The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 123 The Death of Xu Xingsi

At dawn, on the south bank of the Pushui River, a remnant army of less than a hundred people fled in panic.

Behind him, Wei Hu and Pang Guangsheng led more than fifty cavalry in hot pursuit.

This cavalry team was all Wei Hu's elite, and everyone was very good at riding and shooting. They could shoot with bows and arrows, and all the remaining soldiers who fell behind became targets.

Xu Xingsi whipped his horsewhip desperately and looked back in panic, only to see the pursuers under the banner of Zhangyi approaching.

The black gauze that wrapped his head had already fallen off while walking through the woods, and his robes were torn to pieces by branches. Xu Xingsi wanted to cry but had no tears. He had been an official for many years and had never been so embarrassed.

"Stop them! Hurry! Hurry!~" Xue Xiuliang held the knife in his hand and followed Xu Xingsi, roaring with panic on his face, driving the guards to intercept the pursuers for him.

The knife in his hand is not used to kill the enemy, but to threaten the guards who want to escape. If anyone dares to flee, he will kill them with a knife.

Unfortunately, the more he pressed, the more the guards around him fled.

What's more, they abandoned their horses and jumped into the Pushui River, preferring to be washed away by the rushing water rather than fighting the pursuers.

Xue Xiuliang was so angry that he yelled and cursed, but to no avail.

Xu Xingsi looked at the Xue family guards fleeing in all directions, and suddenly thought of something.

Why was he running for his life like a dog?

The traitor Zhang Yijun wants to hunt down is the Xue family. What does it have to do with him?
Even if Shi Kuangwei hates himself, it is unlikely that he will kill him ruthlessly.

Since he couldn't use the protection of the Xue family to escape back to Chang'an, he might as well just surrender and talk to Shi Kuangwei.

He is the dignified salt envoy of the capital of Jingzhou, an official of the imperial court, and a confidant of the royal capital supervisor. How dare Shi Kuangwei let his generals kill him?
"Hey~" Thinking of this, Xu Xingsi tightened the reins decisively and stopped the horse.

Xue Xiuliang also followed closely and reined in his horse, sweating profusely and saying: "General Xu, run away! I'll stop the pursuers for you!"

Xu Xingsi took a few breaths and said coldly: "You'd better run for your life as soon as possible. Don't worry about me. Shi Kuangwei doesn't dare to harm my life. Since I can't run away, I won't run away."

"You~" Xue Xiuliang was stunned and choked to the point of speechlessness.

Xu Xingsi said coldly: "Don't blame me for not being trustworthy. I asked the court for your Xue family, and ran from Chang'an to Jingzhou. I stayed there for more than a month, and my kindness has been exhausted. I only blame your Xue family for not being rich. Even if Shi Converse is in deep trouble, he can still find a way to resolve it. This may be God's will!"

Xu Xingsi turned the horse's head and said, "For the sake of your filial piety to the Xue family for many years, if you can save your life, come to me in Chang'an. I will take you to see the Wangdu Superintendent, and maybe I can reward you with a job to make a living."

Xue Xiuliang gritted his teeth, stared fiercely at Xu Xingsi's back, his eyes gleamed fiercely.

He thought of what Xue Xiuming said.

As a last resort, take Xu Xingsi as a hostage.

Xu Xingsi is Wang Jun's man, and Shi Kuangwei may not dare to touch him.

He shouted loudly and the prancing horse rushed forward. Xu Xingsi looked back and saw Xue Xiuliang stabbed the horse under his crotch with a knife, and the horse neighed miserably and fell to the ground.

Xu Xingsi screamed and was thrown to the ground with his body and his horse. One of his legs was crushed. He screamed in pain and panic and crawled back using his hands and feet.

Just at this moment, Wei Hu led his troops to catch up. Xue Xiuliang rushed forward and tightened Xu Xingsi's neck, with the tip of the knife pressed against his lower back.

"Ahem~~ You... you're crazy!" Xu Xingsi tried desperately to open Xue Xiuliang's arm and cursed hoarsely as if he couldn't breathe.

Xue Xiuliang ignored it and yelled at Wei Hu: "Let me go! Otherwise, kill him now!"

