The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 537 Tao Gu steals the chicken
After leaving Daqing Gate, Zhu Xiu and Fu Jinhuan took their own carriage, while Bi Zhenhai drove back home.

In the carriage, Fu Jinhuan lay lazily on Zhu Xiu's lap and said leisurely: "I feel envious when I see my sister holding the little prince in her arms. I don't know when I will be able to hold my own child."

Zhu Xiu gently rubbed her delicate and smooth face, and said with a chuckle: "Who makes your belly feel inferior? You are the one who has slept with your husband the most, but when Yan'er gave birth to Yuanyuan, you still didn't make any move."

Fu Jinhuan sat up and stared at him angrily, his bright eyes quickly turning red and tears welling up in his eyes.

"Okay, don't tell me, don't cry!" Zhu Xiu quickly surrendered and begged for mercy, smiling and hugging his beloved wife into his arms again.

Fu Jinhuan pouted in aggrieved and depressed manner, wiped away tears, and soon kept yawning, full of sleepiness.

"Recently, for some reason, I feel tired easily, always want to sleep, and can't wake up in the morning. Could it be that I'm sick?" Fu Jinhuan rubbed his shoulders, and Zhu Xiu took over wisely and massaged gently.

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "Why are you so young and have so many problems? When Qingchan comes back from the Duke of Yan's mansion, let her take your pulse."

Speaking of illness, Fu Jinhuan frowned and said worriedly: "I always feel that my sister is not looking well. I can't trust the people in the Imperial Medical Office. I'd better ask Qingchan to come to the palace as soon as possible to diagnose my sister."

Zhu Xiu smiled gently: "I listen to you."

Fu Jinhuan muttered twice, curled up in Zhu Xiu's arms, and fell asleep in a daze after a while.

The wheels squeaked softly, and the car body shook slightly, but they didn't wake her up.

Zhu Xiu closed her eyes to rest, but her mind couldn't stop for a moment.

Whether Chai Rong will allow him to intervene in the Forbidden Army's rectification affairs is not yet certain, but he can only say that he has great hope.

The Tiger Wing Army suffered serious losses this time, but because of their tenacious combat style and the flexible cooperation of the three-person combat squad, Chai Rong and many generals were interested.

On the Bagong Plain, it was Shi Yanchao who led the Tiger Wing Army infantry to form the first front against the Northern Han soldiers' attack. The figure of fighting to the death and never retreating made Chai Rong, who was watching the battle on Gao Gang, extremely moved.

The Tiger Wing Army was trained by Zhu Xiu, and Chai Rong and the imperial court highly recognized his ability in military training.

Coupled with the recommendations of Li Chongjin and Zhang Yongde, it is certain that Zhu Xiu will be appointed to the front office of the palace, but I don't know if he will be given the opportunity to organize the army.

