Chapter 385: Report to Your Majesty, Master Zhao is about to die! (Two in one)
The meeting at Huting ended in a warm atmosphere.
With the end of the market, the detailed terms of the opening of the market were confirmed, and the first batch of officially obtained imperial merchant status were confirmed. The relevant details quickly spread throughout Huting.
And it can be expected that it will quickly spread throughout the entire territory of the Nine Dao and Eighteen Prefectures of Dayu.
Correspondingly, Prince Jing’s sad departure is particularly concerning to those who are interested.
Everyone knows that the market opening is irresistible.
Next, rolling financial resources will flow into the new city centered on the canal route, and the imperial court, which leads this feast, will quickly alleviate the financial crisis.
……
Humble Administrator’s Garden.
After the meeting, waves of people began to flock to the Humble Administrator's Garden to visit Zhao Duan, the great figure who truly represented His Majesty.
Among them, especially the group of merchants and nobles who announced today's siding with the imperial court, they had not expressed their stance before and must make up for it now.
Zhao Duan worked tirelessly and greeted everyone one by one with a smile on his face. Finally, when everyone left, he smiled at Feng Ju, who was also smiling:
"You are done now, but there is still a long way to go. I have just taken one step, and next, I will have to work hard for Doctor Feng to maintain this office. I will leave for Beijing tomorrow, and I will personally thank Your Majesty for Doctor Feng and all his colleagues. "
In the hall, Zhao Duan finished his words.
The officials sitting on both sides stood up one after another, saying: It all depends on you, sir, and we dare not take credit for it.
But the smile on Lao Feng's face was like a blooming chrysanthemum, revealing this guy's joy.
There is no doubt that this political achievement will greatly help the career of everyone present.
"Since you said so, I don't need to ask for credit."
Zhao Duan said calmly, and then he laughed when he saw the suddenly stiff faces of a group of officials. , joked:
“Just kidding.”
Only then did everyone smile again, and the atmosphere became a little more relaxed. Zhao Duan gave a few follow-up instructions before letting them leave.
As soon as the officials left, a beautiful woman wearing a fox fur cloak outside the hall stepped into the threshold with a smile, holding a gift box in her hand, pretending to be resentful:
"My lord, you are so quick. Are you going back to Beijing?"
Zhao Duan said with a smile: "Mrs. Xiao, please don't look at me like this, otherwise there will be rumors about my affair with you."
Xiao Donger, who was wearing a horse-faced skirt and treated different people with completely different faces, sighed softly, with tears in her eyes:
"It's been spread now. I don't know, sir, when the slave family announced their status as imperial merchants today, those people looked at the slave family with weird looks. I'm afraid they are already thinking about how the slave family pleased you, sir, before boarding this ship. "
It's as if you didn't please me in the first place. Alas, you obviously haven't touched me, but you still have to bear this scandal...
No, it's not the grievance you said. Baba, those eyes are like strings... Madam, please respect yourself. You obviously know that I don't like this, so there is no need to show off your acting skills here...
Zhao Duan complained in his heart, teasing a bit. , said seriously:
"The Xiao family's statement, when the news is returned to Qingzhou, Prince Heng's Mansion will inevitably put pressure on it. Madam can stay here temporarily. If you want to go back, you can first go to Qingzhou Tunbing Guards Station , I have contacted the commander over there. If Prince Heng’s palace refuses to comply, Madam can act accordingly.”
After hearing this, Mrs. Xiao also put away her performance and returned to her true appearance as the iron-blooded female head of a large family. She bowed to him gratefully:
"Thank you for taking care of me, sir."
Zhao Du An smiled, he had already discussed this with Zhenbao.
The Xiao family is like "buying horse bones for a thousand gold", and the court must provide sufficient protection to reassure other royal merchants.
After seeing Mrs. Xiao off, the female detective Si Haitang walked in from outside. She crossed her arms and said:
"The Prince of Huai'an hasn't sent anyone so far, why don't you go?"
Zhao Duan was silent for a moment, shook his head and said, "It's not necessary."
He can do the opening of the market. He represents the imperial court, but when it comes to deeper and fundamental issues of alignment, he is no longer able to represent it.
But...
"It's not polite to come back but not return. Clean up and go back to Beijing tomorrow. Let someone give you a gift when you leave."
...
The next day, a cold wind blew in Huting City.
Xu Junling changed into a thicker skirt, led the maids and guards, and climbed the stairs alone to the sixth floor of Dafeng Building.
Looking in the direction of the dock, the official ship slowly drove away, turned around and headed north, silent.
