The First Great Ancestor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 191 On the way home

Seven days later, Zhu Xiu and his entourage passed through Chang'an and met Yan Ping who was waiting here. After resting for half a day, they continued to rush to Jingzhou.

Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin were busy reorganizing the Yongxing Army, supervising the transportation of military supplies to Qizhou, and assigned Zhang Yongde to come and see him off.

The group passed through Fengtian and entered Pizhou. It took about ten days to return to Jingzhou.

Along the way, Zhu Xiu always paid attention to Fu Jinzhan's emotional changes. After all, she and Li Shouzhen and his son lived in Chang'an and Fengtian for a long time. If she got emotional, she would think of the past and feel sad.
Fortunately, Fu Jinzhan was far more open-minded than he thought, and the grudges he had with his husband's family might have completely disappeared when the three sticks of incense in front of the coffin in Puzhou City burned out.

Fu Jinzhan took the initiative to talk to him about the interesting story of the eradication of bullies in Fengtian County. She told him softly, and Zhu Xiu listened carefully.

Under the setting sun, the afterglow fell on Fu Jinzhan's beautiful face. Looking from the side, her cheeks showed golden curves, and strands of green silk were blown by the wind. When she spoke, there was a slight smile on her lips.

Zhu Xiu glanced at it inadvertently and couldn't look away again.

What a beautiful woman~
In his 20s, he is knowledgeable and knowledgeable, just like a ripe peach
"

If the second lady of the Fu family can have [-]% of the beauty of the eldest lady, we will recognize it even if she becomes a married woman
A ridiculous idea suddenly flashed in Zhu Xiu's mind, and he was startled immediately, shook his head violently to dispel it, and quickly recited the Taishang Laojun meditation mantra in his heart.
As a great time traveler and a person entrusted by the times, the biggest taboo is to be seduced by beauty!
He has more important things to do than get married.

Zhu Xiu's face was solemn, and she kept her mind upright. She rode a gray donkey and shook her chicken feather fan to disperse distracting thoughts in her heart.

Pan Mei followed behind on horseback, glanced at Fu Jinzhan, who was speaking softly, and at Zhu Xiu, who had an unnatural expression, grinning strangely.

Unable to bear it anymore, Zhu Xiu took the opportunity of talking to stare at Fu Jinzhan openly.

When she was in Cangzhou, Mrs. Fu wore armor, carried a sword, and tied up her hair in a bun. She had a heroic appearance and was full of heroic spirit. She was strong but not feminine.

After going through many hardships in Puzhou City over the past year, she is now gradually getting rid of the shackles of the past, making her whole person undergo a radiant change.

There are more smiles on her face, and they are gentler, making up for the tough side of her character, making her temperament more charming.

A beautiful woman with a story, really attractive
Zhu Xiu's eyes were dazed, and the eyes that contained pure appreciation seemed to be firmly stuck, and he could no longer move away.
"Cough! Cough~" Pan Mei suddenly coughed heavily behind her and beat her chest hard.

Fu Jinzhan turned around and looked at him. Zhu Xiu came back to his senses and looked at him suspiciously.

"A piece of old phlegm is stuck! Ahem~" Pan Mei chuckled, Zhu Xiu rolled his eyes, this guy was laughing so stupidly.

Fu Jinzhan continued to narrate some interesting folklore in Fengtian County in a voiceless voice, but Zhu Xiu listened absently.

Along the way, Zhu Xiu was pondering a question.

Why did Uncle Guo enthusiastically help him with matchmaking?
The target is the well-known family of generals, the Fu family?
After pondering for a few days, he could basically guess Uncle Guo's intention.

When Uncle Guo returns to the court this time, his merits, prestige, and popularity will reach the peak of his ministers. Looking at the Kaifeng court, there is no other courtier who can compare with him.

Uncle Guo will also replace Su Fengji and rank first among the four assistant ministers.

