The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 463 Zhao Er saves the beauty
Zhou Xian walked out of the back door of the Hou Mansion and came to Yulin Alley. Halfway through, he passed through a side alley in the south and arrived near Qingxuan City by the Bianhe River.

There is a small wharf here that can berth several merchant ships. When the Bianhe River water transportation is busy, passing ships often dock here. The boatmen carry some trafficked goods ashore and sell them under the willow trees beside the Bianhe River.

Usually it is relatively quiet here, and only some villagers who sell dry firewood and charcoal will set up stalls here.

Not far away, there is a stone bridge across the river, and pedestrians walk across the bridge in twos and threes.

Zhou Xian became more and more familiar with the markets near the Marquis Mansion, and the scope of his activities even expanded to Jingdezhen City, two miles to the southeast. It was a vast commercial market that brought together merchants from all over the world, and was said to be as good as Jingzhao Chang'an. There are two cities in the east and west, as well as Fengdu and Datong in Luoyang, the western capital.

But Zhou Xian didn't want to go to Jingdezhen today. It was too noisy there. She just wanted to walk along the Liudi River by the Bian River to relax.

There was no one around, Zhou Xian took off his veiled hat, revealing his plain face but hard to hide his beautiful face, it's just that there was a little haggard look on that beautiful face.

She took the curtain hat in hand and walked along the willow embankment.

The autumn afternoon wind blew by, and his black hair was fluttering. Zhou Xian looked across the river and to the south, with a pair of almond-shaped eyes filled with longing.

She misses her old father at home and Jiangning City where she grew up.

But relying on herself alone, Zhou Xian knew that she wouldn't even be able to leave Kaifeng City.

Not to mention the thousands of miles away, how could a fragile woman like her go back?

Even if I go back, what will happen?

Given the character of Prince Li Hong, who is determined to retaliate, as long as she shows up, the Zhou family will never have peace from now on.

Her father, Zhou Zong, was old and the Zhou family was declining day by day. No one could protect her.

Whether it was the Tang Dynasty or the Great Zhou Dynasty, to her, it was a vast world without borders, full of unknown dangers.

The world that belongs to her may only be a small space under the protection of her old father's wings.

Zhou Xian's eyes were filled with tears, and he held his heart and murmured: "Dad, Zhu Xiu is engaged. He cheated on me after all. What should I do? Daddy, I miss you so much."

A surge of bitterness surged into his heart, and Zhou Xian covered his face and sobbed.

"Yo~ Which lady is this? Why are you crying here?"

A gruff voice sounded from behind, and Zhou Xian turned around in a hurry, only to see a few green-skinned hooligans surrounding him at some point.

When several gangsters saw Zhou Xian's true appearance, their eyes immediately went straight.

"Mom, could it be that my eyesight is dazzled? Why did I see a fairy descending to earth?"

"The little lady is even more beautiful than the courtesan in Yanliu Lane!"

"Come here and let me pamper you!~"

The gangsters were whistling, each with lustful eyes, and they gathered around with malicious intent.

Zhou Xian backed away in fear. He hurriedly remembered that he didn't wear a curtain hat, and was about to cry without tears.

Not far behind was the deep Bianhe River, and she had no way out.

She dared to scold harshly, her voice trembling: "Bold! I am a female member of the Marquis Dingyuan's residence! Don't be so presumptuous!"

"Marquis Dingyuan!?"

The gangsters were stunned and looked at each other, obviously knowing this name.

Hesitation flashed across the faces of the gangsters, and they looked at one of them, a fierce-looking man with blond hair.

The man hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth and smiled grimly: "It doesn't matter which family you are, wait until you sleep with the brothers one by one, kill them with a knife, wrap them in hemp rope and sink them into the Bian River, the devil will know who you are!"

Zhou Xian's face turned pale, his whole body was trembling, and he stepped back step by step.

Kaifeng is prosperous, but there are also many dangers behind the scenes.

