Chapter 385: Your Majesty, Lord Zhao is dying! (Two in one)
The meeting at Huting ended in a warm atmosphere.
As the market "ended", the details of the opening of the market and the list of the first batch of people who officially obtained the status of imperial merchants were determined, and the relevant details quickly spread throughout Huting.
It is foreseeable that it will spread rapidly throughout the entire territory of the nine regions and eighteen prefectures of Dayu.
In contrast, Prince Jing's sad departure has attracted the attention of some people.
Everyone knows that the market opening is unstoppable.
Next, a huge amount of wealth will flow into the new city centered on the canal route, and the imperial court, which will dominate this feast, will quickly alleviate the financial crisis.
…
Humble Administrator's Garden.
After the meeting, waves of people began to flock to the Humble Administrator's Garden to visit Zhao Duan, the great man who truly represented His Majesty.
Among them, the most important are the group of merchants and nobles who announced today that they stand on the side of the court. They did not express their stance before, and they must make up for it now.
Zhao Duan took the trouble to meet each of them with a smile on his face. Finally, after everyone had dispersed, he smiled at Feng Ju, who also had a happy face, and said:
"Your mission is now complete, but we have only taken one step on the long road. From now on, it will be Doctor Feng's hard work to maintain the Commerce Office. I will depart for the capital tomorrow, and I will personally commend Doctor Feng and my colleagues to Your Majesty for their achievements."
Inside the hall, Zhao Duan finished speaking.
The officials sitting on both sides stood up one after another, saying: It is all thanks to you, sir, we dare not take any credit for it.
But the smile on Lao Feng's face, like a blooming chrysanthemum, revealed this guy's joy.
There is no doubt that this political achievement will greatly help the careers of everyone present.
"Since you say so, I will not ask for merit."
Zhao Duan said calmly, and when he saw the officials' suddenly stiff faces, he laughed and said jokingly:
"Just kidding."
Everyone smiled again and the atmosphere became a little more relaxed. Zhao Duan gave them a few more instructions on follow-up matters before letting them leave.
As soon as the officials left, a beautiful woman in a fox fur cloak stepped over the threshold with a smile, holding a gift box in her hand, and pretended to be sad:
"Your Excellency, are you going back to the capital so soon?"
Zhao Duan said with a smile, "Madam Xiao, please don't look at me like that, or else rumors will spread about an affair between you and me."
Xiao Dong'er, who wore a horse-faced skirt and treated different people's faces differently, sighed softly, tears welling in her eyes:
"It's already spreading. My Lord, you don't know how strangely those people looked at me when I announced my status as an imperial merchant today. I'm afraid they're already wondering how I managed to please you, my Lord, to get on this ship."
You're talking as if you didn't please me back then. Sigh, you clearly didn't touch me, but you're carrying this rumor that can't be washed off...
No, you sound aggrieved, but your eyes are like a thread... Madam, please respect yourself. You know I won't fall for this, so there's no need to show off your acting skills here...
Zhao Duan complained in his heart, teased a little, and said seriously:
"The Xiao family's recent statement will inevitably put pressure on the Heng Palace once the news reaches Qingzhou. Madam, you can stay here for the time being. If you want to go back, you can go to the Qingzhou garrison first. I have already contacted the commander there. If the Heng Palace refuses to give in, Madam, you can act accordingly."
Upon hearing this, Madam Xiao also stopped performing and returned to her true appearance as the iron-blooded female head of a large family. She bowed to him gratefully:
"Thank you for your care, sir."
Zhao Duan smiled. He had already discussed this with Zhenbao.
The Xiao family is like "a horse's bones bought for a huge sum of money", and the imperial court must give them sufficient protection to reassure other imperial merchants.
After seeing Madam Xiao off, the female inspector, Haitang, walked in from outside. She crossed her arms and said,
"Huai'an Palace hasn't sent anyone yet, why don't you go there?"
Zhao Duan was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "That's not necessary."
He can represent the court when it comes to opening the market, but when it comes to deeper and fundamental issues of taking sides, he is no longer able to represent it.
but……
"It's impolite not to reciprocate. Pack up and return to Beijing tomorrow. Have someone send a gift when you leave."
…
The next day, a cold wind blew in Huting City.
Xu Junling changed into a thicker skirt, led the maid and guards, and walked up the stairs alone to the sixth floor of Dafeng Tower.
Looking towards the direction of the dock, the official ship slowly sailed away and turned north, silent.
"Princess, the prince sent someone to deliver something, saying it was a farewell gift from Lord Zhao that was specially given to you."
