The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 398 The Seeds Buried in Jiangnan

When Zhou Zong entered the palace to see Li Jing, Zhu Xiu was already on his way back to Honglu Temple.

Hu Guangyue drove smoothly, crossing streets and cities without stopping for a moment.

Zhu Xiu sat in the carriage and closed her eyes to rest her mind.

Regarding the news about the Battle of Nanchu, it is naturally impossible for the confidential military reports in Li Jing's hands to be leaked. Although Xu Xuan and Li Congjia would not hide anything when they talked to him about the matter, they themselves were not insiders. Knowing that the war in Jingxiang was not as smooth as the Tang court claimed.

Zhu Xiu ordered Hu Guangyue to go to Jiangning City to inquire about it. Adding in the scattered information obtained from Li Congjia and Xu Xuan, it was easy to determine that the great battle taking place in Hunan at this time was the historical event that destroyed the Southern Tang Dynasty. The Battle of Chu.

It was just that the time was ahead of schedule. The Jingxiang Ma family led the way with Ma Xichong and led the whole family to submit early, which prompted Li Jing to make up his mind to use troops against Hunan.

Regarding the situation in Southern Chu, Zhu Xiu asked himself that he knew better than anyone in the Tang court. The degree of chaos among the Ma family and the leaders of the large and small vassal towns in Hunan was evident from the history books in Zhu Xiu's previous life.

The news released by the Tang court was just to appease the people. In fact, the situation in Jingxiang was extremely difficult, far beyond what Li Jing and the court officials expected before the war.

Although the final outcome ended with the temporary victory of the Tang Army, it was because the Tang Army relied on its national strength to forcefully drag the Chu Army to death. If we had to say how powerful the Tang Army was and how capable General Bian Hao was in battle, it would have been better. Not really.

The war to destroy Chu was the most important state event in the Tang Dynasty in the past two years, and it was also a major event that Li Jing and the Manchu court officials paid most attention to. Zhu Xiu wanted to use this to make the Tang Dynasty pay enough attention to him, so he did not hesitate to use mysterious and mysterious methods. Astrology is said to attract attention.

Guo Wei sent Xue Juzheng as an envoy to Jiangning, with the intention of bringing him back to Kaifeng.

But Zhu Xiu had a hunch that things might not go so smoothly.

The prince's faction headed by Li Hongji and Song Qiqiu advocated strengthening military preparedness and took a tough stance against the new neighbor to the north of Huai River, the Zhou Dynasty.

Not to mention that Li Hongji hated him so much that he would not be willing to let him go.

Therefore, even if Xue Juzheng came to Jiangning as an envoy of the Great Zhou Emperor to ask for someone, he might not be able to leave Jiangning City easily.

Once Li Jing and the Tang court officials refused to let him go, he had to find a way to save himself.

Li Chongjin was conducting military exercises in Suzhou, and he wrote letters every now and then to Chen Jue, the general of the Tang army and the naval general who was in Zhenzhou, demanding that the Tang state release Zhu Xiu and his family immediately. The words in the letter were harsh, and Li Chongjin even wrote a scolding letter himself.

Guo Wei also sent Xue Juzheng to Jiangning as a national envoy. All these actions showed how much the Great Zhou Dynasty valued Zhu Xiu.

But these are not enough to guarantee that Li Jing will let him go.

Zhu Xiu knew that Uncle Guo was also having a hard time now. The party members who were entrenched in Yinxia were constantly making small moves. Liu Chong in Taiyuan contacted the Khitan people to prepare for war, and they were intensively planning to reverse the Zhou Dynasty and restore the Han Dynasty.

Yanzhou Murong Yanchao counted the time and it was almost time to break up with Uncle Guo.

The newly born Great Zhou Dynasty was in a difficult moment of internal and external troubles.

Under such a situation, it was impossible to use troops against Huainan.

Therefore, no matter how tough Uncle Guo's attitude was and how much he looked up to Zhu Xiu, he would never start a fight for him.

Zhu Xiu's eyes were slightly closed, and her brain was spinning rapidly.

Once Li Jing regrets and refuses to let him go, he must find another way to escape Jiangning
The breakthrough may be the battle to destroy Chu, but where to start requires careful planning.
"Appreciate~"

Hu Guangyue shouted and the carriage stopped suddenly.

