The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 532 Plan ahead
As soon as Zhu Xiu came out of the imperial tent, a black-haired arm stretched out from the side and gently strangled his neck.

Just when he was about to scream in fear, Li Chongjin's black face appeared in front of him, followed by Zhang Yongde who followed him unhurriedly.

"Has your Majesty agreed to withdraw the troops?" Li Chongjin whispered, peeking into the imperial tent, holding Zhu Xiu in his arms and walking away.

Zhu Xiu pushed his arm away with all her strength, glared angrily, curled her lips and hummed.

"You kid took action and finally didn't disappoint your brothers!" Li Chongjin said with a smile.

Zhang Yongde also smiled and said: "Wen Cai persuaded His Majesty to retreat, and the generals and officials will remember it in their hearts. It is a great achievement for the country!"

Zhu Xiu stretched out his hand towards the two of them: "Brothers, can you bring it?"

The two looked at each other and said suspiciously: "What?"

Zhu Xiudao: "You two don't dare to speak to His Majesty yourself, so you come to encourage me to be the leader! Two brothers, one is in charge of the personal army in front of the palace, and the other sits in the third position of the personal bodyguard department, both are commanders of the army. General, there are many generals under your command. If the people below are forcing you, you guys will force me! Now that the matter is done, you should give some benefits, otherwise it will be too boring!"

The two guys looked at each other, and Li Chongjin glared and said, "What do you want, kid?"

Zhu Xiu rubbed his chin and said, "Let me think about it, let's do this. Our Tiger Wing Army has suffered serious losses this time. How about you two deploy some troops from your respective armies to fill the gap?"

Li Chongjin laughed dryly and said hesitantly: "Well, I am not the only one to have the final say on the changes in the formation of the bodyguards and soldiers. I can't make the decision. I can't make a decision until I return to Kaifeng and discuss it with the Privy Council."

Zhang Yongde was more sincere and said: "The pro-military establishment in front of the palace is even more chaotic. His Majesty has determined to start the army reorganization work as soon as possible after returning to Beijing. How to arrange the various armies remains to be discussed."

Zhu Xiu spread his hands and said, "So, you two brothers are unwilling to help? The withdrawal of troops is a thorn in His Majesty's heart. Whoever touches it will be unlucky. You two pushed me into the fire pit, so you are not afraid of annoying Your Majesty. Cut my head off?

Normally he talks about brotherly loyalty and stabs the brothers in both sides, but when it comes to a critical moment, he stabs the brothers in both sides?You two are older brothers, so I am so mean to my little brother! "

What he said made Li Chongjin blush, and Zhang Yongde even looked ashamed.

Li Chongjin muttered: "No matter how angry your Majesty is, why would he chop off your head? At most, he would just get angry and scold you."

Zhu Xiu squinted and sneered: "That's easy to say, why don't you stand up?"

Li Chongjin rubbed his hands and said sarcastically: "My brother is stupid and afraid of saying the wrong thing. He is not as sharp as you."

Zhu Xiu snorted disdainfully, and Li Chongjin knew he was wrong, so he could only smile.

Zhang Yongde said guiltily: "It is indeed the two of us who are being unkind in forcing you to step forward this time! I'm sorry~"

Zhang Yongde sincerely clasped his fists to express his apology.

Zhu Xiu glanced sideways at Li Chongjin with a sneer on his face: "Look at Zhang Consort, this is how he behaves like an elder brother. How different from some people who usually shout and drink, but when in trouble, they retreat and force their brothers to take the lead!"

Li Chongjin had a dark face full of shame and anger, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, but he was speechless to refute.

Zhu Xiu shook his head and said: "Anyway, you two owe me a favor this time, and I don't want anything else. The Tiger Wing Army is short of positions, and you have to find a way to make up for it!"

Li Chongjin shouted: "Although you did not personally direct the expedition to Hedong this time, the two great achievements of Jiangzhuling and Diaohuangling were all due to your planning and good dispatch. The battle of Bagongyuan and the battle with the old general Liu Ci I arrived in time and made a lot of merits. I will definitely receive a big reward when I return to Kaifeng. I am afraid that I will not be able to hold the position of commander of the Tiger Wing Army for long."

Zhu Xiu curled his lips and said: "Who knows about it? Don't forget that the Tiger Wing Army was established by you and me. Now in a battle in Hedong, we are missing arms and legs. If you don't feel sorry for me, I feel sorry for you!" "

Li Chongjin scratched his head, "Although the Tiger Wing Army is under the jurisdiction of the Guards Department, no one dares to rebuild it without His Majesty's order and the order of the Privy Council."