Correspondingly, the new imperial party forces headed by Liu Chengyou will also be directly afraid of Uncle Guo.

Uncle Guo saw through his situation after returning to the court, and urgently needed to find enough powerful forces in the court and local feudal towns to form an alliance with him and tide over the difficulties together.

With the help of important ministers such as Feng Dao and Shi Hongzhao in the court, and the Privy Council being under the control of Uncle Guo, it would not be a problem.

Local vassals and towns, in addition to Uncle Guo's direct descendant Tianxiong Army, also need the support of other powerful vassals and towns.

Fu Yanqing, the governor of the Taining Army who was entrenched in Yanzhou, was naturally the best choice.

Guo Wei had been friends with Fu Yanqing for many years. At the beginning of Li Shouzhen's rebellion, Fu Jinzhan was used to implicate the Fu family. Liu Chengyou wanted to cause trouble for the Fu family, but it was Guo Wei who argued hard in the court and helped the Fu family survive the disaster.

These alone are not enough, Guo Wei also needs to further deepen the relationship with the Fu family, and marriage is naturally the best way.

Zhu Xiu recalled that when Chai Rong and Fu Jinzhan were both present at Puzhou Chengzhou Government Office that day, Uncle Guo looked at them with gleaming eyes.

From this point of view, Uncle Guo should have thought of matching the two of them.

He didn't say anything later, perhaps because he considered that Fu Jinzhan had recently lost her husband's family, so mentioning the matter in a hurry was not in line with the situation, reason, or etiquette.

Also, Zhu Xiu knew that Chai Rong and his first wife Liu were loving and affectionate, and they had two young sons. Before Chai Rong went to Hezhong with Guo Wei, Liu became pregnant again.

When talking about the Liu family, Chai Rong couldn't hide the love in his eyes. Zhu Xiu was very envious of this.

When chatting with Zhu Xiu, Chai Rong mentioned that Liu's background was relatively ordinary, and his father was just a small prison officer under the governor of Xuzhou. Chai Rong met him when he was selling tea in Jianghuai.

She fell in love with her father-in-law at first sight and kidnapped his daughter.

Mrs. Liu did not dislike Chai Rong because of her humbleness. Chai Rong was grateful and cherished his wife even more.

Of course, with Chai Rong's status today, the Liu family can wake up from their dreams with laughter.

Unfortunately, their father-in-law died of illness within two years, and the Liu family's heirs were not prosperous. Guo Wei and Chai Rong could not find anyone to help them.

Uncle Guo is a kind person, so naturally he couldn't do the evil thing of forcing his son to divorce his wife and marry another noble woman, and it was even more impossible for Chai Rong to agree.

Even if Fu Jinzhan is a widow, she is still the widow of the Fu family, and it is impossible for others to make her younger. Therefore, the marriage between the two is not feasible at present.

In Zhu Xiu's opinion, the two of them had no such intention at all and had not thought about it at all.

As for Uncle Guo's other sons and nephews, they either don't match in age, or they feel they are not worthy of Fu Jinzhan.

For example, Li Chongjin, an older child with problems, is about the same age and has never married, but I am afraid that Uncle Guo also knows himself. This nephew is too arrogant and he really can't do anything about it.
If it is a forced match, Fu Yanqing may not agree, and it is possible to turn his face if it is not done well.

"Wow quack quack~" A burst of idiot-like laughter came from not far ahead. Zhu Xiu craned his neck to look and saw Li Chongjin and Shi Xiangwen jumping into a small pond by the roadside. They rolled up their trousers and splashed water and mud on each other. , having a great time.
The black hair on those thick black thighs is like woolen pants, it looks scary
Zhu Xiu silently withdrew his gaze, associating this black bear with the beautiful and sassy Madam Fu, which was a sin in itself. Zhu Xiu silently recited a few sins in his heart.

So going around, Zhu Xiu, who had the reputation of a hermit, a high apprentice, and a young talent, stood out unexpectedly, was selected by Uncle Guo, and pushed out to marry the Fu family.

