Chapter 454 Send a congratulatory gift (5k)

The next day, early morning.

Zhao Duan got up, washed, and after having a simple breakfast with his followers, he ordered the car to be prepared and prepared to go to the Shen family to pay his respects in person.

Eunuch Hai and others were not surprised at this order. Knowing "King Zhao's" style very well, they knew that after the Shen family gave up the option of seeking peace in person last night, they only had one way left.

The carriage left the inn and Zhao Duan bought a flower basket on the street. He said with a smile:

"You can't go to the funeral empty-handed."

Prajna Bodhisattva, who insisted on riding in the same carriage with him, smiled sweetly:

"I can pray for the soul of the second son of the Shen family."

You are quite ambitious... Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows and thought to himself that it is really not that difficult to pursue a woman if she takes the initiative... There is no such thing as slow heat.

Ignoring the female Bodhisattva who was staring at him, Zhao Duan closed his eyes and recalled the information about the Shen family he had read last night.

The real head of the Shen family, the old lady, is also a legendary woman. She is a bit similar to Madam Xiao of Qingzhou, but the power transition is smoother and she lives long enough.

If the Shen family is likened to a local emperor, then the old lady is the Empress Dowager like Cixi in her later years.

He has been hiding in a large mansion for many years, secretly controlling a large and powerful family, so no one knows what his personality is like.

"I gave them a chance last night, but no one came. This clearly shows a lack of respect for me, a Beijing official. Isn't this also a tough attitude?"

"Unfortunately, you probably thought I had the same personality as Governor Ning. Congratulations, you guessed wrong."

…

The Shen family's main residence is not in the congested and chaotic city area, and it takes more than an hour to get there.

When Zhao Duan arrived, the sun was already high in the sky. The main residence of the Shen family was actually a large southern garden covering a large area.

From a distance, you can see the roofs intertwined and the buildings and houses arranged in an orderly manner.

There were white lanterns hanging at the gate, paper money scattered on the ground, and white silk hanging. There were many carriages and horses outside, and they all seemed to be coming to pay their respects.

With the Shen family having hundreds of years of history, such a grand ceremony was held, and all the prominent people from all over the country, as long as they could come, would come to pay their respects.

This is why the funeral has to last so long.

The arrival of Zhao Duan's entourage immediately caught the attention of the gatekeepers:

"Who is coming?"

Zhao Duan lazily leaned in the car, too lazy to go out, and said to Shen Juan outside the window:

"Go ahead and tell me, this is still your family."

Chen Juan, one of the "Four Pear Blossoms" of Pear Blossom Hall, murmured, "Hey!"

"My family has nothing to do with them."

The man walked forward and explained his purpose to the servant: Envoy Zhao from the capital heard the news of Mr. Shen's death and came to express condolences.

The servant did not dare to delay and immediately ran in to report. A moment later, the chief steward of the Shen Mansion came out.

The so-called seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister, the chief steward is in charge of all affairs in the main branch of the Shen family. In Jiancheng Road, his power is more than that of the seventh rank. Even the county magistrate has to bow his head when he sees him.

Moreover, because of his identity as the "chief steward", he is the chief steward of the household servants inside the house, but once he leaves the house, he becomes a guest of honor who can roam freely in Jianning Mansion and no one dares to underestimate him. His power and status are much greater than many of the children of the Shen family.

He often interacted with literati from the south of the Yangtze River, and was a dilettante. The two moustaches at the corners of his lips were so exquisite that they almost looked like they were painted with a brush.

"Is the visitor from the White Horse Prison of the Capital, Lord Zhao?"

The chief steward stood on the steps, looking down at Shen Juan from above. After receiving a positive answer, he said calmly with his hands behind his back:

"To offer condolences, you must submit your business cards at least three days in advance before you are allowed in. Since you are a Beijing official, you can extend the time by one day. Submit your business cards to me and come back tomorrow."

As soon as the words fell, not only the captains of Lihua Hall headed by Chen Juan.

Even Tang Jinzhong and other martial arts hall attendants had gloomy expressions!

What a majestic sight!

No one dared to stop Lord Zhao from entering the palace. The Shen family mansion has more rules than the palace.

The chief steward sneered when he saw this. He had received instructions from his master not to be nice to this Envoy Zhao.

This is Jianning Prefecture, where the emperor is far away. Even Prime Minister Li Yanfu, when he returned to the south, was very polite to his old lady, let alone a favored concubine?

A dragon crossing the river? So what?

Shen Juan took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and walked back to the carriage: "Sir, what should we do?"

Inside the car.

Zhao Duan smiled and suddenly looked at the female Bodhisattva sitting cross-legged in the car: "According to the Bodhisattva's opinion, what should I do?"