"I don't care, you have to find a way to handle this matter!" Zhu Xiu acted rogue.

Zhang Yongde thought for a while and said with a smile: "You don't have to worry about this matter. His Majesty intends to reorganize the Forbidden Army. It is still unknown how the Tiger Wing Army will be reorganized. You are good at training soldiers and you have made great achievements this time. I estimate that His Majesty will promote you to the Guards Department or The pro-army in front of the palace, your participation will be indispensable when the time comes to rectify the imperial army."

Zhu Xiu blinked: "I am not qualified to intervene in this matter because of my junior qualifications?"

Li Chongjin said: "Zhao Dal'er can become the chief of the army in front of the palace, so why can't you? Besides, with my two sponsors, it's a sure thing that you will enter the army in front of the palace or the bodyguard department?"

Zhu Xiu was secretly happy and pretended to be hesitant, "Brothers, you won't deceive me this time, right?"

Li Chongjin patted his chest and said, "Don't worry! This matter will be taken care of by both of us!"

Zhang Yongde also said with a smile: "Even if it's to repay the favor, the two of us will help to the end!"

Zhu Xiu grinned: "So, thank you two brothers!"

After stopping to talk and laugh for a while, the two of them said goodbye and left, telling the entire army about their intention to withdraw.

Zhu Xiu watched the two of them go away, secretly clenching his fists.

He did not hesitate to beg for favors from the two men, and his purpose was not just to fill the gap in the Tiger Wing Army.

More importantly, he wants to find an opportunity to intervene in the upcoming overhaul of the Forbidden Army!

The victory over Bagongyuan was brilliant, but it also made Chai Rong clearly see the shortcomings of the Forbidden Army.

The organization is chaotic, the command is ineffective, the quality of the soldiers is uneven, and the gap in ability and character between the generals and officers is too large, and they are simply not qualified for the important task of guarding the emperor and the capital.

Privately, Chai Rong had revealed more than once that he would vigorously rectify the Forbidden Army after returning to Beijing.

As close confidants, Zhang Yongde, Li Chongjin, Zhu Xiu and others knew the emperor's thoughts best.

The reorganized Great Zhou Forbidden Army must be one of the strongest military forces in the world.

Leading this matter can quickly increase the qualifications and prestige in the army, of course Zhu Xiu can't let it go!

Zhu Xiu knew very well how Zhao Da made his fortune in history. This may be the fastest shortcut to that position in this era!

After all, rectifying the Forbidden Army was a matter of great importance. Chai Rong only had a rough outline in his mind. He had to wait until he returned to Kaifeng to convene senior generals and Privy Council officials to discuss it in detail.

This matter was extremely sensitive, so if Chai Rong didn't mention it, Zhu Xiu couldn't explicitly ask to be involved.

Through the mouths of Zhang Yongde and Li Chongjin, he was recommended to join the Imperial Army and Guards Department in front of the palace, and then he could join the army in an honest and fair manner.

Filling the vacancy in the Tiger Wing Army was just an excuse he used to make excuses.

Zhang Yongde and Li Chongjin are the commanders of the Forbidden Army. Their opinions are crucial on how to organize the army and who will participate. With their help, Chai Rong will definitely consider it seriously.

Zhu Xiu turned around and looked at Taiyuan City several miles away. The majestic and war-torn city stood under the rolling sky of cirrus clouds.

Zhu Xiu knew that with this retreat, the Zhou army would not set foot here again for many years.

I don't know what it will be like next time when a large army arrives.
Zhu Xiu stopped where he was, sighed silently, collected his mood, and prepared to go back to camp and pack his luggage.

"Mr. Zhu County, stay!" As soon as he took over the reins from the stable soldier, a shout came from behind.

Looking back, it was Zhe Deke who came with a few soldiers. The wife of the Zhe family who was pretending to be a soldier was also among them, looking at him curiously with her dark eyes open.

"General Zhe!" Zhu Xiu bowed hurriedly.

Zhe De pressed his hand and said with a smile: "I was in the imperial tent just now. Thank you Wen Cai for the pointer."

Zhu Xiu said hurriedly: "What did General Zhe say? Among all the people present, no one knows the Khitan situation better than General Zhe. It is only natural to ask General Zhe to speak and introduce it to everyone!"

