Chapter 365: The Prince Blocks the Road, the Dragon Flag of the Warship
No words were spoken that night.
The next morning, when the roosters crowed, the sound of washing could be heard from the courtyard where Zhao Duan lived.
Then, Xu Zhenguan, dressed neatly, stepped out and declined Eugene Hua's invitation to have breakfast at his house. With the Zhao family's respectful farewell, he rode in a carriage and returned to the palace in the dawn.
"Brother." At the gate of the Zhao residence, the girl in a jacket raised her face with dark circles under her eyes, a complicated expression: "Did you and His Majesty have any..."
Eugene Hua pursed her lips and stood with her ears perked up.
"..." Zhao Duan slashed her scalp, laughing and scolding:
"What are you thinking about at such a young age? Go back to the house."
He yawned and prepared to go back to sleep.
——After returning from Houhu last night, Xu Zhenguan stayed in the guest room next door, and Zhao Duan stayed alone in the empty room. Due to nervous excitement, she did not fall asleep until the late night.
The mother and daughter went back in disappointment.
…
On this day, a huge uproar broke out in the capital city, and the details of yesterday's meeting in the Plum Garden finally spread.
The news that Mr. Zhengyang surrendered to "King Zhao" was truly shocking, and unsurprisingly, it triggered a series of conspiracy theories.
A group of people firmly believed that it was the court's lackeys who secretly intimidated and forced Zhengyang to surrender.
Another group of people who paid attention to "Xinxue" speculated that "Xinxue" might have been written by a Confucian scholar and expressed through the mouth of Zhao Duan.
But there is no evidence.
Zhao Duan had no intention of plagiarizing Yangming's knowledge, so we should ignore the outside world's speculation.
Instead, plainclothes officers were sent out to the streets to record those who slandered Lord Zhao in a list. It is conceivable that a secret arrest would be inevitable later.
Amidst the turmoil caused by this battle, the rumor that "Your Majesty stayed overnight at Zhao's Mansion" spread in the court, which attracted the attention of all officials and caused them to discuss secretly.
It's a different scene again.
The turmoil lasted for about a week before it gradually subsided as Mr. Zhengyang led his disciples out of the capital and returned along the same route.
Prince Heng's son Xu Zudi also left the capital with Madam Xiao around the same time.
This disappointed many people who were looking forward to another conflict between Xu Zudi and Zhao Duan.
The capital city once again enjoyed a rare period of tranquility, but as winter approached, the topic of the opening of the Huting Market gradually heated up and became the focus of attention both inside and outside the government.
On the day when Dayu officially ushered in the "Beginning of Winter" and entered winter, an official ship set sail and headed towards the lake pavilion in the biting north wind.
…
…
Wow——
The official ship cuts through the waves, and the sails are flying high.
In the cabin decorated like an ordinary room, Zhao Duan sat cross-legged on a wool mat sent as tribute from the Western Regions, his hands clasped in the air and his eyes closed.
There was an animal-shaped incense burner on the floor in front of him, emitting wisps of green smoke.
"call!"
Suddenly, the green smoke in the windless cabin was gently disturbed. Zhao Duan took a deep breath and returned to reality from his meditation.
When he opened his eyelids, a dazzling golden light flashed faintly in his dark pupils.
"Finally advanced to the middle level of the Divine Chapter!"
Zhao Duan's face was filled with joy. After a period of "digestion", with the help of the soul power brought by the self-detonation of Guhuo Zhenren, he finally stepped smoothly into the middle level of the Divine Chapter.
The battle between Buddhism and Taoism began in early autumn, and at that time, he entered the divine realm. Now, only three months have passed, and he has reached another small realm.
"At this rate, won't I be able to reach high rank before the end of the year and enter the 'worldly' realm next year? Reaching the minimum threshold for dual cultivation with Zhen Bao? Well... that assumes there's another Guhuo Zhenren to give me experience."
Zhao Duan couldn't help but daydream.
