The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 381 Zhou Zong eliminates rebellion

Outside Taifu's Mansion, Hu Guangyue led the remaining twenty Fifth Capital sergeants to arrive.

Not knowing how many invading enemies there were before, Hu Guangyue did not dare to rashly deploy all his men into the mansion.

When Zhou Ling led the black warriors to besiege the Taifu Mansion, Hu Guangyue estimated the strength of the enemy and ourselves, and then led the Fifth Capital brothers to come from a courtyard in a neighboring street.

Most of the black-clothed warriors rushed into the mansion, leaving only a dozen to guard the front and rear. Hu Guangyue did not hold back and ordered them all to be killed.

The black-clothed warriors obviously did not expect that there would be enemies coming from behind them. It was already very difficult for them to fight against the Zhou family guards in the mansion with complex terrain. Now they were attacked from both sides, and this sudden appearance of enemies was obviously not enough. Generally speaking, with well-founded offense and defense, outstanding personal martial arts, and very difficult to deal with.

Hu Guangyue began to cooperate with the Zhou family guards to eliminate the enemies, gradually shrinking the encirclement into the back hall of the house.

A man in black clothes covered in blood stumbled into the small garden of the side hall and shouted in panic: "No! Reinforcements from the Zhou family have arrived!"

Zhou Ling, who was fighting with Zhu Wu, panicked, turned around and asked: "Where do you get the manpower? How many are there?"

The man in black cried mournfully: "No, I don't know! That group of people is really powerful, they have already killed them~"

Zhou Ling's heart tightened, and while she was distracted, Zhu Wu seized the opportunity and punched her in the chest.

Zhou Ling covered his chest and stepped back repeatedly. The man's force was so strong that he almost lost his breath.

"Damn it! Zhou Zong was actually prepared!" Zhou Ling bent down and coughed a few times, with pain on his face. He raised his head and looked at Zhou Zong, who was standing in front of the side hall with a sword, his eyes full of vicious light.

He couldn't figure it out, how did the news leak out in just one night, and how did Zhou Zong take precautions in advance?
Although he brought a lot of people, if the Zhou family had been prepared and used the complex terrain for protection, then his surprise attack strategy would be greatly compromised.

But now, only by killing Zhou Zong can he have a chance of survival.

Zhou Ling roared angrily, and swung his saber again to kill Zhu Wu.

The man in black who reported the news in a panic gritted his teeth and rushed toward the side hall with a knife.

Zhou Zong's expression did not change, he stared at his figure, suddenly raised the sword in his hand and shouted angrily: "Zhou Tong! Are you really going to help the evildoer?"

The man was startled, and his steps were obviously a bit slow. His eyes on the black scarf flashed with hesitation, but he quickly gritted his teeth and his eyes were full of fierceness.

"What an ungrateful beast! I must have made a mistake!" Zhou Zong laughed wildly, his eyes full of resentment and sadness.

Zhou Tong didn't return that night, and he could already guess that Zhou Ling was probably the one who provided cover at Puji Temple before, so that Zhou Ling could successfully take away Zhou Xian.

Zhou Zong felt regretful and heartbroken that a person whom he had raised by his side and watched grow up with his own eyes would betray him.

"Hoo~" A sharp arrow was shot from the stone arch, and the moment Zhou Tong rushed up the stone steps, it hit the back of his heart and passed through his chest!

Zhou Tong raised his knife-wielding hand high, his body stiffened, he spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered and fell to his knees with the knife in his hand.

Outside the stone arch door, Hu Guangyue put down his bow and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Master." Zhou Tong raised his head, his mouth full of blood and his voice hoarse.

Zhou Zong sighed with sorrow, then with a look of hatred and determination, he suddenly raised his hand and stabbed Zhou Tong's chest with his sword!
Pu Chi pulled out the bloody long sword, and Zhou Tong fell to the ground, his eyes wide open and his breath cut off.

Hu Guangyue joined the battle circle, Zhu Wu's pressure was greatly reduced, and Zhou Ling was at a disadvantage.

Zhu Wu's body was covered with small stab wounds, and when he relaxed, he immediately felt a stab of pain, which made him grin.

Nearly half an hour after the black-clothed warriors besieged Taifu's mansion, the sound of soldiers and horses mobilizing finally came from the street.

