Chapter 315 Telling Pei Niannu a story
What kind of quirk is this... In the case library, sunlight penetrated through the window panes, passed through the bookshelves, and sprinkled on the scroll in his hand.
"So, this Pei Niannu is not only a powerful ancient from six hundred years ago, but also a terrifying guy who often locks storytellers into small dark rooms..."
"In a fight with Taizu, there is no winner... Well, what should be recorded here is Lao Xu who has not yet entered the realm of heaven and man, but this record alone is also very scary, the peak of the realm of heaven and man... Hiss, doesn’t it mean it’s similar to Zhenbao?”
"Pei Niannu... is not famous, at least I don't know about it. Six hundred years have passed, and many records have been sealed in time. But Lao Xu, why did you draw this person? You won't forget it after all... "
Zhao Duan was stuck in the case library, with many thoughts in his mind.
He closed the book and had an idea in his mind:
"According to what Ma Yan said, people in the Six Chapters Sutra have a certain spirituality and can communicate with each other. It seems that it is impossible for me to fight against this Pei Niannu through force. Then it is better to change my thinking and go with him..."
"As the saying goes, if you wear a lot of clothes, you can only flatter yourself... As long as you are well prepared, there is no big shot that you can't lick..."
The path depends on it.
However, these three sentences of records alone were not enough. Zhao Duan walked straight out of the palace and went straight to the Yamen, preparing to use the resources at hand to collect information on "Pei Niannu".
Guide it.
…
While Zhao Duan was busy collecting information, the verification and retrial of Gao Lian's case officially began.
The trend of public opinion in the market is just a small microcosm of the game between multiple forces.
A night of silence.
The next day, it will be open again in the morning.
On this day, someone was surprised to see a large group of officials entering the Jinluan Hall.
Later, it was reported that dozens of officials signed a petition for Gao Lian in the morning.
He also presented a memorandum signed by many officials, to the effect that the Chief Minister Gao had a well-known reputation for being magnanimous and noble, which was obvious to all.
It is hard to believe that he could have committed so many crimes, and thus question the authenticity of many evidences.
In addition, the government refuted many evidences during the incident, suspecting that Zhao Duan, the imperial envoy, was deceived and Gao Lian was imprisoned because he was targeted.
Strictly speaking, this court meeting had no actual content, but its political significance was extremely obvious.
Such a huge request for orders is rare in the court. Behind it is undoubtedly the Jiangnan clan headed by Li Yanfu who is adding fuel to the flames.
After leaving the court.
In the Imperial College, a quarrel also broke out. It is said that the students were divided into two groups and started a battle over the issue of "whether Gao Lian was framed."
However, due to the overwhelming amount of evidence, the vast majority of students still believe that they are “guilty”.
However, the appearance of contrary voices sends a subtle signal.
White Horse Prison, Hou Yamen.
"Li Yanfu really has the ability to make so many officials express their opinions so quickly?" Zhao Duan asked curiously, sitting under an old tree that had almost lost all its leaves.
Opposite him was Sun Lianying, the supervisor with gray hair on his temples and sunken eyes.
Because the autumn day was cold, the old eunuch had a knitted blanket covering his knees and his clothes were thicker. He said with a smile:
"Li Yanfu has been in the court for many years and has a solid foundation. However, after several beatings, his prestige has also dropped a lot. The reason for being able to respond so quickly this time is not just due to his methods.
Did you know that yesterday, the Jiangnan Gao family and his wife's family arrived in the capital together and visited more than thirty mansions in just one day. "
Are the people from the southern gentry coming?
Why don't I know... Zhao Duan was taken aback, then scratched his head, thinking that he didn't seem to care about this matter at all, so that's no problem.
He smiled and said: "You are living leisurely in the White Horse Prison, and you are better informed than me."
The old supervisor glanced at him, said "ha", and said lightly: "If you live in a place for a long time, you will always know more people."
Zhao Duan was convinced. He handed over a few winter dates that he had wiped clean in his hand and said with a smile:
"So, you are saying that this morning's meeting was the result of the efforts of the noble clan?"
The old supervisor nodded and leaned back in his chair.
The sky is clear in autumn, and the sky in the capital is exceptionally clear. There are only a few strands of clouds floating high in the sky.
"This is just the beginning. Among the many forces in the temple, there is me among you, and you among me. This world was originally divided and controlled by noble families, and the royal family was the largest among them.
In the past, this group of centuries-old wealthy families in the south remained secretive. The biggest reason for this was the fear of the imperial court. Once people were afraid of the imperial court, they would try to find ways, build relationships, and infiltrate...
But fear does not mean being beaten blindly. In the past six months, you have indeed attacked the nobles too frequently. "The old supervisor sighed.
Zhao Duan made a bitter face, feeling extremely unjust:
"How can I do this? If you say it's too frequent, it's just because there's not enough time."
Rabbits bite people when they are anxious, let alone a big family with a hundred years of history.
Why doesn't Zhao Duan understand?
Whether the empress controls the court or implements the New Deal, the best and most stable thing is of course "boiling a frog in warm water".
But will the eight kings who are eyeing him and the sneaky remnants of the second prince leave enough time for people to boil water?
If it was all for stability, even if we knew Gao Lian was the mastermind behind it, we should pretend not to know and stabilize the southern gentry group first.
But in the end, the empress decided to take a risk and use the power she had accumulated over the past six months to gain official status.
