Chapter 411 Sir, how about you and I joining forces for the second time? (5k)
I am the truth... When Tang Guogong said this, his tone was understatement, but in Zhao Duan's ears, it showed the domineering majesty of a frontier official and a "grand duke" who had been experienced on the battlefield. .
So fierce? Isn’t this why you don’t give Cao Mao, who is also the Duke of China, any face?
Do they have a grudge? Zhao Duan was stunned.
Of course he would not be so arrogant as to think that a great prince would please him at the cost of offending another prince just because of the conflict between his daughter and him...
Therefore, it can only be said that the two of them have some grudges.
"Tang Guogong..." Cao Kedi's expression changed, but this time he did not dare to get angry at all, and the hand on the handle of the knife had already dropped.
Zhao Duan's character is inherently arrogant and domineering. He doesn't care about verbally offending the Duke of the country. He is following the "lonely minister" route anyway.
But Cao Kedi did not have the courage to break up with Tang Guozheng face to face.
"Mr. Zhao, hehe, you go to visit the prison first. I want to see who dares to ignore the national law and block it." Tang Guogong, who looked like a rich man, said calmly.
There was strong confidence in his tone.
Zhao Duan hesitated for a moment, then nodded, picked up the wine and meat and walked towards the prison.
This time Cao Ke's enemy was as silent as a stone and did not stop him again.
......
Zhao Duan is no stranger to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment, and he is also a regular customer who has been here several times.
After entering, the cell leader immediately greeted him personally, smiling and leading the way.
"Your Majesty, please."
As a felon, Lang Shiba was held in solitary confinement deep inside. When Zhao Duan walked through the deep corridor and arrived outside a secluded cell.
With the pale light piercing through the cell vent, I saw a figure with sloppy hair in the cell, cross-legged on the cold ground, staring at the wall in silence.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Lang Shiba came back to his senses and turned his head stiffly. Under the messy black hair, a weathered face was numb and lifeless.
After seeing the person clearly, a glimmer of light appeared in his pupils, and he was extremely surprised: "Master Zhao?"
"Open the cell, I will talk to him alone." Zhao Duan said calmly.
The cell leader responded, not daring to refuse at all. He quickly opened the lock of the cell, then bowed and left.
Even if this action violated the law, he didn't care.
After the others left, Zhao Duan carried the wine jar and oil paper bag into the cell. He looked around and found that there was no bed, so he simply sat on the ground.
The cell was very cold in the middle of winter, especially when there was no light, and there was a hint of humidity in the coldness.
Fortunately, the body of Shenzhang Realm is enough to withstand this biting cold.
"Ji Yue came to the Yamen to find me and told me that you were taken away."
Zhao Duan put the wine jar down, raised his hand to knock open the mud seal, and spat out in his breath The water mist condensed into a wisp of white mist:
“This ghost place is really not for people to stay in. It’s too cold. Warm yourself up?”
Drunkard Lang Shiba's eyes lit up, and he was not polite. He held the wine jar with his hands that were imprisoned by special magic shackles, raised his head and took a big sip, and then a pleasant moan rolled out of his throat:
“Good wine.”
Zhao Duan opened the oil paper Bao, said:
"I went to inquire and found out that you are being held in the prison of the Ministry of Justice, so I stopped by to have a look and understand the situation."
The vicissitudes of life seem to be older than your actual age. The ten-year-old Lang Shiba was holding the wine jar cross-legged and looked very calm.
He grabbed a piece of half-cold meat with his hand, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed hard, and seemed to smile:
"I have committed some things in the past, and now they have been exposed. I didn't expect that the Lord would come here and bring some I'm grateful for the fair share of food and wine."
He was very calm and simply explained what he had done and had no intention of explaining in detail.
Not even in the desperate situation, trying to grasp at straws and begging for help.
Not even a hint of asking for help was shown, as if he knew this day would come many years ago.
Or you accept your fate and feel that begging is in vain.
However, Zhao Duan felt inexplicably that perhaps the core reason was that the swordsman in front of him had already been determined to die.