Zhou Min and Zhou Yan invited two forbidden armies, the Shenwu Army and the Longwu Army respectively, each led by Liu Yanzhen, the commander of the Shenwu Army, and Chai Kehong, the commander of the Longwu Army.

Zhou Min and Zhou Yan saw dead bodies lying on the ground in front of their house, and the dark red ground seemed to have been soaked with blood. He was so frightened that he cried out immediately. The two brothers supported each other and stumbled towards the back house.

The imperial army surrounded Taifu's mansion, and the two generals hurriedly led their troops into the mansion with serious expressions.

Most of the remaining dozen or so warriors in black were captured, and those who resisted were all executed. Soon, the riot in the entire Taifu Mansion was quelled.

Liu Yanzhen and Chai Kehong led a large number of Forbidden Army soldiers into the side hall garden and surrounded Zhou Ling.

"General, I can't wait for rescue. Please forgive me! The old lady is fine. It is a blessing to the country!"

Liu Yanzhen and Chai Kehong saluted Zhou Zong with clasped fists.

Zhou Zong has been an official in the court for many years, and many officials and generals have received more or less favors from him. Liu Yanzhen and Chai Kehong are one of them. Even now, as generals in charge of the Forbidden Army, they still feel grateful to Zhou Zong. Affection.

Zhou Zong held their hands tightly and burst into tears: "Unfortunately, our family has such a traitorous son. Fortunately, the two generals came to help, otherwise I would have died by now!"

"That's not what the old lady said in the letter." Liu Yanzhen and Chai Kehong were stunned. That's not what Zhou Zong's handwriting said.

Zhou Zong patted their hands, his eyes meaningful.

The two generals looked at each other and immediately understood something.

This attack and killing, which was actually carried out by a princeling or traitorous party, cannot be publicized publicly, and can only be claimed to the outside world as an accident caused by internal disputes in the Zhou family.

Liu Yanzhen and Chai Kehong naturally had their own political wisdom to be able to hold the position of commander of the Forbidden Army. They immediately understood that Zhou Zong wanted to turn a major issue into a trivial matter and did not want to create extraneous matters.

Zhou Zong said in a low voice: "Remember to handle the letter properly."

The second general cupped his fists and said, "Please rest assured, old master."

Zhou Zong nodded and led everyone down the steps.

"Beast! Why don't you just surrender?" Zhou Zong pointed at Zhou Ling who was trapped in the field and shouted angrily.

When Zhou Ling saw Liu Yanzhen and Chai Kehong, he already knew that tonight's attack had completely failed.

His face was ashen and he looked around, like a trapped animal on the verge of death.

He was filled with the will to die and knew that it would be difficult for him to survive.

Even if Zhou Zong is willing to spare him, the prince and Song Qiqiu will never keep him.

The prince and Song Qiqiu could not bear the charge of plotting to attack and kill the current prince.

On the contrary, if he died without evidence, the prince and Song Qiqiu might treat his wife and children well.

Zhou Zong angrily scolded: "Zhou Ling, put down your weapon, I will imprison you in the ancestral hall to avoid death!"

To him, Zhou Ling's value alive was greater than dead. As long as he lived, he was equivalent to holding the crown prince and Song Qiqiu's hand.

Zhou Ling wiped the blood on his face, smiled coldly, and his hair was disheveled like an evil ghost.

How could he not guess Zhou Zong's thoughts?

Pointing his blood-stained sword at an angle, Zhou Ling laughed sadly: "Uncle, you are already old and it is difficult to lead the Zhou family, but you would rather pass the title of head of the family to your three useless sons than look at me again. !”

Zhou Zong said coldly: "You have a vicious heart, you can only play tricks with ghosts and ghosts, how can you be worthy of the important task of being the master of the Zhou family?"

Zhou Ling spat out blood and roared madly: "The future of the Zhou family belongs to me. If I die today, no matter how difficult it is to resolve the grudge between you and the prince, the Zhou family will surely be overthrown!"

Zhou Zong's eyes turned cold and his face looked extremely ugly.

Zhou Min and Zhou Yan were so angry that they were trembling. This damn thief dared to curse the family when they were about to die.

Zhou Ling raised his head and let out a heart-stopping roar. He placed the long knife across his shoulder, wiped it with force, and immediately cut himself to the ground.

A pool of blood flowed from his neck. Zhou Ling opened his eyes and trembled a few times, losing his breath.

