The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 358
Zhou Zong retracted his thoughts, glared at Zhou Ling, and said bitterly: "A group of strongmen from the north claimed to be relatives of the tenant named Zhu. They went to Banqiao store to find relatives. I learned that you sent people to arrest the tenant named Zhu and his family. When I return to Jiangning, I will bear a grudge against my Zhou family!
It happened that Ehuang went out to the city without telling me about it. He met a group of strongmen at Banqiaodian Pier. Knowing Ehuang's identity, he set a trap and kidnapped Ehuang!
The robbers sent Zhou Tong back to report the news, threatening that if the tenant surnamed Zhu and his family were not harmed, Emperor E would never come back."

Zhou Ling opened his eyes wide, shocked and angry: "What a bold bandit, how dare you offend the Zhou family! If my uncle knows the whereabouts of the bandit, my nephew will lead his troops to destroy him and rescue Emperor E!"

Zhou Zong's face was gloomy and he said angrily: "This group has a well-organized layout. After using Mongolian sweat medicine to confuse Zhou Tong and the guards of the house, they took Ehuang and her maid Dongmei and disappeared without a trace. Since they want to save people, they will definitely come. Jiangning, but the city of Jiangning is so big, with tens of thousands of people, and the bandits captured Ehuang and hid him there, like water dripping into a river, how can we find him?"

"Then go to the court and ask the officials to issue an order to seize the whole city!" Zhou Ling shouted without thinking.

Zhou Zong said angrily: "If the commotion is too big and the bandits jump over the wall, won't this endanger the life of Emperor E? Besides, this is a scandal of the Zhou family, how can it be known to the whole city?"

Zhou Ling said fiercely: "What exactly are my nephew going to do? Please tell me from my uncle! In short, we must not let this group of gangsters go easily!"

Zhou Zong pondered for a moment: "For the current plan, we can only follow the bandits' instructions to save the lives of the tenant surnamed Zhu and his family, and then find a way to contact them and discuss exchanging E Huang. The best thing is to ensure that E Huang is not harmed in any way. important."

Zhou Ling's eyes were filled with fierceness and he said with a ferocious smile: "Why don't we just use the trick and use the tenant family surnamed Zhu as bait to lure the bandits into the trap, and then catch them all in one go!"

Zhou Zong stared at him coldly: "No matter what you do, make sure not to harm Emperor E at all! This matter happened because of you, and I hope you will do your best to solve it!"

After a pause, Zhou Zong said in a deep voice: "If you still consider yourself a member of the Zhou family and recognize me as your uncle?"

Zhou Ling patted his chest and said, "What did your uncle say? I, Zhou Ling, am today thanks to my uncle's support. The honor and disgrace of the Zhou family is the honor and disgrace of my Zhou Ling. I will work for my family, and I will never give up even if I die!"

Zhou Zong barely showed a trace of relief on his face, stroking his beard and said: "If you think so, it is not in vain that I have brought you by my side to teach you for many years."

Zhou Ling took the opportunity to show a flattering smile: "Uncle, if Prime Minister Song Qiqiu knows about this, he will definitely take action to help us rescue Emperor E! Song Qiqiu has the power to mobilize troops. With his help, things will be fine. Do a lot”

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Zong's expression changed and he scolded: "You can't take this opportunity to bring me closer to Song Qiqiu! Song Qiqiu allowed the 'five ghosts' to control the government, exclude dissidents, and encouraged the prince to persecute the king of Jin. , which made the court unstable and turbulent. I wish I could take him to Yongling and ask him in front of the late emperor's mausoleum whether his actions over the years are worthy of the late emperor's deep trust in him when he passed away!? "

Zhou Lingshan smiled and took a few steps back, not daring to persuade him any more.

Zhou Zong was still angry and scolded: "I would like to advise you, you, Zhou Ling, are first of all a descendant of the Zhou family, and secondly Song Qiqiu's brother-in-law! Don't follow Song Qiqiu in everything and commit the heinous crime of going against the grain. In the end, He provoked the anger of heaven and earth, and ended up with a ruined reputation!"

