The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 344 Old Man Feng gives some advice
Zhu Xiu left Nuan Pavilion and walked down the long stone steps outside Zichen Hall, thinking about going to Suzhou to take office.

Under the steps, a purple-robed figure slowly walked up the stone steps with a cane, walking up step by step, which seemed quite strenuous.

The person who came had a gray head and his figure looked familiar. Zhu Xiu took a look and shouted, "But the old master is back?"

Feng Dao raised his head and was stunned when he saw Zhu Xiu. He immediately rolled his eyes and continued to climb up the stone steps with his head down and a cane.

Zhu Xiu was overjoyed when she saw that it was indeed Feng Dao. She hurriedly picked up the hem of her robe and ran down the stone steps, reaching out to help him: "When did the old master come back?"

Feng Dao blocked his way with his arm, glanced sideways at Zhu Xiu, and sneered: "How dare I let the Marquis of Dingyuan County support me? Please let the Marquis get out of the way, I will rush to see the official."

Feng Dao was about to leave on crutches, but Zhu Xiu grabbed his cane stick and said with a smile: "The old master came back from Songzhou with perfect merits. Now he has been named Qi Guogong, Taishi, and Zhongshu Ling. As the most prominent person in my court, I can just thank you for your recommendation, so why are you still angry with me?"

Feng Dao grabbed the cane and tugged hard, but failed to grab it. He shouted angrily: "I'm going to Xuzhou and my reputation is completely ruined. It's all thanks to you! I won't pick up the cane and beat you up. It's fine. Why don't I beat you?" Do you think I will be grateful to you? Bah! Dreaming!~"

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Master, don't be so good after getting an advantage! If you didn't go to Xuzhou and didn't bring Liu Yun to Songzhou, how could you have the title of Duke of Qi and be granted the title of Zhongshu Ling today?"

Feng Dao turned around and saw that no one was around. He grabbed Zhu Xiu's robe with his skinny hands and shouted angrily: "Liu Yun was just demoted to the title of Duke of Xiangyin. It's enough to put him under house arrest in Songzhou. Why do we have to poison him?" ? Just poison him. Why can't you wait until I leave and return to Kaifeng before taking action? It was I who brought him to Songzhou. Once he dies, everyone will think that I poisoned him with my own hands! Liu Yun respects me as his teacher, and I But I became the murderer who poisoned him to death. How does this make the world see me?"

Zhu Xiu said innocently: "This matter was suggested by Wang Jun in front of the officials, and it is none of my business! Wang Jun said that Liu Chong had declared independence in Hedong anyway, and Liu Yun's life and death were insignificant. It was better to get rid of him as soon as possible to avoid complications. "

Feng Dao's bloodshot old eyes were a little scary, and he growled in a trembling voice: "If Liu Yun dies, everyone will blame me on me! I have never taken any risks in my life, I just want to live in peace, but I didn't expect that now I am in danger of losing my life. His reputation was ruined like this."

The old man was a little excited and choked with sobs. Zhu Xiu was worried that he wouldn't be able to breathe, so he quickly comforted him and said, "Don't worry, old master. Liu Yun got sick and was recuperating in Songzhou. He died because the medical officer accidentally ingested the laxative medicine." , the medical officer has confessed, and Liu Yun has been buried in glory. The world will not know the truth of the matter, and no one will know that the old master is related to this matter."

Feng Dao stared at him fiercely like a red-eyed rabbit, his voice hoarse: "I didn't know that you would send someone to poison Liu Yun!"

Zhu Xiu said sarcastically: "Yes! The old master did not know about it beforehand, and neither did I. It was all the fault of Wang Jun's evil-minded guy! If Liu Yun's ghost wants to find someone to settle accounts with, he will only go to Wang Jun has nothing to do with us."

Feng Dao let go of Zhu Xiu's collar, sighed and slowly sat down with his crutches, sitting on the cold stone steps, staring at the quiet palace pavilions not far away in a daze.

"My robe is new. The old master made it wrinkled the first time I wore it." Zhu Xiu smoothed the official robe, muttered a few complaints, and sat down next to Feng Dao.

"The Great Zhou Dynasty has come." Feng Dao suddenly let out a long sigh.

