Chapter 449 Bodhisattva, please respect yourself! (5k)
"Leaving now?"
Zhao Duan asked in surprise, the other party's schedule was really rushed.
The young priest Song Jinxi said "Yes" and explained:
"They weren't seriously injured. Perhaps because they lost, they didn't want to stay any longer. So, after a brief rest, they packed their bags and prepared to leave, even declining our arranged farewell. Didn't you ask me to keep an eye on them and notify you when they were ready to leave?"
Zhao Duan took a deep breath and said, "Where is the person now?"
On the main road leading to the gate of the imperial city, a horse-drawn carriage was rumbling along, its wheels rolling over the stone pavement. Chai Keqiao himself acted as the coachman, holding the reins, one leg hanging down, his straw sandals swinging.
Seeing the city gate approaching, he turned around, opened the curtain, and asked Xiao Ran in the carriage:
"Are you really leaving now? You won't go see your aunt again? The Empress will probably allow it."
Xiao Ran was leaning against the carriage with a small bundle on his knees, while Qi Ye was sitting cross-legged on the other side.
She looked listless, expressing both her unwillingness to lose to Zhao Duan and her loneliness at leaving this heartbroken city.
"No need. Auntie has forgotten me. If I go there again, it will only cause her trouble."
Chai Keqiao pursed his lips and stopped trying to persuade her. The carriage was about to reach the gate of the imperial city when suddenly the sound of horse hooves came from behind.
Zhao Duan came riding alone on horseback: "Wait a minute!"
Chai Keqiao narrowed his eyes, stopped the car, and bowed:
"Master Zhao, do you have any further advice?"
Zhao Duan was on horseback, holding the reins, ignoring the guy, and just said to the carriage:
"Miss Xiao, I have a farewell gift. Please accept it."
Xiao Ran opened the curtains and stared at him coldly. Suddenly, she raised her hand and caught a jewelry box that Zhao Duan suddenly threw to her.
She raised her eyebrows, and heard Zhao Duan say calmly:
"Don't get me wrong. This is one of the items that were confiscated when Concubine Xiao's residence was raided. It was a gift that Concubine Xiao prepared for her many nephews and nieces during the New Year. This should be something she prepared for you, and your name is on it."
Xiao Ran was stunned, unable to believe that this guy could be so kind.
Zhao Duan said, "By the way, those unruly female officials in the Shangshan Bureau have been dealt with by Mo Zhaorong."
After saying this, he rode away.
Only the Qingshan trio were left staring blankly at his back as he rode away.
Inside the car.
Xiao Ran placed the jewelry box on top of the bundle on his knees with a complicated expression, only to discover an old note stuck in the gap of the box.
Her nickname was written on it in beautiful handwriting. When she opened the box, she saw a emerald green ice flower bracelet on the red silk cloth.
Xiao Ran pursed her lips and suddenly choked up.
…
…
Afternoon, Zhao's house.
After Zhao Duan returned home, he was immediately questioned by his aunt and sister like a curious baby.
Eugene Hua was concerned about whether he was injured, while Zhao Pan was particularly curious about the "Peach Blossom Sword" that was widely circulated in the officialdom.
Zhao Duan was at a loss for words, so he simply demonstrated at home how to silently cut peach blossoms with a branch, which made the two women in the family scream and exclaim.
Return to the study.
Zhao Duan walked past the framed portrait of the empress hanging on the wall, sat at the desk, spread out a piece of paper, and wrote down the preparations for this trip south to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth.
"Although I have Princess Lu as my inner supporter, I must not be careless. My enemies are not only Prince Jing in public, but also the clans of Jiancheng Dao."
"We must bring enough people."
Zhao Duan wrote down a few names on the paper:
"Eunuch Hai has agreed to travel south with me, and he will bring most of the imperial court with him. Well, there's no need for such a large-scale deployment to protect me. Their main purpose is to prepare for the Zhenbao Fengshan Ceremony and clear any obstacles ahead of time."
"Lang Shiba and Ji Yue must be brought along, as well as the Lihuatang confidants, who are easy to use and safe to use... As for Haitang and the others, there's no need."
"Unfortunately, Gongshu Tianyuan and Jin Jian have left the capital again to train outside, so I can't borrow the Tianshi Mansion's combat power for free for the time being... However, I can write to them before I leave and try to trick them into coming to Jiancheng Dao..."
Zhao Duan pondered over it, but still felt it was not stable enough. Suddenly, the sound of dogs barking was heard in the mansion.
