The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 425 Looking North and Returning

After leaving Qingliu Pass and walking down the mountain for two or three miles to the southwest, you will reach Qingliu River, a tributary of Chu River.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, it has been raining continuously for days. The Chuhe River flood season has not yet passed, and the Qingliu River is still full and fast.

Above the river, three small sailing river boats were traveling upstream, looking for a berth on the north bank.

Behind him, two boats flying the flag of the Tang Army pursued closely.

"Whoa~"

As they got closer, a shower of arrows came from the stern boat.

The boat's narrow hull is good for breaking wind and waves, and it has a speed advantage in the turbulent river. Under the urging of Ji Yuansi, Chuzhou soldiers rowed desperately, trying to approach the river boat ahead from the side.

"Ow quickly! Hurry!" Ji Yuansi, who was on the first stern boat, personally commanded and kept shouting angrily.

There is also a narrow pavilion above the deck of the stern ship, with windows on all sides. Archers hide in it and can attack and retaliate against enemy ships at close range.

Li Hongji huddled in the pavilion, huddled together with a group of crossbowmen.

The wind and waves on the river were rough, the speed of the boat was high, and the hull was bumping and shaking violently. He couldn't bear it, so he tightly grasped the arms of the two East Palace guards beside him. His face turned pale, his stomach was turbulent, and waves of nausea filled his throat.

Although he grew up in a water town in southern China, Li Hongji didn't often ride boats, and he wasn't very good at water skills.

Zhu Wu's family and Zhou Xian took the first small river boat, and Hu Guangyue led a dozen or so Fifth Capital soldiers to protect them.

The two river boats in the rear were manned by the Fifth Capital and Wude Division, with the Fifth Capital brothers accounting for the majority.

"Dangdangdang~"

Another rain of arrows came, and Hu Guangyue roared loudly, reminding everyone to take shelter. The river boat was covered with arrows, and two more brothers were hit by arrows and fell headlong into the river.

Zhu Wu protected his wife, children and mother and hid in the small cabin. Zhou Xian hugged Zhu Fang, who was frightened and crying, and huddled in a corner.

Her hair was messy and she was wearing an underskirt that hadn't been changed for many days. Her face was pale and she looked terrified. She tried hard to comfort the crying little girl in her arms with a trembling voice.

"Da Lang, can we still escape to Huaibei?" Wu Youdi leaned against the wooden wall, looking panicked.

Zhu Wu gritted his teeth and nodded vigorously: "I can definitely do it! Brother Xiu is still waiting for us in Shouzhou!"

"Brother Xiu, brother Xiu," Wu Youdi murmured, "As long as brother Xiu can survive, our old Zhu family will never be the heir!"

Wu Youdi touched Zhu Liang's head in her arms, "It's just pity that Liang Wazi and Da Ya haven't grown up yet and haven't seen the colorful things in this world. Alas~"

Zhu Liang raised his face, wiped away the muddy tears on Wu Youdi's old face, and said seriously: "Grandma, don't cry, my uncle said he will take us to Kaifeng to live a good life!"

Wu Youdi smiled bitterly and hugged her eldest grandson tighter.

Just as Zhu Wugu was about to say something, another "dang" sound came from the outer board of the cabin, and Hu Guangyue shouted angrily from outside the cabin:
"Come out quickly! Tang soldiers set fire!"

A few earthen pots were thrown from the boat, smashed on the river boat and shattered, and the sticky black oil overflowed and ignited instantly when it met a spark.

Thick smoke rose up, and the pungent and choking black smoke drifted over the river.

Ji Yuansi laughed and urged the soldiers to throw kerosene cans and fire rockets to force the river boats to slow down.

Zhu Wu hurriedly protected his family and escaped from the cabin. A stern boat rushed forward from the right side and slammed into the starboard side of the river boat.

The river boat shook violently, swinging from side to side so wildly that it was even in danger of capsizing.

Everyone on the boat was panicked and could hardly stand.

Yang Qiaolian screamed and fell down, hugging the mast tightly.

