Chapter 420: The counselor enters the situation with his own body
Yun Xi was suddenly called. She turned her head and saw a woman disguised as a man walking along the corridor.
He was dressed as a scholar, with thick black hair peeking out from under his head, round and charming eyes on his palm-sized face, and a cold temperament. There was a cloth bag hanging around his waist, with a heavy round cake-shaped object vaguely protruding from the inside.
It turned out to be the member of Kuangfu Club who planned to assassinate Zhao Duan in Huting.
"Sister Yuebai!" Yun Xi smiled brightly.
She and Lin Yuebai were old acquaintances. Before she followed Zhuang Xiaocheng, Lin Yuebai taught her a lot.
The two fell in love as sisters, but it was a pity that she followed Zhuang Xiaocheng to the capital, and Lin Yuebai went to the local area to share the helm, and they separated.
This time Yun Xi, as one of the "Prisoner Exchanges", successfully returned to Kuangfu Society with Qingniao.
In line with Zhao Duan's prediction, Zhuang Xiaoguo actually found a reason to restrain her group of prisoners in disguise.
But perhaps to appease people's hearts, at least on the surface, Yun Xi is no different from other club members, and even has the aura of a lone hero.
Today is New Year's Eve, many club members gathered together to celebrate the New Year together.
The two were able to meet again.
"The master called me?"
Yun Xi tilted her head, stood up, dusted her buttocks, and showed a confused look:
"What happened?"
Lin Yuebai smiled and naturally took the girl's hand:
"I don't know either, but when Tai Tu came here this time, he met many brothers and sisters who had been tortured and imprisoned and came back."
The old dog is interrogating the prisoners alone?
Yun Xi's heart stirred, and she became secretly wary, with a look of confusion on her face.
Lin Yuebai stroked the girl's scarred little hand, with a look of love and affection in his eyes, and sighed:
"You have suffered in the past few days. You were captured by the imperial hawks, especially the traitor named Zhao. You must have suffered endless torture. Fortunately, you have finally escaped from the wolf's den. The master must care about you..."< br>
Before Yunxi was exchanged for prisoners, she voluntarily accepted a round of punishment to strengthen her disguise - if Baibai Pangpang came back from being exchanged for prisoners, even a fool would know that there was something wrong with her.
At this time, Yun Xi stopped talking when she saw Lin Yuebai looking guilty and distressed, and hating the imperial eagle dog.
She really wanted to tell the other person the truth.
But she recalled the "spy training" that Zhao Duan had given her alone before she was released from prison. She didn't know where that guy got the dense series of rules, including the "series connection" technique.
In short, it is extremely dangerous to rush to develop "companions" without sufficient investigation.
"It's all over," Yun Xi forced a smile.
But this expression in Lin Yuebai's eyes was that of a strong girl covering up the pain she had suffered with a smile. She gritted her teeth and said seriously:
"Yun Xi, although the assassination of the Zhao thief failed last time, I promise you that as long as I am still alive and my brothers and sisters are still there, I will avenge you sooner or later and cut the Zhao thief into thousands of pieces!"
< br>
No... you have no idea how terrifying that guy is. I guarantee you will be the one who fails in the end... Yun Xi muttered in her heart, her face moved: "Sister Yuebai, let's go."
The two women walked along the corridor towards another courtyard.
This is a private manor where grapes are grown in the summer. The local people only think it is the property of a wealthy gentry, but they do not know that it is one of the rebel strongholds.
Tonight, the Zhuangzi was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and the brothers and sisters of Kuangfu Society were drinking, singing and dancing. During the Chinese New Year, the government also relaxed their search for them, and those who rebelled against the party also stopped their sabotage activities.
It is a tacit truce between officials and thieves.
A rare moment of relaxation.
When Yun Xi arrived at a house, she happened to see the door open and the maid Qingniao come out.
The two looked at each other, and Qingniao's eyes lit up, as if he wanted to say something, but when he caught a glimpse of Lin Yuebai, he closed his mouth.
"Are you coming to see Tai Tu too?" Yun Xi took the initiative to speak, which was in line with her personality.
The blue bird said "yes", stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.
Lin Yuebai patted the girl's shoulder to show encouragement, and the two left immediately.
