The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 535: Elders of Ten Dynasties, Splendid Articles
In the evening, Zhu Xiu and Feng Qingchan went to the Taishi Mansion to visit Feng Dao.

When my uncle came to visit, Feng Ping came to greet him personally. Zhu Xiu bowed hurriedly and called him father-in-law, with a very respectful attitude.

Feng Ping forced a smile and called out, "Wen Cai is here."

Perhaps because Feng Dao was seriously ill, the atmosphere in the Feng family was solemn. Even several of Feng Dao's nephews who worked in other states rushed back to Beijing to visit and lived in the Feng family.

When they heard that Zhu Xiu had come to visit, all the relatives of the Feng family came to pay their respects, and each one of them called Zhu County Duke to become familiar with him.

Zhu Xiu chatted politely with them for a while, then escaped with the help of Feng Ping and went to Feng Dao's residence in the back bedroom.

"It makes Wen Cai laugh. My old father is seriously ill, and their clan members are more worried than me, the eldest son."

Feng Ping shook his head, his tone tinged with sarcasm.

Zhu Xiudao: "After all, the old master is the head of the Feng clan. He has supported the Feng clan for many years. The children in the clan have received many favors from him, so it is only natural for him to come to visit."

Feng Pingdao: "They didn't care about their father's illness, but they were worried that the Feng family would lose their backing, so they rushed back to find out what happened."

Zhu Xiu smiled and did not answer.

It is normal for relatives of the Feng family to react this way. Without Feng Dao, it would be difficult for the Feng family to gain a foothold in the court.

Now that the life of the pillar of the Feng family is at stake, they are of course nervous. Without the help of the DPRK and China, it will be difficult for them to take a further step in their career in the future.

As Feng Dao's eldest son and the next head of the family, Feng Ping has the most thorough understanding of officialdom. He has no ambitions in his official career and is willing to remain quiet.

But after all, not everyone can see things as clearly as he does.

In the bedroom, the light was dim, and the dim candlelight flickered, adding to the air of twilight.

Feng Dao was lying on the couch, so thin that he was skinny and bones, with few of his snow-white beards and hair left. He was like a dead tree that had lost all vitality and was on the verge of death.

Feng Qingchan's eyes were red, she bit her thin lips tightly, wet a towel with hot water, and sat on the side of the couch to wipe his hands and feet.

"Dad, Wen Cai and Chan'er are here to see you!" Feng Ping whispered in the old man's ear.

Feng Dao's deeply sunken eye sockets slowly turned, and he barely opened the slits of his eyes, and a hoarse voice came out of his throat: "Okay~Okay~"

"Aon."

Seeing his appearance, Feng Qingchan couldn't hide her sadness, sobbing softly.

Feng Dao's dark eyes suddenly burst into light, and he struggled to reach out to gesture to Zhu Xiu.

Feng Ping was startled and said hurriedly: "Wen Cai, come forward quickly, father has something to say to you!"

Zhu Xiuye's heart sank. Feng Dao's appearance was obviously a reflection of his past.

Zhu Xiu sat down beside the couch, gently held Feng Dao's trembling and thin hand, and whispered: "Old lady, it's me. If you have any questions, just give me your orders!"

Feng Dao held Zhu Xiu's hand tightly. It was hard to imagine that a 72-year-old man who was about to die would have such great strength.

Feng Dao struggled to hold Feng Qingchan's hand tightly, and tremblingly handed it to Zhu Xiu's hand: "Be good to Chan'er!"

Feng Qingchan burst into tears, Zhu Xiu also had red eyes and nodded vigorously: "Don't worry, old lady!"

Feng Dao was breathing rapidly. He took several deep breaths as if he had exhausted all his strength. His mouth was half open and his face was ashen.

After calming down for a while, Feng Dao opened his mouth to signal to speak, Zhu Xiu hurriedly put his ear close, only to hear the old man say in an extremely weak voice: "What you want to do, you can't force it, it depends on the weather. It is still alive, the country is stable, remember not to act rashly, otherwise you will suffer the disaster of sudden death."

