Chapter 493: Returning Home, Firearms, and the Emperor and His Ministers Watching Paintings by Lamplight (6k)
You haven't been there... have you?
The old Taoist priest held the bottom of the green porcelain cup with two fingers, and his dark pupils in his narrow eyes suddenly glanced at Zhao Duan, as if trying to peek into his true inner reaction from the subtle expressions on his face.
However, he was disappointed. Zhao Duan, who was suddenly ambushed and asked a question, had a college student-like clarity and stupidity on his face.
It seemed as if two big characters were written:
Confused!
"What? Me?" Zhao Duan raised his right hand suspiciously, twisted his wrist, and pointed his middle finger at himself: "Old Zhang, are you sure you're not kidding me?"
He said unhappily:
"I know you're jealous of my incredible talent, but there's no need to force yourself on me to add to my resume some nonexistent experience. Speaking of which, why can't you get in? Is it dangerous there?"
Zhang Yan looked at him for a moment, then slowly withdrew his gaze and blew on the porcelain bowl in disappointment:
"It's just a joke. As for why we can't go, it's indeed a bit dangerous... Well, that area is a bit special. The deeper you go, the more the cultivators' cultivation will be suppressed.
Oh, don't look at me like that. The world is so big that there are all kinds of strange things. Not to mention the north, even south of the Yu State, from the Yunfu Road into the territory of the Liao people, through the thick miasma, there is also an isolated and unknown land.
As for the sea and desert in the east and west, even with the cultivation of a celestial being, it is still difficult to explore...
Oh, the power of monks mostly comes from gods, and the more isolated and inaccessible the place is, the less likely the gods can radiate. Naturally, monks will decline into mortals like fish out of water.
Only warriors are stronger, but they can't go very far physically."
Is that so? No wonder I haven't found a "world map" in this world. The maps that exist only cover the Thousand Islands of the East China Sea and the Great Snow Mountains of the Western Regions...
I've always said that if there were no restrictions, there would definitely be powerful people in this world who would go out and explore the world...
Zhao Duan secretly wrote down these key information. He had no idea of making a great voyage or hiking through the desert to explore the boundaries of the world.
But the unknown land in the Mubei Forest and south of Yunfu, where the alien race "獠人族" lived, aroused his strong interest.
"Heh, but the extraordinary talent you've displayed is indeed no worse than those legendary figures who have been to Mubei.
When His Majesty chose you, he must have seen that you were special. So, is it strange that I want to accept you as my disciple?
Including Xuan Yin... Ha, that bald donkey must have been eyeing you for a long time, but you better be careful, he probably wants you dead even more. Zhang Yan glanced at him and said in a teasing tone:
"Back then, during the debate, you actually caused the Buddha to appear. This was undoubtedly a threat to Xuan Yin, who was plotting to replace the Buddha. In contrast, your defeat of Tian Hai didn't even attract Xuan Yin's attention."
Zhao Duan's heart skipped a beat and he looked up at the old Taoist priest.
He met the latter's smiling eyes.
I was “clicked”!
With his intelligence, he could hear that Zhang Yanyi was reminding him to be careful and guard against Xuan Yin.
Yes!
At this moment, Zhao Duan suddenly recalled that in Jianning Mansion, the "God of Law" was hunting him down. If Zhenbao had not arrived in time, he would have died.
Combined with the battle in Baihua Village and the pursuit by the Buddhist sect... Zhao Duan was suddenly startled.
He had always thought that Xuan Yin's target was Zhen Bao, and he was implicated only because he worked for Zhen Bao.
But today, Zhang Yanyi revealed the story of "Tianshu's destruction of Buddhism" six hundred years ago, as well as the story of Maya Xingzhi a thousand years ago, and also mentioned the secrets of Mubei Forest...
All of this is "telling" him:
"The one Xuan Yin really wants to kill might be me!? Is that even possible? Yes... As a capable minister of the imperial court, I might not be in Xuan Yin's eyes, but I am favored by the Buddha, and I promoted the split of the Shenlong Temple... and..."
Zhao Duan suddenly remembered that he had met a Red Sect master from the Western Regions in the West and that he was the so-called "incarnation of the Buddha in the human world."
He just felt it was outrageous and strange.
But it is obvious that there are indeed too many "extraordinary" things in me.
In other words, his greatest extraordinary thing is that he traveled through time and space to this world.