"Princess, the prince sent someone to deliver something, saying that it is a parting gift sent to the house by Mr. Zhao, specially for you."
The maid Lv Shui came up holding a box.
Xu Junling was stunned for a moment, turned around and took it curiously, and opened the box with his delicate hands. Inside was another torn book that had been turned over.
Her expression became subtle, because she remembered the last time she was in Taicang Fucheng, it was the same when she said goodbye.
She opened the book, clatter... Sure enough, she found a piece of paper sandwiched in it.
The maid Lushui said:
"The person who sent the message said that Mr. Zhao came to Yansuo Lake. That day, his trip to the lake with the princess was interrupted. He followed the locals and left a couplet, asking the princess to show it to the Jiangnan students and say if anyone is interested in it. Come out, reward one hundred taels. "
One hundred taels of gold... Such a big statement... Xu Junling raised his eyebrows, feeling unwilling to admit defeat, and looked at the only five-character couplet on the paper:
"Smoke Lock Pond Willow."
……
……
The official ship headed north against the wind. In ancient times, when the sail was against the wind, it could follow the wind direction and come out at an angle to obtain thrust.
But the speed is naturally far less than that of tailwind.
Out of bad taste, Zhao Duan, who left behind an incomprehensible and strange connection through the ages, returned to Beijing with his troops, full of expectations of triumph.
It was just that as winter deepened, it was okay at first, but as we got deeper into the border of Linfeng territory, the north wind on the canal became stronger and stronger, and the climate became worse and worse.
Official ships were unavoidable and frequently stopped along the way. If it weren't for the fact that it was uncomfortable to travel overland in winter, Zhao Duan would have wanted to go ashore and take a carriage back.
This day.
Everyone stopped to rest at a town next to a canal on Linfeng Road, and the official ship slowly docked.
Zhao Duan stood on the deck, the land in front of him was desolate.
The old eunuch slowly walked out of the cabin, came to his side, and glanced at him:
“I’m so impatient, do you want to go back to Beijing to ask for credit from His Majesty?”
Zhao Duan was blown by the wind, his face flushed, and he said hard:
"Where is it? I was thinking about Buddhism."
On that day, the search for rebels in Huting City was Nothing was gained, but Zhao Duan did not give up investigating the matter.
Before returning, he found the local imperial shadow guard and ordered an investigation.
And not long ago, on the way back, I received the investigation results from the Shadow Guard.
Among them, on the day of the assassination, Nagarjuna and the "Little Heavenly Master" of the Tianshi Mansion were suspected to have appeared nearby. Later, the Little Tianshi seemed to be watching the news of the former's departure, which attracted his attention.
“According to the investigation results of the shadow guard, Nagarjuna seemed to be involved in the assassination of me that day, but was intercepted by Zhang Tianshi’s disciple... Well, although it is not confirmed, both parties appeared in the It's such a coincidence there."
Zhao Duan turned to look at the old worshiper with a serious face:
"If Shenlong Temple and the Eight Kings collude, things will be serious."< br>
Eunuch Hai said "Oh" and said calmly:
"Do you think it is reasonable?"
"Unreasonable," Zhao Duan said distressedly:
"This is where I am confused. If the appearance of Nagarjuna Bodhisattva represents the destiny of Shenlong Temple, Attitude, I am afraid that there has been a big change in the capital, but there is no news. Moreover, there is absolutely no reason for Shenlong Temple to suddenly turn to the Eight Kings and participate in such secular affairs. "
Hai. The father-in-law glanced at Zhao Duan, who rarely looked confused, and said softly:
"Just as you may not fully represent His Majesty, Nagarjuna may not fully represent the will of Shenlong Temple."
< br>
"You mean... this is a private act?" Zhao Duan said in surprise:
"Just because I defeated Tianhai in the ring? Did Nagarjuna Bodhisattva's plan that he had been planning for many years fail? That's why Are you here to cause trouble for me? But..."
He wanted to say, would a practitioner who can become a Bodhisattva be so irrational?
Even if it is revenge, won't you find the right time to take action secretly? Such a big fanfare...
Zhao Duan was suddenly stunned, and a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind. He thought of the old heavenly master Zhang Yanyi, who once told him that the four forces within Shenlong Temple were intricately linked to each other. Such as the pattern of court affairs.
"Could it be said that...
" The purpose of Nagarjuna Bodhisattva's move is to guide the court to cause trouble for the abbot Xuanyin? No...has the internal struggle within Shenlong Temple become so intense? This is a way to lose a thousand to yourself and hurt the enemy eight hundred...
