no one cared about it. "

Chai Rong nodded and said with a smile: "Father and the child are about to rush to Yedu to set up the Hebei defense line. They can avoid these court disputes. When we return to the court next time, maybe the court situation will be different."

Guo Wei sighed, "This time Linqing King Gao Xingzhou resigned, and the government handed over the Tianxiong Army to me again. Li Ye and others disliked it in every possible way, even if they go to Yedu, it's hard to have peace and quiet away from the disputes."

"What can they do if they don't like it? The Khitans have sent troops to Jizhou, so let them go to the front line to lead the troops to meet the enemy!" Chai Rong sneered contemptuously. A bunch of treacherous ministers who only knew how to fight against each other faced the extremely vicious Khitans. Afraid of being scared enough to wet my pants.

"When my father and son went to Yedu, it was naturally quiet. It was just Shi Hongzhao, Yang Bin, and Wang Zhang. The three of them joined forces to confront Li Ye and the others without giving in. I was worried that the conflict would intensify and cause a big mess." Guo Wei was worried. .

Chai Rong smiled wryly and said: "Father still advises Ergong Shi Yang, don't be as savvy as a villain, and you have to be patient with what should be tolerated. After all, there are officials standing behind Li Ye and others."

Guo Wei said helplessly: "I tried to persuade him several times, but it didn't work much. Shi and Yang also have their own selfish motives. They are greedy for the power of the minister and refuse to let go. They treat the officials like children."

There was a moment of silence between father and son. The conflicts between Shi Hongzhao and Yang Bin, and official Li Ye and others seemed to have become so acute that they were completely antagonistic, and there was no room for resolution.

"That's all. Let's invite the two of us over and have a good talk before we leave Beijing."

Guo Wei thought of something, took out a crumpled letter from his wide sleeves, and handed it to Chai Rong: "Look at this."

Chai Rong unfolded it and looked at it, and said in surprise: "Father sent someone to find out the whereabouts of Zhu Xiu's relatives?"

Guo Wei smiled and said: "After my father came back from the river, he sent people to Suzhou and Yingzhou to investigate the matter. After finding clues, he ordered people to disguise themselves and enter the Tang Dynasty, and found out the whereabouts of the Zhu Xiu family in Haozhou. This The news came back two days ago, and now it can be confirmed that the Zhu family does exist in Haozhou. They are not officials, but just ordinary farmers. If nothing else, Zhu Xiu comes from this family."

Chai Rong looked through the letter and said happily: "That's great! Zhu Xiu has been living alone for many years. If he knows that he still has relatives alive, he will definitely be happy!"

Guo Wei said with a smile: "Zhu Xiu has helped our father and son a lot, and this time I can count him as a favor."

"My child thanked his father for Zhu Xiu!" Chai Rong stood up and saluted.

Guo Wei looked at him and said with a faint smile: "Now Zhu Xiu's family is very likely to live in the Jiangning area, which is within the territory of the Tang Dynasty.

Have you ever thought that if Zhu Xiu knew that she still had family members alive and went south to find relatives, she might never come back for the rest of her life.

With his talent, it is a breeze to stay and serve in the Tang court."

Chai Rong was stunned, holding the letter and slowly sitting down, his expression slightly complicated.

After a moment, he sighed and said with a wry smile: "Family affection is a blood connection that cannot be broken away in life. No matter what Zhu Xiu chooses, I will support him! As a brother and friend, no matter what, I will tell him the truth."

"My son has a kind heart and will become a great person in the future!" Guo Wei patted his shoulder with appreciation.

"Let's go, send someone to call Zhang Yongde and Wei Renpu. After dinner, we will put mahjong on the table, and we will have a good discussion!"

Guo Wei laughed loudly and walked out of the hall.

Chai Rong carefully put away the letter, followed behind him, and said with a teasing smile: "If father loses, you are not allowed to default on your debt!"

"Hahaha~ Guo Que'er has been gambling with others since he was a child. When has he ever defaulted on his debt? I have to let you see it tonight."

(End of this chapter)