The same goes for Jiangning City, which is why Zhou Zong is worried about her going out alone.

Zhou Xian regretted secretly leaving the house without saying hello to Ma Qing, the chief steward of the Hou Mansion.

Just when she was desperate and wanted to turn around and throw herself into the Bian River to die, a fast horse galloped over from the stone bridge.

"Bold evil thief! How dare you bully a woman in broad daylight? First ask me if I agree with the sword in my hand!"

On horseback, a handsome young man about the same age as Zhou Xian shouted angrily.

The gangsters were furious. The man with the disheveled hair waved his hand, and seven or eight people rushed towards him, trying to trip the horses down with hemp ropes.

The young man stepped back from the Mayan kick, jumped into the air and landed on the ground with an extremely gorgeous posture. He pulled out the sharp sword with a "choking" sound, roared and jumped into the crowd, fighting with the gangsters.

Zhou Xian watched nervously.

Shaolang's martial arts seemed to be quite strong, and he could beat the gangsters to pieces with three punches and two kicks.

"Boy, if you dare, tell me your name, and grandpas will find their place again someday!" The man with the hair was punched in the eye socket, and he covered his eyes with a grim look.

The young master pointed his long sword at an angle and said with a look of disbelief: "My young master lives on the inner street of Chongmingmen. He is the son of General Zhao, the commander of the left wing of the Long Jie Army. He ranks second in the family, and he is also Zhao Kuangyi!"

"Zhao Kuangyi, right? I remember you! Let's go!~"

"Ouch ouch~ let's go~"

The gangsters supported each other and fled.

"A bunch of trash!"

Zhao Kuangyi sheathed his sword and walked quickly towards Zhou Xian.

"My wife is frightened! Don't be afraid, they are a group of hooligans who have been hanging around Qingxuan City all year round. They have been beaten away by me!"

Zhao Kuangyi didn't get too close, with a warm and gentle smile on his face, he cupped his hands and said.

Zhou Xian came back to his senses, tears welled up in his eyes, he turned his back and wiped the tears, and then said gratefully: "Thank you, Mr. Zhao, for your generous action! Zhou Xian is grateful!"

"It's a trivial matter, don't take it to heart, Madam! Your maiden name is Zhou Xian? A good name, worthy of Madam Zhou's peerless beauty!"

Zhao Kuangyi couldn't help but praise him, his eyes could not hide his eager admiration.

Zhou Xian was extremely familiar with similar looks. He smiled wryly as if to himself, picked up his hat, dusted it off and put it on again.

Covered by gauze, Zhao Kuangyi was stunned to see her beautiful face appearing like a shadow.

Zhou Xian thought for a while, took off the purse at his waist, and said softly: "There are some pieces of silver here, please take it from Mr. Zhao Lang."

Zhao Kuangyi laughed dumbly: "Mrs. Zhou, do you think I am someone who is short of money?"

Zhou Xian's face turned red and he said hurriedly: "Mr. Zhao, don't blame me. I don't have any other intentions. I just want to express my gratitude."

Zhao Kuangyi smiled and said: "If Mrs. Zhou wants to thank me, why not go to Cuifengzhai in Jingdezhen tomorrow at noon and I will invite you to taste tea. The Cuifeng green leaves there are the best in Kaifeng!"

"This" Zhou Xian hesitated.

Zhao Kuangyi pretended to be relaxed and said: "Just make friends. If Madam Zhou has other things to do, forget it."

Zhou Xian hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly: "Mr. Zhao is so kind, I dare not refuse! I will be here on time tomorrow."

"Okay! It's a deal!" Zhao Kuangyi suppressed his excitement, "Where does Madam Zhou live? Will I pick you up at my house soon?"

"No, no need, I live nearby, not far from Jingdezhen." Zhou Xian said hurriedly.

Zhao Kuangyi smiled and said nothing more.

"Well, I'll take my leave and see you on time tomorrow!" Zhao Kuangyi cupped his hands, got on his horse and rode away gracefully.Zhou Xian watched him go away and silently recited the words Zhao Kuangyi in his heart.