Over the past year or so, he has gradually grown and become a popular figure around the empress, and his many "extraordinary" qualities have gradually attracted attention.
Zhang Yanyi's suspicion that he was related to Mubei Forest was evidence.
Thinking deeper...
From the very beginning, his own way of cultivating the "God of War" was different from others.
Whether it is the lifelike figure of Old Xu, the founder of the Yu Kingdom, in the "Picture of the God of War", or the "dragon soul" entering his body under his guidance and recognizing him as its master.
Or in the "Six Chapters Sutra", I was the only one who unlocked the hidden level character "Pei Niannu"...
All of this is shrouded in mystery, and combined with the "foresight" of the Red Sect mage... unknowingly, he has grown to the point where he is being watched and speculated about by the powerful celestial beings.
"Even if Xuan Yin doesn't necessarily want to kill me, he definitely wants to capture me and study me... just like Lao Zhang's special care for me and his repeated tests... but because of Zhen Bao and Lao Zhang's presence, Xuan Yin doesn't dare to target me openly..."
Zhao Duan suddenly felt a strong sense of urgency in his heart.
The joy of advancing to the "world" not long ago is gone.
At the beginning of his journey through time, he only wanted to rely on the resources of the court, and when his cultivation level grew enough to protect himself, he could leave.
But now, since he was bound to Zhenbao, he no longer thought about escaping, but regarded the "Eight Kings Rebellion" as his own business.
And because of his own peculiarities, he was very likely to be on Xuan Yin's "hunting list"...
Zhao Duan was silent. It seemed that there was only one way before him, which was to step into the "Heavenly Man" and have the confidence to fight against Xuan Yin's hunting.
Well, before that, he still needs to cling to his wife Zhenbao's thigh... and resolve the Rebellion of the Eight Kings, otherwise the court will fall and he will lose his backing.
"Haha, after going around in circles, everything has returned to the starting point."
Zhao Duan laughed at himself in his heart, but he quickly cheered up and became more and more curious about the various "special" things about himself.
"Thank you for the reminder, Master. I will be careful and will not bother you any more." Zhao Duan put the "Wordless Golden Scripture" in his arms and thanked Zhang Yan seriously.
Well, although Lao Zhang also coveted his body, his methods were fair and aboveboard, and he showed favors many times. Zhao Duan believed that he had a clear distinction between gratitude and resentment.
Zhang Yanyi was not used to his serious attitude and waved his hand to drive him away:
"Go away, go away. You're pretending to be a decent person."
Zhao Duan said goodbye and left with a playful smile.
After everyone left, Zhang Yanyi suddenly asked, "How was it?"
A blurry face protruded from the lush crown of the large banyan tree in the courtyard:
"He has none of the air of the northern forests."
It has nothing to do with Mubei Forest... Zhang Yan frowned, then relaxed, picking up the heavenly book:
"Let nature take its course...or perhaps the time has not come yet. We'll see."
…
…
Walking out of the gate of Tianshi Mansion, Zhao Duan looked back at the building and buried his doubts deep in his heart.
Shaking his head, he cheered up and rode home. His conversation with Zhang Yanyi revealed a corner of the fog of the world, but those things were still too far away from him.
Zhao Mansion.
As soon as Zhao Duan entered the alley, the servant guarding the door's eyes lit up, and he turned around and shouted excitedly towards the courtyard:
"The master is back!"
Immediately, the entire Zhao Mansion became noisy and bustling.
The gate of the mansion was wide open, and the servants inside rushed to welcome him, with such joy that they were almost beating drums and gongs and setting off firecrackers.
"Da Lang (Big Brother)!"
As Zhao Duan stepped into the mansion, he saw his stepmother and sister, surrounded by servants, almost jogging towards him.
It was midsummer and the weather was hot. Eugene Hua was wearing a thin dark green long dress that dragged on the ground. She looked dignified and gentle. She bit her lips and stared at her stepson who had returned safely, almost crying with joy.
He trotted over, took Zhao Duan's hand with one hand, raised the other hand, stroked his face, eyes full of concern:
"I got tanned and lost weight."
Beside her, Zhao Pan was wearing a light yellow skirt, looking very "lady of noble family", but the eagerness in her eyes showed that her nature was still that of a strong-willed girl from a family of warriors. She said with a smile:
"Brother is full of energy and vitality. He will recover at home for a while and will be fat and healthy again."
