Chapter 364: I Request to Go to War (5,000 words)
Since ancient times, the words of emperors have been golden. Xu Zhenguan's seemingly joking words are not a joke.
When the news that "His Majesty will stay in the mansion tonight" spread, the mother and daughter who had run to the yard for the second time to seek quiet time were stunned.
At first, I was stunned, and then I was nervous, panicked, and a little bit...uneasy.
"This is completely unprepared. Even if the principal room is vacant temporarily, I don't know if Your Majesty can stay there..."
As the mistress, Eugene Hua was in a dilemma.
Logically speaking, when the emperor stays, he must stay in the most honorable room in the palace according to etiquette, which is the master's bedroom, but this is not appropriate.
As for the guest rooms, the Zhao family naturally has more than one, but how could Your Majesty stay in a guest room?
"No need to go through so much trouble. I can just stay in Zhao Qing's courtyard for a while." Xu Zhenguan gave his decision with a smile.
This statement once again shocked the mother and daughter. They looked at each other with some strange speculation in their eyes.
"Ahem, there are two rooms in my yard. Find some clean bedding and send it over." Zhao Duan came to the rescue.
His attitude in front of the empress was habitually pompous and humble, which was a dog-licking attitude to the outside world, but in fact, the emperor and his subjects knew very well that this was not the truth.
How could Lord Zhao, who is very capable in handling affairs outside, really be so spineless in front of a beautiful woman?
How could a dignified empress not notice the slightest trace of performance from her ministers?
Adults see things but don't say them out loud. Many times, the interaction between two people is just based on a tacit understanding.
Just as the empress said she wanted to stay, it was undoubtedly ambiguous, but Zhao Duan became much more serious and made proper arrangements, and he didn't even imagine any sex scenes.
…
Soon, the room was cleaned and Xu Zhenguan also went to the courtyard where Zhao Duan was, which was separated by a hanging flower gate.
"Your Majesty," Zhao Duan held a lantern and knocked on the antique door.
Seeing the White-robed Empress standing in her bedroom, she looked with interest at the pile of papers on her desk where she had practiced calligraphy and drawing in her spare time:
"The room next door has been cleaned up. Well, if you want to take a bath, I'll have the servants bring the tub over there."
Xu Zhenguan automatically ignored the second half of his suggestion about bathing. With her delicate fingers, she picked up the paper on the table and read the words written on it in black and white, such as:
The lines like "I sat up in shock from my dying illness, and continued to talk and laugh for another year", "Although the old woman's strength has declined, the waves shook the Yueyang City", "I looked up to the sky and laughed out loud, no one knew it was the lychees coming"... his expression was extremely strange.
She could see that these were all quite good sentences when taken individually, but when put together they looked completely out of place.
When she saw the two lines of the poem "I and the general took off our battle robes, and spent the spring night in the warm hibiscus tent", she turned her head with a bad look and said lightly:
"Is this Zhao Qing's new work?"
Danger... Danger... Danger...
Zhao Duan took a deep breath, walked over with a smile, and said calmly:
"It's just that I made some random sketches while practicing calligraphy. Your Majesty, please forgive me for making fun of you."
Having said that, he quickly put away the weird poems and pretended nothing had happened.
"snort."
Xu Zhenguan was in a good mood today and was too lazy to argue with him, a meritorious official, so he didn't say anything.
Zhao Duan quietly packed up the four treasures of the study and said:
"If word gets out that your Majesty didn't return home at night, people outside will spread the news."
Xu Zhenguan said indifferently:
"If I cared about some gossip, I would have been unable to sit on the throne long ago."
After a pause, she smiled and said, "Besides, do you still care about some rumors?"
Zhao Duan smiled bitterly. Why did the Empress deliberately stay at the Zhao family tonight? Was it really because she was worried that Prajna would make a surprise attack?
Maybe that’s a factor, but that’s not the core reason.
In his opinion, Zhenbao was doing it on purpose for show.
It is conceivable that as soon as tonight is over, the rumors about Zhao Duan's "face-to-face lover" in the capital tomorrow will be solidified once again. In the past, the real powerful officials did not believe in his identity as a face-to-face lover at all, knowing that it was fake.
The Empress's stay tonight is sending a very important signal:
Zhao Duan was indeed on the waiting list for the empress's future husband.
This signal is very important, very important.
After all, the Empress has more than one favorite... Mo Zhaorong is also a favorite, and so is Sun Lianying... Otherwise, do you really think that a supervisor of the White Horse Prison can summon people from the Tianshi Mansion and the Shenlong Temple at will?
In fact, Sun Lianying is the "window" representing the empress to communicate with the two major spiritual forces.
Therefore, whether he is a favorite or a popular person, he is not the only one.
But the concubine is different.
Since Xu Zhenguan ascended the throne, he has never had any relationship with any man, Zhao Duan is the only one.
