The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 335
Fan Zhi suddenly stood up and bowed his head to Zhu Xiuchang to the ground.

"What are you doing, Master Fan? Please get up quickly!" Zhu Xiu hurriedly helped him.

Fan Zhi ignored Zhu Xiu's obstruction and insisted on saluting: "Fan Zhi is not well-known, but today he is able to get into the eyes of Duke Guo, gain the trust of Duke Guo and the Queen Mother, and take on this important task, all thanks to Zhu Jun's recommendation! There is no way to repay, please accept Fan Zhi Pay homage!"

Fan Zhi was much older than Zhu Xiu, so how could Zhu Xiu accept his profuse thanks? He hurriedly supported me and said with a smile: "I'm sorry, Master Fan. I've always heard of Master Fan. I know that Master Fan is one of the few in the Hanlin Academy." A truly learned man, he hid here because he was suppressed by traitors such as Li Ye.

But gold and stone will always shine. At this time of great change, capable ministers like Fan Xueshi are needed to assist the government, so that the country can be stable and the country can prosper! "

"Zhu Jun's envoy praised too much, Fan is ashamed and dare not accept it!" Fan Zhi struggled a few times, but found that he couldn't break free, so he gave up with a long sigh.

The two sat down again, and Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Without further delay, Mr. Fan should discuss the content of the imperial edict with me as soon as possible, set the general direction, start writing the document as soon as possible, and then submit it to the Queen Mother for review after revision."

Fan Zhi nodded and said seriously: "Welcoming the successor is of great importance. I wonder if Mr. Guo has any specific instructions?"

Zhu Xiu smiled. It seemed that although Fan Zhi was a man of integrity, he was not pedantic at all. He knew that he came to him to discuss the content of the imperial edict, and he must have come with Guo Wei's request.

This imperial edict contains many political implications, which cannot be stated explicitly, but must be reflected in the imperial edict.

This is the ingenuity of writing imperial edicts. Not only should the words be gorgeous and grand, showing the court's magnanimity, but more importantly, it should convey the will of the superior to the people of the world.

This quite tests the political literacy and literary skills of the writer.

Zhu Xiu would definitely not be able to write it with his own ability, and the original author of this imperial edict was Fan Zhi. Zhu Xiu could not remember the content clearly. If he were to write it by himself, he could only scratch his head and copy some of the words he vaguely remembered. , it is better to invite Fan Zhi to create a new one.

Historically, it was precisely because of this imperial edict that Fan Zhi was favored by Guo Wei. Since then, he rose through the ranks and became one of the famous officials in the late Five Dynasties.

Zhu Xiu's recommendation of Fan Zhi at the Dachao Meeting that day was nothing more than a way to earn a favor.

Even without his recommendation, I believe Fan Zhi can stand out through other channels.

Fan Zhi took the initiative to ask Guo Wei if he had any instructions, indicating that he could roughly guess Guo Wei's intention to welcome Liu Yun as emperor.

Zhu Xiu thought for a moment, then said with a smile: "Mr. Guo has three requirements for the content of the imperial edict. First, Liu Yun is not the son of Gao Zu, which needs to be clearly stated to the world; Li Ye, Nie Wenjin, Guo Yunming and others made slanderous remarks; thirdly, it was Princess Guo who made the initiative to welcome Liu Yun as emperor."

Fan Zhi stroked his beard and fell into deep thought. Zhu Xiu smiled, did not rush, and waited patiently.

After a while, Fan Zhi seemed to wake up from his trance, and he cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Ambassador Zhu Jun, for the tip. Fan already has some drafts of this imperial edict in his mind."

Zhu Xiu admired him: "Scholar Fan is really smart and quick!"

"It's all thanks to Zhu Jun's guidance! Why not ask Fan to correct it while writing!"

"Don't you dare? I'm going to do ink research for Scholar Fan. Please ignore me and just use the ink as much as you like!"

"In that case, I'm sorry!"

