Chapter 157: Candied Haws and House Confiscation
"Yes." Xu Zhenguan nodded first, then his eyes fell on the morning dew on the female official's body, and his expression softened:
"You've worked hard, go and rest."
"Yes." The waiters breathed a sigh of relief and dispersed to rest.
Zhao Duan followed the empress, his eyes wandering between Mo Zhaorong and Xu Zhenguan, as if thinking about something.
…
“Wow!”
In the corner of the empress's bedroom, Zhao Duan stood up from the bathtub sprinkled with flower petals.
The water rolled down along the masculine lines of his body.
It’s strange to say, although I’m not very diligent in practicing martial arts, my figure is getting better and better.
"Could it be that the training done in visualization will also be reflected in reality?" Zhao Duan speculated without reason.
He raised his hand and smoothed his hair back from his forehead. The water-soaked black hair stuck to his scalp, as if he had a slicked-back hairstyle.
He stepped out of the bathtub, waited for Xiao Zhao to lower his head, and then dried his body one by one.
Turning his head to look at the bathtub, he suddenly took a breath, and then slowly hit the bathtub with his palm.
Inside the body, the originally turbulent white Qi suddenly turned into light blue.
The wind from the palm hit the bathtub, and a thin layer of ice slowly covered the water surface.
"Human-shaped refrigerator..." Zhao Duan marveled.
The "Swallowing Clouds and Exhaling Breathing Technique" taught by Taizu is not a simple AOE skill that attacks a group by blowing air, but it can cover the frost damage with the Qi that has no "attributes".
"It won't be hot this summer. Isn't this more refreshing than putting ice cubes in the room?"
With a sigh, Zhao Duan pushed the door open and went out.
He wanted to meet the empress again, but found out that she was not in the palace.
Zhao Duan had no choice but to leave the palace first:
"Strange, where could His Majesty have gone?"
…
Ouchi Arsenal.
"This old servant greets His Majesty."
In the quiet and deep courtyard, the sea worshipper, dressed in a python robe and with a slightly hunched figure, bowed to welcome the empress who came like a fairy.
Surprised, he asked, "It's not even the day for regular training yet, why did Your Majesty come here so suddenly?"
Xu Zhenguan, in white clothes, said calmly:
"Last night... I happened to gain something, so I came to look at the Taizu Stone Wall again."
Eunuch Hai could not hide his surprise.
You must know that it is extremely difficult to gain any insights when one reaches the level of the Empress. How come she suddenly had them?
The old priest led the empress into the depths of the armory, the old building where the murals of Taizu were displayed.
While asking curiously.
In the past, Eunuch Hai often discussed his insights into spiritual practice with the Empress.
After all, he is an immortal who has lived for two hundred years. Although his talent and realm are not as good as the empress's, he is much more experienced.
Xu Zhenguan also respected him very much and did not hide anything from him regarding his spiritual practice:
"Last night, I was at the Yuanzu Temple. After helping Zhao Duan digest the effects of the medicine, it was late, so I simply sat cross-legged to practice. Somehow, my visualization became extremely smooth, and the ancestors in my dreams became much more vivid."
"Is this really true?" Eunuch Hai was surprised at first, then thought for a moment and said:
"If it's not a coincidence, then the difference is simply between Yuanzu Temple and Zhao Duan."
Xu Zhenguan frowned and said:
"I've practiced in the Yuanzu Temple before, and nothing special has happened. So, could it be related to that little Imperial Guard?"
She found it unbelievable.
He was just a mortal, and she had already seen Zhao Duan's body inside and out. Apart from that restless thing, there was nothing special about it.
Eunuch Hai suddenly said:
“I remember that in the Emperor Taizu’s Diary, there was a passage about spiritual practice.
Emperor Taizu was discussing Buddhism with people from the Buddhist sect in the Western Regions, and they talked about "Joyful Zen", which is a taboo even in the Western Regions.
It was once said that although the so-called "Great Ode to the Interaction of Yin and Yang Between Heaven and Earth" was despised by people, it was not completely useless.
Heaven and earth are yin and yang. If practitioners want to reach the ultimate state of perfection, the complementary nature of yin and yang is a clear way forward.
But among the millions of people in this world, it is extremely difficult to find someone who can match you in the path of cultivation."
Xu Zhenguan was stunned when he heard this, and it took him a while to understand what the old eunuch in the dragon robe wanted to express in a subtle way.