Wei Hu raised his hand to signal his men to stop, got off his horse, and walked a few steps forward.

"Stop! Stop!" Xue Xiuliang shouted.

Xu Xingsi was almost strangled, his face turned red from the pain, and he called Wei Hu for help with trembling hands: "Help me~~Help me~"

Wei Hu raised his head and laughed a few times. He took the bow and arrow from a tooth soldier, drew the bow and shot, and hit Xu Xingsi's thigh with an arrow.

Xu Xingsi cried out in pain and almost fainted.

Xue Xiuliang was so frightened that the knife in his hand fell to the ground with a clang. He let go of Xu Xingsi and stepped back in panic.

Xu Xingsi covered his neck with one hand and held his legs with the other, lying on the ground howling in pain.

"Kill him, do it!" Wei Hu took out a feather arrow, put it on the bowstring, and slowly raised it to aim at Xue Xiuliang.

"If you don't kill him, I will kill you!"

Xue Xiuliang felt cold sweat protruding from his forehead, and his legs trembled uncontrollably: "Crazy. They're all fucking crazy"

"Whoops!~" The string moved and the arrow came out. The iron arrow cluster was nailed in front of Xue Xiuliang's body, causing mud to fly and the arrow's tail feathers to tremble.

Wei Hu slowly nocked another arrow and said with a smile: "Only one of you two can leave alive today, choose for yourself!"

Xue Xiuliang's face turned pale, and he bent down tremblingly to pick up the knife.

A large amount of blood dripped from Xu Xingsi's body, and he screamed in horror: "I am an official of the imperial court, and I have been ordered to carry out errands. If you dare to kill me, the imperial court will not let you go! The king, the capital supervisor, will definitely avenge me!~"

Wei Hu sneered contemptuously, and tightened the bow string a little more. The tight bow string withstood the huge force, making bursts of scalp-numbing sounds.

Pang Guangsheng brought over the captured guards of the Xue family and bowed down in front of Xue Xiuliang.

Heads rolled down one after another, and streams of dazzling crimson sprayed out. Xu Xingsi's face turned pale and he became incontinent on the spot.

Xue Xiuliang's two legs were fighting, shaking like chaff.Pang Guangsheng looked at Xue Xiuliang, then at Xu Xingsi, and whispered: "General, Xu Xingsi cannot die."

Wei Hu cast an indifferent side glance, and Pang Guangsheng felt his heart go cold. He lowered his head and did not dare to say anything more.

"One"

Wei Hu's cold voice began to count down.

Xue Xiuliang shouted in a trembling voice: "Are you really going to spare my life?"

Wei Hu shook his head and said in a low voice: "Compared to Xue Xiuming, you are far behind. No wonder the Xue family has fallen like this."

"I~" Xue Xiuliang wanted to say something else.

"Two" Wei Hu shouted in a low voice as if he was threatening his life.

Xue Xiuliang was horrified and slashed his heart with a knife. Xu Xingsi screamed and died on the spot.

In panic, Xue Xiuliang's hands were trembling and his eyes were crooked, and he slashed the back of Xu Xingsi's neck. His head was not lost, but some flesh, muscles and bones were still attached, and blood spattered out, making him look like he was dead.

Almost at the same moment, Wei Hu loosened his hand, the bow string buzzed and vibrated, and a sharp arrow shot straight out, piercing Xue Xiuliang's forehead with a pop.

Xue Xiuliang's mouth was wide open and his eyes were bulging. He didn't even have time to scream and fell straight backwards.

Wei Hu spat, threw his bow to the tooth soldiers, and stepped forward to inspect the two corpses.

Pang Guangsheng smiled bitterly and said: "Master Zhu Shaolang told us not to hurt Xu Xingsi. How should we explain this when we go back?"

Wei Hu picked up Xue Xiuliang's knife, looked at it, and said nonchalantly: "Xue Xiuliang jumped over the wall and killed Xu Xingsi. What does that have to do with us?"

Pang Guangsheng was speechless and could only sigh: "Xu Xingsi's body can't be left behind, I'll take someone to set it on fire."

"Wait!" Wei Hu stopped him, picked up Xu Xingsi's left hand, looked at it, and chopped off the wrist with a knife.