Zhu Xiu sat in the carriage and swayed forward, opened the curtain and stuck her head out: "What's the matter?"

Hu Guangyue pointed to the road ahead that was blocked by soldiers: "It seems that the prison of the Ministry of Punishment is transferring prisoners."

Zhu Xiu looked around and saw rows of soldiers blocking both sides of the road, strictly prohibiting pedestrians from passing through. People were blocked at both ends of the intersection. The road in the middle was cleared, and soldiers under the banner of the Ministry of Punishment were escorting prison cars passing by.

The people watching were talking a lot. It was rare to escort death row prisoners on such a large scale.

"Master Hou, look!" Hu Guangyue pointed to one of the prison cars.

Zhu Xiu took a closer look and saw that a disheveled man was being held in the prison car. His prison clothes were stained with blood, his face was gray and his eyes were dull. He was clearly Zheng Cunlu, the general from the left of the East Palace.

"It is rumored that this person has served the prince for many years, and he is conscientious, but unexpectedly he will be dismissed and executed." Hu Guangyue sighed.

Zhu Xiu frowned and watched the prison car holding Zheng Cunlu driving through the long street.

There were several scholars nearby who were also talking about Zheng Cunlu. Zhu Xiu listened for a moment and found that most of them thought that Zheng Cunlu was a loyal and righteous man and should not have been angered by the prince and ended up like this.

"Go back to Honglu Temple first, and then go and find out what Zheng Cunlu's character is like." Zhu Xiu ordered, lowered the curtain and returned to the carriage to sit down.

"My subordinates take orders." Hu Guangyue whipped his horse whip, turned the carriage around and took another street back to Honglu Temple.

In the afternoon, Zhu Xiu and Li Congjia sat in the pavilion and played xiangxi. This early chess-style game was improved by Zhu Xiu and was basically the same as modern chess and more playable.

It goes without saying that Li Congjia is addicted to it. It is another major hobby besides mahjong.

Hu Guangyue ran out of breath and reported: "Master Hou, my subordinates have heard clearly. After the incident in Jujingyuan, Zheng Cunlu was detained in Dali Temple for dereliction of duty. Li Hongji originally asked Dali Temple to kill him without trial, but the grandson of Dali Temple Qingsun Sheng refused on the grounds that it did not comply with criminal law.

After the review, Sun Sheng believed that Zheng Cunlu was not guilty of any wrongdoing and would not be executed. He was only sentenced to be dismissed from his post and exiled to Lingnan for three years.

Unexpectedly, Song Qiqiu personally exerted pressure and asked Dali Temple to retrial and sentence Zheng Cunlu to death and be executed tomorrow!
For this reason, Sun Sheng and Song Qiqiu had a big quarrel in front of the emperor. "

Zhu Xiu nodded. Sun Sheng was another famous official in the history of the Southern Tang Dynasty. He didn't expect that he would be involved because of the matter of Jujingyuan.

Li Congjia was carrying a "car" that had not yet been struck, and said angrily: "For the sake of gathering in Jingyuan, the prince's brother has executed all the East Palace Guards who were on duty that day with the rank of captain or above. Today, he violated the laws of the country. It’s really~ really~ to go beyond Dali Temple and directly intervene in the criminal case.”

Little Fatty Tuya was very angry and his face turned red.

Zhu Xiu sighed and said: "Zheng Cunlu did his duty loyally and did nothing wrong. On Fangshan Mountain that day, he led his troops to chase us behind us. He was worried about the prince's safety, so he did not dare to act rashly.

Otherwise, he could have led his troops to surround us on the top of the mountain, and there would be no need to follow us all night and crawl through the unbearably damp woods. "

Li Congjia said angrily: "Zheng Cunlu was born in a poor family and joined the army at an early age. When he attacked Tingzhou and Quanzhou, he braved the arrows and led his troops to climb the city and fought to the death. Only then did the Tang army win consecutive battles and put down the rebellion in Fujian in one fell swoop.

This man rose through the ranks by virtue of his military exploits. Seeing his loyalty and bravery, his father granted him the post of General of the East Palace Zuo.

But just because he came from a humble background, he was not favored by his elder brother.

It is such a pity that such a general who has made great contributions to the country did not die on the battlefield, but died at the hands of a traitor because of a minor mistake! "

Li Congjia couldn't help scolding Li Hongji, so he could only vent his anger on Song Qiqiu.

