Chapter 403: Second time in the same room (6k)
We meet again... We meet again...
In the room, as Zhao Duan said this with a smile, Princess Wenzhu's head buzzed, and countless stunned emotions suddenly exploded in her heart.
She opened her mouth slightly, her eyes widened, and she stammered, "You... Link... it's you..."
Zhao Duan nodded, appearing exceptionally calm.
Well, although being exposed at this critical moment was indeed beyond his expectations, he didn't think this vest could be hidden for long...
Tsk, but why at this time? Could it be that Zhenbao had already investigated it and made deliberate arrangements?
Princess Wenzhu was unaware of the random guesses in his mind, and the face of this "Holy Mother" of the Western Regions showed great confusion.
The Young Master Lin, whom he greatly admired and even repeatedly wanted to recommend to his niece as a concubine, was actually the Zhao Duan in front of him... How could it be possible? The two people were clearly completely different.
At this moment, she even suspected that it was the empress who assigned Mr. Lin's identity to Zhao Duan, but after thinking about it carefully, she knew it was unreliable.
"It's a disguise." Zhao Duan calmly explained before the other party could ask, "I'm sorry, I used a disguise charm and met Her Royal Highness under a false identity."
Princess Wenzhu looked at him blankly, then suddenly turned and stared at the empress:
"Did His Majesty arrange this?"
Xu Zhenguan pursed his lips and shook his head calmly:
"Aunt, do you think it's necessary for me to play this kind of trick?"
Then, she gave Zhao Duan a meaningful look, which roughly meant:
We need an explanation.
"..." Zhao Duan took a deep breath and suddenly felt a chill on his back. He hurriedly explained:
"This was a complete accident. I did go to the East City Charity Hall to deliver winter clothes that day, and I did happen to run into Her Royal Highness. I just didn't reveal my real name because I thought my identity was a bit sensitive."
Charity hall... yes... Princess Wenzhu suddenly remembered the scene of Zhao Duan meeting those orphans in the orphanage that day. It was something that could not be disguised.
So... this treacherous minister had indeed been disguising himself as "Link" for a long time, going to East City to donate alms... and running into him was purely a coincidence.
Zhao Duan said helplessly:
"Although it's a bit of a coincidence, it's true. Moreover, if we talk about coincidence... isn't it also a great coincidence that the princess took me to Huangting Lane?"
Princess Wenzhu was persuaded.
only……
Still hard to believe!
Seeing her fall into silence, Zhao Duan seemed to have misunderstood her meaning and said with a smile:
"After the chess game that day, I disappeared and never reappeared. I didn't want the Buddhist sect in the Western Regions to misunderstand that you, Princess, had brought me there specifically. Well, I also think that the fact that I'm Link should be limited to a few people. There's no need to make it known to everyone."
The words were a little obscure, but Princess Wenzhu understood them.
Then she suddenly woke up from her trance and realized the trouble with the matter.
If the news that Zhao Duan was the chess player who defeated Dan Che was made public, then her action of taking Zhao Duan to Huangting Lane that day would almost certainly be considered intentional by the Western Buddhist community.
First move, then debate... like a TV series...
Who would believe it was a coincidence? She didn't believe it either...
Once the Buddhist sect in the Western Regions becomes suspicious and hostile to Wenzhu, her own status and the status of the royal tribe in the Western Regions will decline - the Western Region Dharma King is absolutely capable of depriving her of her current power.
At this time, Zhao Duan took the initiative to speak and said that he would hide his identity. It seemed that he was trying to show goodwill and said that he did not want to implicate Wenzhu and take the blame.
But isn’t it also a threat?
If Wenzhu is disloyal and lacks sincerity in the trade with Yu State next year, Zhao Duan only needs to reveal his identity and the King of France will suppress Wenzhu.
Zhao Duan had not considered this before, but when he realized this, he immediately realized that he could use this "accident" to put pressure on Wenzhu.
- Solve the trade issue next year that the Empress was worried about not long ago.
As long as Princess Wenzhu is willing to do her best to mediate, even if the Red Sect Master is furious, the impact of the debate failure on next year's trade can be minimized...
All these thoughts happened in an instant, which surprised Zhao Duan himself.
Unexpectedly, what was initially just an unintentional act of pretending to test the waters would, due to a series of coincidences, become a sharp weapon hanging over Wenzhu's head.
