The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 464 Pulling Relationships, Worshiping the Wharf

A house in Dongertiao Tianshui Lane, across the wall from the Hou Mansion, was also bought by Zhu Xiu. It was falsely claimed to be the house of a big merchant in Guanzhong, but in fact it was the headquarters of the Zangfeng Battalion in Kaifeng City.

There was something going on in the Hou Mansion, and the men from the Zangfeng Camp arrived in an instant.

Ma Qing was looking through the recently compiled intelligence, and two secret agents sent to protect Zhou Xian came to report.

After listening, Ma Qing frowned deeply and stroked his bald head covered with horrific scars. There was a lock of yellow hair on the top of his head and on his temples, which looked very funny.

Two hidden stakes knelt on one knee in front of him, holding their fists and lowering their heads, with serious expressions.

"Zhao Kuangyi? Are you two sure you heard correctly?" Ma Qing asked.

One person hurriedly replied: "That boy was afraid that Mrs. Zhou wouldn't hear his name, so he shouted so loudly!"

"That group of green-skinned gangsters also called him Zhao Yanei, and I can guarantee that I will never hear him wrong!" Another person also spoke.

Ma Qing laughed strangely a few times and muttered: "I don't know whether to live or die."

"Let's go, follow me to see the Marquis!"

Ma Qing stood up and walked forward with his hands behind his back. His waist was a little stooped and his legs and feet were limping. Two hidden stakes followed behind him, not daring to go beyond them. He entered the Hou Mansion directly through a secret door.

In the front hall, Zhu Xiu was receiving a visiting guest, An Shouzhong, son of Nanyang Wang An Shenqi.

An Shouzhong was 20 years old and served as the detention officer of the North Court of Xuanhui. He had a leisurely and lucrative job.

If Zhu Xiu continues to serve as the Tongzhi of Xuanhui North Academy and deputy inspector of the school, he will happen to be his immediate superior.

The two had no friendship before, and Zhu Xiu was surprised by An Shouzhong's sudden visit.

After drinking half a cup of tea and exchanging innocuous greetings, Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Brother An's visit today should not just be to ask for tea from me. If you have anything to do, just ask me."

An Shouzhong said with a smile: "Master Zhu was so happy that I told him directly. In fact, I came here this time to ask Master Zhu to add his name to the transfer list submitted to the Ministry of Personnel. I want to serve as Firearms Supervisor." .”

"Oh?"

Zhu Xiu was slightly surprised, "Brother An is leisurely and noble in the North Courtyard of Xuanhui. Why do you want to come to the Firearms Supervision Bureau? It should be noted that the Firearms Supervision Bureau has just been established and has complicated affairs. It is also highly expected by the officials and the court. It is a thankless job to take on the important task of firearms development and production." Yamen."

An Shou said sincerely: "I am not talented, but I also want to do some practical things for the government and the court. Besides, I have always been interested in firearms and have done some research. I will never be an idle person who just eats idle food to mix up his seniority, let alone Drag down Lord Zhu.

As a prisoner, Lord Zhu Hou, if someone does something wrong in the future, he can just scold him without any scruples! "

Zhu Xiu said hurriedly: "Brother An misunderstood, I definitely didn't mean it this way!"

An Shou Zhongding thought that Zhu Xiu was afraid that he did not understand firearms, but wanted to join the firearms supervision department to gain qualifications and have a chance to be taken seriously by officials.

She was even more afraid that he would get into the firearms prison and make shady decisions, and not take Zhu Xiu seriously.

If he really thought so, An Shouzhong underestimated Zhu Xiu.

Firearms supervision is related to the military reform of the Great Zhou Dynasty and is the top priority of the country's military administration.

Guo Wei had already told him that the Firearms Supervisor was not allowed to keep an idle person, let alone anyone to intervene at will. Zhu Xiu could report to him at any time if anything happened.

Although An Shenqi, the father of An Shouzhong, was one of the only kings with different surnames in the Zhou Dynasty, Zhu Xiu would not have any scruples about him.

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "I sincerely consider Brother An. Not only is the workload of the Firearms Supervision Bureau very heavy, but it is also dangerous. The smell of the workshop that develops firearms is not good, and the office environment is not comparable to that of Xuanhui North Campus. Brother An really wants to come here." , but you have to think clearly.”

An Shouzhong smiled and said: "Master Zhu is worried that I won't be able to endure the hardship? I have followed my father on the battlefield since he was 12 years old. He has been in the military camp for many years. His martial arts skills are mediocre, but his ability to endure hardship and stand hard work has been honed.

