Chapter 191: Changing the Family
Jinjiang River embankment at night.
The last time Zhao Duan came to this place was at the invitation of Pei Kaizhi. At that time, he was just an envoy of the Baima Prison.
But this time, when he came again, his identity had changed greatly.
"Things have changed and people have changed." Zhao Duan stretched his waist and leaned back on a cloth-sewn armchair.
A lantern hung beside him, and a fishing rod was set up in front of him, with the front end fixed with a Y-shaped support frame and the end extending straight into the dark river water.
The dim starlight and the broken moon are reflected on the water.
Tonight, Zhao Duan suddenly had an idea and chose this place for night fishing.
Behind him, Lihuatang's trusted officials looked around vigilantly, guarding against possible outsiders.
"Sir, the person has been brought here." After a while, the marquis walked forward and said in a low voice.
With a wave of his hand, the captain behind him threw a torn sack onto the shallows of the river bank and untied the opening.
"Woo woo woo."
With his hands and feet tied and his mouth blocked, Xu Mingyuan rolled out in a mess, not understanding what was happening.
"Haha, you better stop yelling, or you know the consequences."
Hou Ren suddenly took out the rag from his mouth, and then used a dagger to easily cut the hemp rope on his body.
"call--"
As a nobleman in the Hanlin Academy, Xu Mingyuan, who only associated with scholars and had ranked second in the imperial examination in the past, was not as famous as Han Zhou in the Hanlin Academy, but was also very famous. He gasped.
His eyes darted around warily, feeling uneasy.
He didn't know where this group of people came from, but since they knew his identity, they would definitely not be afraid of his background.
Therefore, he did not foolishly say anything harsh.
At this moment, he quickly glanced over the plainclothes officers standing in the darkness like javelins.
The frame is fixed on the mysterious man who is leisurely sitting on a chair and fishing next to a lantern.
He realized that this was the real one, but the darkness was too thick and he couldn't see clearly for a moment, so he said cautiously:
"Who are you, sir? Does Xu have any grudge against you?"
The mysterious man did not answer immediately, but continued to look quietly at the gray river surface. The dog days of summer had passed, and the capital city was already slightly cooler at night.
The wind from the river disturbed the weeds, and the paper lantern began to sway, casting a sneaky shadow.
This extremely quiet river beach seems to be isolated from the bustling world. It does not seem to be in the bustling capital, but more like it is in the wilderness.
Just when Xu Mingyuan was becoming more and more uneasy.
The mysterious man finally chuckled:
"Is Xu Hanlin so forgetful? We just met not long ago."
This voice... so young... Xu Mingyuan was stunned.
Then I felt it sounded familiar, but I couldn’t remember it for a moment.
Until Zhao Duan, wearing a conical hat and holding a fishing rod, turned his head, and his handsome face was illuminated by the dim lantern.
Xu Mingyuan's head suddenly buzzed, his eyes suddenly widened, and his whole body seemed to be poured with a bucket of ice water, and the remaining drunkenness disappeared in an instant!
"It's you!"
Zhao Duan!
The one who kidnapped him turned out to be the empress's lackey whom he had cursed in Zuixianju just an hour ago!
At this moment, Xu Mingyuan felt a chill running up his spine, and he was afraid that he was being watched.
Could it be that what I said was known to the other party?
Come for revenge?
Yes, everyone in the capital knows that the Baima Zhao family is notorious for their vengeance and shameless villainy...
He thought that his trip to the imperial prison was over, but Zhao Duan appeared before him like a ghost.
Thinking of Zhao Duan's terrifying reputation in the past, Xu Mingyuan almost instinctively retreated, looking fierce but weak:
"What are you going to do? Are you trying to turn the tables on the Imperial Court? Are you kidnapping a Hanlin scholar? But..."
Zhao Duan turned back and said, "Slap him."
On the side, Shen Juan, with a lazy look and dark circles under his eyes, smiled and swung out the scabbard. The wooden scabbard hit Xu Hanlin's face accurately with skillful force.
