The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 414 Please help me, Ambassador Wang
When the carriage drove out of the palace gate, it started to rain lightly.

The rusty axle made a "squeaking" sound. Pan Mei was tired of hearing it while driving and couldn't help but complain in a low voice.

The carriage drove around the corner to Honglu Temple. The rain was getting heavier and the streets were full of pedestrians running to take shelter from the rain.

Suddenly, a figure wearing a bamboo hat approached the carriage, which immediately aroused Pan Mei's alert. She pressed the knife with one hand and raised the riding crop with the other hand to swing at the figure.

"I want to see Zhu Xiu!"

The figure stopped and raised his head, revealing Wang Lingwen's face under the bamboo hat.

Pan Mei put down her whip angrily, opened the curtain, and Wang Lingwen held the shaft of the car and lightly jumped into the carriage.

Pan Mei lowered the curtain and looked around vigilantly to make sure there was nothing unusual, then she waved the riding whip and slapped the horse's buttocks and drove the car forward.

In the carriage, Zhu Xiu looked at the old man in front of him and handed over a dry towel: "If Wang Shisi wants to see me, there is no need to wait in the rain on the street. He can go to Honglu Temple to find a deserted room to rest and wait for me to go back." It’s not too late to say goodbye.”

Wang Lingwen did not pick up the towel and took off his hat. Under the dim light of the carriage, his face looked slightly gloomy, and his upper body was wet with rain.

"I heard that Zhou Zong wants to marry his daughter to you? Do you want to stay and get married?" Wang Lingwen's eyes tightened.

"Is this why Wang Shisi can't wait to see me?" Zhu Xiu said with a smile.

Wang Lingwen didn't speak, his expression was gloomy.

Zhu Xiu said leisurely: "Not only that, just now in the East Pavilion of Wanchun Hall, I paid a courtesy ceremony to the Lord of Tang Dynasty, officially expressing my intention to surrender and surrender!"

The atmosphere in the carriage suddenly became tense, and even the air seemed to have become a bit colder.

A frightening fierce light flashed through Wang Lingwen's eyes. He was silent for a moment and said in a low voice: "What exactly do you want to do?"

Zhu Xiu smiled slightly and asked, "Aren't you afraid that I will really stay and switch to Tang Dynasty?"

Wang Lingwen said expressionlessly: "If this is true, I will report the truth to the officials and ask them to issue an order to put you to death! From now on, Wu Desi's first task in Jiangning is to take your life!"

"Haha, Ambassador Wang is really not polite at all."

Zhu Xiu spread her hands and said lazily: "I would also like to ask the King, Si Mo, to be careful. I am deeply favored by the Emperor and will never betray the Lord and surrender to the enemy!
The news you heard was just deliberately released by Zhou Zong to confuse the public.

Zhou Zong has promised to help me escape Jiangning, and today I have expressed my intention to surrender to the Lord of Tang. Only if the Lord of Tang believes in my sincerity can he allow me to leave Jiangning.

Only by leaving Jiangning can I have a chance to escape. "

Wang Lingwen stared at him for a while, "How do I need to cooperate with you?"

Zhu Xiu sat upright and said in a deep voice: "Today at the court meeting, Li Hongji and I made a bet that there will be chaos in Changsha within half a month.
Only by confirming this matter will Lord Tang have initial trust in me.

If there is chaos in Changsha, the Lord of the Tang Dynasty will definitely send people to rescue him. When the time comes, I will ask for orders to go out with the army. Once I leave Jiangning, I will have a chance to escape. "

Wang Lingwen frowned and thought for a while, "How can we prevent chaos in Changsha?"

"This is where I need the help of Wang Shisi and Wu Desi!"

Zhu Xiudao said, "Bian Hao underestimated the enemy and rushed in, and placed tens of thousands of Chu soldiers and civilians who had surrendered in Changsha City. However, before Bian Hao had a firm foothold in Changsha, he led his army to attack Hengzhou, leaving only his trusted generals to guard Changsha. .

These surrendered soldiers have not yet completely returned home, otherwise Ma family's old generals Liu Yan, Wang Kui and others would not be able to easily instigate the surrendered soldiers to rebel, or even kill them out of the city in one fell swoop.

Therefore, as long as these surrendered soldiers are allowed to cause chaos, Changsha will definitely be in chaos! "

Wang Lingwen nodded, thoughtfully: "Southern Chu and Tang have been hostile for many years. The soldiers and people of Chu will not easily trust the Tang army. Surrender is only due to the situation. Once there is any trouble, these Jingxiang barbarians will probably rise up to resist again." The Banner of the Tang Army"

"Wang Shisi hit the nail on the head!"

Zhu Xiu took advantage of the opportunity to flatter him and said with a low smile: "Wude Si is full of capable people and strangers. He can find a way to execute a group of Southern Chu soldiers to cause panic, and then take the opportunity to encourage people to kill the Tang army to rebel!"