Zhe Deke smiled heartily and didn't mention it again.

He had long heard that Zhu Xiu was kidnapped by the Khitan people to Youyan since he was a child. He studied under the hermits of Tanzhou and learned uncanny skills. He knew much more about the Khitan people than he did.

If Zhu Xiu wanted to, he could introduce the situation about Yelu Talie himself without asking him.Zhu Xiu specifically gave him the opportunity to deepen His Majesty's and everyone present's understanding of him.

After all, although the Zhe family has a great reputation, the imperial court in the Central Plains did not know much about the Zhe family in Fuzhou, a remote place. Most of the important officials in the court had only heard of their names but had never met them.

The Zhe family never participated in the political struggles of the Central Plains. No matter who became the emperor, the Zhe family expressed their loyalty to him. In addition, the Zhe family had fought against the Khitans for generations and accumulated great fame. The Central Plains court always respected the Zhe family and gave them preferential treatment.

Zhe Deke had few opportunities to meet the emperor, so Zhu Xiu deliberately asked him to talk more and show his face, which was also out of good intentions, and Zhe Deke knew it very well.

"Your Majesty's retreat is actually in line with the trend. The officers and soldiers of the three armies cheered loudly, which is enough to see that this move is in line with the people's hearts.

However, it is easy to advance an army but difficult to retreat, so you must be fully prepared. "Zhe Deke reminded.

Zhu Xiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, General Zhe. Your Majesty will definitely know these heartfelt words."

Zhe Deke said calmly: "I didn't mean to take credit intentionally, it was just out of military strategy. The Northern Han soldiers will not let the Zhou army escape easily, so we must be careful."

Zhu Xiudao: "Your Majesty will convene the generals tonight to discuss the withdrawal of troops. When the time comes, I will ask General Zhe to give his opinion."

Zhe Deke hesitated for a moment and said: "After all, I am a local general with a humble position. I'm afraid it's not appropriate for me to give my opinion. Why don't you and I discuss it carefully first, and then let you do the talking?"

Zhu Xiu shook his head and said seriously: "General Zhe's words are wrong! The Zhe family has guarded the country's borders for generations. They have made outstanding contributions and are highly regarded by the public! Your Majesty will definitely consider the words of General Zhe! To deal with the Northern Han and Khitan people, if General Zhe is If you are not qualified to speak, then there are not many people in the world who are qualified!"

"But..." Zhe Deke still hesitated, Zhu Xiu said with relief: "General Zhe, don't worry, your majesty is the hero of the world, he has aspirations for the world, he can hide mountains and seas in his chest and abdomen, there is no need to worry!"

Zhe Deke nodded and did not refuse.

He was cautious and prudent by nature, and did not want to be in the limelight to gain fame. He was worried that his performance would be too excessive and would attract dissatisfaction from officials in the DPRK and the Forbidden Army generals.

Zhu Xiu could understand his concerns. After all, his family was guarding Fuzhou and he was isolated from the Central Plains court. However, he could not do without the support of the court and did not dare to offend anyone easily.

The Zhe family has no one they can trust to take on important responsibilities in the court and speak for them for their benefit. The only person they can rely on is the emperor. Once they lose the emperor's trust, life for Fuzhou and the Zhe family will only become more difficult.

Zhe Dejian didn't know Chai Rong well. After initial contact, he just felt that this young and heroic new emperor was different from the successors of previous dynasties.

He also knew about the Battle of Bagongyuan and felt deep admiration for it.

He was extremely optimistic about the Zhou Dynasty, which was in the early days of Ruhu, and hoped that the country could revive the glory of the Han and Tang Dynasties under Chai Rong's hands.

At the same time, he also hoped that the persistence of the Zhe family for generations would be recognized by the court and the world.

Zhu Xiu said goodbye, mounted his horse and left first.

Before leaving, he did not forget to smile and nod at Zhe Saihua behind Zhe Deqi.

Zhe Deke stared at his retreating back and remained silent.

After a long while, Zhe De suddenly said: "Third sister, you had initial contact with this person not long ago. What was your impression?"

Zhe Saihua is the third child in her family, and her nickname is Sanmei.

The ranking of the Zhe family does not distinguish between men and women. The family rules stipulate that even women must practice martial arts with their brothers since childhood.

Zhe Saihua stuck out her tongue: "So Daddy heard it!"

