Chapter 49: Report to Your Majesty, the firearms case was solved last night
That night, because it was too late and he had to report to his superiors, Zhao Duan did not go home, but spent the night in Baima Prison.
The next morning, when Zhao Duan opened his eyes, it was already bright.
He washed carefully, changed into his official robes in front of the mirror, and picked out a sandalwood sachet. Looking at the handsome face in the bronze mirror, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly:
“Done!”
When meeting the empress, you have to pay attention to your image.
"It's a pity the scent of the sachet is just average. In time-travel novels, how was perfume invented? The Empress would probably like it..."
With all sorts of thoughts running through his mind, he ordered the servant to bring him some food and took a quick bite.
When he walked out of the yamen, he saw Zhou Cang, dressed in brocade clothes, waiting by the carriage.
"My lord, I have prepared the carriage." Zhou Cang smiled.
Zhao Duan deliberately said last night, "I don't care what the interrogation reveals." What he meant was that he only wanted the credit for solving the case and arresting the suspects.
Leave the Zhang brothers to Ma Dugong, and whatever information they dig out will be considered the property of the imperial court.
This is a very "sensible" way of doing a favor.
Ma Yan understood the hint and returned the favor.
Therefore, he will not be accompanied into the palace this time to avoid competing for credit with Zhao Duan. Only a centurion will be sent to create a sense of participation.
I went to the imperial court at night to frame the Zhang brothers. Last night, the jailer in the imperial court heard screams that lasted all night.
Haha... I hope you can dig out something, Old Ma. Anyway, this information from the "Privy Council" belongs to me... Zhao Duan has no shame about intercepting it.
…
…
The two of them hurried towards the palace in no hurry.
Xu Zhenguan had a strict schedule. After the morning court session, he would review memorials or chat privately with ministers. No one would be disturbed unless it was an emergency.
It was already morning when Zhao Duan arrived at the imperial city.
He ordered Zhou Cang to wait outside and went into the palace for the third time alone with the eunuch leading the way.
I thought I would be asked to wait in the side hall.
But he didn't expect that soon after the message was passed, the elderly female official he was familiar with came over with a smile:
"Envoy, His Majesty invites you over."
The status has been significantly improved, and there is no need to queue up to enter the server.
Zhao Duan was flattered and thanked him, then became curious:
"Your Majesty is not busy at this hour? Should I go to the Imperial Study?"
The older female officer smiled and said:
"His Majesty is currently conversing with Lord Yuan in the Imperial Gardens. Since he has summoned you, I believe there will be no delay."
Mr. Yuan?
Zhao Duan was startled and blurted out, "The Imperial Censor of the current dynasty?"
The older palace maid smiled and said, "What else? Who else is there in Dayu called Yuan?"
Yuan Li!
Zhao Duan must be very familiar with this name.
There are two groups confronting each other in the current court. One side is headed by Li Yanfu, who is backed by the Jiangnan gentry and ministers of the old emperor's generation.
The other side was the "Qingliu Party" headed by Yuan Li, the Imperial Censor of the Censorate.
It was based on censors and absorbed a large number of scholars from outside Jiangnan.
He is a new generation of giants in the court who rose to prominence after the empress ascended the throne.
As the "party leader", Yuan Li was a first-rank official. Like Li Yanfu, he was a big shot. If he stomped his feet, the Dayu Dynasty would tremble.
But he is different from Li Yanfu, who is shrewd and powerful.
Yuan Li has a very good reputation, especially among scholars, and is highly respected.
He served as the chief examiner of the imperial examinations many times, and his students were spread across various provinces.
Zhao Duan remembered that after he came to power, he wanted to visit Mr. Yuan, but the visiting card he sent fell on deaf ears.
I was angry about this for a while, but now I think it was just that the original owner was stupid and didn't know his own worth.
"Is Mr. Yuan here today?"
Zhao Duan was surprised and felt a strong curiosity in his heart.
Well, after all, from the perspective of camp division, if Li Yanfu is his enemy, then even if Yuan Shikai cannot be considered an ally, he is definitely someone he can show goodwill to.
Bah, bah, bah... Why is my mind full of licking? Where is the backbone of a time traveler... Zhao Duan straightened his back.
As they were talking, the two arrived at the Imperial Garden.
In midsummer, the garden is lush and green with pavilions, towers, flowing water, rockery, and clusters of precious flowers and trees transplanted from all over the world.
The growth is good.
The winding stone path is long, with a waiter standing every few dozen meters. The fragrance of flowers fills the air and the kingfishers sing softly.
Zhao Duan walked along curiously, and soon a pavilion appeared in front of him.
The pavilion stood beside the pond, and was served by beauties in palace dress, their white breasts dazzling.
In the pavilion, two figures were sitting opposite each other playing chess.
The person on the left is none other than the Empress Xu Zhenguan of Dayu. After not seeing her for a few days, the Empress still looks as beautiful as ever, with white clothes and black hair, and an extraordinary appearance.
The man on the right is wearing a sky-blue double-breasted robe and an official hat. He is about fifty years old, elegant and handsome, with deep eyes that reflect the vicissitudes of life washed away by time.
