Chapter 453 If the mountain is not mine, I will fight the mountain (5k)
Zhao Duan stepped up the last step with a smile in his eyes, and calmly looked at the two astonished people in the room.
At this moment, most of the setting sun has sunk into the ground. The sunlight shines through the Zhuge window, casting half a shadow and half a bright light on the ground.
He stood exactly on the dividing line between light and dark.
Behind him, the entire first floor downstairs has been controlled by Eunuch Hai and his men. The thugs of the Cao Gang are vulnerable to the masters of the palace.
"Governor Ning, what does this mean?!"
At the table, He Xiaolou's expression changed and he stared at Ning Zechen, subconsciously thinking that the young man who climbed the stairs was a helper arranged by the latter.
But Ning Zechen's face also had similar shock and confusion. He stood up and looked at the person carefully. He felt that this face looked familiar, but he didn't know where he had seen it before.
"It's not surprising that the Governor doesn't recognize Zhao. But you should know that Zhao will arrive at Jianning Mansion in the near future." Zhao Duan walked slowly and smiled lightly.
Thunder breaks out from the ground!
At this moment, this second-level powerful official who was in charge of Jianning Mansion and had a million-dollar canal work felt like he was struck by lightning. A flash of inspiration flashed through his mind and he blurted out:
"Capital Zhao Shaobao?"
Zhao Duan nodded and corrected:
"I am here to serve the saint, so the governor can call me your envoy."
Zhao of White Horse!
The number one favorite in the capital has become extremely popular in the past year, and is very likely to become a legendary figure in the future of the emperor's husband.
Ning Zechen opened his mouth and felt a strong sense of illusion for a moment. He didn't understand why this Beijing official appeared here suddenly.
No... what's more terrible is to appear on this occasion.
"Zhao Shaobao...Zhao Shijun...is he?!"
He Xiaolou's pupils also suddenly shrank, and the knuckles turned white when he pinched the fan in his hand.
There was a thunderous roar in the bottom of my heart, as if I was hit by a thunderbolt, with an expression of disbelief, accompanied by strong fear!
The name of a person, the shadow of a tree.
Given his status, of course he has seen Zhao Duan's portrait and knows his methods and power.
At this moment, the thought that something bad was going to happen suddenly flashed through his mind. He Xiaolou ran to the window in a few steps, holding on to the window frame and looking down.
"You don't have to look at Gang Leader He. When I went upstairs, I had a small conflict with the people below. At least I taught you a lesson." Zhao Duan walked to the round table with a smile and said with a smile:
"Don't you mind, Gang Leader He?"
There were beads of sweat on He Xiaolou's forehead. Where could he find the Feng Qingyundan who had just been strategizing and controlling the second-grade officers?
He turned his head stiffly and smiled like a dead father:
"No... don't mind."
"Haha," Zhao Duan smiled heartily, pulled out the chair, sat down on his own, looked at the sword thrown on the table among the rich dishes, and greeted calmly:
"What are you standing for? Sit down and talk, sit down and talk."
It was as if he was the master of this banquet.
Ning Zechen:......
He Xiaolou:......
The two of them were silent and unsure of the situation, so they had to sit down again, but the atmosphere of the negotiation just now was gone.
Zhao Duan waited for a while with a smile and joked:
"Why don't you continue? You continue to talk about yourselves, just pretend that I am not present."
The two officials and the gangsters are running around with ten thousand grass and mud horses, thinking who dares to pretend that you don't exist?
Zhao Duan sighed softly and said helplessly:
"Since both of you are silent, I have to do the talking. Haha, I came into the city today and wanted to pay a visit to Governor Ning, but I failed, so I had to look for him."
The two were silent.
Zhao Duan continued slowly:
"I have a pretty good ear. Just now outside, I vaguely heard the two people upstairs mentioning that Governor Ning's wife and daughter were robbed by water bandits? Is this possible?"
