The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 345 The joys and sorrows of the old Zhao family

The Zhao Mansion, located on Chongmingmen Nei Street in Kaifeng City, got busy early in the morning.

The butler wrote the menu and gave it to Zhao Kuangyin for review. After reading it, Zhao Kuangyin deleted some dishes, read it again carefully, and then handed it over to the butler after checking that it was correct, and asked him to instruct the kitchen to prepare according to the menu.

Zhao Kuangyin asked his servants to clean the front hall inside and out. The floor was mopped back and forth three times with clean water. Even the hanging beams were wiped clean by the servants using ladders, leaving no cobweb dust.

Zhao Kuangyin personally supervised the work and pointed out rectifications on the spot where there was any poor performance.

"I said, brother, what's the matter with you?"

Zhao Kuangyi raised questions, and he was also asked by Zhao Kuangyin to put on a brand new robe.

Zhao Kuangyin took a look, took two steps forward to straighten his scarf, and said with a smile: "Zhu Xiu and Li Chongjin are one of my best friends. It is their first time to be guests in my house, so of course they have to be more considerate."

Zhao Kuangyi stretched out his hand to block it, touched the scarf tied tightly on his head, and said nonchalantly: "Since we are friends, we can just be casual, why bother making the house uneasy. For those who don't know, I thought the officials were coming to our house!~ "

Zhao Kuangyin said with a smile: "If the official family wants to come, I'm afraid our father will have to burn incense for seven days, take a bath and fast, and then renovate the inside and outside of this mansion."

Zhao Kuangyi curled his lips and said: "Not only that, our father must have gotten up in the middle of the night and ran to Xuande Gate to guard it. His eyes were red from the sleep. When he saw the official's tears, the official asked: 'Zhao Qing' Ah, why are you crying?" Our father choked while wiping his tears: "I reported back to the official. When I learned that the official was coming to my palace, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep all night. I didn't know when the official would leave the palace, so I just came to this palace. Wait outside the door.'"

Zhao Kuangyi held his nose and imitated his old father's speech, and he learned it perfectly, with the right expression and tone, which made Zhao Kuangyin burst into laughter.

Suddenly, Zhao Kuangyin's smiling face faltered and he was stunned. He lowered his head and turned around and walked quickly into the front hall, his movements smooth and smooth.

Zhao Kuangyi was stunned, and suddenly he felt two sharp rays of light coming from his back. He grinned with a smile that was uglier than crying. He lowered his head and tried to keep up with his brother.

"You two, stop for me, father!"

Sure enough, Zhao Hongyin's cold shout came from behind.

Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi looked at each other and smiled bitterly, stopped and turned back, bowed and saluted.

Zhao Hongyin walked forward slowly with his hands behind his back, glanced at the brothers, and his eyes fell on Zhao Kuangyi.

Zhao Kuangyi felt uncomfortable all over and smiled flatteringly: "Dad~~"

"Humph!~"

Zhao Hongyin was furious, "I'll settle the score with you later!"

Zhao Kuangyi grinned and looked at Zhao Kuangyin for help. Zhao Kuangyin looked at his nose and heart, pretending not to notice.

"You invited Li Chongjin and Zhu Xiulai to your house as guests?" Zhao Hongyin asked in a deep voice.

Zhao Kuangyin said hurriedly: "The officials asked the two of them to rush to Suzhou to form an army to suppress Huaihe. Zhu Xiu also went to Jiangning to find relatives, so I thought of hosting a banquet for them."

Zhao Hongyin pondered for a moment and said: "Since we are old friends and we are about to say goodbye, it is appropriate to hold a banquet and entertain them. What's more, the two of them have extraordinary status now. One is the nephew of the official family and has been granted the title of Duke of Hanoi, and the other is a young man valued by the official family. Junyan, the hero of the Long Dynasty who raised troops in Yedu will be granted the title of Marquis of the Kingdom, and will have a bright future."

Zhao Hongyin's tone showed a bit of melancholy, and he seemed to be quite emotional.

Zhao Kuangyin comforted him and said: "Father, don't worry, my child will definitely be able to make great achievements in the future and will not be compared with his old friends."