There was no particularly big change in the breakthrough of the small realm. Apart from the filling of the Qi Sea, the more obvious ability was that he had the prototype of "divine consciousness".
"Now, even if I close my eyes, I can still vaguely 'see' the outside world through my perception. Although it's still blurry and the distance is limited, it's still amazing."
"Furthermore, my reaction speed, memory, and even energy have all improved. No wonder Zhenbao can review memorials non-stop and work so hard without showing any signs of fatigue. The elevation of life levels brought about by cultivation is truly remarkable."
As Zhao Duan was sighing, his ears suddenly moved and he heard footsteps approaching outside the door.
He looked through the door, and suddenly a vague image of what was behind the door appeared in his mind.
It was as if his eyes had the ability to see through things, and he could "see" a pair of long legs in leather boots approaching from behind the door, accompanied by a shaking black ponytail.
"Maritime Enforcement Bureau, please come in." Zhao Duan raised the corner of his mouth.
The next second, the cabin door was pushed open, revealing a heroic face with teardrop moles at the corners of the eyes.
Haitang was dressed in a brocade official robe, with a bulging cloth bag filled with throwing knives at her waist. She looked at him with a look of surprise and doubt: "How did you know it was me?"
Zhao Duan smiled without saying anything.
Haitang's eyes widened in disbelief, "You're a mid-level player?"
Seeing that the latter did not refute, the Narcissus Hall Master held his breath, his expression extremely complicated, but ripples were stirring in his heart:
She remembered that when Zhao Duan entered the imperial court, he was the weakest among the nine halls. Now, in just a few months, he has already ranked among the top.
"Is there something wrong?" Zhao Duan asked with a smile, silently enjoying the admiration of his female colleague.
Haitang collected her thoughts and said with a straight face, "We'll be at the lake pavilion soon. The Sea Master is calling you."
"Are we finally here?" Zhao Duan cheered up and followed the former out of the cabin and onto the deck.
This time, he was ordered by the Empress to come to Huting to supervise the opening of the imperial court market. The journey was long and arduous, and he finally arrived after floating on the Grand Canal for several days.
…
Zhao Duan went up to the deck and faced the wind blowing from the river, and his vision suddenly became clear.
On the vast river, ships of all sizes sailed in the distance, both government ships and merchant vessels, each keeping a distance from the other.
The winter wind was not warm, even though everyone was heading south.
The sails on the ship's mast have been lowered halfway to reduce the wind speed. The outline of the mountains can be seen in the distance, and the city docks are vaguely discernible.
"grown ups!"
As soon as he showed up, the officers from the Pear Blossom Hall accompanying him on the deck greeted him one after another. This time, two of the "Four Pear Blossoms" were dispatched, Qian Kerou and Zheng Laojiu, who stayed behind in the capital.
Hou Renmeng and Chen Juan, two rough men, led a team of men in brocade clothes to follow, and there was also a team of imperial guards on the ship to guard it.
Haitang was seconded as Zhao Duan's deputy.
"Come out?"
On the deck, the eunuch standing by the railing turned around with a smile.
This chief worshipper, whose real name is "Hai Chunlin", escorted Zhao Duan south.
The eunuch, who was over a hundred years old, was not wearing the ostentatious bright red python robe. He was only wearing a cotton robe. Although he was old, his wrinkled face was rosy, and it was not known whether it was because of the strong blood or the cold wind.
"Huh? You... reached the middle level?"
Eunuch Hai narrowed his eyes and looked carefully at Zhao Duan, who was dressed in gorgeous clothes and also not wearing an official robe, and was slightly surprised.
"Haha, I can't hide it from my father-in-law." Zhao Duan said with a smile.
The old priest smacked his lips, suddenly glanced at Haitang, and sighed:
"It's a pity that Your Majesty took action first, otherwise I would have really thought of accepting you as my disciple."
Haitang had a blank expression on her face, and glared at him angrily: "Just talk about him, eunuch. What do you think I'm going to do?"
Hai Chunlin smiled and was not annoyed at all.