Zhu Xiu suddenly said: "This matter, in the final analysis, is all because of me, if a loyal person is involved in the innocent death, I really feel uneasy!

It's better to find a way to save Zheng Cunlu's life! "

Li Congjia scratched his head and said, "I also have this intention, but I just don't know how to do it."

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Zheng Cunlu is just a nobody in the eyes of the prince and Song Qiqiu. The prince is angry with him, but he will never go to the execution ground in person.

Zheng Cunlu was transferred from Dali Temple to the Criminal Department. He heard that Wang Zhi, the servant of the Criminal Department, was at odds with Song Qiqiu and others, and he also made good friends with King Jin and Mr. Xu. You can ask him to help you find a death row prisoner to replace Zheng Cunlu."

Li Congjia was startled and almost dropped the chess piece he was holding in his fat hands. His eyes widened: "Substantially changing prisoners is a serious crime against Tang law~"

Zhu Xiu enlightened: "The prince, Song Qiqiu and others broke the rules first, and you had no choice but to do it to save others!
One is to kill and the other is to save others. As long as it doesn't violate morality, why not? "

Li Congjia's fat face was wrinkled and hesitant.

Zhu Xiudao: "Think about it, should Zheng Cunlu die?"

Li Congjia shook his head without hesitation, and the fat on his fat face swayed.

"Zheng Cunlu was persecuted and did not deserve to die in vain. So it was a righteous act to save him. Even if it is a little against the rules, it is not harmful. This is a great righteousness without sticking to trivial matters!"

Zhu Xiuyu patted Li Congjia on the shoulder sincerely: "Xiao Liu, sometimes you shouldn't be too rigid in life. Rules are dead, there is no right or wrong, but people are alive. Just do things with a clear conscience."

Li Congjia blinked, his fat face became solemn, and he bowed his head and said: "Brother Zhu's words of advice, I will bear them in mind!"

Zhu Xiu casually messed up the chessboard and said with a smile: "Okay, without further ado, Liu Lang should contact Mr. Xu and Wang Shilang as soon as possible.

In order to avoid suspicion between the prince and Song Qiqiu, I think it is best for me to explain this matter to Zheng Cunlu.

Even if the matter is exposed, the prince and Song Qiqiu will only vent their anger on me.

If there are too many lice, I'm not afraid of them. I don't care if I offend them one more time. Li Congjia bowed gratefully: "Brother Zhu is thoughtful, thank you very much, little brother!"In this case, my little brother will contact and rescue Zheng Cunlu! "

Li Congjia put down the "car" in his hand, cupped his hands and left quickly.

Zhu Xiu picked up the black "rook" and played with it for a while, then glanced at the chessboard with black and red chess pieces, feeling secretly depressed.

Li Congjia was an average mahjong player, but he made rapid progress in learning chess. It had only been a few days, but Zhu Xiu already had a vague feeling that he couldn't suppress it.

If this game of chess is not disrupted, I am afraid that he will be the loser.

Hu Guangyue stood aside and suppressed his laughter. Zhu Xiu glanced at him and said angrily: "How is the progress over Cha Hui?"

Hu Guangyue said hurriedly: "Reporting to the Marquis, with the help of the Xu family, Zha Hui has successfully established the Changxing Cargo Store and is recruiting people to buy mules, horses and vehicles. He is just waiting for the [-] shi of grain purchased by the Xu family to be delivered to Jiangning." Being able to start my first business.”

Zhu Xiu said with satisfaction: "Send someone to contact Wu Dachuan of Guanghe Commercial Bank. From now on, Wu Dazhan will contact Zha Hui. Guanghe Commercial Hui needs to support Changxing Commodity Company's business in Jiangbei.

But we must keep it confidential and don't let Wu Dachuan and Zha Hui know about their relationship. Just treat it as if we are the one who brought the two firms together to cooperate. "

Hu Guangyue cupped his fists and said, "I understand!"

Zhu Xiu rearranged the chessboard and waved to him with a smile: "Come here and play a game with me! Ten coins per game!"

Hu Guangyue's face fell, and he reluctantly sat down across from the stone table.

Zhu Xiu happily took the red side first, but he couldn't beat Li Congjia, and you, a Hexi savage?