If the empress could finally secure the throne, she would definitely have to have her own bloodline offspring to continue the lineage, although from a legal perspective, it would still be more appropriate to adopt a child from a branch of the royal family.
But...what if?
Things in this world are always unpredictable. If Zhao Duan really becomes the "Empress's Consort" in the future and has children with the Empress, his status will suddenly become "relative by marriage"...
Although it is far away, people can't help but make associations.
In short, this will further increase the weight of Zhao Duan and even the entire Zhao family in the Dayu Dynasty.
It is not an overt promotion or reward, but this invisible "reward" will undoubtedly increase Zhao Duan's power.
"Let's talk about what happened today."
Xu Zhenguan broke the silence and said seriously:
"From today on, you will also become an enemy of King Mu."
"And King Heng, Xu Zudi probably holds a grudge against me." Zhao Duan smiled.
"Is it because of Princess Yunyang? Or because of the conflict between you and him?" Xu Zhenguan was curious.
Zhao Duan shook his head and said seriously: "Because of the Xiao family."
?
The empress was stunned.
Zhao Duan then calmly told him about Madam Xiao's secret surrender to him.
Xu Zhenguan had just learned about this. His eyes lit up and he raised his eyebrows:
"So you told her that you wanted her to attend the subsequent Lake Pavilion meeting? And gave the Xiao family the status of Imperial Merchant?"
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"I don't have the power to make a decision with just one word. I can only make empty promises. It depends on your Majesty's opinion."
Xu Zhenguan pondered:
"What do you want to do? Wait, you arranged for her to go to Huting... Hey, do you agree to go there?"
During our last night talk, Xu Zhenguan had mentioned that the imperial court would soon "open for business" and the location would be set at Huting.
Such a major event requires a person of sufficient weight to represent the empress and play a supervisory role to prevent the lower-level government offices from messing around.
"I have been thinking about it recently. Since I was the one who planned the new policy and opened the market, I know it best. It is indeed my responsibility to carry this burden on my shoulders." Zhao Duan said righteously.
Muttering in my heart:
Even if it's just to get the magical item "Black Turtle Seal", I will go there.
The magical weapon that even Emperor Taizu could not obtain must be extremely precious.
The "Smoke-locked Lake" is hidden in the lake pavilion. Since Zhao Duan got the clue from the Guhuo Zhenren, there is no reason not to take it.
Xu Zhenguan stared at his face with a faint smile, feeling a little surprised and dazed.
After a moment, the White-robed Empress said seriously:
"Prince Jing is not far away from the market this time. He is likely to go there in person and try to obstruct it."
The implication is that Prince Jing and Zhao Duan have a deep hatred, and this trip is dangerous.
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"I have been in spiritual contact with Prince Jing for a long time, and I really want to witness his brilliance. As for the danger, didn't His Majesty say that if a cultivator wants to become truly powerful, he must leave his comfort zone and face the trials and tribulations? I feel that in a few days, I should be able to enter the middle level of the Divine Chapter."
However, a mid-level Divine Chapter was still vulnerable to a powerful warrior in the Jianghu… Xu Zhenguan looked at him quietly and said:
"Are you serious? Have you thought about it?"
"I've thought it through."
"……good."
Xu Zhenguan's eyes were complicated. He uttered the word "good" and suddenly smiled:
"Since you are so courageous, how could I really let you go alone? Hai Gongsheng can go with you."
Lao Hai is coming too? Zhao Duan's eyes lit up.
Xu Zhenguan continued, "It's not just him. Follow me."
As she spoke, she suddenly reached out and grabbed Zhao Duan's wrist.
Before the latter could come to his senses, he only felt a flash before his eyes, and disappeared from the room, and appeared in the night sky of the capital.
The night breeze is blowing.
Zhao Duan appeared out of nowhere in the sky, with a fairy-like female emperor beside him.
There was a wind swirling under the feet of the two men, lifting them up.
Ride the wind!
Is there such a spell in the Martial God Path? Zhao Duan was surprised: "Your Majesty, you want to..."
"Shut up."
Xu Zhenguan identified the direction, pulled his loyal lackey, and rolled up a strong wind barrier around his figure. Suddenly, he rushed out like a cannonball and rushed towards the north of the city like a meteor.
How fast is a strong man in the realm of heaven and man?
Zhao Duan felt it clearly, and before long, he looked down and saw himself crossing the city wall and arriving above the "Hou Lake" in the north of the city.
This was not his first time here. The last time he came here was with Mochou to inspect the "Yellow Book Library".
Under the cover of night, the entire Houhu Lake was very quiet, with only sporadic lights on the five islands in the center.
“Clatter…”
The empress pulled Zhao Duan down and hovered over the lake. The strong wind caused by the landing rolled up layers of waves.
