Chapter 305: Under the Imperial Envoy's Order, Capture the Prisoner Immediately
"What's the meaning?"
Xu Junling was stunned for a moment, and a serious look gradually appeared on his sweet and lovely face.
Well, this is difficult for me to explain to you. After all, it is an allusion on Earth... Zhao Duan looked leisurely with a smile on his lips.
It seemed as if he had turned a deaf ear to the noisy cries of the people outside the tall gray walls of the post station who were pleading for their lives.
He said lightly, "It's just a fragment of a poem I just came across."
Could you be a little more fake...Xu Junling got angry for no reason.
She took two steps at a time and came to sit in front of him with a serious expression:
"Master Zhao, what are you thinking about? Or do you think the commotion outside is nothing? This princess is kindly reminding you that the current situation is very wrong."
"oh?"
Zhao Duan was wearing loose casual clothes and leaning back in a bamboo chair, looking like a leisurely young man on vacation.
He put down the Taicang Geography, folded his hands, and asked with a smile:
"What advice do you have, my lady?"
Xu Junling said with a stern face:
“When you arrested someone that day, I told you that suspensions cannot last long.
Now the situation in the city is just as I expected. Not to mention the rumors going around, the public opinion about you is not good.
How many people secretly harbor hostility towards you, the Imperial Envoy? Take these people outside who are petitioning for orders, for example. Do you think they are coming here on their own accord?
She asked herself and answered:
"Since ancient times, people have feared officials. How could this happen unless someone was secretly instigating it? Local officials have already fought back!"
I know... Zhao Duan said "Oh" and said lightly:
"And then? Do you think Gao, Liu, and Sun arranged this? They incited a group of people to put pressure on me, thinking it would work?"
Seeing that he didn't care, Xu Junling sighed:
"Sir Zhao, I know you have made many contributions in the capital and are quite capable, but you must know that being an official in the capital and being an imperial envoy are two different things.
That’s right, there are only a hundred or so civilians. You have an army under your command and you have your own cultivation, so they are safe.
But this is a dangerous signal. Once the number of people petitioning for orders expands and trouble breaks out, when you return to Beijing, the imperial sister's desk will be piled high with impeachments!
Do you understand? Do you think local officials have no way to retaliate against the imperial envoy?
Throughout the dynasties, the biggest fear of any imperial envoy going out on a mission was not the safety of his life, but messing up the mission.
If you allow public opinion in the city to spread unchecked, even if you can solve the case and arrest the corrupt officials and bring them back to Beijing, the officials in the court can still accuse you of causing chaos in the local area!
If you cause civil unrest, you will be in big trouble!
Or do you really think that, relying on the favor of the Imperial Sister, you are no longer afraid of impeachment?"
She finished speaking in one breath like a machine gun, her eyes full of disappointment.
Zhao Duan listened with a strange expression, raised his hand and handed her an apricot, and said with a smile:
"Princess, calm down. Speaking of which, are you so concerned about the safety of an imperial envoy like me? I thought the Prince of Huai'an was hoping for a fight on my side."
This sudden remark was quite hurtful.
Xu Junling became alert instantly and subconsciously retorted:
"This princess is devoted to the emperor's sister. How can you slander me so recklessly, Lord Zhao?"
No, you're just a fence-sitter in the Huai'an Palace, a wavering ass, do you really need me to slander you...
Zhao Duan complained in his heart and said slowly:
"So it's a deep sisterly bond. I thought the princess was deliberately provoking me and wanted me to send troops to suppress the rioters.
Haha, the people are just asking for their lives in a reasonable manner, how can we resort to violence?
I do have some magnanimity, but I dare not casually mention the word "suppression," as it could easily give the rebels a handle."
“…”
Xu Junling hit a snag, snorted, turned sideways, and said with a cold expression:
"This princess is merely a kind reminder. Anyway, local officials have already taken action. If you continue to delay, the consequences will be unpredictable.
Let me guess, the evidence Song Tiju left behind isn't enough, so you're buying time and trying to dig deeper...
Unfortunately, it seems that they are not going to give you enough time... Well, think about it, two key people are missing, how could the big tiger you want to catch leave any obvious clues?
Unless you can find Wang Chusheng, the Magistrate of Taicang County...
Otherwise, since Gao Lian and the others have already mobilized public opinion and are preparing to counter you, I'm afraid their next move against you is imminent."
After saying this, Xu Junling stood up angrily and turned to leave.
"Achieve success in one fell swoop."
Suddenly, Zhao Duan's voice came from behind:
"Princess, there will be a crab feast this afternoon, remember to come with us."
Yesterday, Zhao Duan said that the golden chrysanthemums in Taicang Prefecture are very good. He heard that there is a tradition of holding autumn crab banquets in the city in autumn.
As an imperial envoy, he also wanted to take the opportunity to meet with the gentry and celebrities in the city.
Therefore, he ordered a crab feast to be held and invited celebrities and officials in the city to gather in order to ease the tense atmosphere in the city and dispel rumors.
The banquet was held at a gentleman's house in the city, which was named "Chrysanthemum Terrace" and had a large area of beautiful autumn chrysanthemums planted there.
"Know."
Xu Junling left without looking back.
I thought to myself, this princess wants to see what you are up to, and it’s not just about craving a few crabs.
…
…
At noon.
The people were ordered to evacuate. The sky above the city seemed to sense the coming storm, and dark clouds gathered and the autumn wind was biting.