Zhao Duan was silent, watching Lang Shiba eating with one hand and drinking from time to time with the other.
After a long time, he suddenly said:
"I heard that the person who arrested you was Cao Mao, Duke of Anguo, who told you that you killed many of your fellow soldiers in the past. What do you want to say in defense? ”
Lang Shiba's hand that grabbed the meat suddenly paused, and then his movements returned to natural:
"He is right."
Zhao Duan frowned and said:
"If so, with what you have committed, there is no hope of survival. The only solution is to get the result."
Lang Shiba looked calm and even smiled:
"With this great wine brought by the adults, I won't regret it even if I die."
Zhao Duan pursed his lips and said:
"I heard that Cao Guogong has been looking for you for many years. This This time I wanted to kill you even if I didn't hesitate to offend His Majesty. It was because you were causing trouble in the army and Cao Guogong's son arrested you. Not only did you resist the law, you also killed him. A dignified border guard, but you suffered the pain of losing your son... "
"Bang!" The smile on Lang Shiba's face suddenly disappeared, and the wine jar in his hand was pressed hard to the ground.
At this moment, the Northland swordsman's breathing suddenly became heavy, the veins on his neck bulged, his eyes were red, and he spat out two shots of alcohol: "He deserves to die!!"
The reaction was so violent that it caught people off guard.
"Why?" Zhao Duan stared at him, "The son of the prince enforces the law impartially, what is wrong with it?"
At this moment, Lang Shiba seemed to be stirred up from a dusty period in the past. Memories, he sneered emotionally:
"Enforce the law impartially? Arrest me? Bullshit! It was clearly me who broke into his military tent and chopped off his head directly! That old dog Cao Mao sent troops to kill him I can clean him up now!”
Zhao Duan felt relieved and said:
"I heard that your wife was raped when you were out..."
Lang Shiba stared at the wine jar without saying anything. He suddenly covered his vicissitudes of face with his chained hands and sat on the ground. , the back is rickety.
A noble warrior in the worldly realm, a former general in the army, just covered his face feebly and shrugged his shoulders slightly.
For a long time, he raised his head little by little and regained his composure:
“Yes, it was Cao Mao’s son who did it.”
Zhao Duan was stunned!
So, the one who defiled Lang Shiba’s wife was Cao Mao’s heir?
So, Lang Shiba was angry and killed Cao and rebelled out of the barracks, so Cao Guogong sent troops to pursue him crazily?
"Don't talk nonsense. Do you have evidence?" Zhao Duan stared at him.
After regaining his composure, Lang Shiba smiled sarcastically:
"There are many people who know, but they all pretend not to know."
Zhao Duan shook his head and said: "No, if you really had a deadly feud with Cao Mao, why did the prince save you in the first place?"
Lang Shiba probably felt that he was going to die, so he simply gave up the idea of hiding it, picked up the wine jar again, and said:
"Master Zhao has not been an official for a long time, and many old things are unclear. , but as long as you find someone to inquire, you will know that the prince is dissatisfied with Cao Mao.
The prince is willing to save me and raise me in secret, just in the hope that he will wait for the right time after he ascends the throne. , just asked me to come out and identify Cao Mao.
Oh, Cao Mao has been entrenched in Jubei City for many years, and his men have done countless dirty things. Indulging his children is just one of the trivial things. When I was in the army, I knew more.
However, despite this, the prince is still kind to me, but it is a pity that he cannot repay me. "
Identify Cao Mao?
That's right... As the saying goes, once the emperor and the courtiers, the crown prince's ascension to the throne will inevitably represent a change of bureaucracy...
If the prince intends to undermine Cao, that makes sense... However, things are unpredictable. No one would have thought that the prince would be stabbed in the back by his younger brother before he ascended the throne...
In a few years, the situation has been turned upside down... Of course, the premise is that what this guy said is true, but this is not difficult to verify, and it is a lie that can be easily exposed.
On the other hand, Cao Mao, relying on his status as the Duke of the country, tampered with the facts, and the entire court was willing to turn a blind eye, just pretending not to know...
