Chapter 391 Zhao Duan: Link, I have met Princess Manzhu
“Princess, this is it.”
Beside the carriage, there was a tall man with loose braids and rough skin. The red female warrior glanced around with sharp eyes. After making sure it was safe, she invited the princess out of the carriage.
Princess Manzhu, who is in her forties and has a gentle demeanor, dressed quite low-key today, with no jewelry in her hair.
At this moment, my shoes were stepping on the crunching snow, my eyes were facing the sun, and I saw the shed for charity at the intersection ahead.
"According to your instructions, we purchased charcoal and distributed it to the people here." The female warrior said softly: "It has not passed through the hands of the subordinates in the yamen."
"Yes." Princess Manzhu nodded lightly and looked at In front of the shack, those thin and haggard poor people with thin or tattered clothes had regretful eyes:
“It’s snowing heavily this year. I heard that prices in the city have skyrocketed in the past few days. It’s so difficult for these people in the capital. I dare to imagine how difficult it would be to live in a more barren place. "
The female warrior muttered: "They say that the capital city is the most virtuous city, but I think it is not as good as the Western Regions."
Princess Wenzhu shook her head and sighed. Fair Road:
"Although the Western Region is remote, the population is much smaller. It is naturally much simpler and easier to run a tribe than to run a dynasty. However, it is indeed more difficult than the winter in the capital I remember. The imperial treasury should be empty. "
The loyal female warrior said: "That group of officials said so. They also said that next year, the silver they will start to earn will fill the treasury and everything will get better. "
The market is open...
The gentle eldest princess pursed her red lips.
This word she has heard in recent months has made her ears tingle, including the one she will discuss with the court this time. Regarding next year's trade, there are also items related to "opening the market".
"It is said that the new policies and the opening of the market in Yu State were all promoted by Zhao Duan." The female warrior said.
Princess Manzhu shook her head and said lightly:
"It's just gold plating. How can a military attache who was born as an infantry soldier in the Imperial Army lead such a major event? This shows how much your majesty favors this fawning minister. . ”
Since entering the city, Princess Wenzhu has begun to inquire about the empress’s face through various channels.
As all kinds of news gathered, Princess Manzhu's eyes were filled with absurdity.
Things like eradicating treacherous officials are not something that the outside world knows much about, let alone mentioning them.
Only the public ones include the limelight in the Buddhist and Taoist competitions, the promotion of Shenjiying's new firearms research and development, the Taicang case and the achievements of Huting's opening of the market, the planning of the New Deal, the defeat of the Zhengyang School... and so on. .
If there are only one or two pieces, it is quite reasonable.
But in just over half a year, so many achievements were gathered in one person. For Princess Manzhu, who had not experienced it personally, it was really ridiculous.
Based on common sense, Wenzhu became more and more certain that the empress favored this handsome man too much. In order to help him gild, she tried every means to make Zhao Duan take credit for every major event and achievement.
In this way, it all makes sense.
In fact, Princess Manzhu’s view is the truth that normal people would subconsciously imagine.
Even to this day, there is never-ending controversy in the capital about which of Zhao Duan's achievements is real and which is gold-plated.
After all, even the empress who knew everything completely would find it incredible every time she recalled what Zhao Duan did this year.
Let alone outsiders?
Wenzhu already had a stereotyped prejudice against Zhao Duan. The more information he learned, the stronger his impression of him as a "confused king and treacherous minister" became stronger.
More and more worried.
In the past few days, she had entered the palace several times and had in-depth talks with the empress several times.
As a married aunt, Wenzhu knew the rules and was not in a hurry to say anything. She just talked about family ties, made family arrangements, and made insinuations.
The trust Xu Zhenguan revealed in the conversation about the traitor Zhao Duan, and the trace of emotion that was well hidden but still captured by her, made her very worried.
Wenzhu also thought about meeting Zhao Duan, and in the presence of the empress, as an elder, expose the hypocrisy of this "yellow man" who bewitched his niece.
What a pity...
On the pretext of recovering from serious injuries, Zhao Duan thanked guests behind closed doors and did not show up at all.
No opportunity found yet.
"Princess, I heard that in previous winters, if there was severe cold, the monks from Shenlong Temple would give alms to the poor in the city, but this year, due to the 'forbidden Buddha', there was no trace." The female warrior said with some emotion.
Princess Manzhu was silent for a moment and sighed softly.
As for the "ban on Buddhism", from the perspective of the Western Regions, there are mixed feelings. I am happy that Shenlong Temple has been weakened, but I am worried that does this mean that the overall influence of Buddhism has declined?
But...
These are things that the "Holy Monk" and others have to consider. Wenzhu does not want to participate. From her personal point of view, she has no bad feelings towards Shenlong Temple.
Because even if it is for the believers, the disaster relief charity provided by the monks of Shenlong Temple is true after all.
It was much better than Zhao Duan, who relied on his power to do evil and was notorious.