Accompanied by a powerful aura of the heavenly realm, it spread in all directions with the two of them as the center.
“Clatter…”
The sound of water suddenly became intense. The entire Houhu Lake was pitch black in the night. Only with the help of the stars and the moon above could one see the scenery and the ripples on the water.
Zhao Duan caught a glimpse of the lake water in the distance bulging into large lumps, and then breaking apart.
A sudden realization dawned on him: "Your Majesty, are you looking for the lake god and the strange man on the island?"
The last time he came here, he learned that there was a "lake god" hidden under the Houhu Lake, and there was a crazy man in the two-story gray building on the island. He was a prisoner guarding the Houhu Yellow Book Library.
However, the Yellow Book Library had lost most of its meaning now, and these two royal guards were almost forgotten by him.
"boom!"
The water surface in the distance suddenly exploded, and in the moonlight, the figure of a woman covered in wet clothes rose from the bottom of the lake.
Her long, wet hair was loose, her face was bloodless, her eyes were pure white and her pupils were invisible. Under her blood-red clothes, her hands and feet were bound with dark black shackles.
The long chain seemed to have no end, extending into the cold lake water.
The white-eyed woman known as the "Goddess of Houhu Lake" came rolling in the waves. She did not swim, but almost glided on the water.
“Woof woof woof…”
Suddenly, there was fierce barking of dogs from the distant island. Zhao Duan looked over and saw a man walking on the waves under the moonlight, carrying a huge green gourd on his back!
He was dressed shabbily, wearing only a single layer of clothing, and his long black hair covered one eye and half of his face.
The man had a knife tied loosely around his waist. In the blink of an eye, he was rushing over the water, almost making a sound of breaking through the air.
Xu Zhenguan and Zhao Duan stood in mid-air, looking down at the man and woman who were prostrating themselves on the water.
"His Majesty……"
Xu Zhenguan looked down at the two powerful men who were obviously very skilled in cultivation and explained to Zhao Duan:
"This sorcerer is called Jiyue, specializing in water spirits, and is from the East China Sea. This swordsman is called Lang Shiba, a warrior from the North."
Ji Yue... Lang Shiba... What weird names...
Zhao Duan complained, blinking his eyes: "Your Majesty, are you sending them to protect me?"
Xu Zhen looked at the sorcerers and warriors kneeling in the water and said indifferently:
"If anything happened to him, you two wouldn't have to live."
The shoulders of the white-eyed sorceress Jiyue and the northern swordsman Lang Shiba trembled slightly, bearing the overwhelming pressure of the Heavenly Realm.
"I obey your order!"
…
Tianshi Mansion.
In the small courtyard where a big banyan tree was planted, Jin Jian walked in with brisk steps, humming an unknown tune.
He said happily, "Master, I heard something new. That Zhengyang actually took Zhao Duan as his master."
Jin Jian realized it belatedly and did not wait for the follow-up question as she wished. She pushed her glasses on the bridge of her nose and saw the old Taoist priest writing a letter under the banyan tree.
"Hey, Master, who are you writing to?" Jin Jian was greatly surprised. He sneaked over to take a look, but only caught a glimpse of the name revealed when the letter was closed:
"Ah, for the eldest brother?"
Zhang Yan, who was tall and had narrow features, smiled and said, "Yes."
The eldest brother of the Tianshi Mansion, known as the "Little Tianshi", has been wandering in the human world for many years and rarely returns to Beijing.
He is also a strong candidate to be the next Heavenly Master. It is said that he has unfathomable cultivation and has already entered the worldly realm of great perfection. He is desperately searching for an opportunity to advance to the celestial realm.
He is a first-rate strongman below the four celestial beings.
"Is there anything you need from Senior Brother?" Jin Jian asked.
Zhang Yanyi smiled but did not answer. He just threw the letter away and it floated into the night sky.
Immediately, he was grabbed by a large green hand descending from the sky and disappeared without a trace.
"It's better to be prepared."
…
…
Jiancheng Road, Prince Jing's Mansion.
On the same night, in the palace courtyard, which was extremely vast and majestic, countless secret guards were hiding and guarding it in secret.
Prince Jing, who has an elegant appearance and has three circles of 108 extremely rare Bodhi beads wrapped around his arms, looks up at the moon.
He looks like he is in his forties, but his graying temples reveal that he is a little older than he looks.
He has a handsome face and outstanding demeanor.
Suddenly, a noble young man came hurriedly from a distance. He looked seven points similar to Prince Jing, and his whole body was filled with the noble air that came from a wealth of wealth. It was Prince Jing's eldest son Xu Jinglong.
It was also during the reign of the old emperor that the Crown Prince went to the capital to propose marriage and tried to marry the third princess Xu Zhenguan but failed.