"Wait a minute, I may have overlooked one thing, which is the influence of the Buddhist ancestral court in the Western Regions... Zhenbao told me last time However, after the great competition between Buddhism and Taoism, Buddhism in the Western Regions was about to move. Perhaps it was precisely because of this external pressure that something happened in Shenlong Temple...
"Last time, Prajna, an old nun in her fifties, came to see me. Dual Cultivation...Now Nagarjuna Bodhisattva is deliberately involved in the assassination of me...This is all a manifestation of the intense struggle in Shenlong Temple..."
For a while, Zhao Duan seemed to understand a lot, but he still Falling into greater confusion due to lack of information
"Boy, your energy is not wasted like this. Just worry about your own three-thirds of an acre of land. The world is big, can you worry about it?"
Eunuch Hai sighed sincerely and patted him on the chest. Shoulder, turned around and went back to the cabin.
Zhao Duan laughed at himself, he didn't have the emperor's life, but he worried about the emperor's heart all day long.
Just a thought passed through my mind:
Bodhisattva Prajna and Nagarjuna have appeared, so when will the remaining one, the Great Purification Master, show up?
...
Not long after.
The official ship docked, and the group either stayed in the cabin or went ashore for some fresh air. The boatmen and soldiers operating the ship talked with the officials at the dock and purchased supplies for the ship.
Zhao Duan felt urgent to urinate, so he simply went ashore to a hill with weeds to solve his physical problems, then put on his pants and returned to the dock.
Suddenly I was attracted by a awning boat parked on the shore.
The small boat was inconspicuous, but a middle-aged monk slowly emerged from the low awning.
He was about fifty years old, and in the cold weather, he was only wearing a thin monk's robe, with half of his shoulders exposed to the cold winter air.
Outside of the monk's robes, there is an old red cassock, which looks quite eye-catching in the withered yellow world.
Under the bald head, a majestic face looked calmly towards Zhao Duan, the corners of his mouth slowly raised, as if he said "Amitabha".
Zhao Duan felt the hair on his body suddenly rise for no reason, and he felt a strong sense of danger.
There are not many monks who are qualified to wear cassocks, not to mention that in such weather, it is even more rare to be half-naked and half-armed.
The most important thing is that strange yet familiar face.
At this moment, Zhao Duan's brain was running rapidly, looking for the owner of this face from his past memories. Finally, he found the corresponding target from a certain portrait.
That was what he remembered when he was looking through the information on Shenlong Temple in Zhao Yamen.
Zhao Duan's pupils suddenly narrowed, he grabbed the flying knife in his sleeve with his right hand, and spit out a name:
"Guru Great Purification!"
At the same time, the dragon in the awning boat One of the three Bodhisattvas in the temple, the veteran great master of worldly perfection, took one step and appeared in front of Zhao Duan.
"Please return to heaven, Lord Zhao."
The middle-aged monk with a majestic face said slowly, and pressed his right hand, covered with gold paint, towards his chest.
Behind the monk, the surging magic power condensed into a large Buddha statue, overlooking the bottom.
"Poof!"
Zhao Duan had no resistance, spitting out blood like a kite with its string cut off, leaping high into the air, and striking at the distant grass like a sandbag The hills were smashed.
He avoided the assassination by Huting, but on the way back, when everyone relaxed their vigilance, he encountered a full-force blow from a worldly great perfection.
Abrupt.
decisive.
Vicious.
No chance to fight back.
Zhao Duan felt severe pain coming over him, and the shattered qi flowed wildly in his body, instantly causing blood to pour out of the pores all over his body, and a cracking sound could be heard from his chest and ribs.
My eyes fell into darkness.
However.
Inside his thick cotton-padded clothes, the "Six Talisman Treasure Armor" worn on his upper body suddenly sunk into the heart guard, and a purple waist jade collapsed with a "click" under the force!
That was the waist jade that the empress gave him a long time ago, called the "Teleportation Jade".
When in danger, just crush it to start the teleportation and return to Dayu Palace.
While Zhao Duan was flying upside down, the surface of his body was suddenly covered with a layer of blurry light and shadow, like ripples in water.
With a "bang", he fell into a piece of grass. The moment he fell into the grass, Zhao Duan's figure quickly faded and disappeared.
Teleport!
Guru Ghajing succeeded with one blow and was about to step forward to make up for it when he suddenly sensed a surge of murderous intent coming from behind him.
The monk's shoes under his feet spun in a circle, and his hands covered with gold paint closed together with a "bang".
Caught between the whistling Frost Sword covered with azure light!
On the deck of the official ship in the water, Eunuch Hai held out his sword, and people stepped heavily on the deck. The entire official ship was almost tilted by the huge force.
