The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 436

At the end of September, Xiang Xun rushed to Chanzhou to announce the emperor's edict. At the same time, as the commander of the army and horses, and in accordance with the court's decision, Xiang Xun mobilized 1 elite infantrymen of the Zhenning Army, including [-] well-trained crossbowmen.

In the front hall of Jiedu Mansion, Xiang Xun read out a lengthy imperial edict, while Zhu Xiu and Chai Rong leaned on the ground to listen.

Chai Rong looked solemn and respectful and listened carefully.

After half-listening, Zhu Xiu couldn't help covering her mouth and yawning, causing Xiang Xun to frown and look at him from time to time.

"Please stand up, both of you."

Finally, after reading a lengthy imperial edict, Zhu Xiuru was granted amnesty, stood up and rubbed her waist.

Xiang Xun handed the imperial edict to Chai Rong and said with a smile: "I'd like to thank Taiyuan County Duke for preparing all the troops and horses, and then give the talisman to the last general."

Chai Rong held the imperial edict, forced a smile, and said: "Since it is the emperor's will, I will definitely act in accordance with it. I can rest assured that the Zhenning army will be led by Xiangdu Supervisor."

"Thank you! Please rest assured, Lord Taiyuan, that the general will not disgrace the reputation of the Zhenning Army! Let the traitors Murong know how powerful our officers and soldiers of the Great Zhou Dynasty are!" Xiang Xun solemnly expressed his position.

Chai Rong asked tentatively: "Besides the three generals Cao Ying, Shi Yantao, and Yao Yuanfu, does my father have any other arrangements?"

Xiang Xun said: "The officials also recruited the military commander of the Tianping Army, Fu Yanqing, king of Huaiyang, and Li Chongjin, the military commander of the Suppressing Huai Army, as flanking forces to cooperate with Cao Cao's main force to encircle Yanzhou."

Chai Rong was stunned, his expression extremely ugly: "Li Chongjin is far away in Suzhou, how could my father recruit him to participate in this battle?
I am in Chanzhou, and my father would rather send troops to the governor than let me lead the Zhenning army into the war."

Chai Rong's face was filled with despair, and all kinds of sour, aggrieved, and disappointed emotions welled up in his heart.

Xiang Xun was also helpless, clasped his fists and whispered: "This is the official will, and the general will not dare to interfere."

Zhu Xiu secretly tugged on Chai Rong's robe, telling him to calm down and not say anything.

Chai Rong sighed lightly, his face gloomy.

"Xiang Dujian, besides this imperial edict, do the officials have other edicts?" Zhu Xiu changed the subject.

Xiang Xun said: "There are two more oral instructions. The officials ask you not to make big salutes, just listen."

Clearing his throat, he conveyed an oral instruction to Xun: "'I have read the letter submitted by the Duke of Taiyuan, and will give a reply after consideration. In addition, Zhu Xiu was ordered to copy the "Emperor's Model" a hundred times for my viewing. '"

Zhu Xiu staggered and almost fell down. His eyes widened and he couldn't laugh or cry: "Xiang Dujian, are you serious about this?"

Xiang Xun said sternly: "How dare you pretend to preach the Holy Will? Mr. Zhu Hou, please don't think too much. The official asked you to copy the "Emperor's Model", just do it honestly."

The officials have said that you can write the word "伱" well, and that one stroke of "Xiu Ti" has become the style of everyone. I order you to copy the article because I want to appreciate your calligraphy more. "

At the end of the sentence, Xiang Xun himself couldn't help laughing.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is the official's deliberate punishment of Zhu Xiu.

As for the reason, perhaps only the parties involved know.

Zhu Xiu slapped her forehead, with an ugly expression on her face like constipation: "How can I be so virtuous as a low-ranking official? Let the official family give me this kind of love~~"

Xiang Xun smiled slightly and gently patted Zhu Xiu's shoulder to encourage him, but there was a hint of helpless teasing in his eyes.

"Excuse me, Supervisor Xiangdu, what happened to Liu Chongchu in Hedong recently?" Zhu Xiu remembered something and asked hastily.