Zhou Ling's face trembled, she suppressed her anger, cupped her fists and shouted: "My nephew, please follow your uncle's teachings!"

Zhou Zong waved his hand: "Back off, hurry up and make preparations to properly settle the tenant family surnamed Zhu."

"My nephew is resigning. If there is any news, my nephew will report to his uncle again!"

Zhou Ling strode out of the hall and hurried out of the house.

As soon as Zhou Ling left, two men in rich clothes, about 40 years old, hurried over. Judging from their appearance, they were somewhat similar to Zhou Zong. They were Zhou Zong's second son Zhou Min and third son Zhou Yan.

Although the two of them looked frightened, they still bowed respectfully when they saw Zhou Zong.

"Father, I heard from Zhou Tong that Emperor E was kidnapped by bandits in Banqiao store. Is this true?"

Zhou Min asked eagerly.

Zhou Zong sighed: "It's good for you two to know, but don't tell anyone else."

Zhou Min and Zhou Yan's expressions changed greatly. So the little girl really fell into the hands of the gangsters!

"What can we do? What can we do?" Lao Sanzhou muttered to himself with a face ashen as death. His eyes immediately turned red and he choked with tears.

Zhou Min said anxiously: "My child, I will write a letter now and ask my brother to come back!"

Zhou Zong waved his hand helplessly: "Da Lang is far away in Hezhou, so there is no need to alarm him about this matter. Besides, even if he comes back, what help can he do?"

Zhou Min was extremely anxious, but couldn't think of a way to deal with it, so he just sighed.

Zhou Zong glanced at his two sons, smiled bitterly and shook his head.

He has three sons. The eldest son Zhou Duan serves as a judge in Hezhou. He has a cowardly character and mediocre talents.

The second son, Zhou Min, was protected by him and received the false title of a doctor from the Fifth Rank Dynasty. He was usually responsible for managing the business of thirteen shipping companies under the Zhou family's name.

Zhou Min often interacts with people outside, but he likes to have fun, is nostalgic for romance, and often spends money like water. He has gained a reputation as a romantic and rich man in Jiangning City, and is highly sought after by ladies in the entertainment industry.

But if something happens, Zhou Min can't do anything.

The third son, Zhou Yan, was a typical Jiangnan scholar. He was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. He served as a painter in the Imperial Academy and was recently obsessed with studying Buddhist scriptures.

The three sons have little ambition in their official careers, and their official talents are relatively mediocre.

Fortunately, although the third son grew up in a wealthy family, he did not have any bad habits. He had a relatively peaceful personality and paid attention to being kind to others.

This also made Zhou Zong feel a little relieved.

Anyway, the accumulated family business is enough for the children and grandchildren to enjoy for a lifetime, and relying on the protection of old relatives, it can also ensure the continued prosperity of the Zhou family.

What makes Zhou Zong most gratified and has high hopes is his beloved daughter Zhou Xian.

In terms of intelligence, she is far superior to her three brothers.

In terms of appearance, she is a well-known beauty in Jiangning City.

It's a pity that she is a woman, and the only thing that can help the Zhou family is her marriage.

Zhou Zong had long thought about using Zhou Xian's marriage to find a strong supporter for the Zhou family, not only to find a reliable husband for his daughter, but also to add another guarantee to the wealth of the Zhou family.

Zhou Xian's abduction was related to the reputation of the Zhou family and his daughter's family. Naturally, Zhou Zong could not let too many people know about this matter.

Zhou Zong said in a deep voice: "You two must keep this matter secret. You are not allowed to reveal anything. Just pretend not to know. The rest will be decided by your own father."

Zhou Min and Zhou Yan hurriedly bowed down: "I obey my father's instructions!"

Zhou Min said: "My child, go back now and ask the captains of the boat crews to secretly check the ships entering and leaving Jiangning in the past few days to see if they can find the whereabouts of the robbers."

Zhou Yan choked with sobs and said: "My children will also chant sutras and recite Buddha's name day and night, praying to the Bodhisattva to protect Emperor E's safety!"