As long as Gao Lian is successfully killed, the nobles will be defeated, their morale will drop, and the resistance to the New Deal will be reduced... Of course, in Zhao Duan's view, this operation is somewhat like dancing on the tip of a knife. Either the nobles will be devastated and resigned to their fate, or it will arouse rebellion. Of course, it is more likely that there are various ideas.
Internally, factions with different ideas were divided.
As far as he knew, the empress deliberately attracted some nobles to join her when it came to the "opening of the market" under the New Deal.
Use the "open market" as a hot topic to split the entire gentry group, win over some, suppress some... All of the above were not stated explicitly in the court, but Zhao Duan relied on experience and learned from the actions and decrees of the court. Strategy.
Therefore, Zhenbao is not just clearing obstacles.
While dealing with Gao Lian, he also quietly handed out sweet dates to some other wealthy families.
"Just eat a few jujubes. I'm old and can't eat anything too sweet." The old supervisor only took a few winter jujubes and said quietly:
"Anyway, you just have to wait and see. In the next few days, the lobbying of the southern gentry against the influential figures in the capital will only increase, not less. Today's action by Li Dang is just a signal for a real counterattack. It hasn’t started yet.”
Zhao Duan chewed the dates and said, "It has nothing to do with me anyway."
At this time, a messenger came to the prison, and the old supervisor got up to handle official business.
Zhao Duan was left alone in the small courtyard, drinking wine with dates.
He closed his eyes, put the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth, and breathed out.
Although he is sitting or lying down, he enters a meditative state like a Buddhist Arhat.
…
In a daze, Zhao Duan entered the "Six Chapters Classic" again.
Appearing in the wilderness.
When I raised my head, I saw the sky was still dark and surrounded by sparse trees.
He looked up and saw the dilapidated temple in front of him.
"...Does this count as a resurrection point?"
Zhao Duan complained, straightened his clothes, and happily walked towards the ancient temple for the second time.
Pei Niannu left few records, but he still found some ancient books and confirmed the authenticity of the records in the files.
At the same time, in the descriptions in those ancient books, the reading preferences of this "first female sorcerer (ancient name: Alchemist)" are known in more detail.
For example, as one of the giants who dominated the world 600 years ago, Pei Niannu didn't like love stories and thought "love love is a petty thing".
I also don’t like stories about making great achievements, becoming generals, becoming prime ministers, and conquering the world. I think that “fame and wealth are fleeting, just a word, vulgar.”
My favorite thing in my life is to listen to mysterious stories about immortals and ghosts. It is said that it originated from my childhood yearning for immortality.
Even though he later became a world-class expert, he was still as passionate about this type of subject matter as ever.
"Don't you just like fantasy heroes..."
Zhao Duan muttered, and he had already reached the steps of the dilapidated temple.
Taking a deep breath, he held his breath and concentrated. He couldn't beat him, and success or failure depended on this.
The next moment, Zhao Duan was so angry that he recited loudly: "An ordinary mountain village boy accidentally entered the local Jianghu sect and became a registered disciple. With such an identity, how did he gain a foothold in the sect and how did he gain a foothold in the sect? To join the ranks of immortal cultivators with mediocre qualifications and become proud of the Three Realms? Listen to the first chapter of "The Story of Mortals Cultivating Immortality".
"Han Li opened his eyes wide and stared straight at the black roof made of thatch and mud. The old quilt covering his body had turned dark yellow, and his original appearance could not be seen, but it still exuded some faint smell. A faint musty smell…”
Zhao Duan recited loudly.
At this moment, he was extremely lucky. In his previous life, he had a boring habit of listening to books while commuting to work...
While reciting, Zhao Duan stepped forward and slowly opened the door of the ruined temple.
The inside is still the same as last time, with luxuriant grass, a broken alchemy furnace lying in the corner, and the main hall has been abandoned for a long time.
His eyes were darting around, but there was no sign of Pei Niannu.
But there was no pause in the action of telling the story. Thanks to the silent recitation practice last night, when I told it now, although it was not full of emotion, it was smooth and natural.
And when he walked to the center of the courtyard for the second time, as expected, he felt a strong pressure again.
Coming!
Zhao Du Anxin calmed down, suppressed his energy, did not make any resistance, simply closed his eyes, stood there and immersed himself in the story...
But the expected pain of being knocked on the skull did not come.
There's drama!
Zhao Duan held back his joy and continued: "...Han Li never thought that after going out this time, the amount of money would no longer mean anything to him, and that he would actually embark on a path to immortality that was different from ordinary people. Daodao, walked out on his own path of cultivating immortality.”
rustle……
The cold wind blew through the dilapidated ancient temple.
Zhao Duan, who was endorsement with his eyes closed, didn't know that right in front of him on the eaves of the main hall, a red wedding dress was hanging down, unmoved by the wind.
The gold and red scale beam in Pei Niannu's hand slowly dropped, and a strange look appeared in the hole behind the dark gold mask covering his face.
Gradually, the wedding sorceress, who had once become one of the most powerful people in the world, slowly sat on the eaves. Under her skirt, a pair of calves hung down, and her embroidered shoes swayed slightly.
Behind the dark gold mask, the evil spirit gradually eased.
"This story... I've never heard of it."
Thank you to the cat made of paper for the 100-coin reward!
(End of this chapter)