Chapter 215: Thousand-Faced God
How powerful is Zhao Duan in the capital?
The You family, who were driven out like stray dogs, had no idea.
But it is natural to think that if this road is blocked, you can just take another one.
You Zhande was a man of great action. After returning to the inn, he ordered his servant to buy two prescriptions to treat the injuries of his wife and children. Then he turned around and went to look for a way according to the list in his hand.
The first stop was Feng Ju, the head of the Ministry of Personnel.
According to the middleman who introduced the matter, although this person in charge is only of the fifth rank and has a low reputation, he is actually "unfathomable".
Promotions only happened in the past few months. After the court promulgated the new policy, the burden of implementing the performance evaluation system fell on the shoulders of a few people in the Ministry of Personnel, one of whom was Feng Ju.
You Zhande felt that this "Lord Feng" must be more powerful than Zhao Duan.
Considering that Zhao Duan had a bad reputation and was implicitly the public enemy of all officials, You Zhande decided not to mention his relationship with Zhao Duan when he visited him.
Money can make anything possible, and he doesn't believe that Feng Ju is not greedy.
Everything went smoothly at first. Although I was unable to meet the head of the Feng family, the Feng family's manager agreed to deliver the message.
You Zhande was full of anticipation and returned to the inn to wait all night.
However, he didn't know that as soon as he left Feng's house, an official from the Lihua Hall who was hiding in the dark stepped into the Feng's house.
…
The next day, when You Zhande went to the house excitedly again, he was turned away.
Feng Ju only ordered the steward to reply with one word:
"roll."
You Zhande didn't understand why the other party had such a bad attitude.
But as the head of a family, he could bend and stretch. He left with a smile and turned to visit the second, third, and fourth families on the list...
In the next few days, You Zhande went to visit them one by one with money in his pocket.
But it was like seeing a ghost, and similar "face changes" happened again and again.
Either refuse outright or change your attitude drastically at first.
Even on the two most extreme occasions, he met with the officials on the list, and the two sides almost reached a consensus.
As a result, as soon as he left, the other party's servant caught up with him and coldly tore up the agreement.
In the past life, the path of money that always paved the way for success suddenly stopped working.
In the huge capital city, countless officials all closed the door to him in unison.
As You Zhande walked in the bustling capital, he inexplicably felt a chill of early autumn.
"Could it be because of the surname Zhao?"
In the inn, the jeweled Yu Shi analyzed shrewdly:
"Those officials who wanted to accept our gifts would definitely investigate our backgrounds. Did they find out we were related to Zhao Duan, and that's why they turned against us?"
You Zhande shook his head:
"That's the most likely possibility, but these incompetent officials are investigating too quickly."
Yu sneered:
"Of course it is. I told you that the Zhao family has a terrible reputation. Once people hear we're related to the Zhao family, how could they be willing to help us make money? The Zhao family themselves are hated by everyone. How despicable! Your niece didn't benefit from any of this, but instead got herself into trouble."
You Zhande frowned:
"I still feel something is not right. Let's go visit him tomorrow to meet his uncle and get some information."
The cousin he was referring to was an official in Beijing from the main branch of the Xiping You family.
I didn't want to deal with him, fearing that the main branch would intervene, but since things have come to this, I had no choice but to go and meet him.
…
The next day.
The couple left their son at the inn and went to the door together. This time, they were not turned away.
However, when You Zhande told his experience to his uncle who was an official in the Ministry of Works, the other party was not surprised at all.
He just looked at them with pity, and the goatee-bearded You family official said in a complicated tone:
"I figured it was time for you to come and ask. Oh, do you know who you've offended?"
The You family couple was stunned. They didn't expect that their uncle already knew about it. They were embarrassed and confused.
"Offending anyone? My husband and I have only been in the capital for ten days. When we met with the officials, we were extremely nervous and apprehensive. How could we dare to offend anyone... If I had to say something, it would only be..."
The uncle chuckled and said, "You remember now?"
You Zhande's face looked grim:
"Is it really because of Zhao Duan? But we have a bad relationship with the Zhao family. Even if the officials are angry, it won't be so... wait..."