Zhao Hongyin smiled: "Da Lang has outstanding abilities, I believe you will be able to make a breakthrough in the future as a father. It's just that if you miss some opportunities, you will miss them. From the comparison of Long Gongchen and the old ministers of the previous dynasty, the gap is not a little bit. "

Zhao Kuangyi couldn't help but interjected: "My father and eldest brother led the people of Zhaojiazhuang to seize the Yingchun Gate and welcome the official army into the city. Isn't this the merit of Conglong?"

Zhao Hongyin glanced at him: "At that time, Ye's army was approaching the city, and the situation was decided. Which family didn't want to show off in front of the officials? Even if it weren't for my Zhao family, there would be other families who would take the opportunity to respond and welcome Ye's army into the city!

What's more, if they hadn't met the troops that Zhu Xiu had already contacted, it was still unclear whether the Zhao family could have captured Yingchun Gate alone.

It is really far-fetched to say that the Zhao family has benefited from Conglong's merits. "

Zhao Kuangyin smiled bitterly and said: "So when the official came to the throne, my Zhao family only rewarded me with some gold, silver and silk. Not to mention the title, there was not even the slightest change in official duties."

"Sigh~ If I had known this, after the Guangzhengdian Incident, our family should have fled Kaifeng and gone to Yedu to seek refuge with the officials. But now it is too late to regret it!"

Zhao Hongyin sighed and shook his head repeatedly.

Zhao Kuangyi said: "Father's words are wrong! Not long after the Guangzhengdian Incident happened, Li Ye and others were in power, and the Kaifeng court did not show signs of decline. No one knew whether Ye's army could break into Kaifeng City.

We, the Zhao family, were not at fault for choosing to stay out of the matter. Under the circumstances at that time, keeping silent and watching was definitely the best choice. "

Zhao Hongyin smiled wryly and said: "So no matter how turbulent Kaifeng City is, my Zhao family will be able to keep it safe. If there is gain, there will be loss. The Zhao family also lost the opportunity to become a hero from the dragon."

Zhao Kuangyin comforted him and said, "Father, don't worry. The world is not at peace yet. Our Zhao family will still have opportunities to make meritorious deeds in the future. The official family is a wise and holy master. As long as the Zhao family serves the king loyally and makes more contributions, the future of the Zhao family will never be better than Others are worse!"

Zhao Hongyin nodded and said with a smile: "Why don't you understand the truth as a father? I just saw that Hou Yi and Jiao Jixun, a few old men, are now being used by the officials, either as generals of the Forbidden Army or sent out to guard a feudal town. As a protector for my father, But the position of commander of the Holy Army’s capital has been taken to the end, and there is no opportunity to be mobilized from afar, which really feels bad~"

Zhao Kuangyi hummed and said: "As the emperor and the courtiers, even a rough and rude man like Li Chongjin was granted the title of county prince. The government officials are really eclectic in their employment!"

Zhao Kuangyin frowned and glared at him: "Shut up! Don't criticize officials behind their backs!"

"That's right!" Zhao Kuangyi groaned unconvinced.

Zhao Hongyin glared and reprimanded: "Your eldest brother is right. My father knows that you have always despised warriors, especially those warriors from humble backgrounds. But today is different from the past. The official family has declined since childhood, and has made a fortune from humble beginnings, fighting and fighting all the way. Only then can we achieve the glory of being called emperor now.

Government employees have never valued family background, and today's world is in chaos, which is the time for military personnel to use their lives, especially the lieutenant generals of the Ye Army, many of whom are humble and ruthless people. Your thoughts of valuing aristocratic families over poor families must never be revealed. Otherwise, it will be very easy to cause public anger, which will not be conducive to the unity of our Zhao family. "

"My father's teachings will always be remembered by my child. Don't worry, father, my child is not looking down on a warrior from a humble family. He just can't bear to see a rough man like Li Chongjin ascending to a high position, and even appointing a prince as a military governor. It's like a monkey! He knows how to do it." Are you taking care of the feudal town?" Zhao Kuangyi looked disdainful.

