Chapter 346 Sir, it’s bad, our people have been arrested
"boom!"
In the southern suburbs of the capital, a puff of green smoke emanated from the barrel of the "Test No. 1" artillery, and a thunderous explosion echoed through the mountains and forests. Zhao Duan stood in the crowd, looking up at the yellow smoke floating in the blue sky.
Then, the deafening shouts of thousands of soldiers rang out from all directions.
Zhao Duan scratched his ears with his fingers, turned his head and smiled at Chen Huoshen, the head of the Firearms Bureau of the Shenjiying Camp, and said:
“Good progress.”
Chen Huoshen, an old acquaintance, stroked his beard with a look of satisfaction and said with a smile, "Your Excellency taught me well."
Zhao Duan smacked his lips and found fault:
"Next time, you can add more pigment to the gunpowder so that it will be bright and beautiful when it is set off in the air, like a daytime firework."
All around, the military generals, led by Shi Meng, the commander of the Shenji Camp, looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering where there could be such loud fireworks.
At this moment, everyone was wearing bright armor and had completed the final steps of the Frost Descent Day military exercise. Looking around, the troops from the three major camps of the Beijing Camp filled the fields, with flags fluttering and a strong momentum.
On the highest hill were the military officials of the Privy Council headed by Xue Shence.
With the end of the Frost Descent, middle and low-level generals commanded the soldiers from each battalion to return to the camp in an orderly manner.
At the local level, since there are only a small number of "professional soldiers", those farmers who usually farm and conduct military exercises every spring and autumn will return home to prepare for the harvest after the exercises.
However, the imperial guards in the capital are all elite troops who have been training throughout the year, so this autumn custom has become an occasion for a large-scale military exercise.
The next time will be in early spring next year.
"Don't rush back, Zhao Chenshi. The Privy Councilor is hosting a banquet for all the generals at noon. You must come," said the burly and meticulous Shi Meng with a smile, adding, "It's tradition."
Well, it has become a tradition for the generals to have a meal together after the Frost Descent military exercises every year. Other miscellaneous invitations can be turned down, but Zhao Duan does not refuse invitations of this standard.
So after the drill, the generals from each camp gathered towards Xue Shence. Each general had a war horse. They did not rush back to the city, but slowly fell behind the returning army.
Xue Shence suddenly smiled when he saw Zhao Duan coming over. He said, "General Zhao, long time no see. Would you like to chat alone?"
Eh... what's with your warm tone towards me... Zhao Duan was surprised. He had an average relationship with this "God of War", so he smiled and nodded: "I couldn't ask for more."
So Xue Shence rode his horse away from the team and rushed forward for a while, and Zhao Duan also hurriedly spurred his horse to catch up.
In this way, the two riders left behind dozens of other generals. Seeing this, the generals looked at each other with envy in their eyes:
How could a mere fourth-rank assistant official travel alone with the Privy Councilor on this occasion?
This was extremely rare in the past, but if the "fourth-rank" official was Zhao Duan, nothing would be surprising.
…
In late autumn, the mountains and forests in the suburbs are all yellow and green, and the mountain breeze blowing on your face is invigorating.
“Da da da…”
Zhao Duan and Xue Shence distanced themselves from the generals behind them, slowed down their horses, and rode side by side.
"What advice does Lord Xue have?" Zhao Duan gripped the reins, turned his head to look at the military god of Dayu, and went straight to the point.
Xue Shence did not wear the scarlet robe with a lion embroidered on the chest today. Instead, he wore a full set of Qilin armor, and a black-gold spear hung on the side of his warhorse.
His complexion remained fair, and the short beard under his chin was clearly carefully trimmed. He was startled by his question and seemed to smile, "Envoy Zhao is quite direct in his words."
He did not use the term "Qianshi" but "Shijun".
This clearly shows that the following conversation is not from the perspective of a "superior" to a "subordinate", but a conversation between officials from different government offices and the same dynasty.
"Although Zhao is not in the military much, he also considers himself a military general. He thinks it is better to speak directly." Zhao Duan said with a smile.
The implicit meaning of this statement is:
Although I am favored, I still consider myself a military officer and under your jurisdiction.