"Snap!" The sound was extremely harsh.
"Ah..." Xu Hanlin cried out in pain and was suddenly kicked back by Zheng Laojiu. His legs went soft and he knelt on the grass.
Two captains nearby stepped forward, one held him down and covered his mouth, while the other attacked him left and right.
"Snap", "Snap", "Snap"...
"That's enough. It would be bad if he got disfigured and delayed the adults' business."
Qian Kerou said quietly, and then added:
"Use a needle to poke the bone seams, piercing through the heart and leaving no marks on the surface."
Xu Mingyuan was beaten so hard that he saw stars. When he heard this, he was so scared that his soul was about to die. He looked at Zhao Duan with a sob and wagged his tail for mercy.
"Oh, don't scare him. Xu Hanlin is a scholar, different from us crude warriors."
In the darkness, Zhao Duan's teasing voice came, "Xu Hanlin, don't you think so?"
As the officer released him, Xu Mingyuan covered his burning face. Although he was extremely unwilling, scholars emphasized flexibility in their bottom line. He suppressed the humiliation and lowered his head.
"Master Zhao, I mistakenly believed a rumor last time and was disrespectful to you. This is..."
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"Oh? You believed a rumor? I'm curious, whose rumor did you believe, and whose instructions did you follow?"
Xu Mingyuan closed his mouth and remained silent.
Although he was still a little dizzy, he knew what he could say and what he couldn't say.
Zhao Duan sighed softly:
"It seems that Xu Hanlin is still not sincere."
Next to them, the officers from Lihua Hall were about to take action again.
Xu Mingyuan's expression changed.
While he was struggling in his heart, he saw Zhao Duan, who was sitting in a chair, wearing a bamboo hat and fishing, waving his hand, and then the group of wolves and tigers, with cruel hearts and ruthless hands, stopped.
"Don't use violence in everything you do. Be gentle with scholars. Do you understand?" Zhao Duan said calmly.
Everyone in Lihua Hall lowered their heads in shame.
"I understand."
I thought to myself that he was indeed my master, so broad-minded that he treated such a villain with courtesy.
Seeing this, Xu Mingyuan straightened his back and thought to himself:
It seems that although this thief Zhao is vicious, he is still afraid of his identity as a Hanlin.
My heart calmed down a bit, and my courage was restored.
Zhao Duan didn't even look at him. He just held the lantern closer to himself, adjusted the angle of the fishing rod, and sighed softly:
"In fact, even if Xu Hanlin didn't say it, I know it too. It's Li Yinglong who is behind it.
Your Majesty also talked to me about this and taught the Li family father and son a lesson. After all, I am not a petty person, so I didn't take it to heart anymore.
But these past two days, after hearing about your experience, Hanlin, I feel quite sorry for you."
Feeling sorry for me? Xu Mingyuan couldn't figure out what this traitor was up to.
Zhao Duan sighed:
"From what I know, Xu Hanlin has done his best for the Li family. For example, when the rice-to-mulberry conversion issue arose, the Prime Minister, knowing full well that His Majesty would be displeased, submitted a memorial to resolve the dilemma. This seems to have been written by Xu Hanlin.
I was in the Imperial Study at the time, and I learned about this from His Majesty. I was moved. Hanlin Xu had truly contributed greatly, willingly serving as a pawn for the Li family. If this strategy were truly implemented, it would inevitably lead to disaster. All the Prime Minister had to do was to get rid of Hanlin, the man who proposed this plan, and everything would be fine...
Well, speaking of which, was that idea Hanlin came up with himself, or did he submit it on behalf of someone else? Haha, no need to answer, I don't really care about the truth."
Xu Mingyuan's expression kept changing.
Zhao Duan continued:
"Fortunately, His Majesty did not pursue the matter too much. Unexpectedly, Hanlin was once again used as a pawn by Li Yinglong. He was smart enough to hide in the back the whole time. This way, if something went wrong, he would not be blamed.