The maid Lushui came up holding a box.
Xu Junling was stunned for a moment, turned his head and took it curiously. He opened the box with his slender hands, and found another tattered book inside.
Her expression became subtle, because she remembered that it was the same when she said goodbye in Taicang City last time.
She opened the book, and sure enough, she found a piece of paper tucked inside.
The maid Lushui said:
"The messenger said that Lord Zhao had come to Yansuo Lake. He was on a boat trip with you that day, but was interrupted. He followed the local customs and left a couplet. He asked you to show it to the students in Jiangnan. He said that if anyone could match it, he would reward them with 100 taels of silver."
A hundred taels of gold... What a boast... Xu Junling raised his eyebrows, a feeling of unwillingness to admit defeat rising, and looked at the paper with only a five-character couplet:
"Smoke locks the willows in the pond."
…
…
The official ship sailed north against the wind. In ancient times, when sailing against the wind, it could make an angle to the side following the wind direction to gain thrust.
But the speed is naturally much lower than with a tailwind.
Out of a bad taste, Zhao Du'an, who left behind an unsolved couplet that has been passed down through the ages, returned to Beijing with his men, full of anticipation for a triumphant return.
However, as winter deepened, the situation was fine at first, but as we moved deeper into Linfeng, the north wind on the canal became increasingly fierce and the climate became increasingly worse.
The official ship inevitably stopped frequently along the way. If it were not for the uncomfortable land travel in winter, Zhao Duan would have wanted to go ashore and take a carriage back.
This day.
The group stopped to rest in a town beside a canal in Linfeng Road, and the official ship slowly approached the shore.
Zhao Duan stood on the deck, and the land in front of him was desolate.
The old eunuch slowly walked out of the cabin, came to his side, and glanced at him:
"Are you impatient to return to the capital to ask His Majesty for your reward?"
Zhao Duan's face flushed in the wind, and he was stubborn and said:
"No way! I was thinking about Buddhism."
On that day, the search for the rebels in Huting City yielded no results, but Zhao Duan did not give up investigating the matter.
Before returning, he found the local imperial guards and ordered an investigation.
Not long ago, on the way back, I received the investigation results sent by the Shadow Guard.
Among them, on the day of the assassination, Nagarjuna Bodhisattva and the "Little Heavenly Master" of the Heavenly Master's Mansion were suspected to appear nearby. Later, the news that the Little Heavenly Master was staring at the former's departure attracted his attention.
"According to the Shadow Guards' investigation, it seems that Nagarjuna Bodhisattva was also involved in the assassination attempt on me that day, but was intercepted by Zhang Tianshi's senior disciple... Well, although it's not confirmed, the fact that both parties appeared there is simply too coincidental."
Zhao Duan's face was serious, and he turned to look at the old priest:
"If the Shenlong Temple is colluding with the Eight Kings, it will be a big deal."
Eunuch Hai said "Oh" and said calmly:
"Does that make sense to you?"
"It's unreasonable," Zhao Duan said distressedly.
"This is what confuses me. If Nagarjuna Bodhisattva's appearance represents the attitude of the Shenlong Temple, then something major must have happened in the capital long ago, yet no news has reached us. Furthermore, there's absolutely no reason for the Shenlong Temple to suddenly turn to the Eight Kings and get involved in such mundane affairs."
Eunuch Hai glanced at Zhao Duan, who rarely looked confused, and said softly:
"Just as you may not fully represent His Majesty, Nagarjuna may not fully represent the will of the Shenlong Temple."
"You mean... this is a private act?" Zhao Duan asked in surprise.
"Just because I defeated Tianhai in the ring? And because Nagarjuna Bodhisattva's plan, which he had carefully planned for many years, failed? So he came to cause trouble for me? But..."
He wanted to say, could a practitioner who could become a Bodhisattva be so irrational?
Even if it was revenge, wouldn't they have found the right moment and done it secretly? Why was he doing it so openly...
Zhao Duan was suddenly stunned, and a flash of inspiration flashed through his mind. He thought of what the old Taoist priest Zhang Yanyi had once told him about the four forces within the Shenlong Temple and the complicated situation as the imperial court.
"Could it be that...
"Is Nagarjuna Bodhisattva's purpose in this move precisely to guide the imperial court and cause trouble for Abbot Xuanyin? Isn't it... Has the internal struggle of Shenlong Temple reached this level? This is a strategy that will hurt oneself a thousand times and hurt the enemy eight hundred times...