In the entire court, how many people dared to speak to the old priest in this way? But the people around him were no longer surprised.
"No need to be so serious." Zhao Duan said with a smile, "If I had known earlier that you, Haitang, were a relative of Hai Gongfeng, our two halls would have become closer a long time ago."
When Eunuch Hai entered the palace, there were still people at home.
At that time, they were from a small family and were willing to send their children to the palace to be eunuchs.
After Hai Chunlin became a vassal, the "Hai family" outside was also taken care of. Although they were not rich, they were able to ensure a prosperous life for a hundred years.
In terms of seniority, Haitang's great-grandfather is Hai Chunlin's brother, a real relative.
She is also the second person in the Hai family in the past hundred years who has a good talent for cultivation, except for Hai Chunlin. In addition, she is meticulous and capable of doing things properly, which is why she can enter the imperial court to work.
Eunuch Hai also loves this great-granddaughter very much, but Haitang is not willing to rely on her background, so only very few people know about the relationship between the two.
"Alas, with such a great background, you insist on relying on yourself to fight for your life. Are all the children of wealthy families with good backgrounds so mentally ill?"
After Zhao Duan learned about the relationship between the grandfather and grandson, he complained wildly in his heart. He used to think that such things only happened in TV dramas, but he didn't expect that there was one around him.
"Mr. Zhao, when working, it's called by title."
Haitang rolled her eyes to express her refusal, and said in a slightly sarcastic tone:
"If Lord Zhao cares about his subordinates, he can go and take care of the two over there."
Zhao Duan was helpless, and followed her gaze, looking towards the corner of the official ship's deck.
There were two other expert guards arranged for him by Zhenbao.
Lang Shiba and Ji Yue.
At this moment, the swordsman named Lang Shiba was sitting cross-legged in a corner of the deck, his long hair covering one eye.
He was wearing a thin coarse blue shirt, with a knife across his knees. Next to him was an exceptionally large green-skinned gourd, the mouth of which was open, exuding the aroma of strong liquor.
Lang Shiba held a broken pottery bowl in his hand, his eyes fixed in a daze, occasionally taking a sip of the liquor in the bowl.
If you drink it all, you can scoop another bowl from the big wine gourd.
He's an alcoholic...
Five steps away from him was the sorcerer "Ji Yue" who was dressed in red and had most of her pupils covered by white, like a female ghost.
Her body was always damp, and the chains that had originally bound her wrists and ankles were gone, replaced by scars left by the wear and tear of long-term confinement.
Ji Yue lowered his head, avoiding everyone's sight and rarely spoke.
Based on Zhao Duan's observations along the way, he determined that she was a person with severe social anxiety...
"Eunuch, I've always wanted to ask, where do these two people arranged by His Majesty come from?"
Zhao Duan sighed and asked for advice softly, "I always feel that it doesn't seem very reliable."
The old worshipper put his hands behind his back, smiled kindly like a village elder, and said:
"Didn't I tell you, kid? One is from the north, and the other is from the east."
I don't want to listen to nonsense... Zhao Duan sighed softly and said:
"I've observed him these past few days. Although Lang Shiba appears drunk and like a reckless wanderer, he still has a certain air of military service, though it's not overly strong. I'm afraid he was once a powerful military commander? In the north? North of the capital is the Tieguan Road, the territory of King Yanshan..."
But since he is in the capital, I think he has nothing to do with King Yanshan. Such a master should not be unknown. Is he a person from Jubei City who is stationed in Tieguan Road by the imperial court? Am I right?"
"As for Jiyue, he's severely socially anxious... well, social anxiety means he's afraid of interacting with people. His accent is a bit strange, not like Qingzhou or Binhaidao... and he doesn't look tanned like someone from Lingnan. He occasionally speaks in a gibberish dialect. Could he be from the Thousand Islands of the East China Sea? And not from the Dayu Dynasty?"
Eunuch Hai smiled and said, "Haven't you guessed a lot?"