There was no one around, so Zhou Xian didn't dare to stay for a long time and returned to the Marquis Mansion via the same route.

After Zhou Xian left for a while, Zhao Kuangyi rode back from Shiqiao again.

The few gangsters who had just escaped walked out of the alley again, and a man walked swaggering behind them. They were a fat and muscular young man in well-dressed clothes, none other than Han Lingjun.

"You two yamenei, please give me money!"

The man with disheveled hair covered his eyes and said hehey.

Han Lingjun took out a money bag from his arms and threw it to him.

The hairy man weighed it up, shook his head and said, "It's not enough, I have to add some more."

Han Lingjun said angrily: "We agreed on fifty taels of silver in advance. There are more than five taels of silver here. Why is it not enough?"

The man with disheveled hair pointed at his eyes and said, "It was agreed to be just acting, but I didn't expect this young man to be serious. How can I and a few brothers be beaten for nothing? Of course I have to pay more!"

"Yes! More money! Damn it! This kid kicked me just now, and now his butt still hurts!"

"Add money!"

“You’re not allowed to leave without paying!”

The gangsters surrounded the two men with grins.

Zhao Kuangyi clenched the handle of the knife, feeling a little nervous. He did not have the heroic spirit when he leaped on the horse with the sword at all.

His martial arts skills are average. In a real fight, even with the sharpness of his sword, he will not be the opponent of these gangsters who have been fighting each other all year round.

On the contrary, Han Lingjun was more stubborn. He clenched his fists and said angrily: "I've rebelled against you! Do you know who you are? My brother Han Lingkun is an official of the Imperial Cavalry and Casual Soldiers Du Yuhou, the first military commander of the Kanghe Right Army, and the leader The governor of the state! His eldest brother Zhao Kuangyin, who has been appointed as the chief minister of the Inner Palace, is a general in the imperial army. You are so blind that you dare to accuse me?"

The man with disheveled hair was not afraid, and said with a cruel smile: "Don't scare me, little Yameni. If we bastards are afraid of this, we won't dare to commit murder and swindle goods!"

There are hundreds of thousands of people in the city of Kaifeng. If something happens to you, our brothers will hide in no corner. I don’t believe that you two can turn Kaifeng upside down! "

Han Lingjun's fat face huffed and huddled together, but he was speechless.

The man with disheveled hair patted Zhao Kuangyi on the shoulder: "This Zhao Xiaoyanei, did you not get enough of the hero's trick of saving the beauty just now?
Hehe, let me tell you, these guys have performed similar tricks several times and paid me happily. I will never come to you in the future. Anyway, we are not the same people.

If you dare to bully our brothers on the basis that your family is an official, they will start a fight, and at worst, you will lose your life!

In this doggy world, no one is afraid of getting their lives on their hands! "

Zhao Kuangyi gritted his teeth and said, "How much more do you want?"

The man with the disheveled hair picked his nose and said hey, "It's not much, just add another two hundred cents!"

Han Lingjun's fat face trembled slightly: "A few bruises, the money for herbal medicine does not exceed [-] yuan, how dare you ask for so much."

The man with disheveled hair shook his head: "That's not how the accounts are settled! That little beauty claims to be a female member of the Marquis Dingyuan's residence. You didn't say this before!"

Dingyuan Marquis Zhu Xiuna is a well-known figure in Kaifeng City. He is surrounded by a group of Hexi soldiers. Who dares to offend him?

If things are revealed, our brothers will have to flee the city!

Calculated in this way, adding two hundred yuan is not much, right? "

Han Lingjun said angrily: "But I don't have that much money!"

Zhao Kuangyi hesitated for a while, then took out a jade pendant of good quality from his waist: "This is worth nearly three hundred coins, take it!"

The man with disheveled hair took it, took a closer look, sniffed it again, and said suspiciously: "Seriously? Zhao Yanei, please don't lie to us! If this thing is not valuable, I promise to let Mr. Zhu know tomorrow that you two are playing tricks." , intending to misbehave with the female family members of his family!"