Ning Zechen had no choice but to speak now and said bravely: "It is true..."
He Xiaolou also said hurriedly:
"Governor Ning is the food and clothing parent of our Caobang. When he learned that his wife and daughter were missing, he asked the Caobang to find her..."
"Oh——" Zhao Duan dragged out a long sound, looked at the two of them alternately with a half-smile, and said:
"So, Governor Ning came to Gang Leader He to help save people tonight?"
Ning Zechen didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Zhao Duan continued:
"What a coincidence. On my way to Jianning Mansion, I happened to encounter a group of water bandits intercepting and killing a passing merchant ship. After I came to the rescue, I rescued a mother and daughter on the ship, and actually claimed to be the governor's wife."
Ning Zechen suddenly raised his head, stared at him in disbelief, and asked excitedly:
"Seriously what you said...is true?!"
But immediately, he felt unbelievable:
If his wife and daughter had not fallen into the hands of the Cao Gang, why would He Xiaolou dare to negotiate with him?
Is there any misunderstanding?
He Xiaolou's brows were also twitching wildly, pretending to be surprised: "Is this happening?"
Zhao Duan smiled and said: "How could I be so bored as to make up such a joke? Come on."
He suddenly clapped his hands.
Immediately, footsteps were heard from down the stairs, and an accompanying Ouchi master walked up, holding a square wooden box in both hands.
He placed it in front of He Xiaolou and immediately retreated.
He Xiaolou suddenly felt strong uneasiness in his heart, but under Zhao Duan's smiling gaze, he could only frown and tentatively opened the lid of the black square wooden box with both hands.
"Bang."
The wooden box was opened, and a bloody smell mixed with cold air spurted out. Inside the box, there was a bloody human head, wrapped in ice to prevent rot.
"Ugh——"
He Xiaolou's face instantly turned pale, he retched violently, and the folding fan in his hand fell to the ground with a "pop".
Governor Ning also caught a glimpse of the human head in the box and was frightened.
Zhao Duan's smile did not change and he talked eloquently:
"The man in the box is the leader of the water bandits. He is quite fierce. He is actually a divine warrior. Fortunately, I have many retinues accompanying me, so I was able to capture this man.
Speaking of which, before his death, this man claimed to be 'Zuo Rong', and he also said that he was a disciple of the leader of the He clan. I wonder if what he said was true or false? ”
Zuo Rong? That thug from the Cao Gang? Governor Ning's heart skipped a beat, knowing this person.
After He Xiaolou retched, he reluctantly covered his whitened lips with a handkerchief and shook his head slowly:
"I don't know this person... nor is he a member of my Cao Gang. He must be... framed by gangsters..."
Zhao Duan said "Oh" and said slowly:
"Are you framed? However, before he died, this man also told the secret code and method of contacting the Cao Gang. I was curious, so I passed the message to the leader of the He Gang according to the method. Didn't you receive it too?"
He Xiaolou's face turned even paler and he denied it flatly: "You have misunderstood. The villain did not receive any news."
"Really, then why don't Gang Leader He call your subordinate Zuo Rong and confront him face to face?"
"...Well, Zuo Rong went home to visit relatives a few days ago and is not in Jianning Mansion."
"Oh, it just so happened that I was going home at this time," Zhao Duan sighed softly, and suddenly picked up a pair of chopsticks on the table, and the smile disappeared from his face:
"It seems that you still don't understand my officer's style of handling cases."
He Xiaolou looked back blankly, and then he saw Zhao Duan flick his wrist suddenly, and the two chopsticks in his hand flew out like flying knives.
"Poof!"
"Poof!"
Two blasts were hammered into the Cao Gang leader's shoulder blades on both sides. The force was so strong that He Xiaolou was forcefully taken away from his seat and slammed against the screen behind him.
"Ah!"
Amid the screams, He Xiaolou was pinned to the screen by two chopsticks!