Hehe ~
~~~
On the evening of the next day, outside the Sanshan Gate in the northeast of Jiangning City, Zhu Xiu sat under a thatched shed, boredly flipping through a handwritten version of Journey to the West of the Tang Dynasty.

This manuscript was handed down from Huaibei. It can be seen that it has been damaged by countless people.

The story of "Journey to the West of the Tang Dynasty" is very popular in Jiangning City. Unfortunately, due to the backward printing technology, it is difficult to popularize it on a large scale. What the people of Jiangning hear and see are scattered chapters.

When he was in Jingzhou the year before last, Zhu Xiu had already recruited engravers and took the lead in conducting experiments on movable type printing in the Kongtong Mountain quarry to see if he could develop movable type printing a hundred years earlier than Bi Sheng.

Jingzhou Life Tabloid requires a large number of people to copy and write, which greatly limits the output of the newspaper, and its influence has always been limited to the vicinity of Anding County, Jingzhou.

If printing could be improved, it would be an era-defining feat.

It's a pity that it's been almost a year since I left Jingzhou. I don't know how the several test sites on Kongtong Mountain are progressing.
"Report to the Marquis, Hu Guangyue is driving here~"

Zha Hui ran into the thatched shed in a hurry.

Zhu Xiu got up and looked, and saw a mule cart coming from the official road.

"Go in and don't show your head." Zhu Xiu pursed his lips toward a dilapidated thatched hut in the back room of the thatched shed.

"Hey~" Zha Hui bowed and hid in the hut.

The mule cart stopped, and a short brown man jumped out from the cart. His messy hair was tied casually with a cloth, and there were freshly scabbed scars on his cheeks, like those left by a whip.

This person is Zheng Cunlu.

Zheng Cunlu looked around vigilantly, and was obviously startled when he saw Zhu Xiu. His eyes instantly became extremely complicated, with expressions of resentment, hatred, gratitude, etc. intertwined.

"General Zheng, stay safe and sound!" Zhu Xiushi stepped forward to salute, with a friendly smile, like an old friend whom he hadn't seen for many years.

Zheng Cunlu looked at him closely and spoke in a low voice: "Why did you save me?"

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "I was wandering on the street that day and saw General Zheng sitting in a prison car passing through the market. I sent someone to inquire about it and learned that General Zheng had suffered injustice. I felt sorry for him, so I asked Anding County Wang, Xu Shangshu and others came forward to find a way to save General Zheng's life."

Zheng Cunlu roared: "If it weren't for you, why would you be imprisoned by the prince for questioning?"

Hu Guangyue stood beside Zhu Xiu with his knife in hand and stared at him closely, his whole body tense and not daring to relax.

Zhu Xiu was not afraid at all and said sarcastically: "Li Hongji is mean and ungrateful. You have been on duty in the East Palace for many years, has he ever looked at you favorably?
You come from a poor family, and although you have outstanding military achievements, without a family background, you will never be reused by Li Hongji and Song Qiqiu.

This time, Dali Temple's sentence for you is to reduce your position to serve the people and be exiled to Lingnan, but Li Hongji wants your life! "

Zheng Cunlu clenched his fists and veins popped up on his forehead: "It's not thanks to you!"

Zhu Xiu sneered and said, "It's indeed because of me! If we hadn't broken into Jujingyuan at night and kidnapped Li Hongji, you wouldn't have been implicated.

Li Hongji can't kill me, so he can only vent his anger on you!

In the eyes of the master for whom you, Zheng Cunlu, have devoted your life, you are nothing more than an insignificant person carrying anger!
You risked your life to climb the city and fought bloody battles in Tingzhou and Quanzhou, but in the end you had to die at the hands of a tyrannical, cruel, and ridiculous waste like Li Hongji. Are you willing?
Or is it your honor, Zheng Cunlu, to be granted death by the prince? "

Every word Zhu Xiu said pierced his heart like a knife.

Zheng Cunlu's fingertips sank into his palms, covered in blood, and his whole body trembled slightly. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Zhu Xiu, his figure reflected in the depths of his pupils.

Zhu Xiu raised his head slightly and looked at him coldly.

Suddenly, Zheng Cunlu took a step back as if exhausted, his body swayed slightly, he covered his face and wiped away his tears, knelt down heavily with his knees bent, and kowtowed.