No... I lost weight because my vitality was drained away... Zhao Duan complained inwardly, then smiled and generously gave the mother and daughter a hug:
"I'm back. My aunt and sister are missing me at home."
Ah, this... The mother and daughter, who were not used to the etiquette of later generations, blushed suddenly. The servants around them lowered their heads tacitly and pretended not to see - they were accustomed to their master's occasional strange behavior.
"Da Lang, there are guests in the mansion." Eugene Hua reminded in a low voice with a panicked look in his eyes.
"guest?"
"Yes, it's Chen Gui from the Firearms Bureau of Shenjiying. He came to visit not long ago. He said he learned that you had returned and came to visit."
Chen Gui? The technical talent nicknamed "Chen Vulcan" in the military? Zhao Duan's eyes lit up.
"Where are they?"
…
After a while, Zhao Duan saw Chen Gui in the living room of his home.
The chief craftsman in charge of firearms manufacturing still had a thin appearance, a goatee, and a touch of arrogance and aloofness between his brows, which was unique to "technical talents".
Last year, Zhao Duan was promoted to the position of deputy commander of the Shenjiying. He set up a plan to connect Chen Huoshen and Gongshu Tianyuan and provided ideas for the design of new firearms.
He developed a new generation of firearms for the State of Yu, and then he ignored it. Now, more than half a year has passed, and Zhao Duan, the deputy commander, has not paid much attention to it.
"Zhao Chenshi! I heard that you and His Majesty had returned to quell the rebellion, so I took the liberty to come to your residence to pay my respects. Now that I see that you are even more dignified, I know that the rumors are true. This is truly a cause for celebration and a blessing for our country of Yu!"
Chen Gui stood up respectfully, all the arrogance of a technician on his face gone, and he made no effort to hide his joy.
For such technical people, even emperors and generals can only respect them at most.
There is only one kind of person who can truly convince them, and that is the "technical god".
When Zhao Duan was at the Tianshi Mansion, he gave lectures to Chen Huoshen and Gongshu Tianyuan. His theories were so profound that they directly impressed Chen Huoshen.
It can be said that in the entire Shenji Camp, the people who respect and recognize Zhao Duan the most are the technical personnel in the Firearms Bureau.
"Haha, it's been a while since we last met. Old Chen, you've finally learned to flatter me."
Zhao Duan smiled and joked, motioning him to sit down:
"Why, Shi Meng didn't come?"
Chen Gui sat down respectfully and said:
"Commander Shi leads the Shenji Battalion. Without orders, he dares not enter the city at this critical moment. That's why I'm here to see you."
Yes, Li Yanfu is rebelling in the city, and both imperial guards are rebelling... The commanders of the Shenji Camp really don't dare to move rashly, otherwise they'll be suspected of "treason" and they'll be finished...
Zhao Duan expressed his understanding:
"I heard that the Qingzhou army is approaching, and the Five Army Battalions are deployed to stop them, but the Divine Machine Battalion has not yet been mobilized. You've arrived just in time. The unrest in the city has been quelled, and Your Majesty has returned in full force. Next, we should deal with these rebel princes... How about the manufacture of firearms?"
Chen Huoshen's face immediately broke into a smile, his eyebrows dancing with joy, as if he was showing off a treasure:
"Your Excellency, I have come here to report this matter. Thanks to the design ideas you provided, and the assistance of the Priest Gongshu, the Firearms Bureau has overcome difficulties over the past six months and successfully produced a large number of new firearms.
We have ammunition now, but the only thing missing is that the soldiers are still not used to the new firearms in actual combat..."
Zhao Duan listened to the latter's report quietly, and felt a little surprised.
Previously, a group of ministers in the palace discussed how to quickly pacify the Qingzhou soldiers in one fell swoop to prevent them from retreating back to Qingzhou and causing trouble.
Although the capital city no longer fears external enemies, if the Qingzhou rebels are not dealt with first, Prince Heng will continue to stir up trouble, harass and attack the people outside the capital city... destroy farmland, and cut off trade routes...
In a city with a population of one million, if people's livelihood is in trouble, no matter how strong the Zhenbao is, it will not be able to feed a million mouths...
Therefore, how to quickly eliminate this group of weaker rebels before King Heng has time to escape is a big problem.
"The capital has been peaceful for years, so the soldiers naturally lack opportunities for actual combat training," Zhao Duan said with a dangerous smile on his face.
