Chapter 326: Mr. Zhao, the Imperial Master ordered me to say hello to you (please ask for a guaranteed monthly ticket)
"Ahem,"
Xu Zhenguan saw that he was starting to lose his mind, coughed, and pulled Zhao Duan back.
The voice was cold and authentic:
"As for the dream devouring technique, everyone present does not need to worry too much. With your will, you can resist even if it is invaded.
And to perform this technique, you need to be very close. You either have extraordinary cultivation, or you have magic weapons to protect your body. There are guards around you at all times to look after each other. As long as you are careful and careful, it is not difficult to resist.
After all, the demon is not good at fighting, and head-on conflict is its weakness. As for verbal temptations, be careful not to talk to strangers. "
These are words of comfort... Even if everyone present has a way to resist, with a population of one million in the capital and so many officials in the officialdom, it will be very troublesome if something happens to middle- and low-level officials...
Zhao Duan thought about it and felt that the empress's arrangements must be more than that.
As expected, Xu Zhenguan continued to say:
"Bewitching Demon Dao is a person who is extremely vengeful and has a high-profile style of acting. Even if he is an enemy, he is often only willing to find people he likes as opponents.
Therefore, I feel that since he has publicly announced his return, he will not hide and do the things that make trouble for the court. "
Yuan Li looked at the last three people who entered the hall, thoughtfully:
"Your Majesty means...if he comes back to seek revenge, he may have already locked the target?"
Xu Zhenguan nodded lightly, raised his eyes and looked at the three people without saying a word.
But the meaning seems to be extremely clear.
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment and turned his attention to them again.
After An Jing listened to the conversation between the monarch and his ministers, the three people with different identities who were suddenly called into the small court meeting stood up at the same time and walked out.
Lieutenant General Qian Niuwei had sharp eyes.
The alchemy priest of Tianshi Mansion frowned.
If that thin old Hanlin man Kong had a clear understanding.
Xu Zhenguan looked down at the three people and said cautiously:
"All three of them had a grudge against the demon in the past. In my opinion, there is a high possibility that the demon will return to the capital and come looking for you and other troubles.
Therefore, I have called you here. Firstly, I want you to be prepared. Secondly, I will send experts to protect you secretly. If the demon appears, we will capture it. "
The three of them looked at each other, and there was no surprise. They seemed to have expected it.
The deputy general of the Forbidden Army and Kong Hanlin thanked him with solemn expressions.
As for the priest with the blue alchemy furnace pattern embroidered on his chest, he looked arrogant and said:
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, but there is no need for it. If the poor Taoist is in the Tianshi Mansion, the evil Taoist will not dare to step even half a step!
However, now that this person has returned, Pindao hopes that he can come to his door. In the next period of time, Pindao will be walking outside the Tianshi Mansion. If he encounters this person, what if he fights with him?
Life and death are determined by fate, haha, it was a pity that I was unable to fight against this demon in the past. Now that I have the opportunity to eradicate the demon, eliminate demons and protect the Tao, it is the responsibility of the poor Taoist. "
As if I don't need the protection of the court, I will do it myself.
...No, old priest, you don't understand at all. "Protect" is a euphemism. It's true to use you guys to fish... Zhao Duan complained in his heart.
But it's not surprising.
The Alchemy priests have always been arrogant, and with the support of Zhang Tianshi, they are naturally full of confidence.
Xu Zhenguan was not surprised and nodded gently as a sign of appreciation.
Then, she told the other officials of the royal party to keep the matter low-key after they returned and to be vigilant to each other to prevent anyone from being deceived and causing trouble.
As for Ma Yan, he naturally took on the task of hunting down and arresting the evil spirits.
The whole process was orderly, and at the end, the court dispersed, and Zhao Duan was named by the empress to stay at the end.
"Your Majesty, do you have any instructions?" Zhao Duan blinked his big innocent eyes.
Xu Zhen looked at him for a while and said:
"Although the demon has never met you and has nothing to do with you, he is still a member of Jian Wen's rebel faction. If he returns this time, he will probably get involved with Kuangfu Society..."
The implication: We cannot rule out the possibility that the Imperial Preceptor will cause trouble for Zhao Duan.
"I am a thorn in the side of the rebellious party and a thorn in the flesh. If I am really targeted, it will be really troublesome. If Your Majesty does not give up, I am willing to move into the palace during this period to avoid being harmed by evil spirits!"
Zhao Duan first said with a serious frown, and finally turned his eyes sincerely, revealing his true intention.
"..." Xu Zhenguan's eyelashes fluttered, his chest rose and fell slightly, he turned around and said angrily:
"Get out."
"Okay."
Zhao Duan turned around and left.
Just as he was about to cross the threshold, he heard the cold voice of the empress behind him:
"If you really encounter this person, you can try to meditate into the 'Six Chapter Sutra' to break this path."
