The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 370
"The disaster that happened to the Zhou family this time is a great opportunity for us to eradicate the old son of Zhou Zong in one fell swoop! From then on, Zhou Xian became the crown prince's doting favor, and the Zhou family was controlled by Zhou Ling. King Jin lost an arm, and he was afraid that he would no longer be able to control the crown prince's throne. threatening"

Song Qiqiu talked eloquently, first briefly recounting Zhou Xian's robbery and the changes that occurred in the Zhou family, and then revealed his analysis and plan.

Li Hongji listened patiently while playing with the wine cup, then frowned and said, "You mean, you can take this opportunity to kill old man Zhou in one fell swoop."

Li Hongji made a beheading gesture.

Song Qiqiu sneered and said: "That's right! The Zhou family had northern bandits looking for revenge, and Mrs. Zhou was also killed by the bandits. The bandits were so bold that they broke into the Taifu's mansion and committed murder. The old Mrs. Zhou died unfortunately. It sounds reasonable." There is evidence and no one can find any flaws!"

"What do you mean, Mr. Song, send someone to pretend to be a bandit from the north and kill old man Zhou?" Li Hongji's eyes suddenly turned fierce.

Song Qiqiu cupped his hands and said, "As long as the prince nods, I will immediately start taking care of this matter, and everything will be perfect!"

Li Hongji thought for a while and looked at Zhou Ling: "Zhou Zong is your clan uncle. Are you really willing to get rid of him for Gu?"

Zhou Ling clasped his fists solemnly and said: "Zong Zhou has made friends with the King of Jin and is always against His Highness the Crown Prince. He is stubborn and stubborn. I am willing to kill my relatives for Your Highness and for the great justice of the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Hongji raised his head and laughed: "Zhou Tongjun really understands the righteousness! Well, if this happens, I will definitely not treat you badly!"

Li Hongji pointed at Zhou Xian and said with a smile: "This girl is your clan sister. If she joins Gu in the future, you will also become Gu's brother-in-law. We are all one family!"

Zhou Ling was overjoyed and knelt down excitedly and kowtowed: "Emperor E has been blessed to serve His Highness for three lifetimes. From now on, in my Zhou family, His Highness the Crown Prince will obey you!"

Li Hongji stood up and shouted: "Come here! There is a banquet in Guanghua Hall. I will get drunk tonight with Song Xianggong and General Zhou!"

Behind the veil, a eunuch was ordered to retreat.

Li Hongji stood in front of him, leaned over and gently brushed Zhou Xian's cheek. The cold and smooth touch made him feel itchy.

"Send Madam Zhou down to have a rest, ask the imperial doctor to make a good diagnosis and treatment, and report the orphan as soon as Madam Zhou wakes up!" Li Hongji called the servant and warned.

Song Qiqiu smiled and said: "Please, Your Highness, please send a fast horse to deliver my letter into the city and hand it over to Yao Lin, the commander of the Xiongwu Army, and Wu Yong, the commander of the Longwei Army, and then transfer a group of men from the Gongsheng Army to start tomorrow morning!" "

Li Hongji said: "Why are you in such a hurry? Just call everyone here tomorrow to discuss it."

Song Qiqiu shook his head and said: "I'm afraid of long nights and many dreams. I guess that the group of Northern bandits will find a way to leave Jiangning City within the next two days. Once they leave, it will be difficult for us to take action."

Li Hongji thought about it, "Forget it, just send an order to Yao Lin and Wu Yong, let them cooperate secretly, and be sure to kill with one strike! I will send someone to mobilize the troops with Gu's jade token."

Song Qiqiu hurriedly stopped him and said, "No, Your Highness! This matter is extraordinary. Your Highness must not come forward personally. If anything is leaked and reaches the ears of the officials, I'm afraid it will cause trouble."

Li Hongji said with a smile: "Xiangong Song is really thoughtful, so let's just listen to Xianggong Song!"

After a while, two fast horses rushed out from Jujingyuan and galloped away in different directions.