Xue Shence suddenly felt satisfied, and his serious face became more wrinkled.
"I'm being a bit roundabout, alright. Your Excellency, have you been keeping an eye on Mr. Zhengyang and the Qingzhou Daoist these days?"
Zhao Duan smiled bitterly and said:
"Of course I have heard of it, but I'm not afraid of being laughed at by Lord Xue. I've only been an official for a short time. In the past six months, I've barely gotten to know most of the officials in the capital. As for people outside the capital, I know very little about them.
For example, Mr. Zhengyang, I only learned about him when I went to Taicang Prefecture on business last time. It is said that when the Xiuwenguan was being planned, Your Majesty considered inviting him out of retirement, but it didn't work out. Even more unexpectedly, a few months later, he came back and caused such a big commotion.
Xue Shen Ce, who was riding on his horse, suddenly said, "It is said that it was Prince Mu of Yunfu who invited us down the mountain."
Prince Mu... is one of the "Eight Princes" who has taken root in Yunfu Dao and is adjacent to the foreign tribes in the southwest. Among the eight princes, his strength ranks among the top three.
The corresponding information flashed through Zhao Duan's mind, and he couldn't hide his surprise: "Is this really true?"
Xue Shence smiled and said:
"Although I'm in the capital, I'm still in charge of a few soldiers. During the military mission, I can also get some news from other places. In particular, Zhao Shixiong leads the Southwestern Frontier Army stationed in Yunfu, guarding the frontier. He usually deals most with the Liao people and local bandits, so the official correspondence is also more frequent."
Zhao Shixiong... Zhao Duan was not unfamiliar with the name of this relative. He had heard it several times and knew that he was a general who guarded a place.
The retired soldier from the Chengdong Charity Hall once served under Zhao Shixiong.
Xue Shence suddenly blurted out, "It is said that Zhao Shixiong and Prince Mu are also very close."
Zhao Duan's expression changed slightly.
This is really heartbreaking.
It is too easy for a border general to touch sensitive nerves when he is involved with the restless royal family.
"Did Lord Xue not tell His Majesty?" Zhao Duan asked.
Xue Shence sighed, "These are just rumors whose truth or falsity is unknown. How can I possibly talk about them with Your Majesty?"
Haha, it's not convenient for you to say it in your position, right? The Privy Council has already revealed a mole colluding with Prince Jing, and as the Privy Councilor, you can't escape blame. If you speak ill of Zhao Shixiong now, you'll inevitably be accused of "stirring up trouble between the emperor and his ministers"...
Zhao Duan sneered, finally understanding Xue Shence's purpose in wanting to talk to him alone.
He undoubtedly wanted to use his own mouth to pass this information to the empress. In this way, there would be a layer of separation in between, and Xue Shence would not be blamed for "concealing the truth" and could also avoid "sowing discord" in person.
But... this matter is really a bit tricky.
Mr. Zhengyang led his students to Beijing with great force. Although they have not taken any extraordinary actions so far, anyone with a discerning eye realizes that this is not a good thing.
Now that I know it was Prince Mu who invited me to come down the mountain, this targeting is even stronger. Thinking deeper, Zhengyang rejected the imperial court's invitation at the beginning, but now he accepted Prince Mu's invitation...
Haha, the implication of taking sides is too obvious.
"Is that so?" Zhao Duan said "oh" and nothing else.
Xue Shence didn't say much about this issue. They were all smart people. He had already delivered the message, and he believed that Zhao Duan would pass the information on.
In the late autumn forest, two horses walked side by side. It was quiet for a while, with only the sound of horse hooves and birds flying in the distant forest.
"As for the two people coming from Qingzhou, could Lord Xue give us some advice?" Zhao Duan remembered that the other party had just mentioned this and might have something to say.
Xue Shence laughed and said, "Didn't you investigate?"
Zhao Duan was not embarrassed and said frankly:
"The son of King Heng of Qingzhou, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Xu Zudi... Hey, what a nice name. Did he say he was visiting the capital this time to visit relatives?
