The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 559: Chuzhou’s sudden change
At the ancient crossing of Jiangyin, Zhu Xiu led the Zhou army to send more than [-] large and small warships across the river to rescue the besieged Wu Yue army.

Chen Decheng, the general of the Tang army, saw that the Zhou army's warships were densely packed, the military appearance was neat, and the sails on the river were blocking the sky. It was difficult to judge the strength of the Zhou army for a while, so he decisively ordered the withdrawal. The Tang army retreated to Qu'a along the water and land, and the siege of Jiangyin was resolved without a fight.

King Qian Hongchu of Wuyue specially led more than a hundred civil and military officials from Suzhou to Jiangyin, and held a banquet on a huge ship to entertain the Zhou generals headed by Zhu Xiu.

The moon is high in the sky, the lights on the buildings and boats are bright, Wuyue singers are singing and dancing, and beautiful music is heard.

Qian Hongchu, King of Wuyue, was wearing a wide purple robe and a black gauze bundt. He was sitting in the center of the throne. Next to him was a beautiful girl wearing a palace skirt and a shawl on her shoulders, revealing a touch of snow-white on her chest.

When they met, Qian Hongchu specially introduced to Zhu Xiu that this was his eldest daughter, who was named the Princess of Jialing and her maiden name was Yushu.

Since the founding of the country, Wu Yue has always regarded itself as a vassal state of the Central Plains Dynasty. Its diplomatic line is simple and practical. Whoever becomes the emperor in the Central Plains will submit to whoever is the strongest, and whoever is the strongest will be a vassal and pay tribute.

Internally, Qian Hongchu still acted like an emperor, calling himself "I". He established three provinces and six ministries according to the Central Plains court model, and it was like a country within a country.

Princess Jialing should be called Princess Jialing in Wuyue country.

The spacious cabin was decorated as a banquet hall. A group of concubines dressed in feathered animal skins dressed as Jingchu barbarians, with ink on their faces and holding swords, guns and shields, were performing a Nuo opera in the middle of the banquet hall.

Jianghuai, Jiangnan, Wuyue and other places seem to be quite popular with this kind of dance originating from ancient sacrificial ceremonies.

The generals and officials of Wu Yue Kingdom watched with great interest, and Mi Xin's eyes widened, like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world, and he clapped his hands in wonder from time to time.

Zhu Xiu had a smile on her face and a calm expression. Qian Hongchu glanced at him from time to time, but there was no unnecessary emotion on his face at all.

Qian Hongchu was secretly shocked. He had such profound qi-nurturing skills at such a young age. He was worthy of being a powerful figure who became the deputy commander-in-chief of Zhou Zhengnan in his twenties.

Many Wu and Yue officials took the initiative to raise their glasses to Zhu Xiu. Zhu Xiu welcomed everyone with a smile and drank more than a dozen glasses of wine without changing his expression. Qian Hongchu also smiled and praised his unfathomable drinking capacity.

Zhu Xiu said a few polite words and regained her composure.

After all, he was someone who could drink with Li Chongjin, Zhao Kuangyin and Qiu Ba. How could he be easily drunk?

Sitting next to Qian Hongchu, Qian Yushu, the owner of Jialing County, gave food and wine to his father with his own hands, and secretly looked at Zhu Xiu with a pair of talking Qiushui pupils from time to time.

Qian Hongchu said with a low smile: "Shu'er might as well go and offer a glass of wine to Duke Zhu."

Qian Yushu's bright eyes flashed, seeming a little confused as to why her father asked her to take the initiative to propose a toast.

Qian Yushu's face turned red and she said softly: "I heard that Duke Zhu has a talent that is unparalleled in the past and is outstanding in the present. His poetry is even more outstanding. My daughter wants to ask for advice."

Qian Hongchu twisted his beard and smiled: "Go ahead."

Qian Yushu poured herself a glass of wine, held up the jade cup and moved gently to the front of Zhu Xiuchang's case.

That graceful figure not only attracted Zhu Xiu's attention, but also attracted most of the eyes in the banquet hall.

Zhu Xiu's heart suddenly flashed, and he glanced at Qian Hongchu, who was smiling and saying nothing. He didn't know what the King of Wuyue had in mind.

"I have met the princess." Zhu Xiu stood up and bowed.

Qian Yushu blushed, raised her wine glass and said with a smile: "The Duke of Zhu is famous all over the world. His old works such as "Xue Fu", "Farewell to Friends", "Partridge Sky" and other famous works have been read by my little daughter one by one. In the end, What I like most is the phrase 'Dancing low in the heart of the willow tower and the moon, singing to the wind under the peach blossom fan. After seeing each other again, we meet again. I share my dreams with you several times.'