"But isn't there a great opportunity for actual combat right now?"
"You mean..." Chen Gui was not stupid and pointed to the east.
Zhao Duan smiled and patted his shoulder:
"Go back and tell Shi Meng that the Shenji Battalion is ready to march. But remember, the details of the camp's firearms are strictly forbidden to be disclosed, not even to the Privy Council. Anyone who asks, tell them I forbid it."
Can he finally show his power?
Chen Gui's eyes lit up with excitement. As a firearms fanatic, he had been holding back for the past six months and was eager to bring out his new firearms to shock the whole world.
"Yes, I'll do it right away!"
Chen Gui stood up and said goodbye, not staying for even a quarter of an hour.
After seeing off Chen Huoshen, Zhao Duan sat in the hall, silently thinking about his next plan:
"After entering the worldly realm, it's time for me to go to the palace to visualize the third mural of the "God of War" passing through. Speaking of which, Zhenbao was hesitant about the murals, and it seemed that the subsequent murals were very mysterious.
"In the Shenlong Temple, I severely injured the head of the Arhat Hall with a single blow. It may seem glorious, but it was actually just a short-term outburst.
"The cultivation level gained through 'Dual Cultivation' is still too watered down. If I want to take a further step and step into the realm of Heaven and Man to counter the Mysterious Seal, I must calm down, lay a solid foundation, and let it settle for a while to squeeze out the water.
"As for the Li Party's rebellion, I don't need to worry about it. There are people in the court who can handle the confiscation of property..."
Zhao Duan was thinking when he heard the barking of a Pekingese dog and Zhao Pan calling out from outside the door:
"Brother, it's time to eat."
…
After several months, Zhao Duan had a reunion dinner at home and got a short rest.
The dinner was very sumptuous. After Eugene Hua learned of his return at noon, she had ordered the cook to prepare the food.
Zhao Duan ate with relish. After advancing, his appetite increased again. He devoured the entire table of food in no time.
Eugene Hua and Zhao Pan, on the other hand, didn't eat much. They each held a jade bowl and watched him eat with a smile, their eyes curved into two pairs of crescents.
"After eating and drinking, I have to go to the palace. Don't wait for me."
When Zhao Duan put down his bowl and chopsticks, it was already dusk. He threw down these words, changed his clothes, and headed straight for the palace.
After the summer sunset disappears, the sky will remain "bright" for a while. The smoke from cooking fires in the entire capital gradually becomes intermittent, and the ancient and quaint buildings seem to be covered by a huge green gauze curtain.
“Da da da…”
Amid the sound of horse hooves, Zhao Duan entered the palace again. Naturally, there was no obstruction along the way. When he entered, he found that the guards at the South Gate had been replaced.
In the Meridian Gate Square, the bodies had been moved and cleaned up, the ground was covered with water, and some palace servants were holding mops and cleaning the bloodstains on the ground again and again in the light of the surrounding torches.
There was a faint smell of blood in the air.
The entire palace was filled with solemnity.
"Mr. Zhao."
"Meet the young guard."
Along the way, female officials and eunuchs stopped their work and saluted him.
Only important officials like Li Yanfu could enjoy such treatment.
Zhao Duan still remembered the first day he traveled through time and space, the first time he entered the palace. Like the other palace maids, he stood servilely by the road with his head lowered, and watched Prime Minister Li Yanfu leave the palace.
At that time, Li Yanfu didn't even turn his eyes to him.
Now, just over a year later, Li Yanfu was thrown into prison, the entire "Li Party" disappeared, and his hands were stained with blood along the way.
When we arrived at the imperial study, the lights were bright.
After ordering someone to pass the message, Zhao Duan soon stepped into the room.
In the brightly lit study, he saw the Queen of Yu, who was rubbing her wrist slowly. She was wearing a white dress, with long black hair like a waterfall and a fairy-like face.
Xu Zhenguan rubbed his snow-white wrist, his brush placed aside. The desk was filled with letters he had reviewed. He smiled brightly at him:
"You're here."
"Yeah." Zhao Duan walked over, went around the back of the empress, put his hands on her shoulders and kneaded them gently.
Xu Zhenguan did not refuse, happily enjoying the massage from his future husband, and took the initiative to say:
"The chaos caused by the Li Clan has largely subsided. The Imperial Prison, the Imperial Court, the Ministry of Justice, and the Dali Temple are overcrowded... Under normal circumstances, a major earthquake like this would have destabilized the entire court. But now, when the real fighting begins, it's much easier than expected."
