The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 373 Under the Baizi Bridge
Night fell over Jiangning City. At Fengchucang Wharf, a cargo ship lowered a small awning boat. Zhu Xiu, Pan Mei, and Hu Guangyue boarded the boat. The boss of the boat took a boatman to row the oar and rowed the boat into the night, heading towards Drive in the direction of Fangshan.

Going down the river, the boat moved quickly. The boss of the boat was very familiar with the river channels in Jiangning City, and soon arrived near Baizi Bridge.

The three of them were all wearing black clothes and robes, carrying swords on their waists. They were going out in the dark, and they could tell with the soles of their feet that they were not doing anything good.

But the boss of the ship couldn't care about this. After running a ship for half his life, he might as well earn more by doing this trip with his head in his hands.

Anyway, he is from Jingxiang, and his relatives are all in his hometown. He took the money and ran away. Even if the official of Jiangning Mansion found him, he would not be able to find him.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a lot of money, so don't miss it.

Thinking of this, the boat boss rowed harder and harder.

Zhu Xiu sat on the bow of the boat, looking at the hard ridgeline under the dark night in the distance, like an evil beast crawling in the darkness, capable of tearing anyone who entered without permission into pieces.

An hour ago, the sergeant of the Fifth Capital came with news that passers-by indeed saw the procession carrying the flag of the Holy Army passing through Baizi Bridge and escorting a carriage into Jujingyuan.

Judging from the situation reported by Zha Hui, Zhou Ling did not return to Taifu's Mansion after receiving Zhou Xian's departure from Puji Temple, but went directly to Jujingyuan.

Zhu Xiu was a little worried, but he couldn't explain why he was worried, so he arranged for Zha Hui to escort Zhu Wu's family to Xu Mansion in the south of the city for temporary refuge.

Xu Mansion is the residence of Xu Xuan. Zhu Xiu had asked Zha Hui to find out clearly. Xu Xuan is now the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, with the title of Councilor and Political Affairs. He is considered a high official in the court and has the power of deputy prime minister.

Send Zhu Wu's family to Xu Xuan's house and ask him to take care of them. I believe he can arrange them properly.

Zhu Xiu silently told herself in her heart that she just sneaked out of Jujingyuan out of curiosity and had no other ideas. She would go to Xu Xuan's house early tomorrow morning, pick up the Zhu family and leave the city.
After all this experience, Zhou Xian may not have the chance to marry the fat Tuya Li Congjia again in the future.

Because I caused someone else to lose her life as a queen, I should always express my regrets.

As long as he was sure that Zhou Xian was safe and sound, he would ask the ship boss to turn around and return.

Pan Mei was holding a dagger and carving words on the side of the ship's fender, making a clanking sound. Zhu Xiu heard it and felt extremely irritated for some reason.

"I asked you, can you please calm down for a while?" Zhu Xiu turned around and shouted angrily.

Pan Mei glanced at him, hummed and continued to bury her head to carve words, muttering: "Leave a suicide note, so that no one will know about it after you die."

Zhu Xiu scolded: "What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't ask you to break into Jujingyuan and kidnap Li Hongji."

Pan Mei stared and said, "That's not certain! Miss Zhou has been sent to Jujingyuan. If you want to save Mrs. Zhou, don't you have to kidnap Li Hongji?
This is Jiangning. We are ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If we go to someone else’s territory to kidnap someone else’s prince, won’t we lose our heads? "

"When did I say that I wanted to save Madam Zhou? She serves the Crown Prince of Tang and may become a queen in the future. Why do I need to save her?" Zhu Xiu felt guilty when she said this.

Pan Mei stared at him with a sneer on her face: "If you weren't reluctant to see Mrs. Zhou fall into the hands of Li Hongji, why would you suddenly change your mind and want to go to Jujingyuan to have a look in person?"

Zhu Xiu's eyes dodge and she pretends to be sophistical: "After all, Mrs. Zhou entered Jujing Garden because of me. I came to take a look. What's wrong with ensuring her safety?"

Pan Mei laughed endlessly, and Zhu Xiu bared her teeth at him in anger.

"Master Hou, look!"