"Liu Chong and Privy Wang fought fiercely in the outskirts of Jinzhou. Chen Sirang and Kang Yanzhao under Wang Privy's ranks defeated the enemy army. Now Liu Chong has led his army back into Jiangzhou." Xiang Xun laughed.

Zhu Xiu curled her lips and murmured sourly: "Privy Minister Wang is really good at using troops~"

Xiang Xun knew about Zhu Xiu's and Wang Jun's quarrels, and said with a smile, "Before Privy Wang went to the east of the river, he repeatedly played out the battle with the officials in the palace.

Most of Privy Wang's arrangements after arriving in Hedong were actually in accordance with official arrangements. "

Zhu Xiu grinned and said: "So, Governor Xiang also thinks that Wang Jun can win the battle because he is just lucky?"

"Uh, this~" Xiang Xun was speechless, he coughed unnaturally and said, "I don't mean this, Mr. Zhu Hou must not misunderstand!"

Zhu Xiu chuckled, becoming increasingly wary of Wang Jun.

Xiang Xun is the deputy envoy of the Wude Department and is deeply trusted by Uncle Guo. Even he is quite wary of Wang Jun and is careful to say a word or two behind his back. It seems that Wang Jun's current power is really not trivial, and his status in Uncle Guo's mind is It's really unusual.

Xiang Xun is a close minister of Uncle Guo. He knows who is close and who is far away, and he is the most sensitive to the emperor's thoughts.

"Without further delay, please ask the Duke of Taiyuan to arrange for someone to lead the generals to select troops and horses." Xiang Xun said with fists in his arms. He did not want to get involved in the feud between Zhu Xiu and Wang Jun.

Chai Rong reluctantly nodded and shouted outside the hall: "He Hui, come in!"

He Hui, who was standing outside the hall, strode over, cupped his fists and said, "Please give me your orders!"

"You take the Governor to the military camp, summon all the commanders, and listen to the Governor's arrangements for everything!"

"I accept my order from my humble position!" He Hui responded in a deep voice.

Chai Rong said to Xiang Xun again: "Please go to the governor first, and I will arrive soon."

When Xiang Xun left with He Hui, Chai Rong slapped the armrest of the chair heavily, and heaved a long sigh: "It seems that my father really wants to abandon me. Zhu Xiu, tell me, what should we do with the current situation?"

Zhu Xiu poured him tea and said carefully, "Brother, don't worry, things are not as bad as you think."

Chai Rong was worried: "Tell me, could it be that letter that angered my father? My father has a strong temper, how could he tolerate his provocation?"

Zhu Xiu thought for a while, shook his head and said: "Probably not. The brother did not complain in the letter, he just expressed his desire to marry his father. From any point of view, this is a relationship between a son and his father. Normal communication.

Even if we do intend to test the officials through this, and the officials see through our intentions, they will not be angry because of this, otherwise they will let Xiang Xun directly pass the decree and veto the marriage.

As it is now, with vague words and no clear answer, I guess the officials are still considering it."

Chai Rong cheered up and said hopefully: "You mean, my father is testing me?"

"It is indeed possible!" Zhu Xiu was convinced, "The official family is testing my brother's loyalty and obedience as a son and minister, and it is also testing my brother's judgment and patience in the current situation!
So what brother has to do now is to stay calm, calm, and calm! "

Chai Rong was silent for a moment and took a deep breath: "I understand!"

Zhu Xiu smiled confidently, which made Chai Rong feel more at ease.

Regarding the overall situation judgment, Chai Rong believes that no one in the world can do it better than Zhu Xiu.

He trusted Zhu Xiu unswervingly, just like when he was in Cangzhou, Zhu Xiu told him that the Khitan Emperor Yelu Deguang would die of a sudden illness and that he should stick to Cangzhou instead of going to Zhenzhou according to the imperial edict.

At that time, he chose to believe Zhu Xiu with a gambling mentality. Later, it was proved that Zhu Xiu's judgment was completely correct.

Zhu Xiu secretly glanced at Chai Rong, seeing that his mood had stabilized, she was secretly relieved.

He knew that Chai Rong couldn't understand why Guo Wei transferred Li Chongjin to participate in the Yanzhou war.

In fact, he couldn't figure it out himself.