Zhu Xiu thought about it for a while and made two preparations. In short, serving in the Palace Front Division presented many challenges and many opportunities.

~~~
Two days later, when Zhu Xiugang took Feng Qingchan home from the Grand Master's Mansion, Ma Qing came to report that Tao Gu, a regular servant of Yousanqi, was visiting.

"Long time no see, Mr. Tao, how are you always?"

In the front hall, Zhu Xiu saw Tao Gu, and the host and guest were sitting.

After not seeing each other for a few months, Tao Gu also became darker and thinner.

This guy serves as an inspector and has just returned from a trip to the eight states of Qilu.

Tao Gu sighed and said: "Master Zhu sees that the old man has lost so much weight, how can he say anything good?"

Zhu Xiu smiled and said: "Why did Mr. Tao say this? Inspecting places has always been a good job. Even I want to go out on business and enjoy the mountains and rivers."

Tao Gu smiled bitterly: "Tao thought so at first, but His Majesty clearly stipulated a time limit and specific tasks. In three months, he will travel across eight states to investigate the population, fields, grain reserves, proportion of young and healthy, The reputation of local government and whether there are any serious wrongful convictions
Alas, with so many errands and having to be written into a book, Tao didn't dare to stop for a moment, and almost broke his legs. "

Zhu Xiu did not expect that the inspection mission sent to Qingzhou and other places would be so heavy, so he sympathized with the thin old man.

"Official duties are official duties. Tao Gong is old after all, so he can't wrong himself. He has to rest when he should. Could it be that the local government did not provide good hospitality? Didn't he serve Tao Gong well?" Zhu Xiu said with a smile.

Tao Gu waved his hands and bowed in the direction of the palace: "The Holy Emperor is in the court, and we and other ministers should serve us with all our strength. How can we dare to do it perfunctorily? 72 heads of Bagong originally fell to the ground. Who in the future will dare to slack off and not follow the emperor's edict? Seriously?"

Zhu Xiu said with a smile: "The military orders on the battlefield are like mountains, so naturally they are different. In the court, His Majesty is more tolerant towards veterans."

Tao Gu shrank his neck and said with a dry smile: "Zhu County Duke Jian is in the emperor's heart, and his feelings are naturally different from others.

Now everyone can see that His Majesty is a ruthless person and is determined to unify the world. Anyone who dares to slack off is a sinner who hinders the process of unifying the world. Even beheading is considered a light crime!
Alas, the old man seems to be working so hard, so he can only be careful and strive to live to the age of becoming an official! "

Zhu Xiu couldn't help laughing, he didn't expect Chai Rong to kill 72 generals in anger, not only the generals in the army were shocked, but even the court officials were frightened by the decisive new emperor.

They were the third and fifth commanders in the Guards Department, one of the highest-ranking generals of the Forbidden Army, and a hero of Conglong. His Majesty would behead them as soon as they were told, without any mercy.

Although the two generals were incompetent and violated the emperor's order first, this kind of public execution and Mingzheng punishment still greatly shocked all civil and military officials.

Zhu Xiu rubbed her chin and thought carefully.

Perhaps because he had already predicted the fate of the two of them, he personally didn't feel much about this matter.

However, the civil and military experience between North Korea and China is different.

Chai Rong used a miraculous victory and 72 generals' heads to announce the arrival of a new era to the world.

Even the beautiful job of inspecting local areas has been turned into a life-threatening job by an old official like Tao Gu. It is conceivable that the atmosphere in the court is indeed clean now.

Chai Rong used his iron fist and a series of personnel adjustments to tell everyone that those who are talented and willing to work can rise to high positions, while those who are untalented, unethical and sneaky will either resign and leave, or lose their official positions. Lose your head.

What the giant ship of Dazhou needs is to work together at full speed and move towards the grand cause of unifying the world. Whoever dares to fall behind will only die.

Zhu Xiu picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and said with a smile: "So, Mr. Tao has just returned to Beijing. His affairs are complicated, but he doesn't know how he has time to visit?"

Tao Gu said with a smile: "I heard that Lord Zhuxian was blessed with a thousand pieces of gold, so I came here to congratulate him!"