A servant appeared hurriedly outside the door:
"Master, someone is looking for you outside. It seems to be... a woman who has been to our house before."
A strange woman who came to your house?
Zhenbao is here?
This isn't the right time... or is it Mo Chou?
Zhao Duan frowned, pushed the door open and walked out. As he walked out of the mansion with doubts, he saw a woman in a cloak standing at the door.
Seeing him, she gently stretched out her delicate hand and lifted the cloak, revealing her plump and graceful figure and a familiar face. The corners of the woman's mouth curled up:
"Donor, we meet again."
Zhao Duan's pupils narrowed, and he subconsciously covered his waist: "Prajna Bodhisattva?!"
…
…
Built the road.
Unlike the capital city, which is geographically located in the north, Jiancheng Road does not have the spring-like weather of Lingnan all year round, but its climate is also pleasant.
After the arrival of the God of Spring, the earth turned green and flowers and plants began to grow. Literati from all over the country came in groups to go on outings.
On this day, Prince Jing’s palace was full of people, and they went out for an outing.
Prince Jing, who has an elegant temperament, slightly gray temples, and looks somewhat like the late emperor, is wearing gorgeous clothes and standing under the shade of a tree, looking at the stream in the distance where his young sons and daughters are playing and making noises.
Beads of various colors were wrapped around his right arm, which was glittering but not vulgar.
"Father, the secret agent has delivered the latest intelligence about the Kuangfu Society." Crown Prince Xu Jinglong pulled behind him and bowed his head respectfully.
"explain."
"After Zhuang Xiaocheng was beheaded in the capital, the court sent shadow guards to spread rumors about him across the country. It was quite effective. Although it was only a short time, even within our Jiancheng Dao and the streets began to talk about him. The reputation of the Kuangfu Society plummeted to the bottom."
Prince Jing snorted coldly:
"What a trick! This must be the work of Zhao Duan again. Not only has it damaged Zhuang Xiaocheng's reputation, it has also shaken the very foundation of the rumors painstakingly fabricated by the Kuangfu Society. With such a spineless and shameless scheme, no one else in the court would use it."
After a pause, he asked again:
"What was the reaction of the Kuangfu Society? How did they deal with it?"
Xu Jinglong said with great regret:
"There was no response. After Zhuang Xiaocheng's death, the Kuangfu Society was in disarray. Fortunately, Xu Jianwen's son, the banner, was still alive. Qi Yuchun took up the mantle and appeased the people, barely preventing the society from falling apart. However, the society was severely weakened, and it was impossible for them to fight against the imperial court in the short term."
Prince Jing didn't care much:
"Qi Yuchun has all the muscle but no ideas. Kuangfu Social Network will never achieve anything significant under his control. If Zhuang Xiaocheng had agreed to submit to me, why would he have ended up like this? Oh, but it's good that he's around. It's hard to control the orphan and widow left behind by Xu Jianwen..."
"Father is planning to..."
"No rush," Prince Jing pondered for a moment, then raised his hand to stop him. "Haste makes waste. Let Qi Yuchun hold on for a while, and see which prince will be unable to resist and take action."
"Yes," Xu Jinglong nodded, and then changed the subject:
"The secret agent also sent a message saying that the bribery case involving the Marquis of Liu'an on the Huai River has leaked out and has been reported to the Inspector General. However, it has not been confirmed yet."
"Stupid," Prince Jing snorted coldly, his contempt evident.
"These local nobles have been living in comfort for too long. Bribing to install minor officials is fine, but they're so bold as to seek the position of prefect. It's so obvious that the court would have to be blind to not notice. That Marquis of Liu'an is also a bold and foolish man."
Xu Jinglong thought for a moment and said politely:
"Presumably, those Jiangnan gentry are desperate and trying all sorts of remedies, fearing the new policies."
Prince Jing said calmly:
"But it's better to expose it. By now, my niece must be furious. After a thorough investigation, she will surely send officials from the capital to severely punish these nobles, so as to pave the way for future officials.
We just need to sit back and watch the fight, wait for the imperial court to come down and hurt these clansmen, frighten them, and then we can help them. This way, these people will know that their only way to survive is to fully support me."
Xu Jinglong smiled and said:
"Father is using a knife to kill someone. These local nobles appear respectful to us, but in reality, they are not very obedient. By tormenting them like this, the court will actually help Father train his dogs and strengthen our wings."
Prince Jing's mouth curled up slightly, his expression somewhat smug:
"What else?"