The task of suppressing the Huai army is to intensify the training of the navy and guard against the Tang army in Huainan, which has nothing to do with Yanzhou Baganzi.

Guo Wei would rather recruit Li Chongjin to join the war than let Chai Rong, who was near Chanzhou, lead the army.

Li Chongjin is the nephew and Chai Rong is the adopted son. No one can accept this change.

According to the historical trajectory that Zhu Xiu is familiar with, Li Chongjin did not participate in the crusade against Murong Yanchao at all.But now, the battle in Yanzhou is not only several months earlier than the original history, but even Li Chongjin, who was originally irrelevant, has been involved.

It can only show that the rut of history really turned to an unknown direction inadvertently.

Outside the hall, Hu Guangyue came with a person. It was Chen An who had come from Kaifeng.

"The little man pays his respects to the Duke of Taiyuan, and pays his respects to the Marquis!"

Chen An bowed in greeting.

"Why are you here?" Zhu Xiu looked at him in surprise.

Chen An flashed his words and said authentically: "The villain has something important to report. It's about Tao Wenju."

At the mention of this name, Zhu Xiu became angry.

Only when I came to Chanzhou did I know that Tao Wenju had been expelled by Chai Rong.

If it weren't for his face and Chai Rong's harshness in running the army, Tao Wenju would have been beheaded in public.

Zhu Xiu never expected that Tao Wenju would dare to engage in corruption and bribery in the Chanzhou army.

Furthermore, he also lost his face.

After all, Tao Wenju was brought out of Zhangyi Army by himself.

"Where is this bitch now?" Zhu Xiu asked angrily.

Chai Rong stood up and said, "Let's talk. I'll go to the military camp and have a look. There will be a banquet in the evening to welcome Xiang Xun."

After taking two steps, Chai Rong turned around and said, "Tao Wenju is a very capable person, but unfortunately he has a bad intention. You should not use him again in the future."

"What my brother taught me is that I made an oversight in my employment." Zhu Xiu quickly admitted his mistake.

When Chai Rong led people out of the house, Chen Ancai whispered: "Master Hou, the Zangfeng Camp found out that Tao Wenju seems to have taken refuge with Wang Jun, and not long ago, he quietly went south and disappeared in the Qingliu Pass area. Time It happened to be when the Marquis escaped from Jiangning."

"Huh?" Zhu Xiu frowned, "What do you mean?"

Chen Andao: "The Marquis previously sent an order to Commander Ma to ask the Zangfeng Battalion to find out if someone had passed the Kaifeng news to Jiangning. The brothers followed the clues and found out that the matter might be related to Wang Jun and Tao Wenju.

But the specifics are not known yet.The Wude Division's inspectors are still investigating this matter, and perhaps they know more clearly. "

Zhu Xiu said in a deep voice: "Are you saying that Wang Jun sent people to Jiangning to spread the news about what happened in the Kaifeng court, deliberately letting the kings and ministers of the Tang Dynasty know about it?"

"Commander Ma has this suspicion, but it has not been verified yet." Chen An reported honestly.

"If it was really Wang Jun who did it, then the person he sent to the south to deliver the news was Tao Wenju?!" Zhu Xiuhao stood up with a stern look in his eyes.

Hu Guangyue said: "It's better to ask the envoy of King Wu Desi, maybe they already have the evidence."

Zhu Xiu was pacing with his hands behind his hands, his expression a bit ferocious because he was too angry.

Tao Wenju dared to betray him and even wanted to help Wang Jun kill him. This was something Zhu Xiu had not expected before.

But if you think about it carefully, Tao Wenju did have this motive.

He took refuge in Wang Jun, and of course the person he least wanted to see was himself.

It would be in his best interest to find a way to stay in the south permanently.

Zhu Xiu said with a gloomy face, "Hurry back to Kaifeng and order Ma Qing to inquire closely about Tao Wenzhi's whereabouts. Don't disturb him. I will discuss this matter when I return to Kaifeng."