Governor Ning's eyelids twitched wildly, and he looked at this favored minister of the empress whom he had never met before, full of surprise.
Zhao Duan slowly stretched out his hand, grabbed the sword on the table, stood up, walked to He Xiaolou, and said calmly:
"I'm not interested in talking nonsense anymore. I'll give you three breaths to tell you who instructed you to do it."
He Xiaolou cried out in pain: "Your Majesty, I..."
"One."
The sword in Zhao Duan's hand flashed, and with a pop, he poked a big hole in his leg.
He Xiaolou was so painful that he almost fainted: "It's not me..."
"Two."
Zhao Duan turned the hilt of his sword, and the latter's other leg was also pierced, and blood flowed out.
Immediately, he pulled out the blood-stained sword tip and pressed it between He Xiaolou's legs.
He Xiaolou was finally overwhelmed by fear and almost shouted:
"It's the Shen family! The Shen family forced the villain to do it!"
Shen family? !
Zhao Duan and Ning Zechen's hearts moved at the same time, both of them having unexpected emotions.
Within the Jianning Mansion, among those who had the motive and ability to commit the case, only Prince Jing's Mansion and the Shen family were the most suspect.
"It's absolutely true! The second master of the Shen family died a few days ago. Governor Ning promoted the New Deal and attacked the Shen family, so they found me..."
He Xiaolou poured beans out of a bamboo tube, describing how the other party found him, how he gave orders, and the threat process in detail, as if he had recited it countless times in his heart.
Zhao Duan frowned slightly, walked back to the table slowly, threw the sword in the dining room, and said to the Governor of Water Transport with a smile:
"It seems that trying the case is not difficult."
"..." Ning Zechen took a deep breath, stood up, and solemnly bowed his hands: "Today, I am..."
"No need to say more," Zhao Duan interrupted him with a warm smile, "The governor went to the banquet alone, so courageous. I am in the capital, and I have long admired Lord Ning's reputation." Is this... not going to pursue it? Ning Zechen's impression of this rumored favorite of the empress changed again.
After careful consideration, although his acting style is indeed as domineering and arrogant as the rumors say, it does not seem to be without rules. He is worthy of Zhao Shaobao who can solve major cases in a row and even arrest Zhuang Xiaocheng himself.
"I have given you such a good reputation, how dare you ask my wife and them..."
"Don't worry, my wife and daughter are intact. They are just a little frightened. They are now at the inn in the city. If the governor wants to see them, just follow me to pick them up. How about that?" Zhao Duan asked with a smile.
Governor Ning took a deep breath: "I am very happy!"
"Okay," Zhao Duan laughed, called the Ouchi master below to go upstairs, and casually ordered:
"Bring He Xiaolou back, I'm still useful. As for those miscellaneous fish down there..."
Ning Zechen said:
"If you can trust me, sir, you can order someone to take my badge to the Caoyun Yamen, and someone will handle it properly."
Master Wen will take care of it, right... But those are my people too... Zhao Duan muttered in his heart and smiled gently:
"Okay."
……
……
Less than half an hour later, Zhao Duan and Governor Ning returned to the inn where he stayed.
At this moment, the sky was completely dark. When a group of people walked into the backyard of the inn, Mrs. Ning who walked out after hearing the news and the attentive and outspoken girl also saw Ning Zechen entering the courtyard.
"Husband——"
"Daddy——"
With shouts of surprise, the mother and daughter, who had been anxious for a long time, finally felt their hearts drop and happily fell into the arms of Governor Ning.
Immediately, there was an indispensable clichéd scene in which family members who had survived the disaster met each other to ask each other about the situation and exchange heart-to-hearts.
"Master, if Mr. Zhao hadn't come to the rescue in time this time, we would have been killed by the traitors." The elegant and quiet Mrs. Ning took the initiative to speak.