"Oh, the second son of the head of the Shen family, the one called Second Master Shen, died of illness. It is said that the old lady of the Shen family was too sad and fainted for a short time." Xu Jinglong had a gossipy expression on his face.
Second Master Shen... Prince Jing seemed to be thinking:
"Has the cause of death been determined?"
"It is said that a sinister poison entered his body. Second Master Shen fell ill when he returned from the capital last year. He said to the outside world that he contracted a cold poison due to the harsh mountains and rivers on the journey, but after my son's inquiries, it is suspected that he was killed by a master."
Last year, Zhao Duan rushed to Taicang, arrested the governor Gao Lian and brought him back to Beijing.
Gao Lian's wife, Shen, was the daughter of the Shen family, a wealthy family in Jianchengdao. In other words, Gao Lian had the support of the Shen family.
At that time, the second master of the Shen family went to Beijing and met with Li Yanfu, the leader of the "Li Party". He wanted to use Gao Lian's case to bargain with the empress and silence the Taicang County Magistrate.
Later, Zhao Duan sneaked into the prison and killed Gao Lian. The empress then sent palace servants to intercept Master Shen who was hastily fleeing the capital and warned him.
In fact, his life was cut short. After Mr. Shen came back, he fell ill and could not get up. Even though the Shen family invited many miracle doctors, they could only keep him alive for two more months.
"The old lady of the Shen family doted on this grandson very much. He was even more favored than the nominal head of the family. Now he died at the hands of my niece... Haha, the old lady of the Shen family will probably wait for an opportunity to take revenge." Prince Jing said with a smile.
Prince Xu asked curiously, "Does the old lady dare?"
Prince Jing sighed and said:
"Many times, the older a woman is, the more terrifying she is when she goes mad, and she doesn't care about the consequences. When you act outside in the future, don't assume that everyone is calm and patient, and that you can manipulate them. Haven't you heard that when a warrior gets angry, blood splatters within five steps?"
"My son has learned a lesson."
Prince Jing nodded and looked at his young sons who were fishing in the river, and Princess Lu Yan'er, who was standing by the river with a smile on her face and always pretended to be gentle in front of outsiders.
He said, "The Governor of the Grand Canal still refuses to bow his head. Go and give him a lesson. Remember to do it cleanly and don't involve the palace."
Xu Jinglong smiled and said, "Don't worry, father."
…
Xu Jinglong brought a few guards with him, left the suburbs in a light vehicle, and arrived at a dock.
There were people waiting at the dock, respectfully welcoming His Royal Highness the Crown Prince onto a small boat and heading towards a ship anchored on the river.
On the boat, young men in uniform grey short-sleeved shirts stood respectfully.
In front of this group of people, the leader was a middle-aged man wearing a green scholar's gown, holding a folding fan, and with his hair combed meticulously, looking like a Confucian scholar.
"The distinguished guest invites you to chat in the cabin."
The scholar in blue robes smiled and raised his hand, looking like a well-educated and well-mannered descendant of a scholarly family.
Xu Jinglong looked calm, neither smiling nor angry. He walked into the cabin without any expression. When the door closed, there were only two people left in the room.
The scholar in blue robes suddenly fell to the ground in respectful worship, almost crawling on his face: "He Xiaolou respectfully welcomes His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Xu Jinglong was arrogant, his eyes filled with condescending indifference. He didn't look at He Xiaolou who was kneeling in front of him. He sat down slowly, picked up a pear from the exquisite fruit plate, and said lightly:
"I'll ask you to do something. Make sure you have nice hands and feet."
"Your Highness, please give your orders."
"The wife and daughter of the Grand Canal Governor have returned to their hometown. They will be coming back in a few days and will definitely take the river. The river is your Cao Gang's territory. Tie them up and hide them, then..."
The leader of the Cao Gang, He Xiaolou, was a well-known figure in the gangs of Jiancheng Road and even the Huaishui Road. He was a big shot in the underworld with countless followers. He listened quietly, with a little sweat on his forehead.
"Remember?" Xu Jinglong asked after he finished his instructions.
"I remember."
"Huh? I didn't hear clearly."
"...I forgot. I don't remember anything." He Xiaolou changed his words.
"Very good." Xu Jinglong, who was always submissive in front of his father but punched hard in front of others, smiled with satisfaction, threw the half-bitten pear aside, letting it roll in the cabin, and walked out casually:
"The leader of the Cao Gang is quite comfortable. The fruits and vegetables are even fresher than those in the palace."
He Xiaolou bowed his head and said, "I will order someone to pick the freshest ones and send them to the palace."
