Chapter 181 "Your Majesty...Yes, it was all done by me"
The carriage left Shenlong Temple and went against the flow of people, returning to the Zhao family before noon.
The cook was very surprised and hurried to add more dishes. Fortunately, Zhao Duan was different now. Even if the food was cooked slowly, he would not beat or scold her.
At the dinner table, the women in the family turned into curious babies and asked Zhao Duan about his experience in Xiuwenguan.
In desperation, I could only pick out some things to say... Of course, it was also to satisfy my need to show off, and I successfully gained the admiration of the mother and daughter.
But... after all, the most important person is missing...
After dinner, Zhao Duan turned over and climbed onto the roof, looking towards the direction of the imperial palace, wondering when His Majesty would come out of seclusion.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid I won’t have time to report in person this time.
Feeling lost.
"well."
Zhao Duan lay on the gray tiles on the roof, with the shade cast by the big tree at the back of the yard above his head.
The breeze was blowing gently as he thought about what would happen next today.
"Grand Tutor Dong spoke publicly, stating that the new policy has been finalized. Now we just have to wait for His Majesty to come out and review it. If nothing unexpected happens, we will gradually enter the implementation stage."
"As for me, after what happened today, the attacks from the literati will be much less... at least for the time being.
As for my contributions to the Xiuwen Academy, the Grand Master couldn't explain it clearly, but with so many scholars, it would sooner or later be revealed. Whether outsiders believe it or not is not important.
What he coveted was never some damn reputation.
However, once the news of my new policies spreads, I'm afraid it will attract more hostility... For example, those powerful families and officials who are being rectified for rampant corruption?
Including, how much importance does Kuangfu Society attach to itself?
"Other people who travel through time become better and better. But why do I have more and more enemies?" Zhao Duan sighed.
Before I knew it, I fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes again, the sun was setting in the west, and the last ray of light in the sky sank into the earth.
Suddenly I felt that taking a nap at home was much more comfortable than participating in a Buddhist ceremony. The only regret was that I didn’t have a proper festival.
"Da Lang, Da Lang..."
In the courtyard, the old steward's voice was heard calling.
Zhao Duan sat on the roof, looking down, and sighed:
"I'm here, don't use that soul-calling tone even on the Ghost Festival..."
"Oh! Dalang is here!" The old steward was startled and said:
"There's a girl at the door, she looks very noble, maybe she's not simple."
Girl? Could it be Mo Chou?
Zhao Duan was puzzled. He patted his butt and landed on the ground, then walked out.
When he walked out of the gate, he did not see his love rival Mo Zhaorong, and there was no carriage or entourage outside the door.
There was only a masked woman standing alone.
She was wearing a light blue long dress, had a tall figure, and was wearing a veil, revealing only her narrow eyes and forehead. Her hair was simply tied up behind her head with a jade hairpin.
His clothes were ordinary and nothing special, but just by standing there, he exuded an air of nobility.
"May I ask this young lady..."
Zhao Duan spoke cautiously, but when he met the strange woman's eyes, he was stunned and couldn't believe it:
"Your Majesty..."
"Shut up." The empress, who walked in the mortal form, waved her hand and disappeared with him.
…
In the capital, on a small bridge.
At the moment when darkness engulfed the city, two figures appeared quietly.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you!" Zhao Duan groveled shamelessly, his tone excited:
"Your Majesty, when did you come out of confinement?"
The Queen of Dayu stood on the bridge and said with a smile:
"How did you recognize me?"
Zhao Duan was fully aware of being a dog licker, and said with sweet words:
"How could I dare to forget your majesty's grace? Even if you only reveal a corner of your face, there is no one in the world who can compare to you..."
"...smooth talker." Xu Zhenguan was no longer surprised by his temper.
Oddly enough, some people find the same flattery annoying to her.
Some... just... speak quite nicely.
So the empress is also a double standard monster.
Slippery? How would you know if you haven't tried it? Zhao Duan was not convinced. He felt that it was not scientific to make a rash conclusion without any experimental judgment.
"I just came out of retreat today. I went to the Ullambana Festival and just came back."
Xu Zhenguan held the railing of the stone bridge with her slender hands, and her light blue skirt was wrinkled by the oncoming river breeze.
The few curls of black hair scattered beside the delicate earlobes also swayed slightly.
Being a stunning beauty is not as simple as it sounds.
Even if she covers most of her face and changes into the most ordinary dress, she is still an extremely outstanding beauty.
Zhao Duan had heard in his previous life that masks were the best fashion item and could easily enhance a person’s appearance several times.
Because the human brain will imagine the perfect appearance based on the exposed half.
But this rule does not apply to the empress, because her complete appearance is much better than what we imagine in our minds.
If I had to describe it, probably just half of the face was enough to make Xiao Zhao's blood boil.
After a pause, she added, "The Grand Tutor told me about you."
Having said that, even though she had digested it for half a day, the Queen of Dayu still hesitated:
"So, the three golden strategies are..."
Zhao Duan nodded shamelessly: "It was done by me."
"...Why?" Xu Zhenguan opened his red lips and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for a long time, "Why do you... know all this?"