A hint of shame and anger appeared on her fair face, and she said unhappily:
"Master Hai, you're overthinking it. How could I possibly be...suitable for him? Besides, that so-called reconciliation method isn't the right path to begin with. Few powerful men, past or present, have relied on it."
Eunuch Hai smiled and cupped his hands:
"I guess I'm overthinking this."
But in my heart I said:
The strong men of ancient and modern times have indeed not reached the top by relying on such an unorthodox method as dual cultivation.
But there is no shortage of opposite sex around him, after all, he has managed to get along well.
The Empress was obviously very unbalanced... But I'll stop here for now.
Xu Zhenguan changed the subject and said:
"In my opinion, it might be caused by the presence of the dragon spirit."
Dragon Soul...
When this topic was mentioned, Hai Gongfu, who was always frivolous and liked to make jokes, became serious for a rare time and sighed:
"Your Majesty, are you still unwilling to give up on Longpo?
In the past, Emperor Taizu traveled across the land on foot, walked out of the Martial God Road, and on the way he cultivated a breath of "Xuanhuang True Qi" and became unparalleled in his dominance.
Strangely enough, countless talented warriors in later generations also followed the route that Taizu took, but none of them was able to comprehend the "Xuanhuang Qi".
It can only be attributed to Taizu's extraordinary talent.
Later, because he became emperor, he was entrusted with the dragon vein of a country. The mysterious yellow energy evolved into dragon energy, which was called "Dragon Soul" and was a first-class treasure in the world.
Unfortunately, the spirit follows the person. After Emperor Taizu passed away, the dragon spirit also dissipated without a trace...
However, successive emperors never gave up hope, often sensing dragon energy escaping from the palace, with the heaviest concentration found within the Yuanzu Temple. They speculated that the dragon spirit had not completely dissipated, but was hidden deep within the palace...
But whether it is the emperors of all dynasties or your Majesty, they have explored it countless times and found nothing. I am afraid that the dragon energy is just the aftereffects of the turbulent dragon veins..."
Xu Zhenguan remained silent. How could she not know all this?
I just always hold on to a glimmer of hope.
After Taizu's death, although Dayu's dynasty lasted for 600 years, no emperor could reach Taizu's height.
Now, relying on the luck of the emperor, she has barely entered the "pseudo-celestial realm", but she feels a sense of urgency in her heart.
If one can find that "dragon soul" and swallow it into his body, his cultivation will definitely enter a new realm.
Even if he cannot catch up with Emperor Taizu, he is still proud of the world.
There is no need to be on guard against the other "three celestial beings" all day long.
Not to mention the powerful people who are "unrevealed" outside the territory of Dayu.
"That's all," Xu Zhenguan sighed and said:
"I've been busy with government affairs lately, and I've had less time for cultivation. In a few days, the Xiuwen Academy will open, and there will be many scholars to share my work, so I can have some free time."
Hai Gongfeng asked, "Your Majesty, are you going to retreat for a while?"
"Yes, but we have to wait a while, at least until we have dealt with the recent turmoil in the court."
Xu Zhenguan narrowed his eyes:
"After defeating Pei Kaizhi and Zhou Cheng in succession... the implementation of the new policy will be much smoother.
But... alas, the kingdom left by my father is really leaky on all sides.
I have been in the deep palace for a long time and have not been good at resting and recuperating, managing the people and doing business. If this Xiuwen Academy can produce an 'Empire Tailor', it will be a blessing for the people of Dayu."
The people of the capital only know that over the past six months, the court has been in turmoil and officials have fallen one after another.
Little did they know that behind all this was the Empress's "big chess game".
…
…
Over the next two days, the aftermath of Zhou Cheng's downfall continued to spread.
Zhao Du'an stayed at home and did not participate. Instead, he voluntarily gave up the remaining opportunities to make meritorious service to the Imperial Court, the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate.
When he ate meat, he always left enough broth for others. This was his usual method.
As expected.
After Xue Lin's case was overturned, many officials who were involved in the crime were implicated. The empress was furious and executed several people one after another.
At the same time, the injustices of those who died unjustly that year were redressed.
Those who have descendants will be compensated.
Some demoted officials were also reinstated. It is conceivable that these people naturally became loyal "imperial party".
Worth mentioning:
Lu Zhi was officially promoted to Dali Temple Secretary, while Zhou's position remained vacant.