In the afternoon, Zhao Duan ordered 200 cavalrymen to stay behind, and he himself, along with the princess and her entourage, along with the imperial envoy team including Censor Chen Hong, arrived at the "Chrysanthemum Terrace".
All the celebrities and gentry of status in Taicang Prefecture have arrived.
Carriages parked outside blocked the entire street.
Gao, Liu and Sun, who were suspended from work and under house arrest, also arrived early.
There were many tables set up in the large house filled with gorgeous autumn chrysanthemums, rockery, flowing water, pavilions and towers.
On top were plates of tied crabs and jars of rice wine.
There were many people coming, all dressed in silk and satin.
However, the atmosphere at the banquet, which should have been a lively and festive occasion of eating crabs and appreciating chrysanthemums, was a bit depressing and solemn.
"The imperial envoy has arrived!"
Following the clerk's shout, all the guests in the Chrysanthemum Terrace stood up.
Today, Mr. Song, who calls himself "a disciple of Mr. Zhengyang", also came. When he saw Zhao Duan and his party coming, he hurriedly bowed respectfully.
Zhao Duan smiled and nodded, signaling him to be patient.
Passing through the guests on both sides, we arrived at the main banquet hall.
At the door, a group of officials were waiting in line.
"Lord Zhao, Princess, Censor Chen... the banquet is ready and awaiting you all."
Gao Lian was in the middle, laughing heartily.
This elegant governor was still wearing his official robe, but he did not wear the black gauze hat. His hair, a mixture of black and white, was neatly styled and fixed with a men's ebony hairpin.
Beside him.
After not seeing each other for a few days, Liu Anchashi, who was obviously tired and looked much older, and Sun Zhifu, who was dark and thin as iron, stood on his left and right with their hands hanging down.
Only after Gao Lian spoke did the officials follow suit and bow.
They are neat and uniform, giving a sense of strict compliance with orders among civil servants.
"Haha, my dear gentlemen, I've been waiting for you for a long time. Come and sit down and talk."
Zhao Duan seemed to be in a good mood and walked into the vacant main seat with a smile.
But as the group walked by, they could clearly sense the barely concealed hostility in the eyes of the officials on both sides.
This sight made Xu Junling, who was dressed in gorgeous and elegant clothes, as noble as a royal branch and jade leaf, feel uncomfortable all over.
It was as if this banquet hall was a den of wolves and dragons, and these officials were going to eat them alive.
This group of people are going to cause trouble... The princess intuitively judged this.
She turned her head and looked at Zhao Duan, but saw that his handsome face looked relaxed and natural.
Strolling in the garden is nothing more than this.
…
Posthouse.
The imperial envoy and his entourage attended the banquet, leaving behind only a group of elite troops on secondment to Linfeng Guard, led by Yuan Xingjun.
The war horses were fed in a special yard. Except for the soldiers on duty, the rest were ordered to rest in the two yards without taking off their armor.
Ready to leave at any time.
"General!"
The soldiers who were resting in the courtyard of the post house suddenly saw Yuan Xingjun coming in. They stood up quickly and instinctively lined up:
"Does the General have any instructions?"
Wearing black fish-scale armor and a straight sword at his waist, Deputy General Lin Feng only carried out orders and rarely asked questions. His eyes were cold.
He scanned the faces of his men and said:
"By order of the Imperial Commissioner... separate... set out immediately... to capture the criminal!"
Not long.
The clerks in the post station were astonished to see that nearly 200 cavalrymen split into teams of five and poured out of the post station like a torrent, rushing towards different directions of the city.
“Da da da…”
The iron cavalry roared like thunder, shaking the dark clouds above the city walls, as if they were about to stir up a storm.
"Sigh..."
Yuan Xingjun rode on the most majestic warhorse with extraordinary bloodline, holding the reins with his left hand and holding the tall flagpole with his right arm, with a majestic momentum, and went towards the city gate to greet them.
Amid the horrified gazes of countless people, only the "Linfeng" flag fluttered in the autumn wind.
And in the dark where no one noticed.
In the streets and alleys, the imperial shadow guards, who looked no different from peddlers, quietly stood up in every corner of the city.
They dispersed and joined separate cavalry teams to lead the way.
"Achieve success in one fell swoop."
Yuan Xingjun carried the flag and rode his horse, looking at the approaching city gate, chewing on what Lord Zhao said, his eyes shining slightly.
…
…
Chrysanthemum Terrace.
The crab feast has officially begun.
The crabs are steamed to perfection, served with a unique local dipping sauce and paired with locally brewed rice wine with a fruity aroma. The taste is indeed different from that in Beijing.
Zhao Duan chatted and laughed with the officials, gentry and wealthy people in the city, and the atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.
During this period, due to the demonization of public opinion, Zhao Yanwang has become an extremely terrifying image in the eyes of many gentry and middle and low-level officials.
However, when we actually met, we realized that it was very different from the rumors.
This "King Zhao" is surprisingly "people-friendly" and not at all as arrogant and domineering as rumored.
As the saying goes, seeing is believing. With just one appearance, Zhao Duan greatly alleviated the instinctive fear of the gentry in the city towards him.
Seeing this, several bigwigs in Linfeng's officialdom became restless.
"Lord Zhao,"
Governor Gao Lian picked up the silk cloth, wiped his hands clean, and cast a sharp, bright gaze at the person sitting in the main seat, saying seriously:
"I'd like to ask how your investigation has progressed these past few days, sir."
Zhao Duan raised his eyes.
The banquet hall suddenly became quiet.
"Taiwanese Governor Gao, what advice do you have?"
(End of this chapter)
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