Chen An hurriedly clasped his fists and said, "My subordinates take orders!"

~~~
In mid-October, the war in Yanzhou officially started, but the situation was not optimistic.

Murong Yanchao and his gang of rebels fought tooth and nail and unexpectedly went out of the city for a sneak attack, disrupting Cao Ying's plan.

Murong Yanchao first killed three generals of the Zhou army at the foot of Yanzhou City. The morale of the rebels was strong. Then he attacked fiercely at the Wenshui River while the Tianping army was crossing the river. Huaiyang King Fu Yanqing was also injured in this battle and was rushed to the hospital. Return to Yunzhou.

The Tianping army retreated to the north bank of the Wenshui River, and Fu Zhaoxin, Fu Yanqing's eldest son and Duke of Wuyang County, temporarily took over the post of military envoy.

The war was stalemate until the end of November. Li Chongjin led the army to suppress Huai and stationed in Yizhou. He led his army to attack Laiwu without anyone noticing. Murong Yanchao stationed troops and grain in Laiwu, and Yanzhou was a corner of each other. Li Chongjin broke through Laiwu, turning Yanzhou into an isolated city. .

The greatest military exploit since the beginning of the war was actually carried out by Li Chongjin, who was transferred from Suzhou. The frontal troops commanded by Cao Ying were completely disgraced.

Yanzhou City was surrounded by heavy troops, but it was a pity that it could not be breached until the end of the year.

Murong Yanchao hijacked the entire city's soldiers and civilians to defend the city for him. The rebels knew they would die and were determined to defend the city until death.

Guo Wei was so angry that at the Yuan Dynasty meeting, he announced a personal expedition to Yanzhou despite the obstruction of all ministers.

At the end of the first lunar month, Guo Wei led his army to Yanzhou City regardless of the cold winter weather.

The Zhou army launched several rounds of strong attacks. Guo Wei, wearing golden armor, personally supervised the battle. The soldiers of the three armies fought hard for five days and finally broke through the city at noon on the last day.

The first to climb to the top of the city was the warrior of the Zhenhuai Army led by Li Chongjin.

After Guo Wei entered the city, he took off his robe and tied it with his own hands to show his praise and reward.

Three days later, he ordered Murong Yanchao to be beheaded and the three tribes to be wiped out.

Just when everyone thought that Guo Wei would go on a killing spree in Yanzhou City, Guo Wei unexpectedly issued a notice to calm the people, making it clear that he would not anger the people and would only hold the traitorous subordinates around Murong Yanchao accountable.

He also exempted Yanzhou from this year's summer and autumn taxes, returned all materials confiscated by the rebels to the people, and ordered the officers and soldiers to cut down trees, carry bricks and stones, repair the city, and help the people repair their houses.

The people of Yanzhou rejoiced and praised the emperor's kindness everywhere.

In mid-February, the Imperial Guard returned to the court.

The straight-line distance between Yanzhou and Chanzhou was only five hundred miles, and the journey was only ten days. The war was going on in a lively manner, but Chanzhou was deserted.

Except for the [-] infantry soldiers that Xiang Xun took away, Chanzhou had little to do with the war in Yanzhou.

Zhu Xiu and Chai Rong could only wait for the military report every day, analyze the situation, deduce the battle on the sand table, and live their addiction.

Whenever he heard how Li Chongjin bravely defeated the enemy and made new achievements, Chai Rong would stand outside the hall with great melancholy, looking towards Yanzhou in the distance and sighing.

Zhu Xiu was helpless about this.

In this war, Uncle Guo was determined to play with Li Chongjin, but what could he do if he didn't play with Chai Rong.

They can only stay in Chanzhou to eat.

However, Li Chongjin's performance also surprised Zhu Xiu. After more than half a year of training in Suzhou, the black guy looked like he was completely transformed.

Compared to Chai Rong, Li Chongjin is more like a born martial artist, and he is like a fish in water when he enters the battlefield.

Zhu Xiu couldn't help feeling that things in the world were unpredictable again. After all, before coming to Chanzhou, he didn't expect that he would stay there for more than half a year.

It is now the second year of Guangshun in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and spring is about to begin, but their return to Kaifeng is still far away.
　Tao Wenju is not a fabrication. Historically, he was a cruel official during Chai Rong's reign.

　　I forgot where I saw his information before and can't find it.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)