No matter how bad the conditions of firearms supervision are, it will never be worse than marching in the wild. "

Zhu Xiu spread her hands and said, "That's possible."

"Hahaha~" The two looked at each other and smiled.

An Shouzhong said solemnly: "Anyway, Mr. Zhu, please rest assured. I came to the Firearms Supervisor with the intention of learning and seeking advice and serving the officials and the court. I will obey Zhu Jianzheng's command in everything and do whatever I want!"

Zhu Xiu thought for a while and said: "In that case, I will ask the official department to ask Brother An to serve as a young supervisor in my firearms supervisor and be responsible for firearms affairs with me!"

An Shouzhong was overjoyed and hurriedly stood up and saluted: "Thank you Lord Zhu for your appreciation!"

"Brother An, you're welcome, please sit down quickly!"

An Shouzhong has a good reputation in history, and he is by no means an ignorant and incompetent playboy.

Since he wanted to serve as Firearms Supervisor, he might as well grant him a favor, since Zhu Xiu was short of a few capable deputies anyway.

"I wonder how Mr. An is doing these days?" Zhu Xiu said.

An Shouzhong smiled and said: "A few days ago, my father sent a letter home, saying that he was living comfortably in Jingzhou and did not feel the hardship of guarding the frontier at all.

Lord Zhu and General Shi Kuangwei were in Jingzhou and had done all the big and small things. My father went to pick them up, so there was no need to worry at all.

The people's livelihood, the military and the government in Yuanzhou, Jingzhou are thriving. My father has led the army for many years and has guarded many feudal towns, but he has never been so relaxed. "

"Haha, the Zhangyi Army still has many shortcomings, and the old prince must improve them." Zhu Xiu said politely.

An Shouzhong said seriously: "I went to Jingzhou in March, but I saw that things were prosperous and people lived and worked in peace and contentment.

The town office under the prefecture and county government actually managed the countryside directly. The Yangjinchuan Salt Supervision, Yuanzhou Racecourse, Kongtong Mountain quarry workshop, iron casting workshop and other government-run workshops were an eye-opener for me.

I heard that this series of reforms and layout were all handled by Mr. Zhu Hou. I deeply admire him!
If all the prefectures and counties in the Zhou Dynasty could be managed like Jingzhou and Anding counties, why worry about the country failing to prosper and the prosperous age not coming? "

Complacent in his heart, Zhu Xiu said modestly: "Brother An is too famous, and my younger brother is only doing some practical things for the people. The key is that the Holy Son of Heaven is in court, and his blessings are endless!"

An Shouzhong smiled and nodded.

Today's official family is indeed a rare British master, but the vigor and vitality displayed by Jingzhou is not possessed by other states and counties in the Zhou Dynasty, not even Kaifeng.

When he went to Jingzhou, An Shouzhong felt refreshed everywhere. The vitality and vitality shown by the people of Jingzhou shocked him to his heart.

The changes that Zhu Xiu brought to Jingzhou are absolutely earth-shaking!
His father, An Shenqi, bluntly stated in a letter home that Zhu Xiu was a great talent in governing the world, and An Shouzhong believed in it.

Speaking of Jingzhou, Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "With all due respect to Meng Lang, if the old prince wants to continue the military and political affairs of the Zhangyi Army, I have a few talents here that I can recommend to the old prince. You might as well hear more about the development of the Jingzhou area. their opinions.”

"Master Zhu, it's okay to say so."

"Song Shen, the judge of Zhangyi Army, Pei Jin, the envoy, Wen Zhongping, the magistrate of Anding County, and Shen Xuemin, the magistrate of Pinggao County, Yuanzhou."

An Shouzhong understood as soon as he heard that these people must be the confidants promoted by Zhu Xiu when he was in Jingzhou, and now they all hold important positions in the Zhangyi Army.

Zhu Xiu's message was to ask An Shouzhong to send a message to An Shenqi to take good care of these people.

After all, An Shenqi is now the governor of the Zhangyi Army and has direct authority over the personnel appointments of his subordinates.

If An Shenqi touches these people, Zhu Xiu's power in Jingzhou will plummet.

An Shouzhong said with a smile: "I heard the names of these people when I was in Jingzhou. They are all contributors to the New Deal in Jingzhou. My father also appreciates them very much. Lord Zhu, please rest assured!"

Zhu Xiu said gratefully: "Thank you, Brother An, for taking care of me. Please also say hello to the old prince for me."

