Chapter 326: Lord Zhao, the Imperial Master ordered me to greet you (asking for guaranteed monthly tickets)
"Ahem,"
Seeing that he was beginning to lose focus, Xu Zhenguan cleared his throat and brought Zhao Duan back to his senses.
The voice was cold and clear:
"As for the Dream Devouring Technique, there's no need for you all to worry too much. With your will, even if we're invaded, we can still resist it.
Moreover, to perform this technique, the distance must be very close. You must either have extraordinary cultivation or be protected by magic weapons. There must be guards accompanying you at all times to take care of each other. As long as you are careful and vigilant, it will not be difficult to resist.
After all, that demon isn't good at fighting; direct confrontation is his weakness. As for using words to seduce people, he should be careful and avoid talking to strangers.
That was just consolation... Even if everyone present had a way to resist, the capital has a population of a million and so many officials, if something happened to the mid-level and low-level officials, it would be very troublesome...
Zhao Duan pondered and felt that the empress's arrangements must be more than just this.
As expected, Xu Zhenguan continued:
"This person, Guhui Yaodao, is extremely vindictive and has a high-profile style of doing things. Even when he faces an enemy, he is often only willing to find someone he respects as an opponent.
Therefore, I feel that since he has publicly announced his return, he will not hide away and engage in such despicable activities that disrupt the court."
Yuan Li looked at the last three people who entered the hall, thinking:
"Your Majesty, what you're saying is... if he comes back to seek revenge, he might have already locked onto his target?"
Xu Zhenguan nodded slightly, looked up at the three people, and said nothing.
But the meaning seems to be extremely clear.
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment and once again shifted his attention to them.
After quietly listening to the conversation between the emperor and his ministers, three people of different identities who were suddenly summoned to this small court meeting stood up and walked out at the same time.
The deputy general of Qianniu Guard had sharp eyes.
The alchemy priest of Tianshi Mansion frowned.
The skinny old man Kong, a Hanlin scholar, seemed to have understood something.
Xu Zhenguan looked down at the three of them and said cautiously:
"The three of you all had grudges against that demon in the past. In my opinion, it is very likely that the demon will return to the capital and cause trouble for you.
Therefore, I summoned you here, firstly to ensure your preparation, and secondly, I will send experts to secretly protect you, and if the demon appears, they will be captured."
The three of them looked at each other, and there was no surprise at all, as if they had expected it.
The deputy general of the imperial guards and Kong Hanlin bowed in thanks, their expressions solemn.
As for the priest with the blue alchemy furnace pattern embroidered on his chest, he looked arrogant and bowed his head, saying:
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty, but it is not necessary. If I were in the Heavenly Master's Mansion, I don't think that demon would dare to set foot inside!"
However, now that this person has returned, I hope he can come to me. In the next few days, I will be walking outside the Tianshi Mansion more often. If I meet this person, what would it matter if I fight with him?
Life and death are determined by fate. Haha, I was not able to fight this demon in the past, which is a pity. Now I have the opportunity to eradicate the demon and defend the way. I have no choice but to do it.
He looked as if he didn't need the court's protection and could do it on his own.
...No, old priest, you don't understand anything at all. "Protect" is a euphemism. Using you guys to fish is the real thing... Zhao Duan complained in his heart.
But it's not surprising.
The priests of the alchemy school have always been arrogant, and with the support of Zhang Tianshi, they are naturally confident.
Xu Zhenguan was not surprised and nodded slightly as a token of appreciation.
Then, she instructed the other officials of the imperial party to keep the matter low-key after returning and to be vigilant to each other to prevent anyone from being misled and causing trouble.
As for Ma Yan, he naturally received the task of hunting down and arresting the evil Taoist priests.
The whole process was orderly. At the end, the small court meeting dispersed, and Zhao Duan was named by the empress to stay until the end.
"Your Majesty, do you have any instructions?" Zhao Duan blinked his innocent big eyes.
Xu Zhen watched him for a while and said:
"Although you have never met that demon Taoist and have no connection with him, he is ultimately a member of Jian Wen's rebel faction. I'm afraid that he will get involved with the Kuangfu Society after his return..."
The implication is: We cannot rule out the possibility that the Imperial Master will cause trouble for Zhao Duan.
"I am a thorn in the side of the rebels. If I were to be targeted, it would be very troublesome. If Your Majesty does not abandon me, I am willing to move into the palace for a while to avoid being harmed by the evil spirits!"
Zhao Duan first said this seriously with a frown, then his eyes turned sincerely, revealing his true intention.
"..." Xu Zhenguan's eyelashes trembled, his chest heaved slightly, and he turned around and said unhappily:
"Get out."
"Okay."
Zhao Duan followed suit and turned away.
Just as he was about to step out of the door, he heard the cold voice of the Empress behind him:
"If you really encounter this person, you can try meditating on the 'Six Chapters Sutra' to break this path."
