Chapter 464 Heroism

Some time ago, when he moved into a new house, military generals and civil and military officials from the Xingtai and Tiance Palace came to congratulate him one after another. People in Luoyang City said that General Zhu of the Zuowuwei had a wide range of social connections, and they talked about it with great relish.

Zhu Deyu himself boasted to his wife Guo at home: "I am so famous today that even the king has to give me face."

Guo Xiuying saw that he was drunk that day and didn't bother with him. The next day, after breakfast and when the younger generations had left, she slammed the table and said, "If you don't want to live anymore, don't take your whole family with you!"

I told Lao Zhu that I was confused. "Sister, what are you talking about? We are doing fine. Why are you so anxious?"

Guo Xiuying simply repeated everything he said yesterday when he was drunk, "I see you drank so much horse urine that you even forgot your last name. You are so careless with your words, and the king has to give you face? If anyone hears what you said, how many heads do you want to chop off?"

After hearing this, Lao Zhu also realized that he had said the wrong thing because he was drunk, but he didn't take it seriously. "It's common to say the wrong thing. We have an old friendship with the king. He won't kill me just because I said a few wrong words, right? The king is a very generous person, and he doesn't care about trivial matters with people like us."

Guo Xiuying said: "I think you have lost your mind. You and the king are old friends, and you have made many contributions, but don't forget that the king is in power and you are a subordinate. There are some rules that cannot be broken. Now you rely on your friendship with the king to do whatever you want. What about the future? If the king becomes emperor, if you are still so casual and outspoken, sooner or later something bad will happen. By then, the whole family will be implicated by you. Don't forget the hierarchy because the king is generous to you old brothers!"

These words were like a revelation to Lao Zhu. He knocked his head repeatedly, then sighed and said, "Sister, you are right. We must be more careful in the future and will never talk nonsense after drinking."

Guo Xiuying heaved a sigh of relief and said, "It's good that you know this. The king has been very kind to both our Zhu family and our Guo family. You used to be a monk who rang the bell in the temple, and I was digging wild vegetables in the mountains. Now our family lives in a large mansion in Luoyang. You have to know who gave it to us. The king is indeed kind, but he is also the master. So many people came to our house yesterday, maybe he would be afraid of them. You have to remember that these are not brothers from your village. You can do whatever you want to them, but you must never say anything that oversteps the boundaries in the future."

Lao Zhu patted his chest and promised: "Don't worry, sister, I will never talk nonsense again in the future, and I will never drink too much in the future no matter what."

Old Zhu readily agreed, then left home to inspect the camp and handle military affairs.

When he reached the camp gate, he saw several civilians waiting there, looking around. He asked the guards on his left and right, "What are these civilians doing here?"

The guard casually said, "Maybe he's looking for someone?"

He didn't think much about it and went straight into the camp, watching the troops' drill until the end.

At noon, after having lunch in the camp, he was about to lie down and take a nap. There was another drill in the afternoon, and he was also thinking about going to the Zhechou Mansion for inspection. Just as he was about to fall asleep, the guard outside the tent hurriedly said, "General Zhu, the king summons you to the palace, and the messenger is waiting at the camp gate."

When Old Zhu heard this, he immediately became alert. He got up from the couch, put on his clothes, left the tent, mounted his horse and followed the messenger into the palace.

On the way, he asked the envoy if there was any urgent military information. When he saw him, the envoy just shook his head and knew nothing about it.

Old Zhu guessed all the way and entered the palace and came to Changchun Hall where the Prince of Qi's mansion was located. The guards all recognized him, and with a messenger leading the way, he arrived at the study without any obstruction.

Entering the study, Lao Zhu bowed and greeted as usual, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Seeing Dugu Ying standing beside him, he also nodded.

Dugu Ying also nodded in return. Li Yuanhui sat in the main seat, showing no emotion, but this situation made Old Zhu feel a little unusual.

"Brother Zhu, we have known each other for more than ten years, right?"

When Old Zhu heard this, he knew that nothing good would happen today, otherwise Li Yuanhui would not speak in this tone. Would he really want to punish me as the girl said?
But not really.
"My Lord, it has been twelve or thirteen years. I got separated from my fellow apprentices in Chang'an, and I happened to meet Your Highness and asked for directions. Later, I encountered the incident of the former Yanliang commoner."

Li Yuanhui nodded, and then continued: "I remember that year when I saw the minor official Jiliang being beaten by the villains and calling for help, you and Brother Zhang were the first to rush to save him. Even after knowing that it was the prince, you still did not show the slightest fear. I still remember this courage and spirit vividly."

When Lao Zhu heard this, he thought, this doesn't look like they are going to punish me? Why are they bringing this up again? It's as if I've done something wrong.
Before he could speak, Li Yuanhui continued, "Brother Zhu, you are now the General of the Left Guard of the Tang Dynasty, in charge of fifteen Zhechongfu, and you are also the Duke of Zhongli County, with a fief of 1,000 households, but do you still remember how poor your family was in the past?"

After hearing this, Old Zhu's face changed slightly, "Of course, the king doesn't need to remind me of this. I was born in a humble family, and my family encountered a disaster, and seven or eight people starved to death. I dare not forget this for a moment."

"Okay, since you remember all this and you come from a poor background, you should know that it is not easy for ordinary people to survive. Then why did some soldiers in your camp take human lives lightly, and you covered it up for them? Is it because you are rich now?" Li Yuanhui's voice was stern and his words were already a reprimand.

Old Zhu was completely stunned. This was the first time that Li Yuanhui spoke to him so harshly, and he had no idea what he was talking about.

Old Zhu bowed and said, "I, Zhu Deyu, have received great favors from the king. The king has given me orders. Even if the king wants to kill me today, please let me die with understanding."

Li Yuanhui was surprised when he saw this, then he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You, Zhu Deyu, are not the kind of person who dares to do something but not to admit it. That means you didn't know about this matter, but as the commander, you are responsible for failing to supervise. Ask Dugu Lang and listen carefully to the good deeds done by your soldiers!"

At this time, Dugu Ying, who had been silent all this time, spoke up: "General Zhu, a few days ago, a group of soldiers from your Zuo Wuwei. Now Li Pushe has suppressed this matter. It should be because a general of your Zuo Wuwei asked him to suppress it. I guess he has been planning how to persuade that woman to drop the case these days."

After hearing these words, Old Zhu completely understood what was going on. He originally thought that Li Yuanhui was dissatisfied with him and asked him to come and give him a beating, but who knew that it was his own men who did such a bad thing?

Regardless of military law or national law, regardless of human heart or public opinion, killing someone means paying with one's life, and debts mean repayment. This is the law of nature. There is nothing much to say. What the King of Qi said is not wrong. He is the General of the Left Guard. If his subordinates commit crimes, who else can they find?
And talking about those old things and praising his chivalrous heart in the past are actually asking him, have you forgotten your roots?

A slap in the face.

Old Zhu's blood pressure immediately soared, and he was furious. He immediately bowed and said, "Please give me an hour, and I will give you an explanation."

Seeing this, Li Yuanhui also softened his tone and said, "It's not about giving me an explanation, it's about giving an explanation to the people of Luoyang. You go and handle it."

"Yes, give an explanation to the people of Luoyang."

After saying that, he stood up and walked out angrily.

Dugu Ying looked at Old Zhu's departing back and said, "Your Majesty, General Zhu is quite heroic."

(End of this chapter)