Zhu Xiu said softly: "Don't worry, old lady, you also know that I cherish life the most, and I will never do anything to seek death!"

Feng Dao said hoarsely: "For the sake of my relationship with Chan'er, the Feng family will help if they can. If you can't help, don't force it."

"Don't worry, old man." Zhu Xiu agreed.

After saying something, Feng Dao seemed to have trouble breathing again. He took a deep breath with all his strength with a painful expression, and did not forget to wave his hand towards Zhu Xiu.

Feng Ping's eyes turned red and he sighed: "Wen Cai will take Chan'er to the house to rest first. I will serve you here."

Zhu Xiu nodded, knowing that it was Feng Dao's last words, and that this was a family matter of the Feng family, so she couldn't be present, so she took Feng Qingchan, who was full of grief, to the next room to rest.

After they left, the bedroom door was closed, Feng Ping knelt in front of the couch, and said in a sobbing voice, "Father, if you have anything to ask, my son will listen!"

Feng Dao half-closed his eyes, breathless, and said intermittently: "I have a brochure hidden in my lapel. There are detailed instructions in it. It is related to the prosperity of the country and my Feng family. After I die, you should take it out and keep it properly. Remember everything." Don’t let anyone know!”

Feng Ping burst into tears and nodded in agreement.

After taking a few breaths, Feng Dao said hoarsely: "In the future, if there are drastic changes in the court, you can take out the brocade bag and follow the instructions left by me. If ten years later, the court is stable and the world is peaceful, you should burn the brocade bag. Take it apart and check!"

Feng Ping wiped away his tears, cupped his hands and wept, "Father entrusted me, my child will engrave it in my heart, I dare not forget it!"

Feng Dao opened his eyelids, then closed them slowly, and murmured: "The old man is no longer worried."

After a while, Feng Dao's heaving chest gradually stabilized, and his withered old face became as peaceful as a deep sleep.

".Father!"

Feng Ping cried miserably, propped himself up and kowtowed heavily.

Soon, there was a wailing sound in the Taishi Mansion.
In early July of the first year of Xiande in the Great Zhou Dynasty, Taishi, Zhongshu Ling, Tong Zhongshu's disciple Ping Zhangshi, and Qi Guogong Feng Dao died of illness.

The next day, an edict came from the palace, posthumously conferring Feng Dao the title of King of Ying, Shangshu Ling, and the posthumous title "Wenyi". At the same time, Feng Dao's eldest son Feng Ping was granted the title of Duke of Yan, and Prime Minister Zheng Renjie was ordered to be responsible for organizing Feng Dao's funeral. After leaving the court for three days, the Feng family was in full mourning and glory.