Immediately, Zhu Xiu found an inkstone to grind the ink, Fan Zhi spread the paper, dipped the pen in the ink, pondered for a moment, and then started writing.

~~~
"Heaven has not regretted misfortune, there is a lot of chaos, heir Wang Youchong, a group of murderers concealed confusion, conspired against others, conspired against others, indulged in poisoning, the general and ministers were slaughtered neck to neck, good men with arms and legs, innocent butchered, If you complain when you are walking on the road, if the crowd is upset, then the great great ancestor of the great ancestor will fall to the ground."

In the Kunning Hall, Zhu Xiu's clear and clear voice sounded melodiously, holding the imperial edict that he spent all morning drafting, and read it aloud in front of Queen Mother Li.

Empress Dowager Li, who was wearing a plain palace dress and shawl, sat under the colorful divine phoenix glazed screen and listened quietly. Zhang Gui, the chamberlain's young eunuch, stood aside respectfully.

Fan Zhi knelt down on the side of the hall, lowered his head and nodded with a calm and respectful expression.

He put on the court clothes that had been kept at the bottom of the cabinet for many years. There was a hole in the back of the gauze hat, and there was a faint musty smell all over his body.

Although he has been staying in the Miyagi Hanlin Academy, he has not stepped into the Danrei Gate for more than ten years, and this is his first time in the harem.

The Hanlin Academy, Long Live Hall and Kunning Hall are only a few miles apart in a straight line, but to him, they are two different worlds.

If not for Zhu Xiu's recommendation, Guo Wei appointed him as the author of the Queen Mother's decree. Fan Zhi knew that he would never be able to step into the main hall of the palace again in his life.

Fan Zhi raised his head slightly and looked at Zhu Xiu, who was standing in the hall and reciting the imperial edict aloud, with gratitude in his eyes.

An imperial edict to welcome an heir to the throne was written with great eloquence. Zhu Xiu's reciting voice was cadenced. The language and text complemented each other so well that there was no flaw in the sound.

After finishing reading, Zhu Xiu saluted and said, "I have finished reading. Please correct me."

Empress Dowager Li was silent for a moment. She listened carefully to the content of the imperial edict and also picked out the hidden meaning.

Empress Dowager Li's eyes were a little complicated and she said softly: "What did Guo Situ say?"

Zhu Xiu bent down a little more and said with great respect, "Guo Gong said, please let the Queen Mother make a decision. If the Queen Mother has no objection, just issue it according to this edict."

Queen Mother Li nodded, she understood.

Guo Wei had already read the drafted edict and must be extremely satisfied with the content, otherwise he would not have sent Zhu Xiu to the harem for her to review.

Empress Dowager Li said softly: "The imperial edict is very well written, and I am very satisfied with it. There is no need to modify it, so just promulgate it as it is!"

"I respectfully obey the Queen Mother's order!" Zhu Xiu saluted.

Fan Zhi also got up and bowed down: "Thank you, my minister, for your praise."

Zhang Gui stepped forward and took the article from Zhu Xiu's hand, preparing to take it to Zhongshu Sheren to copy it later, and then print it and issue it to the world.

Zhang Gui looked at Zhu Xiu and smiled kindly at him.

Zhu Xiu bowed hurriedly and said respectfully in a low voice: "I'd like to thank you, my servant Zhang."

Zhang Gui smiled and said softly: "Zhu Jun is too polite. This is what the Za family should do."

This was Zhu Xiu's first contact with a palace eunuch. When he got up close, he didn't have the legendary odor unique to eunuchs. Instead, he smelled a faint fragrance. He didn't know if it was masked by the fragrance.

In appearance, the eunuch is indeed different from ordinary people. His demeanor and expression are more feminine, his voice is high-pitched, his face is white and beardless, and his skin is as delicate as a woman's.

I heard that Zhang Gui is the confidant eunuch next to Empress Dowager Li, the third-rank junior eunuch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and has always had a good reputation among the government and the public.