Zhao Duan smiled bitterly and said, "I want to know more details, otherwise I won't feel safe using it."
Eunuch Hai laughed heartily and said:
"Your Majesty gave it to you, so why should you be worried? Just be at ease. Before you die, I will make sure these two die before you."
The swordsman and the drunkard seemed not to hear the discussion here and continued to drink by themselves.
The white-eyed female ghost glanced over here quickly, and after meeting Zhao Duan's gaze, she turned back and silently looked at the wet toes of the embroidered shoes on her feet.
"Okay..." Zhao Duan sighed. The old man was very mean and refused to reveal anything, but there was nothing he could do.
He leaned on the railing, looked at the port and the city ahead, and said:
"Huting... I heard in Beijing that there's a place like this at the junction of Linfeng and the Huai River. It was originally a dock built during the construction of the Grand Canal by the previous dynasty, and it gradually developed from there.
Until now, it is only a "town" in the books of the six ministries, but its scale has long been much larger than a county. It is just a lonely piece of land, a port where merchant ships on the canal handle and exchange goods, and it cannot become a county because it does not have enough villages and towns under its jurisdiction.
But the buildings on the shore and the sight of thousands of sails competing with each other are not surprising for a city like Taicang."
After a pause, Zhao Duan said:
"It's said that the 'Hu' in the name Huting comes from the 'Smoke-Lake' that forms when floodwaters are released from this area. There's also a massive statue of a deity carved into the cliffs beside the lake. It's also a famous historical site, and countless scholars in Jiangnan have written poems about it, making it famous.
Princess Xu Junling seems to have written several poems about this place. Well, after all, this is considered the territory of the Huai River Road. How much of the entire lake pavilion and the shops and merchant ships of the Huai'an Palace occupy it?"
Hai Chunlin also stood on the deck, looking into the distance, and said with a smile:
"We don't understand the disputes in the court and the country. We are only concerned about your life. However, we can hear what you want to say. The market in Huting is about to open. Prince Huai'an and Prince Jing are close to here. The shadow guards' intelligence said that they arrived many days earlier than us.
The other princes have also sent their trusted aides here, and now they have all taken root in this city... I dare say that countless eyes in the city are staring at you right now."
Zhao Duan sighed: "You want to kill me, right?"
Suddenly, a large ship appeared in front of the field of vision, approaching rapidly from afar, attracting the attention of everyone on the deck.
"Sir, the ship ahead seems to be heading towards us!"
Hou Ren frowned and gripped the knife handle.
Haitang, who was more attentive and good at solving cases, raised her eyebrows and her expression changed slightly:
"This isn't an ordinary ship, it's a warship! There's no fighting going on right now, so who would be sailing a warship on the river?"
The appearance of the warships on the river attracted everyone's attention.
I saw a huge boat approaching on the river through the waves.
It had three floors, six feet high, painted in red lacquer and covered with iron armor, and housed a stable for horses. The parapet was covered with arrow holes so densely packed that the sight was startling.
Zhao Duan held the handrail on the side of the ship with both hands, narrowed his eyes, and stared coldly at the huge ship that was two or three times larger than the one under his feet.
Clench your palms slightly.
Although it was still far away, I could vaguely hear the sound of stringed instruments and orchestras, and on the warship, there seemed to be many men and women playing games.
At the top, the flag was not that of the Huaishui Navy, but a black and yellow flag fluttering in the wind, with a four-clawed golden dragon faintly painted on it.
"The flag of Prince Jing's Mansion!" Haitang's expression changed slightly.
Eunuch Hai looked at a figure on the deck of the warship, then suddenly looked at Zhao Duan and said meaningfully:
"Your love rival is here."
Love rival?
Zhao Duan was startled, then remembered a rumor and blurted out:
"Prince Jing? Xu Jinglong?"
far away.
On the third floor of the gigantic "ironclad ship", Xu Jinglong stood with his hands behind his back, overlooking the low official ship in front of him, with no expression on his face.
…
Today's update, typos will be corrected later
(End of this chapter)
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