Chapter 2: Generous Gifts

The old lady was even more horrified, as this was no small amount of money

Everyone is filled with grievances and at a loss for what to do

The old lady felt that her grandson had a point, perhaps she had wronged a good person... The old lady pulled Ye Hua and hurried towards the Guo residence. Although there was still some distance to go, she soon realized that they could not get closer, as even the street corner was filled with imperial guards. The Guo family had already been taken away, and at that moment, people were transporting gold and silver valuables out of the Guo residence, with carts piled high with boxes, parading through the streets. The old lady felt her legs weaken beneath her, nearly falling over. The Guo family had already been taken away, and at that moment, people were transporting gold and silver valuables out of the Guo residence, with carts piled high with boxes, parading through the streets. The old lady felt her legs weaken beneath her, nearly falling over.

It was precisely due to this upheaval that Guo Wei lost his beloved wife, Lady Chai, and also lost his two sons. With no biological son to inherit the realm, he had no choice but to pass the throne to his adopted son, Chai Rong. Ye Hua, realizing his connection to the Guo family and needing to visit them in the city, contemplated finding an opportunity to remind the Guo family to be wary of the emperor's treacherous intentions

He had his trusted confidants set an ambush directly in the palace, killing in one fell swoop the Chancellor Yang Ben, the Commander Shi Hongzhao, and the Minister Wang Zhang.

The old lady was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly turned her head and stared at Ye Hua, sternly warning, "Hua'er, we may be poor, but we cannot lose our ambition. How can the Guo family treat us this way and still offer our faces to be slapped?" The old lady was very angry, but she also knew that being angry alone was of no use. After hesitating for a while, she reached up and took a gold hairpin from her head, holding it in her hand and letting out a sigh.

At the moment when the old lady was feeling sad, suddenly a person rushed over from the other side of the street in a fluster, holding a swaddled baby in her arms. She ran to a spot not far from Ye Hua, but the woman accidentally slipped and fell. She desperately protected the child in her arms, injuring her arms and legs in the process, struggling in pain, and for a moment, she was unable to get back up.

Ye Hua hurriedly supported his grandmother

Ye held a golden pearl in her hand and said with embarrassment: "They have good intentions, hiding the money in our bundle, deliberately throwing it out, and even saying those excessive words, all meant for those who are secretly watching!"

When the Imperial Guard closed the city gates, Ye Hua had already guessed about seventy to eighty percent of the situation

The grandfather and grandson, both exhausted and hungry, made Ye feel heartbroken as she looked at her grandson. She reached into the bundle. This bundle contained some walnuts, jujubes, dried vegetables, and mushrooms, which her son-in-law had specially prepared as local produce to give to the Guo family. Although it was not valuable, it was a gesture of goodwill.

Ms. Ye intended to take a handful of jujubes for her grandson, but she felt something was amiss. Suddenly pulling it out, she was astonished to find a string of copper coins, which startled her so much that she immediately shoved it back, her heart racing.

Two individuals cautiously circumvented a street, opting not to seek an inn, but instead quietly sat down beside a dilapidated earth temple

Next, the young emperor set his sights on the Chief Minister Guo Wei

He arrived in this world two days ago, somewhat confused, following the Ye family into the city, and then was driven out by the Guo family, unable to raise the alarm in time

According to Ye Hua's judgment, Guo Wei can be considered a kind-hearted person, and the head of the household, Madam Chai, is even more of an extraordinary woman. There is truly no need to speak harshly or coldly to former impoverished relatives.

Ye Hua does not speak carelessly; he is well-versed in the history of the Five Dynasties. This was an era filled with absurdities, and among the many ridiculous events, the actions of Emperor Liu Chengyou of Han can undoubtedly rank among the top three, utterly brainless

This is what your grandfather left for me, go to the pawnshop and find a good inn to stay for a night, it will not let you feel wronged

Don't be ridiculous, that spendthrift would only use that money for gambling, eating, and drinking, and would never take it out to give as a gift! That leaves only one possibility, it was stuffed in by the Guo family!

The old lady gazed in the direction of the Guo residence, suddenly feeling waves of heat on her face, unsure of what to say.

Ye Hua said with a serious expression: "If it weren't for the Guo family driving us out, but instead keeping us for a meal and rest, we might have been captured and treated as one of their own."

Ye Hua shook his head, "Big Mama, we are going to visit the Guo residence. Someone is following us. After entering the residence, I noticed that the Guo family members all appeared anxious, and the place was in disarray. They drove us out and scolded us fiercely, yet they hardly laid a hand on us, as if it were all for show. Moreover, just before noon, the city gates were suddenly closed, which is highly unusual..."

The Guo family does not look down on others, the old lady asked in confusion: "Are they afraid of implicating us?"

Guo Laoda is no ordinary person; he immediately conferred with his advisors to forge an imperial edict, threatening his subordinate generals by claiming that the emperor had issued a decree ordering them to be executed.