The status of eunuchs has risen sharply since the chaos of the late Tang Dynasty, which has aroused the vigilance of those in power in the past. Whenever an emperor with some brains came to power, he would prohibit eunuchs from engaging in politics. Currently, the status of eunuchs has plummeted and is considered to be at a historical low.

Empress Dowager Li took the article and glanced at it casually, then handed it to Zhang Gui for no further questioning.

She was not interested in the imperial edict, nor in the style and quality of the imperial edict. Instead, she was somewhat interested in Zhu Xiusheng.

"Scholar Fan is full of talent and knowledge. It is a pity to stay in the Hanlin Academy. I will discuss with Guo Situ to choose a suitable position for Scholar Fan. The imperial court is full of waste and it is the time to recruit people. I believe that Scholar Fan will have great achievements. A chance to punch.”

Queen Mother Li smiled pleasantly.Fan Zhi pursed his lips and looked a little excited: "Thank you, Queen Mother!"

"You should step back first and tell Guo Situ that Gao Wenyu has read it and is very satisfied with it."

"Wei Chen, please retire!" Fan Zhi bowed meticulously, stood up and left the hall respectfully.

Zhu Xiu blinked, a little confused. Did the Queen Mother mean to leave him alone for questioning?
"Your name is Zhu Xiu?" Queen Mother Li looked at him and said softly.

"Yes" Zhu Xiu quickly bowed and saluted.

"Come closer, Zhang Gui, and move an embroidered pillar for him to sit on." Queen Mother Li ordered.

Zhang Gui brought the embroidery pier, and Zhu Xiu hurriedly took it and thanked him. He sat down a few feet away from Empress Dowager Li, feeling a little nervous as he wondered what the Empress Dowager wanted to say to him.

Zhu Xiu took a quick glance and looked closer. Empress Dowager Li looked more and more like a kind-hearted old lady. She was dressed in simple clothes and did not wear any jewelry. She was as simple as a farm wife.

If she were not in this palace, it would be difficult to associate her image with the mother of a country.

Queen Mother Li looked at him carefully and murmured in a daze: "You are about the same age as Chengyou."

Zhu Xiu grinned and cupped her hands, not knowing what to say.

Queen Mother Li came back to her senses and said with a smile: "It's just that his appearance is not as good as yours."

Zhu Xiu pretended to be frightened: "How dare I compare myself with the late emperor?"

Empress Dowager Li sighed softly: "I heard that you met Chengyou in Cangzhou more than three years ago. I have heard your name in this deep palace. I know that you and Chengyou have some old grudges."

Zhu Xiu quickly prostrated: "The Queen Mother is serious! How dare I!"

Empress Dowager Li waved her hand to signal him to stand up, with a calm expression: "You followed Guo Situ and raised troops from Yedu. If you didn't have any hatred for the imperial court in your heart, how could you have traveled all the way from Jingzhou to Yedu? What happened to you in Jingzhou? I’ve heard of it before.”

Zhu Xiu lowered his head, not expecting that the Queen Mother had sent someone to investigate him.

There was a nervous and fearful look on her face, but she was very calm in her heart. Queen Mother Li had a respected position, but she had no real power in her hands.

To put it bluntly, she could still stay in the harem with the title of Queen Mother, firstly because Guo Wei wanted to do it for the sake of old friendship, and secondly, he still needed her to complete the final step of the transfer of imperial power.

Which of these two reasons is more important, I am afraid only Guo Wei knows.

Queen Mother Li covered her heart, frowning as if she was having heart palpitations, with a look of pain on her face.

"Queen Mother!" Zhang Gui hurriedly stepped forward with concern on his face.

"I'm going to ask the imperial doctor!" Zhu Xiu was startled, got up and ran out.

"No need!" Queen Mother Li stopped him and said with a wry smile: "It's an old problem. I'll use some soothing soup later and just have a good sleep."

Zhu Xiu was a little nervous. Empress Dowager Li must not have anything happen to her now, otherwise Guo Wei's arrangements would be completely disrupted, and Guo Wei would be blamed for the death of the Empress Dowager.