When Princess Wenzhu realized this logic, she was both shocked and angry.
Shocked by...
She seemed to have made a wrong judgment from the very beginning.
According to the rumor, the notorious Zhao Duan was not the gilded male favorite as he had guessed, but a truly evil person.
At the very least, she had witnessed that chess game that was worthy of being recorded in history. This way, the baptism by the gods after the debate had a reasonable explanation. The various achievements of this person recorded in the materials were also likely to be true.
Is there such a strange man in the world?
Yes, given her niece's pride and arrogance, how could she be so moved by a handsome appearance alone, and be so intimate with him, if it weren't for this kind of man?
Manju smiled bitterly.
It turned out that everything was just her aunt's wishful thinking.
"So...that's how it is." She sighed softly and put down the letter in her hand.
As her heart knot untied, she suddenly felt bored. She slowly stood up, looked at the fairy-like couple opposite her with some envy, and smiled:
"I'm full, so I'll take my leave now."
Xu Zhenguan stood up and said, "Aunt, take care."
Princess Wenzhu turned around, dragging her long skirt, and took a few steps outside. As she was about to step out of the door, she suddenly turned back and blinked:
"By the way, Your Majesty seemed to have just said that you wanted to give Master Lin to me and take him back to the Western Regions?"
"..." Xu Zhenguan was stunned. His first thought was to deny it, but then he thought of the emperor's words, and he felt a little embarrassed.
"Puff." Seeing her like this, Princess Wenzhu suddenly smiled brightly, and her whole person returned to the demeanor of an elder, and jokingly said:
"Just joking, can an aunt really compete with my niece for a man?"
No... Even if you are old, the Western Region has an open atmosphere and you can't say anything careless, old aunt... Zhao Duan complained in his heart.
After Princess Wenzhu said this, she walked out of the yard and went straight out of the bedroom.
"Princess!"
The tall female warrior was guarding outside the palace. When she saw the longed-for princess return, she couldn't help but step forward.
Princess Wenzhu said calmly, "Go back."
Then, this unfortunate woman who married far away to the Western Regions after she became an adult, looked back at the red walls and black tiles, with a bit of envy and a bit of self-pity in her eyes.
Maybe Zhenguan was right, I am very different from her.
…
Inside the palace walls, in the dining hall.
After watching "Aunt" leave, the servants also retreated tacitly. The sunlight passed by the threshold and illuminated the corners of the two people's clothes.
"Zhao Qing." The empress suddenly looked at the courtyard and said softly.
"I am here."
"You are very good. Your chess playing is so shocking. Tell me, what kind of monster are you?" Xu Zhenguan tilted his head and stared at him with a faint look.
Zhao Duan kept his head down and acted honestly:
"It was just a lucky break."
A stroke of luck... Xu Zhenguan snorted and didn't argue with him on Go. But he was still a little surprised.
Although she had suspected that "Mr. Lin" was actually Zhao Duan the day the chess game was revealed, her suspicions were completely groundless and unfounded, otherwise she wouldn't have blurted out the angry words about sending Link to her aunt...
But if the guess comes true... is the person chosen by the ancestor dragon soul so evil?
"Tell me, why did you disguise yourself to approach Wenzhu? Don't try to fool me with coincidences."
Xu Zhenguan narrowed his eyes into a line and spoke in a dangerous tone.
She felt that this lover was dishonest. He was either favored by Prajna or was close to Wenzhu. He seemed to have a stepmother at home... Wait, so this guy wouldn't like older people...
Zhao Duan felt very wronged and hurriedly explained with oaths that he just realized that Wenzhu was investigating him, so he went to find out the enemy's situation. He tried his best to persuade Zhenbao to let go of the matter.
"Your Majesty, let's continue eating, otherwise the food will get cold." Zhao Duan walked back to the stool and sat down attentively.
Xu Zhenguan glared at him and said, "Sit aside! Are you addicted to acting?"
Zhao Duan recalled the brief touch when his right hand moved down from his waistline. He wanted to nod and say "yes", but his instinct for survival made him silently move the chair away.
Xu Zhenguan sat down angrily, and the two continued to eat. After they had enough food and wine, she wiped her mouth and said lightly:
"To avoid trouble from those monks, you should go home tomorrow."
