Chapter 290: A mobilization order, Zhao Duan led his troops to break the city
"Princess, please be careful with your words. When we talk, we should avoid such words."
Zhao Duan's face suddenly changed. He acted like a gentleman and a loyal lickspittle to the Empress. He took a step back and said seriously:
"I'm afraid your majesty will misunderstand!"
"..." Xu Junling, who had a sweet appearance and skin as smooth as silk, froze in smile.
Feeling the strange looks from all directions, she took a deep breath, clenched her hands tightly in her sleeves, and maintaining the elegance and grace of a "talented woman", she smiled and said:
"Master Zhao is joking."
After Zhao Duan said this, he didn't bother to pay attention to her and looked around.
Outside the capital, the scenery becomes noticeably more spacious.
A long official road running through the north and south, with leaves on both sides already turning yellow and falling, is a scene of decay.
Although there is still some green left on the treetops, there is not much left.
The gray "tea flag" of the tea stall hung listlessly on a flagpole rooted in the loess road.
At this moment, as this small team stopped, the accompanying personnel also became busy.
Or feed the horses, or look for wooden stakes to tie the carriage.
Zhao Duan brought a small number of people on this business trip, less than ten in total, including his direct descendants in Lihuatang.
Qian Kerou, Chen Juan and Hou Renmeng were the leaders, and there were also several Jinyi captains.
As for Zheng Laojiu, he stayed in Beijing to look after the house.
In addition, there is an imperial censor from the Censorate who serves as the imperial envoy's deputy.
He was a middle-aged man with a woman's name, Chen Hong.
At this moment, the middle-aged censor Chen Hong poked his head out of the carriage, revealing a somewhat weathered face with two silver dentures embedded in it, and smiled brightly:
"Master Zhao, please take your time to rest. I will not get off the carriage."
Yuan Li's men are indeed a bunch of cowards... Zhao Duan nodded with a smile, but he was complaining madly in his heart.
This deputy censor was fine when he left the capital.
But one day, the princess suddenly and unnoticedly joined the team. Lao Deng caught a cold that day and reduced the number of times he left the carriage, as if he didn't want to get involved.
As for the remaining two carriages, they naturally belonged to the daughter of King Huai'an.
Xu Junling and his maid Lushui were in a car.
The swordsman master "Master Lu" who was raised in the palace and fought against Prince Hai that day was another person from the tall and rough man and the mediocre female warrior who pretended to challenge him on the ring that day.
At this moment, the owner and the waiter of the roadside tea stall saw the clothes of this group of people and did not dare to be careless at all.
He wiped the table and arranged the chairs flatteringly and greeted people with a smile.
He even wiped the best table twice, and invited Zhao Duan and Xu Junling, who were the "hosts", to sit down.
"Master, Madam, please come in."
Zhao Duan rolled his eyes. He was too lazy to explain because he had been misunderstood so many times along the way.
Xu Junling, dressed in a brightly colored silk garment that looked precious, sat down opposite him with a smile on his face. After the waiter poured tea and left, he whispered:
"Aren't you afraid that the emperor will misunderstand you this time?"
Zhao Duan, a tall and strong man, sat on a bench and took a sip of tea from the tea bowl.
Blowing the slightly cool autumn breeze, he stared at her helplessly and sighed softly:
"Princess, you are playing with fire. I am here on a mission under the Emperor's order. Why are you not returning to your Huai River but following us halfway? What's going on?"
Fortunately, I have Censor Chen to testify for me, otherwise my good reputation would be ruined."
Qingming... hehe... Xu Junling's mouth twitched slightly. He had already developed resistance to Zhao's shamelessness and said with a smile:
"I'm just heading home, back to the Huai River Road. I'll have to pass through Linfeng Road on my way. Besides, I've finally made it north, and I have the honor of discussing poetry and essays with a scholar like Lord Zhao. How could I miss this opportunity?"
Just talk nonsense... Zhao Duan was too lazy to expose her.
…
In the past few days, Xu Junling often talked to him in the name of "discussing poetry and prose".
The reasons given are very plausible:
That day at the Zhangtai Banquet, Zhao Duan drank and wrote poetry, leaving behind a famous piece that has become a legend.
Others are concerned about the gossip behind the poem, but Xu Junling, a "talented woman from Jiangnan", is more interested in the talent revealed in the poem itself.
These days, every time I stop to rest, I talk to him about it.
She is just like an ancient version of a literary young woman.
But Zhao Duan was not stupid. He could tell at a glance that this scheming little princess was using this excuse to get to know him better.
Xu Junling did not deny this either.