Seeing the real person today is a fulfillment of my heart, so here is a glass of Boji Zhu Jungong! "

That delicate and timid voice was so intoxicating that Zhu Xiu couldn't help but look at her a few more times. She was really a peerless beauty with bright eyes, white teeth, and bright eyes.

A Yin Hongtan mouth can easily name a series of poems, and can also recite famous lines. It seems that the princess of Jialing is not talking about the scene, and has indeed read Zhu Xiu's poems and prose in private.

Zhu Xiu was naturally happy to be able to gain such a beautiful fan girl, and said with a smile: "My humble works can be appreciated by the princess, and it is not in vain that they can appear in this world."

Qian Yushu pursed her lips and smiled, thinking that what Zhu Xiu said was interesting.

At that moment, the two toasted to each other, their eyes met, and they drank a full glass of wine.

Qian Yushu's cheeks were rosy, and even her snow-white neck was stained with red frost. Her eyes fell on Zhu Xiu like water, and she seemed reluctant to move away.

It wasn't until a gong sounded during the Nuo opera in the hall that she woke up. She felt ashamed for her gaffe. After bending her knees and saluting, she hurriedly returned to sit down next to her father.

Zhu Xiu couldn't help laughing, this little lady is really interesting.

Qian Hongchu saw everything in his eyes, twirling his beard and smiling, and there was something unfathomable in the depths of his eyes.

In terms of age, Qian Hongchu is less than 30 years old this year, and he has been on the throne for exactly ten years.

Under his rule, Wu Yue has maintained economic prosperity and people's livelihood is stable.

Buddhism is the state religion of Wuyue. Perhaps due to the influence of Buddhism, the Qian family treated the people kindly and tolerantly, and the overall civil environment in Wuyue was relatively relaxed.

But also influenced by Buddhism, the prosperous Wuyue court spent a lot of manpower and material resources on building temples and supporting monks.

Restricted by its geographical environment, it was difficult for the Wuyue Kingdom to develop. The ability to maintain the Qian family's rule mostly relied on the support of the people gained from the Qian family's efforts to protect the environment and the people in Wu and Fujian for more than fifty years.

Qian Hongchu saw clearly that since the Zhou army went south, it had been invincible and it was only a matter of time before it captured the fourteen states in Huainan.

The Southern Tang Dynasty, which ruled the Jianghuai area for a while, met the truly powerful soldiers and horses of the Northern Dynasty. They were as weak as a group of beautiful girls covered in light gauze, and they could only be picked at their will.

Without the Huainan barrier, the Southern Tang Dynasty would enter a slow death stage, and its survival time would depend on when the Zhou army crossed the river.

Qian Hongchu couldn't help but sigh in his heart, the dawn of world unification finally appeared in the Zhou Dynasty.

His mood was extremely complicated. On the one hand, the Qian family's thought of respecting Zhengshuo of the Central Plains, which has been passed down through the generations, deeply affected him. On the other hand, he could not help but worry that if Wuyue really came under the rule of the Central Plains court in the future, the Qian family would How to handle yourself?
United with the Southern Tang Dynasty to fight against the Great Zhou Dynasty?

It's not that Qian Hongchu didn't think about it, he just weighed the pros and cons. Southern Tang and Wu Yue had been feuding for generations, and it was impossible to put aside the old grudges and work together.

Such an alliance is like a piece of loose sand, so don’t let it go.

Wu Yue's soldiers and horses found it difficult to deal with the Tang army, but in the areas north of the Yangtze River and Huainan, nearly [-] of the Tang army's elites had been killed so far.

After more than a year of reorganization, the Zhou army's combat power is evident.

Qian Hongchu and his small court had no confidence in resisting the Great Zhou Dynasty.

He also did not want to destroy the reputation of benevolence accumulated by the Qian family over the years and let the people under his rule suffer the war.

A Zhou Military Commander hurriedly walked into the banquet hall, walked quickly to Zhu Xiu's side, leaned over and whispered a few words.

Zhu Xiuhao stood up and lifted the long table in front of her. The cups, plates and bowls placed on the table clinked loudly.

The singing and dancing in the banquet hall suddenly stopped. Everyone looked at each other and focused their eyes on Zhu Xiu. They didn't know what happened to make the young commander of the Zhou army look so ugly.