Zhao Duan was stunned: "Where will I sleep tonight?"
Xu Zhenguan hesitated for a moment and said calmly:
"My aunt lives in the palace and has not left yet. The play will be performed in full. You will sleep in the warm hall tonight."
After saying this, she got up and left.
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment before he suddenly came to his senses - so, just like last time, he was allowed to sleep in the same room with her?
…
…
That afternoon, the story of what happened at the debate went viral in Beijing, causing a huge uproar.
Zhao Duan stayed in the palace, wandering around the garden for several hours with nothing to do. He wanted to take a nap, but he was so energetic that he couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
He simply ran to the Martial Arts Hall to chat with Eunuch Hai, and boasted about his wonderful operations in the morning, especially the baptism of the Buddha. Eunuch Hai was stunned and amazed.
After finally making it to night, the empress finished her official duties for the day and returned to her bedroom, only to see Zhao Duan already waiting eagerly at the gate of the courtyard.
When I entered the empress's room again, it was already dark outside.
Tonight the moon is high in the sky, the starry sky is clear, and the little snow left in the courtyard reflects the bright light under the moonlight. A few thin clouds pass by the sky. The ancient night sky is so beautiful that it seems that the cold wind in winter has become gentle.
The lights in the warm hall had already been lit, and candles were emitting bright light.
"Bang."
She took off her thick outer clothes and wore only a thin long skirt. Her long hair was lazily hanging down. The barefoot empress carried a new quilt, walked through the curtain separating the warm hall and the bedroom, and threw the bedding on the floor of the "living room".
"You sleep here tonight and behave yourself. If you act like you did last time, I'll throw you out in the snow."
Xu Zhenguan said with a look of disgust.
What she was referring to was the last time Zhao Duan allowed the soul of the bewitched immortal to lose his mind and be dominated by desire.
No...it was clearly me who got beaten up badly last time...and you're even disgusted with me...Besides, can you blame me for that? After all, there's an old saying: "Big head son, small head father".
It's only natural for a son to listen to his father...
Zhao Duan curled his lips secretly and agreed readily.
The empress turned around gracefully and walked into the bedroom next door with her waist twisted.
He let out a light breath, carefully took off his outer robe, and placed it neatly on the Arhat bed.
When only her inner clothes were left, she secretly glanced at the hazy figure lying on the bed on the other side of the curtain, then she opened the quilt and got into bed.
Because of the floor heating, even though I slept on the floor in the living room, I didn’t feel cold under the quilt, but instead gradually became warmer.
The night was long, one slept on the bed in the inner room, and the other slept on the floor in the outer room.
Zhao Duan's eyes widened, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He sighed softly, thinking about the boring nightlife in ancient times, where there weren't even any cell phones. It was really fucking hard to not be able to sleep...
"Why are you sighing? Don't you want to sleep?" Xu Zhenguan's voice came from the other side of the curtain.
Zhao Duan looked at the ceiling innocently and said aggrievedly:
"It's not that I don't want to sleep, but I'm full of energy and don't feel sleepy at all."
Xu Zhenguan lay in the light gauze curtain, frowning, thinking that this guy was not serious again. Then he thought of something, his brows relaxed, and he said comfortingly:
"It must be because of the Buddha's baptism. There is no need to panic."
Zhao Duan asked curiously, "Your Majesty, what exactly is the baptism?"
The whole day was a mess, and I only remembered this when it was late at night and everyone was asleep.
Xu Zhenguan patiently explained:
"That's a good thing. I remember a blue lotus appeared between your eyebrows during your baptism. A blue lotus should be planted in your sea of consciousness right now. The Buddha holds wisdom, and this blue lotus will nourish your soul, giving you an endless supply of energy... You can't sleep right now because you're not used to it. Once you get used to it in a few days, you'll be fine.
With this Blue Lotus, even if you sustain an injury in the future, it will heal faster than others... Furthermore, if you truly possess wisdom, you might even be able to learn Buddhist techniques from the Blue Lotus Mark...
However, its true benefits will probably only be realized after you enter the secular realm. I don't know the specifics, I've only seen vague descriptions in books."
Buddhist magic?
Yes... Old Xu's "Way to the God of War" is to practice both martial arts and martial arts, but it doesn't say that one can only learn the techniques from the stone tablet left by Old Xu... The spiritual flame that I learned from Pei Niannu is considered external... right?