As for Xiao Dong'er, the current head of the Xiao family, who actually manages a large clan in Qingzhou and manages numerous merchant caravans, she is also said to be a remarkable woman. It seems she came to the capital this time for the opening of the Huting Market.
Compared to Mr. Zhengyang, who appears to be very powerful.
The two people who came from Qingzhou actually attracted Zhao Duan's attention.
Of course, he would not be stupid enough to believe that the Prince of Heng was really here to relax and have fun. After thinking about it, one of his purposes must be the same as Xu Junling's, which was to explore the inside story of the capital.
However, Prince Huai'an only sent his daughter to investigate, but Prince Heng was bold enough and directly sent his son over.
As for the female head of the "Donghu Xiao Family", a big family in Qingzhou, she is even more legendary. It is said that she was unknown at first and was just the wife of the new head of the Xiao family.
Later, the head of the family died unexpectedly, leaving behind only a two-year-old child. Seeing that the main line of the Xiao family was difficult to maintain and power was falling into someone else's hands, this widowed woman suddenly used her cunning tactics to defeat the second and third wives who were trying to seize power...
At the same time, it was also revealed that before her husband's death, she had already been managing the tribe's caravan business for him and held real power...
Later, as a woman, she took on the position of the helmsman of the family, becoming an extremely rare "female head of the family" and also earned the reputation of being the richest "widow" in the Dayu Dynasty.
However, after the two men entered Beijing, there was no movement for the time being, and Zhao Duan was still unsure of their complete intentions.
"The Xiao family of Donghu is also a century-old family with a rich history," Xue Shence sighed before saying:
"However, there's no room for two tigers in one mountain. In the Great Yu Dynasty, with the exception of the Huai River, the greater the power of the royal family, the smaller the local gentry will naturally be. Madam Xiao, a mere woman, is able to maintain the family's existence. She's truly no simple figure."
Zhao Duan looked at him in surprise. These words contained a lot of information.
It seems like nothing was said, but it also seems like a lot was said.
Zhao Duan thought for a moment, took out two still warm sweet potatoes from his arms, handed one to Xue Shence, and said with a smile:
"My sister cooked this this morning. Would you like to taste it?"
Show goodwill first, then obtain information.
Xue Shence was stunned for a moment, and looked at Zhao, who was smiling brightly, with a strange expression. He reached out his hand, grabbed a sweet potato, and peeled it together with Zhao Duan, revealing the warm, golden "sweet potato flesh" inside that was emitting a faint heat. He took a bite and felt its sweetness.
Eating sweet potatoes in the air-conditioned suburbs in late autumn has a unique flavor.
The two of them ate their sweet potatoes in silence. Xue Shence swallowed his food and continued, "As for Xu Zudi, do you know who he was visiting?"
"Isn't it Your Majesty?" Zhao Duan asked, blowing hot air.
Xue Shence said calmly, "Prince Heng and the Grand Princess share the same mother, so Xu Zudi was closest to the Grand Princess from a young age."
Huh? This guy and that bitch Yunyang are aunt and nephew?
Zhao Duan was stunned. This was something he didn't know.
Xue Shence pinched the sweet potato, looked at him with a half-smile, and said:
"Since arriving in Beijing, Xu Zudi has been staying put, but last night, he went to the Prince Consort's residence and met with Princess Yunyang's son, Li Lang. Lord Zhao, you must be careful these days."
Zhao Duan personally sent Princess Yunyang to Jizhao Temple for house arrest, and even beat Li Lang in Lihua Hall and threw him into the imperial prison.
This hatred was originally suppressed by Xu Zhenguan, but now, when Xu Zudi entered the capital, he learned that his aunt and cousin had been dealt with by Zhao Duan. How could he bear it?
Zhao Duan stuffed the last bite of sweet potato into his mouth and remained silent.
Just at this moment.
Suddenly, a horseman came galloping from the distance ahead, his horse's hooves hitting the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
The man on horseback was wearing brocade clothes. He was Hou Renmeng, one of the "Four Pear Blossoms" in Pear Blossom Hall.
Lao Hou rode his horse close to the front, suddenly pulled the reins, turned over and dismounted, galloped to the front, his face anxious:
"Sir, this is bad, our people have been captured!"
(End of this chapter)
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