Zhou Xian fell while holding Zhu Fang in his arms, and his forehead hit the wooden board of the ship. It was bruised, red and swollen, and the pain made her burst into tears.

Wu Youdi, who was near the side of the fender, suddenly felt dizzy. Her body swayed with the hull of the boat, and she fell headlong into the river.

Before falling into the river, she subconsciously pushed Zhu Liang away.

Zhu Liang tightly grasped the hemp rope tied to the guard board with both hands, half of his body was submerged in the water, and was dragged back by Zhu Wu.

"Mother!" With a scream, Zhu Wu jumped into the river.

Wu Youdi grew up by the river and knew the nature of water. She fell into the water and quickly resurfaced, paddling hard to float.

It's just that my body is not as strong as when I was young, so I still choked a few times.

Zhu Wu pulled the hemp rope with one hand, hugged his mother with the other, and used all his strength to pull her out of the water.

Yang Qiaolian and Zhou Xian grabbed Wu Youdi's clothes, hands and feet and tried their best to pull Wu Youdi onto the boat.

The three of them fell on the wet deck, completely exhausted.

When Zhu Wu climbed onto the boat, he was hit by a stray arrow in the back of the shoulder. The pain was so painful that he almost let go and fell into the water again.

Two stern boats rushed from both sides and were about to sandwich the river boat in the middle.

At the critical moment, two river boats located in the outer channel suddenly burst into flames. The bows of the boats swung in the direction and severely collided with the two stern boats.

Chuzhou soldiers fell into the water in panic on the stern boat, and some people jumped into the river on the two river boats.

The four boats collided, blocking the already narrow river. The stern boat behind was unable to pass. They could only watch the river boat carrying Zhu Wu's family turn across the river and sail northeast.

On the first stern boat, Li Hongji could no longer bear the turbulence in his stomach and vomited it out with a "vomit" sound.

"Stop, stop the boat, dock." Li Hongji waved his hands, looking exhausted.

"Your Highness, we can't stop! That group of rebels is about to run away!" Ji Yuansi said harshly with his eyes wide open.

Li Hongji glared at him fiercely: "Stop the boat when I tell you to! Take the land route and go to Shouzhou to intercept it!"

Ji Yuansi became more and more surprised: "How did your Highness know that the traitor was going to flee to Shouzhou?"

Li Hongji was too lazy to talk to this tough guy anymore, so he closed his eyes and sat back to rest.

Ji Yuansi wanted to ask more questions, but the guards of the East Palace glared at him and shouted him back.

Helpless, Chuzhou soldiers had no choice but to stop chasing, gathered the soldiers who fell into the water, returned to the ferry to disembark, and rushed to Shouzhou by land.

The river boat, which was almost destroyed by the fire, drove along the river again, and found a shallow muddy place to moor and dock. The people supported each other, walked across the muddy beach, and disappeared among the mountain trails.

Six days later, there was a country mansion in the north of Shouzhou City.

A bamboo pole was tied beside the dirt road, and a cover made of rough linen fluttered high.

Zhu Xiu stood under the bamboo pole with his hands behind his hands, looking towards the north gate of Shouzhou City.

He was dressed in linen and brown clothes, and he looked like a boy from an ordinary farmer's family.

For some reason, in the past two days, his eyelids had been twitching a bit, and he often felt palpitations at night, as if he had some ominous premonition.

He has been waiting here for two days. According to the original plan, if the Zhu Wu family is still unable to come here to join them by this time tomorrow, he will have to set off back to Kaifeng alone.

A thin, middle-aged scribe walked out of the store, stood next to Zhu Xiu, and said softly: "Liters don't have to worry. Your family has its own fate, and we will definitely meet again safely."

Zhu Xiu forced a smile and said nothing.This person was Zhou Duan, the eldest son of Zhou Zong and the judge of Hezhou Jiedu.

Zhou Duan's figure and appearance were similar to that of Zhou Zong when he was young, even his expression and manner were the same.

Before fleeing Hezhou, Zhou Duan had received a letter from his old father. The letter stated everything and asked him to cooperate fully and help Zhu Xiu escape successfully.