As Chai Rong's loyal subordinate and close comrade-in-arms, Zhu Xiu once again proved his value and role in the Guanzhong counterinsurgency battle.

Uncle Guo was able to choose him, and Zhu Xiu felt that he was very discerning and had nothing wrong with it.

But the problem is that the marriage partner is Fu.

This incident seriously exceeded Zhu Xiu's own plans, and it is still unclear whether it will be good or bad for his future development.Since he couldn't determine the pros and cons, and he couldn't control it with certainty, he simply refused to accept it to avoid getting into trouble. Therefore, Zhu Xiu declined tactfully.

It's a pity that Uncle Guo's autographed letter has been sent to Yanzhou. Zhu Xiu doesn't know the content of the letter. Now he just asks Fu Yanqing to refuse Uncle Guo's proposal.

With the strength of these two, Zhu Xiu had no say in this matter.

This is the power and horror of arranged marriage!

Zhu Xiu could only pray silently that the Fu family must not listen to Guo Wei and send another second wife to Jingzhou.
Fu Jinzhan noticed that Zhu Xiu beside him had not responded for a long time. He looked sideways and saw that his face was full of confusion and his expression was unpredictable, as if he was worried.

"What are you thinking about?" Fu Jinzhan chuckled, his almond-shaped eyes full of inquiry and curiosity.

Zhu Xiu came back to her senses and laughed dryly as if she was guilty: "Listening to the lady talking about the customs and customs in Guanzhong, I can't help but yearn for it."

Fu Jinzhan pursed his lips and said, "Then tell me, what did I just say?"

"This, this. Madam just said that there are mountains and a river outside Fengtian County. What are they called?" Zhu Xiu pretended to think.

Pan Mei made a series of strange, mocking sounds from behind, causing Zhu Xiu to turn around and glare.

Fu Jinzhan smiled and said suddenly: "You are not thinking about meeting my second sister, are you?"

"Ah? How... how is it possible?" Zhu Xiu was ashamed, a woman's intuition was really terrible.

Fu Jinzhan smiled and said: "I didn't expect you to be nervous about this!"

Zhu Xiu arched his hands and said awkwardly: "Miss misunderstood. Moreover, Guo Shuai just said it casually that day, so don't take it seriously!"

Fu Jinzhan said seriously: "How can a marriage be a trivial matter? Guo Shuai's autographed letter, together with my letter from home, was sent to Yanzhou. In a few days, it will be delivered to my father. This matter was raised by Guo Shuai. My father will definitely pay attention to it."

"Ah..." Zhu Xiu was speechless, with some sweat dripping from her temples.

Fu Jinzhan comforted: "You don't have to be nervous. If father agrees to send the second sister to Jingzhou, at least it will take two or three months before you can see anyone."

"Hehe." Zhu Xiu wiped off the sweat stains and laughed awkwardly.

Judging from what she meant, it seemed like she really wanted to see her sister come to Jingzhou.

Fu Jinzhan was in a good mood and continued to joke about Zhu Xiu: "If you had agreed to accompany me to Fu's to meet my father in Cangzhou, with your talents, you might have become my sister-in-law, and we would be a family from now on. Already."

"Madam, please forgive me, don't make fun of me again." Zhu Xiu couldn't laugh or cry, and bowed to beg for mercy.

Fu Jinzhan giggled, beautiful as a flower.

Zhu Xiu wanted to ask Fu Jinzhan about the appearance of Mrs. Fu, but she didn't know how to ask. She rolled her eyes and said with a smile:
"I heard that when the eldest lady was young, a fortune teller came to the house as a guest. When he saw the eldest lady, he was shocked and said that her appearance was unspeakable. Is this true or not?"