Zhao Kuangyin said: "Don't forget, Zhu Xiu serves as deputy envoy of the Huai Army. Li Chongjin may not listen to what others say, but he will definitely listen to Zhu Xiu's words."

Zhao Kuangyi thought for a while and asked doubtfully: "What do you mean, brother, the officials intend to cultivate Li Chongjin? Are you asking Zhu Xiu to assist him?"

Zhao Kuangyin smiled and said: "Li Chongjin is the nephew of the official family. He is one of the few relatives in the world who is related by blood to the official family. Of course the official family values ​​him very much."

Zhao Kuangyi picked a small pimple on his chin and said thoughtfully: "According to this, Li Chongjin may not just be a county prince in the future~~~" Zhao Hongyin and Zhao Kuangyin looked at each other and heard Understand the profound meaning of these words.

Zhao Hongyin said in a low voice: "The official family has just ascended the throne, and it is the heyday of the Spring and Autumn Period. No one can say for sure what will happen in the future. Don't make random guesses! These words must not be said outside in the future."

"Don't worry, Dad, I'm not stupid!" Zhao Kuangyi laughed.

"Okay, your two brothers are responsible for entertaining the guests. My father and your mother will go to Chongsheng Temple to offer incense later."

Zhao Hongyin walked away slowly with his hands behind his back, and brother Zhao Kuangyin bowed to him respectfully.

Zhao Kuangyi turned around and saw Zhao Kuangyin frowning and thinking, and smiled: "Brother, what are you thinking about?"

Zhao Kuangyin glanced at him, shook his head and said nothing.

Zhao Kuangyi asked curiously: "Brother, you are old acquaintances with Zhu Xiu and Li Chongjin. Now their official titles are higher than yours. Do you have any ideas?"

Zhao Kuangyin rolled his eyes at him and said angrily: "Li Chongjin is the nephew of the official family. Zhu Xiu met Chai Shuai when he was in Cangzhou. He has made countless contributions to the official family and Chai Shuai. What he is today is all due to his ability. I can Any ideas?"

Zhao Kuangyi blinked: "Of the two of them, one is younger than you, the other is not as capable as you, but now they are granted the title of Duke and Marquis, and they are out of town. Aren't you jealous?"

Zhao Kuangyin smiled wryly and said, "I can't talk about jealousy, it's just a little bit of envy. I'm a warrior, who wouldn't want to be a big official in the frontier and sit in one side?
I am envious, I am sincerely happy for them that they are able to live today. "

Zhao Kuangyi asked in a low voice: "If Li Chongjin gets enlightened one day and makes great achievements in Suzhou, do you think the official family will be tempted to make him their prince? If this big week is handed over to Li Chongjin in the future, brother, you Are you really going to be happy?"

Zhao Kuangyin was speechless, "Don't make blind guesses about things that don't happen! Although Li Chongjin and I often quarrel, our relationship is still harmonious. After all, we both served under Chai Shuai, so it can be considered a friendship."

Zhao Kuangyi curled his lips and muttered: "Although the official family is not old, they are still at an age when they know their destiny. Dazhou has just been established, but the issue of successors has to be considered in advance. If Li Chongjin takes over, will it be good for our Zhao family? Bad, I advise you to think it over as soon as possible."

Zhao Kuangyin glanced at him and couldn't help but reach out and want to pinch the fleshy white face: "Obviously I'm just a kid, but I've been sternly teaching your elder brother all day long!"

Zhao Kuangyi was so frightened that he hurriedly turned away and said angrily: "What little kid? I'm already 13 years old!"

"Haha~ So what if I'm 13? He's still my second brother! Come here, let me get close to you, brother!"

Zhao Kuangyin stretched out his arm to grab him, but Zhao Kuangyi ran away in fright.

The two brothers quarreled for a while, which finally ended with Zhao Kuangyi's hair coming loose, his face flushed and tears stained at the corners of his eyes.

Zhao Kuangyi held a pot of scented tea in front of Zhao Kuangyin with grief and indignation. Zhao Kuangyin pointed at the teacup. Zhao Kuangyi glared at him, but still filled up the tea obediently.