The girl nodded like a chicken pecking at rice:
"Master Zhao treats us very well. When I said that my father said that his son-in-law did a good job, my mother pinched me and refused to let me say it, but Master Zhao was not angry and even laughed loudly."
< br>
Ning Zechen and his wife: "..."
"Ahem," Zhao Duan, a bystander not far away, coughed lightly and took the initiative to break the awkward atmosphere. He first invited the two girls back to the house, and then sat down in the courtyard with this hard-working minister to talk about business.
Governor Ning showed his intention and hurriedly explained the current situation in detail:
"... Generally speaking, there is huge resistance to the implementation of the New Deal. I originally wanted to attack the Shen family first. As long as the Shen family nods, it will be much easier for the rest of the waiting and watching noble families. Unfortunately, this group of people is deeply entrenched and powerful. I lacked available people, so I repeatedly wrote to the court to request new officials to take up their posts."
Zhao Duan thought for a while and asked: "What was Prince Jing's palace's reaction?"
Governor Ning said: "Hiding behind the scenes, doing evil in secret."
Zhao Duan nodded as expected. Before he completely broke his face, Prince Jing, as a member of the royal family, could not openly oppose the new policies of the imperial court.
Therefore, it will only add fuel to the fire behind the scenes.
Zhao Duan said:
"I came here on the order of the emperor to suppress the arrogance of these local wealthy families, so as to pave the way for subsequent officials to be appointed. However, I did not expect that as soon as I arrived, I almost gave the Shen family a disgrace."
He said coldly:
"Assault, kill and kidnap the families of high-ranking officials. It seems that these wealthy people are used to being local emperors and are no less courageous than the traitors from Kuangfu Society."
Governor Ning's heart skipped a beat and he consoled him:
"Calm down your anger. The situation in Jiancheng Road is extremely complicated. We should proceed slowly and think twice before we act. The subordinates have nothing to fear if they suffer a little grievance. After all, nothing serious has happened."
At this moment, he remembered the past behavior style of "Zhao Yanwang" and suddenly panicked.
Zhao Duan smiled slightly, with a warm expression:
"Don't worry, I'm not a reckless person, I know what I'm doing. Well, I'd like to ask the governor to send someone to send a message to the head of the Shen family for me later, saying that I'm here."
Governor Ning was stunned for a moment and said tentatively:
"What do you mean, the envoy, to force them to come to your door?"
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"With such a big commotion in Zhuge and He Xiaolou being arrested, the Shen family and even Prince Jing's Mansion must have heard the news by now. If it is really the mastermind of the Shen family, they will not feel at ease.
You just said that I'm here, hehe, given my status and name, it's normal for Prince Jing to come here, but as the Shen family is the leading wealthy family in Jianning Mansion, they should come to see me in person, right? ”
Governor Ning nodded, guessing that Zhao Duan wanted to take this opportunity to tease the Shen family. Instead of arresting anyone, as long as the other party came to the door... This undoubtedly left room...
Huh, fortunately, this "King of Hell Zhao" is not that crazy. He knows that this is Jianning Mansion. If he were in the capital, he would have led his troops to arrest people from the Shen family...
But here, I will definitely not act recklessly...
Governor Ning felt that he had figured out the style of this Beijing official.
……
……
After seeing off Governor Ning's family, Zhao Duan, Eunuch Hai, Prajna Bodhisattva and others finally had a good meal.
After meal.
Lang Shiba, Ji Yue and the Lihuatang Jinyi went to rest separately, and Eunuch Hai also took a group of worshipers to practice daily breathing.
After Zhao Duan took a simple bath, he put on his single clothes and held a candle in the room, reading the detailed information on Jianning Mansion sent by "Master Wen".
Until late at night, the Shen family did not arrive.
When he rubbed his eyes, took his eyes off the data file, stretched, and opened the door, he found that the bright moon had risen in the sky.
The night was as cold as water and the courtyard was quiet except for the chirping of insects.
