The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 428 Job Changes
"Boom~"

There was a tremor on the ground, getting closer and closer, and the sound seemed to come from the center of the earth.

"Cavalry!?" Pan Mei couldn't believe it. The sound clearly sounded like the sound of horse hooves, and there were a lot of people.

"Where did the cavalry come from in Suzhou?" Zhu Xiu was shocked.

Hu Guangyue ran back from the entrance to the mountain and shouted in a panic: "Master Hou! A large number of cavalry are coming, no less than three thousand in number!"

Zhu Xiu almost fell down from the carriage. The total number of available horses for the Huai Army was less than [-]. How could there be three thousand cavalry troops on the border of Suzhou?

Zhu Xiu quickly jumped out of the carriage, and Zhou Xian also wanted to get off. Zhu Xiu shouted: "Go back and sit down!"

Zhou Xian hesitated for a moment, then got back into the car and looked through the window with a look of horror on his face.

Zhu Wu also jumped out of the previous carriage, ran over and asked, "What happened?"

Yang Qiaolian took two dolls with her and leaned against the window to poke her head around.

While he was talking, a black-armored cavalry rushed out of the valley in front. There was no flag. The sergeant on the horse carried a crossbow with a sword on the back, and some had sharp spears on the saddle hooks. They were fully equipped and full of momentum.

"My dear mother!~!"

Zhu Wu took a deep breath, and the hand that clenched the hatchet couldn't stop trembling.

Although Hu Guangyue and Pan Mei were shocked, they did not appear panicked.

Zhu Xiu squinted slightly and looked at this formation, which looked like the elite cavalry troops of the Kaifeng Guards and Military Division.

"Hahaha!~Brother! Brother, I'm here to pick you up!~"

As they got closer, a wild laugh came from the leading cavalry group.

Zhu Xiu's eyes widened. Listening to the voice, it turned out to be Li Chongjin!

Pan Mei and Hu Guangyue breathed a long sigh of relief. Li Chongjin's guy was here. This cavalry army must be the troops of the Huaihe Army.

But where did the Huai Army suppress such a well-equipped cavalry force?There are three thousand more people?
The black-armored torrent rushed through both sides of the mountain road. Zhu Xiu and his group of more than a dozen people, and the two carriages were caught in the black-armored torrent. They were like fallen leaves floating in the turbulent current, and they might be overturned at any time.

Zhou Xian huddled in the corner of the carriage, his heart beating hard, his face turning pale, and the rumbling sound like a landslide was right next to her.

Yang Qiaolian hugged the two babies tightly. Fortunately, Zhu Wu stepped forward to comfort them and told them that they were their own, and she gradually stopped being afraid.

The cavalry army blocked both ends of the mountain road, surrounded Zhu Xiu and his party in the center, the whole army was silent, and the appearance of the army was pruned.

The first few people jumped off their horses and strode over. The leader was Li Chongjin.

When Li Chongjin got off his horse, the cavalry soldiers dismounted in unison. The scene was quite spectacular.

"Haha! Brother! I miss you so much!"

Li Chongjin was wearing battle armor and a red military robe with a handsome collar. A vivid tiger descending from the mountain was embroidered on the robe.

He opened his arms for a bear hug, and Zhu Xiu quickly stepped forward and punched him in the chest. The two looked at each other, laughed, and hugged each other hard.

"I haven't seen you in a few months, you have grown taller, almost as tall as I am!"

Li Chongjin patted Zhu Xiu on the shoulder.

Zhu Xiu punched him again: "You are getting darker and stronger. Shi Yanchao's reputation as a black bear spirit will belong to you sooner or later."

"I am a black king, so I don't want to be a monster!" Li Chongjin smiled playfully.

"I've met the Marquis of Dingyuan!" Behind Li Chongjin, several commanders under the Zhenhuai Army saluted.

Zhu Xiu looked at them one by one. They were all familiar faces. They smiled and returned the favor.

But I was a little strange in my heart, he is the deputy commander of the Zhenhuai Army, and these people are also his subordinates. They used to call each other Zhu Zhu, why are they all changing their names now and calling him by titles?
Pan Mei and Hu Guangyue saluted, while Li Chongjin just nodded.

"Brother, an old friend is here, do you still know him?" Li Chongjin put his arm around Zhu Xiu's shoulders, pointed at someone and smiled.

Zhu Xiu looked around and saw a middle-aged man in brocade clothes walking over.

"Haha, congratulations to Mr. Zhu Hou for his safe return!" The man cupped his hands and smiled.

Zhu Xiu was startled, "Li Shilang? Why are you here?"

This person is Li Gu, the Minister of Household Affairs.

Li Gu served as the governor of Chenzhou before. When Guo Wei led the Ye army to the south, he wrote a letter asking him for assistance, but Li Gu ignored it and ordered the blockade of the Chenzhou pass, strictly prohibiting contact with the Ye army.

The Empress Guo Wei originally wanted to depose Li Gu, but Wei Renpu persuaded him from the side, saying that Li Gu had great talent and it would be a pity to abandon him.

