Chapter 190 Come with us, my master invites you
The Buddhist temple is filled with the smell of incense.
Zhao Duan's heart couldn't calm down for a long time.
Princess Yuan? Li Yinglong? He really had a hard time connecting the two names.
He didn't know much about the old emperor's widows.
But thanks to his service as a guard in the imperial city, he knew something about the concubines through what he saw and heard.
Concubine Yuan had been in the palace for nearly ten years. She was the daughter of a grain transport official in the capital.
The old emperor was old in spirit, and although he was old in years, he never stopped thinking about choosing a concubine.
But Zhao Duan really didn't expect that Li Yinglong and Yuan Ru had any connection.
"Was it before or after entering the palace? If it was after entering the palace, it would be exciting... No, it shouldn't be that difficult. It is extremely difficult for an outsider to enter the palace. The Li family is not a foreign relative. Li Yinglong has no chance of entering the palace to flirt with her... let alone the emperor's woman..."
"That was before she entered the palace... Well, her age does match. Ss ...
Zhao Duan was lost in thought, feeling as if he had eaten a large melon in the hottest days of summer.
He frowned and said, "Did Li Yinglong tell you this?"
He was a little skeptical, because given Li Yinglong's cautious nature, he would not casually reveal such shocking information.
Madam Lin shook her head and said:
"He only told me that I resembled his former lover. As for my name, I only learned it by accident."
Zhao Duan pressed on: "Unexpectedly learned?"
Madam Lin was silent for a long time before she said calmly:
"He called out this name when he forced himself on me."
Zhao Duan: "..."
Now that Madam Lin had made her decision, she lost her previous weakness and timidity, and said this without any concealment.
Just kneel before the Buddha and wait for his instructions.
Zhao Duan paced slowly in the hall, thinking about how to make a fuss about this matter.
After a moment, a plan came to his mind and he said:
"Very good. This clue is very valuable."
He was not worried that Mrs. Lin was lying.
Because this answer is very easy to verify. With his current status, it is not difficult for him to get a portrait of Princess Yuan, or even find an opportunity to see her with his own eyes.
"Sir, what do I need to do?" Madam Lin was eager for revenge and was extremely proactive. When she spoke, there was an urgent look in her eyes.
So, never underestimate women.
Especially a woman who grasps hope again in desperate situations.
"So..." Zhao Duan pondered for a moment and asked:
"Can you find a way to come out again in the near future?"
Madam Lin hesitated for a moment and said:
"It's a bit difficult, but if I play it safe, it should be possible. I can say I'll come to Shenlong Temple to fulfill my vow. Li Yinglong doesn't put too much pressure on me with some of my requests, and he usually agrees."
Zhao Duan nodded and said:
"Well, I need you to find a way to get as much information as possible about him and Yuan Ru, but don't let him know that you are deliberately trying to get it.
If possible, it would be best to get an instrument that Li Yinglong used all year round, something that can represent him personally, or more accurately, something that Yuan Ru can recognize."
In the Jiangnan area, how could a geisha who was once just one step away from becoming an oiran be a fool?
Madam Lin knew the elegant meaning from the music, and her eyes flickered as she vaguely guessed what Mr. Zhao was thinking.
But he wisely didn't point it out, just nodded:
"I understand. My lord, do you have any other instructions?"
Zhao Duan shook his head:
"Just do these things. I'll send someone to keep an eye on the Li family. Don't worry about it when you come out. Just find a way to create some time to be alone, and someone will naturally contact you."
Now that he is in charge of Lihuatang, he has no shortage of trusted and capable subordinates.
Mrs. Lin said she would take note of it and said:
"I have been in the palace for a long time..."
"Well, go back. Remember to be careful and don't let the Li family notice anything unusual, otherwise... I won't suffer any loss, but your safety is uncertain." Zhao Duan said lightly.
This time, he tried to make a plan casually, and the worst result for him was no result.
After all, he and the Li family had already fallen out, so Zhao Duan was not worried, because Li Yinglong knew that he was causing trouble.
But if the Sixth Lady fails, her fate can be imagined.
"Don't worry, sir. This is my own choice. I only hope that after the matter is accomplished, sir, you will not forget what you said today. I will be grateful for your kindness and will never forget it."
Madam Lin bowed gracefully.
"Go ahead."
Zhao Duan took a step forward and disappeared behind the curtains on both sides of the Buddhist temple.
Madam Lin looked at his disappearing back, then raised her eyes to look at the huge and compassionate Medicine Buddha in the hall.
I thought to myself, could it be that my prayers have really come true?
Shaking her head, she quickly tidied her appearance, and when she pushed the door and walked out of the Buddhist temple, there was no longer any strange expression on her face.
Below the stairs.
The waiting maid and guard looked over at the same time, and were stunned when they saw the tear marks on her face, but they were not surprised at all.
It is no secret that the Sixth Lady shed tears all day long.
"Let's go back home."
Madam Lin spoke calmly, with a hint of the majesty of a lady.
Performing... for her, a geisha who was once famous in Jiangnan, it was what she was best at.
…
Wait for the three to leave.
Inside the Buddhist temple, Zhao Duan walked out slowly and stood still.
Soon, Hou Renmeng and Qian Kerou came from a distance:
"Sir, is it done?"
"Well, how about those monks?"
"Please rest assured, sir. Although our Zhao Ya is not favored by these monks, we have His Majesty behind us. No one in Shenlong Temple will 'remember' that you have been here today."
