The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 506 Chai Rong summons
In the dead of night, the sound of banging was heard outside the house.

Zhu Xiu took off his clothes and prepared to go to bed.

Today the Holy Emperor arrived in Huazhou, but the officials never showed up. Chai Rong took care of all matters. He only said that the officials were ill and could not meet with the ministers.

Huazhou Jiedu Mansion was temporarily set up as the emperor's palace. A huge sedan chair was carried into the mansion, with curtains covering all sides. Only the sound of coughing could be heard from inside, but there was no official figure at all.

Bai Chongzan led the officials of the state government to bow down and greet him. They all thought that the official's family was in that sedan chair.

Zhu Xiu felt something was wrong.

According to Chai Rong's external statement, the official's illness was just a minor illness. Even if he was bedridden, he would still have the strength to meet the Huazhou officials.

Others may not see him, but Bai Chongzan, the governor of Huazhou Jiedu, is an old acquaintance of the official family. Logically, he should be invited to the bedside to meet him.

But Chai Rong only comforted him with kind words and did not let Bai Chongzan come to see him.

Fortunately, Bai Chongzan was a typical martial artist. He was brave but lacked decisiveness, and he didn't understand the thoughts of the Tian family. Now that he saw Chai Rong, he didn't think much about it and An An An and his family moved to the military camp for the time being. Stay for two days.

Throughout the day, Chai Rong was busy dealing with local officials and generals, and Zhu Xiu couldn't even find a chance to say a few words to him alone.

At the banquet, in full view of everyone, Zhu Xiu couldn't ask anything. He could only follow the Huazhou officials to toast step by step and say some flattering words.

At the end of the banquet, Chai Rong just said he was tired and left early, and the banquet broke up after a while.

Zhu Xiu returned to the front office room of Jiedu Mansion. Anyway, no one informed him to leave the house and find another place to live, so he could continue to live in peace of mind.

Chai Rong was talking and laughing happily, and there was nothing unusual on the surface, but based on Zhu Xiu's understanding of him, he could still feel that he had a heavy heart, and there was worry hidden between his brows.

After not seeing each other for several months, Chai Rongqing has lost a lot of weight, his beard is thicker under his chin, and there are a lot more wrinkles on his face.

The way he moves his hands and feet, there is a bit more majesty that makes people surrender.

Zhu Xiu was in a state of confusion and was going to put out the candles and go to bed, and then go to see Chai Rong early tomorrow morning.

Just as he was about to lie down, there was a rush of footsteps outside the house, and a deep voice said: "Master Zhu Hou, the King of Jin wants to see you, please come with me quickly!"

Zhu Xiu was startled, stood up quickly, put on her cloak and went to open the door.

This voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember who it was.

When she opened the door, Zhu Xiu was stunned. Standing outside the door was He Hui.

He Hui still had the same fierce look on his face. When he saw Zhu Xiu, he forced out a smile, cupped his fists and said, "Please Lord Zhu, come with me to see King Jin!"

Zhu Xiu cupped his hands and said, "General, please go there in person!"

He Hui said a few polite words and turned around to lead the way. Zhu Xiu closed the door and followed behind him.

Walking in the dimly lit corridor, twisting and turning towards the back office, there were more and more palace guards along the way, surrounding the entire back office airtight.

There was nothing to say all the way, and Zhu Xiu didn't feel like she had anything to say to He Hui.

Suddenly, He Hui turned his head and said with a low smile: "Please don't take it to heart, Mr. Zhu, for some old things from the past. From now on, He is willing to live in harmony with Mr. Zhu, and jointly assist the King of Jin."

Zhu Xiu glanced at him and said with a smile: "They are all trivial matters. If General He had not mentioned them, I would have forgotten them long ago. You and I are ministers of the same court, and we should live in peace and work together to protect the King of Jin and his assistants." Court."

He Hui stared at him for a few more times, nodded and said, "That's exactly what I mean! This is also what King Jin wants. He doesn't want us to be at odds with each other anymore."

Zhu Xiu smiled slightly: "General He is now the deputy commander of the Infantry Guards. He will have a bright future in the future. I hope that I will give you a lot of support!"

There was a hint of envy in Zhu Xiu's tone, which made He Hui startled, and then he laughed unconsciously, unable to hide his proud look.