Zhu Xiu clapped his fingers and said with a smile: "This is already the fourth generation of the dynasty and the ninth emperor served by the old master. What do you think?"

Feng Dao was so angry that he banged his cane stick on the stone steps: "How dare you laugh at me?"

"Don't you dare! I have no intention of laughing at Old Master! I deeply admire Old Master's ability to protect himself. I also ask Old Master to teach me how to survive in this troubled world like you. To protect ourselves?"

Zhu Xiu bowed sincerely. He really wanted to ask Feng Dao for advice on how to save his life.

Feng Dao snorted heavily and was silent for a while, and the anger just now dissipated.

"You can't learn this old man's ability, and it's useless if you learn it, because you can't stand loneliness, you don't want to be inferior to others, and you won't give in easily!"

Feng Dao stroked his beard and smiled leisurely.

Zhu Xiu blinked: "What does the old master mean by this?"

Feng Dao looked at him, his old eyes as deep as ancient wells: "Chai won the title of Duke of Taiyuan and stayed in Chanzhou. Li Chongjin was granted the title of Duke of Hanoi and is going to Suzhou. You are also going to Suzhou to assist Li Chongjin in preparing to build the Huai Army. , yes or no?”

Zhu Xiugong cupped his hands and said: "The old master has just returned to the court and he knows everything about the affairs of the court. I admire you!"

Feng Daoya sneered in a low voice: "You think you are smart, why can't you see the intention?"

Zhu Xiu was stunned, "What does the old master mean?"

"I'm asking you, if an official ascends the throne but has no children, who will succeed him in the future?" Feng Dao said in a serious tone.

Zhu Xiu's pupils expanded a little bit, and she somewhat understood what Feng Dao meant.

"Chai Rong is the adopted son of the official family. The official family always treats him as his own son. In name, he is the only prince. But in fact, he has no blood relationship with the official family. If he wants to make Chai Rong his heir, there will be resistance. Not small.

Li Chongjin was the nephew of the official family. He was related by blood. The incident with the Yongqing Army in Beizhou greatly increased Li Chongjin's reputation and he was highly sought after by the Ye army. At present, it seemed that the official family also wanted to use him for cultivation.

If no biological prince is born to the official family within three to five years, if nothing unexpected happens, the successor will be from these two people. "

Feng Dao took a deep look at Zhu Xiu.

Zhu Xiu's face was full of shock, and she admired Feng Dao in her heart.

He is worthy of being the historical bellwether and living fossil of Gou Dao's rise to power. Feng Dao does have his own unique insights into the direction of the government.

No wonder the old man lived to be 68 years old and served nine emperors in four dynasties. With this foresight alone, [-]% of the people in the court were inferior to him.

Feng Dao twisted his beard and said quietly: "Even if the official family invites the harem to give birth to a prince, and the prince is young, in order to ensure the smooth inheritance of the country, with the broad mind and talent of the official family, it is impossible to abolish the elder and establish the younger, and cause chaos in vain . Therefore, Chai Rong and Li Chongjin will be the most powerful contenders for the second emperor of the Zhou Dynasty."

"What the old master said suddenly came to my mind!" Zhu Xiu flattered him sincerely.

Feng Dao raised his eyebrows slightly, with a rather sullen expression on his face, and continued to talk: "Chai Rong was in control of Chanzhou, and Li Chongjin was in control of Suzhou. This shows that the officials are ambitious and will never be content to defend their territory. Instead, they must use their troops to attack Khitan in the north and capture Qidan in the south." The Tang Dynasty mixed the north and the south and ended the troubled times!
The officials transferred you to Suzhou to assist Li Chongjin and left Wang Pu in Chanzhou. The purpose is to let the four of you run the business from north to south to see who is better.

In the future, whether it is the Northern Expedition or the Southern Expedition, Chai Rong and Li Chongjin will definitely be the most important generals in the army, and you and Wang Pu will be the chief advisers around them.

The officials are testing Chai Rong and Li Chongjin, as well as you and Wang Pu. "

Feng Dao patted Zhu Xiu on the shoulder, not knowing whether to express encouragement or sympathy.