He suddenly realized something was wrong: "Uncle, you mean..."
The elderly official in a green robe with a goatee sighed and shook his head.
"You guys are so stupid. Why don't you find out clearly before going to Beijing who you can and cannot mess with?
Do you think that I'm not being treated well because of my connection to the Zhao family? You're totally wrong!
In fact, the reason those people refused to have anything to do with you was precisely because you had offended King Zhao.
As far as I know, in the past few days, all officials below the fifth rank in the capital have received orders from the Pear Blossom Hall. Anyone who dares to have any connection with your You family will be an enemy of King Zhao...
Oh, not to mention the few people you have met, even if I run my legs off, I dare say that in this capital, no one dares to give you a good face.
Even if you have the ability to find a third-rank, second-rank, or even a first-rank official, it will still be useless!"
You Zhande and his wife were stunned, feeling that their preconceived notions had collapsed.
"Uncle... Uncle, I heard that Zhao Duan is just a man who has fallen out of favor and was even imprisoned last time. The house he lives in doesn't seem very grand..."
The old official scoffed:
"Didn't your father teach you not to judge a book by its cover? Where did you get this information from? It's so wrong. If even King Zhao is considered out of favor, then there are no more favored ministers in this world!"
Do you know how much favor His Majesty has on him?
He had a close relationship with the current Grand Tutor and even the Imperial Censor Yuan Gong, treating them as equals... Even the old cabinet ministers and the current prime minister, according to gossip, suffered at his hands...
How dare you provoke him?
As for the imperial merchant you requested, King Zhao wouldn't even need to show up; he could just give a simple order and it would be done. Yet, you chose to go far away...
Oh, forget it, hurry back home and don’t make any more trouble. You’re involving the main branch of the You family and making King Zhao unhappy…”
As he said this, the old man picked up the teacup, meaning to see the guest off.
When the couple was distracted, they walked out of the mansion.
Standing on the empty street, they suddenly realized that they had been wrong from the beginning.
The broken cups were indeed real antiques.
“Bang!”
You Zhande suddenly slapped his wife, his teeth itching with anger:
"You, it's all because of your mouth."
Yu Shi looked aggrieved, but she did not dare to retort, and said weakly:
"Or, let's go and ask your niece for help."
You Zhande shook his head and smiled bitterly:
"It's no use. The only solution now is to ask Master Lu for help."
He was still unwilling to give in, so he left in disgrace, wanting to make a final struggle.
…
…
In the capital, in a certain inn, in room Jiazi.
A young man named Lu Baifeng sat at the table, quietly looking through documents.
He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, handsome, and had a typical northwestern appearance.
He has an extraordinary bearing, possessing both the nobility of a son of a prominent family and the chivalrous spirit of a young man. He wears a brocade robe with a belt inlaid with purple jade around his waist.
Beside him stood a pretty maid.
The maid's hands were not soft, and her palms were covered with calluses from years of holding weapons.
Next to the maid, there was a heavy umbrella standing in the corner of the wall, weighing several pounds.
"Sir, are you really not going to contact your 'companions' in the capital?"
The maid couldn't help but say.
The pseudonym was Lu Baifeng, and his real identity was the "Thousand-Faced God Lord," ranked 28th among the 36 Tiangang of the Kuangfu Society. He raised his head, smiled, and shook his head.
"Bluebird, do you know why Frost Sword died after entering the capital?"
The maid named Bluebird said:
"Because you didn't investigate thoroughly? Did you underestimate Zhao Duan's trump card?"
Lu Baifeng shook his head and said:
"No, it's because he relies too much on those idiots in the Capital Kuangfu Society."
This martial arts master, renowned in the martial arts world for his meticulousness and adaptability, sneered:
“There are many people in the society who are good at using force, but not many who are willing to use their brains.
When Grand Tutor Zhuang was in charge of the capital, he was in charge of the branch office in the capital, and the branch office in the capital was under his control. However, after Grand Tutor Zhuang left, the branch office became a mess.