Prajna Bodhisattva's pair of "wisdom eyes" quietly examined him, a ray of light flashed across his translucent, enchanting eyes, and he smiled and said:

"Your heart tells me that you want to kill someone."

"The Bodhisattva is indeed a pair of Buddhist wisdom eyes, and can really see through people's hearts." Zhao Duan laughed heartily, his face sarcastic, and ordered out the car window:

"Didn't you hear? The Bodhisattva in Shenlong Temple said, kill people."

Chen Juan cheered up, grinned, put his hand on the hilt of the sword, turned around and rushed towards the door, took a few steps up the stairs, and the long sword was unsheathed with a "clang"!

He said in a deep voice: "What dares to block the way!"

When the chief steward saw the other party drawing his sword and walking up the stairs, he realized that something was wrong, but he still held on. He guessed that he was just trying to scare him and didn't dare to actually use the sword.

Until he saw the murderous intent in Chen Juan's eyes, his heart and liver were trembling. He turned around and wanted to run, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead and he couldn't move!

"puff!"

Chen Juan stabbed the chief steward, who was no less powerful than a sixth-rank official, through the heart, kicked the corpse forward, and said:

"What are you waiting for? Why don't you break the door for me, sir?!"

At the command, the Lihuatang Jinyi soldiers were the first to react and drew their swords in unison. The two gatekeepers were so scared that they turned around and ran away, shouting for help.

The marquis spat on his hand, and the sword energy came out like a piece of silk. With a "bang", the heavy door was chopped into pieces.

The other Jinyi soldiers were not willing to be outdone. They drew their swords and slashed at the middle gate of the Shen family. In the blink of an eye, they almost tore down the entire gate.

The palace attendants who saw this were amazed and thought that it was really cool for them to be working outside.

"Buddha, would you please get out of the car with me?" Zhao Duan invited with a smile.

Prajna Bodhisattva said seriously: "Buddha has mercy on me. Lord Zhao has committed the sin of killing in vain. I am afraid..."

Zhao Duan curled his lips and got out of the car first:

"Do you think I haven't checked the information? This chief steward has taken more innocent lives than I have. This is called eliminating harm for the people, which is better than building a seven-story pagoda."

That's called "saving a life is better than making a..."

Prajna Bodhisattva wanted to correct it, but then he thought of Zhao Duan's superiority in debates over the Eastern and Western Buddhist sects, and felt powerless.

…

…

Scroll forward in time.

Earlier, the Grand Canal Administration Office.

Governor Ning got up a little late after spending the whole night with his wife.

He wore casual clothes and walked into the study in the yamen. While eating the breakfast sent from the kitchen, which was already a little cold, he waited for Master Wen to come in.

"Governor, you're looking for me." Wen Liang, dressed as a counselor, walked in and asked with a bow.

Ning Zechen was in a good mood, his face flushed with rosy light. He ate his meat buns and said with a smile:

"I was in a hurry to get back last night, so I didn't have time to explain everything to you. Are the documents I taught you to prepare for Envoy Zhao ready?"

Master Wen nodded and said, "It's already prepared."

Ning Zechen nodded in satisfaction. This advisor and friend who had been with him for ten years was always meticulous in his work and rarely made mistakes in what he was told.

"Very good, please go to the inn where Lord Zhao is staying and invite him over. It's really inconvenient to send him the confidential documents in the government office..."

Governor Ning paused and changed his words:

"Well, I'll go there myself later."

In terms of official title, he, a second-rank official, is higher than Zhao Shaobao's "third-rank".

What's more, he was an official with real power, not just an honorary title like Shao Bao.

But firstly, Zhao Duan saved his wife and daughter, and secondly, he was an envoy working for His Majesty after all, so Governor Ning felt he had to be polite.

Master Wen shook his head and said:

"No need, I've already asked for it. Envoy Zhao isn't here; he said he's out of town."

"Out of the city?" Governor Ning was stunned, and a bad feeling arose in his heart: "Where did he go?"

"He said he was going to the Shen family to pay his respects to Mr. Shen Er." Wen Liang answered in a particularly gentle tone.

!!!

Governor Ning suddenly remembered something and asked in a trembling voice, "By the way, did the Shen family last night..."

"The Shen family never went to see Envoy Zhao."

"Oh no!" Governor Ning dropped the meat bun in his hand. His face changed drastically and he immediately changed his clothes.

"Prepare the horses!"

Although reason told him that Zhao Duan would not do anything extreme.

But for some reason, he suddenly felt a little panicked.

…

…

Zhao Duan and Bodhisattva got out of the car and walked inside with guards including Shanghai Eunuch, Lang Shiba, Ji Yue and others.

People from the Pear Blossom Hall and the Martial Arts Hall cleared the way ahead. The Shen family guards who came to resist after hearing the news could not hold out for more than a round and were knocked to the ground one after another.