As I said before, he is just a dead soldier. , compared to a real powerful prince, a three-year-old child can clearly distinguish which one is more important.
Silence.
The cell fell into silence, with only the sound of Lang Shiba minding his own business eating and drinking.
Duke Tang Guogong was still waiting outside, and Zhao Duan didn't want to stay too long. After knowing the cause and effect, he stood up and hesitated to speak.
Lang Shiba seemed to understand what he wanted to say, and smiled and said:
"My lord, please leave quickly. This matter has nothing to do with you. Don't make Cao Maoqian angry because of this drink. "
No...I'm done with it... Zhao Duan said:
"Do you have anything you want me to take out?"
Lang Shiba stayed for a moment and shook his head.
He has no relatives or friends. If we talk about acquaintances, he only has one Jiyue, but the relationship between the two of them is at most inmates, and there is no deep friendship.
In this case, after the beheading, there may not even be anyone to collect the body.
Zhao Duan sighed, called the cell leader in and closed the door, then turned and walked out.
……
When he walked back to the ground, he saw Huang Shilang looking forward to it.
"Master Zhao, have you finished your work?" Huang Shilang laughed.
Zhao Duan nodded: "Where is the Duke?"
Huang Shilang said: "Tang Guogong said he would wait for you outside, and Vice General Cao has already left. I am afraid he will report to Duke Cao."
Zhao Duan nodded, not caring.
He has long been a lonely minister, with many debts weighing him down.
With his status, it was just a compliment. No matter how unhappy Cao Mao was, he would not start a war with him because of this matter. What's more, this is the capital, and it is the territory of his king, Zhao Yan.
Cao Mao, who had soldiers and horses in his hands, was the Duke of the country, but he had no soldiers, so Zhao Duan didn't bother to pay attention to him.
"Master Zhao..." Seeing that he didn't care, Huang Shilang hesitated to speak, and finally said:
"You and I are officials in the same dynasty, so it stands to reason "You should be careful not to talk lightly but I still want to remind Mr. Zhao that even if you are not afraid of Cao Guogong, there is no need to make things too tense."
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"Lang Shiba used to be my guard. According to the rules of the army, if a subordinate of my general is arrested, he should ask the reason why. Otherwise, if the news spreads, my general will not even arrest his subordinates." How can I convince the public if I can't protect you?"
"This..." Huang Shilang choked and held it in for a long time, and finally said:
"It's just a guard."
Obviously, the Minister of Justice also knows some inside information.
In his eyes, he was just a dead soldier with no status and no reputation, so why should he care?
Don't say that Mr. Zhao and this Lang Shiba are just "married". Didn't His Majesty, who took this person over from the prince and raised him as a dead soldier in the palace, not say anything?
Why bother.
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"I know that Mr. Shilang has good intentions. Don't worry, I know it well." Huang Shilang then showed a smile. He is an official of the imperial party. He is in the same camp as Zhao Duan and intends to build a good relationship.
After bidding farewell to Minister Huang, Zhao Duan walked out of the main gate of the prison and saw a carriage parked on the roadside.
The car curtain opened, and the rich man Tang Guogong said with a smile:
"Is the matter settled?"
Zhao Duan walked over and said thank you seriously, but Tang Guogong made an understatement. :
"I and Cao Mao have never dealt with trivial matters. They don't like each other, so they just do it casually. Haha, but judging from your appearance, is there something else? I won't delay you anymore."
Zhao Duan felt ashamed and said: "When the matters at hand are finished, I will pay you a visit in person."
Tang Guogong laughed loudly: "That's very good, I will wait at home."
The two of them Saying goodbye, Zhao Duan led his horse and stood there, watching the Tangguo bus drive away in the cold wind until it disappeared.
In the carriage and horses going away, Tang Guogong changed the position of his lame leg, leaned on the soft cushion thoughtfully, and suddenly said:
"Send someone to inquire about it later, Cao Mao What are you doing?”
"Yes." The driver responded.
“Let’s check the enemy Cao again. I heard that Cao Mao raised a powerful adopted son, which is indeed interesting.”