Fu Jinzhan rolled up his hair and said calmly: "It is indeed true. The old fortune teller once looked at the fortune teller of Li Sheng, the founder of the Southern Tang Dynasty. Li Sheng was named Xu Zhigao after his adoptive father's surname, and his father Xu Wen He was a powerful official in the Southern Wu Dynasty. Before the Xu family and his son took power, the old prime minister bluntly said that Xu Zhigao had the appearance of an emperor, and it later came true."

Zhu Xiu was surprised. There was such a powerful fortune teller?

"Does Madam know the whereabouts of this strange man?" Zhu Xiu asked hurriedly.

Fu Jinzhan said with a smile: "You also want to find someone to look at?"

Zhu Xiu scratched his head and chuckled, "If you can get guidance from an expert, everything will be smooth sailing in the future."

"The old fortune teller said that my appearance is beyond words. Look at my fate now. Is it possible that he really meant it?"

Fu Jinzhan shook his head and disagreed: "Divination, fortune-telling, and fortune-telling have been around since ancient times. They are just for bringing good fortune to others. You don't need to take it to heart. I think what the old fortune-teller said to Xu Wen and his son is probably true. It's just a crooked fight. It's ridiculous that Li Shouzhen tried to ask my father for marriage because he heard about it."

Fu Jinzhan sneered at the corner of his mouth, his face was full of ridicule, and he felt a little sad in his heart. A word from a fortune-teller made his destiny change drastically.

Zhu Xiu opened her mouth and didn't know what to say, Fu Jinzhan dismissed the old fortune teller's words, but in Zhu Xiu's view, that was the real master!

However, this matter also involved Li Shouzhen and his son, so it was inconvenient to discuss it in depth. Zhu Xiu quickly changed the subject and said, "Dare you ask me, my dear wife?"

Before he could say anything, Yan Ping galloped over on horseback, clasping his fists and saying, "Young Envoy, I have something to report to you!"

Zhu Xiu had no choice but to give up, and apologized to Fu Jinzhan, straddled the donkey and followed Yan Ping to the side, the two of them huddled together and muttered.

Pan Mei glanced at it, looking mysterious, not knowing what they were talking about.

Taking advantage of Mrs. Fu's free time, Pan Mei stepped forward and said hesitantly: "Pan has something to discuss with Madam Fu."

Fu Jinzhan smiled and said: "But I want to say that you left the Fu family and went to serve in the Zhangyi Army?"

Pan Mei was startled, "It turns out that the eldest lady has already guessed it. Yes, this is exactly what happened!"

Fu Jinzhan asked: "Have you really decided?"

Pan Mei nodded heavily: "It's decided! However, if the eldest lady still needs someone, I am willing to stay with the eldest lady and serve."

Fu Jinzhan said softly: "No, you can just follow Zhu Xiu from now on. I am always just a prostitute, and what I can do is limited after all. You won't have much future by following me."

Pan Mei got off her horse and knelt down on one knee: "When I was desperate, I was taken in by Mrs. Fu and the eldest lady. I will never forget this kindness! If the eldest lady has any mission in the future, Pan Mei will never hesitate to die!"

"Get up!" Fu Jinzhan said sincerely, "I know your talents, but it is really unfair to be a small family general. Nowadays, the Fu family is not as good as before. It attracts attention but also hides many worries. If you continue to stay in Fu Family, the Fu family can't give you much help, but it will drag you down. Even if you don't mention this matter, I will find an opportunity to talk to you."

Pan Mei was filled with gratitude: "Thank you, madam!"

Fu Jinzhan looked at Zhu Xiu, and couldn't help feeling emotional.

Within two years, the young man who was almost beheaded as a Khitan Hunu in Cangzhou had carved out a world of his own in the distant Jingzhou.

Today, Zhu Xiu is like a rising star, attracting all kinds of people to gather around him.

Fu Jinzhan stared at the north, really wanting to go to Jingzhou as soon as possible to see what the border area would look like after Zhu Xiu personally transformed it.
　I wish you all a happy new year!

　　All the best in the new year!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)