Then there seems to be nothing wrong with secretly learning some Buddhist techniques...
Well, so I have learned things from the royal family, Buddhism, and even the Qingshan inheritance... I also learned some martial arts from Chai Keqiao... but I didn’t learn anything from the Tianshi Mansion.
Bah, Lao Zhang is so stingy, Lao Baichao is so weird, he doesn't teach me anything...
Zhao Duan silently despised Lao Zhang, but said:
"Then I will strive to reach the world realm next year."
Xu Zhenguan, lying in bed, was stunned by his sudden firm tone. He was about to say there was no need to rush, but suddenly realized... This guy, he didn't think that after entering the worldly realm, he had met the minimum requirements for dual cultivation with him...
In the dark winter night, Xu Zhenguan's cheeks inexplicably turned red, accompanied by anger.
But Zhao Duan didn't say it clearly, so she made random guesses and it was even more difficult to speak up.
Something came to mind, and he said softly:
"Next year, I will also try to sprint towards the true Heavenly Man Realm."
Zhao Duan was stunned and became anxious, thinking to himself, "It's not like that. If you break through, doesn't it mean that even if I become a mortal, there is still a great realm between us. If you force dual cultivation, you will still squeeze me into dregs?"
It’s not like that. It’s like a carrot in front of a donkey that can never be eaten, right?
He sat up and looked across the curtain, only to hear the empress continue:
“Once the imperial treasury recovers and the new policies take shape, my uncles and the rebels of the Kuangfu Society will not sit idly by and will inevitably take action in advance.
I have a premonition that if I cannot quickly ascend to the true Heavenly Man Realm, there will be a great crisis... Putting aside other things, the Mysterious Seal of the Shenlong Temple makes me very uneasy."
Old Monk Xuanyin?
Yes... this guy is weird. If we say that Master Zhang is still able to communicate, this apparently strongest person in Buddhism seems to have really become a human Buddha.
He has been hiding in the Buddhist temple for years, leaving Bian Ji to walk outside instead. This clearly shows his ambition to unify Buddhism with the East and the West, but he has almost allowed the various forces within the Shenlong Temple to compete and entangle...
I feel it's all so confusing.
"Your Majesty, are you worried that the old bald donkey will cause trouble?" Zhao Duan asked softly.
Xu Zhenguan said:
"It's hard to say. I can't see through the Mysterious Seal either. But even if he doesn't do anything, I must enter the Celestial Realm as soon as possible. Next year, three years after I ascend the throne, when the dragon energy is firmly established, I can leave the capital and attempt the Fengshan ritual. If I succeed, it will be a permanent solution. If not..."
Fengshan? Does this thing exist in this world?
No, isn't this just a reputation thing? Could it be related to the advancement of cultivation? Zhao Duan was puzzled.
But it was obvious that Zhenbao didn't want to say more, so after a few words, he changed the subject:
"The New Year is drawing near. Have you figured out how to deal with Zhuang Xiaocheng next year? Oh, you postponed this matter due to illness this time, but if you don't take action after the New Year, even if I don't say anything, some people in the court will definitely make a fuss."
These "certain people" naturally refer to the faction of Prime Minister Li Yanfu.
The feud between Zhao Duan and Li Yanfu has only come to a temporary end, but it is far from over. Once Li Yanfu deals with the problems within the Li Party, there will be another battle with Zhao Duan sooner or later.
"Your Majesty, rest assured. Since I let Zhuang Xiaocheng go, I will definitely bring him back."
Zhao Duan said firmly, then lay down again, and said with a wry smile:
"But what I'm concerned about right now is the Duke who will be returning to the capital for the New Year. I heard that not only will the Duke of Zhenguo be returning for the New Year, but the other Dukes guarding the borders and the generals will also be returning to the capital to report on their duties?"
It was a tradition of the State of Yu for border army generals to return to the capital at the end of the year.
There are reasons for going home to reunite with family and celebrate the festival, as well as the need to report to the emperor on the border troops' affairs over the past year.
As for why it is the end of winter, it is easy to understand:
During the cold winter, the border is the most stable and it is unlikely that any large-scale war will break out. At this time, the generals guarding the border can be mobilized back and there is no need to worry too much about problems at the border.
