The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 357 The maid is like a flower
Pan Mei pushed the door open and glanced at Zhou Xian who was curled up in the corner. The little beauty was sobbing. Her dress and hair were a little disheveled. The bed was also messy. The vase rolled aside. There were various signs that something seemed to have happened in the room. Stories unknown to outsiders
Pan Mei laughed and winked, looking indescribably vulgar.

Zhu Xiu glared at him fiercely.

"Ahem~ Mr. Qi, the carriage is ready. When will we set off?" Pan Mei said, cupping her fists.

Zhu Xiu shook his folding fan, and said calmly, "Madam Zhou, please go down, I'll be there soon."

"Yes!" Pan Mei respectfully accepted the order and walked towards Zhou Xian.

Zhou Xian suppressed his grief, wiped his tears and stood up.

At this point, she knew that she could no longer escape from the clutches of the devil, so she just complied temporarily to save her life.

"How is my maid Dongmei?" Zhou Xian choked up and asked in a low voice.

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Don't worry, Mrs. Zhou, Dongmei is downstairs. Just go downstairs and wait."

Zhou Xian said: "I want to be with Dongmei."

Zhu Xiu shook his head and said: "You are my maid now and you must stay with me. But don't worry, you can see Dongmei at any time, but she has to stay with my subordinates."

Zhou Xian said worriedly: "You can't bully Dongmei!"

Zhu Xiu smiled: "In addition to not being able to leave the sight of my subordinates and not speaking randomly in front of outsiders, she is as free as you. How I treat you will be how I treat her."

Zhou Xian's slightly red and swollen eyes widened: "Did you also give Dongmei a one-day death powder?"

Zhu Xiudao: "That Liaodong wonder medicine is so precious, how could I use it on a servant girl? The only one who is lucky enough to enjoy it and die in one day is Mrs. Zhou."

Zhou Xian bit his lip, feeling lucky that Dongmei was not poisoned, but also feeling sad for his own misfortune.

"I, I can agree to your conditions, but you must also promise me not to harm the lives of my father and Dongmei! Otherwise, otherwise."

Zhou Xian's voice trembled. After much thought, he didn't know how he could threaten the evil man in front of him. He felt extremely distressed and felt that he was really useless. His thin shoulders shrugged slightly and he choked again.

Zhu Xiu said sternly: "My jade-faced little divine dragon is also a person who knows how to pity people and cherish jade. Madam Zhou, please be at ease. I kill all the people who deserve to be killed. As long as your Majesty, Taifu Zhou, helps me rescue my family, I will personally send Madam Zhou home, and then Come to Taifu Zhou to apologize."

Zhou Xian would not believe that the evil man would personally go to the house to apologize and make amends. As long as he could send himself and Dongmei back to the house as promised, he would be thankful.

Zhou Xian took a deep look at Zhu Xiu, his tearful eyes were extremely complex, seeming to be filled with hatred, fear, disgust, and a hint of curiosity.

Although Zhu Xiu had been emphasizing how cruel and vicious his reputation as the Tenth Palace Demon was, she always felt that Zhu Xiu was not a murderous devil like he said.

Pan Mei took Zhou Xian downstairs, and after a while, Pan Mei came back again.

"Tsk, tsk, the two little ladies hugged each other and cried when they met. That scene really made me, Lao Pan, feel that I was guilty~~"

Pan Mei sat down next to Zhu Xiu, holding the teapot and taking a sip.

Zhu Xiu smiled and said: "For the current plan, only by capturing Zhou Xian can we be qualified to negotiate with the Zhou family, and we can only wrong them."

Pan Mei asked curiously: "What do you mean by dying in one day? The name sounds scary!"

Zhu Xiu took out a celadon bottle from his arms, pulled out the stopper, poured out a black pill, put it in his mouth and swallowed it: "Want one?"

Pan Mei's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously.