Zhou Duan is a person with a peaceful temperament. He is extremely self-aware. He knows that his talents are mediocre and he does not have much ambition in his career. He just follows what his old father in the family says.

"crunch~"

The sound of axles came from the dirt road ahead, and a group of farmers, mountain people, and hawkers came walking slowly, all of whom were people living in nearby villages.

Pan Mei, with sharp eyes, stood at the door of Di's store. She saw Hu Guangyue in the crowd from a distance and shouted excitedly.

Zhu Xiu clenched her fists suddenly and stepped forward to meet him.

Hu Guangyue walked in front with a long sword hanging, looking tired, but he did not dare to let down his guard and kept looking at the people around him.

Several Fifth Capital sergeants dressed as ordinary farmers took turns pulling a cart. Lying on the cart was Wu Youdi, covered with a thin tattered quilt.

The eldest daughter, Zhu Fang, sat aside and wiped her grandma's forehead with a wet towel from time to time.

Yang Qiaolian and Zhou Xian were holding the cart on the left and right, Zhu Wu was walking behind carrying a hatchet, and Zhu Liang was carrying a sharpened short stick and followed his father closely.

A group of people were like refugees on the run, all unkempt, disheveled, and in rags. Even the villagers who left the city were unwilling to walk with them and pointed behind them.

Zhu Xiu's heart clenched when she saw them like this.

"Master Hou. It's Master Hou!" Hu Guangyue also saw Zhu Xiu and Pan Mei from a distance, was stunned, and growled excitedly.

Everyone cheered up, Yang Qiaolian covered her mouth to hold back her cry, Zhou Xian's almond-shaped eyes were filled with tears, and he found that he had never looked forward to seeing the villain as much as he did now.

"Master Hou!" Hu Guangyue sobbed sadly and was about to kneel down with his fists clasped in his hands. Zhu Xiu quickly stepped forward and supported him.

"Don't attract attention." Zhu Xiu whispered.

Hu Guangyue nodded silently and said in a hoarse voice: "Your Majesty, my subordinates failed to protect me. The old lady fell into the water in the Qingliu River and hurt her heart. She had a high fever for days and the subordinates did not dare to stay, so they had to find the doctor and arrested two of them on the road. The old lady drank the supplementary herbal medicine several times, but it seemed to have little effect.
My subordinates will die, please punish me! "

Zhu Xiu was startled and asked hurriedly: "Could there be pursuers?"

Hu Guangyue said with a bitter smile: "We were targeted as soon as we left Jiangning City. We didn't dare to rest all the way. When we escaped from Qingliu Pass, Li Hongji led the Chuzhou soldiers, together with Qingliu Pass guard Ji Yuansi, to chase and intercept us on the Qingliu River.

In order to help us escape the pursuit, Brother No. [-] and Wude Si burned the boat, rammed it into the enemy boat, and blocked the river, so we were able to escape.
It’s just that I can’t be sure how many of our brothers will survive.”

Hu Guangyue lowered his head, his eyes were red and his voice was trembling.

Most of the Fifth Capital sergeants brought to Jiangning were selected by him personally. They also ate and lived together in Suzhou for two or three months of training, and they developed a love for each other.

If these people cannot survive in the end, Hu Guangyue, as the head of the capital, will inevitably feel guilty and self-blame.

Hu Guangyue gritted his teeth and said: "Master Hou, someone must have leaked the news, which made Li Hongji pursue us so hard! The fifth is our own people, there is no way anything can go wrong, the problem must be with Wude Si!"

Zhu Xiu said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, I will definitely find Wang Lingwen to find out the inside story, and I will never let every brother die in vain!"

Hu Guangyue nodded bitterly and silently stepped aside.

"Brother, sister-in-law, are you okay?" Zhu Xiu sighed softly and cupped his hands.

Yang Qiaolian wiped her tears, cried and laughed, and was speechless.

Zhu Wu blamed himself: "Brother, I didn't take good care of my mother."

Zhu Xiu saw a bulge on the back of his shoulders. When he got closer, he smelled a faint smell of blood and herbs, and guessed that he must be injured.

