The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 376 I'm here to save you
Baiziqiao was not far from the main entrance of Jujingyuan. A sudden fire alerted the guards of the Forbidden Garden. A large number of East Palace guards dispatched their troops and horses to Baiziqiao to check the situation.

The last thing Zhu Xiu gave the ship boss before leaving was to let him drive the cargo ship to Baizi Bridge, hit the stone bridge hard, and then set the ship on fire.

Baizi Bridge is only for pedestrians and carriages. Cargo ships cannot pass under the bridge. Although it will not destroy the stone bridge, a fire can interrupt the traffic of Baizi Bridge in a short time.

The people and horses at the foot of the mountain were moving in chaos, and the palace buildings on the mountainside were also disturbed. A large number of guards and soldiers were mobilized around, and groups of palace maids and eunuchs shuttled between the corridors of the palace.

Zhu Xiu and Pan Mei hid in a dry drainage ditch outside Longqing Hall, lying on the side of the ditch with only a pair of eyes exposed, observing the movement secretly.

"The Forbidden Garden is too big, how do you know where Li Hongji took Zhou Xian?" Zhu Xiu was worried.

Pan Mei looked at him strangely, pointed to the direction in the distance where several guards and soldiers and dozens of maids and eunuchs were swarming, and whispered: "Nine times out of ten, these guards and soldiers and slaves are gathering. This is Li Hongji’s residence. If we find Li Hongji first, we can know the whereabouts of Madam Zhou. What’s wrong with this?”

Zhu Xiu was startled, and suddenly said: "Yes!~"

"Let's go~" Zhu Xiu held up his hands and climbed out of the drainage ditch. He walked around the flowers under the corridor and rushed towards the place where the guards of the Forbidden Garden gathered.

"Wait for me!" Pan Mei hurriedly shouted and followed Zhu Xiu.

Zhu Xiu couldn't have thought of this simple inference. Just caring would lead to confusion. This guy's mind must be in a mess now. Pan Meizhen was really worried that his rashness would alert the guards of the Forbidden Garden.

A Xiangyang Nuan Pavilion named Qinfang Pavilion leans against Fangshan Mountain and faces the southwest of Jiangning City. Standing on the high stone steps of the Nuan Pavilion, you have a broad view and can take in the southwest scenery of Jiangning City.

Outside the Nuan Pavilion, a large number of East Palace guards came with their troops and horses. The sound of the sparkling armor made Li Hongji frown.

"Your Highness, Prince Zuo leads General Zheng Cunlu to report something!" the eunuch's voice sounded outside the pavilion door.

In the Warm Pavilion, behind the screen, Li Hongji sat in front of a soft couch. On the couch lay a woman with her hands and feet bound, a brocade handkerchief stuffed in her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks, her red and swollen eyes full of fear and despair.

Li Hongji leaned over and chuckled: "Mrs. Zhou, just wait for a while."

Gently brushing Zhou Xian's cheeks to wipe away the cold tears, Li Hongji put his finger into his mouth and sucked, intoxicated by the taste of this beauty's tears.

Li Hongji stood up and walked around the screen, standing behind the pavilion door and said impatiently: "What's the matter?"

There was a clang of iron helmets, and a majestic general knelt down on one knee outside the pavilion door. He said in a low voice: "Reporting to Your Highness, there is a fire on the Baizi Bridge outside the Forbidden Garden. The guards reported that a cargo ship hit the stone bridge. Unknown The cause of the fire seems to be intentional. I am worried that some young people will take advantage of the chaos to sneak into the forbidden garden, so I came here to ask His Highness to order to strengthen the guard."

Li Hongji didn't think that a fire on a bridge outside the Forbidden Garden would cause any serious problems. He said displeasedly: "You can just take care of such a small matter yourself. Why bother me? Get out!"

"Your Highness, please forgive me and I will retire!"