"Let's go." Xu Jinglong got off the boat without looking back.
After watching the Crown Prince leave, He Xiaolou slowly calmed down and resumed the demeanor of a scholar, but the gloom between his brows lingered.
A confidant glanced at his leader's knees and saw some dust on his robe, so he squatted down and brushed it off.
He Xiaolou held a folding fan in his hand, looked at the water flowing in the river, and said:
"Take someone with you."
Behind him, a warrior with an iron rod on his back and a red silk wrapped around his right arm said "hmm" softly.
"I'm going back to rest. Tell them to take the boat home." He Xiaolou turned around and went back into the cabin.
Soon, the entire ship sailed along the river and headed into the distance. However, as it left, at the stern, a warrior wrapped in red silk threw a fresh corpse into the turbulent river with an expressionless face.
"Bang!"
The gang member who had just brushed the dust off He Xiaolou's knees opened his eyes wide. The lifeless body rolled down, and a ball of white waves suddenly appeared.
…
…
The people from Qingshan left the capital quietly without attracting much attention.
The martial arts competition was just a prelude to the once-in-a-century showdown between the Empress and Wu Xiankui.
In addition to causing a big stir in the officialdom, the news was slowly spread to the world through the mouths of insiders, but this was a long process.
A few days after the competition ended, an official ship set sail again from the capital's wharf and headed south.
…
“Wow—”
Amid the familiar sound of waves, Zhao Duan, driven by his biological clock, ended this round of meditation and breathing on time.
He pried open his eyelids and saw the familiar cabin scene.
"I never rode a boat in my previous life, but I'm really enjoying it this time."
Zhao Duan sighed softly and rubbed his cheeks with his hands to relieve the fatigue accumulated from the long boat ride.
"In this age without entertainment, sailing is truly dull. I suddenly understand why Xu Fu brought 300 boys and girls with him on his voyage to the East... What does long-term vision and foresight mean? He's made it clear to me now... By comparison, Zheng He's voyages to the West weren't very successful. Besides the male crew, the only people on board were old women doing laundry... Zheng He didn't understand a thing... Oh, Zheng He was a eunuch... That's fine, then."
Many days had passed since we left the capital. As spring deepened, the wind direction on the Grand Canal was favorable and the ship was traveling at a very fast speed.
But the last time he sailed south, he only reached the border of Linfeng and Huai River. This time, he crossed the Huai River and arrived in Jiancheng Dao.
Logically speaking, the Fengshan team should be huge, riding on a huge dragon boat, flying the bright yellow dragon flag, and officials and people lining the streets to welcome them wherever they pass.
But the above was only the scene when the empress entered the south during the Xia Dynasty. Zhao Duan was leading his men to attack the front this time, so he naturally couldn't be so extravagant.
Moreover, considering the dense hatred value around him, Zhao Duan kept an extremely low profile on this trip. He even ordered his spies to block the news and try to enter the country quietly, so as to attract the attention of the local nobles in Jiancheng Road and his old rival Prince Jing later.
Therefore, the ship hardly stopped along the way, except for the necessary supplies. The journey was extremely boring, and the few books carried were all torn to pieces.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the cabin door, and then without waiting for his response, the door was pushed open.
Outside the door, there stood a female Bodhisattva with a plump figure, skin as white as porcelain, long hair that was no less beautiful than Zhenbao's, and almost transparent eyes.
Prajna Bodhisattva, wearing her thin monk's robe that was almost see-through, smiled and said:
"Donor Zhao, it's time for lunch."
Zhao Duan subconsciously took two steps back and said helplessly:
"Buddha, how many times have I told you to knock before entering... Uh, even though you knocked this time, you should have waited until I agreed to let you in. What if it's not convenient for me at this time and you just barged in, wouldn't that be..."
Prajna Bodhisattva's face, smooth as a peeled egg and without wrinkles, looked nothing like he was over fifty years old. He smiled brightly.
"Isn't that just right?"
"...Buddha, please respect yourself! Don't forget what His Majesty said before you left the capital!"
Zhao Duan's scalp was tingling, and he was a little upset by this female Bodhisattva who kept coming to him and could fly all over the country of Yu State.
Prajna Bodhisattva's smile remained unchanged, but his expression was somewhat gloomy:
"Of course I remember. Her Majesty once said, 'If I dare to eat you, she will peel my skin.' However, this place is thousands of miles away from the capital, and the emperor is far away. I am confident that I can conceal any movement with my magic. My benefactor, the journey is so boring, aren't you tempted?"
(End of this chapter)
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