The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 526 Target Taiyuan
Outside the central hall of Jiedu Mansion, Shi Shouxin led the inner palace guards to be on duty.

Zhu Xiu stretched his neck and looked into the hall, but could not see anything, only heard faint angry shouts.

"What's going on?" Zhu Xiu asked softly.

Shi Shouxin glanced around and moved his lips imperceptibly: "Your Majesty seems to be scolding Li Jun."

Zhu Xiu pouted, Li Yun really deserved to be scolded.

If you don't give him a good scolding and let him know how powerful he is, he won't think deeply about it.

Luzhou was in dilapidated state after being beaten, and everything was in dire need. Li Jun actually thought of holding a grand welcoming ceremony and forcing the people to deliberately put on a scene of warmly welcoming the Holy Emperor. It was simply ridiculous.

In other words, Li Jun relied on his status as a veteran hero. If it had been anyone else, he would have been dealt with by military law long ago.

After all, the butcher knife that killed 72 generals of the Dongxiang Army in Gaoping County is still there. Fan Aineng and He Hui, who were not Conglong heroes, made big mistakes and were beheaded anyway. No one will doubt that His Majesty the Emperor would not dare to kill people because he was worried about the status of the veteran heroes. .

Shi Shouxin stood upright with a sword in hand, his posture was like a strong pine tree, and suddenly whispered: "The outcome of the Battle of Bagongyuan was already anticipated by County Lord Zhu?"

Zhu Xiu chuckled and said, "Why do you ask?"

Shi Shouxin didn't look sideways and whispered: "Before setting off from Kaifeng, you told me to stay close to His Majesty at all times! The meaning of your words clearly refers to the Battle of Bagongyuan. You had already guessed this. The battle was so dangerous that Your Majesty personally charged into the battle risking stones?"

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Marquis Shi Yu is over-reputed! I just said it casually, how could there be so many mysterious predictions? As the Marquis of Yu who is the direct capital of the inner palace, you should be a close guard for His Majesty, right?"

Shi Shouxin frowned slightly and glanced sideways at Zhu Xiu.

Zhu Xiu grinned sincerely, but Shi Shouxin noticed something cunning in his eyes.

During the battle at Bagongyuan that day, he was the first to lead the forbidden troops to follow Chai Rong in the charge.

In the end, the battle ended, and only a dozen or so of the inner palace cavalry survived.

Without his personal protection regardless of life and death, Chai Rong would not have been able to go straight to the yellow flag of Liu Chongzhong's army.

After the war, Chai Rong summoned him privately and praised him highly.

Shi Shouxin knew that after this battle, he had completely won the emperor's trust. As long as he didn't make any big mistakes in the future, he would be very successful!
In just half a year, he went from being an unknown soldier in the inner palace to becoming a general of the Imperial Guard of the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It can be said that he rose to the sky in one step!
Shi Shouxin also understood that if Zhu Xiu had not recommended Li Chongjin and promoted him to the position of Yuhou in the inner palace, he would have never had a chance to get close to the emperor.

If Zhu Xiu had not warned him in advance, when Chai Rong suddenly charged on the battlefield of Bagongyuan despite being blocked, he might not have reacted in time and would have been unable to provide personal protection to the emperor.

In that case, His Majesty the Emperor would not necessarily be in danger. After all, Zhao Kuangyin was not far behind him at the time, as well as generals such as Zhang Yongde and Gao Huaide. However, he also lost a good opportunity to gain Chai Rong's trust.

The more Shi Shouxin thought about it, the more he felt that Zhu Xiu had long expected the difficulty and danger of the Bagongyuan battle.

But Zhu Xiu refused to admit it, and looked like an old god was there, which made Shi Shouxin think that this guy was unfathomable.

"Zhu County Duke"

"Shh! Stop talking! People are coming out!"

Just when Shi Shouxin was about to ask something in a low voice, Zhu Xiu's face turned solemn, and she quickly lowered her eyelids and stood in silence.

A blushing Li Jun walked out of the hall dejectedly, looking like he had been scolded a lot.

Li Jun glanced at Zhu Xiu and Shi Shouxin and walked quickly past them.

