The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 293 Zhu Xiu retreats from Liu Ci
After Zhu Xiu finished speaking, he returned to his seat and sat down. He took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and glanced at the visitor lightly.

A military man with a sinister face, sinister eyes, and a sinister look strode into the hall with a knife in his hand.

"This is General He Hui, the well-known military commander." Zhao Pu hurriedly stood up and introduced.

He Hui glared at him fiercely, glanced at Zhang Yongde and Pan Mei, and finally stared at Zhu Xiu, not hiding the murderous look in his eyes.

Pan Mei was sitting, holding the knife in one hand, staring at him coldly.

Zhang Yongde's face was gloomy. This was the man who incited Liu Ci to send troops to fight against Yedu.

He Hui cupped his fists and saluted Liu Ci: "Commander, these are the lobbyists sent by Guo Wei. Please don't listen to their noise. You will order people to beat out the house with sticks and drive them out of the city! If you dare to stay, you will be killed." Hum~"

He Hui snorted heavily, with a strong sense of threat.

Liu Ci's white eyebrows wrinkled slightly and he was silent.

Zhao Pu hurriedly said: "General He, please calm down and let's discuss it easily! They are all Zhao's distinguished guests."

He Hui didn't give any face to him, pointed at him rudely and shouted angrily: "What a rotten scholar! The old commander treats you as a confidant and appreciates you more, but you don't want to repay him and help outsiders to trap the old commander!"

Zhao Pu was angry and anxious: "What did General He say? When did Zhao trick the old commander?"

"Hmph!~ Ever since the official issued an edict to label Guo Wei and his son as rebellious officials and traitors, and called on all the feudal lords and towns to eliminate the traitors for the country, you have been sighing all day long, and in front of the old commander, you have been complaining about Guo Wei's injustice.

Now the imperial court has clearly issued an order for the old commander to march to Yedu, but you have blocked him in every possible way. You also want to persuade the old commander to defect to Guo Wei and collude with the rebels. He has a deplorable intention and deserves to be killed! "

He Hui clenched his sword and approached Zhao Pu fiercely.

Zhao Pu's face turned livid, he stepped back and fell on the chair.

Pan Mei snorted lukewarmly: "Shuai Liu Laojie hasn't spoken yet. Is it your turn to convict Mr. Zhao? I don't know who is the leader of An Guojun?"

He Hui's expression changed and he glared at Pan Mei fiercely: "Where did you come from, this red-faced ghost?"

Pan Mei stood up angrily, clenched the handle of the knife and sneered: "You are not worthy of knowing my grandpa's name!"

The two glared at each other, neither giving in.

Liu Ci said in a deep voice: "He Hui, please don't be rude. If you have something to do, sit down and discuss it."

He Hui gritted his teeth and cursed: "Red-faced ghost!"

Pan Mei replied unceremoniously: "Castrated bearded dog!"

He Hui's eyes were as fierce as a cannibal, he clenched the knife tightly, his face was cold and ugly.

Pan Mei snorted proudly and returned to the chair to sit down.

He Hui's accent was a bit like that of the Hu people from the area north of Yanmenguan, and his appearance also had some Hu people characteristics. Pan Mei guessed that he should have Hu people's blood, so she called him the term "zahu'er" used in Hebei.

Judging from He Hui's reaction, Pan Mei probably guessed right.

Liu Ci looked at He Hui and then at Zhu Xiu. He felt a little headache and couldn't make up his mind for a while.

"The two of you have their own reasons. As a Han minister, I should act according to the order! It's just that the old man and Guo Gong have a deep relationship and don't have the heart to harm them. If there is any way to let the old man have both loyalty and righteousness, that would be great ."

Liu Ci sighed while stroking his silver beard.

Zhu Xiu's heart moved. There was something in Mr. Liu's words!

He Hui didn't seem to understand the meaning of Liu Ci's words, and said anxiously: "As a Han official, the old commander should naturally obey the orders of the officials. What is there to hesitate about?"

