Chapter 405 The Duke Returns
Accidents always catch people off guard. After parting with the Red Sect master, Zhao Duan still felt it was unreal.
Although it was indeed abrupt to suddenly have a fanatical follower and lackey, regardless of whether he was sincere or not, it was still of great significance to be able to capture the leader of the Western Region Red Sect.
Even though this Buddhist monk, who is also in the "worldly" realm, is not as good as his enemy Dajing in fighting.
However, as one of the leaders of the "Five-Party Monks", the connections and strength he can mobilize are probably slightly superior to Princess Wenzhu.
After the secret meeting with him, the subsequent impact of the Buddhist debate gradually stabilized in the next few days.
The Shenlong Temple and the Western Regions monks tacitly kept silent and did not argue, which greatly disappointed many people in the city.
At the same time, Princess Wenzhu successfully reached an agreement with the Empress on the trade details for next year. Everything went smoothly without any setbacks.
Afterwards, the Western Regions monks and Princess Wenzhu, one after another, bid farewell to the empress and left the capital for return.
"I thought the princess would stay in the capital to celebrate the New Year or something."
The west gate of the capital.
Zhao Duan, wearing an official robe, stood among a group of officials who came to see the princess off. He looked at the convoy in the distance on the official road, exhaled a puff of white mist in the cold wind, and sighed.
Beside him were the female police officer Haitang and the scroll king Zhang Han. The two colleagues glanced at him, and the former curled her lips and said:
"You seem quite reluctant to leave? How about catching up and following him to the Western Regions?"
Zhao Duan clasped his hands together, looking like a loyal and courageous minister.
"I am loyal to Your Majesty, please stop talking nonsense!"
"Haha," Haitang crossed her arms, rolled her eyes and didn't bother to expose him.
The true identity of Master Lin was discovered by Haitang and her team, so she was one of the few people who knew about the friendship between Mr. Zhao and Princess Wenzhu.
"Let's go, it's finally over. Come on, I'll treat you to some pickled cabbage hotpot."
Zhao Duan smiled playfully, waved his hand, and rushed to the restaurant in the city with his colleagues from the imperial court.
We ordered a large table of copper pot sauerkraut and freshly cut meat, and feasted on it.
Enjoying the rare peace and quiet, a group of people in fine clothes sat together and inevitably talked about the things happening in the city at the end of the year.
As a military general, the topic naturally turned to the fact that generals from all over the country would return to Beijing to report on their work at the end of the year.
"This time, there will probably be quite a few military officers returning to Beijing, but the three most important ones are still the two gentlemen and one general." Zhang Han, the king of expressionless faces, sighed.
Zhao Duan, no longer a political novice, said:
"Duke Tang, Duke Cao, and Zhao Shixiong?"
Duke Zhenguo Tang Daren was stationed at Xiping Road, guarding the entrance to the Western Regions. He had a great deal of experience...but his name really made him complain.
Duke Anguo Cao Mao was stationed at Tieguandao north of the capital, or more precisely, in Jubei City.
The military strength is far inferior to the former.
It is said that the northern border troops were originally formed to defend against the foreign tribes living in the Mubei Forest, and they called themselves the "Snow Country".
However, due to the vast territory and sparse population in the north, the foreign tribes of the Snow Country rarely approach the territory of the Yu Country, and there has been no war for many years. Therefore, the soldiers and horses of Tieguandao are relatively the least, but each person is very strong.
Zhao Shixiong was stationed in the southwestern border army of Yunfu Daodu, where he was constantly suppressing bandits and defending against the Liao people in the mountains. He was a skilled warrior.
He was once regarded as a famous general who could compete with Xue Shence, who commanded the Privy Council's Beijing camp.
"Yeah, come to think of it, how are you going to deal with Duke Tang? I heard that this duke's family is protective of his subordinates, and you really gave that young master a hard time back then." Haitang held the wooden chopsticks, took a bite of the thick meat, and was curious about the gossip.
Zhang Han frowned and said:
"Duke Tang is a reasonable man. Wouldn't it be better if he explained it clearly? Besides, hasn't the young master also returned to the Shenji Camp?"
Haitang snorted and said in disbelief:
"I don't believe that those great nobles are easy to get along with. For example, Duke Cao in the north is said to rely on his seniority..."
Zhao Duan remained silent, too lazy to participate in the discussion. For him, if the other party spoke nicely, he would treat them nicely. If they were unreasonable...
“Da da da…”
Suddenly, on the street outside the restaurant, a pair of dusty cavalrymen rode across the street, attracting Zhao Duan's attention.
"Where are they from? Judging from the style of their uniforms, they seem to be from Zhao Shixiong's Southwestern Border Army." said a colleague at the table.
Zhao Duan pursed his lips, and after the meal was over, everyone returned to the yamen.
In the afternoon, Zhao Duan received a piece of news:
Zhao Shixiong, commander of the Southwestern Frontier Army, was unable to return to Beijing at the end of the year due to unrest among ethnic minorities in Yunfu Road.
It is said that the empress was silent for a long time, and then wrote a letter to the southwest to express her condolences to Zhao Shixiong.
…
Xiping Road.
At the gateway to the Western Regions, there is a city whose overall color scheme is mainly yellow-gray.
"Shhhhh!"
Outside the city gate, a team of cavalrymen reined in their horses, and on the leading mixed-breed horse sat a female general!
The female general was heroic and about thirty years old. She looked somewhat similar to the young master Tang Ping.
He wore soft armor, carried a longbow, and was atop a horse, wielding a lance, its tip gleaming coldly. His complexion was a dark red from years of sun exposure, and his demeanor was as unruly as a rouge-painted horse from the frontier.