Wang Lingwen narrowed his eyes slightly, and Zhu Xiuqing said a few words in Changsha City. It was a turmoil caused by the killing of prisoners, and it was unknown how many people would die as a result.

Wang Lingwen suddenly smiled coldly: "I seem to understand why Lord Zhu Hou became the founding father of our great Zhou Dynasty at such a young age!
Lord Zhu is a scholar of heaven and earth, he acts informally, and he is decisive in killing. He has both thunderous means and a benevolent heart. He can be called a hero! "

"Haha, Wang Shisi deserves the award!" Zhu Xiugong handed over his hand, "Now that I, the Great Zhou Dynasty, am in the right position, and the world is at home, I am just like Wang Shisi, loyal to the official family and the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

Wang Lingwen said meaningfully: "In the future, in the court, I will have to rely more on Lord Zhu Hou!"

"Wang Shisi's words are serious! Wang Shisi did not hesitate to risk his life and went south to Jiangning to rescue me. Zhu Xiu will definitely remember this kindness in his heart. In the future, I and Wang Shisi will serve the emperor in the same court, and we are willing to work together to advance and retreat together!"

Zhu Xiu's face was full of sincerity.

"Haha, it's really a worthwhile trip for me to make a friend like Lord Zhu! Lord Zhu, don't worry, there will be good news in Changsha within half a month!"

Wang Lingwen clasped his fists heavily and was about to get out of the car after putting on his bamboo hat.

"By the way, don't mention my appearance in Jiangning to Xue Juzheng."

Before leaving, Wang Lingwen turned around and gave another instruction.

Through the gap in the car window, Zhu Xiu watched Wang Lingwen disappear into the crowd and let out a long sigh of relief.

On the Changsha side, Wu Desi could only find a way. The power in his hands, whether it was the fifth capital of the Suppressing Huai Army or the Zangfeng Battalion, was unable to set foot in Hunan.

Pan Mei poked her head in, glared and whispered: "Wang Lingwen is the head of Wude Division. Wude Division has many inspectors. I am worried that if we get too close to him, our secret will not be kept.

If he turns around and reports it to the officials, it will be difficult for you to explain. "

Zhu Xiu smiled bitterly and said: "For this plan, only by asking Wang Lingwen for help can we escape Jiangning. Let's take it one step at a time. Mr. Wang is a smart man. As long as I still have some status in the eyes of the officials, he will not Offend me easily."

Pan Mei curled her lips and muttered: "I don't know what the officials are thinking. Why didn't they appoint the Marquis of Taiyuan as the crown prince earlier? The position of the Prince of Taiyuan has been confirmed. Based on our relationship with him, who in the Great Zhou Dynasty dares to look down on you?" ? It’s too late for Mr. Wang to curry favor with you!” Zhu Xiu shook his head and said, “The prince is in Chanzhou and has made several requests to come to Beijing for an audience. First he was blocked by Wang Jun, and now the officials said that Chanzhou’s military affairs cannot be entrusted to others. He was strictly prohibited from leaving Chanzhou territory.

This matter is not simple, and I am a little unsure of the officials' thoughts. "

Pan Mei glared: "The official family only has one son, the Marquis. Could it be possible that he still wants to make someone else the crown prince?"

Zhu Xiu said in a deep voice: "No one dares to make a conclusion easily until the last moment about the East Palace reserve position. This matter cannot be rushed. We will think about it carefully when we return to Kaifeng."

Pan Mei shrugged, retracted her head and continued to concentrate on driving.

Zhu Xiu sat in the bumpy and swaying carriage with her eyes closed and meditating.

The prince and prince were an extremely embarrassing existence in the Five Dynasties. Strictly speaking, only in Jiangnan, where the political power was relatively stable, would a prince be officially established.

Zhu Yougui's murder of his father and usurpation of the throne gave a big warning to the warlords in the world. Even if the leader of the feudal town seizes power and establishes a foundation, he will not easily establish a successor to avoid losing power.

What's more, even the emperor is in danger, and it is meaningless to have the title of prince but no real power in his hands.

In the later Tang Dynasty, Li Siyuan and Li Congke both relied on their military power and outstanding military exploits to seize the throne of the emperor with real swords and guns.

Shi Chonggui of the later Jin Dynasty never became a prince. He was just Shi Jingtang's nephew. Before his death, Shi Jingtang did not even plan to pass the throne to him, but wanted to pass it to his own son Shi Chongrui.

Unfortunately, Shi Chongrui was young. The then Prime Minister Feng Dao and the Commander-in-Chief of the Forbidden Army Jing Yanguang were worried that the young master would be suspicious of the country, so they decisively supported Shi Chonggui as emperor after Shi Jingtang's death.