Zhu Xiu smiled at Shi Shouxin and said, "Can I come in to see His Majesty?"

Shi Shouxin turned sideways and invited: "Mr. Zhu County invites you!"

Zhu Xiu thanked him and walked into the middle hall unhurriedly.

Shi Shouxin stared at his back and murmured in a low voice: "He is really a strange person."

In the hall, Chai Rong was sitting at the main seat drinking tea, with lingering anger on his face.

"The eldest lady gave birth to a prince, and Ba Gongyuan defeated the enemy army. It is a double happiness. Your Majesty should be happy. Why should you be angry?"

Zhu Xiu bowed and smiled.

Chai Rong put down the tea cup with a smile on his face: "You are quite well informed."

Zhu Xiu smiled and said: "I am in charge of the Wude Department and have secret reports from the inner court. Of course I have a copy here!"

Chai Rong smiled and said: "Don't say anything about this matter for now, the war is not over yet, and I don't want to be distracted."

When Zhu Xiu heard that the secret passage was bad, Chai Rong said this, clearly intending to continue marching towards Taiyuan.

Rolling his eyes, Zhu Xiu said: "It is a blessing for the whole country that the eldest lady has given birth to a son and has an heir. According to the etiquette, Your Majesty should canonize the queen as soon as possible, give the little prince a name, and tell the world so that the whole world can celebrate!"

Chai Rong said: "I have already ordered the Ministry of Rites to prepare the edict for the canonization of the queen, and the prince's name has also been decided. We are just waiting to be announced."

Zhu Xiu asked tentatively: "Don't you want to rush back to Kaifeng to meet the eldest lady and the little prince?"

Chai Rong hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said: "It's better to finish the military and national affairs in front of us. It's not too late to see you again!"

Zhu Xiu was speechless, and smiled wryly in his heart. It seemed that Chai Rong was determined to fight Taiyuan.

Chai Rong suddenly frowned and said: "The inner court secret report said that the eldest lady had difficulty in giving birth, suffered severe blood loss, and was weak after giving birth. She should be fine, right?"

Zhu Xiu considered his words and said: "Giving birth is a hurdle for women. Some can pass it smoothly, while others are difficult and tortured. The eldest lady has your majesty's protection and heaven's protection. She will be fine. Please don't worry, your majesty. !”

Chai Rong nodded and did not ask further.

The secret report from the inner court only said that Fu Jinzhan had many difficulties in giving birth and lost too much blood. Fortunately, after a lot of trouble, he finally gave birth to the prince successfully.

It is normal for women to be weak after childbirth. Fu Jinzhan has been practicing martial arts since he was a child and has always been in good health. Except for the serious injury caused by a stray arrow in Cangzhou that year, he had no other serious injuries.

Chai Rong didn't think much about it. He just sent the order back to Kaifeng and ordered the doctors from the Imperial Medical Office to take care of him. He also asked Fu Jinzhan to take good care of him.

Zhu Xiu sighed in his heart. Of course he would not dare to report the inner court secret report truthfully unless he had to.

But according to the letters he received from his family and the secret reports from the Police Department, Fu Jinzhan's situation was not optimistic.

The hurdle of giving birth may be fatal to her.

It seemed like nothing serious at the moment, but once the foundation of her vitality was damaged, her body would probably be overwhelmed.

Zhu Xiu didn't dare to talk nonsense about this kind of thing. He just wrote a letter back to Kaifeng and asked Feng Qingchan and Fu Jinhuan to come to the palace to take care of him.

"Is the one in your family giving birth soon?" Chai Rong asked with a smile.

Zhu Xiu rubbed his hands and said, "The doctor said it should be next month."

"Haha~ You and I have children, it's really fate!" Chai Rong was also quite happy.Zhu Xiu was also happy from ear to ear, but felt a little nervous. After all, it is not easy for women to have children these days.

If possible, he wanted to rush back to Kaifeng as soon as possible to be with Shi Lingyan.

Zhu Xiu rubbed his hands and said tentatively: "Your Majesty, Bagongyuan defeated the Northern Han soldiers. Liu Chong and Yelu's enemy Lu fled in panic. Our army has achieved a great victory.