Hey, does visualizing the paintings left by Old Xu still have this function... But I don't want to break the situation now, and I kind of want to try the taste of devouring dreams... Zhao Duan was surprised and raised a smile:
"Yes, Your Majesty."
…
After walking out of the palace, Zhao Duan walked out quickly. When he arrived at the palace square, he saw Ma Yan staying here waiting for him.
"Let's go together."
Ma Yan glanced at him and did not ask what the empress had said to him. He turned around and led the way towards the Meridian Gate.
Zhao Duan followed Senior Brother Bianyi. In his field of vision was the spacious square, and behind him were hundreds of steps with white jade railings.
The autumn wind swept through the square, and it was as if one could smell the bloody smell of the coup that year.
"Brother, will the demon take the bait? What I mean is, will he take the risk of causing trouble for those three people? Since this person was able to bewitch the late emperor and thrived in the capital, he must not be a stupid and reckless person."
Zhao Duan thought for a while and made some insinuations.
Ma Yan didn't look at him, but walked forward and said:
"That's because you don't know this person well enough. With this demonic temperament, it's not surprising that he would do such a bold thing. Haha, you should know if this person wasn't brave enough, how could he have dared to do such an evil thing back then? You are lying in front of the Tianshi Mansion in the capital?"
The key is that he pretended... Zhao Duan added silently.
In his opinion, many people would have guessed that this person was not practicing righteousness.
But this world is never black and white, good and evil.
The late emperor could deliberately pretend to be confused in order to extend his life, and others who were concerned about the royal family could also pretend not to see it.
Zhao Duan asked curiously: "So, what grudge do these three people have against the demon?"
Ma Yan explained:
"Kong Hanlin is a very old-school scholar. In the past, the late emperor appointed him as a national teacher. Kong Hanlin believed that this order did not respect etiquette and law, so he repeatedly wrote against it and was hostile to the demons. However, he was concerned about the noble status of the Hanlin Academy, and there were also people behind it Grand Master Dong and others supported him, so the late emperor only suppressed him."
"That alchemy priest...well, he is from your family, and his surname is Zhao. In the past, priest Zhao publicly questioned the national master as a demon, and the magic techniques he used were false... He made a big fuss, and was hated by the demon, but there was nothing he could do. With Master Zhang in charge, it was finally settled."
Ah... He is the priest who publicly cracked down on counterfeiting back then... Zhao Duan suddenly realized.
Ma Yan continued: "As for Deputy General Qian Niuwei... on the day of the coup, it was he who beheaded Yao Dao in the rebel army."
Zhao Duan:......
Okay, this hatred is indeed very real.
Zhao Duan blinked and asked curiously: "Then who was this person in the palace back then..."
Ma Yan glanced at him, heard the implication, sighed, and explained:
"The death of the late emperor should not be directly related to him. After all, there are many experts in the palace, and they will not allow him to do evil. As for whether it is indirectly related, I can't say, it has become an open case.
There is a theory, and more importantly, His Majesty once suspected that the second prince Jian Wen led his troops into the palace and attempted a coup, and he might have been bewitched by this person. "
Ah... Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, but he was filled with doubts.
The empress had just made it clear that the visualization of the God of War could break into dreams, so one must have a certain resistance to bewitchment. Even if he didn't, Xu Jianwen still had some cultivation back then, not to mention that he had all the masters and magical weapons around him, so there was no reason for demons to take advantage of him.
However, this is indeed impossible to say.
Perhaps only by catching the former Imperial Master can we learn the truth.
Throughout the dynasties, there have always been many secrets and conspiracy theories involving the royal family, and Zhao Duan has seen many of them.
…
With heavy hearts, the two walked out of the Meridian Gate and rode out of the imperial city again.
After all this trouble, it was almost noon when he came out, and Ma Yan had to go back to the Yamen to arrange the investigation.
Seeing that it was time for "meal", Zhao Duan did not return with him, but decided to have a meal first.
The sky is big and the earth is big, and eating is the biggest thing.
After riding a horse for a while, they went to one of the busiest restaurant streets in the capital. Zhao Duan entered a popular restaurant with a hot pot sign.
The hot pot of the Yu Dynasty is a standard copper hot pot, which is only popular in autumn and winter.
Every year after the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the weather is cool enough, copper pots are set up in various restaurants in the city.
Zhao Duan walked upstairs. Because he often came to have drinks with his colleagues, the restaurant clerk had already known this big shot and immediately welcomed him into a private room reserved for the powerful.
A few moments later, a copper hot pot was lit with red charcoal fire, and plates of freshly cut mutton and side dishes were placed on the table.
"How do you say that? After eating pickles and tofu..."