"Before I left Beijing, I went to the Imperial Medical Office to see Yuan Jingrun and asked him to take my pulse. Doctor Yuan said that my stomach fire was a little strong and the moisture was a bit heavy. He used urala grass, mallow and a few herbs to make it. Give me this bottle of pills and let me take them with me. Take one pill every day. It can dispel dampness and strengthen the body, promote spleen and stomach, and unblock the meridians. In short, there are many benefits!"

Zhu Xiu played with the celadon bottle and said with a smile: "This pill is strange. When you first take it, you will feel a burning pain in your abdomen. After taking it for the second time, you will feel nothing at all.

I have to eat it continuously for a month. If I don't eat for one day, the feeling of abdominal discomfort will appear again. "

Pan Mei suddenly realized: "No wonder Mrs. Zhou was coaxed into a circle by you. It turns out that this thing works."

Pan Mei said sourly: "Yuan Jingrun is the imperial doctor and is in charge of the imperial medical department. Although his position is light, he is highly respected. Now that the old man is old, except for officials and a few princes, the old man will not personally diagnose people's pulses. You. The boy is so proud that he can trouble the elder doctor to check his pulse and give him medicine."

Zhu Xiu chuckled.

Speaking of Yuan Jingrun, he suddenly remembered something. That girl Feng Qingchan seemed to have said that she once studied medicine under Yuan Jingrun, but he didn't know whether it was true or not.

If it is true, then Feng Qingchan needs to be wined over so that if she has a headache or fever in the future, she can be treated by her.
"Have you arranged for someone to send those poems to the city?" Zhu Xiu asked.

"It has been arranged for a long time. A caravan selling raw silk passed by this morning. Hu Guangyue asked them to take a look in the name of tasting. Not to mention, there are really many people in this Jiangnan caravan who are proficient in calligraphy. People immediately applauded after seeing it. , a poem cost ten guan, and I bought it on the spot!

I've heard that people who come across good poems in the Washi Theater in the city are quite willing to spend money. They brought the three poems into the city and resold them, and at least they could make twice as much money. "

Pan Mei smacked her lips in amazement, no wonder the style of literature and ink in the south of the Yangtze River is far better than that in the north, they have invested heavily in this aspect.

Zhu Xiu said proudly: "The poems written by me are only sold for ten pennies, which is really cheap for them."

Pan Mei nodded again and again, but it was rare that she didn't reply.

From his point of view, although Zhu Xiaozi was a bit shameless, his literary talent was absolutely worth mentioning.

"I think this business can be done. You will be responsible for writing poems and lyrics, and I, Old Pan, will be responsible for selling. I will take the opportunity to make a fortune in Jiangning!"

Pan Mei was gearing up, her eyes shining.

"Do you think writing poems and lyrics is just a magic spell? You can do it just by picking up a pen? This thing requires inspiration, artistic conception, and fate!" Zhu Xiu glared at him fiercely.

Pan Mei scratched her head and grinned: "Why do I think your writing poems and articles is just like shitting and farting?"

Zhu Xiu rolled his eyes and shook his folding fan angrily, too lazy to pay attention to this guy.

Pan Mei looked bitter and curled her lips and said, "How about you write a song for me too?"

Zhu Xiu sneered and said, "I wrote a poem for you when I was in Cangzhou. Have you forgotten? Ahem~ A ditch in the black pine forest."

As soon as she read this sentence, Pan Mei became furious and said with grief and anger: "You are not kind, you bully me, Old Pan, for being uneducated, and write crooked poems to make fun of me! Just because of this crooked poem, I have become a joke of the Tianxiong Army."

"Haha~ When you become famous in the future, I will definitely write a song for you to praise your achievements and make you famous throughout the ages! It will also let future generations know that you, Pan Mei, are actually a famous general with unparalleled loyalty and loyalty. A great traitor and evil person who avenges his own personal vendetta!"

Zhu Xiu laughed.