“When the upper class fights, it is the common people who suffer in the end. Buddhism is still willing to help the common people, but Zhao Duan and other powerful sycophants only know how to enjoy the glory and wealth, and they may not even see the slightest bit of suffering at the feet of the emperor. "
Princess Wenzhu exhaled a white breath and said: "Let's go there too."
Hearing this, several other followers beside the carriage followed the princess hurriedly carrying several wooden boxes. behind.
In this shed, the people distributing charcoal were people from the Yu State recruited from the Western Regions. When they saw the princess about to salute, Wenzhu raised her hand to stop her.
She opened an extra spot in the corner of the shed and opened the wooden box, which revealed steaming steamed buns wrapped in thick quilts.
It was ordered that only children are allowed to collect it.
“Steamed buns!”
The crowd suddenly stirred, and the team was a little confused.
Fortunately, the female warrior led people to maintain order, and soon a poor child came to receive the steamed buns, carrying a dustpan filled with black coal.
Princess Manju did not shy away and distributed the food herself with a pair of well-maintained hands.
The common people didn't know her identity, they just thought she was a female member of the family of a good man in the city, and she said auspicious words such as "Mrs., good luck, may you live a long life."
Her eyes were gentle, and she saw a skinny little girl who was only about waist high and about five or six years old. She used her bamboo pole-like hands to lift the dustpan containing charcoal with great effort. Because she was too short, she had to use With his head staring, he came to the table in the shed.
Wenzhu frowned, wondering why such a young child came out. A Yu servant next to him lowered his voice and explained:
"This child's mother is ill, and there is no one else at home. , saying that they haven’t burned anything for several days and have been going out to pick up donkey dung and eggs to burn..."
Princess Manzhu felt sad for a while, and lovingly caressed the little girl's dirty face with a pair of white and soft hands. However, she was so frightened that the latter took a few steps back and almost dropped the dustpan in her hand.
“Alas.” Princess Wenzhu sighed, took a few extra steamed buns and put them in the dustpan, and secretly stuffed a bunch of money into the coal.
Watching the little girl holding back her hunger, she held the steamed bun in her arms and ran towards home.
This beautiful woman, known as the "Saint" and "Goddess" in the Western Regions, had sentimental eyes. She left the distribution work to others and walked out herself, calling a few people to accompany her.
"Princess, are you going back now?" the female warrior asked.
Wenzhu shook her head and said: "Go to the nearby medicine shop and buy some cold medicine."
The female warrior and the other guards looked at her with reverence, protecting the princess they respected and walked towards the shop two streets away. .
Not long after a group of people walked out, they heard yelling, crying, and pleading coming from an alley!
"What's going on?"
Princess Wenzhu felt uneasy, moved lightly, approached the alley, and her vision suddenly opened up.
I saw several green-skins dressed as gangsters in the alleys of this main street, waiting for someone to come.
Intercept the poor people who have received relief and are walking back.
The gangsters were unusually gangsters. They were wearing similar blue cotton-padded clothes with a red flower embroidered on their shoulders. They were all big-bodied and round-waisted, holding sticks in their hands, with ruddy faces and ferocious expressions. Surprisingly, he is a member of the largest gang in the capital, the Red Flower Club.
At this moment, under the command of the leader Qingpi, a group of thugs were beating and robbing the coal and steamed buns.
The thin civilian woman and the old man were beaten until they huddled together, wailing and begging for mercy.
The five or six-year-old little girl wanted to slip away from the corner, but was kicked by a tall rogue with a big foot. She screamed "Ah" and was kicked away some distance.
The dustpan fell from his hand.
The already cold steamed buns rolled all over the ground, and black coal was sprinkled on the snowy ground.
"Haha, little bastard, you still want to run away? Grandpa asked you to hand in your hand, don't you understand?"
The roguish man sneered, looked at the steamed buns on the floor, picked up one, took a bite, and said with a smile:
"It's still warm."
The other lanky man had sharp eyes and was surprised. Di picked up a bunch of big money from the ground:
"Master Wen, there is money in this little kid's dustpan!"
The leader, the rogue who was sitting with his arms in his arms, his eyes lit up and he turned his head to look. To the little girl who just got up:
"Eighty percent of it was given by those troubled outsiders, go and search to see if she still has it hidden on her body!"
The dirty, skinny little girl reluctantly got up, her expression was blank, as if she had already He was so frightened that he only stared at the steamed buns with his eyes, and a low cry came from his mouth.
The scoundrel who ran toward Padfoot and tried to take off her clothes to find money didn't seem to see her at all.
"Princess! These people deserve to be killed!"
The tall female warrior who caught a glimpse of this scene from a distance was furious. Her right hand had reached into the hem of her robe and held the handle of the scimitar.
But another warrior held her down and reminded her quickly in a low voice: "This is the Kingdom of Yu!"
The implication is that as a member of the Western Regions Mission, if you use a knife in the capital of the Kingdom of Yu, even if you just beat a few gangsters, It is also very likely to turn into a "diplomatic incident."
