Zhu Nao

Many days later, Ma Shu was escorted to Luoyang.

Along the way, Ma Shu was devastated, but when he approached Luoyang, he felt hope again: Tian Chou didn't kill him in Huainan, but sent him back to Luoyang on purpose, this should be Zhu Nao's order !Maybe things have a turn for the better!

Now that Ma Shu's requirements have become very low, since he has already been defeated, he doesn't expect Zhu Nao to directly give him a high official and generous salary.Even if he is beaten back to common people, he can climb up again!

He secretly made up his mind that as long as he still has one breath, he will never give up. Sooner or later, he will definitely come out ahead!

……

This time Tian Chou sent the general named Shi Jie to escort Ma Shu back to Beijing. After he arrived in Luoyang, he immediately entered the palace to report to Zhu Nao.

Shi Jie reported to Zhu Nao how Tian Chou recaptured Xuzhou, how he deliberately exiled Ma Shu, and finally succeeded in occupying Huainan. Zhu Nao was overjoyed and praised: "Okay, you really deserve to be General Tian!"

Ma Shu is actually not difficult to deal with, after all, his subordinates are all untrained recruits, and have not experienced much actual combat.As long as an old general is dispatched and enough elite soldiers are sent, Zhu Nao will have plenty of generals who can take down Xuzhou.

However, Zhu Nao sent Tian Chou to fight. First, Tian Chou understood the situation in Xuzhou best, and second, Tian Chou's ability to grasp the overall situation was beyond the reach of others.Sure enough, when dealing with Ma Shu this time, Tian Chou made every step extremely well, which was exactly what Zhu Nao wanted.

After Shi Jie reported Tian Chou's achievements, he said again: "Your Majesty, the traitor Ma Shu said that he has a way to help His Majesty regain Jiangnan and defeat Chen Guo. He asked to meet His Majesty to offer advice. Does Your Majesty want to see him?"

After hearing this, Zhu Nao laughed happily.

"I don't see it." He said disapprovingly, "Put him in prison and wait for execution, and in a few days he will be sent to the downtown area to beheaded. I want to tell the world that this is what happens to those who dare to thank the general for his idea."

Shi Jie couldn't help being a little surprised.He also knew that Ma Shu had sent someone to assassinate Xie Wuji, which touched Zhu Nao's scales.But after all, Ma Shu is also a high-ranking official of Chen Guo, so it should still be useful, so Shi Jie was still polite to Ma Shu along the way.Xie Wuji is important, but is it more important than regaining Jiangnan?Isn't it a pity to just cut it off like this?Even if he stays for a while longer, how about beheading him after Jiangnan is recovered?

Zhu Nao seemed to see Shi Jie's confusion, smiled, and said: "A person like him can only help me recover Jiangnan if he is in Chen Guo. Since he is gone, there is no need to stay."

Shi Jie was stunned.Tian Chou also said similar things, unexpectedly, Zhu Nao also had the same idea.Thanks to Ma Shu, who spent half his life trying to do something, he only ended up like this in the end, which is really ironic...

Naturally, Shi Jie would not intercede for Ma Shu, he just reported the truth to Nao because he was afraid that he would be held accountable for his mistakes.Since Zhu Nao said so, he naturally wouldn't say anything more.

After reporting everything, Shi Jie withdrew.

……

Ma Shu's sentence was fixed quickly, and Zhu Nao let people see that Huang Li had chosen a suitable day for execution, so the day when Ma Shu was beheaded was set at No. 18 days after he returned to Luoyang.

When he was imprisoned in prison, Ma Shu knew nothing about the outside world. It was not until the night of No. 17, when the jailer guarding him gave him a sumptuous meal, that he realized what he was about to face.

He goes mad and yells around the cell, telling every jailer who comes and reprimands him to take him to meet Jun-nao.Of course, no one paid him any attention.

Finally, the overwhelmed jailer took away his severed food, tied him up, stuffed his mouth with a cloth, and only reluctantly allowed him to calm down.

The next day, the horse harness was loaded into a prison cart, ready to be sent to downtown for execution.

The prison van was pushed out of the prison, and Shi Jie stood at the prison entrance to see him off.After all, he was the one who was escorted all the way back from Huainan, and he happened to be free today, so he simply came to see him off for the last journey.