A gift slip slipped out of Tao Gu's sleeves and he presented it with both hands.

"Oh, Mr. Tao is so polite! When my daughter is one month old, I will ask Mr. Tao to show your respect and have a glass of thin wine!"

Zhu Xiu pretended to decline and accepted the gift list naturally. After a brief glance, Tao Gu's intention was really serious.

It seems that this guy patrolled the eight states of Qilu, and the hard work paid off, and the money and money were not in vain.

Zhu Xiu smiled and said: "Mr. Tao, you and I are our own people, and there are no outsiders here. If you have any questions, just tell us!"

Tao Gu rubbed his hands and chuckled, and whispered: "Tao does have something that I want to ask Duke Zhu! I heard that His Majesty intends to ask officials above the fifth rank in Beijing to provide suggestions. I wonder if this is possible?"

Zhu Xiu raised her eyebrows lightly and said calmly: "Yes, this is indeed the case!"

Tao Gu became more energetic and hurriedly asked: "It is rumored that Duke Zhuxian is the candidate for the chief judge?" Zhu Xiu said lightly: "It is just one of them. This public collection of good ideas can also be regarded as a big test for Beijing officials above the fifth rank. The book and disciples will take the lead, and the six departments will participate in reviewing them together. The best ones will be selected and handed over to His Majesty for his inspection."

Tao Gu said eagerly: "I wonder if Your Majesty has arranged a specific topic? How should I choose the direction of the article?"

Zhu Xiu pretended to be displeased and said: "Mr. Tao, it's inappropriate for you to ask like this! This matter has not yet been issued, and many officials are not aware of it.

According to His Majesty's wishes, he wants to find time to gather all the Beijing officials of fifth rank and above, write a topic on the spot, and then seal the title and submit it. This is more stringent than the imperial examination!
It's inappropriate for you to ask too many questions. Wouldn't it be unfair if I told you? "

Tao Gu opened his eyes wide and his eyes rolled around.

He understood what Zhu Xiu said. The question was indeed given, but he couldn't say it clearly, otherwise he would break the rules and make a mistake!
Tao Gu hurriedly slapped his mouth lightly: "I was confused for a moment and said the wrong thing. I hope Mr. Zhu County will not care about it!"

Zhu Xiu hummed lightly, picked up the tea cup and sipped lightly.

Tao Gu was quite smart, so he racked his brains and said in a low voice: "Not long ago, Zhu County Duke's beautiful article about Huanghuang's merits shocked the capital, and at this time, His Majesty wanted to summon the important ministers to give advice. I want to come Should it be related to Mr. Zhu’s article?”

Zhu Xiu smiled slightly and was noncommittal.

Tao Gu kept a close eye on Zhu Xiu, observed his facial expressions, and secretly rejoiced, thinking that he had guessed it right.

After thinking hard for a while, Tao Gu's eyes lit up and he whispered: "Your Majesty is determined to unify. Could it be that he wants the important ministers to express their opinions and agree on a strategy to attack the world?"

Zhu Xiu put down the tea cup and Tao Gu looked at him eagerly.

"Tao Gong, the purpose of the imperial court's use of troops is to unify the country, so there should be a general direction for the use of troops. Should we attack the north first to deal with the Khitans and the Northern Han Dynasty, or should we attack the south first to destroy the Tang Dynasty? Or should we attack the west to conquer the later countries? Shu Mengchang? What do you think?" Zhu Xiu asked with a smile.

Tao Gu was overjoyed, he immediately realized that his guess was right, and that the imperial court would use troops to attack the north and south in the future, which would be one of the questions in the emperor's final exam!

Tao Gu thought deeply. In fact, he was not good at military strategy, but he could still tell a few things based on his understanding of the local customs.

"I feel that if the imperial court sends troops in the future, it should not attack the Khitan first. The Khitan and the Northern Han Dynasty are one body, so the Northern Han Dynasty cannot touch it. Either go south to attack Huainan, or go west to conquer Hou Shu. Choose one of the two!"

Tao Gu looked at Zhu Xiu carefully: "I have a humble opinion, and I would like to ask Duke Zhu for advice!"

Zhu Xiu smiled, Tao Gu finally had some perspective.

Putting down the tea cup, Zhu Xiu said slowly: "What Mr. Tao said still makes sense, but specifically what should be done and why, I still have to go back and think about it again! Regarding this issue, my personal thoughts are actually very simple, just four words , South first, then North!"

Tao Gu became energetic and quickly memorized Zhu Xiu's words.