From her point of view, she should have a good relationship with this powerful official who was bound to rise... or at least understand his character.
However, admiration and curiosity about his poetic talent do exist.
Xu Junling still can't understand how this guy, who has no education experience at all, can write such poems.
Unfortunately, no matter how she tried, Zhao Duan did not reveal any more poems.
For a moment, she wondered how powerful Zhao Duan was.
Or is it just to gain fame and reputation, and to buy poems and essays in advance with money?
"As long as the princess is happy,"
Zhao Duan shook his head and pointed ahead seriously:
"However, we are just ahead of Taicang City. I need to investigate a case here. Once we enter the city, we will part ways."
Xu Junling said "Oh", not caring much, and said lightly:
"This is also my first time in Taicang Prefecture, and I'm thinking of staying in the city for a few days to enjoy the autumn scenery. If Lord Zhao doesn't mind, I'm also quite interested in this silver mine."
Zhao Duan looked at her deeply:
"If the princess wants to stay, I can't stop her. But, isn't the princess afraid of getting into trouble?"
Xu Junling smiled sweetly, his demeanor graceful:
"I have nothing to hide, so I'm naturally not afraid. My Huai'an Palace has never been involved in the silver mining business, let alone extended its hand to Linfeng. What is there to be afraid of?
Besides, my sister's affairs are my affairs. How can I sit back and watch someone embezzle my Xu family's money?"
In the small tea stall, the two sat facing each other, neither avoiding nor avoiding each other's gaze.
One frowns, the other smiles.
Zhao Duan was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled brightly:
"If the princess has this intention, I'm sure His Majesty will be very happy too."
He didn't mind that this scheming princess joined in the fun.
It is better to get involved openly than to sneak around in the dark.
Moreover, he never underestimated the power that this princess could mobilize.
Apart from anything else, the old man named Lu next to her is also a good helper.
As for conflicts of interest... it's highly likely that there aren't any. On the one hand, if the Taicang incident is related to Prince Huai'an, then if the princess follows him, it will only increase suspicion.
In addition, the King of Huai'an, who was very wealthy and controlled several merchant ships, really looked down on this petty corruption.
"What are you looking at?"
Xu Junling glanced and saw Zhao Duan took out a booklet and was flipping through it.
"Look at the local tyrants in this area, which ones are poisonous and which ones are not."
Zhao Duan said casually, and names appeared on the booklet in his hand.
The provincial governor, the provincial judge, the military commander...these are officials of the "Dao" level, and are of the third rank or above.
Well, it corresponds to the provincial-level governors he was familiar with in his previous life.
Then, there was the prefect of Taicang City, Sun Xiaozheng.
Here we have to mention the administrative divisions of Dayu. There are nine "dao", each of which is quite large, with a large number of county towns within it.
Because the area of the "Dao" is large, two "Fu" cities will be divided as the main and secondary centers, roughly corresponding to the city.
Thus, there was the saying of nine provinces and eighteen prefectures... which did not include the capital.
Linfeng Road is adjacent to the capital city. To the south is Huaishui Road, and to the southeast is Jiancheng Road - that is, where Prince Jing's Palace is located.
To the west is Xiping Road, where Eugene Hua’s parents’ home is.
There are two prefectures in Linfeng, one is "Linfeng Prefecture" and the other is "Taicang Prefecture".
Taicang County, where the silver mine is located, is where Taicang Prefecture is located.
“The imperial documents arrived many days before mine, so at this moment, the officials who were conferring titles must be waiting for me, the imperial envoy, in the city ahead.
Haha, the post station we stayed at last night sent out a letter early. By this time, those officials are probably lining up at the city gate to welcome us."
Zhao Duan said casually.
Xu Junling nodded slightly, not surprised at all.
From her perspective, she often talked with officials at the provincial level when she was in Huaishui, so she thought it was just normal.
At this moment, he couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth and said teasingly:
"You've stumbled into someone's lair. Even though you're an imperial envoy from the capital, bringing only a few people with you to their territory... hehe.
These high-ranking officials who are in charge of a region may be polite to you on the surface, but secretly, the situation is that the enemy is strong and we are weak.
How about it, have you figured out how to establish your authority? Otherwise, please beg me, my Huai'an Palace is still..."
Zhao Duan smiled, did not respond, closed the booklet, and stared quietly at the tea bowl on the table.
"What are you looking at?" The ignored princess raised her eyebrows.
Zhao Duan stared at the slightly rippling water in the bowl and the face reflected in it, and murmured, "Everything is ready, only the east wind is missing."
"What?" Xu Junling became more and more confused.