“Yes.” The coachman hesitated for a moment and asked for instructions: "The prisoners in the prison?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Okay."
From the beginning to the end, the people who could get into the eyes of big figures like Tang Guogong were not unknown people like Lang Shiba.
......
Cao Kedi left the prison of the Ministry of Punishment on horseback and went straight to Cao Guogong's mansion.
He left angrily, as if eager to report what had happened.
But after getting out of the sight of everyone in the official office, Cao Kedi slowed down and began to walk back slowly.
The angry look on his face before and the unwillingness he had when Zhao Duan and Tang Guogong jointly suppressed him all disappeared.
Cao Kedi was riding on a horse, walking in the pale sunshine. He was holding the reins, and his thick eyebrows were as straight as a line.
Another example is a sword, a straight sword that can be strong or soft.
There was a thoughtful look in his eyes. When he suddenly turned the corner, a child sliding on an ice sledge in the alley bumped out, startling the horse.
"唏伦lv..."
The war horse neighed and raised its hooves. Cao Kedi frowned and used his superb riding skills to subdue the war horse that could kick a child to death with an iron hoof.
When I turned around, the child who had gotten into trouble had run away in fright, leaving only a handmade ice sledge behind.
"Child~" Cao Kedi shouted, seeing that the person had disappeared, he shook his head, dismounted and picked up the ice sledge, dusted off the floating snow on it, stood it up, and placed it at the entrance of the alley. at.
Then he rode away.
After a long time, the reckless young man carefully walked out of the alley, picked up his sledge in surprise, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he looked at the direction Cao Kedi left, thinking that he was so lucky to meet a good-tempered military commander.
……
……
When Zhao Duan returned to the Yamen, Ma Yan was still waiting for him.
"So, the identity of Lang Shiba was exposed? Put Cao Guogong in jail? Will he be punished every day?"
Ma Yan was surprised after hearing what happened.
Zhao Duan took off his coat, swept away the mud on his boots, and immediately sat down:
"It shouldn't be that fast. There has to be a trial and handling process. But Cao If Mao pushes hard, he will probably be sentenced to death years ago. The Duke will not allow Lang Shiba to live until next year."
In the corner, Ji Yue sat with her legs together. He sat in a small chair with his hands on his thighs, holding a cup of hot water, his ears drooped, his cheeks puffed up and he blew gently.
For Lang Shiba to die, she had some indescribable emotions in her heart. Well, maybe it was called the rabbit's death and the fox's sorrow?
The two of them had little communication in Houhu, and for a time they checked each other. If there was any feelings, they really didn't.
But after all, we are companions who have been locked in the same place for a long time. It would be a lie to say that we are not sad.
If Lang Shiba died, she would be even more lonely.
Ma Yan frowned and said: "What are you going to do?"
Zhao Duan smiled cynically:
"What can I do? This matter has nothing to do with me."
Ji Yue glanced at him, then lowered her head and continued to blow air into the cup.
Ma Yan nodded: "That's fine if you think about it this way."
No...am I that uneasy? Huang Shilang warned me, senior brother, you also warned me... They all seem to think that I will cause trouble...
Zhao Duan slandered.
After the matter was settled, Ma Yan left to go to work with peace of mind. Ji Yue also slipped away quietly after learning that she had nothing to do with him.
Zhao Duan also returned to Lihuatang and looked through the official documents Qian Kerou presented to him.
I just can't calm down.
On this day, first Tang Zhao came to challenge, and then Lang Shiba was imprisoned. Everything was squeezed together.
"Sir, are you worried?"
The round-faced little secretary held the paperwork and looked at him carefully.
Zhao Duan, who was leaning in a high-backed chair and holding documents, threw the notebook in his hand on the table and suddenly said:
"Kerou, you said that the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty, If you cut it open, are they all evil-hearted?"
Qian Kerou was stunned for a moment. The little secretary was stunned by this question. She tried to figure out the adult's thoughts and said tentatively:
"No, there are always many good officials, such as..."
She was stuck, and after a long while she said: "Like that upright man from Dali Temple?"