"Go back~"

Zhou Zong waved his hand and closed his eyes tiredly.

The two of them did not dare to disturb him and quietly left the hall.

After a while, a tired and helpless sigh sounded in the hall.

Zhou Zong's eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was old and tired. He was already seventy years old and should have enjoyed his old age. However, the younger members of the family were incompetent and the current situation was turbulent. In order to protect such a big business, he had no choice but to Working hard with my old age.

If Zhou Xian can get married as soon as possible and use marriage to find support for the Zhou family, it may be able to lighten the burden on his shoulders.
"Do you want to report this matter to King Jin and ask King Jin to help?"

Zhou Zong murmured, hesitating.

"That's all, it's better not to alarm King Jin first."

In the end, Zhou Zong decided not to cause trouble for now. It would be best if the Zhou family's power could be used to solve the matter. ~~~
Dongmenzi Street, Jiangning Mansion Prison.

In the long and narrow corridor, in the dark and damp cells, several wardens wearing soap uniforms were carrying wooden buckets containing prison food. They were talking and laughing as they walked past each cell, distributing water and food through the wooden fence. to prisoners.

In two connected cells, Zhu Wu lived alone, and Yang Qiaolian and Wu Youdi were imprisoned next door.

In just a few days, Zhu Wu lost a lot of weight, his face was covered with stubble, his hair was disheveled, and he was sitting against the earth wall with a dull and confused expression.

The brown linen prison clothes on his body were stained with blood. On the day he first arrived, he was stripped naked by these vicious jailers and whipped more than ten times. They said that this happened to all prisoners who were put into the cell regardless of the reason.

Yang Qiaolian and Wu Youdi were also whipped five times each.

The cowhide whip hit the body and the flesh was torn, but Zhu Wu's body was strong and strong, but the flesh was torn and bleeding, and the cell was hot and humid. After a few days, the wound was difficult to scab, became pus-filled and inflamed, and emitted waves of stench.

Wu Youdi was getting older and her body couldn't bear it. She had a high fever the night she entered the cell. Yang Qiaolian endured the pain and stayed by her side to take care of her.

Separated by a wall, Zhu Wu could do nothing. He could only listen to his old mother moaning in pain, burning with worry, and shedding tears.

Perhaps God took pity on this family. After lying in bed for two days, Wu Youdi's high fever gradually subsided. She was still slightly hot and weak, but her life was finally saved.

The jailers were amazed when they saw this. Originally, they were planning to carry Wu Youdi's body out of the cell overnight after her death.

On the way to Jiangning, Zhu Wu heard from the group of Zhou family guards that it turned out that someone had snitched and leaked the news that they were about to flee.

The steward of the Zhou family had already announced that anyone who reported a fugitive would be rewarded five strings at a time.

This is not a small amount of money. No wonder they were sued to the Zhou family just as they were about to leave.

The Liu Shuanzi brothers had been killed on the spot by the Zhou family guards because of their resistance. Their heads were cut off and hung on saddle hooks. When they reached Jiangning, several of their heads were already rotten with maggots.

Zhu Wu no longer had the time to think about who secretly snitched on him. The only thing he begged for now was that God would open his eyes and allow his two children to survive.

"Mom, my son is unfilial and has caused trouble to your old man!"

Zhu Wu's voice was hoarse and he whispered while wiping away tears.

Wu Youdi was lying next to the cell door wall. When she heard her son's voice, she slowly opened her eyes and said hoarsely: "Mom is old and useless. It doesn't matter if she dies. I can still go see your short-lived father as soon as possible. And your brother, my poor brother Xiu, you two have a miserable life. You have to accompany my old lady to behead your head. I just don’t know what happened to Liangwazi and Daya."

Thinking of her missing children, Yang Qiaolian covered her mouth to hold back her crying, and tears fell down her cheeks.

Zhu Wu gritted his teeth, wiped away his tears and said, "Mom, don't worry, since Liang Wazi escaped with Daya, with his cleverness, he will definitely survive! This damn world will not end in ruins!"