In the ancient and charming garden, there are green old willows planted everywhere, and the pond is full of lotus leaves. At the end of the path paved with bluestone slabs and pebbles, there are pavilions with flying eaves and corners, large houses with hollow doors and windows, and rockery and flower ponds. Together they form a graceful southern garden.

Zhao Duan walked forward for a while and suddenly found that his subordinates who were leading the way in front of him stopped.

He walked forward doubtfully, and when the crowd dispersed, he saw a man blocking the way in front of him. Several men in brocade clothes covered their chests and retreated step by step, saying:

"My lord, he's a master!"

Zhao Duan looked up and saw a man about thirty years old, wearing a sky-blue martial arts training suit and a white silk wrapped around his head.

He has a tall and handsome figure and good looks, but his dark stubble makes his originally handsome and feminine face look a bit rough.

He stood in place, holding a crescent-shaped sword in his right hand that was a head taller than him!

The golden handle at the end stood on the ground, and the heavy blade drew a sharp arc.

"The strongest martial artist of this generation of the Shen family, a martial artist in the world realm, Shen Wuji."

When Zhao Duan saw the other party holding the crescent-shaped sword, corresponding information emerged in his mind.

The Jianning Shen family has hundreds of years of history. In addition to the fact that a large number of family members in each generation hold various official positions in the court, they have been able to stand firm and naturally have no lack of cultivation foundation.

Shen Wuji is the strong man raised by this generation of the family. He has an arrogant and proud personality, but he also has the confidence to be arrogant. He showed extraordinary talent since he was a child. The Shen family spent a lot of money to invite various masters from the world to teach him. They invited at least five masters from Qingshan alone.

As a warrior raised by his family, Shen Wuji stubbornly prefers heavy weapons such as the crescent moon sword, which are more suitable for military generals.

Whenever he fought with others, he rarely held back, and countless practitioners were killed by being hacked to death.

He is one of the martial arts masters in the world, different from the Qingshan lineage.

"Envoy Zhao relied on force to trespass into the Shen family's gate and even killed people. What do you intend to do?" Shen Wuji raised his eyebrows and asked in a cold voice.

Zhao Duan said calmly, "You are not worthy to speak to me. Go back and call someone who can make the decision."

Anger flashed in Shen Wuji’s eyes, and he sneered:

"I heard that you defeated Qingshan Xiaoran in the palace. However, you can't block my sword."

No, the news spread so quickly! Could it be that I have become famous in the martial arts world? Zhao Duan was greatly surprised.

And a little happy...

As for Shen Wuji's words, he did not refute them. Nonsense, the other party was one major realm higher than him. Unless he was cheating, it would be a miracle if he could stop him.

But... I'm not stupid. With so many experts around me, who would challenge you in a one-on-one duel? Zhao Duan smiled and pointed to his left and right:

"This is the Sea Worshiper of the Imperial Palace. You must have heard of him. This is the Prajna Bodhisattva of the Shenlong Temple. You must have heard of him as well. So, are you sure you want to try to stop a chariot with a mantis arm?"

Prajna Bodhisattva glanced at him and said quietly:

"I am an outsider and do not participate in court affairs."

After a pause, she added, "However, if Envoy Zhao agrees to one of my requests, I can naturally do it with reluctance."

"..." Zhao Duan took a deep breath, pointed at Lang Shiba and Ji Yue, and said again:

"Are you sure you want to stop a car with your bare hands?"

Prajna: “…”

Lang Shiba and Ji Yue, who were distracted in the back, looked up blankly. They didn't expect that they would still be needed.

Shen Wuji frowned, not recognizing the two unknown masters suppressed in the back lake of the capital. With flames dancing in his eyes, he stared at Eunuch Hai intently and said solemnly:

"I have heard of the great name of Da Nei Hai Chunlin since I was a child, and have wanted to learn from Eunuch Hai countless times. I didn't expect to get my wish today. I still hope that Eunuch Hai can teach me a thing or two."

The old eunuch in a python robe with silver hair looked drowsy. He raised his eyelids and said self-deprecatingly:

"It seems our family has been gone for too long and has grown old, so any of our descendants dares to challenge us."

Those who go up the mountain laugh at the gods who come down...

Zhao Duan suddenly remembered this sentence. In the past hundred years, Eunuch Hai, who was at the peak of his powers, fought a desperate battle with the previous Lord of Qingcheng City and was knocked down from the realm of pseudo-celestial being. Now, due to the decline of his energy and blood, he has fallen to a level similar to Duan Shuiliu.

And now, even Shen Wuji dared to challenge him.

“Bold!”

Suddenly, the taciturn Tang Jinzhong took a quick step and walked out of the crowd.

This silent and rock-hard worshipper took a step forward, and strands of energy rose from his body. Behind him, a two-meter-tall phantom of a Buddha general, wearing heavy armor and covering his entire body, slowly condensed.