Zhu Xiu looked indifferent and did not stop him.

"You caused me to be hated by the prince and expelled from the East Palace, and you saved me from prison and saved my life. Today I kowtow to thank you. From now on, we will clear up our grudges and have nothing to do with each other!"

Zheng Cunlu's voice was hoarse and his forehead was bruised.

He stood up, took a deep look at Zhu Xiu, turned around and strode away.

"Brother Zheng, do you want to go to Shouzhou to join Liu Renzhan?" Zhu Xiu shouted behind him.

Zheng Cunlu stopped for a moment, without looking back, and said coldly: "So what?"

Zhu Xiu grinned: "Brother Zheng has good vision, Liu Renzhan is good, he is a rare good general in the Tang Dynasty, and he will be reused in the future.

It's just that Liu Renzhan refused to surrender to the princelings and lacked support in the court. If Brother Zheng went to surrender, it would be best to change his name and conceal his past experience.

I believe that with Brother Zheng’s ability, it won’t take long for him to stand out. "

Zheng Cunlu didn't speak, but listened to Zhu Xiu's words, was silent for a moment, and strode away without saying a word.

Zha Hui appeared quietly behind Zhu Xiu and whispered: "Is he the person the Marquis wants me to get close to?"

Zhu Xiu said calmly: "Not only get close, you also have to find ways to keep in touch with this person, cultivate feelings, get closer to him, and use all the benefits and means to completely tie him to Changxing Co., Ltd.!"

Zha Hui was startled: "Master Hou, what does this mean?"

Zhu Xiudao: "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. You just need to do what I ask. I only look at the results and don't ask about the process!

Let me give you a suggestion. Changxing Cargo Co., Ltd. is engaged in bulk cargo trafficking business. It is inevitable that you have to travel to and from various city gates frequently. It is especially important to have good relations with the defenders at various city gates.

Shouzhou is an important place in Huaixi and the key business area of ​​Changxing Trading Co., Ltd. You can start from this aspect and get closer to Zheng Cunlu step by step.

Remember, don’t let him know the details about you and Changxing Trading Co., Ltd. "

Zha Hui swallowed his saliva: "I remember it, little man. But, but Lord Marquis, this man has been dismissed from his post. Even if he joins Liu Renzhan in Shouzhou, he is just a small soldier with no position or power. Why should Lord Marquis Do you think highly of him?"

Zhu Xiu glanced at him and said with a smile: "Two months ago, you were just a waiter in a Banqiao restaurant, but now you are the boss of Changxing Co., Ltd., you go in and out of the prince's and minister's mansions, and you also follow The famous Xu family of Wu County is doing business, so tell me, why did I look up to you in the first place? There are so many waiters in Banqiao shop, why did I choose you?"

"This..." Zha Hui was at a loss for words, his eyes rolled round, and he said with a flattering smile: "I understand, this person surnamed Zheng is the same as the villain, he belongs to the kind of master who will become prosperous once he is not enlightened!

This is called, it is called discerning pearls with a wise eye!Mr. Hou has a pair of wise eyes. The villain and the man named Zheng are the pearls stuck in the mud! "

Zhu Xiu twitched the corners of his mouth, not knowing whether to praise him or scold him for a moment. He patted him on the shoulder to encourage him: "Do it well!"

Zhu Xiu got into the carriage, and Hu Guangyue patted Zha Hui on the shoulder again, and said in a deep voice: "Remember, everything you have today was given by the Marquis. The Marquis can give it to you, and he can also take it back! I can give it to you, Naturally, I can also give it to others! If you work hard, Lord Marquis will give you clear rewards and punishments, and he will definitely not treat you badly!"

"Yes, I will definitely remember Commander Hu's instructions!
I would like to send you off to the Marquis! "

Zha Hui knelt on the roadside and watched Hu Guangyue drive back to the city.

After the carriage was far away, Zha Hui stood up, patted the dust on his body, grinned brightly, and imitated Zhu Xiu's usual appearance, holding his hands behind his back, holding his head high, and looking at the sky at a 45-degree angle, with an intimidating aura. Spontaneously.

From now on, there will be no more Cha Hui, the waiter in the Banqiao store, but Cha Ye, the big shopkeeper of Changxing Goods Store in Jiangning City!
(End of this chapter)