Zhou Zong took a deep breath, his face instantly looked older, waves of dizziness hit his head, and his body swayed.Zhou Min and Zhou Yan hurriedly supported him, and the two old sons shed tears in fear: "Father, please take care of yourself!"

Xu Xuan also hurriedly stepped forward and comforted him: "The traitor in the family has been eliminated, so the old lady should be relieved."

Zhou Zong smiled bitterly and shook his head. Although Zhou Ling was dead, the vicious curse before his death made him unable to let go.

After a short rest, Zhou Zong said: "Thank you, the two generals left some soldiers to guard the mansion in case the thieves have back-ups. Then I entered the palace with the two generals and reported the situation to the officials."

Liu Yanzhen and Chai Kehong clasped their fists together and said, "It all depends on the old master!"

Zhou Zong looked at Xu Xuan: "Xu Shangshu also entered the palace with me. You still need to explain Zhu Xiu's origin to the officials."

"That's exactly what it should be." Xu Xuangong cupped his hands and said with a smile.

Zhou Zong called Zhou Min and Zhou Yan again and ordered: "You two rush to Shangyuan Gate to greet King Jin and report truthfully."

"Father, don't worry, your child will take orders."

Xu Xuan helped Zhou Zong step out of the stone arch door, while Hu Guangyue was bandaging Zhu Wu's wounds.

Zhou Zongchao and the other two raised their hands and said, "Thanks to the help of these two righteous men, my Zhou family was able to survive. This kindness will be forever remembered by me and the Zhou family!"

Hu Guangyue hurriedly returned the courtesy and said: "I don't dare to thank you as an old lady. I beg the old lady to help my master get out of trouble."

Zhou Zong said with a smile: "Zhu Junzhi is not an ordinary person. He will definitely be able to turn disaster into good. As long as I come to the palace to report the matter, all misunderstandings will be solved. Please rest assured, righteous man!"

"Thank you, old master!" Hu Guangyue bowed gratefully.

Zhu Wu waved his hands carelessly and said: "Old master, there is no need to thank you. My brother cares about your daughter and will save people regardless of danger. Most likely, he is attracted to your daughter! My brother is not married yet. I heard that he is marrying your daughter. The age is about the same, just right, maybe we can become a family in the future!

My brother is also an official and is worthy of your daughter."

Hu Guangyue didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He quickly pulled his clothes and winked at him to stop talking nonsense.

"That's right! I'm telling the truth," Zhu Wu muttered.

Xu Xuan suppressed his laughter, Zhou Zong's expression changed again and again, he forced out a smile, said nothing, nodded quickly and left quickly.