The Feng family mourned for seven days, and Feng Ping Fuling sent his father back to his hometown in Jingcheng, Cangzhou for burial.

~~~
In the Kunning Hall, when Zhu Xiu arrived with a golden ring of talismans, Chai Rong was holding his young son in his arms and laughing, and his laughter resounded throughout the hall.

Fu Jinzhan sat aside, sewing clothes for the child with his own hands, looking at the father and son from time to time, his eyes full of tenderness and affection.

"Zhu Xiu and the second sister are here, please give me a seat! You are here just in time. We will have dinner together later." Chai Rong said with a smile. "Sister!" Fu Jinhuan called out, and was about to run forward with his skirt in hand, but Zhu Xiu grabbed him and forced her to perform the worship ceremony meticulously.

Chai Rong teased: "Look, queen, I just said that this kid Zhu Xiu is inevitably sour and Confucian. No wonder the late emperor often laughed and called Wei Renpu a sour scholar when he was alive."

Fu Jinzhan smiled and waved to Fu Jinhuan: "Huan'er, come here quickly. Come back to the palace, there is no need to salute! If Zhu Xiu likes to kneel, let him do it himself!"

Fu Jinhuan gave a sweet smile, rolled his eyes at Zhu Xiu, and ran to Fu Jinzhan to sit down. The two sisters cuddled against each other, so affectionate.

Zhu Xiu grinned and said sternly: "Your Majesty and the Queen, this is wrong! "The Analects of Confucius" says that 'rituals cannot be abolished'. This is the rule of the imperial court."

"Okay, okay!" Before he finished speaking, Chai Rong interrupted impatiently, and said with a smile: "Those high-sounding words should be saved and written in the Tokyo Times, so that those scholars and Confucian scholars can look up to the current Wenzong, Zhu The literary talent of the great talent is excellent!"

Zhu Xiu looked proud and forced to be humble, and said with a smile: "I made your majesty laugh, but I don't deserve such praise!"

Chai Rong pursed his lips and snorted coldly, shaking his head in disgust.

During this period of time, while busy with the funeral for the Feng family, Zhu Xiu also summed up the results of the Battle of Hedong and published an article on the Tokyo Times entitled "On Gaoping's Great Victory - The Holy Son of Heaven's Glorious Merit" , which aroused heated discussions between the government and the public, and also led to a new round of hot sales in the Tokyo Times, and its influence has expanded rapidly. Luoyang in Xijing, Chang'an in Jingzhao, Bozhou in Huaibei, Suzhou in Hebei, Weizhou in Hebei and other places have played, requesting the court to open it in various places as soon as possible. Tokyo Times, so that officials and scribes from all over the world can keep abreast of the trends in Kyoto.

Mr. Siyou's name once again spread throughout the world.

In this article, Zhu Xiu uses a dramatic writing style to describe the Battle of Bagongyuan in detail. The writing is so vivid and real that it makes people feel like they are personally there.

There are several ups and downs in a battle, and the reading is thrilling, full of enthusiasm, and I can't wait to abandon my pen and pick up my knife, and follow the emperor to fight the enemy.

Zhu Xiu also gave a slightly exaggerated close-up of how Liu Chong of the Northern Han Dynasty fled in embarrassment, and how the Khitan general Yelu Dilu betrayed his trust and abandoned his allies to escape alone. Instead, he fell into a heavy ambush by the Zhou army and was finally defeated and died.

In contrast, how wise and powerful the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty was, how heroic generals such as Li Chongjin, Zhang Yongde, Shi Yanchao, Bai Chongzan, Wang Yanchao, Han Tong, Xiang Xun, Shi Shouxin, Ma Renyu, and Zhao Kuangyin fought against the enemy.

For a time, these people became famous and became a hot topic among the people in the capital.

What's more, some good people arranged a list of the generals of the Great Zhou Dynasty in various palaces, compared the generals' martial arts and strategies, and ranked them as superior and weak.

All the generals had their own admirers, and for a while there were endless quarrels in the streets and alleys.

As for Zhu Xiu himself, there is only one thing that stands out in this article, that is, he proposed to set up ambushes at Jiangzhuling and Diaohuangling.

At the end of the article, Zhu Xiu analyzed the impact of the Hedong War on the Zhou Dynasty, Northern Han Dynasty, Khitan and all parties in the world, and put forward a vague outline of the future direction of the world situation. , arousing widespread resonance among scholars and court officials.

Although it did not specify which force would unify the country, the article boasted Zhou and Chai Rong to a height that no one could reach, and the implication was quite obvious.

After all, the unification of the world must be achieved by the Central Plains dynasty. The separatist land in a corner of peace has no future after all. People of insight, come and join us, the Great Zhou Dynasty!
With this colorful and insightful article, Zhu Xiu won the reputation of "the literary master of the world".