After Zhu Xiu found out, he took the initiative to persuade him, and then Uncle Guo transferred Li Gu to Kaifeng.

In the palace hall, Uncle Guo asked Li Gu, why he dared to resist the destiny without sending troops to help?
Li Gu took his time and replied that the destiny was not yet decided at that time. As a Han official, he should be loyal to the Han Dynasty. Now that the Han Dynasty has fallen and the Zhou Dynasty has risen, the destiny has been determined. He should obey the destiny and return to the Zhou Dynasty.

Uncle Guo was speechless. He felt that this guy had extraordinary temperament and was a great person, so he appointed him as the Minister of Household Affairs.

Li Gu is really talented and manages the household department in an orderly manner.

Originally, Uncle Guo was going to formally grant him the title of Third Chief of Staff and order him to take charge of the imperial court's financial power. Unexpectedly, Li Gu took the initiative to ask for help, saying that he would come to Suzhou to train the navy.

After listening to Li Chongjin's introduction, Zhu Xiu patted his forehead and smiled bitterly to himself.

It's a mess, it's really a mess.

This guy Li Gu ignored a good plan and went to Suzhou to train troops?
According to the normal historical trajectory, Li Gu should have been appointed as the third minister at this time, and soon he would be granted the title of Tongping Zhangshi, becoming one of the prime ministers of the Zhou Dynasty.

Now, this guy has come to Suzhou.

Zhu Xiu had a headache, what kind of trouble was this!
Li Gu said with a smile: "Master Zhu Hou, don't be surprised. My original intention was not to replace Zhu Hou as the deputy commander of the Huai Army. I just happened to see the article "Navy Army Strategy" submitted by Zhu Hou to the official, and I was deeply moved. Shocked, I want to come to Suzhou Hongze Lake to see how Lord Zhu Hou trains his navy."

After a pause, Li Gu said helplessly: "I didn't expect that the officials would directly appoint me as the Deputy Envoy of the Huaihe Army, and concurrently as the Commander of the Huaibei Navy."

Zhu Xiu smiled wryly and said, "I don't know if the officials have any arrangements for me?"

Li Gu hurriedly said: "The official has appointed Zhu Houye as the co-president of the Xuanhui North Academy and the deputy envoy of the Xuanhui North Academy to inspect the school. The book is made here!"

Li Gu summoned his own soldiers and took out a book stamped with the royal seal and official seal from the brocade box.Sure enough, Uncle Guo dismissed his deputy envoy to suppress the Huai Army, and instead appointed him as Tongzhi of Xuanhui North Academy and deputy envoy of Xuanhui North Academy to inspect the school.

A noble minister, usually in charge of sacrifices, court meetings, offerings and so on.

You can make a lot of money, but it has nothing to do with military power or anything like that.

Zhu Xiuzhan took a few glances, his face trembled, he cried out sadly, he bowed in the direction of Kaifeng, and weakly shouted: "I accept the decree and thank you!"

Li Chongjin picked up Zhu Xiu and said carelessly: "Don't have any ideas. Brother, I've asked for you. Zhai Guangye, the envoy of Xuanhui North Campus, is a sick old man and it is difficult to manage. You are also the deputy inspector of the school. In fact, The one above is the leader of Xuanhui North Academy. He is a noble man in leisure and can take care of himself in Kaifeng for two years."

Zhu Xiu said angrily: "You don't want to be the envoy of this hospital, but you requested the order to return to Kaifeng yourself!"

Li Chongjin spoke sternly: "I shoulder the great responsibility of the government, guard Suzhou, and train the new army. How can I be greedy for pleasure?
Brother, don't worry, Deputy Commander Li will definitely inherit your legacy and train the Hongze Lake Navy into the best soldier in the world! "

Li Chongjin winked at Li Gu, who twirled his beard and smiled in return.

It seems that the two guys get along well and will have no problem cooperating in the future.

For Li Chongjin, it didn't matter who was responsible for training the navy, as long as he was still the governor of the Huai Army, regardless of whether the navy or the horse infantry were at his disposal.

So if it was Li Gulai, as long as it suited his taste, there would be no problem in staying.

The more Zhu Xiu thought about it, the more annoyed he became, and he angrily reprimanded Li Chongjin: "No loyalty!"

Li Gu said seriously: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhu, I deeply agree with the "Navy Army Strategy" you wrote, and I will definitely train the Hongze Lake Navy Army in strict accordance with the strategy. If the training is not good, I am willing to ask for help. Cut!"

Li Chongjin laughed a few times and quickly changed the topic with a guilty conscience: "Brother, look, how strong is my newly formed cavalry army?"

Zhu Xiu snorted coldly: "Where did you steal it from?"

Li Chongjin stared, clapped his chest and said, "What are you talking about! It's obviously the officials who saw the shortage of horses in Suzhou and sent them here specially."

Zhu Xiu sneered, he wouldn't believe it.