God knows what else this unabashed businessman would say to make his blood pressure rise.
~~~
The sky was bright, and there was a rustling sound in the lush mountain forest. A group of four people fled upstream along the mountain stream, pushing aside the lush branches and leaves, and reached a relatively flat place at the northern foot of Fang Mountain.

There are gurgling mountain streams here, slowly going down the southern slopes, surrounded by dense woods, with all kinds of jagged and strange rocks scattered here and there.

The entire square mountain is long and narrow from east to west, and only a small part extends into Jiangning City from the west.

The northern foothills of Shanxi Province are a deserted place with almost no trace of human activity.

The four of them walked the mountain road for most of the night to get here.

Originally, there was a beacon on the top of Jujingyuan, which was far away from the Zhongshan beacon in the northeast of Jiangning City.

If you want to escape from Jujingyuan, you must cross the beacon.

Zhu Xiu was also worried about being discovered by the beacon guards and a fierce battle would break out.

I never thought of climbing to the top of the mountain and saw that several veterans who were not even wearing any armor were already drunk and unconscious. The narrow barracks under the beacon tower were smoky and smelly more than the refugee dens. They were used to light the beacons. Warning items such as dry firewood, wet firewood, wolf dung, etc. were randomly thrown on the hillside without anyone picking them up.

Looking at the rickety wine jars in the barracks, I'm afraid these beacon guards are no longer as casual as they used to be.

The Zhongshan beacon is a military fortress that monitors the Zhenjiangkou ferry. If there is a war on the Yangtze River, the Zhongshan beacon will warn. In contrast, the beacon on the top of Jujingyuan will not be able to convey the warning to the palace in time.

So Zhu Xiu and the others walked across the beacon tower in a swaggering manner, taking away several water bags and half a basket of dried steamed buns.

Pan Mei also filled two bags of wine, carried two hard bows, a handful of arrows, and picked out two rusty knives.

Zheng Cunlu led the East Palace Guards and his troops in hot pursuit, sealing off the entire western mountain forest tightly and conducting a blanket search, forcing Zhu Xiu and the four of them to continue to flee north.

In the hot summer, even in the morning, the sun is still hot and makes people feel hot all over.

It was hot and humid in the forest, and when we reached the flat and open land halfway up the mountain, there were mountain streams, shade trees, and the mountain breeze, and the temperature suddenly became much cooler.

Li Hongji fell down on the grass beside the stream and refused to move any further.

He looked very embarrassed at the moment, and there was no sign of the prince's majesty.

His body was soaked in mud and sweat, and his dirty white silk underwear was torn to pieces by the branches when he traveled through the mountains and forests.

Her hair was messy and scattered, soaked with sweat and sticking tightly to her cheeks and forehead.

One corner of his forehead was bruised and swollen, as if a horn had grown out.

A pair of bloodshot eyes showed a vicious and fierce light from time to time, his mouth was tightly blocked with a cloth, and his hands were tightly bound.

During the escape, if he walked a little slower, Pan Mei would scold him unceremoniously and even kick him hard on the butt.

Li Hongji kept his head down all the time, not daring to let Pan Mei see the hatred in his eyes, for fear of angering the damn red-faced bearded man.

This group of people don't know what their origin is, they clearly know that he is the dignified prince of the Tang Dynasty, yet they dare to punch him frequently, scolding him non-stop along the way.

When had Li Hongji ever been insulted like this? His fair and handsome face turned blue with anger, and his eyes were as fierce as if he wanted to eat someone.

It's a pity that I met Pan Bearded who didn't buy it this time.

Pan Mei, a fool who even dared to scold Li Jing, would not take Li Hongji seriously.

Every time Li Hongji showed hatred in his eyes and Pan Mei noticed it, the bastard would glare at him, kick him to the ground, point his nose at him, curse with obscene words, and slap Li Hongji several times.

Pan Bearded's scolding was so unpleasant that Zhou Xian blushed and covered his ears tightly. He couldn't bear to listen anymore, so the little lady limped to the door with a stick made of dry wood. far away.

Li Hongji was filled with sorrow, anger and resentment. He was really scared. Pan Dabeard held a knife under his throat, and he could really feel the cold touch of the blade.

Li Hongji understood that this evil man with a Kaifeng accent would never have any scruples because of his status as the prince. If he really pissed him off, he would probably have to move his head.

Lying next to the stream, Li Hongji's chest heaved violently. He really couldn't walk.

Struggling to crawl towards the stream, Li Hongji plunged his head into the stream. The cool water surged away, dispelling the heat and dryness, and his head finally became clearer.

He opened his mouth wide and drank large gulps of water, wishing he could drink the entire clear stream.

Pan Mei stepped forward and untied the rope from his hand, threw down two dry steamed buns, held the water bag and walked to a tree to enjoy the shade, drinking water and eating steamed buns while staring at him coldly.

Li Hongji grabbed the dried steamed buns and stuffed them into his mouth, regardless of the dirt on them. His mouth was bulging with the stuffing, and the veins on his neck and forehead were bulging. He looked like a starved ghost who had been reincarnated to eat the first meal. A face full of food.

Pan Mei didn't hide her disdainful look. She finished eating a dry steamed bun, clapped her hands and walked forward. She lifted Li Hongji up and threw him under a nearby tree, and tied him to the tree.

"Be honest, Grandpa, I'll take a nap." Pan Mei stretched her waist, lying comfortably under the shade of a tree, ready to take a nap.

Li Hongji struggled for a while and found that he couldn't break free. There was a bit of resentment in his eyes. He looked at Pan Mei, gritted his teeth, and forced out a flattering smile: "This strong man."

"Shut up! If you say even half a word more, grandpa will throw you into the sun to dry yourself."

Pan Mei closed her eyes and interrupted rudely, turning over and continuing to take a nap.

Li Hongji's face trembled, his eyes revealed a malicious look, and he closed his mouth and did not dare to speak any more.

He looked at a man and a woman by the stream not far away, secretly guessing what the relationship was between Zhou Xian and this group of gangsters with Kaifeng accents.
(End of this chapter)