Hu Guangyue, who was alert to the surrounding area, suddenly stood up and pointed to Baizi Bridge not far ahead and shouted in a low voice.

Zhu Xiu and Pan Mei stood up and looked around. On the dark water, with the reflected moonlight, there seemed to be something floating on the bank of the river under the bridge.

"My dear mother! It's a human being!" The boat boss who came over after hearing the news was used to looking at the water at night. He looked at it intently for a few times and slapped his thigh in fear.

Everyone was shocked, and when they took a closer look, they saw that it was indeed a figure half lying on the shore and half submerged in the water.

"Pull over and take a look! Hurry!" Zhu Xiu's heart skipped a beat.The boat boss hesitated for a moment, then Pan Mei glared and said, "Why don't you go rowing!"

"Yes yes yes!~"

The boss of the boat did not dare to disobey the order and asked the boatman to lift the oar and row hard.

The boat slowly approached Baizi Bridge. On one side of the bridge, there was a figure lying on the shore, half of his body soaked in the water.

Hu Guangyue jumped ashore and looked around carefully before squatting down and turning over the man's body.

"Master Hou! It's Dongmei!" Hu Guangyue was shocked.

The person with a cold body and black hair covering her face turned out to be Dongmei, Zhou Xian's maid.

"Bring her ashore quickly!" Zhu Xiu ignored the surprise and jumped onto the shore. The three of them worked together to drag Dongmei out of the water.

"She was hit by an arrow in the back!" Pan Mei said solemnly, gently pressing the arrow wound, her expression changed, "The arrow cluster penetrated deeply, I'm afraid it may have injured the internal organs!"

The arrow had been broken, and half of it was still in Dongmei's body.

Her whole body was almost cold, and her breath was like a thread.

Zhu Xiu took a deep breath and shook gently: "Dongmei, Dongmei?"

After shouting for a long time, Dongmei opened her eyes with difficulty. When she saw the person in front of her clearly, Dongmei's weak body suddenly burst out with the last strength, tightly grasped Zhu Xiu's arm, and used her hoarse and weak voice to The voice said: "My young lady was deceived by Zhou Ling. He wants to give her to the prince to ask Mr. Chu to save him. Please save him."

Before she finished speaking, Zhu Xiu felt that Dongmei's hand gradually lost strength and hung down feebly. Her eyes slowly closed, and her pale face was lifeless.

Pan Mei breathed deeply, frowned, and shook her head slowly.

Zhu Xiu fell to the ground, her mind a little confused.

It seems that Zhou Xian was forcibly sent to Jujingyuan by Zhou Ling without his knowledge or consent.

Zhou Ling killed Dongmei and gave Zhou Xian to Li Hongji without permission. What did he want to do?
Do you want to break up with Zhou Zong?

Thinking of Zhou Zong, lightning flashed in Zhu Xiu's mind.

By the way, Zhou Ling is Song Qiqiu's brother-in-law, and Song Qiqiu is a die-hard princeling. Zhou Ling also wants to hug Li Hongji's lap. Knowing that Li Hongji is lustful, he gives Zhou Xian as a gift to the prince to seek a future for himself.

Zhou Ling was so unscrupulous, could it be said that Li Hongji and Song Qiqiu wanted to attack Zhou Zong?

Not only Zhou Zong, but also Jin Wang Li Jingsui behind Zhou Zong!
You must know that Li Jingsui has been the emperor's younger brother for five or six years. Before Li Hongji came to the throne, Li Jingsui was the heir in the eyes of the soldiers and people in Jiangnan!

Zhu Xiu patted his forehead. He didn't know if it was because of the changes caused by his little butterfly that Li Jingsui resigned as crown prince and Li Hongji came to the throne several years earlier.

But this did not change the profound and complex partisan struggle between Li Hongji and Li Jingsui.

Li Jingsui intended to give in, but Li Hongji pressed forward step by step. He regarded his uncle as a thorn in his side and vowed to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Zhou Zong had a good relationship with Li Jingsui, and getting rid of Zhou Zong would be like breaking off Li Jingsui's arm.

This was the reason why Li Hongji and Song Qiqiu wanted to kill Zhou Zong.

And Zhou Ling was most likely the knife they used to deal with Zhou Zong!

(End of this chapter)