Zhao Duan declined the restaurant waiter's service, held long chopsticks, and personally dipped the vegetables and meat into the rolling milky white soup. He also held a piece of tender white tofu on the plate in his palm, cut it into small pieces with a knife, and poured it in In the pot.
Outside the window is a bustling street scene, with the sounds of sellers and the bustle of pedestrians.
Upstairs, boiling water is boiling and a pot of wine is warmed.
After Zhao Duan finished cutting the tofu, he picked up a grain of salted peanut and threw it into his mouth, chewing silently.
He picked up the wine cup and took a sip, thinking about bewitching the demons.
Suddenly, there was a knocking sound on the box door.
"Come in." Zhao Duan thought it was the waiter delivering food, but when the door opened, it was an ordinary middle-aged man who walked in.
"You may have gone to the wrong place." Zhao Duan said.
This middle-aged man of medium height and mediocre appearance, wearing a melon cap and a silk jacket, looks like a businessman and closes the door behind his back.
He immediately turned around and looked at Zhao Duan for confirmation, and said, "But the White Horse Supervisor Zhao Envoy?"
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows and said, "Which family are you from?"
He was accustomed to thinking that he was a servant of some important person in the capital, and he might also be drinking in the building and wanted to meet him.
But he didn't come in person and only sent a servant, which was a bit ignorant.
The middle-aged man seemed to smile when he heard this, and walked straight to the table, sat down on the empty seat opposite the hot pot, raised his hand and took off the melon skin hat on his head, with a warm and polite smile on his face.
He was clearly a businessman, and his manners made Zhao Duan inexplicably think of the old-fashioned European gentlemen wearing silks and vests that he had seen in British dramas in his previous life.
"I have admired Zhao Shijun for a long time and took the liberty to come to visit you. Please don't be surprised."
The middle-aged man's bloodshot, yet demonic eyes revealed a smile:
"The Imperial Master of the Yu Dynasty ordered me to say hello to you."
…
…
Zhaoyamen.
Ma Yan rode alone and returned to the Governor's Hall.
After stepping in, they saw that only two detectives were still waiting here, and the rest had disappeared.
"The Governor!"
The two of them stood up and saluted.
Ma Yan nodded, then frowned and said, "Where are the others?"
One person explained: "Following your instructions, we all went to check on 'that person'."
No one seemed to know what to call the national master who had brought trouble to Chaogang and returned from a strange resurrection.
Ma Yan nodded and said without hope: "Have you found anything?"
"Not yet." The two said at the same time.
Ma Yan was not surprised. Although the demon was audacious and dared to harm the country with his evil ways, he was by no means a fool.
Will there be any obvious clues left?
Just as he was about to speak, he ordered his men to be summoned to discuss the follow-up, to go to the people and places where the Imperial Guard might come into contact, to set up defenses, and to wait and see.
Suddenly, a figure hurriedly walked in from outside the hall.
"Duke, we have discovered something!"
Haitang said loudly, attracting everyone's attention.
Without waiting to ask, he explained quickly:
"The people on my side started with the paper origin of the post, found the shop where it was sold, and tracked down a foreign Taoist priest wearing robes, who might be that person.
After that, we traced all the way to a tailor shop. Our people did not alert the snake, but paid close attention secretly. We did not see the Taoist priest, but found that the shopkeeper of the tailor shop was acting suspiciously. He had gone out not long ago, and the people below him were secretly following him. "
Ma Yan's eyes were sharp and without any hesitation, he immediately grabbed the long knife:
"Take me there! Now! Now!"
…
…
"Master Dayu, ordered me to say hello to you."
In the restaurant, in the private room.
The two sat opposite each other, and the copper hot pot on the table set off waves of heat.
Zhao Duan's pupils suddenly narrowed, and the muscles under his clothes tensed, ready to guard against any attack.
The Imperial Master of Dayu? !
That bewitching demon?
Zhao Duan could not contain his surprise, which was accompanied by strong vigilance.
Zhen Bao's surname is not Xu, but Cao Cai, right? Just as you said, people are here? It’s like a crow’s mouth…
Oh, I also have a crow's mouth, and good things happen... Hey, she and I both have a crow's mouth... We are the same...
Zhao Duan forcibly cut off the inappropriate comments, thinking rapidly in his mind, but his face was calm, even deliberately showing sneer and disdain:
"Haha, I just submitted the post in the early morning, and now someone is visiting. I am really impatient. Are you a subordinate of that demon? Or are you a traitor to Kuangfu Society? Or both?"
He put down the wine cup in his hand and sneered:
"What a rat in the gutter, how dare you confront me."
The middle-aged man looked as usual and polite:
"Master Zhao, why should you be angry? I am the current acting head of the Capital Branch of Kuangfu Society. Although this status is not honorable, I think I am qualified to talk to you...Besides, why don't you listen to what I have to say first?"
(End of chapter)