……
After they left, Yun Xi took a deep breath and pushed open the door with scarred hands. Zhuang Xiaocheng was standing in front of the wall with his back to the door.
A map of Yu State's territory hangs impressively on the wall, with marks of different colors on it.
Zhuang Xiaocheng turned around. This old man with the demeanor of a national scholar was much more tired than half a year ago. When he saw the female disciple entering the door, he looked guilty and distressed: "Yun Xi..."
"Disciple has met the teacher." Yun Xi appropriately showed aggrieved and excited expression.
It perfectly shows the struggle of an abandoned child to see her relatives again - before being released from prison, Zhao Duan took her alone to rehearse this scene repeatedly.
"As Zhuang Xiaocheng's disciple, you will definitely be scrutinized. If your acting skills are not up to standard and your flaws are discovered, it will be extremely dangerous!" Zhao Duan once said with a serious face:
"So, you must practice until you are flawless, otherwise you will just stay in prison and don't even think about changing prisoners."
But at this moment, the results of countless drills were remarkable, and even with Zhuang Xiaocheng's eyesight, he could not see any flaws.
He hurriedly walked around the table and used the acting skills of a seasoned politician to perfectly portray the image of a regretful and worried elder:
"You...suffered! I only hate being an incompetent teacher. That day in the bamboo forest in the southern suburbs..."
"Teacher, I understand! The Earth God's power is limited, and taking you away at that time was the most correct choice..." Yun Xi said.
Sneering in my heart:
If he hadn't known the truth earlier, he would have been deceived by this old dog and would have continued to be devoted to him.
Zhuang Xiaocheng was so moved that tears filled his eyes, and he asked his disciple to greet him.
The self-blame and guilt were palpable, and he even squeezed out a few tears. After two actors who were good enough to be admitted to the Beijing Film Academy, they had a deep love scene between master and apprentice.
Yun Xi finally said: "Teacher, do you have anything else to ask me for?"
Zhuang Xiaocheng said seriously: "To tell you the truth, I suspect that there are spies from the imperial court among these prisoners."
Yun Xi was shocked: "You mean, some brothers and sisters betrayed the righteousness? Joined the false emperor?"
When Zhuang Xiaocheng saw that her expression of indignation did not seem to be fake, the corners of his mouth turned up invisibly and he said:
"My teacher is not sure, so I found you. My teacher has absolute trust in you, so I said these words to you alone.
I would like to ask you to secretly observe the other club members for the next period of time, especially those who have returned from the prisoner exchange. Alas, I don't want to do this as a teacher, but the false emperor is powerful and we are weak and can't help the traitors to destroy it. ”
Old dog, you have told everyone this, right? It is not only to identify with your own eyes, but also to monitor each other... Yun Xi sneered and nodded firmly on her face:
"Disciples will definitely do their best! Even if they sacrifice themselves for the sake of the dawn of the world, they will have no regrets!"
Zhuang Xiaocheng was greatly pleased and gave Yun Xi a few words of encouragement before sending Yun Xi away.
After the girl left, the smile on his face faded, and he flicked away the tears with his fingertips, hearing the walls in the room slowly moving.
On the wall made of rammed earth, facial features appeared, and then, a man slowly walked out.
He was about thirty years old, with broad shoulders, khaki skin, wearing a robe of the same color, with a square face and a flat nose. He said calmly at this moment:
"Do you think there's something wrong with her?"
Zhuang Xiaocheng shook his head and said: "Among these prisoners, she is the one I feel most at ease with."
Ranked fourth in the Tiangang of Kuangfu Society, he is actually the third most powerful person in the society. Ren Kun, the "Earth God" warlock whose military strength is comparable to that of Qi Yuchun, smiled sarcastically:
"Is it because she is stupid enough?"
At the beginning of Zhao Duan's time travel, Ren Kun "descended" from the temple in the southern suburbs of the capital and rescued Zhuang Xiaocheng across thousands of miles. He was also the murderer of "Zhao Duan" with one blow.
He had witnessed the scene in the southern suburbs with his own eyes, so he asked this question.