With An Shouzhong's guarantee, Zhu Xiu was much relieved.

An Shenqi is a sensible person and will not touch the confidants he left behind.

Anyway, he won't stay in Jingzhou for the rest of his life. After two or three years, the officials will always call him back to Beijing to retire.

As long as Song Shen, Pei Jin and others are still there, the Zhangyi Army will still be Zhu Xiu's sphere of influence.

After chatting for a while, Zhu Xiu glanced outside the hall and said in a low voice: "Brother An, recently the officials have made frequent transfers to state capitals and military towns in Guanzhong and Hexi. They also transferred General Luo Yangui to serve as the governor of the Jingnan Army in Pizhou. Envoy, veteran general Wang Jing was appointed as the envoy of Fengxiang Army. I am afraid that he has the intention of advancing westward!
Brother An can send a letter to King Nanyang, asking the old prince to prepare his troops and horses and intensify their training. Once the official order comes, the old prince will definitely make new achievements in Hexi with the Zhang Yi Army! "

An Shouzhong was surprised: "Could it be that the officials want to start a war against Meng Shu?"

Zhu Xiu smiled and said: "It's not necessarily fake Shu, it's more likely to be Weizhou, Qinzhou, Wuzhou and other old places in Hexi! These states were seized by the Tubo and Uighurs during the chaos in the Central Plains. It is an important defense area in Hexi Pass and must not be allowed to escape the jurisdiction of the imperial court for a long time.

So I guess the officials want to regain their old land! "

An Shouzhong thought about it and felt that Zhu Xiu's analysis was reasonable. Judging from the recent official deployment of military towns in the northwest of Guanzhong, it is entirely possible that this matter will come true!
"Thank you Lord Zhu for your advice!" An Shouzhong hurriedly thanked him.

Once the war in Hexi begins, An Shenqi will have a strong Zhangyi Army, and he will definitely be the leader the court relies on.

By preparing early, you can avoid many surprises.

"From now on, I and Brother An will be colleagues in the Firearms Supervision Bureau. We might as well get close to each other in private and communicate more about firearms matters."

Zhu Xiu winked at him, and An Shouzhong smiled, thinking that Lord Zhu was really a wonderful man.

After another meeting, Zhu Xiu left him for a light meal and sent him out of the mansion in person.

Just as Ma Qing was about to go see Zhu Xiu, a servant came to report that it was Wu Dachuan, the big boss of Guanghe Trading Company, who had brought his son Wu Jin to see the Marquis.

Wu Jin is the eldest son of Wu Dazhuan and the next head of the Wu family in Jingzhou.

Wu Dachuan brought him to pay homage to the Marquis, with the intention of bringing his descendants to pay homage to the dock.

Ma Qing was waiting on the steps of the front hall when he saw Wu Dachuan and his son walking hurriedly under the leadership of their servants.

From a distance, Ma Qing looked at Wu Jin and frowned unconsciously.

A young man in his 20s, dressed in expensive brocade robes, looking rich and wealthy, probably better dressed than the Marquis.

He had a decent appearance, but he looked around with a frivolous expression as he walked. Ma Qing didn't like him very much.

"Wu pays homage to the third master!"

Seeing Ma Qing, Wu Dazhuan quickened his pace and bowed respectfully.

As Zhu Xiu's old subordinate when he was in Jingzhou, Wu Dazhuan and others still used to call Ma Qing the third master.

"Donzhu Wu doesn't need to be polite." Ma Qing smiled and cupped his hands.

Wu Dazhuan turned to his son and shouted: "Hurry up and pay homage to the third master!"

Wu Jin was frightened at the first sight of Ma Qing. His eyes widened and he blurted out: "Dad! Why does this man look so different from a human being or a ghost?"

Wu Dazhu was so horrified that he turned around and slapped Wu Jin hard with his backhand, causing half of Wu Jin's face to become instantly red and swollen!

Wu Jin covered his face and looked at his father in horror, wondering why he suddenly got angry.

Ma Qing grinned, his dark mouth full of missing teeth.

If a spy from the Zangfeng Camp saw Commander Ma showing such dignity, he would probably be in trembling fear all day long.

Who doesn't know that Commander Ma would study the "Luo Zhi Sutra" when he had nothing to do, and he also learned a set of torture methods for interrogating prisoners from the Wude Division.

Whenever Commander Ma was studying the corpses of executed prisoners with great interest in the underground secret room and gained new insights, he would reveal this terrifying smile that was neither human nor ghost.