The nearly legendary old worshipper in the palace lost his hair crown, and his gray hair drifted away in the biting cold wind. With a ferocious face, Grandpa Hai came towards the Great Pure Master.
Being blocked by the almost divine Buddha Dharma behind him, the strong wind raged during the collision, and the air waves set off knocked down everyone on the pier.
With the exclamation, Lang Shiba and Ji Yue, who were recovering from injuries in the cabin, also flew out like cannonballs.
Bypassing the two sides fighting fiercely at the pier, they rushed towards the barren hills, but they only saw a pool of human blood on the ground.
"Master Zhao... was beaten into blood mist?!"
The heads of Lang Shiba and Ji Yue buzzed at the same time, as if they had been hit hard.
……
……
Beijing.
Early this morning, dark clouds gathered over the capital, and the cold north wind blew like a knife, making the streets and alleys of the huge capital seem much thinner.
In the Xiuwen Museum in the north of the capital.
After listening to the reports of the bachelors, Xu Zhenguan nodded:
"That's it for today."
Han Zou and other bachelors stood up and handed over their hands: "Congratulations Your Majesty.”
Master Dong is not here today. He is old after all. After winter, his body is obviously not as energetic as in summer, especially after Zhao Duan tinkered with the "Xin Xue" last time.
Dong Taishi was a little confused during these days, and he was also caught up in academic debates. Fortunately, Xiuwenguan had already been familiar with court affairs, but no longer relied on Dong Xuan's management.
Xu Zhenguan stood up, left the Xiuwen Hall, and took the royal chariot back to the imperial study.
Mo Chou waited here. After winter, her official robe became thicker again, making her whole body look fatter. However, Xu Zhenguan was no longer afraid of the cold and heat, and her clothes did not change much.
"Your Majesty, this is the information handed in by Mr. Yuan, about preventing cold and snow disasters..."
Mochou followed the empress into the house, feeling the warmth of the charcoal fire in the brazier, and her slightly vibrating voice calmed down.
"Well, let it go." Xu Zhendian nodded, looked at the cold look on the female officer's body, smiled and joked:
"In the past, you were asked to work hard, but if you try to practice, you will not Ken, you know how powerful it is every winter, right?”
Mo Chou looked aggrieved:
“I think so too, but I don’t have enough talent to cultivate to the point where the cold and heat are not invading, how easy is it?”< br>
Xu Zhenguan smiled and said teasingly:
"When Zhao Duan comes back, you can go ask him. He is full of ideas and often comes up with new things. He might be able to come up with ways to keep out the cold. Method.
For example, I heard that when he came back from Taicang last time, he gave Gongshu Tianyuan a picture of the equipment he designed to pump water in the mine, and now he has made some progress. "
Mochou curled her lips and said:
“I’m not paying attention to this. I’ll just go to the Tianshi Mansion to ask about it later.”
She glanced at the empress in white and said slightly sourly:
"Your Majesty is talking about him again."
Xu Zhenguan did not hear the resentment in the maid's tone, her fair and delicate face Looking at the door and window facing south, he moved an incense burner beside him and said softly:
"It's time to return. I'm not talking about him, I'm just concerned about the opening of the market."
>Mochou didn't say anything and puffed up her cheeks, not quite believing it in her heart.
She has served the Empress for many years, and her words to His Majesty are partly true and partly false. She is the most familiar person in the world.
Market opening result? Of course she was concerned, but to say that there wasn't any thoughts about the right person in it, she wouldn't believe it even to death.
I couldn’t help but compare it secretly, thinking that if I were to go on a business trip, would His Majesty miss him too?
……
Meridian Gate Square.
A group of palace ladies carried the newly distributed carbon, whispered and laughed, and walked towards the residence.
Suddenly, when one of the palace maids turned her head and looked towards the main square, she was suddenly stunned and saw mysterious ripples in the air, as if a hole had been opened.
She let out a low cry, which attracted a group of palace maids to look over. Then, they saw a blood-stained figure suddenly appeared from the air and fell on the winter square.
“Ah!”
The palace ladies were shocked. Some of them immediately ran to find the palace guards, while a few bold ones walked over cautiously.
One of the older female officers looked carefully, her face suddenly changed, and she said in a voiceless voice:
"Master Zhao?!"
"Quickly, go and report to Your Majesty!"
>——
I have already thought about the title of the next chapter, it will be called [The Emperor is Furious]
Thanks to Book Friends 2023...1125 for the 153-point reward... Speaking of which, what does this kind of partial reward mean...
< br>(End of this chapter)