Tang Zhao tightened the reins with one hand and shouted to the guards at the city gate:
"Why don't you open the door!?"
The defenders hurriedly waved their flags and the city gates were wide open. Accompanied by cheers of "Welcome General Tang back to the city", the female general holding a spear led the crowd into the city in a mighty procession.
Then he shook off the cavalry behind him and rode straight to the "Xipingdu Military Headquarters" in the city.
He dismounted in front of the imposing mansion gate, threw his heavy lance to the soldiers who were coming towards him, and rushed in.
Inside the Dujun Mansion, there is a solemn government office in the front and a series of pavilions, towers and courtyards imitating those in the Jiangnan region in the back.
Although it is winter and everything is withered, the clusters of transplanted hardy green trees still add color to the house.
"The Second Miss is back!"
The backyard of the Dujun Mansion was the residence of Duke Tang Daren. The servants in the Tang Mansion were busy packing up their things. When they saw Tang Zhao coming back, they all bowed to him.
As the daughter of a duke, Tang Zhao has been practicing martial arts since she was a child. She followed her father to Xiping Road a long time ago and now serves as a general in the city.
He hurried through the pavilions and towers, casually asked where his father was, then walked through the corridor and pushed open the door of a room.
There are several bookshelves in the spacious house. In addition to books, there are swords and armor on the shelves. The pens, inks, paper and inkstones on the large table are all extraordinary.
At this moment, an old man in gorgeous clothes was writing with a brush at the table. His face was weathered, but his eyes were stern and bright. Although he was standing, one of his legs was in an awkward position, and he was obviously a cripple.
"Haha, you're back? Did the tour go well?"
Duke Tang put down the thick brush and asked with a smile his daughter who had barged in.
Tang Zhao had no etiquette of respect and inferiority that befitted the wealthy and powerful. As soon as he entered the room, he picked up the teapot on the table and drank gulps of it. Then he wiped the corner of his mouth, and the rouge on his lips left a rough red mark on his cheek.
"I met a few dishonest people and beat them up. That's all."
Tang Zhao said casually and nonchalantly, then said:
"What did I see being packed up in the mansion when I walked in?"
Duke Tang was completely unconcerned with his daughter's rudeness and said with a smile:
"You've returned just in time. The military affairs here have been arranged, and we are preparing to return to Beijing for the New Year."
Tang Zhao's eyes lit up, and then he said quietly:
"I haven't even come back yet and you're already packing up. Old man, do you want to leave me alone and go home?"
"Haha, how is that possible?" Duke Tang said guiltily.
Tang Zhao was too lazy to pay attention to his father, who was obviously not well-educated but always liked to pretend to be a cultured person. He said:
"Finally I can go back to Beijing. I've been hanging around here all day, feeling suffocated. I wonder if my martial arts skills have improved this year. I'll have to test them when I get back. By the way, have you received any letters from home lately?"
Duke Tang knew what she was asking and said slowly:
"I wrote a letter, but it wasn't anything important."
Tang Zhao was stunned for a moment and said:
"Still haven't written anything about that Zhao Duan?"
"No," Duke Tang said calmly.
"You know your brother's personality. He always makes his own decisions when things happen. He didn't want to say it in the letter. He probably feared that others would criticize him for taking advantage of his father."
The father and daughter were at the border of Xiping and could only learn about the situation at home in the capital through letters. A few months ago, they heard that a man named Zhao Yanwang appeared in the capital and was extremely favored by the empress.
After a few months, he was promoted several levels to the fourth rank and joined the Shenji Camp. He had a conflict with the young master and demoted him to the lowest position and drove him out of the barracks. Later, for some reason, the young master came back.
The specific details are unknown.
In the several letters sent from home, Tang Ping never mentioned what had happened to her, which instead deepened the suspicion of the father and daughter. Fortunately, Duke Tang had always believed that children should be tempered. Since nothing serious had happened, he did not rush to investigate further.
Tang Zhao, however, was a little impatient. Upon hearing this, he slammed the table, his face frosted.
"I care about my reputation and don't want to tell my family about what's happening. But I can't pretend I don't know!
Where did this pretty boy come from? He got promoted faster than a middle-aged man after being favored? He must have used the emperor's support to show off his power in the military camp. Otherwise, how could I be his enemy? Old man, what do you say we should do about this matter?
Duke Tang, who was lame in one leg and had a beard, looked around and said something else:
"Although my family doesn't care about formalities, women should also pay attention to their words. What kind of lewd words are they..."
Tang Zhao snorted, "If you won't tell me, I'll handle this myself. Don't ask me to keep silent just because you're worried about what the emperor will think."
Duke Tang, who seemed amiable but had actually restrained his edge, smiled and said nothing, but he acquiesced.
It seemed that in his eyes, it didn't matter even if dealing with the empress's favorite would cause the emperor's displeasure or even suspicion.
"I'll go pack my things." After Tang Zhao finished speaking, he turned around and left.
Duke Tang watched her leave, then glanced down at the line from the Ming Dynasty poem "Returning to the Frontier" copied on the paper: "After a few lines of returning to the frontier, I wonder where you are going alone," and muttered softly:
"Zhao Duan..."
…
Tieguan Road blocks the northern city.
Today, the city gates were wide open, and a large number of officers and soldiers lined up on both sides of the road to respectfully see Duke Anguo Cao Mao back to the capital.
In full view of everyone, the mighty army left behind the lonely northern city. At the front of the army, Cao Mao, wearing armor and riding a horse with gray hair on his temples, had an expressionless face.
Suddenly, a light cavalry came running from behind the team.
…
The next chapter will be updated around midnight
(End of this chapter)
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