Seeing Shi Jie, Ma Shu frantically struggled as if seeing a savior, as if thinking that Shi Jie would bring him good news.Shi Jie saw that his hair was disheveled, his face was haggard, but his eyes were still crazy, so he couldn't help feeling very complicated.

Shi Jie stepped forward and said, "Do you want to ask why His Majesty didn't accept you?"

Ma Shu's mouth was still stuffed with cloth, and he nodded vigorously when he heard this, staring at him, waiting for him to continue.Ma Shu thought about this question for countless days and nights, but he couldn't figure it out no matter what.Why can Xie Wuji, Huang Dongxuan, even Han Fengxian, but he can't? !

Shi Jie said: "Because His Majesty doesn't need you, and the Kingdom of Shu doesn't need you either."

Ma Shu was startled, staring at him with wide eyes.

This is what Shi Jie wanted to understand after he went back.Ma Shu is certainly capable, but he does things not for the common people, not for his subordinates, let alone his master, but only for himself.Even if he can occupy one of the first three, there may be a place for him to be placed, but unfortunately he has none.Therefore, Zhu Nao is not even interested in summoning him to ask questions. He will only talk about his own survival and profit, which may not be the truth, let alone be useful to the Shu Kingdom.What's more, Zhu Nao is not short of eyes and ears in Chen country.

Shi Jie said: "Besides, you also hit on the idea of ​​the person you shouldn't touch."

Zhu Nao is not a tyrant, nor does he like to use brutal means to gain power.Even Tao Bei and Shangguanxian were buried generously. If it wasn't for Ma Shu's intention to assassinate Xie Wuji, he alone would not be able to be beheaded in the downtown area and announce the treatment to the world.

He just made the worst mistake, and he can't blame others.

After all, Shi Jie sent him all the way, so he finally showed kindness to let him know.His kindness ended here, he waved his hand, and let the prison cart be pushed away.

At noon that day, at the entrance of the bustling downtown, Ma Shu was beheaded in front of tens of thousands of onlookers, and then his body was thrown into the wilderness.And the official document exposing his crimes was also posted on every public list in the streets and alleys, until now everyone in the world knows...

=====

At dusk, Xie Wuji finished his official duties and returned to the palace.When he saw Jun Nao, he had three smiles on his face.

Zhu Nao stepped forward quickly and wrapped his arms around his waist: "Today the horse harness was cut off."

Xie Wuji said: "I know, I went to see it."

In fact, Xie Wuji didn't care about Ma Shu at all, he had many enemies in this world, so a mere Ma Shu didn't deserve his special respect at all.But he knew that Zhu Nao was trying to build up his prestige for him.

Anyone who dares to harm Xie Wuji in the future has to weigh carefully, Zhu Nao will never let that person go, even people from other countries can be captured, let alone within the imperial land!

Zhu Nao grabbed his hand and sat down on the side of the couch, originally he was smiling, but he couldn't help but sighed softly.

He didn't say anything, Xie Wuji already understood, and said lightly: "I can fight in the battlefield and defend the territory, but can't I protect myself? If anyone dares to make up my mind, just let him try it."

If he wants Xie Wuji to have a smooth life, Zhu Nao has many things he can do.He can let Xie Wuji enjoy boundless power, and he can also let Xie Wuji get unlimited wealth, but he can't do this.

Not to mention that he couldn't give Xie Wuji these things, neither would he himself.Otherwise, meritorious ministers will be chilled, people with lofty ideals will shy away, and officials in the court will follow their example, and eventually become a corrupt and incompetent court like the previous court.

Therefore, for a long time, in private, Zhu Nao and Xie Wuji can be close; in public, Zhu Nao has never given Xie Wuji anything other than his merits.

But how could Xie Wuji not understand this truth?If he was greedy for glory and wealth, he would still be Xie Twelve of the Xie family in the south of the Yangtze River, not the majestic General Xie beside Zhu Nao.

Zhu Nao raised his brows when he heard his energetic words, he couldn't help raising Xie Wuji's chin, and asked with a smile: "Then what if I have your idea?"

Xie Wuji squinted his eyes, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Then it depends on what your idea is."

Silent all night.

In the early morning of the next day, the two washed separately and prepared to go to court.Suddenly, Jing Zhe came in, whispered a few words beside Zhu Nao, and Jun Nao frowned slightly.