"Wait, I may have overlooked one thing, which is the influence of the Western Regions Buddhist ancestral temple... Last time, Zhenbao told me that after the Buddhist-Taoist competition, the Western Regions Buddhist sect was ready to make a move. Perhaps it was because of this external pressure that forced the changes in the Shenlong Temple...
"Last time, the fifty-year-old nun Prajna came to me for dual cultivation... Now, Nagarjuna Bodhisattva has deliberately interfered in the assassination attempt on me... This is all a manifestation of the fierce struggle within Shenlong Temple..."
For a moment, Zhao Duan seemed to have figured out a lot of things, but because of the lack of information, he fell into greater confusion.
"Boy, your energy shouldn't be wasted like this. Just worry about your own little piece of land. The world is big, how can you worry about it?"
Eunuch Hai sighed earnestly, patted him on the shoulder, and turned back to the cabin.
Zhao Duan laughed at himself. Although he didn't have the emperor's life, he had to worry about the emperor all day long.
Just a thought flashed through my mind:
Prajnaparamita and Nagarjuna Bodhisattva have both appeared, so when will the remaining one, the Great Pure Master, show up?
…
Not long.
When the official ship docked, the group either stayed in the cabin or went ashore to get some fresh air.
The boatmen and soldiers on the boat talked with the officials at the dock to purchase supplies for the ship.
Zhao Duan felt the urge to urinate, so he went ashore to a hill covered with weeds to relieve himself. After pulling up his pants, he returned to the dock.
Suddenly, I was attracted by a black-sailed boat parked on the shore.
The small boat was inconspicuous, but a middle-aged monk slowly emerged from its low black sail.
He was about fifty years old, and in that freezing weather, he was only wearing a thin monk's robe, leaving half of his shoulders exposed to the cold winter air.
Over the monk's robe, he was wearing an old red cassock, which was quite eye-catching in the withered and yellow world.
Under the bald head, a dignified face looked at Zhao Duan calmly, with the corners of his mouth slowly rising, as if he uttered "Amitabha".
For no reason, Zhao Duan felt his hair stand on end and he had a strong sense of danger.
There are not many monks who are qualified to wear robes, let alone in such weather, it is even rarer to see them wearing half-naked robes.
And the most important thing is that strange yet familiar face.
At this moment, Zhao Duan's brain was working rapidly, searching for the owner of this face from his past memories. Finally, he found the corresponding target from a portrait.
That was what he remembered when he was in the imperial court and looking through the information about Shenlong Temple.
Zhao Duan's pupils suddenly narrowed, and he reached for the flying knife in his sleeve with his right hand, uttering a name:
“Mahajjhu Master!”
At the same time, Master Dajing, one of the three Bodhisattvas of Shenlong Temple in the black-sailed boat and a veteran and powerful master in the world, took a step and appeared in front of Zhao Duan.
"Please, Lord Zhao, return to heaven."
The middle-aged monk with a dignified face spoke slowly, pressing his gold-painted right hand towards his chest.
Behind the monk, the surging magical power condensed into a huge Buddha statue, overlooking the area below.
"puff!"
Zhao Duan had no power to resist. Like a kite with a broken string, he spat out blood, jumped high, and smashed towards the barren grass hill in the distance like a sandbag.
He avoided Hu Ting's assassination, but on his way back, when everyone had let down their guard, he was attacked with all his strength by a great master of the world.
unexpected.
decisive.
fierce.
No chance to fight back.
Zhao Duan only felt a sharp pain, and the shattered energy was running around in his body, instantly causing blood to gush out of his pores all over his body, and his chest ribs also made cracking sounds.
Darkness fell before my eyes.
However.
Inside his thick cotton coat, the "Six Talismans Armor" worn on his upper body suddenly sank into the heart-protecting mirror. A purple waist jade was stressed and shattered with a "crack"!
It was the waist jade gifted to him by the empress a long time ago, named "Teleporting Jade".
When you encounter danger, just crush it to start the teleportation and return to the Dayu Palace.
As Zhao Duan was flying backwards, a layer of blurry light and shadow suddenly covered the surface of his body, like ripples in the water.
With a "bang", he fell into a patch of weeds, and the moment he fell into the grass, Zhao Duan's figure quickly faded and disappeared.
Teleport!
Master Dajing succeeded in his attack and was about to move forward to make up for it, but he suddenly sensed a surge of murderous intent coming from behind him.
The monk's shoes on his feet turned in a circle, and his gold-lacquered hands clasped together with a "bang".
He clamped the frost sword that was whistling towards him and was covered with azure light!