Even though its appearance has declined with the passage of time, it is still as fragrant and mellow as a jar of old wine.
"His Majesty……"
The older female official was about to speak when Zhao Duan suddenly raised his hand to interrupt her and shook his head.
With the Empress's cultivation level, she would have noticed his arrival long ago without any need to inform anyone.
"Give it to me."
Zhao Duan caught a glimpse of a palace maid approaching with tea utensils in her hands. He raised his hand to take it, placing a white towel in his palm. The precious purple clay teapot was heated to just the right temperature.
Zhao Duan stepped into the pavilion, walked around to the side of the two people playing chess, and carefully poured tea with slow and familiar movements.
In his previous life, the leader he followed was quite fond of traditional culture, including tea ceremony, calligraphy, Go, Chinese painting, etc.
He also loves reading history books. There is always a copy of "The 15th Year of Wanli" on his desk. He is not pretending, but really likes it.
Zhao Duan is an ambitious person, whether he learns by osmosis or by deliberate study.
In short, after several years of experience, I have not studied this kind of knowledge in depth, but at least I have a broad understanding.
In addition, "later generations" have a broader vision, and chess records of famous players can be found everywhere.
At this moment, taking a glance at the chessboard, the intertwined black and white pieces made it clear that both players were quite skilled.
Unfortunately, people in this era pay attention to the "gentlemanly style" when playing chess, and they should be upright and dignified.
Therefore, the study of chess tends to focus on the big picture, but the art of fighting for victory is not studied in depth.
Therefore, Zhao Duan, who had suffered a lot from AlphaGo, glanced at it and felt bored.
If he had taken over, he would have won the game long ago.
"despair."
Xu Zhenguan seemed not to notice his arrival. He looked straight ahead and casually placed a piece, saying:
"...So, Lord Yuan thinks that Jiancheng Dao should make some moves on the salt and iron business this year?"
Oh no, it’s obvious that the two of them were playing chess in disguise and discussing state affairs in reality.
Before this, some topics should have been discussed.
Zhao Duan interrupted in the middle of the conversation and was completely confused, lacking understanding of the context.
"Your Majesty has already made up his mind. Why do you have to ask me what I think?"
Yuan Li said with a smile, and after a little thought, he also placed a piece.
Xu Zhenguan sighed:
"The matter of salt and iron is of great importance. Jiancheng Dao has been prosperous since ancient times, with thriving commerce. There have been no natural disasters in the past two years, yet the tax revenue collected by the national treasury is unsatisfactory. I do not believe that there is no one involved in this."
Isn't it... aren't we talking about such important things? Should I retreat... Zhao Duan blinked.
But since the empress called him over instead of asking him to wait, it should be said that she didn't care if he heard this.
Moreover, the three words "Jiancheng Dao"... also concerned him.
Yuan Li was silent for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, are you still worried about Prince Jing?"
Xu Zhenguan's beautiful eyes dimmed as she said:
"How can I feel at ease when a tiger lies on my bed? Just like this game of chess, my uncle seems harmless and defensive, but in reality, he is just like your chess moves, full of hidden dangers."
The Imperial Censor in Blue Clothes said:
"But ultimately, Your Majesty holds the upper hand. I can only go to great lengths to calculate a few grains."
"A thousand-mile embankment is destroyed by an ant hole. If too many stones are taken away, the whole building will collapse." The empress sighed.
"But Your Majesty cannot be ruthless. After all, there are wolves all around. If you start a fight too early, you might just overturn the chessboard for those outside the game. Just like a person who has just recovered from a serious illness, if you give him strong medicine, he might die. You must recuperate slowly."
"Mr. Yuan is right, but in this case, I will become the defending party." Xu Zhenguan looked depressed.
"Your Majesty, are you still worried about the firearms craftsman?" Yuan Li hesitated.
"Shouldn't it be handed over to Ma Yan for investigation?"
Xu Zhenguan snorted, looking unhappy:
"It's just a trick. I've already ordered him to re-investigate."
From his conversation, it seemed as if he had already guessed that it was related to Prince Jing, but there was no evidence.
In other words, judging by the conversation between the two just now, the empress actually doesn't care whether there is evidence or not.
After all, the conflict between her and the "Eight Kings" is very deep, and it will be a bomb sooner or later. When the time comes to take action, won't it be easy for her to find a reason?
What really worried her was that she didn't know who the "ant" was hiding in the "thousand-mile dike" of the court.
Where is it hidden?
Yuan Li sighed softly:
"I'm afraid it's difficult. Ma Yan has always been dedicated to his work. Since he can't find anything, he must have tried his best. It would be difficult to find anything even if he searches further."
Xu Zhenguan dropped the chess piece in his hand, looking depressed, and said bitterly:
"I know this truth..."
At this time, Zhao Duan, who was standing next to him pretending to be invisible, couldn't help it.
He cleared his cough, attracting the attention of the two big men.
The empress's beautiful eyebrows frowned, and she finally turned her head to look at him:
"If you have something to say, just say it."
Zhao Duan took a deep breath, bowed to the two of them one after another, and then said seriously:
"Your Majesty, the case of the firearms craftsman was solved last night!"
(End of this chapter)
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