Being made a big fuss by some people.
Princess Wenzhu had already spoken: "Go and get rid of these..."
However, before she finished her sentence, everyone suddenly heard a sharp sound breaking through the air!
Almost instinctively, the female warrior who was about to kill her immediately returned to defense, and several Western Region warriors surrounded the princess!
Soon, they noticed that a stone as big as an egg whizzed straight into the alley from the other direction of the street like a cannonball.
Amidst the lightning and flint, he hit the big man in the chest.
“Ah!!”
Unsurprisingly, the man bowed like a shrimp, his facial features were twisted and ferocious, and with saliva splashing, he raised his head and fell down hard.
The back of his head hit the hard ground, and he fainted. There was a stream of blood coming out of his chest, and the stone was embedded in his chest and abdomen!
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
And immediately after, two more figures jumped into the alley, and they were Hou Renmeng and Shen Juan dressed as servants!
The two martial arts practitioners did not use their cultivation. They only used fists and kicks to beat a group of gang members to the ground in the blink of an eye.
"Ah...we are Honghua..."
As the leader, "Master Wen" just came back to his senses and stammered for half a sentence. Then he heard a voice coming from somewhere near the alley. A young master said calmly: "Zhang Zui."
"Yes, master!"
Hou Ren gave a fierce laugh, rounded his palm and threw him over.
"Master Wen" was whipped and turned 180 degrees, his vision went dark, his right cheek was swollen, he fell to the ground with a thud, and then he knelt down to beg for mercy.
"Young master, spare your life... spare your life..."
Shen Juan silently added a kick and kicked him down.
After the disguise, Zhao Duan's delicate boots stepped on the dirty snow in the alley. Qian Kerou, dressed as a maid beside him, squatted down, checked the little girl's injury, breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at My lord nodded:
“It’s not serious.”
Zhao Duan said “yes” expressionlessly and said, “You all can go.”
< br>
At this time, a group of poor people huddled on the ground just woke up from a dream, and kowtowed one after another:
"Thank you, Mr. Master!"
Then, they did not dare to stay, quickly picked up their dustpans, and ran away. Also left.
Qian Kerou squatted down and helped the little girl pick up the scattered coal with two colleagues.
All this happened very quickly. When Zhao Duan turned around with a cold face, he looked at Princess Wenzhu, who was leading a few warriors from the Western Regions to walk slowly.
At first glance, I was slightly surprised!
Zhao Duan originally thought that the old princess, who was in her forties and living in a place like the Western Regions, must have already aged.
But the appearance of Princess Manzhu in front of her was much better than expected. She was gentle and dignified, although her skin was indeed not as delicate as the noble ladies in the capital and was a bit rough.
But in a religious sense, she has an aura that is almost like a "saint" or a "Madonna", combined with the exotic customs she has acquired from her long stay in the Western Regions, but she has a magnanimity that is not matched by the ladies in the capital.
Compared with Yunyang of the same generation.
Princess Yunyang is simply well-maintained and shows little signs of age.
Princess Manzhu, however, has combined her age into a unique temperament, which is reminiscent of mare's kumiss or butter tea from the Western Regions.
At the same time, Princess Manzhu also curiously looked at the strange young master in front of her.
Although his appearance is only ordinary, and it seems that his family is well-off, his behavior is completely different from that of a pampered son of a powerful person or a wealthy businessman.
He has the gentleness of a scholar and a fierce and decisive spirit in his every move.
What's more important is the indescribable temperament of a superior person developed by holding power for a long time.
"We are foreign merchants who are helping people nearby. We heard the news here and came to see it."
Princess Manzhu smiled softly and asked the guards to take off their guard before taking the initiative to reveal her identity.
Zhao Duan blinked, also bowed his hands, and announced his home:
"My surname is Lin, and my single name is the word "ke". People from the capital, passing by here, heard the call sign, and came here. ”
"Master Lin took action for justice, which shows how heroic the capital is." Princess Wenzhu smiled warmly.
She was not a arrogant person to begin with. Because she had been in the Western Regions for a long time, she did not like the group of scholars in the capital. Instead, she admired the chivalrous handsome man like Mr. Lin in front of her.
What's more, if it weren't for Mr. Lin, even if she was a princess, it would be troublesome if the people from the Western Regions used force in the capital and were targeted by interested people.
Zhao Duan felt quite strange. This was very different from what he expected when he met Zhenbao's aunt.
Mainly, he didn't expect that he would encounter this situation... It was a God-given opportunity.
"This lady has been praised too much. It is rare for you to have the intention of helping others, but instead, these gangsters ruined my reputation as a capital of Yu. It is really abominable." The image of a chivalrous young master.
Changing the topic, he said seriously:
"However, although Madam has a good heart, I have something that I don't want to say. It is inappropriate for Madam to give charcoal in the street like this. Good deeds , This is not how it is done.”
Thanks to the book friend: Zhang Xiubiao for the reward of 500 points!
(End of this chapter)