Feng Dao's reminder opened up Zhu Xiu's thinking, and he said softly: "I'm afraid the old master still has something to say! The official suddenly ordered Chai Shuai to stay in Chanzhou, and then transferred me and Li Zhong to Suzhou to form the Zhenhuai Town. The army, of course, has the intention of testing and reuse, but it is not without the intention of guarding against it!"

Feng Dao stroked his beard and smiled slightly: "It's good if you can think of it. Chai Rong has grown up and is a prince in name only. He is quite famous in the Ye army. If he comes to Kaifeng, it will only increase the embarrassment and embarrass all officials. If you don’t know how to treat each other, just don’t come.

There are too many people and ghosts involved here, and it's too complicated, so it's better not to make guesses out of thin air.

In short, the Zhou Dynasty has just been established. On the surface, it seems that the king is wise and the ministers are virtuous, and the situation is prosperous. However, hidden conflicts and competitions have been laid and will not stop for a moment. "

Feng Dao looked at Zhu Xiu pitifully and sympathetically: "And you, boy, are an important part of these conflicts and entanglements, and you can't get rid of them or run away.

You can't stay out of the situation like me, so you will never learn my life-saving methods. "

Zhu Xiu was silent. He knew that Feng Dao was right.

Especially after Feng Dao reminded him of Guo Wei's deeper intention in arranging for Chai Rong and Li Chongjin to stay in Chanzhou and Suzhou respectively, he understood that he had been thrown into the center of the whirlpool of power disputes within the Great Zhou Dynasty by Uncle Guo.

He wanted to assist Li Chongjin and compete with Chai Rong.

"Why did the old master tell me this?" Zhu Xiu smiled wryly.Feng Dao twirled his white beard and said with a smile: "Although I was tricked once by your boy, I have a broad mind and decided to let it go. You saved my Chan'er's life before and introduced me to meet the official. I accept your favor. Today Even if it’s repayment.”

Zhu Xiu frowned and looked at him suspiciously: "Seriously?"

Feng Dao said angrily: "How can I be lying in what I say? Besides, what good will it do to me if I reveal this to you? I just want to see you as someone who has a good relationship with me, and I can't bear to see you jump into the pit of fire without knowing it!" Humph~ Your good intentions are not rewarded, and you actually suspect that I have some intentions towards you!"

Feng Dao stood up and was about to leave. Zhu Xiu grabbed his crutches and said with a smile: "I judged the heart of a gentleman with the heart of a villain. Please forgive me!"

"Hmph!~" Feng Dao turned his head arrogantly and didn't bother to pay attention.

"This junior is about to go south, please ask the old master to remind me how I should deal with myself in the future?" Zhu Xiu bowed sincerely.

Feng Dao stroked his beard, narrowed his eyes and said calmly: "If you were asked to choose between Chai Rong and Li Chongjin, who do you think is the most suitable to be the successor of Great Zhou?"

Zhu Xiu spread his hands and said: "Of course Chai Shuai is more suitable!"

Feng Dao smiled, and said seriously: "So, you have to try your best to prevent Li Chongjin from coveting the throne. He can make contributions and become a famous official of a generation, but his talent is not enough to become the king of a country. The old man guessed that the official arrangement is like this. Afraid that Chai Rong would become slack, he arranged an opponent for him to be vigilant at all times.

Officials will understand that only Chai Rong is the most suitable successor to the throne. "

Zhu Xiu bowed deeply: "The old master's teachings, Zhu Xiu will always remember them in his heart!"

Feng Dao smiled and said: "Go, be careful all the way, come back in the future, and then sit in the old man's house. I wish you find your relatives as soon as possible and return safely."

"Thank you, old master. I'll take my leave, junior!" Zhu Xiu thanked him with a smile and walked down the stone steps towards the palace gate.

Feng Dao stood on the steps, watching Zhu Xiu go away, stroking his white beard and murmuring to himself: "This is a test for Chai Rong from the official family, and it is also a test for your boy. If you can pass this test, the great Zhou Dynasty will win." There will definitely be a place for you on the top. Only then will you be qualified to talk to my Chan'er. Hmm, huh~ That's too far-fetched. Let's wait until that kid returns to Kaifeng alive."

Feng Dao shook his head and laughed at himself, then continued to climb the stone steps with a cane and went to Nuange to see Guo Wei.

All the way through the palace wall corridor, Zhu Xiu walked to the right door.