Zhao Duan "moved his hands up and down" and said with a smile:
"The situation is different now. Today is different from the past. We are facing external enemies now. As the saying goes, in troubled times, severe punishments are needed. At this critical juncture, no one will make trouble."
Xu Zhenguan hummed comfortably and squinted his eyes like a cat:
"This is a good opportunity to fill the positions vacated by the Li Party with a group of newly promoted officials. It seems that Li Yanfu's disturbance has actually helped us. Otherwise, if he hadn't rebelled, I wouldn't have been able to take action against them for no reason after returning to the capital. Keeping this group of people around would be a major hidden danger."
Zhao Duan chuckled and said, "Li Yanfu is in prison. If he knew that Your Majesty thanked him, I'm afraid he would vomit blood."
Xu Zhenguan smiled sweetly and changed the subject: "Over at the Shenlong Temple..."
Zhao Duan withdrew his hand and took out the wordless golden scripture from his arms again. He recounted his experience and added some analysis from Zhang Tianshi.
However, he chose to conceal the fact that Zhang Yanyi had tested his Mubei Forest.
"It is just as Zhang Tianshi said. This wordless golden sutra was left by Maya Xingzhe. Since you have been blessed by the Buddha and the monk gave it to you, just take it. Maybe it will be useful in the future." Xu Zhenguan thought for a while and gave some advice.
Zhao Duan said "hmm" and put it away. He then tried to inquire about the situation in areas outside the Yu Kingdom, such as Mubei and the Liao people.
Unfortunately, Xu Zhenguan's reign was short and sudden, so she didn't know many secrets that an emperor should know.
"I remember there are some scattered records in the royal library, and the astronomical officials of the past dynasties in the Imperial Observatory also know something... When you have time, you can go and check it out." Xu Zhenguan frowned and said:
"Those hidden places have very few records, including many records of Tianshu's destruction of Buddhism, as you said. There are not many records left. This is a bit abnormal. Logically, such a major event would have many records, but it seems that they were erased by the group of people back then.
When I was a child, I read some books and was curious about the history of that time, but I found that even in the royal library, the records were very few and quite vague, lacking in details.
Erased? Why?
Zhao Duan frowned, becoming more and more confused.
Xu Zhenguan comforted him:
"If you're concerned, you can investigate slowly later. There will always be clues. Comparatively, what you're more concerned about right now should be the next step in your cultivation."
As she spoke, she waved her hand, and a group of female officials outside the imperial study were waiting respectfully, holding small red lanterns.
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, and looked at the smiling Xu Zhenguan:
"Your Majesty, are you ready? Actually, there's no rush..."
Xu Zhenguan smiled and stood up, raised his hand and pulled him out:
"With so much happening today, I don't think either you or I will be able to sleep tonight. Why not look at the paintings by candlelight?"
Do you want to see the murals behind the worldly realm?
Zhao Duan's heart started beating uncontrollably.
…
Not long.
The emperor and his minister each held a red lantern and, served by a large group of palace servants, arrived at the back of the Martial Arts Hall, deep inside the building called the "Arsenal".
Here, a five-story old building stands in the quiet courtyard.
On each floor, there is a stone tablet, recording the entire inheritance of the "God of War" left by Emperor Taizu of the Yu Kingdom.
The five floors and five paintings correspond to the five major realms of spiritual practice.
When Zhao Duan arrived for the first time, he was a mortal and was visualizing the "Martial God Picture" on the first floor.
When he arrived for the second time, he used his Divine Chapter cultivation to observe the Six Chapter Sutra on the second floor.
Tonight, he will step onto the third floor in the worldly realm and see the third mural.
"Squeak." Zhao Duan followed Xu Zhenguan, holding the lantern, up the stairs and asked softly:
"What is the name of the third mural?"
"The Great Dream Scroll," Xu Zhenguan said as he walked over. "However, tonight you can see two murals at once: the third and fourth layers, which correspond to the mortal world and the heavenly realm, respectively."
Can I see two pictures at once? So good? Is this considered special treatment? Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment and asked curiously:
"What is the name of the fourth painting corresponding to the Heavenly Realm?"
Xu Zhenguan stopped and stood on the third floor, and opened his red lips softly:
"The World."
(End of this chapter)
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