Zheng Cunlu stood up and made a few gestures. The soldiers gathered outside Nuan Pavilion dispersed and retreated forty or fifty steps away. They did not dare to disturb the prince's rest and at the same time ensure the safety of Qinfang Pavilion.

Li Hongji returned to the screen, looked at Zhou Xian who was struggling desperately on the floor, smiled slightly and said softly: "Ms. Zhou, don't be afraid. After tonight, you will be alone. As long as you serve me well, I will be alone." Maybe I can show some kindness and ask Mr. Zhou Zong to leave a few handfuls of ashes to remember you."

Sitting on the soft edge, Li Hongji leaned over and caressed Zhou Xian's cheek, speaking in an extremely gentle voice, but his bloodshot eyes shone with a palpitating ferocity.

Tears welled up in Jooheon's eyes, and he struggled in fear, whining in his throat.

"Although Zhou Zong's old dog is damned, but for the sake of leaving a beauty like you to Gu, Gu can prevent the court from holding other Zhou family members accountable for their crimes. It depends on whether you can serve others.
Speaking of which, Gu really didn’t expect that old Zhou Zong could give birth to a beautiful daughter like you at such a young age. In the early years, there were rumors circulating in Jiangning City about the beauty of Zhou Zong’s daughter, and I didn’t take it to heart. It seems that old man Zhou has hidden you very well, otherwise you, this little beauty, should have come to me long ago."

Li Hongji took the medicine bottle on the table, poured out a pill and swallowed it.

This is the Erxian Pill specially refined for him by the Daozhen Immortal Master enshrined in the East Palace. It only takes a quarter of an hour after taking it for the drug to take effect, making him feel like a dragon and a tiger within half an hour.

Li Hongji felt his mouth was dry and he poured tea down his stomach. His eyes were bloodshot and strangely scarlet. He looked at the limp little beauty and his breathing became heavier.

"Let me tell you one more thing. After tonight, Mr. Zhou Zong will die without a burial place! If you want to survive in the future, you must be obedient and take good care of me."

Li Hongji laughed wildly, with a ferocious look on his face, and his mind became more and more crazy. He untied his leather belt and took off his outer robe. He only wore a white inner shirt, with bare feet and disheveled hair. He lay aside and closed his eyes slightly. His consciousness became more and more hazy, and his body became more and more hot. I just felt an eager desire surging inside my body.
Zhou Xian was crying silently, his face was ashen, and the depths of his eyes were filled with the will to die.

Northeast of Qinfang Pavilion, on the plank road halfway up the mountain, Zhu Xiu and Pan Mei have been hiding here for a while.

He saw a large number of guards surrounding the brightly lit Nuan Pavilion, and saw Prince Zuo leading his general Zheng Cunlu commanding the soldiers to disperse far away.

Pan Mei stared at Zheng Cunlu who was striding away, and said with a smile: "Look at that man's figure and steps, he has some martial arts skills. I want to know him."

Looking at the brightly lit but silent Qinfang Pavilion, Zhu Xiu felt more and more uneasy in her heart, and said impatiently, "I have to find a way to get in~"

Pan Mei looked around and suddenly saw two eunuchs in green robes standing at the foot of the wall behind the Nuan Pavilion. Her eyes lit up and she said with a low smile: "Wait~"

The two of them tiptoed onto the plank road and walked towards the two eunuchs in the dark against the stone wall of the high platform.

The entire Qinfang Pavilion is built on a stone platform as high as a human being, with a raised foundation, allowing the pavilion to tower over the mountainside, giving it a sense of power and overlooking the world.

Pan Mei pursed her lips and let out two bird calls. The sudden sound of birds in the dark night was so sudden that the two eunuchs standing by the corner were startled. They followed the sound, hesitated for a while, and walked over together.

Pan Mei retracted her head and chuckled: "Learned it from Lady Hongyu, it's very good!"

Zhu Xiu pouted, Bi Hongyu also taught him, but unfortunately he didn't learn it.

In this regard, Zhu Xiu feels that she has always lacked some talent.