Liu Ci sighed and said, "I'm considering the friendship between me and Mr. Guo~~"

He Hui said anxiously: "Guo Wei is a rebel designated by the imperial court. The old commander should draw a clear line with the rebels as soon as possible to avoid being implicated!"

Liu Ci just sighed but said nothing. He glanced at Zhu Xiu from the corner of his eye.

Zhu Xiu had already guessed what Liu Ci was thinking, raised his hand and said with a smile: "Commander Liu Laojie can pretend to obey the imperial will, but in fact he can stand still. Let's see how the situation in Hebei develops! If Commander Liu Laojie can restrain the Anguo army, , lifting the water transport blockade of the Zhangshui River, even if he does not express his support for Yedu, I believe Guo Gong can appreciate the goodwill of Laojieshuai.

At this time of crisis, Liu Laojieshuai's move is commendable. Mr. Guo will definitely remember it and will never forget Laojieshuai's kindness in the future! "

Liu Ci smiled with some expectation: "So, Zhu Shaolang is willing to vouch for me in front of Guo Gong?"

Zhu Xiu said sternly: "When I go down to Yedu to meet with Guo Shuai, I will definitely tell Shuai Liu Laojie's difficulties face to face. At the same time, I will assure Laojie Shuai in front of Guo Gong that An Guojun has no intention of going against Yedu. The emperor's orders are pressing, so I have to put on a show, please don't misunderstand me, Mr. Guo and the generals in Yedu!"

"Master Zhu is really considerate!"

Liu Ci clasped his fists gratefully, Zhu Xiu's words could be said to have touched his heart.

The reason why the old man was hesitant was that he was caught in a dilemma between Kaifeng and Yedu, and he was still waiting to strive for the best interests for himself.

Regardless of whether it is Kaifeng or Yedu, whichever side offers the higher bargaining chip, the Anguo Army will naturally defect to that side.

Xingzhou is located in the center of Hebei, sandwiched between Yedu and Zhenzhou and Zhaozhou, the northern Xinjiang vassal towns. Its geographical location is extremely important.

Liu Ci was worried about his family members in Kaifeng, so he would not express his support for Guo Wei clearly.

But he will not easily send troops to Yedu to gnaw on this hard bone that will surely shatter teeth for the court.

This is Liu Ci's hesitation and difficulty.

Zhu Xiu guessed his true attitude from his words.

The old man wanted to make a gesture to show the court, but at the same time he would not really offend Guo Wei.

Otherwise, if Yedu is angered and Guo Wei's army goes north, Zhenzhou and Zhaozhou, the vassal towns where heavy troops are gathered, will send troops to attack again. Under the attack from the north and the south, the Anguo army will definitely be destroyed.

But if this happens, Liu Ci and Guo Wei break up, and Hebei falls into civil war. The Khitans may take the opportunity to go south, and Hebei will cause great chaos.

This is what Zhu Xiu said is a situation of mutual destruction, and no one will be the real winner.

Liu Ci was in urgent need of a reliable intermediary, and he rushed to Yedu to express his feelings to Guo Wei.

Zhu Xiu guessed his true thoughts and was willing to be the matchmaker.

He Hui noticed that Liu Ci's attitude was beginning to lean towards Yedu, and said anxiously: "The officials have called on all the vassal towns to bring troops to Beijing. If the troops of Yedu dare to go south, they will face an army encirclement and suppression. Guo Wei will definitely die without a burial place. Old If Shuai supports Guo Wei, he is undoubtedly seeking death!"

Before Liu Ci could speak, Zhu Xiu said calmly: "General He tried his best to get closer to the imperial court. It seems that the imperial court gave General He a promise that he could not refuse! I heard that General He was getting close to the traitor Nie Wenjin, and I don't know what conditions Nie Wenjin offered to let He. Did the general instigate Commander Liu Laojie to fight against the Yedu rebels?

General He only cares about his own future but ignores the safety of Commander Liu Laojie. How can he have the shame to keep calling himself Commander Laojie? "

He Hui jumped up angrily, and cursed angrily, "Nonsense! When, when did I accept Nie Wenjin's bribe?"