Eh, is there still this function for visualizing the paintings left by Old Xu... But I don't want to break the situation now. I kind of want to try the taste of swallowing dreams... Zhao Duan was surprised and smiled:
"Yes, Your Majesty."
…
After walking out of the palace, Zhao Duan walked out quickly. When he arrived at the palace square, he saw Ma Yan waiting for him there.
"Let's go together."
Ma Yan glanced at him, without asking what the empress had said to him, turned around and led the way towards the Meridian Gate.
Zhao Duan followed beside his cheap senior brother. In his sight was a spacious square, and behind him were hundreds of steps with white jade railings.
The autumn wind swept across the square, as if one could smell the bloody odor of the coup that year.
"Brother, will that demon take the bait? I mean, will he risk causing trouble for those three? Since he was able to deceive the late emperor and thrive in the capital, he's definitely not a foolish and reckless person."
Zhao Duan thought about it and hinted at it.
Ma Yan didn't look at him, but walked ahead without blinking, saying:
"That's because you don't know this person well enough. With this demon's temperament, it's not surprising that he would do such a daring thing. Haha, if you think about it, you should know. If this person wasn't brave enough, how could he have dared to deceive people in front of the Tianshi Mansion in the capital with his evil body?"
The key is that he pretended to be... Zhao Duan added silently in his heart.
In his opinion, many people at that time probably guessed that this person was not cultivating a true god.
But this world is never black and white, with good and evil as opposites.
The late emperor could pretend to be ignorant in order to prolong his life, and others could pretend not to see it out of consideration for the royal family.
Zhao Duan asked curiously, "So, what grudge do these three have against the demon?"
Ma Yan explained:
"Kong Hanlin is a scholar of the old school. In the past, the late emperor appointed him as the Imperial Preceptor. Kong Hanlin believed this order violated etiquette and law, so he repeatedly submitted petitions to oppose it. This earned him hostility from the demonic sects. However, the late emperor, mindful of the Hanlin Academy's noble status and the support of people like Grand Tutor Dong, only suppressed him a few times."
"That alchemy priest... well, he's from your family, surnamed Zhao. In the past, Priest Zhao openly questioned the Imperial Master's claims of being a demonic cultivator, alleging that his techniques were fake... It caused quite a stir, earning the demonic cultivator jealousy. But thanks to Tianshi Zhang's presence, the matter ultimately came to nothing."
Ah... he is the priest who publicly exposed the fake back then... Zhao Duan suddenly realized.
Ma Yan continued, "As for the deputy commander of the Qianniu Guard... on the day of the coup, it was he who chopped off the demon's head amidst the chaos."
Zhao Duan: ...
Okay, this grudge is indeed very real.
Zhao Duan blinked and asked curiously, "So, who was this person in the palace back then..."
Ma Yan glanced at him, heard the hidden meaning, sighed, and explained:
“The death of the late emperor should not have been directly related to him. After all, there are many experts in the palace who would not tolerate him doing evil. As for whether he was indirectly related, it is hard to say. It has become an unsolved case.
There is a more important explanation: Your Majesty once suspected that when the Second Prince Jianwen led his troops into the palace and attempted a coup, he might have been bewitched by this person."
Ah... Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, but he was confused.
The Empress just said clearly that the Martial God visualization can break the dream, so it should have a certain resistance to bewitching.
Even if he didn't, Xu Jianwen had some cultivation back then, and he was surrounded by masters and magic weapons, so there was no reason for him to be taken advantage of by the evildoer.
However, this is indeed hard to say.
Perhaps only by capturing the former national teacher can we learn the truth.
Throughout the dynasties, there have always been many secrets and conspiracy theories involving the royal family, and Zhao Duan has seen a lot of them.
…
With heavy hearts, the two men walked out of the Meridian Gate and rode out of the imperial city again.
After all this trouble, it was almost noon when Ma Yan came out, and he had to go back to the yamen to arrange the investigation.
Seeing that it was time for dinner, Zhao Duan did not return with him, but decided to have a meal first.
The world is big, but eating is the most important thing.
After riding around on horseback, they arrived at the busiest restaurant street in the capital. Zhao Duan entered a restaurant that had a hot pot sign hanging on it.
The hot pot of the Dayu Dynasty was a standard copper hot pot, which was only popular in autumn and winter.
Every year after the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the weather is cool enough, copper pots will be set up in restaurants across the city.
Zhao Duan walked upstairs. Since he often came here to drink with his colleagues, the waiter already knew this important man and immediately welcomed him into a private room reserved for the powerful and wealthy.
In a moment, a copper hot pot was lit with red charcoal fire, and plates of freshly cut lamb and side dishes filled the table.
"How does that saying go? Eating pickles is like eating tofu..."