He had always envied Zhu Xiu for being admired and trusted by Chai Rong and favored by officials. He held important positions at a young age and even became Fu's son-in-law.

Unexpectedly, things would turn around. After the battle of Yedu to pacify Wang Yin, He Hui became a general of the Forbidden Army. His official position and power stabilized Zhu Xiu's head. Now it was this boy's turn to please himself.

"Master Zhu is joking. With your weight in the mind of the King of Jin, it will only be a matter of time for the third prince to become the auxiliary. Why is there any need for He to support you?"

He Huiqian laughed twice, clasped his fists and continued to lead the way.

Zhu Xiu smiled and said no more.

Look at the way this guy is wary of him. How can he have the magnanimity and magnanimity of a half-dozen Forbidden Army general?
Zhu Xiu was despised in his heart. It was true that dog meat could not be put on the table. This guy still retained the local warlord's mountain-top ideology in his bones and had no sense of the overall situation of the country at all.

In his understanding, loyalty to the emperor and the court was only a way to seize power, just to strengthen the power in his hands.

Such people do not have much sense of identity with the country, and their thoughts are still at the level of warlords in feudal towns.

Zhu Xiu's eyes moved down and landed on He Hui's left hand.

The hand was missing the little finger.

He still clearly remembers how He Hui cut off his little finger in front of Chai Rong and himself to show his loyalty and innocence.

It can be said that his severed finger has something to do with Zhu Xiu. Based on this, Zhu Xiu will never believe that this guy will forget his grudge.

Entering the back hall, under the dim candlelight, Chai Rong was leaning on the main seat in the middle, covered with a mattress, breathing heavily and softly.

Hearing the footsteps, Chai Rong woke up and opened a pair of bloodshot eyes.

"Your Majesty, please pay homage to Your Highness!" Zhu Xiuxing saluted and paid homage.

When Chai Rong saw him smiling, he stood up quickly and came forward to meet him. He pulled Zhu Xiu up before he could bow down.

"I heard that you were seriously injured in an assassination in Chanzhou. If I hadn't been concerned about the impending war in Yedu, I would have requested an order to return to Beijing for a visit. How is the injury now?" Chai Rong looked up and down with concern.

Zhu Xiu felt warm in her heart and grinned: "Don't worry, Your Highness, I have already gotten better."

"That's good." Chai Rong also smiled and patted his shoulder hard.

"He Hui, go down and have a rest!" Chai Rong waved his hand.

"General, I'll leave!" He Hui clasped his fists solemnly, took a deep look at Zhu Xiu, and exited the hall.

He felt a little apprehensive, Zhu Xiu will always be the only one in King Jin's mind.

"sit down."

Chai Rong beckoned him to sit across the table as before, Zhu Xiu saw that there was no one else in the hall, so he obeyed.

Chai Rong was full of thoughts, frowned and pondered for a moment, and said slowly: "As early as the beginning of last year, Wude's spies reported that Wang Yin had signs of evil in Ye, so the officials ordered Xiang Xun to lurk in Ye Capital, and sent Fan Aineng to go there. When he was appointed to Yedu, he looked for opportunities to gain Wang Yin's trust and conduct secret surveillance.

Sure enough, in the first month of the first month, Wang Jun rebelled against the party and was destroyed. When the news reached Yedu, Wang Yin was frightened and uneasy, and he hurriedly took action.

Xiang Xun and Fan Aineng waited for the opportunity and cooperated inside and outside to kill the thief.

Most of the officers and soldiers of the Tianxiong Army were blind followers. They were bewitched by Wang Yin and thought that the officials and I were imprisoned by rebels in Kaifeng. The public sentiment was fierce, so they responded to Wang Yinqing's name as Lord Side.

Fortunately, it was handled in time and it didn't cause a big mess.

Wang Yin was a traitor, and the officials treated him well. He dared to have a different heart, trying to imitate Yedu's uprising in the past, and also change the dynasty. It's ridiculous! "Zhu Xiudao: "Wang Yin and his ilk are nothing to worry about. Since the officials have been prepared for a long time, it will be a matter of course to eradicate the rebels. "

Chai Rong nodded and said: "Wang Yin is dead, the chaos in Yedu has subsided, and the Tianxiong army has been stabilized after some adjustments. Now that King Huaiyang is in charge of Yedu, Hebei is safe for the time being."