"I don't blame you. I didn't expect that Li Hongji would personally go to Chuzhou to arrest him." Zhu Xiu consoled him.

After touching the heads of the two dolls, Zhu Xiu looked at Zhou Xian who was standing silently next to the cart.

At this moment, Mrs. Zhou is not even half as dazzling as the daughter of a grand master. She is dressed in a brown hemp skirt, with wooden hairpins inserted sideways into her tied hair. She wears a pair of dirt-covered cloth shoes. Her body is covered with yellow mud marks, even on her cheeks and hair. All covered with dry mud.

The small baggage he carried when he left Jiangning City has long since disappeared. Now he carries a cloth bag with a water bag and hard buns, and he doesn't even have a change of personal clothes.

However, the refugee's appearance can hardly conceal his beautiful face, and he looks haggard and tired, which is pitiful.

There was a bruise on her forehead. Zhu Xiu reached out to brush her hair away, but she sidestepped him.

Zhu Xiu didn't know what to say and could only smile bitterly.

Zhou Xian grabbed the small cloth bag on his shoulder and whispered: "Auntie may have fallen into the water and got cold, which caused a lung disease. She must see a doctor for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible and stay in bed for a while."

Zhu Xiu tested the temperature of Wu Youdi's forehead with the back of her hand. It was indeed hot. Her temples were soaked with sweat, her lips were chapped and bloodless, and her body was still trembling slightly.

Suddenly, Wu Youdi's wet and cold hands tightly grasped Zhu Xiu, and she tried her best to open her eyes, and said in a weak voice: "No, you can't stop, hurry up, go back, go back to the north!"

Zhu Xiu patted her hand gently and said comfortingly: "Mom, don't worry, after passing Shouzhou City, we will soon reach the boundary of Suzhou. That is the territory of the Zhou Dynasty, where the baby is employed. It will be safe when we get there, baby. I will definitely find a doctor to treat my mother as soon as possible."

Wu Youdi tried her best to smile, let go of her hand, and closed her eyes tiredly.

Zhu Xiu took a deep breath: "Let's go!"

The sergeant of the Fifth Capital pulled the cart and continued on the road.

Zhu Xiu held Zhu Liang's hand, Zhu Wu supported Yang Qiaolian and followed behind, while Hu Guangyue and Pan Mei were responsible for clearing the way.

Zhou Duan stood by the roadside, looking at Zhou Xian with longing eyes.

Zhu Xiu glanced at her and said softly: "Don't wait too long."

After everyone walked forward along the dirt road, Zhou Duancai gently stroked his sister's hair and whispered: "Don't blame father, everything he did was for the benefit of the Zhou family. The prince is domineering and the Zhou family cannot afford to offend him. "

Zhou Xian bit his lip and nodded silently.

Zhou Duan looked at his younger sister, who was not as old as his own children, and said softly: "Father will never make a mistake. Zhu Xiu has an extraordinary future. After getting to know him in the past few days, I think he has a good heart and is a caring person." A righteous person.

In the future, I will follow him to Kaifeng and live a good life. My father and brother are not around, so you must learn to take care of yourself."

Zhou Xian's eyes were filled with tears, and his thin shoulders were shaking slightly.

"But there is no need to wrong yourself. As long as the Zhou family exists, your mother's family will always be your backer."

Maybe he felt that the words were too straightforward and made the younger sister cry, so Zhou Duan added another sentence.

But his words always sounded a bit far-fetched.

The Zhou family was able to protect themselves under the pressure of the prince and Song Qiqiu. It was considered good that the Zhou family had no ability to interfere in Jiangbei's affairs.

Zhou Xian nodded silently and whispered: "Brother, please take care, I'm leaving."

Zhou Xian tightened the small cloth bag on his shoulder, curtsied, looked at Zhou Duan one last time, turned around and followed the team along the dirt road.

"Ah~"

All the helpless farewells turned into a sigh. Zhou Duan bowed and watched their figures disappear from the end of his sight.
(End of this chapter)