Xu Zhenguan said "hmm" softly.
Zhao Duan heard the hidden worry in Zhenbao's tone, and he suddenly said:
"General Zhao Shixiong will also come back, right?"
Last time, Xue Shence told him that Zhao Shixiong, who was guarding the border in the southwest, was flirting with King Mu.
Xu Zhenguan was silent for a little longer this time, and then said, "It's only natural that I should come back."
Zhao Duan also fell silent.
"It's late, go to sleep." The empress suddenly said, "You can try to contemplate the Six Chapters Sutra more often to consume excess energy, and then you can fall asleep."
"good."
Zhao Duan blew out the candles in the warm room, and the room suddenly fell into darkness, with only moonlight pouring in through the window paper.
A man and a woman ended their conversation and tried to fall asleep.
However, this time, it was Xu Zhenguan's turn to be unable to sleep...
I was in a daze and didn't know how much time had passed, maybe an hour, or two.
The empress on the bed suddenly felt a bladder pain and woke up with the urge to urinate...
Well, cultivators in the secular realm are not gods. They still need to eat, drink, defecate and urinate every day. Even fairies need to get up at night.
There was even a chamber pot under her bed in the bedroom, and she would use it to get up at night.
But today is a little inconvenient.
Xu Zhenguan turned over, and his hand that was subconsciously reaching for the chamber pot suddenly stopped, his eyes staring straight at someone lying in the warm hall across the curtain.
The slight sleepiness disappeared immediately.
In the darkness, her little eyebrows slowly frowned.
"……trouble……"
Force herself to hold it in? It didn't seem easy... But even if there was a curtain between them, she couldn't take off her panties to pee. It was impossible just to think about it.
"Hello...are you asleep?" Xu Zhenguan hesitated and called softly.
She wanted Zhao Duan to go out for a while and come back in after she was done with it.
There was no response, only the man's even and steady breathing could be heard in the warm hall.
"Are you really asleep?"
Xu Zhenguan's face wrinkled, and he suddenly felt a little regretful for telling this guy how to fall asleep.
It's like tying yourself up in a cocoon.
Of course, as the emperor, she could wake him up roughly, but she hesitated and ultimately did not do so.
I finally fell asleep... Let's not wake him up...
Taking the opportunity to pee? No!
Even if we ignore the hissing noise issue and set up a soundproof barrier, it is still unacceptable.
So, it seems that I can only go out by myself... Going out at night in the middle of winter is not a good experience, even though the empress is not afraid of the cold with her cultivation.
"Oh." With a soft sigh, Xu Zhenguan reluctantly pulled his legs out of the quilt, exposing his crystal white feet to the air.
He stood up, quietly opened the curtain and entered the warm room.
A pair of bright black phoenix eyes looked down at Zhao Duan, who was sleeping soundly on the ground with his head tilted back and eyes closed. She looked at him for a long time, and after making sure that this guy was indeed asleep, she stepped lightly on the carpet, walked past him and went to the door.
He casually put on a pair of shoes, gently pushed the door open, walked out of the room, and went to the toilet not far away.
Zhao Duan was the only one left in the room.
However, what the empress did not know was that Zhao, who seemed to be sleeping at the moment, had experienced several visualizations and had his skull opened by Pei Niannu again and the "Six Chapter Sutra" thrown out. His consciousness was floating and wandering in the sea of consciousness, and a green lotus appeared in front of him.
"Blue Lotus? Is this the one bestowed by the Buddha? Why do I see it..."
Zhao Duan was in a daze and his thoughts were not very clear.
His soul was in a daze, floating above his sea of consciousness, and subconsciously approached the green lotus that was swaying gently in the sea of consciousness, with a green color all over and emitting a bright green light.
And then the next second.
With a loud "boom", Zhao Duan felt his sea of consciousness suddenly expand. In an instant, his soul power, which had already exceeded the normal range of the "God Chapter Realm", spread wildly.
With the center between the eyebrows, it spreads rapidly to all sides of reality.
He did not wake up, but he clearly "saw" every furnishing and every detail in the empress's bedroom, and saw the "empty" bed on the bed next to him.
Then, the soul power continued to spread out of the room and spread towards the night.
…
Update first and then typesetting
Thanks to the book friend Jianxin Kyoto for the 100-coin reward and support!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