Shen Wuji's pupils narrowed. He didn't expect that this was also a strong man in the world. Almost as if under stress, he twisted his wrist, and the blue bricks under his feet cracked and shattered, breaking into spider web cracks.

Waves of illusory flames followed the crescent-shaped sword and swirled around its tip.

"Wait a minute!"

Just as the two sides were about to fight, a clear voice broke the atmosphere of confrontation.

Zhao Duan was curious when he saw a maidservant walk out from the depths of the garden. Her gait was no different from that of a palace etiquette waiter. She said calmly, "The old lady said, sir, please come into the courtyard."

Shen Wuji extinguished the flame somewhat unwillingly.

Tang Jinzhong turned his head and looked at Zhao Duan.

"Oh, put it away. People have said so, and I have to respect the elders, right?" Zhao Duan smiled and waved his hand.

Tang Jinzhong retreated back to the team.

Zhao Duan glanced at the information about the "Red Girl", the personal maid of the old lady of the Shen family, and said with a smile:

"Lead the way."

The red girl made a "please" gesture, turned around, and led the way gracefully.

…

After walking deep into the garden for a few minutes, Miss Hong led the group to the courtyard where the mourning hall was located.

This courtyard is extremely spacious, but it is decorated in a sad and gloomy manner. In the center facing north, there is a mourning hall.

White silk was hanging, and mourning couplets with white characters on a black background were hung on the pillars. In the center of the hall, a coffin made of the finest black wood was placed.

There were still candles burning on the altar inside.

The mourning hall was crowded with Shen family members, both men and women, with no children, all wearing white silk on their heads.

The leaders of each branch all returned to attend the funeral, which shows the status of Mr. Shen in the heart of the old lady.

When Zhao Duan and his party stepped into the courtyard, they saw the Shen family members waiting quietly and looking at him.

In the center of the crowd stood two people, one of whom was a tall, dignified and elegant man in his fifties.

It turned out to be the current head of the Shen family, the father of the deceased "Second Master Shen".

Next to this nominal head of the family, the real core of the family was an old woman who was much shorter, only reaching the head of the family's shoulders.

The old woman's face was full of wrinkles, and she looked cold and stern instead of kind.

Her silver hair was tied up in a bun, and she wore no precious jewelry, only a simple wooden hairpin to secure it.

She was wearing a pure black mourning dress of excellent texture, and holding a dragon-headed cane in her right hand!

The smooth surface of the crutch is coiled with a dragon's body, and on the top is an upright dragon head, which is majestic and intimidating!

According to the etiquette of the Yu Kingdom, people other than royal family members are not allowed to use dragon shapes, except for "imperial weapons"!

Emperors of all dynasties would reward ministers with outstanding merits with "imperial weapons", which nominally gave them the power to "strike down tyrants above and corrupt officials below".

The old lady of the Shen family was once granted a title and was allowed to hold a dragon-headed cane.

"The Crown Prince's Protector, Lord Zhao, the White Horse Emissary, has arrived!"

Qian Kerou felt that she could not lose the momentum, so she deliberately opened her voice and acted as a human megaphone.

Following this shout, the old lady of the Shen family's eyes also became deep:

"So it's Young Master Zhao himself. What brings you here?"

Ke Rou, you really make me proud... If anyone says that you don’t understand the ways of the world again, I will get angry with him... Zhao Duan looked at the secretary with appreciation and received a sweet smile from the latter.

Zhao Duan smiled brightly:

"Old Madam Shen, I was deeply saddened to hear that the Second Young Master had unfortunately passed away due to illness, so I took the liberty to come and offer my condolences. Someone, please bring the small gift I have prepared!"

The young secretary Qian Kerou obediently picked up the cheapest paper flower basket that Zhao Duan had bought on the road for only a few dozen coins.

Under the murderous gaze of the Shen family, he held it in both hands and handed it to the old lady.

This is undoubtedly a humiliation.

However, the silver-haired old lady just nodded.

The nominal head of the family next to him then accepted the cheap and almost insulting flower basket and placed it on the side of the mourning hall.

The old lady, who was leaning on a dragon-headed cane, stared at Zhao Duan with her gray eyes:

"Young Master, you are so thoughtful. I will accept this gift on behalf of my grandson."

Zhao Duan smiled warmly, leaned forward slightly, and said:

"The old lady hasn't asked yet what the gift I gave is."

What kind of ceremony? Of course it was a ceremony of condolence… Inside the mourning hall, dozens of people from the Shen family frowned.

Not knowing why he said that, the old lady narrowed her eyes and said, "Oh? What gift did the young guard send?"

Zhao Duan smiled brightly and uttered two words softly:

"A gift."

The Shen family members all changed color immediately.

…

Typos should be corrected first and then replaced

(End of this chapter)