The starry sky at night in ancient times was extremely clear and bright. Endless stars merged into a strange Milky Way, flowing endlessly in the universe.
"What are you looking at?" A soft female voice appeared next to him.
"Look at the stars." Zhao Duan replied casually, and then he was stunned. He turned around and saw the white Prajna Bodhisattva standing next to him.
This old nun, who is over fifty years old, is wearing a thin monk's robe. The night wind blows, and the monk's robe on her body ripples like water.
The thick, dark hair on the back of her head, coupled with her round and round face, as bright as a moon disk, reminded Zhao Duan of the so-called "peaceful country and peaceful people" appearance on the Internet in his previous life.
Prajna did not hold the jade purification bottle in his hand, nor did he hold the comb. He just stood beside him lightly and gracefully, looking at him with a smile in his translucent and strange eyes.
Those pupils are extremely mysterious, as if if you look at them for a while, your whole soul will be sucked into them.
"What's so good about the stars? Why don't you look at me?" Prajna Bodhisattva exhaled like blue, with the corners of his mouth raised.
"..." Zhao Duan looked up at the sky again with an expressionless face and said:
"Does Bodhisattva know that the starlight we see in our eyes actually comes from countless billions of years ago.
When those lights bloomed from distant stars, perhaps this world was still ignorant and there were no living beings. But when these starlights span countless years and fall into our eyes at this moment, countless years have passed. ”
Prajna Bodhisattva looked at him curiously:
"Are these weird remarks told to you by the star officials who control the calendar in Qintian Prison? What kind of truth do a group of mortals with low cultivation level know? It's nothing more than a little nonsense."
Zhao Duan smiled and was too lazy to argue with her.
However, soon, he had to speak:
"Bodhisattva, don't lean on me. This distance is a bit ambiguous. Let me tell you, Your Majesty has to say..."
With half of her body almost touching Zhao Duan, the Buddhist female Bodhisattva could clearly feel each other's warmth on their arms and said with a smile:
"The poor nun knows that His Majesty will kill me, Master Zhao does not need to stress."
I think you committed the crime knowingly... Zhao Duan was about to scold him sternly when he suddenly heard the voice of the female Bodhisattva in his ears:
"Speaking of which, how far have Mr. Zhao and Your Majesty progressed? They can't just touch little hands."
... Damn it, this is unbearable... Zhao Duan felt that he was being ridiculed. He moved to the side seriously, trying to distance himself, and sneered and sarcastically said:
"I suddenly knew why Your Majesty threw Princess Yunyang to Jizhao'an."
Prajna Bodhisattva did not feel dissatisfied, smiled softly, looked at the little virgin with a teasing expression in his eyes, and said softly:
"It's pitiful that Mr. Zhao is so loyal, but His Majesty can't let go of his figure. The poor nun feels really distressed when he sees it."
It’s none of your business... You old woman who just wants to drain my potential in advance... Zhao Duan dismissed it and turned around to go back to the house:
"Now that it has been completed, the Bodhisattva can leave on his own and go to the temple to handle matters."
Prajna Bodhisattva's gray thighs twisted and suddenly wrapped around him, almost hanging on his body. His lips were pressed against Zhao Duan's ear and he said in a disgusting voice:
"The poor nun also wants to help you...husband..."
Zhao Duan got goosebumps, his face turned red, and he shouted:
"Old Hai!"
Whoosh——
Prajna Bodhisattva instantly let go of his hand and withdrew from Zhang Xu, his eyes sad.
From upstairs not far away, Eunuch Hai's angry voice came: "The Flesh Bodhisattva is shameless."
Prajna Bodhisattva sneered, turned around and returned to his room: "The old eunuch doesn't understand the style."
Zhao Duan shook his head speechlessly, turned around and went back to the house. He looked at the sky and confirmed that the Shen family would not come to the house tonight.
He sneered: "If the mountain is not mine, I will be the mountain."
(End of chapter)