"Ahem~" Wu Youdi slowly closed her eyes and murmured to herself, "Yes~Yes~ I hope they survive and see a day of peace in the world."

"Zhu Wu! It's time to eat~"

Two jailers walked up to the cell carrying barrels.

"Oh~ Mrs. Wu's life is really tough, she's not dead yet!"

The two jailers glanced into the cell and laughed.

"Today is a good day. After this meal, you can go on the road in peace!"

The jailer laughed playfully and stuffed a large bowl of white rice and a bowl of water through the wooden fence. Under the white rice, there was a piece of fat meat cooked in white water and two yellow cabbage leaves.

Zhu Wu picked up the bowls and chopsticks and ate them with big mouthfuls. His cheeks were bulging. He glanced coldly at the two jailers and lowered his eyelids to prevent his fierce gaze from attracting vicious revenge.

Yang Qiaolian held up the bowls and chopsticks with trembling hands and couldn't help crying.

Wu Youdi opened her eyes suddenly and shouted: "Cry so hard! Even if you die, you have to be a full-fledged ghost! Eat!"

Yang Qiaolian sobbed and nodded vigorously. She helped her mother-in-law lean against the wall and fed a large mouthful into Wu Youdi's mouth. She took another mouthful, chewing hard while crying.

The two jailers ridiculed: "Your family is really unlucky. It's not good to be a tenant of any other family, but you have to be that Zhou Tongjun's family! Who doesn't know that Zhou Tongjun is a Yama who cannibalizes people without spitting out their bones!"

It was just a matter of running away, but he was also reported on, and ended up with his whole family ruined!It’s miserable~”

"Master Fa Cao has hooked the three of you on the list. He will be escorted to Caishikou to be beheaded in less than three minutes. The whole family will be on the road at the same time, so there is someone to take care of you."

Yang Qiaolian's face turned pale, and her hands were shaking even more violently.

Zhu Wu clenched his fists tightly, feeling full of resentment towards Zhou Ling and Zhou Tongjun, who had never been masked before.

Wu Youdi's sallow complexion was as calm as water, and her old eyes became calmer and calmer.

"Hey, let's go and talk to them. What nonsense do you have to talk to them about?"

Seeing that the three people did not respond, the warder shook his head boredly, cursed a few words, and prepared to leave with the barrel.

There is no fun to be found in prison, and the only fun is torturing the prisoners. Especially before execution, watching those prisoners cry and kowtow for mercy is already a kind of fun.

With a bang, the prison door was pushed open heavily, and the jailer hurried in with a few saber warriors.

The two jailers were startled and hurriedly stepped aside, bending down and saluting.

The jailer ignored them, looked at the prisoners in the two cells, turned around and smiled flatteringly at a ferocious man with a black mole on his forehead: "Commander Qi, this is the cell where the tenant family surnamed Zhu is imprisoned."

Commander Qi's name is Qi Si. He serves as a commander under Zhou Ling and is also his confidant.

Qi Si took a few glances into the dark cell and confirmed that it was Zhu Wu's family. He said coldly: "Open the cell door, a certain family is going to take them away!"

How could the jailer dare to say no? He hurriedly ordered the jailer: "What are you doing standing still? Why don't you open the lock!"

The two jailers hurriedly searched for the key to unlock it.

Yang Qiaolian shrank into a ball in fear. Commander Qi, who had a black mole on his forehead, was the Zhou family's minions who rushed into the house that day and captured their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in Jiangning!

Zhu Wu still wanted to resist, but was pushed to the ground by several warriors and tied tightly with hemp rope.

"May I ask Commander Qi if you want to bring back these escaped tenants?" the jailer asked cautiously.

Qi Si glanced at him viciously: "Are you worthy of asking about my family's command of the army? Go back and tell Zhang Facao that these people are dead!"

The jailer hurriedly bent down and saluted: "I understand, I understand! I understand!"

"go!"

Qi Si waved and Zhu Wu and the others were escorted out of the cell.

(End of this chapter)