Zhu Xiu looked at him with disdain and sneered: "When did I say that you accepted bribes? You obviously brought it on yourself!" "You must have something evil in your mind like a castrated bearded dog! Bah~" Pan Mei said unceremoniously Cursing.

Liu Ci frowned and looked at He Hui, obviously suspicious.

Zhu Xiu suddenly said again: "It's only been half a month since the Kaifeng incident, and the time is short, even if Nie Wenjin wins you over, he won't give you any real benefits, it's nothing more than a promise to appoint an official or something.

Did General He receive a secret message from Nie Wenjin?Or even a secret official edict?Otherwise, how could he encourage General Liu to send troops to Yedu? "

Liu Ci's eyelids jumped when he heard the word secret edict.

The officials assigned Meng Ye to hold a secret edict to kill Wang Yin, the commander of the guard and infantry capital, and sent Yan Tuo to hold a secret edict to instigate a rebellion against Guo Wei's generals in an attempt to secretly eliminate Guo Wei.

Although neither of these two things was accomplished, the news spread in Hebei.

The word "secret edict" has become a nightmare for the generals in the feudal towns. They are afraid that if their generals receive the unsealed secret edict at some point, they will wake up with their heads missing.

He Hui blushed and shouted aggrievedly: "Commander, please don't listen to this little thief sowing discord! How could you betray the commander-in-chief because he was so kind to you?"

Zhu Xiu smiled and said: "Yes or no, yes or no, just send someone to search and find out!"

A flash of panic flashed in He Hui's eyes, which made Zhu Xiu conclude that his guess was correct. This guy must have contacted Kaifeng without telling Liu Ci. As long as he found evidence, Liu Ci would no longer trust him no matter what he tried to explain.

"Please Laojieshuai send someone to search He Hui's residence!" Zhu Xiu stood up immediately and said.

Zhao Pu also hurriedly agreed.

He Hui gritted his teeth suddenly, pulled out his knife and rushed towards Zhu Xiu, wanting to restrain this hateful boy first.

Pan Mei and Zhang Yongde started almost at the same time and pulled out their knives to stop He Hui. He Hui reacted very quickly and rolled over and kicked the chair away. Pan Mei roared and slashed away with the knife.

When Zhang Yongde heard his words slandering Guo Wei, he was already on fire, and he struck mercilessly at his vitals, scaring He Hui so much that he dodged.

There was a clang of clanging in the hall, and the guards rushed in after hearing the noise. Liu Ci waved his hand to signal them not to act rashly.

He Hui was good at martial arts, but Pan Mei and Zhang Yongde were even better. Together, they captured him in less than thirty rounds.

"I've been wronged! Marshal, save me!" He Hui was forced to his knees by Pan Mei and Zhang Yongde, shouting in panic.

Liu Ci's face was as dark as water, he pondered for a moment, then waved his hand and said: "Search He Hui's residence quickly, search carefully, don't miss anything suspicious!"

Several guards immediately followed the order and left.

He Hui became even more nervous and struggled desperately to get up. Pan Mei kicked him hard at the crook of his knee. He Hui fell to his knees in pain and looked back with hatred in his eyes.

"If you dare to glare at me again, I will pluck out your eyeballs!" Pan Mei cursed angrily.

Zhu Xiu winked, Pan Mei understood, and started groping his body with her big hands.

Liu Ci saw it and didn't stop him.

After touching it several times and finding nothing suspicious, Pan Mei shook her head to indicate that there was nothing suspicious.

A quarter of an hour later, the guard returned, holding a piece of cloth wrapped in yellow silk and reporting back: "You guys found this in General He's bedroom!"

He Hui looked pale, and Liu Ci glanced at him coldly, took it and unfolded it, revealing a piece of silk-yellow paper, with the edges gathered with gold thread.

This is obviously a document issued by Zhongshu, the most effective official decree.

Zhu Xiu leaned over and took a few glances. It was still an official document, stamped with the emperor's seal, and the date of issuance was ten days ago.