Qian Hongchu stared slightly, and asked in a questioning and concerned tone: "Mr. Zhu, do you have something important to do?" Zhu Xiu forced a smile, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, the war in Jiangbei has changed, I will cross the river and return immediately!"

Qian Hongchu nodded, "In that case, I won't force you to stay. Let Luo Yanshuai, the commander of the Jiangyin fleet, send Duke Zhu off! Gu has prepared [-] stones of food and grass, [-] cattle and sheep, and a military tent for the king's division." Thousands of crowns will be sent to the north of the Yangtze River together."

"Thank you so much for your reward, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is so generous, I will definitely give it to the Emperor of Heaven!" Zhu Xiu saluted, then bowed his hands to the Wuyue officials and generals, and called Mi Xinshi, Xiangwen and others to leave in a hurry.

After Zhu Xiu and his entourage left, Qian Hongchu naturally stopped thinking about the banquet and ordered his ministers to have a banquet and have fun on their own. He took Qian Yushu off the ship and landed, preparing to return to Suzhou in a carriage.

On the carriage, Qian Yushu obediently massaged her father's shoulders and asked softly: "Father, I see that the soldiers of the Zhou army are no different from the children of Wu and Yue. Why can they defeat the Tang army and retreat? It was said before that the Northern Dynasties people All of them have green faces, fangs, and ferocious looks, but it turns out they are all fake."

Qian Hongchu closed his eyes and said with a smile: "The Northern Dynasty has been at war for many years. Not only did it have to face civil war, but it also faced Khitan invasion. Naturally, the people developed a habit of being fierce.

The Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty had prepared the imperial army since the Battle of Gaoping. He selected brave men and trained continuously in the cold and summer. The combat power of the Zhou army was naturally superhuman. "

Qian Yushu said with a smile: "It is said that Wu and Yue are rich, and we, the children of Wuzhong, do not need to be sent to the Northern Dynasty. My father also followed the example of Emperor Zhou in training his troops. In the future, we will not have to worry about the Tang army bullying us."

"Haha~" Qian Hongchu laughed dumbly, "Wu Yue relied on sea trade to barely accumulate wealth, but compared with Great Monday, this wealth is far from enough.

Land and population are important factors in the rise and fall of a dynasty.The Great Zhou Dynasty has gained two-thirds of the world, and the unification of the country and the mountains is the people's aspiration, and no one can stop it.

The Southern Tang Dynasty, Shu Kingdom, Southern Han Dynasty, Jingnan and Wuyue will eventually fall under the rule of the Central Plains Dynasty. "

Qian Yushu's eyes widened, and she asked in surprise, "Father, you mean that when the Great Zhou perished in the Southern Tang Dynasty, he would come to beat us?"

Qian Hongchu gently stroked her bun and said with a smile: "That's not necessarily the case. Emperor Zhou has the appearance of a holy king and is also a benevolent Lord to the people. As long as we remain obedient, we can barely survive for a while. Wait until the situation becomes irresistible.”

Qian Hongchu paused and did not continue.

Qian Yushu looked at him nervously with bright eyes.

"Hehe, don't worry, my father will not let the people of Wuyue suffer from the flames of war in vain." Qian Hongchu sighed lightly.

Qian Yushu clasped her hands together and muttered softly: "With the blessing of Bodhisattva, the war will be far away from the people, and the peace between the two countries will remain as before."

~~~
On the warship back to Jiangbei, Zhu Xiu's face was ashen.

Hu Guangyue gritted his teeth and said: "The Tang army crossed the river from Baisha Ferry at night. According to the report of Wude Inspector, this Tang army all wore Zhou army uniforms and carried the banner of Huai Army. They marched very fast and avoided villages and towns along the way. After bypassing Tianchang County, we went straight to Chuzhou.

The Liuhe and Tianchang garrisons discovered the movements of the Tang army early and mistakenly thought it was the mobilization of our troops, so they did not send anyone to investigate carefully.

When Shi Jieshuai's request for help was sent to Tianchang, he learned that the Tang army was attacking from two sides and defeated our army at Baima Lake in Chuzhou. Shi Jieshuai fought with his last ditch and was besieged in the reed field by the lake. Tian Chongjin led his army to break through and fled to Duliang Mountain and was captured by Si. Rescued by the state garrison."

Zhu Xiu was furious, and slapped the ship's side fiercely: "Who is stationed in Liuhe? It's so negligent, and the enemy's passing through the border doesn't even notice it?"

Hu Guangyue smiled bitterly and said: "Zhao Kuangyin led his army back to Chuzhou and left Han Chongyun to garrison Liuhe."

Zhu Xiu gritted his teeth: "Han Chongyun! It's this guy again! If Lao Shi has any shortcomings, I will kill him to sacrifice the flag!"

Shi Kuangwei and thousands of troops suppressing Huai were in danger of being attacked from both sides in Chuzhou, which inevitably made him anxious.

Shi Kuangwei's importance in Zhu Xiu's heart is unimaginable to outsiders. He is both father-in-law and father. His achievements today are inseparable from Lao Shi's earnest teachings in Jingzhou.

The Suppressing Huai Army was composed of soldiers from Huainan, and they had been training in Suzhou for more than a year. Zhu Xiu went with them for food, accommodation, and every casualty of the Suppressing Huai Army was a great loss to him.

Today, both are mired in the Chuzhou quagmire.

"Order Han Lingkun to take charge of Yangzhou, and I will personally lead the army to Chuzhou for rescue! Then I will mobilize Sizhou soldiers and horses to rush to Baima Lake quickly, and then order Chuzhou Zhao Kuangyin to divide his troops to rescue!"

Zhu Xiu gritted his teeth and shouted sharply.

Hu Guangyue, Mi Xin and others were trembling with fear and loudly accepted the order.