Zhao Kuangyin picked up the tea cup and took a few sips.

Whenever he feels that his eldest brother's dignity has been damaged, he can only use force to "make love" with his good brother to save some face.

After all, Zhao Kuangyi is the child prodigy of the old Zhao family. He has been articulate, eloquent, and mature since he was a child. When the two brothers quarreled, Zhao Kuangyin was defeated eight times out of ten.

Zhao Kuangyi felt sad and angry because he couldn't match his words.

"By the way, what should we do about the Kunning Palace incident I told you before?"

Zhao Kuangyin looked around and asked softly when there was no one around.

Zhao Kuangyi sat on the stone bench nearby and lay down weakly: "I asked someone to inquire. The eunuch named Zhang Gui next to the Queen Mother has no relatives alive now. This man is loyal to Queen Mother Li, and it is not easy to bribe him. possible."

Zhao Kuangyin said worriedly: "The Queen Mother and Zhang Gui must have known about what happened in Kunning Palace that day. As long as they find out who was staying in the palace that day, they can find my head. What should they do?"

Zhao Kuangyi said lazily: "I'm afraid the Queen Mother didn't say anything about this matter, otherwise it would have been traced to you. Maybe the Queen Mother didn't want to cause trouble and didn't tell the officials about it."

Zhao Kuangyin shook his head and said: "But this matter is a hidden danger after all, and we must find a way to solve it."

Zhao Kuangyi picked his chin and thought for a while: "Then we can only shut up Queen Mother Li and Zhang Gui forever!"

Zhao Kuangyin was startled and glared at him fiercely: "Don't talk nonsense! Even the officials respect Empress Dowager Li as Empress Dowager Zhaosheng. Who dares to disrespect her?"

Zhao Kuangyi squinted his eyes and smiled very sneakily: "Brother, you don't understand this! The officials treat Empress Dowager Li favorably. This is for the world to see. It shows that the officials are broad-minded and tolerant.

But for the officials and the Great Zhou Dynasty, the existence of Empress Dowager Li is like a thorn, no matter where it is placed, it is an eyesore.Only when Empress Dowager Li disappears early can the old dynasty of Liu Han be completely overturned. Maybe even the officials are eager for Empress Dowager Li to pass away as soon as possible! "

"The more you talk, the more absurd it becomes!" Zhao Kuangyin glared and reprimanded, "The official family and Empress Dowager Li are old acquaintances. The official family's successful accession to the throne is inseparable from the strong support of Empress Dowager Li. Once the official family supports Empress Dowager Li, the people of the world will If you respect the official family more and more, how can you look forward to the death of the Queen Mother?"

Zhao Kuangyi smiled and said: "So the thoughts of officials are actually very complicated, but this is the human heart and human nature!"

Zhao Kuangyin sighed and remained silent.

"In short, the fact that Kunning Palace is spying on the Emperor's Mandate Treasure is definitely a hidden danger. It is best to shut up Empress Dowager Li and Zhang Gui, otherwise they may cause trouble someday." Zhao Kuangyi said sternly.

Zhao Kuangyin hesitated for a long time and whispered: "What do you think we should do?"

Zhao Kuangyi shook his head and said: "Looking at it now, Queen Mother Li will not inform the officials about this for the time being, so we don't have to rush to take action. We will wait for a while and the situation in the court will be stable."

Zhao Kuangyin took a deep breath, nodded and stopped talking.

"Brother, sometimes you have to be cruel. You have to know that everything we do is for the Zhao family."

Zhao Kuangyi patted his brother's thick shoulder seriously.

Zhao Kuangyin nodded subconsciously, but then raised his eyebrows and cursed: "Good boy, are you pretending to teach me a lesson again? Looking for a beating!"

Zhao Kuangyin grabbed his younger brother, held him under his arm and ravaged him.

"Ah~ Zhao Da, you bastard!"

　The recent renovation at home has squeezed my already tight coding time during the day, so the updates are not stable, please forgive me!
　　We also need to take time to ponder the content of the next volume, as updates cannot be guaranteed to be stable.

　　It won't last long, please rest assured
　　
　
(End of this chapter)