Zhao Duan declined the service of the restaurant waiter, and holding the long chopsticks, he personally dipped the vegetables and meat into the boiling milky white soup. He then held a piece of tender white tofu on the plate in the palm of his hand, cut it into small pieces with a knife, and poured it into the pot.
Outside the window is a bustling street scene with hawkers’ cries and the hustle and bustle of people.
There is boiling water and a pot of warm wine upstairs.
After cutting the tofu, Zhao Duan picked up a salt-boiled peanut and put it into his mouth, chewing it silently.
He picked up the wine cup and took a sip, thinking about the matter of bewitching the evil spirit.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the box door.
"Come in." Zhao Duan thought it was a waiter delivering food, but when the door opened, an ordinary middle-aged man walked in.
"You must have taken the wrong path." Zhao Duan said.
This middle-aged man, who was of medium build and ordinary appearance, wore a melon-shaped hat and a silk jacket, and looked like a businessman. He closed the door with his backhand.
He immediately turned around and looked at Zhao Duan as if to confirm, and said, "Is it Zhao Shijun, the White Horse Supervisor?"
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Who are you from?"
He habitually thought that it was another servant from the family of some important figure in the capital, perhaps also having a drink in the building and wanting to pay a visit.
But instead of coming in person, he just sent a servant, which was a bit ignorant.
The middle-aged man seemed to smile when he heard this, and actually walked straight to the table and sat down in the empty seat opposite the hot pot. He raised his hand to take off the melon-shaped hat on his head, with a warm and polite smile on his face.
He was clearly a businessman, and his manners and demeanor reminded Zhao Duan of the old-fashioned European gentlemen in silk robes and vests he had seen in British dramas in his previous life.
"I have long admired the name of Envoy Zhao. I hope you will not be offended by my presumptuous visit."
The middle-aged man's bloodshot yet enchanting eyes revealed a smile:
"The Imperial Master of the Great Yu Dynasty ordered me to greet you."
…
…
Imperial Court.
Ma Yan rode alone back to the Governor's Hall.
After stepping in, I saw that only two police officers were left, still waiting there, and the rest had disappeared.
"Dugong!"
The two of them hurriedly stood up and saluted.
Ma Yan nodded, then frowned and asked, "Where are the others?"
One person explained, "We've all gone to check on 'that person' as you instructed."
No one seemed to know what to call the Imperial Master who had caused great chaos and had mysteriously come back to life.
Ma Yan nodded and said without holding out hope: "Did you find anything?"
"Not yet." They both said at the same time.
Ma Yan was not surprised at all. Although the demon was bold and arrogant and dared to bring disaster to the country with his evil body, he was by no means a fool.
How could there be any obvious clues left?
He was about to speak when he ordered people to gather to discuss the follow-up, to set up defenses among the people and places that the Imperial Master might come into contact with, and to wait and see.
Suddenly, a figure hurriedly walked in from outside the hall.
"Dugong, there's a discovery!"
Haitang said loudly, attracting everyone's attention.
Without waiting for questions, he quickly explained:
"My people started by looking into the origin of the paper the post was made of, and traced the shop that sold it, and then tracked down a Taoist priest wearing patched clothes from outside, who might be that person.
We then tracked him down to a clothing store. Our men didn't alert the enemy and kept a close watch. We didn't see the monk, but we did find the owner of the clothing store acting suspiciously. He had gone out a while ago, and his men were secretly following him.
Ma Yan's eyes were sharp, and without any hesitation, he immediately grabbed the long knife:
"Take me there! Now! Right now!"
…
…
"Master Dayu ordered me to greet you."
In the restaurant, in the private room.
The two sat opposite each other, and the copper hot pot on the table created waves of heat.
Zhao Duan's pupils suddenly narrowed, and the muscles under his clothes tensed, ready to guard against any attack.
The Great Yu Imperial Master?!
That bewitching demon?
Zhao Duan couldn't help but feel surprised, accompanied by a strong sense of vigilance.
Zhenbao's last name isn't Xu, it should be Cao, right? Just as I said that, he's already here? Such a bad mouth...
Oh, I'm also a jinx, but good things happened... Hey, she and I are both jinxes... We're the same...
Zhao Duan forcibly cut off his inappropriate complaints, his mind racing with thoughts, but his face remained calm, even deliberately revealing a sneer and disdain:
"Heh, I just submitted the invitation this morning, and someone's already showing up. You're really impatient. Are you a subordinate of that evil Taoist? Or a rebel from the Kuangfu Society? Or both?"
He put down the wine cup in his hand and sneered:
"What kind of gutter rat dares to confront me?"
The middle-aged man looked normal and polite:
"Master Zhao, why are you so angry? I'm the current acting head of the Kuangfu Society's capital branch. While this identity isn't glorious, I think I'm qualified to speak with you... Besides, why don't you listen to what I have to say first?"
(End of this chapter)
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