~~~
In Liuhe County, Zhao Kuangyin rushed here as soon as he received the urgent report from Chuzhou.

"The Tang army crossed the river from Baisha Ferry in disguise. Why didn't they send someone to report to me?"

Zhao Kuangyin summoned the generals and looked around them with sharp eyes.

Han Chongyun stood up hesitantly and said: "General Qi, this matter was caused by my negligence. I thought it was Deputy Commander Zhu Xiukeke who was mobilizing troops without informing us in advance."

"Confused!" Zhao Kuangyin was furious, not caring about his old feelings, pointed at him unceremoniously and reprimanded: "As the general of Liuhe, the enemy troops crossed the border under your nose, and you didn't send anyone to find out the reason. You were negligent. Responsibility should be punished by death!"

Han Chongyun was taken aback, and hurriedly said: "Yuan Long, this matter is my fault, I will confess to beating you and punishing you, and the death penalty is serious."

"Shut up! The military doesn't talk about private affairs, only military orders!" Zhao Kuangyin glared at him fiercely.

Han Chongyun was hairy all over. Knowing that Zhao Kuangyin was really angry this time, he lowered his head and did not dare to say anything.

"Mobilize troops and horses, I will personally lead the troops to Chuzhou for rescue!" Zhao Kuangyin shouted sharply.

All the capital schools did not dare to delay. They accepted the order in unison and went down to prepare.

Zhao Kuangyin pointed at Han Chongyun and cursed: "Go back to Chuzhou. From today on, you are not allowed to step out of the house!"

Han Chongyun didn't dare to talk too much and left the main hall in dejection.

When the crowd dispersed, Zhao Kuangyin turned around and clasped his fists at Zhao Hongyin and said, "Let my father command the rest of the soldiers and horses to sit in Chuzhou."

Zhao Hongyin smiled bitterly and said: "I never expected that when the Tang army came, Shi Kuangwei would be in trouble in Chuzhou."

Zhao Kuangyin was worried: "If that's true, I won't be able to protect Han Chongyun."

Zhao Hongyin was shocked: "Why, if Shi Kuangwei is defeated and dies, Zhu Xiu still dares to kill Han Chongyun to vent his anger?"

Zhao Kuangyin glanced at his father and said, "He is recruiting the deputy envoy, a dignified deputy commander, why don't you dare?"

Zhao Hong said hurriedly: "In the previous victory at Wukou, Han Chongyun was commended by His Majesty for his bravery in battle and was awarded the fifth rank of Jingfu Palace Envoy. Even if Zhu Xiu is the deputy commander, he is not qualified to handle it without authorization, right?"

Zhao Kuangyin smiled bitterly and said: "Father still doesn't understand Zhu Xiu very well. Besides, Shi Kuangwei is special in his heart. If there is any mistake, Zhu Xiu will never swallow his anger. Alas~ I just hope that it won't be too bad in Chuzhou."

Zhao Hongyin was stunned and speechless. This was the first time he had seen Zhao Kuangyin so worried.

Outside the hall, Zhao Kuangyi hid behind a pillar, his heart raised in his throat.

He was also an insider when Tang Jun crossed the border in disguise. Although he was a little confused at the time, Han Chongyun insisted not to report it, and he said nothing more.

Unexpectedly, just such a negligence caused the Zhou army's offensive in Chuzhou to face a heavy setback and even be in danger of destruction!

(End of this chapter)