"Tsk tsk~ He added General Zuowei and appointed Yuhou, deputy commander of the bodyguard and horse army. It's such a big deal. No wonder General He kept pushing Commander Liu Laojie into the fire pit. It turns out that he already had a way out, and it was a way out. Become an official and make a wish, and you will have a bright future!"

Zhu Xiu smiled sarcastically and cast a relieved look at Zhao Pu.

With this evidence, even if He Hui said that he was going to die, Liu Ci would never believe him again.

Zhao Pu breathed a sigh of relief and gave Zhu Xiu a thumbs up with great admiration.

Zhu Shaolang's ability to see into people's hearts has become even more powerful.

Liu Ci looked gloomy and raised the yellow paper in his hand: "How do you explain this?"

He Hui sweated like rain, bit the bullet and argued: "This is a few days ago, the last general received it in Cizhou."

Liu Ci slapped the silk paper heavily on the cases and shouted coldly: "No wonder you suddenly turned back from Cizhou. It turned out that you came back specially to persuade me to follow the imperial decree and march to Yedu! Huh~ you are worried about my hesitation. Ruined your future?"

He Hui said in panic: "Commander, calm down! The general did not inform the general about this matter in advance. It is indeed the general's lack of consideration! But please rest assured, general. Nie Wenjin promised the general that after the matter is completed, he will not treat him badly! The official family I will let the old commander take over and stay in Yedu, and command the soldiers and horses of Hebei to sit in Yedu."

"Huh! That's nonsense!" Liu Ci was furious, "If I listen to your slanderous words and march to Yedu, I will definitely face the siege of Duke Guo's army. I don't know whether I can walk out of Xingzhou City alive. How can I be left behind to guard Yedu? I'm talking nonsense. Seriously? He’s a villain!”

"Come here! Drag this guy out to me, beat him fifty times, seize his armor, swords and horses, and drive him out of Xingzhou City!"

A group of guards rushed in from outside the hall, tied up He Hui tightly without any explanation, held his arms and dragged him outside.

"I have been wronged! Commander, please have mercy!" He Hui yelled in horror, his voice gradually fading away.

Pan Mei pricked her ears: "How come this bastard has a louder voice than our old Pan? It makes my head hurt!"

Zhang Yongde said bitterly: "It's really cheap!"

Liu Ci stood up and clasped his fists and said, "If Zhu Shaolang hadn't seen through He Hui's trick, I would have almost been deceived by him. I'm so ashamed~"

Zhu Xiu said hurriedly: "Laojieshuai was worried about the Kaifeng family, so he was uneasy and was taken advantage of by He Hui."

Liu Ci sighed: "I don't want to go against Duke Guo, I'm just afraid that the imperial court will threaten my family."

"Laojieshuai is relieved. I will rush to Yedu to meet Mr. Guo right now. Mr. Guo is a magnanimous man. He will definitely understand Laojieshuai's difficulties and will not care about it."

Liu Ci thought for a while and then said worriedly: "If the court sees that I am still unwilling to send troops, will my family members in the capital be implicated?"

Zhu Xiu comforted: "Now in Hebei, the only ones who have not expressed their support for Duke Guo are the Anguo Army and the Yongqing Army in Beizhou. The imperial court hopes that the Anguo Army, the commander-in-chief of Laojie, can contain the rear of Yedu's army. It will never do this here." It’s time to harm Laojieshuai’s family, otherwise it wouldn’t be to push Laojieshuai into the arms of Yedu.”

"What Zhu Shaolang said is reasonable. The old commander's attitude is vague, but it can ensure the safety of the family!" Zhao Pu also said with a smile.

Liu Ci pondered carefully for a while, patted his forehead and smiled wryly: "If you care about it, you will be confused, but the old man is not as clear as you two young people."

Liu Ci clasped his fists and said solemnly: "I will send someone to escort Zhu Shaolang south to Yedu. Please ask Zhu Shaolang to report to Mr. Guo on my behalf. As long as I stay at home in Kaifeng and stay safe, I will immediately rush to Mr. Guo's tent to plead guilty!"

"Take care, Mr. Liu, I'll take my leave!"

(End of this chapter)