Well... I originally thought that this time the Li family would not consider merit but hard work and promote the Hanlin, but it seems that this is not the case."
Xu Mingyuan felt a chill running through his heart as he was stabbed by the knives one after another. He said calmly:
"Master Zhao, just say whatever you want to say."
"Okay, I like straightforward people." Zhao Duan smiled and looked at him for the second time:
"You know, I have a grudge against Li Yinglong. You, too, must be unhappy under his rule. Why don't you surrender to me? If you agree, I will forgive any offenses I've committed against you."
Xu Mingyuan was stunned, and then almost laughed.
I thought to myself, is this bastard crazy?
Just a few words and you want to change your job?
What a joke.
Li Yinglong is indeed not a good person, but how dare you, Zhao, say that about the young cabinet minister?
Although he felt aggrieved, he was still with the Li family. Thanks to his relationship with his teacher Chen Zhengru, he could gain a foothold with the support of the Li Party.
And Zhao Duan? The hatred between the two was real. He would be crazy to join him.
"Master Zhao, you're joking. If I surrender to you, will I then imitate Feng Ju and bite the young minister, or even the prime minister?"
Xu Mingyuan said calmly:
"If you intend to use me to deal with the Prime Minister, then your efforts are wasted. Although I am only a scholar and cannot withstand the swords in your hands, I still have some backbone."
Zhao Duan looked at him strangely, then smiled meaningfully:
"What a staunch scholar! So, you are rejecting me?"
Xu Mingyuan stiffened his neck and closed his eyes:
"I'm sorry, but I can't agree to this."
He was certain that Zhao Duan's previous actions were just to scare him.
Whether it was being tied up or being slapped, to put it bluntly, it was just superficial injuries, not even serious injuries.
No matter how crazy the other party is, he would certainly not dare to murder a Hanlin in the capital.
Therefore, Xu Mingyuan firmly believed that even if he refused, the worst that could happen was that he would be beaten.
This may not be a bad thing. If he goes to see Li Yinglong with injuries, the other party will definitely help him.
Otherwise, the Li Party would have lost its morale.
"Well, in that case, there's nothing more to say."
Zhao Duan's expression also turned cold, and he said calmly:
"Come here, send Hanlin down. It just so happens that my bait isn't sweet enough, and I need something to nourish the fish."
"yes!"
Xu Mingyuan was stunned for a moment, feeling vaguely uneasy.
But he saw that the officers from Lihuatang had already stepped forward. One of them blocked his mouth with a rag, and the other tied his hands and feet again, then pushed him into a sack and dragged him towards the river.
"Move to the side and don't disturb the adults' nest." Qian Kerou said with her arms folded.
Hou Renmeng grinned and pulled a rope, dragging Xu Mingyuan, who was tied in a sack with only his head barely exposed, farther and farther away.
At the riverside, Chen Juan came over carrying a large stone tied with a rope and tied the other end of the rope to a sack.
Xu Mingyuan's eyes widened in horror, and he finally understood something. He struggled with a whimper, but was kicked over by Hou Ren, who tied him up even tighter.
"Don't be afraid of the yelling. You won't feel anything after a while."
As he said this, he used all his strength to kick the big rock into the river.
With a thud, the rope suddenly tightened, quickly dragging Xu Mingyuan into the icy river water, and then quickly sinking to the bottom of the river.
"Woo! Woo!"
Xu Mingyuan struggled frantically, feeling the water gradually engulfing his neck. He tried his best to use his tongue to push off the rags, and shouted in fear:
"You can't kill me... You can't kill me..."
However, he could no longer see Zhao Duan in his sight, and could only vaguely see the bright lantern in the darkness in the distance.
It's like the last rays of the setting sun in the evening.
"Help……"
"Master Zhao... I... am willing..."
“Gulp gulp…”
The last sentence was swallowed by the river, and Xu Mingyuan's vision was shrouded in darkness.
(End of this chapter)
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