Pan Mei stroked her beard and shook her head in bewilderment: "You kid is talking nonsense again."

~~~
In the lobby downstairs of the residence, Zhou Xian and Dong Mei, who had put on their veils again, sat at a square table, holding hands and confiding their misfortune.

"Miss really took that terrible poison?" Dongmei cried, her eyes red and worried.

Zhou Xian nodded feebly and whispered: "When I woke up, my mouth was full of bitter taste, and as the evil man said, I also felt a burning pain in my stomach. It must be the poison taking effect."

"What can we do?" Dongmei cried out anxiously.

Zhou Xian comforted her in turn: "Fortunately, the evil man is asking for help from his father, so he won't hurt us for the time being. Once he rescues our family, he will let us go home."

Dongmei cried: "These people from the North are all demons who kill people and drink blood. How can you believe what they say!"

Zhou Xian said bitterly: "The matter has come to this, we have no choice but to submit obediently."

Dongmei gritted her teeth with hatred: "It's all Zhou Ling's fault. He got into trouble by himself and provoked evil people, but made the young lady suffer for him! The master is right not to allow him to enter the house. This kind of person should be kept at a distance!" Zhou Xian smiled bitterly, She and her cousin Zhou Ling had not seen each other for almost a year, and she did not expect that the trouble he caused would actually fall on her.

Just as they were talking, Zhu Xiu and Pan Mei went downstairs, and Hu Guangyue followed with Zhu Liang and Zhu Fang.

The two dolls stared at Jooheon curiously.

Zhou Xian and Dong Mei stood up quickly, standing aside awkwardly with their heads lowered.

Zhu Xiu said calmly: "Miss Zhou and I ride in the same car, and Dongmei rides in the same car."

Zhou Xian held Dongmei’s hand tightly: “I want to ride in the same car as Dongmei!”

Zhu Xiu glanced at her: "Have you forgotten our agreement? Remember, you have no right to bargain now!"

Zhou Xian bit his lip and stared at him aggrievedly and angrily.

Zhu Xiu thought for a while and said with a strange smile: "From now on, Madam Zhou will be my maid. Since she is a maid, she should give her a catchy name. Just call her Ruhua!"

Zhou Xian protested angrily: "Don't call me Ruhua, it sounds awful!"

Zhu Xiu curled her lips: "Let's go, Ruhua, and get in the car with me."

Ignoring Zhou Xian's angry eyes, Zhu Xiu pulled Zhu Liang and Zhu Fang onto a spacious carriage.

"By the way, many people in Jiangning City must have seen you wearing a veil. There is something wrong with it. I have to think of other ways to cover your face."

Zhu Xiu was thoughtful.

After hearing his words, Zhou Xian felt an ominous premonition in his heart.

~~~
Jiangning City, Taifu's Mansion.

Zhou Tong knelt down on the ground dejectedly and told what happened to his group at the Banqiao store.

"This group of people has a Kaifeng accent and is led by a young man of eighteen or nineteen years old. He is protected by two people with good martial arts skills. Judging from his words and deeds, he must have an extraordinary background."

As Zhou Tong spoke, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself hard, kowtowed and said, "It's all because of the villain's poor guarding that caused the young lady to be in trouble. Please punish me, head of the family!"

An old man with a purple robe and ribbons and luxurious clothes sat at the top. His old face was calm and serious, and his slightly muddy old eyes were full of thunder.

The old man was none other than Zhou Zong, the founding hero of the Southern Tang Dynasty and the current Taifu.

Zhou Zong is already seventy years old and has three sons. The eldest son is more than forty years old. Zhou Xian is his beloved daughter who was born in his later years. He has a daughter in his old age. In addition, Zhou Xian is smart and beautiful, and Zhou Xian is even more attractive to Zhou Zong. Love.

The beloved daughter grew up held in the palm of her hand, and she was unwilling to let her suffer even the slightest grievance. Unexpectedly, a sudden disaster happened, and she was kidnapped by a group of barbarians from the north.

What's even more annoying is that this sudden disaster turned out to be caused by Zhou Ling.

"Bang~" Zhou Zong hit the carved pear wood table hard with his palm, causing the tea cup to shake and splash.