Han Lingjun was angry and scared, and his whole body trembled.

Zhao Kuangyi's face turned red and he shouted angrily: "This was a gift from my father on my birthday last year. How can it be fake?"

"Hehe~ You can't say for sure!"

The man with disheveled hair weighed it, put it in his arms, and glanced at him sideways, with eyes full of contempt.

Zhao Kuangyi felt the deep insult in his eyes and wanted to pull out his knife and hack this guy to death.

"You two, please stay here! Take your leave!"

The man with disheveled hair waved his hand and led a group of gangsters away in a swaggering manner.

Han Lingjun breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the oil and sweat from his forehead, and said angrily: "We did this too hastily. We shouldn't have found these gangsters. It's better now to cause trouble!"

Zhao Kuangyi said bitterly: "I will go to General Li Jixun and ask for his help tomorrow to arrest these bastards in the city!"

Han Lingjun hurriedly shook his head and said, "No! If they are pushed to the limit, if they reveal the matter and let Zhu Xiu know about it, wouldn't they cause big trouble!"

Zhao Kuangyi said angrily: "Zhu Xiu, Zhu Xiu, what is there to be afraid of?"

Han Lingjun scratched his head and said: "Anyway, my brother said that this person is unusual and we can only make friends, not enemies!"

Zhao Kuangyi sneered and said: "I don't believe it! A country man from Haozhou went to Tanzhou to learn a few tricks of the rivers and lakes, and he gained his current status by cheating and clinging to power.

Madam Zhou is unmarried and has nothing to do with him. How can I not get close to her? "

"Alas~" Han Lingjun slapped his forehead in annoyance, "Forget it, just treat it like spending money to buy a lesson. It's better not to make this matter public!"

Zhao Kuangyi snorted and said nothing more.

The most important purpose today is to get to know Madam Zhou, and according to his observation, Madam Zhou has a good impression of him.

Thinking of this, Zhao Kuangyi's heart became hot and he was looking forward to their tryst at Cuifengzhai tomorrow.

~~~
Not long after Zhao Kuangyi and Han Ling left, two figures jumped from a weeping willow on the embankment not far away.

The two men were very skilled, with stable lower body, short knives hanging from their waists, wearing dark blue robes, and sharp eyes, like those who had been trained in the military.

"Mom, what the hell is going on? I'm so confused!" One of them patted his forehead.

Another person sneered: "Don't you understand? Those two reckless boys, look at Madam Zhou, she hired a gang of gangsters to put on a good show of a hero saving a beauty, and took the opportunity to get close to the beauty!"

"What happened next?"

"Later, we couldn't agree on the price, and the gangsters extorted money. The two officials' sons with no experience in the world had no choice but to bite the bullet and pay."

"Oh~ So that's what happened! It's so damn boring! I was still hoping that those gangsters would really dare to attack Madam Zhou, and we would rush down and have a good fight, and we would make a great contribution to saving Madam Zhou. When the Marquis was happy, We brothers will be settled for the rest of our lives!"

The other person shook his head and smacked his lips, feeling that it was a pity that he had missed an opportunity to make great achievements.

There are many talented people in the Zangfeng camp. If you want to win the favor of the Marquis, you must risk your life.

It was easy to protect the female family members as a hidden stake, but it was too boring, and there were few opportunities for meritorious service. The two of them had long been planning to find an opportunity to be transferred away.

But no one dared to talk to Commander Ma.

Don't look at Ma Qing who is obsequious and like a turtle in front of Zhu Xiu, but in Zangfengying, he is the indisputable Nine Finger Hades.

The brothers in Zangfeng camp were more afraid of Ma Qing than Zhu Xiu.

"The boy named Zhao is very brave, and he dares to touch the Marquis' woman!"

"Forget it, go back first and report to the commander-in-chief!"

(End of this chapter)