Zhuang Xiaocheng snorted coldly and stared at him with unkind eyes:
"If you hadn't underestimated the enemy and failed to exert all your strength, allowing Zhao Duan to survive, why would we be so passive today?"
Ren Kun looked unhappy: "Master, how many times are you going to mention this? I told you, that finger of mine was enough to kill him. Who would have thought that the protective magic weapon on this kid was so strong?"
Zhuang Xiaocheng was too lazy to argue and said, "Is the purple-shirted Taoist here?"
"I've been here for a long time. I've been waiting for you."
"Go over there."
Ren Kun stepped on the ground with his right foot, and the floor under his feet suddenly became like a swamp, with circles of khaki ripples surrounding the two people in the room.
Then the two of them fell underground and used escape techniques to get out of another room in the manor.
The doors and windows in the room were closed, and they were isolated with talisman formations. There was only a round table, a few chairs, and a candlestick in the room.
There were two people sitting at the table.
One of them is Qi Yuchun, the former commander of the Forbidden Army.
The other person was actually a middle-aged Taoist wearing a purple Taoist robe, with a black beard and a long beard, and an immortal style.
Seeing Zhuang Xiaocheng and Ren Kun walking out, they both looked over.
"Master, I have been waiting for you for a long time. If you have anything to say, just say it." The Taoist priest in purple said calmly, "There is a Kun Dao waiting for you in the palace."
Zhuang Xiaocheng ignored this guy's inappropriate remarks and sat down. The senior management of Kuangfu Society gathered together. He looked at Qi Yuchun: "How are the princess and the prince?"
Commander Qi Yuchun said:
"It has been arranged. We will leave the Forbidden Villa tomorrow and go to another stronghold to hide."
Zhuang Xiaocheng nodded and said seriously:
"There is no need to elaborate on the current situation. The power of the pseudo-emperor is growing day by day. If we can no longer respond effectively, we will only be defeated. Now that the imperial court has exchanged prisoners and defeated our conspiracy, I have taken the trick and entered the situation with my own body. Let Zhao Duan come and arrest him.”
The face of this former national warrior showed a fierceness and determination:
"Now, the location of the Forbidden Mountain Villa should have been handed over to the imperial court. With the Zhao traitor's habit of retribution and the promotion of Li Dang in the imperial court, it is very likely to arrive after the year.
By then, as long as this person is removed, the puppet imperial regime will be greatly damaged and our momentum will be greatly boosted. ”
The remaining people looked solemn.
Qi Yuchun hesitated and said:
"Taifu, you are different from us in that you are mortal. Why don't you evacuate with the prince and the princess? Since this place has been set up as a trap, then we are the hunters."
Zhuang Xiaocheng shook his head and said with a self-deprecating smile:
"Don't underestimate Zhao Duan. If I weren't here, he would definitely not fall for it, and you don't have to persuade me.
Since I have accepted His Highness Jian Wen's will, I should live and die with Kuangfu Society. Since the Zhao thieves have become a big problem because of me, I should eradicate them to avoid future troubles. ”
Everyone was moved.
The purple-robed Taoist even touched his palms and laughed:
"The Taifu has such great ambitions, but the poor Taoist must not be stingy. It is important to know that a strong dragon will not suppress the local snake. The poor Taoist will have to see what kind of trouble this Zhao thief can make in this world without the support of the false emperor."
……
……
Beijing.
The Lantern Festival on New Year's Eve has finally faded away.
Zhao family.
When the two daughters, Eugene Hua and Zhao Pan, each carried a small persimmon lamp in their hands, they returned home in a car under the protection of their servants.
Then he was surprised to see Zhao Duan standing in the courtyard making a snowman.
"Brother? Are you back?"
Zhao Pan's autumn-like eyes showed surprise, and he ran over with the delicate little persimmon lantern in his hand.
Looking at the ugly snowman in front of him, the girl frowned and said in disgust:
"So ugly..."
Eugene Hua was not as happy as her daughter. She twisted her waist and walked over carrying the persimmon lantern, and said cautiously:
"Didn't I say I wouldn't stay at home tonight? I wouldn't stay in the palace tonight?"
Zhao Pan was unhappy when he heard this: "Mom, it's the Chinese New Year, isn't it normal for my eldest brother to go home and live there."