Zhu Xiu whispered: "The official's illness."

"Alas~" Chai Rong sighed sadly, "On the outskirts of Yedu, the grass grows and orioles fly. The officials are so excited to see that they are hunting. They don't listen to anyone's advice and insist on hunting. They don't allow the soldiers to surround them, so they have to ride their own horses to chase the prey.

The horse galloped too fast, and the official accidentally fell to the ground, injuring his lumbar spine and shaking his internal organs. He vomited blood on the spot! "

Chai Rong looked gloomy and spoke in a low voice: "After years of fighting, the official family has suffered from many old illnesses. Now the old wounds are being dragged together and relapsed, making the body seriously ill!"

Zhu Xiu smiled bitterly and sweated for Uncle Guo.

When this person gets older, he is as willful as a child. He doesn't like to listen to others' advice, and he often suffers big losses as a result.

Zhu Xiu said softly: "The official family is not actually here. Your Highness has already sent someone to escort the official family back to Beijing?"

Chai Rong smiled and said: "I can hide it from others, but I can't hide it from you! Yes, the official family did not come to Huazhou with the army. After leaving Chanzhou, I will send another army to protect the official family and rush back to Kaifeng first!"
The official's injury was temporarily stable, and he rushed back to Kaifeng to be cared for by the Imperial Medical Office, so he could feel more at ease.In order to avoid being noticed by others along the way and causing unnecessary problems. "

"Your Highness has thought carefully," Zhu Xiudao said, "I wonder who is responsible for guarding the official family? Is there anyone reliable around to take care of it?"

Chai Rong said with a smile: "Fan Aineng and Xiang Xun will accompany you as escorts. The princess will personally serve you. The guards you bring are all brave warriors, so you can be sure that nothing will happen!"

Zhu Xiu nodded, this arrangement is considered safe.

Zhu Xiu raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard Fan Aineng's name again.

Chai Rong chuckled and said, "The princess is pregnant, five months old."

"Oh?!" Zhu Xiu was slightly surprised and quickly said, "Congratulations, Your Highness!"

Fu Jinzhan's pregnancy so soon is great news for Guo Wei, Chai Rong and even Da Zhou.

The situation in the court has been uneasy for the past six months, and now there is finally a happy event that can make everyone in the court feel excited.

Chai Rong was granted the title of King of Jin and also the governor of Kaifeng, which was basically equivalent to confirming the title of crown prince.

Now that the princess is pregnant, if she can give birth to a baby boy, it will be a great blessing for the country to have an heir.

It is undoubtedly great news for the country to inherit the stability of the imperial court.

Zhu Xiu thought for a while and said: "The princess is pregnant and has to take care of the officials' family along the way. Isn't it too hard?"

Chai Rong smiled and said: "You know the princess's temperament. It is absolutely impossible for her to stay in the mansion all day to raise a baby. Fortunately, she has been practicing martial arts since she was a child and is in good health. She insists on staying by the official's side and taking care of her personally. That's it. Let her go.

With her here, I can feel more at ease. "

Thinking about Fu Jinzhan's temperament, he was also very restless. In order for her to raise her baby with peace of mind, it seemed that Chai Rong had a lot of headaches.

Calculating the time, Chai Rong’s birth of a son was delayed by nearly a year in history.

In the original trajectory, Chai Rong and Fu Jinzhan got married in Chanzhou, and their son was also born in Chanzhou.

Zhu Xiu smiled bitterly to himself. The rut of history had deviated further and started to move on a new trajectory.

Chai Rong's eyes showed a bit of narrow-mindedness: "You have to work harder. When I'm your age, Brother Yi is already over two years old."

Zhu Xiu smiled and cupped his hands in shame.

His current physical age is less than 21 years old. Counting his previous life, his mental age is naturally quite old. Of course, he hopes to have children soon, and the more the better.

It's a pity that the plan to create a baby was interrupted when the assassin of the Northern Han Dynasty met with a killer.

After listening to Feng Qingchan's words, Fu Jinhuan and his daughters believed that he was still in the stage of recuperation and should not work hard, so they boycotted him.