"General." Pang Guangsheng was shocked.

Wei Hu dropped the knife and said with a smile: "Burn the body."

Wei Hu summoned a close guard, wrapped his severed hand in cloth, and handed it to him: "Take this thing with you, run to Chang'an, and deliver it to Wang Jun's mansion. Then stay in Chang'an for a few more days. Inquire about Wang Jun and Li Shouzhen’s movements.”

Wei Hu took out another money bag with some broken silver in it and handed it to his bodyguard.

The guard didn't ask any more questions. He accepted the order with clasped fists, got on his horse, and headed east along the river bank.

Pang Guangsheng murmured: "Why did the general let Wang Jun know about Xu Xingsi's death?"

Wei Hu glanced at him and said nothing. He walked to the river bank and stared at the turbid and rapid water.

Pang Guangsheng stood silently behind him.

"You also think I'm not worthy to take over the Zhangyi Army?" After a long time, Wei Hu suddenly said in a deep voice.

Pang Guangsheng was shocked and knelt down on one knee: "I have never thought of being humble like this! The general has followed Shi Jieshuai for more than ten years and has made countless achievements. Of course he is qualified to succeed Shi Jieshuai!"

Wei Hu's face suddenly turned ferocious, and he roared: "But I still can't succeed in the end! Because I have the blood of Tibetans on my body, and because I have no backer, the Kaifeng court will not trust a Tibetan to sit in Jingyuan. Even Shi Kuangwei has the same concerns! So he would rather trust Zhu Xiu than me! "

Pang Guangsheng hesitated for a moment and then comforted him: "Shi Jieshuai treats the general as his adopted son and will never doubt the general's loyalty. It's just... maybe because Lord Zhu Shaolang is indeed more suitable to lead the Changyi Army than the general.

The handsome man said that to be a Jiedushi envoy, you not only have to lead troops to fight, but also know how to deal with the court and various bureaucrats. Mr. Zhu Shaolang is extremely talented and has many connections. If he leads the Zhangyi Army, he may be able to make the brothers Life is better”

Wei Hu was silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed. Not long after the laughter spread, it was drowned out by the sound of the rushing river.

"Zhu Xiu is indeed a character, even I can't help admiring him." Wei Hu admired him sincerely.

"But, he shouldn't have come to Jingzhou and taken away what should have belonged to me!" Wei Hu gritted his teeth and growled, with a fierce look in his eyes.

"I want to see how he will develop and expand the Changyi Army. However, it is not that easy for him to take over the position of Jiedushi safely. He cannot get rid of Wang Jun's trouble easily." Wei Hu sneered.

Pang Guangsheng sighed bitterly, thinking that Wei Hu might be a little crazy.

Wei Hu stared at him quietly: "If one day I have to compete with Zhu Xiu, will you help me or him?"

Pang Guangsheng was stunned, then knelt down on one knee and said solemnly: "This life for me is given by the general. If the general wants me to die, Pang Guangsheng will never live longer!"

"Okay! Get up!" Wei Hu helped him up.

Pang Guangsheng clasped his fists and said with sincerity: "Even though I am humble in my position, I want to plead with the general. Don't hurt Commander Shi Jie. Everything should be done with the overall interests of the rebel army in mind. Don't let the brothers feel cold!"

Wei Hu patted him heavily on the shoulder: "Master Handsome regards me as my son, and I regard Master Handsome as my father, how can I hurt him? I have served the Zhang Yi Army for many years, and the brothers of the Zhang Yi Army are my brothers! A true man competes on the battlefield. , Establishing a successful career is not just for fame and wealth. If you succeed in the future, I will definitely not treat you badly!"

Pang Guangsheng forced a smile and muttered what he wanted to say, but in the end he didn't.

"It's my humble duty to take someone to dispose of the body." Pang Guangsheng stepped back.

"Go." Wei Hu smiled and nodded, looking at his back, his eyes slightly focused, and his hand unconsciously held the handle of the knife at his waist.

A fire ignited on the river bank, sending billowing black smoke into the sky.

Wei Hu led the cavalry back to Anding County.

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(End of this chapter)