He understood that this was Zhu Xiuzai deliberately leaking the test questions to him, and he couldn't let it go unnoticed.

Zhu Xiuyu said sincerely: "Of course, the specific strategic layout cannot be generalized, we still have to make the best of the situation and make flexible adjustments!
In short, the Huainan area is densely populated and rich in products. Taking Huainan first is the most advantageous for our great Zhou Dynasty!After that, we have to look at the world situation before making further considerations. "

Zhu Xiu paused and smiled meaningfully.

Tao Gu blinked his eyes and seemed to understand something.

"May I ask Duke Zhu, is there only one question in your majesty's big exam?" Tao Gu asked again in a low voice.

Zhu Xiu's face was serious and he said in a deep voice: "As ministers, we must understand how difficult it is for Your Majesty to serve as king. It is already extremely difficult to take time out of your busy schedule to discuss with ministers how to pacify the world. How can we go too far? Is it so heavy that it makes His Majesty tired?
We and other ministers usually have official duties, so naturally we cannot waste time on the big exam. It is not easy for both the king and the minister, so we must be considerate of each other, remember this! "

Tao Gu was stunned. He understood a little, but seemed a little confused.

Zhu Xiu ignored him, said goodbye, and went back to the back house with his hands behind his back.

Ma Qing sent him out of the house with a smile, and Tao Gu could only leave with worries.

Zhu Xiu went to Shi Lingyan's house to visit his little girl, and he didn't want to talk too much with Tao Gu.

After talking about this, if Old Man Tao still can't figure it out, it can only be said that his qualifications are dull and cannot be used for much purpose.

Two days later, a decree was passed down from the palace, and the officials in Beijing of the fifth rank and above were ordered to gather in the Daqing Hall three days later. His Majesty the Emperor personally presided over a major examination for all officials.

Zhu Xiu, Zhongshu's servant, and Wang Pu, the prime minister, took the lead in the review, and officials from Zhongshu's sect and the six ministries participated in the review.

Except for court officials with the title of Tongping Zhangshi, all other officials must take the major examination.

As soon as the news came out, the government and the public were shocked. After all, such a major test for officials is very rare.

Because of Zhu Xiu's intervention, this exam was larger and more formal than the one in history.

The purpose is not only to ask the officials to give their advice and suggestions, but also to test the intellectual level of the officials in the capital. Whether they are mules or horses, they have to be led out for a ride.

After the exam, it will be clear who has real talent and knowledge and who is just a piece of embroidery pillow.

All the officials complained endlessly, but they didn't expect that they could not live in peace after working so hard to become an official.

I am writing under the personal supervision of His Majesty the Emperor. The key is that I don’t know the title yet, which makes people feel uneasy~
On that day, various people came to visit with various names, Zhu Xiu had expected this situation long ago, before the palace's decree came out, he took his wife and daughter to invite Li Chongjin's family and went out of the city to play.

By the way, it also let Feng Qingchan relax.

Feng Dao died of illness, and she and Feng Ping, her father and daughter, were perhaps the most saddened people in the Feng family.

Li Chongjin's position has also been changed. He was transferred to the German Army Jiedushi, added Tongping Zhangshi, and became the envoy. He will be sent to Bozhou in the near future.

He also serves as the commander-in-chief of the guards and pro-army forces, and is still nominally the supreme commander of the guards and pro-army forces.

But everyone knew that once he was transferred from Feng, this official title would only be a blessing, and he would not hold real power at all.

The Dianqian Division was established and a major overhaul of the Forbidden Army was imminent. However, Li Chongjin left the capital at a critical moment and went to Bozhou to take up his post, which makes people think a lot.

Zhu Xiu had no knowledge of this matter and did not find out until the imperial court issued an official decree.

And as far as he knew, Chai Rong only summoned Li Chongjin into the palace before making this decision. The two chatted for most of the night, and Li Chongjin left the palace at dawn the next day.

Apart from this, Chai Rong has not discussed it with anyone.

As the news spread, rumors spread across the capital, which was very detrimental to Li Chongjin.

(End of this chapter)