That Wu Ling, rashly going in to assassinate, thought he was brave, but ended up alerting the enemy, allowing the Zhao thieves to prepare...
Frost Sword is a pure swordsman with a straightforward mind. Not only did he fail to kill the person, but he also lost a treasure like the Taixu Painting Scroll..."
The bluebird listened quietly to his comments without saying a word.
She had a hidden fear of the Thousand-Faced God.
Even though he had been with him for several years, he had never seen the true appearance of the Thousand-Faced God.
The man in front of me seemed to be wearing a disguised identity at all times.
Every time you switch identities, even your personality will change.
"Forget it, let's not talk about this."
Lu Baifeng lost interest and threw away all the information in his hand, including Zhao Duan's, and stood up with his hands behind his back.
"Besides, who knows if there's a traitor among the members of the Jingcheng Kuangfu Society?"
Bluebird said, "Young Master, are you worried that the Frost Sword was broken because a spy within the society revealed its whereabouts?"
Lu Baifeng said:
"Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, there's no need to take risks. Let the government keep an eye on the Kuangfu Society. That way, we can proceed.
Speaking of which, this Zhao Duan is truly bizarre. What he's done in the past two months has even shocked Master Zhuang. He only regrets not using all his strength to crush him to death back then, as he's now become a serious problem."
After a pause, a smile appeared on his lips:
"However, this Godly Lord loves to kill geniuses the most. If it's a mediocre person, I'm too lazy to take action."
At this moment, Qingniao suddenly looked outside the door and raised his hand to put away the documents on the table.
After a while, there was a knock on the door.
When You Zhande and his wife walked in with smiles on their faces, they saw the third young master of the Lu family, the son of a local aristocratic family, drinking tea elegantly, and the beautiful maidservant beside him.
"Master You, I haven't seen you for a few days. Are you two doing well in the capital?" The Thousand-Faced God was very graceful.
You Zhande smiled bitterly, and after the greetings, he tactfully explained the situation he was facing.
The Thousand-Faced God laughed heartily and said nonchalantly:
"I think it's something serious. I'll figure out a solution for this matter and give you news in a couple of days. Oh, but if you need anything, I'll also need to trouble the head of the family to do you a small favor."
You Zhande was overjoyed and agreed without hesitation.
He also promised that if the plan succeeded, the You family's trade route from Xiping Road to the Western Regions could be shared with Master Lu...
On the way to Beijing, Lu Baifeng mentioned this matter many times.
This is also the reason why You Zhande dared to ask for help from the other party -
If someone shows you kindness without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief.
The Lu family is a big family in the northwest. If a nobleman wants to take power in the family, he needs to win over other forces.
You Zhande believed that the other party became friends with him because he was attracted by the You family's business acumen.
After a long conversation, as he watched the You family couple leave, the Thousand-Faced God smiled coldly, narrowed his eyes, and seemed to be planning something:
"In that case, the plan should be changed."
Turning his head, he instructed Bluebird:
"Tonight, I have to go out for a while."
…
…
Another day.
In the morning, Zhao Duan arrived at the imperial yamen by car and checked in at the Pear Blossom Hall as usual.
He has been busy moving these two days.
The dividends from Jin Jian were just enough to help him buy a magnificent three-story mansion in the inner city.
My stepmother and sister showed great enthusiasm for the move.
Zhao Duan simply spread his hands and left all the trivial matters to them, while he acted as a hands-off boss.
After moving to a new house, his biggest physical sensation was that his commuting time was greatly shortened.
"Sure enough, happiness is not having to get up early for work, and the company is just downstairs." Zhao Duan stepped into Lihua Hall in a good mood.
The corners of the mouth are upturned.
It will be much more convenient to enter the palace to see Zhenbao in the future.
However, the upturned corners of his mouth did not last long before an unexpected incident brought them down.
"Sir, you are here. The governor wants you to come over. He said that a murder occurred in the city last night and it was related to the rebels." Qian Kerou said with a serious face.
Murder? Rebellion?
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows. For no reason, he smelled a chill in the early morning of the late summer in the capital.
(End of this chapter)
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