When the two eunuchs approached, Pan Mei suddenly jumped out from behind the wall. Without waiting for the two eunuchs to scream, she quickly reached out with her hands, pinched their throats with five fingers and pinched them with a snap.

The two of them clutched their throats and fell to the ground in pain, struggled a few times and lost their breath.

"Here, put them on!" Pan Mei clapped her hands and began to take off the robes of the two eunuchs.

The two of them quickly changed their clothes, checked each other's accuracy, bowed their waists and walked quickly towards the Nuange door.

Zheng Cunlu led his guards to guard the small square in front of Qinfang Pavilion. From a distance, he saw two eunuchs standing in front of the pavilion door. After a while, he saw the two people pushing the door open and entering.

Zheng Cunlu frowned, only felt that the figures of the two eunuchs were a little strange, and one of them was a bit tall, unlike the eunuchs in the Forbidden Garden.

He wanted to come closer to inquire, but hesitated after taking a step. His Highness the Crown Prince had a violent temper and could beat people to death when he got angry. The maids and eunuchs who served in front of him were all trembling with fear, so there was no need for him to get into trouble.

I don’t know where the prince got another woman tonight. If she goes there, it will definitely disturb the prince’s mood.

Zheng Cunlu shook his head and gave up the intention of going to the pavilion to ask.