"Very good, let's go."
"Sir, shall we go back to the yamen? Or..."
Zhao Duan took two steps, pondered for a moment, and asked:
"Have the master and disciple pair, Chen Zhengru and Xu Hanlin, been released?"
On that day, the empress gave an order and Ma Yan carried it out. The group of scholars who took the lead in scolding Zhao Duan were arrested and given a good beating.
But in the final analysis, it’s just a few curse words, not a serious sin.
The main purpose was to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, so after a group of people were dealt with, they were released one after another, which was considered a profound lesson.
Qian Kerou said:
"Oh, those two scholars from the Hanlin Academy were just released the day before yesterday. Sir, do you want to recapture them? We can arrest Hanlin Xu directly, but Chen Zhengru is a Grand Secretary after all, so we have to consult the Governor..."
"No need," Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes, as if thinking of something interesting, and raised the corner of his mouth:
"No need to be so troublesome, like this..."
He whispered the order, and the two listened attentively, looking at each other.
All of them had the same thought:
My lord... is plotting against someone again!
…
…
evening.
In the Zuixianlou Hotel in Beijing, Xu Mingyuan sat in a private box, drinking and chatting with a group of literary friends who had also been released.
The day before yesterday, after paying a fine and receiving a punishment that was neither too light nor too heavy, Xu Hanlin finally came out of the horrible imperial prison and returned to the world.
I went home first and reunited with my family.
Afterwards, he thought that with his connections, many scholars would come to welcome him.
As a result, Xu Mingyuan waited from day to dusk, but no one stepped into the Xu family's door, which was always crowded with people.
"A bunch of rats!"
Xu Mingyuan cursed.
I realized that it was those scholars who used to be so sanctimonious and always talked about the teachings of sages who were afraid to approach me.
He was afraid of offending the empress, the grand tutor, and even afraid of Zhao Duan.
I couldn't help but sigh that what the Grand Tutor said that day was not wrong.
After falling asleep in anger, he went to the Hanlin Academy the next day, but no one paid any attention to him.
However, teacher Chen Zhengru is treated much better than himself.
After he was released from prison, he was personally picked up by the young cabinet minister Li Yinglong, and it is likely that he also met the prime minister.
Although Chen Zhengru did not have much power in Li's party, he was quite famous.
This time, Li Yanfu had to take the blame for Li Yinglong and come forward to appease him.
Xu Mingyuan had no choice but to look for the group of literati who were also released.
Knowing that everyone was in a similar situation, a group of people gathered together for warmth and drank to relieve their sorrow for two days as if in revenge.
Behind closed doors, he cursed the injustice and the thief Zhao.
"Brother Xu! It's one thing for the rest of us to be treated like abandoned pawns, but you're highly regarded by the Prime Minister and a disciple of Grand Secretary Chen. How come you're also being ignored? Why don't you seek out the young minister?"
A drunken scholar said this while breathing heavily from the alcohol.
Xu Mingyuan looked embarrassed and didn't know how to answer.
Another person next to him said:
"That's wrong. The court has been in turmoil lately, it can be described as chaos.
The young cabinet minister is the general of the central army. He is very busy with affairs and probably has no time to spare, so he neglected the meritorious official.
Otherwise, Brother Shan Mingyuan deserves a reward for his hardship in prison, don't you think? "
A group of drunken scholars echoed this.
But he didn't notice that Xu Mingyuan felt like he was being pricked by a thorn in his back, and his face flushed red.
Hero?
Haha, only those who win the battle are called heroes. What am I, a defeated general?
He didn't dare to say that he had visited Li's house privately yesterday but was turned away.
After all, after this incident, he had completely offended Grand Tutor Dong and the Xiuwenguan faction, and was even hated by His Majesty. The only person he could rely on was Li Yinglong.
And all this is thanks to "Zhao Duan"!
Xu Mingyuan didn't dare to express his dissatisfaction with the young cabinet minister or his teacher, so he could only vent his anger on Zhao Duan.
If Zhao had surrendered to his attack that day, would he have ended up in this situation?
If Zhao had not concealed his relationship with Grand Tutor Dong, would he have been so foolish as to walk into trouble?
"Zhao the thief misled me!"
Xu Mingyuan drank the wine from his bowl and said proudly:
"Today we have dishonored you. One day, we will seek revenge on that thief Zhao a hundredfold!"
Everyone cheered and shared the same hatred for the enemy.
…
The song ends and the crowd disperses.
Xu Mingyuan walked out of Zuixianlou drunkenly and walked towards his home on foot.
At this moment, the sky was completely dark, with sparse stars in the night sky and dark clouds covering the moon.
When Xu Mingyuan passed by a deserted street.
Suddenly, several men in black walked out from the dark shadows ahead.
The leader had a dark complexion and a rebellious face, and when he grinned, his white teeth were exposed.
"Are you Xu Mingyuan?"
Xu Mingyuan shuddered, his drunkenness half dissipated, and he said cautiously:
"I'm not, you got the wrong person."
Hou Renmeng's smile became even brighter. He kicked Xu Mingyuan with a bang. Xu Mingyuan bent over in pain like a shrimp and vomited all the food and wine in his stomach all over the floor in mid-air.
"Xu Hanlin, please come with us. My master wants to see you."
Thanks to the Blue Most Beautiful Ball for the 500-point reward!
(End of this chapter)
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