Liu Zhiyuan's two sons, King Wei Liu Chengxun and Emperor Yin Liu Chengyou, actually never became princes. They were only regarded as princes by the government and the public.

Generally speaking, in the Five Dynasties of the Central Plains dynasty, there was no tradition of formally appointing a prince.

Zhu Xiu did not expect Uncle Guo to confirm Chai Rong's status as the crown prince as soon as he came to the throne. However, it had been half a year since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty, but Chai Rong could not even go to Kaifeng, which made people feel upset.

I remember that when I was studying history in my previous life, there was indeed such a record in the history books.

At that time, I didn't have any special feelings. I always thought that Uncle Guo's biological sons were all killed in the Kaifeng Incident. Chai Rong was the adopted son and the nominal eldest son, so it was natural to inherit the clan.

But now that he is in the middle of historical events, Zhu Xiucai feels that this inconspicuous episode is not simple, and there may be a hidden secret behind it.

If due to the butterfly effect, Uncle Guo gets hot-headed and Chai Rong's status as crown prince changes, then Zhu Xiu won't even have a place to cry.

His wealth and life were tied to Chai Rong. If he accidentally caused changes in the evolution of history, the little wealth he had worked hard to save for several years would be reduced to nothing in an instant, including his life. May not be guaranteed.

“We still have to return to Kaifeng as soon as possible~~”

Zhu Xiu muttered with a headache.

Wang Lingwen left Jiangning that night and rushed to Changsha. The next morning he only sent a note saying that the news had been sent back to Kaifeng and that the officials would know it in a few days.

Zhu Xiu didn't know how Wang Lingwen would report Jiang Ning's affairs to Uncle Guo. Judging from yesterday's carriage conversation, the old man would not break his promise and file a black case against him.

In addition, the speed of Wudesi's intelligence transmission also surprised Zhu Xiu.

Previously, Wang Lingwen said vaguely that Wu Desi had recruited a group of pigeon slaves in Kaifeng. After screening and training, they had been placed in various strongholds from Kaifeng to Jiangning.

If this is the case, it will take only a few days for Wu Desi's information to be sent to Uncle Guo's case.

In fact, raising pigeons is what Zangfeng Camp has been doing, but it is not easy to train a group of reliable and loyal pigeon slaves, and it takes time to slowly hatch.

Flying pigeons to pass messages is indeed feasible, but the initial investment and training are too large and complicated.

Pigeons are naturally sensitive to the earth's magnetic field and have homing and home-loving characteristics. This also leads to the singularity of pigeons' homing flights. They can fly back to their old nest from the outside world, but they cannot fly from the old nest to other places.

Two-way homing training can also be performed, but this method is slow and inefficient.

Zhu Xiu has seen pigeons of this era, which may be limited by breeding technology and breeds. Their ability to fly long distances is limited, and they are prone to diseases during the breeding process.

Wu Desi was able to quietly place a group of domesticated and mature pigeons in intelligence strongholds from Kaifeng to Jiangning. The strength behind him should not be underestimated.

Xue Juzheng also wrote a memorial, stating that the emperor of the Tang Dynasty hoped for the good of the alliance between the two countries, and asked Guo Wei to make a decision.

Xue Juzheng was much more sincere than Wang Lingwen, and reported everything Zhu Xiu did in Jiangning City in detail.

After writing it, show it to Zhu Xiu for review. If there is no objection, sign it and send it to Kaifeng together.

After leaving the territory of the Tang Dynasty, this memorial will also be sent to Kaifeng through Wude Si's secret channel.

Zhu Xiu originally wanted to explain his plan to Xue Juzheng, but he didn't expect that he didn't bother to listen at all.

Xue Juzheng said calmly that he was only responsible for reporting the truth to Kaifeng. As for what Zhu Xiu wanted to do, what the officials would think of him, and how to deal with him, it had nothing to do with him, the envoy of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The implication is, if you have anything to say, please explain it to the officials!
Zhu Xiu gave a hypocritical thumbs up and praised: "Mr. Xue is really selfless!"

But he was vomiting in his heart. Xue Juzheng was showing his attitude. He didn't care whether Zhu Xiu wanted to stay in Jiangning or find a way to escape back to Kaifeng. He was only responsible for serving as a communication bridge and reaching a peace agreement with Tang State.

Unless there is further instruction from officials, he will not interfere with any of Zhu Xiu's decisions.

Xue Juzheng's seemingly rigid character also shows his attitude and principle of obeying the emperor's orders.

Xue Juzheng patiently waited for Guo Wei's next instructions. During this period, it did not affect his academic discussions with Zhu Xiu. He occasionally played two games of chess, but he was not interested in mahjong at all.

Not only for mahjong, but for all games, Xue Juzheng held an attitude of disgust and disgust, and regarded him as a typical representative of not doing his job properly.

As the days passed, Zhu Xiu patiently waited for news from Changsha and Kaifeng.
(End of this chapter)