After this battle, the vitality of the Northern Han Dynasty was severely injured, and they could no longer pose a threat to our dynasty in a short period of time. It is better to return to the dynasty and let Luzhou recuperate. "

Chai Rong teased: "What, you kid is in a hurry to go back to Kaifeng to hold the child? I'm not in a hurry, why are you in a hurry?"

Zhu Xiu said sheepishly: "I have little experience in becoming a father for the first time, and the female family members at home have no experience in this area. I can't be with you, and I feel uneasy!
Lingyan's father, Shi Laojieshuai, wanted to ask him to accompany him on the expedition this time, but he gave up the idea because he was worried about his daughter giving birth.

Your Majesty also knows the temperament of Commander Shi Laojie. If there is an accident during childbirth and I am not around to take care of him, I will be scolded to death by him after I return."

Chai Rong waved his hand, "Okay, your mother-in-law and mother have said so much, aren't you just trying to persuade me to withdraw my troops and return to the court in a roundabout way? Just say it straight if you want to, why bother beating around the bush?"

"Your Majesty is wise! His eyes are like a torch!" Zhu Xiu hurriedly handed over a flattery and said with cupped hands: "Your Majesty clearly knows that our army's food and grass are not in sufficient supply and it is difficult to transport them from Kaifeng. Now calculated, it is only enough for one month.

It is still difficult for Luzhou and Zezhou to supply the state, and it will be difficult to even out the surplus grain to support the army.

There are not enough civilians recruited from Mengzhou, Huaizhou, Puzhou and other places. More people can only be recruited from Caozhou, Yanzhou and other places in Shandong. The journey is long and a lot of money and food are consumed along the way.

If this continues, it will probably delay spring planting in Henan, Hezhong, Shandong and other places this year, which will be detrimental to the country! "

Chai Rong stood up, walked around with his hands behind his hands, pondered for a while, and then said: "Why don't I know what you said?
This personal expedition was carried out in a hurry, and the army was poorly prepared.

However, under such a disadvantage, we were able to defeat the enemy's coalition forces in one fell swoop at Bagongyuan, which greatly increased the prestige of our army. Liu Chong, Yelu Dilu and others fled like rats. I really don't want to miss this opportunity to destroy the Northern Han Dynasty in one fell swoop! "

Chai Rong's eyes were shining brightly, and the achievement of destroying the country was very attractive to an ambitious emperor like him.

Zhu Xiu smiled bitterly and said: "The Northern Han Dynasty was defeated but still had the strength to fight. Taiyuan City is tall and dangerous and cannot be broken overnight.

In addition, the Khitans are watching with eager eyes. Once our army moves north, the Khitans will never sit idly by.

I boldly advise you that under such circumstances, it is definitely not the time to completely destroy the Northern Han Dynasty!
On the contrary, once we fall into a bitter battle under Taiyuan City, our army will suffer heavy losses and our logistics will not be sufficient, it will give the Khitans and Liu Chong a chance to turn defeat into victory! "

Chai Rong frowned and paced silently, with a slight sullen expression on his face.

If anyone else had said these words, he would probably have been scolded on the spot.

"You have so little confidence in me?" Chai Rong was a little angry, "If I can defeat Liu Chong once in Bagongyuan, I can defeat him a second time in Taiyuan City!"

Zhu Xiu gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty knows very well that fighting the enemy at Bagongyuan is completely different from fighting the enemy at Taiyuan City!"

"So what? The Northern Han Dynasty is at its end. I am confident that it will be destroyed within a month!" Chai Rong's words were a little angry.

Zhu Xiu bowed his head in silence. Chai Rong insisted on marching to Taiyuan, which was already a little impulsive.

He wanted to use the power of victory to pacify Hedong in one fell swoop, and use a dazzling feat of annihilation to usher in a prosperous era of great virtue and virtue in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

This desire for quick success has caused him to ignore the disadvantages of military strategy.

But Zhu Xiu knew that unless a miracle happened, it would be impossible for the Zhou army to break Taiyuan City and destroy the Northern Han Dynasty during this northern expedition.