Zhe Deqian smiled and said: "You, you have to make a fuss to come and see what the emperor looks like. Not only do you pretend to be a soldier, but you dare to take the initiative to talk to others. You, Aweng, have really spoiled you."

Zhe Saihua said with a smile: "The military camp is so noisy, who will notice that I am a girl."

Zhe De said: "Fortunately, the person you are talking to is Zhu Xiu. It is strange that this person is not surprised when he knows that you are a woman.

If it were anyone else, I'm afraid the whole camp would know now that if a father brought his daughter into the military camp, he would have to explain to His Majesty. "

Zhe Saihua cooed: "What's wrong with women entering the military camp? In Fuzhou, there are not many women from my Zhe family serving in the army?"

Zhe Deqing said helplessly: "This is not a prefecture, but it is also in front of the emperor. You have to be careful about everything. After all, there is no precedent for women to join the army, and at least there are very few who openly hold military positions."

Zhe Saihua muttered: "What's wrong with women joining the army? I don't think many of these Forbidden Army commanders from Kaifeng can beat me!"

Zhe Deqing laughed, but did not deny it.

It has been a tradition for men and women in the Zhe family to practice martial arts since childhood, and Zhe Deqing is full of confidence in the martial arts inherited from his family.

Zhe Saihua smiled and said: "Zhu Xiu is very different. He knows that I am a woman, he is not surprised at all, and he seems to know my Zhe family very well."

Zhe Deke nodded: "Yes, my father feels the same way. This person is indeed extraordinary. No wonder he is famous at such a young age.

There are indeed many talented people around the emperor! "

"Hehe, it's just that his appearance doesn't look that good. He looks like a down-and-out scholar." Hanadao said.

Zhe Deqing smiled and said: "Who can be clean and tidy when we are out on the march? That Zhu Xiu does have a good appearance. With a little washing and grooming, he looks like a handsome man with a pink face and a beautiful face."

"Seriously?" Zhe Saihua's eyes lit up. When she is interested in a person, she usually starts with his appearance.

Zhe Deke shook his head with a smile. His daughter liked people with outstanding looks. When she was engaged to Yang Chonggui, a descendant of the Yang family in Linzhou, Zhe Saihua didn't like the marriage at first. It can be seen that after meeting Yang Chonggui, she reluctantly nodded in agreement.

One is that Yang Chonggui is highly skilled in martial arts, and the other is that he has good looks.

It's a pity that Yang Chonggui surrendered to Liu Chong and has now changed his name to Liu Jiye.

The Zhe family in Fuzhou was an enemy of the Northern Han Dynasty, so I didn't know whether this marriage would still work out.

Zhe Dejian suddenly felt a little regretful, the Zhe family had been struggling to get help in the court, Zhu Xiu's appearance seemed to be in line with all aspects, and the most important thing was that he seemed to have a good impression of the Zhe family.

If the relationship can go further, the Zhe family may be able to get more support from the court by virtue of Zhu Xiu's new status in the court.

Zhe Dejian's expression became very strange, he glanced at Zhe Saihua, then took a deep look in the direction where Zhu Xiu rode away, shook his head and smiled wryly: "It's a pity!"

Zhe Saihua didn't understand why: "Dad, what's wrong?"

Zhe Deke shook his head, squinted his eyes and sighed softly: "Dad is wondering whether your marriage to Yang Chonggui can continue?"

Zhe Saihua curled her lips and didn't take it seriously: "He is now the adopted son of the Emperor of the Northern Han Dynasty, and he was named Liu Jiye. Our family can't afford it!"

Zhe Deqing smiled bitterly and whispered: "Why don't you find a good match for you?"

Zhe Saihua hummed, looking unconcerned.

She actually doesn't care much about her marriage.

After all, you have to marry, and naturally you want to marry someone you like and get along with. It is naturally better to marry someone who can bring benefits to your family.

She did have a good impression of Yang Chonggui before, but as Yang Chonggui defected to the Northern Han Dynasty, changed his name and became Liu Chong's adopted son, and gradually drifted away from the Zhe family, there was not much of this good impression left.

The Linzhou Yang family split during Yang Chonggui's generation. Yang Chonggui's younger brother Yang Chongxun led some of his clansmen to surrender to the Zhou Dynasty and was named the governor of Linzhou.

Linzhou also became increasingly fragile in the repeated battles between the Zhou Dynasty and the Northern Han Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)