He didn't want to ask about what the prince did, and he didn't dare to ask. Anyway, the prince had promised him that in half a year he would recommend him to serve under Liu Renzhan, the governor of Shouzhou.He no longer wanted to stay in this smoky Jiangning City.

~~~
Zhu Xiu and Pan Mei gently closed the door, looked at each other, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the general was not alerted.

They stood in front of the pavilion door and paused for a moment, pretending to be reporting, and then gently pushed the door and entered, the details were done very well.

The wall lamps in the Nuan Pavilion swayed, the candles burned and made a "pop" sound, and the thick scent of incense was a bit choking.

A figure could be vaguely seen moving behind the screen.

Without waiting for Pan Mei to say hello, Zhu Xiu picked up a burned-out candlestick and rushed over. He saw a skinny man with white skin all over his body standing naked beside the couch. The woman with her hands and feet bound on the couch was none other than Zhou Xian. .

Zhu Xiu felt a rush of hot blood rushing to her forehead, she let out a low roar in her throat, picked up the candlestick and rushed forward.

Li Hongji turned around in confusion when he heard the noise. Before he could see who it was, he only saw a black object hitting his face heavily.

There was a muffled sound, and Li Hongji rolled his eyes and fell to the ground. The corner of his forehead was immediately bruised and purple, with a high swelling.

"Mom, don't beat him to death!" Pan Mei was startled, and she quickly leaned over to check her breathing. Fortunately, she was panting, but she couldn't die.

Zhu Xiu put down the candlestick and rushed to the soft cave. She saw Zhou Xian's black hair was messy and his skirt was torn in half, exposing his white shoulders. The rest of the body was still intact, and a big stone fell to the ground in his heart.

When their eyes met, Zhou Xian seemed to have forgotten to cry, and his eyes were blurred with tears.

She thought about the humiliation she would suffer and how painfully she would die, but she never expected that the person who would appear in front of her in the end and save her from despair would be Zhu Xiu.

Seeing that the young lady was fine, Zhu Xiu's restless heart relaxed. She felt a little embarrassed for no reason. She grinned dryly and said, "Mrs. Zhou, I didn't expect to meet again."

Zhou Xian struggled, and Zhu Xiu finally came back to her senses, hurriedly untied the rope, and took off the veil tightly stuffed in her mouth.

Zhou Xian coughed several times in pain, and Zhu Xiu helped her sit up.

"You you~" Zhou Xian choked up, but didn't know what to say.

"Don't be anxious, don't be anxious, speak slowly, I know everything, don't be afraid, I'm here to save you."

Zhu Xiu gently patted her back with a rare gentle tone.

Zhou Xian bit his lip tightly, feeling scared that he was still alive, and his red and swollen eyes shed tears again.

If Zhu Xiu came a moment later, she couldn't imagine what would happen.

Pan Mei poked her head out from behind the screen and said jokingly: "Let me tell you two, this is not a place for a husband and a beautiful woman to fall in love. Can you escape from here first, and then you two can express your feelings to each other?"

Zhou Xian was angry and ashamed, wiping tears and turned away.

"Shut up!" Zhu Xiu glared at him, and Pan Mei curled her lips and retracted her head.

"Leave first." Zhu Xiu gently supported her arm.

Zhou Xian didn't refuse, and held his arm tightly with a slightly trembling hand. As soon as he stood up, he felt dizzy and his ankle hurt badly.

"I-I sprained my foot~" Zhou Xian whimpered, seeming to be crying for his own uselessness.

Zhu Xiu didn't dare to delay any longer and squatted down: "Come up, I'll carry you!"

Zhou Xian was stunned for a moment, his face a little shy, but there was no room for hesitation in a life-or-death situation.

Just as she was about to lie on Zhu Xiu's back, she saw Li Hongji lying beside her.

"Wait a minute, help me over." Zhu Xiu didn't know what she wanted to do, so he helped her limp a few steps closer.

Li Hongji was lying on his back, naked, and he didn't know what kind of medicine he had taken.
Zhou Xian felt ashamed, angry and resentful at the same time. He suddenly raised his foot and stepped hard on Li Hongji's lower body.
"Oh!~"

Li Hongji, who was originally in a coma, was awakened by the tremendous pain. He subconsciously covered his vitals and curled up into a ball, letting out a wailing cry like a ghost.

Zhu Xiu was shocked, and her first reaction was that it was terrible!

Pan Mei was also shocked. She didn't expect this little lady to be so cruel. She quickly stepped forward and punched Li Hongji in the face. She knocked him unconscious with one punch, tore the curtain and threw it over her shoulder like a sack. .

"What are you doing in a daze? Run away!" Pan Mei yelled angrily, picked up her chair, smashed the back window, and jumped out with Li Hongji on her shoulders.

Zhu Xiu also quickly carried Zhou Xian on his back and climbed through the window, and followed Pan Mei to escape from Fangshan Mountain on the plank road.

Li Hongji's wailing completely alarmed Zheng Cunlu. In the dead of night, this wailing sounded particularly scary.

Hundreds of guards and soldiers rushed into Qinfang Pavilion, only to find that His Highness the Crown Prince had disappeared out of thin air.

Soon, Zheng Cunlu discovered that the back window was smashed, and an assassin kidnapped the prince and fled to Fangshan.

The entire Forbidden Garden was alarmed. Dong Gongwei led nearly a thousand garrisons to search one by one from the western foot of Fangshan Mountain. The light of dots of torches swam above Fangshan Mountain shrouded in darkness.
~~~
At this moment, in Taifu's mansion.

The front hall is also brightly lit.

Zhou Zong opened a pair of turbid old eyes full of bloodshot eyes with a sinister look on his face, staring coldly at Xu Xuan, Hu Guangyue and Zhu Wu who were sitting in the hall.

Zhou Zong fell asleep in the middle of the night, and he was woken up by Zhou Min in a hurry, saying that Xu Shangshu had something urgent to see.

No one is happy to be woken up from their sleep in the middle of the night.

When he learned that the two unfamiliar-looking men following Xu Xuan were the accomplices of the Northern Bandits who kidnapped his daughter, Zhou Zong was even more frightened and angry.

Fortunately, the old lady Fu was very good at nourishing Qi, and did not ask anyone to take them down on the spot.

There must be a reason why the Northern Bandits could make Xu Xuan come out to see him in person, and he wanted to know it.

　Thanks to the boss of Warhammer Total War for the reward! !Thank you! !
　　
　
(End of this chapter)