Zhao Duan recommended the other party without any selfish motives this time.
He thought to himself that he had never been a good person in his life, but it was always a good thing that he could be promoted to a good official and reduce the number of unjust, false and wrong cases in the world.
In the blink of an eye, it was the Qiqiao Festival.
On this day, the festive atmosphere among the people diluted the bloody storm in the court.
Zhao Duan changed into casual clothes and went shopping with his stepmother and sister.
The weather was fine and the streets were bustling with men and women walking together.
Eugene Hua and Zhao Pan sat in the carriage, looking outside and chattering excitedly.
"Hey, Dalang, why are there still people selling candied haws at this time of year?"
Eugene Hua was in the carriage, looking out in surprise.
Because it was hot outside, the beautiful stepmother wore a low-cut skirt.
Even so, she was still sweating profusely from the heat, her chest was slippery, and she kept fanning herself with a small fan.
Zhao Duan could have used his Qi to transfer the cold air into the carriage.
But he was mean and only let the cold air cover his pores. He only cared about himself and not others.
Zhao Pan keenly noticed that it was cooler next to him, and leaned towards him.
But the relationship between the brother and sister had just eased, so they felt a little embarrassed.
Hearing this, he said:
"Mother, I heard that there's a lot of cheap ice being sold in Beijing lately, way below market price. Some vendors are using ice to preserve candied haws, covering them with cotton cloth to prevent them from melting. They're selling them at a high price, so they're hoping to make a killing during the holidays."
Eugene Ikebana:
"Could it be that the ice is also made from saltpeter? I have always felt that since Dalang can get the formula, others must know it too."
The stepmother still thinks that Zhao Duan heard the saltpeter formula from somewhere else.
Therefore, people did not suspect anything of the cheap ice cubes that appeared in large quantities on the market, and simply thought that they were being sold by merchants.
Zhao Duan smiled, knowing that the sales channels of Tianshi Mansion had been laid out.
It’s only been half a month and the sales haven’t been going on for long, so I guess not much money has been recovered.
He was not in a hurry. He would wait until the dog days were almost over before he could ask Jin Jian for his dividend and money.
"parking."
Zhao Duan shouted, went down to the street, bought three strings of big red hawthorn candied haws and took them back.
He, his stepmother, and his sister each have one.
Eugene felt bad about spending the money, but his stepson just said:
"Today is the Qiqiao Festival, so consider it a gift for your female relatives."
The two beauties, one big and one small, gladly accepted it.
Zhao Duan couldn't help but sigh that the women in his family were too easy to fool. If it were in his previous life, he would have given them a big red envelope.
"Brother! You are here too, my dear brother!"
Suddenly, a short man wrapped in silk clothes, gauze, with a bruised face and nose jumped out from the distance.
Qin Qu rolled over flatteringly, and when he saw the two girls, he kept calling them "mother" and "sisters" in a sweet voice, which frightened the two girls.
Zhao Duan kicked it and said calmly:
"Stop coming out and scaring people. You've only been out of prison for a few days. Why are you wandering around the streets instead of recuperating?"
He did not delve into Qin Qu's "betrayal" in the Zhou Cheng case.
Firstly, the other party had tried to speak for him in court that day, so it was right for him to take sides.
Secondly, in the final analysis, Qin Qu was beaten like this and suffered so much because of him.
Anyway, he is just a lackey. Lord Zhao Duan is magnanimous and does not intend to promote him, but he is also too lazy to target him.
Qin Qudui laughed and said:
"Today is the day to raid that thief Zhou Cheng's house. It's right next door. Aren't you here to watch the raid?"
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment. He really didn't pay attention to the subsequent mess. He frowned and said:
"Isn't Zhou's house here?"
Qin Qu said:
"This is one of the private residences of Zhou the thief. Hey, you may not know that this old thief surnamed Zhou has a lot of private residences and hides countless properties."
With the mentality of watching a show, Zhao Duan asked the servants to accompany the women to visit nearby shops.
Carrying a large string of candied haws, he followed Qin Qu and walked around a street.
Then he saw a magnificent mansion, which was surrounded by officials from the Peony Hall of the Imperial Court.
One carriage after another was carrying out the Zhou family's criminal property.
Suddenly, he raised his eyebrows and noticed two figures not far away.
…
These two chapters are about daily life, slowing down the pace.
(End of this chapter)
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