"Bring him to the front hall." Zhu Nao ordered.

Xie Wuji tied up his hair and walked over: "What happened?"

Zhu Nao said: "People from the Lu family in Jiangnan came to say that Lu Qinghui was arrested and imprisoned by the Chen Guo court for the crime of collaborating with the enemy."

Xie Wuji was taken aback.He is not familiar with Lu Qinghui, but he knows that Lu Qinghui is currently winning people's hearts in the south of the Yangtze River in order to facilitate the fall to Shu, but he didn't expect the Dongchuang incident to happen!

Soon, Zhu Nao went out to greet him after washing, and a man was also brought to the front hall—this man was Lu Qinghui's entourage and Lu Qinghui's confidant, named Lu Yuan.

"The grassroots see the Holy One!" After Lu Yuan entered the palace, he saluted Zhu Nao.Even though he was from the Chen Kingdom, doing this great ceremony meant that both he and Lu Qinghui believed that Zhu Nao was the orthodox emperor.

Zhu Nao stepped forward to help him up, and asked, "How is Qinghui's current situation? Is there any danger to his life?"

Lu Yuan said: "Your Majesty, my son has been imprisoned, and there is no danger of his life."

Lu Yuan then told Zhu Nao how Lu Qinghui was arrested by Xie Wuchen that day, and who were arrested and imprisoned with him.

Zhu Nao didn't panic when he saw him, it seemed that Lu Qinghui had expected this, and maybe he also had a means of self-preservation.

Zhu Nao pondered for a moment, and said frankly: "I might as well tell you directly. This matter may be an opportunity for me to recover Jiangnan, but it may not be good for your son. I want to rescue your son first before making any plans. I don't know if he will escape means? Or, what can I do, save him first? "

After all, Zhu Nao was in Luoyang, so he couldn't do anything about Jiang Ning's affairs.It would be best if Lu Qinghui had connections in Jiangning and could rescue him from prison.

Hearing these words, Lu Yuan couldn't help looking up at Zhu Nao.

In fact, long before Lu Qinghui was arrested, as the "Poetry Association" became more and more powerful, Lu Qinghui expected that he might be in danger, so he had already explained to Lu Yuan at that time.

Lu Qinghui said that if something happened to him, it would not be a good thing for him, but it might be an opportunity for Zhu Nao.He asked Lu Yuan to come to Jun Nao, if Jun Nao only wanted to get things done and didn't care about his life or death, then he told Lu Yuan not to do anything but just watch.

But if Jun Nao puts his life first, then he will ask Lu Yuan to hand over the things in his hand to Jun Nao.

Before Lu Yuan came to Luoyang, he had no hope for this.Emperors are always ruthless, and even Lu Qinghui doesn't have much confidence in himself, so what can Lu Yuan expect from Zhu Nao?

Unexpectedly, Zhu Nao not only put Lu Qinghui's life first, but also was so frank, without any concealment of his intentions in front of him!

After a while, Lu Yuan shook his head and said: "My son was arrested by Xie Qi himself, and the prison was also guarded by heavy soldiers. Xie Qi wanted to use this to deter other people who are willing to surrender to Shu. My son may not be able to escape."

He continued, "But the young master said that Xie Qi will not and dare not take his life for the time being. Moreover, the bigger the incident, the more the Xie family will not dare to touch him."

After speaking, he took out a list from his arms and presented it respectfully.

All those written on this list are the people who Lu Qinghui has determined during his activities in Jiangning who are most willing to surrender to Shu, and who have the highest status and voice.At the same time, Lu Qinghui also wrote down the interests of these people on the list. As long as there is this list, even if Lu Qinghui does not come forward, Zhu Nao can still make these people work for the Kingdom of Shu!

Zhu Nao read it quickly, put away the list, and said, "I'll tell your son face to face when I see you."

He also said: "It's about your son's life, so don't take it too seriously. In this way, I will select fifty masters with outstanding skills, and give you a hundred taels of gold, and you will take them back to Jiangning. If there is any change, you must Try to save his life."

The power of the Lu family has been firmly watched by the Xie family, and Lu Yuan really feels constrained.Now that he has people and money, it is much more convenient for him to do things.

Lu Yuan couldn't help but gratefully said: "Yes, thank you Your Majesty!"