Li Gu whispered awkwardly: "A month ago, the imperial court sent a group of troops to the Wuning Army in Xuzhou, the Guide Army in Songzhou, and the Zhen'an Army in Chenzhou. After Duke Li knew about it, he led his people to the Caishui River. , saying that the troops and horses should be brought to Suzhou together, and then distributed one by one."

Zhu Xiu opened his mouth, almost doubting that he had heard wrongly.

Li Chongjin, this gangster, must be too courageous. He dares to take all the troops and horses assigned by the imperial court to Suzhou?
Just ask where these [-] cavalry troops were obtained. It turned out that they were the property obtained through robbery.

Li Chongjin said confidently: "I have reported to the officials that these troops and horses were not accustomed to the acclimatization when they arrived in Suzhou. Most of them died, and the rest were temporarily left to recuperate."

Zhu Xiu took a deep breath and was speechless. He could only give a thumbs up to express his respect.

Zhu Xiu looked at him sympathetically: "Next time I go back to Kaifeng, I hope to see your head growing on my neck."

Li Chongjin shrank his neck and smiled sarcastically.

After snatching the army horse, he felt that he had gone too far after returning to Suzhou. He wanted to go back but was unwilling to do it. He kept doing it because he didn't believe that his uncle would chop off his head for thousands of horses.

"I received a letter from you halfway, saying that my aunt was infected. How is she doing?"

Li Chongjin had a look of concern on his face. This black guy was heartless, with a huge disaster on his forehead, but he still looked like a normal person.

Zhu Xiu introduced Zhu Wu, and Li Chongjin smiled and clasped his fists in greeting, then ran to the carriage in front, stuck his black head through the window, and greeted Wu Youdi with greetings.

Zhu Xiu was worried that she would scare her mother, so she quickly asked Zhu Wu to step forward and keep an eye on her.

Don't let me think that a black bear spirit came from somewhere and blocked the road.

Zhu Xiu and Li Gu walked aside and said with a smile: "I heard that Vice Admiral Li met Han Xizai in Yingzhou and became friends. Later, one of you went north to the Central Plains and the other went south to Jiangning. Before leaving, you two said Each will lead his troops north and south to help the British Lord unify the country?"

Li Gu laughed: "I didn't expect Lord Zhu to have heard this anecdote. Haha, the rumors are slightly exaggerated, but they are similar.

To be honest, a certain person is more interested in the art of war and battle formations. Compared with serving in the court, a certain person hopes to lead troops on expeditions. "

Zhu Xiu smiled: "Is this the main reason why Vice Admiral Li robbed my Hongze Lake navy?"

Li Gu cupped his hands: "Ashamed, ashamed!"

The two looked at each other, raised their heads and laughed.

Zhu Xiu changed the subject and said solemnly: "The Huaihuai Army will definitely be the vanguard of going south in the future, and Deputy Commander Li knows this. Tang soldiers are mostly good at water warfare, and the success or failure of the water army's training in Hongze Lake will determine the success of recovering Huainan in the future. , I hope you will work hard and live up to your official reputation!"

Li Gu said seriously: "Don't worry, Mr. Zhu, I will place a military order in front of you when I go south. If the Hongze Lake Navy cannot form an army within three years, I will be willing to accept the punishment!"

"In this case, the Huaibei Navy relies entirely on Duke Li! The Duke of Hanoi can be impatient and impulsive at times. You should be more tolerant of him and restrain him from making any more mistakes." Zhu Xiu saluted.

"Mr. Zhu, please be at ease. I have been warned by the officials when I came." Li Gu's smile contained a hidden meaning. It seemed that Uncle Guo had already given him instructions on how to discipline Li Chongjin.

Zhu Xiu really wanted to know how Uncle Guo would explain, but judging by Li Gu's appearance, he would definitely not reveal it.

"Ah!~" There was another exclamation. Zhu Xiu looked back and saw Li Chongjin lying next to the window of the carriage Zhu Xiu was riding in, with a weird smile that scared Zhou Xian to scream.

"Okay, brother!" Li Chongjin put his arm around Zhu Xiu's shoulders and winked, "What a beautiful little lady! Is this the daughter of the Southern Tutor's family?"

Zhu Xiu rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Brothers are so lucky!" Li Chongjin sighed with envy.

Zhu Xiu glanced at him sideways: "I heard that the official family is going to grant you a marriage? I wonder which unlucky lady it is?"

Speaking of this matter, Li Chongjin suddenly froze, "Don't mention it, it is said that she is the daughter of the Fangzhou Governor's family, and I have never seen what she looks like."

Zhu Xiuyu said earnestly and sincerely: "It's time for people in their thirties to start a family and start a business. You are more than ten years older than me, but by then, my son will be able to call you uncle, and you will still be a bachelor."

"Get out! I will definitely have a son better than you!"

Li Chongjin pushed him away in shame.

"Haha! Let's go! I won't go to Suzhou, I'll go back to Kaifeng! Take care!"

"Brothers take care!"

Li Chongjin yelled and watched with reluctance as Zhu Xiu and his party retraced their steps and took the northern mountain road to Kaifeng.

(End of this chapter)