With a pop, Zhu Xiu knelt down on his knees, cupped his hands and begged: "In time, we can still preserve the victory of Bagongyuan. Once the Northern Expedition fails, it will cause many uncertain factors. Please think twice, Your Majesty!"

Chai Rong frowned at him and sighed: "Get up, I know you are thinking about me and the court. At this time, class teacher may be the best choice, but I am unwilling to do so!"

Zhu Xiu wanted to say something else, but Chai Rong waved his hand and said, "Has any news been sent back to the two groups of troops you sent to intercept?"

"Not yet."

"How about this, I promise you, I will make a decision after there is news from the two soldiers and horses!"

Zhu Xiu smiled bitterly and could only bow his head and say: "I obey your decree."

~~~
Two days later, as Cao Bin and Pan Mei led two groups of soldiers and horses to rush back to Luzhou City, a breaking news quickly spread among the soldiers and civilians of Luzhou!

The Zhou army defeated the Northern Han and Khitan armies at Jiangzhuling and Diaohuangling respectively, beheading the fierce Northern Han general Zhang Yuanhui, and the Khitan political commander Yelu Dilu!

Chai Rong summoned the generals and Luzhou officials in the imperial tent of the military camp.

Pan Mei and Cao Bin, refreshed, walked into the royal tent with their heads held high under the gaze of countless envious eyes, until they were seated in front of them.

Behind them, there is a sergeant each holding a wooden plate. On each plate is a human head, covered with red silk cloth.

"The last generals, Pan Mei and Cao Bin, come to your Majesty!" they both shouted in unison.

Chai Rong laughed heartily, "Both generals are equal, thank you for your hard work!"

The two thanked each other, stood up, took the wooden plate from the sergeant's hand, knelt down on one knee and said loudly: "The last general Pan Mei presents the head of the thief general Zhang Yuanhui!"

"The last general Cao Bin presented the head of the Khitan general Yelu Dilu!"

When the red silk was uncovered, two ferocious human heads were revealed to the public, which attracted a chorus of exclamations and cheers!

The two heads were already somewhat swollen, and had been smeared and soaked with wine and white ash. However, there were not many signs of decay, and their faces were clearly distinguishable.

For Luzhou officials, Zhang Yuanhui and Yelu Dilu were their two main culprits. This time the enemy coalition moved south, it was these two generals who defeated Luzhou Zhaoyi's army.

Li Jun stared at the two heads with his eyes widened and gritted his teeth. No one was more familiar with these two people than him.

It was these two men who killed him at the gate of Mangche Pass, causing him to lose his troops and generals, and he fled back to Luzhou City in embarrassment.

He had learned how powerful these two generals were, but now they died at the hands of others. He felt really mixed in his heart, feeling happy, jealous, and a little ashamed.

I think Li Jun is an old minister from Conglong who has been guarding one side for many years.

The two enemy generals Zhang Yuanhui and Yelu Dilu killed Luzhou soldiers and civilians with fear, but died in the hands of two unknown men in the end, which was tantamount to giving Li Jun a hard slap in the face.

Li Jun lowered his head, and the slight laughter that rang out in the tent fell into his ears, which made him feel extremely harsh, as if they were mocking his incompetence.

Zhu Xiu ignored Li Jun's complicated thoughts and looked at Chai Rong, whose face was glowing red, smiling bitterly in her heart.

The two great victories at Jiangzhuling and Diaohuangling, killing Zhang Yuanhui and Yelu dilu, were nothing less than another great victory at Bagongyuan.

As a result, the military power of Zhou's army was greatly enhanced. Chai Rong was afraid that he would make up his mind to march to Taiyuan and destroy the Northern Han Dynasty in one go!
Zhu Xiu shook his head regretfully. If he had known this, why would he have sent Pan Mei and Cao Bin to fight an ambush? Why not let Liu Chong and Yelu Dilu escape smoothly back to their hometown in Taiyuan.

It's good now, but it's self-defeating, but it helps Chai Rong strengthen his confidence to attack Taiyuan.

(End of this chapter)