Since the establishment of the Tokyo Times, Chai Rong has read every issue, even more carefully than the Tokyo Times. Naturally, he has read this sensational article again and again.

Firstly, he enjoyed the praise and adulation in the article, and secondly, as an emperor, the many metaphors and strategic concepts revealed in the article were refreshing to him and very helpful in thinking about the world situation.

Chai Rong handed the child over to the wet nurse and asked Zhu Xiu to sit in front of him. He smiled and said, "The article is well written, but it's just too much flattery. A small victory is not enough to praise one's virtues. I'll write more about the actual situation in the future!"

Zhu Xiu bowed hurriedly and said: "I just polished it a little, and there is no exaggeration! The Battle of Hedong can not only show the power of our Zhou army, but also use this victory to boost the confidence of the people. There are many places that can be used. We must do a good job in publicity!”

Chai Rong smiled and nodded.

According to Chai Rong's temperament, he originally disdained to use this kind of thing to promote merit.

However, judging from the current feedback, as soon as Zhu Xiu's article was published, the government and the public responded enthusiastically, and the support of the military and public opinion for the court reached a new height.

Chai Rong was also happy to see the results and allowed Zhu Xiu to go ahead and do it.

It just so happened that Zhu Xiu could take advantage of his position in Zhongshu Sheren to coordinate various ministries and envoys to publish the latest issue of the Imperial Palace Newspaper, specifically publish this article, and then publicize the results of the Hedong battle so that all the vassals, towns, states and counties could know about it. How Zhou showed his power in Hedong.

For example, the Khitan army gathered at Xinkou to threaten Taiyuan and forced the Zhou army to withdraw. The Zhou army was trapped under the city of Taiyuan due to heavy rain and lack of food and grass. There was also a scandal of plundering nearby people. Naturally, it was described lightly and in the style of Spring and Autumn Period.

To sum up, the reason why the Great Zhou Dynasty failed to destroy the Northern Han Dynasty was that firstly, the weather was unfavorable and supplies were blocked; secondly, the people in Hedong were in decline and suffering. The emperor took pity on them and could not bear to let the people suffer from the war anymore, so he finally issued an edict to withdraw his troops.

This war, initiated by Liu Chong and the Khitan people in collusion, ended with the Zhou army's glorious victory and retreat.

His division was famous and invincible. He beheaded two generals of the enemy, and made the invading enemy flee back in panic.

In particular, the execution of the Khitan political envoy Yelu Dilu made the people feel bad.

When Yelu Deguang went south to destroy the Jin Dynasty, the people still clearly remember the evil he did in the Central Plains of Hebei.

This kind of deep hatred that is engraved in the bones is probably unforgettable.

Chai Rong smiled and said: "After reading your article, I feel more and more that the imperial court should have a unified understanding of the future path of progress.

I thought that by collecting the opinions of the government and the public, I would personally propose the questions to test the officials of my great Zhou Dynasty on their views on the general trend of the world. "

Zhu Xiudao: "What does your majesty mean, let all the ministers offer their opinions and suggestions, and each express his own opinion?"

"That's right!" Chai Rong said enthusiastically, "Unifying the world is my business, and it is also the business of the officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty. As a man in troubled times, he should take responsibility for this!"

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Your Majesty is so arrogant. I passed the Hedong Battle in the Great Zhou Dynasty and gathered the hearts of the people. Both the army and the people have expectations for the Great Zhou Dynasty to unify the world. It is really a time when the hearts of the people and the army can be used!"
I wonder, does your Majesty have a specific title for this article? "

Chai Rong thought for a while, and said with a smile: "Just write two articles, one is called "It's Difficult to Be a King and It's Not Easy to Be a Minister", and the other is called "Strategy for Ping Bian"!"

"Oh?" Zhu Xiu was surprised for a moment, and then couldn't help stroking her hands and smiling:

"This proposition is grand but does not lose the core idea. It is easy to think about and write, but it is not easy to write well! For Baiguan, this is a test that is difficult to deal with easily!"

Chai Rong said with great expectation: "I just want to test the officials of my great Zhou Dynasty to see how many rotten and mediocre people there are, and how many good talents and beautiful jade there are who can be promoted!"

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(End of this chapter)