"But if you are dark-hearted, you will be promoted faster," Zhao Duan said:
"Maybe there is a saying that is not , Everyone sweeps the snow in front of their door, and doesn’t care about the frost on other people’s tiles?”
The little secretary is a little confused and doesn’t understand what this saying has to do with whether it is black or not.
My lord, you are acting strangely today.
Zhao Duan smiled: "Just think I'm talking nonsense. Yawn, it's getting late, it's time to go to the office."
As he said that, he stretched his waist and walked out.
Shen Juan and Hou Renmeng in the duty room next to them looked envious:
"When can I be like an adult? I won't go to the Yamen if I don't want to, and I can leave when I want."
Zheng Laojiu, who was holding a teapot next to him, curled his lips:
"Don't think too much. It's the end of the year. There are a lot of documents in the hall. Don't even think about leaving tonight. You will leave when you are done."
...
< br>Zhao Duan left the Yamen and rode home.
It gets dark early in winter. It’s still bright when we go out, but after walking for a while it gets dark.
When Zhao Duan reached an intersection, he was suddenly stopped by a low-key and luxurious carriage in front.
He was stunned for a moment and recognized this extremely spacious car that he had been in before.
"Master Zhao, my master invites you to come over and talk." The coachman came over and said calmly.
Zhao Duan turned over and dismounted, threw the reins to the other party, and with a familiar step, he opened the curtain and got into the carriage, which was large enough to accommodate several people.
The decoration in the carriage is the same as before, except that it is surrounded by a thick layer of cotton.
A spherical stove with scarlet charcoal burning inside is placed on the low table, which is extremely delicate.
"Mr. Yuan, what a coincidence." Zhao Duan sat down and looked at Da Qingyi opposite with a smile.
The stove illuminates the entire carriage in orange, giving people the atmosphere of staying warm around a campfire on a dark winter night.
Yuan Li, the imperial censor, with handsome appearance and deep eyes, wearing a double-breasted official robe, was sitting inside with a jade in his hand.
Smiled and said: "Is your Majesty going home from the Yamen?"
Zhao Duan nodded and laughed at himself:
"There are a lot of things today, and I have been so busy with such a lazy temperament."
Yuan Li looked at him deeply and said:
"I also heard that it was with Tang Guogong. "There is a misunderstanding?"
Zhao Duan said with a smile: "It has been resolved."
"That's good," Yuan Li said, "But I heard that you went to the Ministry of Justice today. Prison.”
Zhao Duan couldn't laugh or cry: "Mr. Yuan is so well-informed, every move I make can't escape your notice."
Yuan Li stared at him and said: "The Lang Shiba whom Cao Guogong arrested this time, before Did you go to Huting with you?"
Zhao Duan sighed softly and said:
"Gong Yuan also came to remind me not to get involved in things that have nothing to do with me and to make fewer enemies. Don't worry, I know the importance."
Yuan Li said: "But I heard that you have a conflict with the adopted son of Duke Cao."
Zhao Duan felt a little angry for no reason and said in annoyance:
"It's just a little squabble. I know what I'm doing. Mr. Yuan is serious about it. If there's nothing else, I'll leave first."
With that said, he wanted to leave.
He was really annoyed by someone reminding him to clean up the snow all day long.
Yuan Li remained silent, holding Jade Ruyi in his hand. Seeing Zhao Duan stand up and lift the thick curtain of the car, preparing to get out, he suddenly said:
"Your Majesty, do you still remember the first time you and I met in this carriage?"
Zhao Duan made a move.
Yuan Li said softly:
"That time, I talked with the envoy about Pei Kaizhi, the minister of the Ministry of Justice. I remember that at that time, I told you that since you want to make meritorious deeds, why not be bolder and bite the bullet? A big fish? Do something big?"
Zhao Duan breathed heavily.
Under the firelight, Yuan Li's eyes were deep, half of his face was hidden in the darkness, and he said quietly:
"Envoy, are you interested, you and I can join forces again to do something big and bring down someone?"
>
Zhao Duan suddenly turned his head and stared at Yuan Li: "Who?"
"An Guogong, Cao Mao."
(End of this chapter)