Zhang Gui hurriedly went down to prepare the soothing soup. Empress Dowager Li took a few breaths and her heart palpitations seemed to have eased.

"I heard that you were the one who discovered the late emperor's body in Zhao Village and captured the regicide murderer Guo Yunming. Could you tell me more about the situation at that time?"

Empress Dowager Li stared at him with hopeful eyes. Zhu Xiu lowered his head with a wry smile on his face, feeling a little guilty in his heart.

It's not that I feel guilty for killing Liu Chengyou, but because this incident involved an innocent mother who lost her last biological son.

Liu Chengyou launched the Guangzhengdian Incident, setting off a bloody storm in Kaifeng City. The disaster eventually spread to himself, ruining the Han Dynasty and causing his mother to shed tears all day long.

Zhu Xiu had no psychological burden for killing Liu Chengyou, but he knew that Queen Mother Li was innocent and she should not bear the blame for the change of dynasty.

Zhu Xiu hesitated for a while, then cupped his hands and sighed: "When I arrived, the official family had already been killed. Guo Yunming escorted the official family from Liu Zipo to Zhao Village. Seeing that there was no hope of survival, he became malicious and wanted to kill the official family. Join the Ye army and use it as a stepping stone."

Queen Mother Li murmured: "Did Chengyou suffer when he left?"

Zhu Xiu shook his head: "The official's face was peaceful, he walked peacefully, and he did not suffer."

"That's good, that's good." Empress Dowager Li held her heart and recited Buddhist scriptures in a low voice.

Zhu Xiu listened to a passage that seemed to be the rebirth mantra of the Pure Land Sect.

After a moment, Queen Mother Li opened her red eyes and sighed remorsefully: "When Chengyou was young, I pampered him too much and didn't discipline him strictly, so that he developed a surly and arrogant temper. I am also responsible for this step today."

Zhu Xiu listened silently, as if an orphaned mother was telling her heart.

Queen Mother Li wiped the corners of her eyes: "If Chengyou has wronged you before, I will apologize for him. I hope you will not resent him in your heart. He has already paid the price for what he has done."

Zhu Xiu sighed and stood up and saluted: "I dare not! Please show my condolences to the Queen Mother!"

Empress Dowager Li hesitated and said in a low voice: "Liu Yun's office in Xuzhou, please tell Guo Situ and ask him to let Liu Yun live."

Zhu Xiu gave her a sympathetic look. It turned out that the Queen Mother had guessed the meaning behind the succession document and wanted to beg Guo Wei to spare Liu Yun's life.

This simple woman turned out to be not lacking in wisdom at all.

It's a pity that her life seemed not to be good. Her husband and her beloved eldest son died of illness early, and her only youngest son had a surly and arrogant temper.

Zhu Xiu whispered: "I will report the Queen Mother's intention to Duke Guo truthfully. As for what Duke Guo thinks, I am not in a position to interfere. Please forgive me, Queen Mother!"

"Thank you."

Queen Mother Li nodded gratefully.

Zhu Xiu stepped aside and saluted: "The Queen Mother must not worry too much, rest peacefully, and take good care of her body. No matter what, the Queen Mother will always be the mother of a country, and the Queen Mother is respected by Duke Guo and the government and the public."

After Zhu Xiu bowed, he quietly exited the Kunning Hall. Before closing the door, he looked deep into the hall and saw Queen Mother Li still sitting there in a daze.

Zhu Xiu sighed softly, closed the palace door and left.

Empress Dowager Li, who was accompanied by green lanterns and yellow scrolls all day long, was kind. She convinced herself to accept Liu Chengyou's death and did not want to continue her hatred.

The transition and transfer of imperial power will always inevitably lead to bloodshed and sacrifice, and she wants to do her best to save innocent people.

Zhu Xiu didn't know whether her wish would come true, but she hoped that she could stay away from the world's strife and enjoy her old age in peace.

(End of this chapter)