Wu Dazhuan dragged his son to his knees and said in panic: "This traitor has been spoiled by villains on weekdays. He talks uncontrollably. Please forgive me, Third Master!"

Wu Jin knelt down unconvinced, covering his face full of grievance and anger, but not daring to show off.

Ma Qing smiled and said: "Dr. Wu, you have been here in Kaifeng City for a long time, and you should know that the most taboo thing in this place is talking nonsense.

I, Ma San, serve the Marquis just like you, so it’s okay for your son to mutter a few words to me.

But when you meet the Marquis later, you must take care of him and don't talk nonsense. Otherwise, even if the Marquis is magnanimous and doesn't care, I, Ma San, will have to have a good talk with you. "

Wu Dazhuan's face turned pale, and his fat body could not stop trembling: "Please don't worry, Third Master!"

When Wu Jin raised his head, he saw Ma Qing staring at him with a half-smile but not a smile. Suddenly, a chill came over him. He mumbled and lowered his head, not daring to say anything more.

"Let's go~"

Ma Qing took his father and son into the front hall.

Zhu Xiu was very polite to Wu Dazhuan. He invited him to sit down and served him refreshments. Wu Jin stood behind him.

Wu Dachuan manages Guanghe Commercial Bank diligently and is Zhu Xiu's most important money bag at present.

As a result, the Wu family became a famous big businessman in Kaifeng City, making a lot of money from Guanghe Shop.

"The main purpose of coming here this time is to bring the dog to meet the Marquis and recognize the door. I plan to leave some of the business of the business to him in the future."

Wu Dazhuan whispered in a low voice, his attitude was extremely humble.

Zhu Xiu took a look at Wu Jin and said casually: "Your Majesty shows his talent. It would be better if you let him take over the business earlier, and you will be able to relax.

However, you are still personally responsible for the supply of raw materials for the Firearms Supervision. This matter is related to the national plan, so you must not be careless! "

"Don't worry, Mr. Hou. I have served Mr. Hou for many years. He knows the importance and will never dare to make any mistakes."

"Ah, very good!"

Zhu Xiu smiled and said, "Guanghe Commercial Bank is now considered an official businessman, and the Wu family also works for the imperial court. My son, I will first become a ninth-grade Wenlin Lang. Once you have a career, you can better contribute to the imperial court!"

Wu Dazhuan was overjoyed and hurriedly pulled his son to prostrate himself: "Master Hou's kindness to the Wu family for rebuilding will be unforgettable!"

After asking about the current situation of the business, Zhu Xiu sent the father and son away.

After leaving the Hou Mansion, Wu Dachuan breathed a long sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his face.

Wu Jin couldn't hold back his excitement: "Dad, I will also have an official status in the future!"

Wu Dazhan glared at him fiercely: "What a joke! You almost caused a big trouble just now!"

Wu Jin muttered: "The man surnamed Ma already looks like a ghost, so what's wrong with that? He's just a servant next to the Marquis, so what are you afraid of?"

Wu Dachuan said angrily: "You know nothing! Mr. Marquis is magnanimous. It doesn't matter if you joke in front of him, but Mr. Ma will never be offended!"

Wu Jin asked suspiciously: "Why?"

Wu Dazhan opened his mouth and cursed: "There are some things I can't tell you yet! In short, you must be respectful when you see Mr. Ma, even more respectful than when you meet your grandfather!"

"My grandfather died a long time ago." Wu Jin muttered. Wu Dachuan raised his hand to slap him, but he gasped and coughed.

"Dad, your health is getting worse and worse, it's better not to get angry easily." Wu Jin patted his back and said with a smile.

Wu Dazhuan held on to the carriage and sighed: "Alas~ You are still too young. I don't trust the Wu family if I leave it to you. You will have to hold on for a few more years."

Wu Jin smiled and said: "If you take a few more concubines, your body and bones will naturally heal."

"Hmph!~ I'm afraid that you will fail and my Wu family will have to go back to Jingzhou to beg for food in the end. I want to have more children."

Wu Jin said with a smile: "But you have been working hard for two years and you still haven't achieved any results. You might as well forget it. After all, my son and your grandson are almost two years old."

"Alas~" Wu Dazhuan looked up to the sky and sighed, deeply regretting that he could not have a son in his old age.

"I'll tell you a secret. As long as you can do it, it won't be a problem for the Wu family to stay rich forever!"

"Oh? There is such a secret, Dad, please tell me!"

"I will be loyal to the Marquis forever, and I will never have a second heart!"

(End of this chapter)