As night falls, the Guanghua Hall on the hillside of Jujingyuan is brightly lit and the sky is filled with singing and dancing.

~~~
Taifu's house.

At this moment, the Zhou family was in a gloomy and sad scene.

A few hours ago, not long after a fire broke out in Puji Temple, Zhou Tong hurried back to report it.

Zhou Zong has been waiting for news in the mansion.

After all, he is an old man. Even if he has been in officialdom for most of his life, the Qi nourishing skills he has practiced are still difficult to control in the face of the life and death of his own daughter.

When he saw Zhou Tong covered in black and gray, with a sad face, crying and kneeling in front of him, complaining bitterly about the misfortune that happened in Puji Temple, and his beloved daughter Zhou Xian died in the fire, Zhou Zong looked ten years older in an instant. Not only that, my vision turned black and I was dizzy, and I almost fell down.

Zhou Zong's two sons, Zhou Min and Zhou Yan, were even worse than their old father. Their legs and feet became weak and they fell to the ground. There was silence for a moment. The two 40-year-old men cried and beat their chests.

Several concubines of Zhou Zong, Zhou Min and Zhou Yan's wives, concubines and children also cried bitterly when they heard the bad news. The grand Tutor's house was filled with mourners.

Zhou Zong did not believe that his beloved daughter died in a fire at Puji Temple so easily. He took Zhou Min and Zhou Yan, gathered their servants, and a large group of people rushed to Puji Temple, regardless of the obstruction of Jiangning Prefecture officials. Digging through the ruins, you want to see people alive and corpses.

Wei Cen, Yin of Jiangning Prefecture, learned that there was a fire in Puji Temple today and that one of the missing persons was the old lady's daughter. He was so frightened that he rushed out of the house, dispatched government officials, and invited street patrols to help. Nearly a thousand soldiers gathered In Puji Temple, the burned-out and collapsed Zhike Hall was dug three feet into the ground. Unfortunately, the body of the old lady's beloved daughter was not found until the evening.

At this moment, the whole Jiangning City knew that the beloved daughter of old lady Fu Zhou Zong might have died in the fire at Puji Temple.Officials and aristocratic families who had good relations with the Zhou family came to comfort one after another. King Li Jingsui of Jin was still working in Zhenjiangkou. When Princess Ma heard about this, she sent someone to inform the King of Jin and asked Ma's brother to come forward to express condolences on behalf of the Jin Palace.

The palace was also alarmed, and Tang Emperor Li Jing sent his confidants out of the palace to inquire about the matter.

Taifu's mansion was busy receiving guests from various parties, and it didn't gradually subside until night.

At the same time, gossip about the Zhou family causing trouble and inviting revenge from the Northern Bandits also spread in Jiangning City.

In the study room of the back house, Zhou Zong dragged his exhausted body to finish writing a statement. He did not believe that his beloved daughter would be buried in the fire for no reason. He wrote down the cause and effect of the incident in detail, and only waited for his majesty to enter the palace tomorrow morning to ask the officials Order to investigate the matter thoroughly.

Zhou Min and Zhou Yan sat listlessly by the side, both of them had mournful and distressed faces.

Although there is a big age difference between them and their little sister Zhou Xian, the relationship between brother and sister is extremely deep.

Zhou Min sighed and murmured: "Ehuang E's body hasn't been found yet, but this house is packed with guests. What does it look like?"

Zhou Yan hesitated and said: "Should we set up a mourning hall for guests to express their condolences?"

Zhou Zong suddenly opened his eyes and shouted angrily: "No body was found at the fire scene, which means that Emperor E's whereabouts are still unknown. How can we set up a mourning hall?"

Zhou Yan was startled. He quickly sat up straight and bowed his head fearfully to admit his mistake: "Father, calm down, it's the child who said the wrong thing."

Zhou Min said angrily: "It's all Zhou Ling's fault, he was the one who caused the trouble and caused my little sister to be robbed by bandits!"

Hearing Zhou Ling's name, Zhou Zong's eyes welled up with hatred, and he shouted angrily outside the study: "Come in, Zhou Tong!"

After a while, bursts of footsteps came in a hurry, and Zhou Tong pushed the door open and entered.

"Homeowner."

Zhou Zong said angrily: "Where is Zhou Ling? It's been half a day since the fire broke out in Puji Temple. Why didn't he come to see me?"

Zhou Tong hurriedly clasped his fists and said: "Zhou Tongjun said that he found traces of bandits in Puji Temple, and he has personally led people to chase them. I think I have found some clues."

Zhou Zong shouted sharply: "Go and guard Zhou Ling's house and ask him to come see me immediately when he comes back!"

"I obey my orders!" Zhou Tong hurriedly accepted the order, raised his head and glanced at Zhou Zong, then quickly bowed his head and excused himself.

Zhou Min and Zhou Yan comforted: "Father, don't get angry, and take care of your health. Please also ask father to go down to rest, and my brother and I will just wait for the news."

Zhou Zong looked at his two sons and sighed: "If you had grown up a little more, why would you as a father ask Zhou Ling for help regarding Emperor E's affairs? The only solution now is to ask the officials and the King of Jin to help me Zhou Zong The family is in charge”

"The son is incompetent and has let his father down." Zhou Min and Zhou Yan choked and shed tears, their faces full of regret and self-blame.

Zhou Zong sighed and shook his head helplessly.

Although his three sons have done nothing, fortunately, they are harmonious and filial to their father, and the family home is peaceful and happy.

If this disaster hadn't happened, the Zhou family would be considered happy.

It's a pity that God fails to fulfill one's wishes~~
Zhou Zong stood up with their support and walked out of the study with stiff legs and legs. The father and son walked together under the dim corridor, their backs looking extremely desolate.
~~~
Zhou Tong stood in front of the Taifu Mansion and took out a piece of paper from his arms. There was a line of writing on it: Tomorrow at Mao hour, kill Zhou Zong!

This was what Zhou Ling sent to him two hours ago.

Zhou Tong's hands were trembling a little. He slowly crumpled the note into a ball, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed hard and swallowed.

He looked back at the lanterns hanging high on both sides of the gate of Taifu's Mansion, and his expression suddenly became ferocious.

At this point, he had no way out and could only follow Zhou Ling's instructions.

Zhou Tong gritted his teeth, mounted his horse and galloped towards the south of the city.

(End of this chapter)