After returning to Kaifeng from this errand, I began to resolutely implement the baby-making plan, and I had to make a few of them.

Li Chongjin gave birth to a son first, then Zhang Yongde also gave birth to a daughter. Now Fu Jinzhan is also five months pregnant, but there is no news from the Zhu family.

After all, he also has three wives and concubines. It’s really embarrassing to think about it~
After chatting and laughing about some family affairs, Chai Rong frowned again and fell silent. The hall was quiet, with occasional cicadas chirping from the branches outside the house.

Zhu Xiu said softly: "Your Highness summoned me to Huazhou, but you want me to go to Suzhou to appease Li Chongjin?"

Chai Rong sighed: "That's exactly what I mean. I don't need to tell you about the current situation. Li Chongjin is entrenched in Suzhou with his troops. If there is any trouble, the entire Huaibei will fall into chaos.

Suzhou is an important water and land route. If the water transportation of the Bianhe River is cut off, the commercial exchanges from Jiangnan to Suzhou, Songzhou, and Kaifeng will definitely be affected.

Hebei has just been pacified, and the health of the officials fluctuates from time to time. If there is another chaos in Huaibei, I worry that Liu Chong and Khitan of the Northern Han Dynasty will take the opportunity to go south! "

Chai Rong said angrily: "When I was in Xiangzhou, the old general He Fujin of Zhenzhou sent news that a small group of Khitan soldiers went south along the upper reaches of the Hutuo River and invaded the boundaries of Zhenzhou to spy on the military situation.

He Fujin sent troops to pursue him, but failed.

The Khitan covets the Central Plains forever. If they find an opportunity, they will send their troops south sooner or later!

The official's condition is unknown, and I don't want to start a fight at this time.

Suzhou and Huaibei must not allow any mistakes! "

Zhu Xiuneng understood how heavy the pressure was on Chai Rong's shoulders at the moment. On the one hand, the official family was seriously ill, and on the other hand, it was still unclear what Li Chongjin was thinking in Suzhou. On the other hand, the Northern Han Dynasty and the Khitan were surrounded by tigers and wolves, and the Great Zhou Dynasty was plagued by internal and external troubles. .

More than three years after the founding of the country, it is now the most dangerous situation.

Once a war broke out between the north and the south, it would be difficult to take care of the end of the Zhou Dynasty. In addition, if the officials failed, even if Chai Rong could successfully ascend the throne, it would be difficult to stabilize the government.

Zhu Xiu took a deep breath, cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness, when I go to Suzhou, I will definitely try my best to persuade Li Chongjin to let him return to Kaifeng with me.

If he is unwilling to go back, I will also find a way to stabilize him and prevent the Huai army from causing chaos. "

Chai Rong nodded and said earnestly: "That guy has a bad temper and doesn't listen to others' advice easily, but he can finally listen to what you say. Let him come back and lead the troops to fight in the future to open up territory for the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Tell him that Guan Jia is sick and old, and he misses his nephew in his heart, and asks him to come back and stay by Guan Jia's side to fulfill his filial piety.

You go to Suzhou first, and I will return to Kaifeng to stabilize the court. When the official's condition improves, I will go south and make a personal trip. "

Zhu Xiu said in surprise: "Your Highness wants to go to Suzhou in person?"

Chai Rong smiled bitterly and said: "That black guy is my cousin, and no one knows him better than me. If I don't go, he won't be convinced, let alone go back to Kaifeng with you."

Zhu Xiu opened his mouth, originally wanting to persuade Chai Rong not to take risks, but considering Li Chongjin's temper, if Chai Rong didn't go there in person, he might not be willing to come back.

"Don't worry, Your Highness, I will leave early tomorrow morning!"

Chai Rong took out a prepared edict, confession document, and order talisman, and handed them to Zhu Xiu: "From now on, you will serve as the deputy envoy of the Wude Department. With this order, you can mobilize the Wude Department to be stationed in various places. Secret manpower! From now on, you and I will use this channel to contact you."

Zhu Xiu was stunned for a moment, then stood up and bowed down. He took it with both hands and raised it high above his head: "I accept the order to thank you!"

(End of this chapter)