"Father, the news has been confirmed. The court has set a date. The market will be opened in Huting next month and merchants and nobles are invited to attend." Xu Jinglong said respectfully.
Prince Jing Xu Wen withdrew his gaze from the bright moon in the sky and said calmly:
"What do the others say?"
The Crown Prince Xu Jinglong reported:
"Except for Prince Huai'an, everyone has agreed to send their trusted confidants to Huting. When the market opens this time, they will obey your orders and advance and retreat together with you, my father."
"Hmph, fence-sitter." Prince Jing snorted, but he was not surprised. He said:
"They only said they would send trusted people? What about Yunfu?"
Xu Jinglong said, "Prince Mu's palace said the journey is long and difficult."
"It's obvious that you don't want to be the first to stand out," Xu Wen sneered, but he didn't care.
"Forget it. Mr. Zhengyang has already arrived in the capital. Even if we can't accomplish anything big, we can at least create momentum. This will give us more leverage for the upcoming meeting at Lake Pavilion."
Xu Jinglong smiled and said:
"If my father goes to Huting in person this time, he will surely be victorious. However, I wonder who my sister will send to monitor the situation. If she is willing to send Zhao Duan, that would be the best."
Prince Jing glanced at his son and said, "You seem to care about him a lot."
The Crown Prince Xu Jinglong had a sinister look in his eyes:
"Father knows about this. If it weren't inappropriate, I would have gone to the capital to meet this pretty boy. Besides, the intelligence says that this guy has repeatedly ruined our plans. He truly deserves death."
Prince Jing laughed heartily and said, "I'm afraid this man doesn't have the courage to leave the capital."
He waved his hand and sent the prince away.
After everyone left, a beautiful woman slowly emerged from the darkness. She was wearing the clothes of a princess, but her face was covered with an ancient and mysterious silver mask.
Princess Jing asked, "Are you sure you want to go to the lake pavilion?"
Xu Wen nodded, looked at his nominal princess, but in reality, the powerful sorcerer who was protecting him, and said, "You must also go with me."
Princess Jing was not surprised, but a little lazy:
"Are you still afraid of being assassinated?"
Xu Wen shook his head and said calmly:
"This king may want you to kill someone."
Princess Jing, who was wearing a silver mask and was actually a sorcerer from the Pei Niannu lineage passed down six hundred years ago, sighed softly, turned around and left without saying anything.
She had no intention of getting involved in the fighting and intrigues among the royal family, but she still needed to rely on Xu Wen.
Xu Wen's cheek twitched, and he said in a deep voice:
"This king said that he would find Pei Niannu's mantle."
Princess Jing did not respond and disappeared in the palace.
Xu Wen's face was gloomy, and he clenched his fists slightly with a sneer on his face:
"When I find the mantle of the former foremost sorceress, I will make you my slave."
He knew that as long as he mastered the inheritance, he could make this silver-armored sorceress submit to him as her servant.
…
Huai River Road, Huai'an Palace.
Princess Xu Junling led her maid and walked along the corridor to the outside of the study in the mansion.
She took the tray from the maid and said softly to the brightly lit study:
"Father, the lotus seed soup is ready."
Then she pushed the door open and walked in, her bright eyes looking at her father who was a well-built man behind the table, wearing silk clothes, with six rings on his ten fingers, always smiling, but able to gain a foothold in the Huai River Road where many noble families lived.
That is the famous "political fence-sitter" King Huai'an.
"Haha, it's still my daughter who knows how to care for others. Unlike your brother who is so heartless." King Huai'an said with a smile.
Xu Junling chuckled and walked over obediently with a sweet smile:
"Brother, you're going to do something big. Hey, is the opening agenda set?"
She glanced at the paperwork on the desk.
Prince Huai'an said "Hmm" and sighed, "I'm going to have a headache."
The imperial court was originally located on the edge of the Huai River, and he, the King of Huai'an, became one of the factors that most affected the effectiveness of the imperial court's opening of the market.
Xu Junling's beautiful eyes flashed, and she wondered who the court would send this time. Would it be him?
…
…
Capital, Zhao family.
Zhao Pan sneakily opened the door and walked in. Eugene Hua, who was waiting in the room, asked nervously:
"How's it going? Did you hear any noise in your brother's yard?"
Zhao Pan, who was assigned by his mother to eavesdrop on the wall, looked unhappy. He shook his head and said:
"No. There's no sound at all."
Eugene Hua heaved a long sigh of relief, patted her chest, and smiled as if relieved:
"It seems like it's just a place to stay, nothing else."
Zhao Pan said with a dull expression:
"I heard that powerful monks are able to set up soundproof barriers. The courtyard was eerily quiet, without even the sound of insects."
Eugene Hua: “…”
Zhao Pan: “…”
——
A 5,000-word chapter. I need to sort out the details of the follow-up tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)
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