But Zhao Duan picked up the tea bowl and drank it all, then said with a smile: "The princess is going to enter the city, please stay behind, the imperial envoy team has to go ahead."
…
…
Dozens of miles away is Taicang City.
Early in the morning, the yamen runners urged the people to clean the streets and suppress the gangs and other eyesores in the city in advance.
A group of high-ranking officials who were about to be appointed to the city changed into official robes and wore black hats on their heads. They led a group of local officials and lined up at the city gate, looking eagerly.
Finally, two carriages and horse-drawn vehicles arrived on the official road, with a yellow silk cloth hanging from the roof of the carriages as a sign.
"The imperial envoy is here!"
Sun Xiaozhun, the dark, thin, and decisive prefect, said in a deep voice.
At this moment, all the officials present felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.
The Governor Gao Lian and the elderly Provincial Surveillance Commissioner also raised their chests.
Wait until the carriage team stops at the city gate.
Gao Lian, with an elegant demeanor and his official robes ironed to a wrinkle-free state, led the crowd in greeting, laughing heartily and bowing as he stepped forward:
"Is that Imperial Envoy Zhao in front?"
The thick curtains of the two carriages were lifted one after another.
The first person to come out was the imperial censor in a green robe with silver-plated dentures, and then came Zhao Duan, who was invited out by Qian Kerou.
Zhao Duan had an indifferent expression and a disdainful look in his eyes. He was wearing the unique official robe of the White Horse Supervisor, which he had changed into on the road.
His eyes swept over the smiling faces of Gao Lian and other local officials, finally settling on the face of the leading civil servant, and he smiled:
"I have long heard of the great name of Gao Buzheng. Seeing him today, I can see that he is truly extraordinary."
Gao Lian laughed heartily:
"Your Excellency, I have long heard of Lord Zhao's reputation in the capital. He is said to be handsome and elegant. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is well-deserved. No wonder Your Majesty trusts him so highly."
The censor, who had a good-natured face, also smiled and said:
"Gao Buzheng is absolutely right."
Even Prefect Sun, who had outstanding political achievements and often dared to slam the table in front of his superiors, had a smile on his face and looked enthusiastic, and was generous with his praise.
Led by the three, the other local officials spoke up one after another, praising his appearance.
The imperial envoy's team is full of smart people, and they will gradually hear something different.
This group of local officials seemed to be praising Zhao Duan, but they did not mention any of Zhao Duan's achievements or abilities at all, and only praised his appearance.
The sentence "No wonder Your Majesty relies on me" is even more subtly ironic.
It implies that he relied on a pretty boy to get to the top.
The smile of Censor Chen Hong gradually faded, and the expressions of the brocade-clad guards in Lihua Hall became unhappy.
When facing the imperial envoy, local officials would not openly confront or conflict with him, but this kind of soft sarcasm made them even more infuriated, but they had no way to vent their anger.
However, Zhao Duan seemed to be completely oblivious to the sarcasm and ridicule in the group's words. His smile remained warm, and he even looked particularly elegant.
This appearance made the local officials headed by Gao Lian a little surprised. They didn't know whether this imperial envoy was cunning and could not show his emotions, or he was really a fool who exceeded his reputation.
Well, if it's the latter, that would be best.
"The Imperial Envoy has been traveling so long, we have prepared an inn and a banquet to welcome him. Come on, will you lead the way?"
After the greetings, Gao Lian smiled and invited them to enter the city gate.
Zhao Duan, however, smiled and did not move. He said, "Master Gao, please wait a moment. Everyone hasn't arrived yet. Also, I wonder if the post station you have prepared is spacious enough?"
Everyone was stunned. What does that mean?
Is there anyone left behind?
Gao Lian suddenly felt uneasy and said with a smile, "The posthouse is naturally spacious. Although the Taicang government office is not rich, it is more than enough to accommodate the imperial envoys."
"Is that so? Then I'm relieved," Zhao Duan smiled shyly, seeming a little embarrassed, "I brought a lot of people with me."
How much? How much can it be?
The local officials didn't care much.
However, the next second, the earth roared without warning.
The local officials headed by Gao Lian were stunned. They were attracted by the sound and looked into the distance.
Then the pupils all narrowed!
I saw a group of cavalry rushing out from the distance, stretching out into a black line that seemed to have no end.
Amidst the flying dust, armored cavalrymen approached brazenly. The general in the lead was carrying a large, ostentatious banner with the words "Linfeng" written on it, fluttering in the wind.
Zhao Duan smiled slightly: "My people are here."
(End of this chapter)
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