She still clearly remembered that in the Zen room, Grand Tutor Dong told her in detail how Zhao Duan left the manuscript, how he was invited by him to tell the story, how he came up with the "Three Golden Strategies", how he checked for omissions and filled in the gaps, and how he secretly helped to refine the new policies during these days...
She seemed calm, but what emotions were surging in her heart?
It seemed that every once in a while, he would give himself a big surprise, far beyond what he had expected.
Xu Zhenguan was not "forgetful", so she had repeatedly raised her awareness of this small imperial guard.
Even when he came out this time, Zhao Duan ran up to him and said that he had overthrown another minister from the six ministries.
She thought to herself that she wouldn't lose her composure.
But... Xiuwenguan?
New policy?
Three strategies?
Bachelor?
How on earth could these terms, which completely contradicted her previous understanding, be connected to him? The Empress couldn't figure it out.
That kind of shock was like suddenly discovering that the Grand Tutor, who was in his octogenarian years, was an unrivaled warrior, whose arms could run horses, and who could fight his way in and out of the enemy's army... It was equally unreasonable.
"I have said before that I have read many books in private." Zhao Duan had already prepared a speech and said calmly.
"That's all?"
"Also, I understand the dangers of the world better than those scholars, and I am more pragmatic."
"That's all?"
"...I had a dream, there was an old immortal..."
"...Do you believe that I will punish you for deceiving the emperor?"
"I was wrong." Zhao Duan immediately backed down and felt helpless. He wanted to tell the truth, but no one believed him.
Xu Zhenguan pursed his plump lips, with a sigh in his eyes.
However, the reason behind this kind of thing could not be found out. The only explanation was that Zhao Duan really had great ambitions, but no one appreciated him in the past.
The Empress suddenly sighed softly and said quietly:
"If one day, you suddenly compose poetry and prose that surpasses all the talented people in the world, I won't be surprised."
I haven't had time to copy yet... Is it okay for you to block me first... Zhao Duan's expression froze.
"You don't really know how to compose poetry." Xu Zhenguan just said it casually, and now seeing his demeanor, his expression became strange.
"Ahem, I understand a little bit." Zhao Duan said frankly.
"...Write a song for me?"
"I have no inspiration now." Zhao Duan said reservedly.
Tsk… Xu Zhenguan suddenly rolled her eyes, but she didn’t really want him to write poetry or anything like that. What she cared about was the court and Dayu.
"I want to hear your opinion on the new policy."
"Yes," Zhao Duan thought for a moment and said:
"The Grand Tutor must have already relayed the specific details. Now that His Majesty has emerged from confinement, it's time for the new policies to surface."
"However, this is bound to be a long process. We need to rectify the civil service and implement the performance evaluation system, while also demarcating regions and opening up markets to generate revenue... After resolving the immediate problems, we can then promote the equalization of land tax. Don't even think about this for several years."
“In addition, where to start implementation is also a problem. I believe that the Eight Kings are spread across various regions and it is inevitable, but choosing the order is a big question.
While I was in the palace, I heard people talking about the previous dynasty's reduction of the feudal lords. There were no vassal kings in the Dayu Dynasty, and the Eight Kings were only powerful, but not considered vassal kings.
But if you want to weaken them, the principle is the same. You must and can only start from the weakest one, and not the other way around.
Furthermore, I believe that the best strategy is to first drain the enemy's money using market methods; war is always the worst of the worst strategies..."
By the bridge.
The night wind blows.
The heat has dissipated and it is cool and pleasant.
Zhao Duan spoke eloquently, as if he had returned to his previous life, when he was speaking at a closed-door meeting.
In fact, compared to what he has experienced since coming to this strange world, what he is talking about now is his professional field.
When he had said all that was in his mind in one breath, he realized belatedly that the empress had not spoken for a long time.
Zhao Duan was startled, thinking that he was drifting away. He looked around hurriedly and then froze.
In the night, Xu Zhenguan, with her face veiled, was looking at him quietly and intently, her beautiful eyes like stars.
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty?" Zhao Duan was a little panicked.
Xu Zhenguan suddenly said, "Do you know?"
Zhao Duan was stunned: "What should I know?"
Xu Zhenguan looked at him strangely and said:
"Just now, when you talked about these things, you seemed to be...sparkling."
“…”
Zhao Duan didn't know how to respond for a moment and looked a little dazed, which was unusual for him.
At this time, some vendors were pushing carts across the bridge.
A child who had been following his elders to the stall had a bunch of strange "god" masks hanging around his neck. He ran back, turned his eyes, and said to Zhao Duan:
"Young Master! Buy your wife a mask!"
According to Dayu folk customs, on the night of the Ghost Festival, gods and deceased relatives will walk the earth.
In order to avoid being taken away by ghosts and gods, the living people will wear all kinds of strange and bizarre masks of gods, pretending to be gods, and get away with it, thus avoiding being captured by ghosts and gods.
There are also activities at night called "Night Tour".
Madam... The empress was stunned for a moment, then realized that she had been misunderstood. She frowned and was about to explain.
But Zhao Duan smiled and handed over a few large coins, and took off two "Yaksha" masks, one black and one white, from the child's neck.
He handed the White Night Demon to the Empress and said:
"Your Majesty, when in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Xu Zhenguan stared at him with a half-smile: "Do you want to die?"
(End of this chapter)
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