His mind was still thinking about what Feng Dao said just now.

Feng Dao's ability to guess what he meant was indeed not bad, but his understanding of Uncle Guo was still lacking.

If he had heard that Guo Wei and Fan Zhi were arguing about the order of elders and children in the Privy Council that day, he might have understood that Uncle Guo was not a person who liked to follow conventional legal principles.

As a warrior, his heart is crueler and harder, and he also believes that power is the truth.

Zhu Xiu clearly remembered that when Guo Wei talked about the Xuanwumen Incident that day, he had extreme contempt for the suffering Li Jiancheng, and extremely high regard for Taizong Shimin, who imprisoned his father and killed his brother and brother.

In order to compete for the throne, Guo Wei affirmed and appreciated the mutiny launched by Li Er.

This shows that Guo Wei does not agree with the set of etiquette rules in which succession to the throne is based on the order of elder and younger, and he may be inclined to choose a successor he is satisfied with and likes.

This person may be Chai Rong and Li Chongjin, or he may not.

Guo Wei will be more fond of his biological son if he is not allowed to give birth to his biological prince in two years.

In order for his own son to inherit the throne, Uncle Guo can do anything with his iron-bloodedness and toughness.

There are still quite a lot of variables in the heir to the throne of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Zhu Xiu originally thought that with Guo Weijian claiming the title of emperor, Chai Rong was the sure candidate to succeed him, but it was only after he had personally experienced this great change that he realized that things were definitely not that simple.

Uncle Guo's thoughts are still a mystery for now, no one can guess.

Zhu Xiu's face turned pale. For the first time, he felt that the direction of history was beyond his control, and the road ahead suddenly became confused.

"Good brother? Good brother? Zhu Xiu!"

When passing through the right door, bursts of shouts came from behind, and Zhu Xiu turned around in a daze.

Zhao Kuangyin, wearing armor and carrying a sword, ran out of the doorway.

"Brother Xian, why does he look so ugly? But is he sick? Brother Yu just called you several times, but you didn't hear him." Zhao Kuangyin asked with concern.

Zhu Xiugong cupped his hands, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and said with a forced smile: "I'm fine, I'm just about to leave for Suzhou. I was thinking about it all the way. I didn't hear Brother Zhao calling me. I'm sorry."

Zhao Kuangyin clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Congratulations to my virtuous brother for being named Marquis, and also received the post of the Huai Army in Suzhou. Brother Yu is really envious!"

Zhu Xiu smiled and said: "Brother Zhao is a general of the imperial army. He lives in the imperial palace and serves the officials all day long. I should be envious of you."

"Haha, dear brother, please stop comforting me. If possible, I would rather switch with you." Zhao Kuangyin smiled bitterly.

"Brother Zhao is on duty at Youyemen today?"

Zhao Kuangyin smiled and said: "Yes, we will change defense in two hours."

Zhu Xiu cupped his hands and said, "My little brother, go first so as not to delay Brother Zhao's duty."

"I wonder when my dear brother will set off?"

"Tomorrow afternoon or the morning after tomorrow."

"I don't know when I'll see you again. I'll hold a banquet at home at noon tomorrow. I'll invite you and the Duke of Hanoi to come over and have a glass of wine. This can be considered a good practice for you."

"Hehe, I'll have to thank Brother Zhao, we'll be there on time."

After saying goodbye, Zhu Xiu rode away and ran across the Jinshui Bridge towards the city.

"Tsk tsk~ This Zhu Xiu is really amazing. He was granted the title of Marquis and became the deputy envoy of a town. Compared with him, our brothers are nothing but bullshit!"

Shi Shouxin, who was guarding Youye Gate with Zhao Kuangyin, held the gun barrel and shook his head with emotion.

Zhao Kuangyin withdrew his gaze, patted Shi Shouxin on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Work hard, and one day you can become a general!"

Shi Shouxin grinned honestly: "I don't believe what others tell me, but I believe what Brother Zhao says! In the future, Brother Zhao will be the commander-in-chief of the Forbidden Army. Not all of our brothers will be generals!"

"Hahaha~"

Behind him, a group of Forbidden Soldiers in the Inner Palace burst into laughter.

(End of this chapter)