Zhao Duan clapped his hands and dusted off the snow powder on his hands, with a wry smile on his face.
Originally, he thought that even if the empress wanted to act, she should stay in the palace to deal with it tonight.
But the result was that Zhenbao said, "The ancestors will be sacrificed in the palace tomorrow morning." You stayed in the palace and were not in harmony with the etiquette... The newly crowned prince Shaobao went home alone.
But it's normal to think about it. Letting those ministers know that the empress was in the palace with the prince Shaobao the night before the ancestor worship was almost the same as sending ammunition to the enemy.
"After the Chinese New Year, you should still be at home."
Zhao Duan said casually, drew his sword and wrote the three characters "Zhuang Xiaocheng" on the ugly snowman.
Then he cut off the snowman's head with a sword, breathed out gently, and almost whispered:
"It's time to avenge you."
"Ah, who are you avenging?" The mother and daughter didn't understand, they just thought Dalang was weird.
"Nothing."
Zhao Duan smiled to appease the two of them, then remembered something and threw the imperial edict in his arms to Eugene Hua:
"Auntie, help me store it."
"Imperial decree?!"
Eugene Hua was stunned and hurriedly caught it, and the small lamp in his hand fell to the ground.
When she unfolded the imperial edict in confusion and read the words clearly under the light of the lantern, both mother and daughter were stunned at the same time and couldn't believe it.
When Zhao Duan explained casually, he would be granted the title of Shaobao, and his future treatment would be the same as that of a third-level official.
It was as if a restraining technique had been used on Eugene and his daughter. It took them a while to regain their composure, and then they were overcome with uncontrollable ecstasy. Then, the entire Zhao family was in a state of shock.
The servants and servants could not hide their joy. It is said that when one person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.
Although Zhao Duan's power was not weak before, his status was still only a fourth-grade military general. Now he has taken a step forward and the entire Zhao family has officially entered a wealthy family.
It is conceivable that the Zhao family is destined to have no sleep tonight.
At this time, it was past midnight, Zhao Duan was standing in the center of the courtyard with his sword in his hand, and heard the sound of the New Year's bell coming from the direction of the bell tower of Tianshi Mansion.
"When——"
"When——"
Time finally came to Tianfeng's third year.
……
……
This night, the sound of firecrackers continued until late into the night.
The next day during the Spring Festival, Zhao Duan was awakened very early by a steady stream of officials and nobles coming to pay New Year's greetings.
The news that he had been awarded the title of Shaobao last night spread throughout the officialdom with lightning speed.
It caused a sensation immediately.
For a time, all the officials and nobles hurriedly turned up the New Year gifts they were preparing to send to Zhao Mansion.
This is very painful for the Zhao family.
Throughout the day, people came to visit us non-stop to pay New Year greetings, and they were all important people who had to be received in person.
The congratulatory gifts from others were piled up in two rooms in just one day.
Zhao Duan's smiling face froze. On the second day, the officials who came were one level lower, but they were at the same level as him, and they still needed to be greeted with a smile.
When Ma Yan came to the door with congratulatory gifts, the atmosphere between the two of them was particularly awkward.
On the one hand, Zhao Duan's official position is still that of Chief Inspector, but on the other hand, the moral rankings of his superior and subordinate are equal.
On the third day, Zhao Duan finally found time to leave the reception work to his stepmother. He pulled a large cart of gifts sent by others and went straight to the Tianshi Mansion.
Focusing on one, even if you travel through time, the custom of circulating New Year gifts cannot be changed.
The next few days were still busy, with an endless stream of entertainment events.
After the tenth day of the lunar month, the impact of adding officials finally faded away.
Zhao Duan's promise to capture Zhuang Xiaocheng within three months was already short.
A group of officials from the DPRK and China, led by Li Yanfu, made inquiries one after another to see what Zhao Duan could do to defeat such a guarantee.
Zhao Duan stayed in Beijing to socialize until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
And on the morning of the sixteenth day of the lunar month.
As the morning light faded, the south gate of the capital city opened in advance, and a special "caravan" quietly left the capital and headed south to Fengcheng.
——
ps: I feel anxious every time a new plot starts
(End of chapter)