Upon learning that Guo Wei had raised an army, the young emperor was furious and immediately executed Guo Wei's entire family

Not only did he kill these three individuals, but he also exterminated their entire family

Just now, she was also confused by anger. Looking back now, the Guo family was indeed very unusual. They were very warm when she entered, but after reporting to Madam Chai, they immediately changed their demeanor. This was too quick!

"Is there a difficulty?" The old lady did not believe it, "Guo Wei is the Chief Minister, holding military power. What difficulties could he possibly have? You, a child, should not speak nonsense!"

These individuals are seasoned warriors, capable of standing firm against the Khitan; how could the mere subordinates of Liu Chengyou, who are akin to shrimp soldiers and crab generals, possibly match them? Guo Wei, with his mighty sword, advanced with unstoppable force, cutting his way back to the capital.

"Big Mama, why don't we go to the Guo residence?"

Is it a son-in-law

Inside the bundle, there were several strings of copper coins, while the bag containing walnuts held some silver ingots, and the bag for mushrooms contained a few gold pearls

Ye Hua exclaimed in regret, while the old lady appeared to be deep in thought

Big Mama

At that moment, the valiant general, surrounded by fierce soldiers, rallied under the banner of "Clear the Ruler's Side" and marched back to Kaifeng in a grand and imposing manner

It is wrong, truly wrong

Ye extended her hand to help her up. The woman looked up, her eyes widening in surprise as she exclaimed, "It is the old lady!" Ye also recognized the woman; she was Lady Chai's personal maid, named Xiu Yun

But who would have thought that the timing of the time travel was so poor

Emperor Taizu of the Later Han, Liu Zhiyuan, replaced the Later Jin and ascended the throne, but less than a year later, he passed away. His son, Liu Chengyou, succeeded him. The young emperor, at such a tender age, had the great power and authority in the hands of several old ministers. With a young ruler and a suspicious state, and fierce ministers filling the court, it was a challenging situation that almost all young emperors had to face. The period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was particularly perilous; with a slight misstep, it could lead to a change of dynasty.

A rough estimate indicates that it amounts to several dozen guan, especially in gold and silver. Although it may not circulate in the market, it can be immediately exchanged at the treasury, making it a true hard currency

The soldiers were certainly filled with righteous indignation, for this was the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the most chaotic and unreasonable time, when it was as easy for a general to rebel as it was to drink a glass of cold water

Who is placed in the bundle

In the first round, the young emperor achieved a resounding victory

I have scolded them so much in my heart, it is truly embarrassing

She cautiously looked around and, finding no one, began to examine carefully

If the lives of the Guo family can be preserved, once Guo Laoda ascends to the throne, one would immediately be able to embrace the most powerful ally of the time, just thinking about it is exhilarating

In the face of such a formidable person, one should proceed with caution and think thrice before acting. However, Liu Chengyou chose an unconventional path, directly issuing orders for Guo Chong, the commander of the cavalry, to kill Guo Wei and Wang Jun, and further decreeing the military governor Li Hongyi to eliminate Wang Yin

However, Li Hongyi had a rebellious spirit and leaked the information

Guo Wei is different from those three individuals; he leads troops in the field and possesses immense prestige. Even the Khitan fear Guo Wei to a significant extent, making him a pillar of the nation

The old lady shook her head, filled with sorrow, and said softly: "I am fine, let us go!"

The old lady said she wanted to leave, but found that Ye Hua remained still, solemnly stating: "Grandma, it's not that the Guo family lacks compassion, but they are in trouble."

Just when the old lady was at a loss for ideas, Ye Hua suddenly spoke up

The elderly lady could only search for an inn with Ye Hua, inquiring one after another. However, every time the price was mentioned, she was left dumbfounded, truly deserving of its reputation as the capital; how could she afford to stay there

If these three are successfully eliminated like the previous three brothers, the old minister will be completely swept away

Ye was planning to leave the city with Ye Hua, but they suddenly found that the city gate had closed. This was a serious predicament. Although Kaifeng, as the capital, was far from the immense prosperity of millions of households that would come decades later, it still had hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

Every day, the demand for food, vegetables, meat, cloth, firewood, coal, and so on reaches astronomical figures. Once the city gates are closed, merchants from various regions and vendors from nearby villages are all trapped inside the city and cannot leave

Ye increasingly blamed himself; having lived for so many years, he thought he had seen through all the intricacies of human relationships, yet he did not expect that he still misjudged the Guo family

In fact, the court ordered the city gates to be closed and raided the home of the Chief Minister Guo Wei, causing quite a stir! The inns in the capital hurriedly closed their doors, and there was no place to stay for those who wished to find accommodation.

Ye was increasingly anxious. She had brought her grandson to visit relatives, but now they could not even return home. What should they do? It seemed that they would not be able to leave today. They must find a place to stay and spend the night first.

Liu Chengyou chose the most brutal and straightforward method to deal with the powerful ministers

It has happened, the little emperor has already taken action