Zhou Tong lowered his body and said angrily: "Master Wanwang, please take care of yourself. I am willing to die to apologize!"

Zhou Zong let out a long sigh: "Get up, I can't blame you for this. Who would have thought that a gangster would dare to kidnap my beloved daughter.

Moreover, from your description, this group of people has meticulous planning and sharp methods, and is definitely not an ordinary gangster. "

Zhou Tong knelt down and said, "Young man, I will risk my life to save the young lady! Please tell me, head of the family!"

Zhou Zong said in a deep voice: "Go and find Zhou Ling. No matter where he is or what's going on, tell him and ask him to come see me as soon as possible!"

Zhou Tong raised his eyes and kowtowed heavily: "I obey, little man!"

Zhou Zong watched him retreat, his expression suddenly turned fierce.

Nearly an hour later, a 30-year-old man in rich clothes hurried over.

Before anyone entered the hall, the sound came early.

"Haha~ My uncle is finally willing to let his nephew come over to meet you! I haven't been to the Taifu's house for a while~~ Where is Ehuang? I haven't seen him for a while, and I don't know if the little girl still recognizes her. Recognize my cousin~"

Zhou Ling strode into the hall with a proud face.

But looking at the bags under his eyes and his weak legs and feet, it looked like he had been drained by alcohol and sex.

"Nephew pays respects to uncle!"

Zhou Ling carelessly clasped his fists towards Zhou Zong.

Zhou Zong smiled lightly: "Come closer."

Zhou Ling did not doubt that he was there. He took a few steps forward and said with a smile, "Long time no see. How is uncle?"

Zhou Zong's eyes turned cold, he stood up and took a step forward, and slapped Zhou Ling hard on the face.

Zhou Ling was caught off guard, half of his face was burning and painful.

In shame and annoyance, he subconsciously wanted to draw his sword, but failed. Then it sounded that he did not go out with a sword today.

"Uncle, what do you mean?" Zhou Ling's eyes were sinister and he spit out a mouthful of blood on the floor tiles.

Zhou Zong pointed at his nose and cursed: "The good thing you did caused a huge disaster and caused Emperor E to fall into the hands of the robbers! Let me tell you, if Emperor E is implicated by you, there will be two pros and cons. I will never spare you!"

Zhou Ling was angry and confused at the same time, and said angrily: "Uncle, tell me clearly, what happened?"

"I ask you, did you order the arrest of a tenant family named Zhu? That family lives in Banqiaodian?" Zhou Zong shouted angrily.

"Tenant named Zhu? Banqiao store?" Zhou Ling was stunned. Just about to deny it, he suddenly remembered something, and it seemed that this happened in his mind.

"I don't know much about this matter. I do have a few hectares of paddy fields in Banqiao store. It seems that not long ago, a tenant farmer wanted to flee. The steward of my house noticed it and sent someone to ask for it back to the city, saying that he wanted to take it back to the city. Typical beheading."

Zhou Ling was very angry, "My uncle also knows that I am busy with official duties all day long. I can't care about such small things. The housekeeper will report it and let them take care of it."

Besides, in the past six months, more and more people have fled to the Northland. If they don't kill a few Liliwei, these mud-legged people don't know how to be afraid! "

Zhou Zong sneered and said: "Who doesn't know that the Gongsheng Army is an army of the Forbidden Army Guards in name, but in fact it is just a decoration. It can bully the people, but if we really want to start a war, the Tang Dynasty will be dead long ago!"

Zhou Ling's face turned red and thick-necked with embarrassment: "My uncle is just talking about business. Why are you mocking me? I would like to be the commander of the Sixth Army, but I also need my uncle's help!"

Zhou Zong took a deep breath and shook his head.

Up to this generation of the Zhou family, all the men are useless, including Zhou Ling and his three sons.

The only person who can save the Zhou family's reputation is the beloved daughter Zhou Xian.

Because of this, Zhou Zong named her Ehuang and had high hopes for her.

(End of this chapter)