On the deck of the official ship in the water, Eunuch Hai thrust out a sword and stepped heavily on the deck. The entire official ship was almost tilted by the huge force.
The almost legendary old priest in the palace lost his hair crown, and his gray hair fluttered in the biting cold wind. Eunuch Hai had a ferocious face and rushed towards the Great Master.
It was blocked by the almost god-like Buddha Dharma behind it. During the collision, a strong wind blew violently, and the air waves it created blew down everyone on the dock.
Along with the exclamations, Lang Shiba and Ji Yue, who were recuperating in the cabin, flew out like cannonballs.
They bypassed the two sides fighting at the dock and rushed towards the barren hill at the same time, but they were confused and only saw a pool of human-shaped blood on the ground.
"Lord Zhao...was beaten into a bloody mist?!"
Lang Shiba and Ji Yue's heads buzzed at the same time, as if they had been hit hard.
…
…
Capital city.
Early this morning, dark clouds gathered over the capital, and the biting north wind was as sharp as a knife, making the streets and alleys of the huge capital seem much thinner.
In Xiuwenguan, north of the capital.
After listening to the reports of the scholars, Xu Zhenguan nodded:
"Let's stop here for today."
Han Zhou and other scholars stood up and bowed: "Farewell, Your Majesty."
Grand Tutor Dong is not here today. After all, he is old, and his body is obviously not as energetic as in summer after the arrival of winter, especially after Zhao Duan came up with the "Xinxue" last time.
Grand Tutor Dong has been a little crazy these days and has been caught up in academic debates. Fortunately, the Xiuwenguan has long been familiar with court affairs and no longer relies on Dong Xuan's management.
Xu Zhenguan stood up, left Xiuwenguan, and took the royal carriage back to the imperial study.
Mo Chou was waiting here. After winter came, her official robe became thicker, making her look fatter. However, Xu Zhenguan was no longer afraid of cold or heat, and his clothes did not change much.
"Your Majesty, this is the memorial submitted by Lord Yuan, regarding the prevention of cold and snow disasters..."
Mo Chou followed the empress into the house, feeling the warmth from the charcoal fire in the brazier. Her voice, which had a slight tremor, became calmer.
"Well, let it go." Xu Zhen nodded, looking at the coldness on the female official, and joked with a smile:
"I've asked you to work hard and practice, but you refused. Now you know how hard it is every winter, right?"
Mo Chou looked aggrieved:
"I also want to do that, but I don't have enough talent. It's not easy to cultivate to the point of being immune to cold and heat."
Xu Zhenguan smiled and said teasingly:
"When Zhao Duan comes back, you can ask him. He's a man of many ideas and often comes up with new things. Maybe he can come up with a way to keep out the cold.
For example, I heard that when he returned from Taicang last time, he gave Gongshu Tianyuan a diagram of a device he designed for pumping water from the mine, and he's made some progress on it now."
Mo Chou curled her lips and said:
"I haven't paid attention to this. I'll go to the Tianshi Mansion and ask about it later."
She glanced at the White-robed Empress and said sourly:
"Your Majesty is talking about him again."
Xu Zhenguan didn't hear the resentment in the maid's tone. Her fair and delicate face looked towards the south-facing doors and windows, moved an incense burner to her side, and said softly:
"According to the date, it's time to return. I'm not nagging him, I'm just concerned about the market opening."
Mo Chou said nothing, but puffed out her cheeks, not quite believing it in her heart.
She has served the Empress for many years, and her words to His Majesty are somewhat true and somewhat false. She can be said to be the most familiar person in the world.
The market opening results? Of course she was concerned, but she wouldn't believe it if she said there was no thought of anyone behind it.
I couldn't help but compare them secretly, wondering if His Majesty would miss me if I were sent on a business trip abroad.
…
Meridian Gate Square.
A group of palace maids, carrying the newly distributed coal, walked towards their residence, talking and laughing in low voices.
Suddenly, when one of the palace maids turned her head to look at the square, she was stunned to see mysterious ripples in the air, as if a hole had been torn open.
She let out a low cry, attracting the attention of a group of palace maids. Then, they saw a blood-soaked figure suddenly appear from the air and fall on the winter square.
"ah!"
The palace maids were horrified. Some immediately ran to find the palace guards, while a few brave ones walked over carefully.
One of the older female officials took a closer look, her expression suddenly changed, and she said in a lost voice:
"Master Zhao?!"
"Quick, go and report to His Majesty!"
——
I have already thought of the title for the next chapter, it is called [The Emperor's Wrath]
(End of this chapter)
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