Chapter 507 Zhao Duan presents treasures (New January, please guarantee your monthly ticket)
Triumph!
In the imperial study, the emperor and his ministers who were confronting each other were both stunned. Xu Zhenguan's beautiful face, which usually remained dignified and solemn in front of the court officials, could not help but show an expression of surprise.
Not only her, Mo Chou who was standing next to her was also confused. She subconsciously turned her head to look at the empress. She was a little skeptical and not sure whether this drama was true or not.
The old Minister of War, as well as the military officers including the Deputy Privy Councilor who were kneeling on the ground, showed expressions of astonishment. They looked at each other and could read the shock in each other's eyes.
The Qingzhou rebels were defeated? Prince Heng was captured?
Zhao Duan returns triumphantly?
etc……
Is it really not an illusion?
The old minister of the Ministry of War suddenly twisted the thigh of the deputy privy envoy next to him with his hand. The latter almost cried out, but he forced himself to hold it back. He stared at the old minister with confused eyes:
"what you do?!"
"It's not a dream..." The Minister of War murmured, with an even more shocked expression on his face.
All in all, it has only been a few days since Zhao Duan led his troops to set out?
Even with a forced march, including the time wasted on the round trip, he only stayed at the front line for one day at most!
No!
Maybe less than a day!
Is this a triumph?
How could a war be fought like this in this world? Was this the Qingzhou rebel who, according to intelligence, had defeated the Five Army Battalions and forced them to seek help from the capital?
Instead of going out for a stroll and catching a few bandits to claim credit?
"Could it be that when Lord Zhao arrived at the front line, Commander Yuan of the Fifth Military Camp had already defeated the Qingzhou Army?" A kneeling military official cautiously made a guess.
Although it was a bit outrageous that Yuan Feng, who had sent a letter for help a few days ago, suddenly won, considering the unpredictable battlefield on the front line, any unexpected situation could happen.
It is not impossible for the Fifth Army Camp to find a way or seize some opportunity to defeat the bandits.
at least……
Compared to Zhao Duan, an amateur who led the troops and wiped out the rebels in just half a day, it seems more reasonable.
"Mochou," the empress suddenly stood up and said excitedly:
"Follow me immediately to welcome the triumphant return of my imperial officers and soldiers. Ask Eunuch Hai and the others to go with you."
"And you," Xu Zhenguan glanced at the several military officials kneeling on the ground, "Let's go and take a look together."
…
…
The East City Gate of Beijing is wide open today.
Under the watchful eyes of the guards at the city gate and the people inside and outside the city, an elite team belonging to the Shenji Camp marched into the city in a mighty manner.
Zhao Duan sat astride the leading warhorse, wearing armor and occupying the center position.
Slightly behind him were Shi Meng, Chen Gui, Tang Ping and others.
As for the generals of the Five Military Camps, only one lieutenant came back this time - Yuan Feng had suffered a defeat, so naturally he didn't have the nerve to come back with the Shenji Camp for a "triumphal return".
He took the initiative to stay at the front line and was responsible for searching for the Qingzhou rebels who had fled in that battle. He was also responsible for escorting the large army to atone for his sins.
Therefore, this team only consisted of the generals of the Shenji Camp and a few carriages at the back that were closely guarded by soldiers. There were no firearms inside, but people such as Prince Heng, Crown Prince Xu Zudi, Wei Xianzong, and Xiao Dong'er.
"Sir, in just a few days, you've returned victorious. This level of military prowess qualifies you as a 'military sage.' When the court learns of this, I wonder what expressions they'll have on their faces, especially those old men in the Privy Council and the Ministry of War. Haha, Old Shi, I can already imagine their expressions."
Shi Meng grinned with a simple and honest look on his face, but his eyes showed shrewdness.
Zhao Duan was riding on the horse, pulling the reins, and looked at him with a smile:
"General Shi, you're making up stories about your colleagues in the Privy Council. Aren't you afraid that word will get out and upset them?"
Shi Meng smiled and said:
"Your Excellency, I am a rough man and have never been well-liked by those people. In the past, some of the affairs in our camp were hindered by them and I suffered a lot. If it is Envoy Xue, I respect him, but as for the others, hehe."
Zhao Duan smiled, realizing that Shi Meng's statement was a token of his loyalty.
Shi Meng was promoted by Xue Shence back then. Both civil officials and military generals valued his support very much.
Therefore, even if Shi Meng wanted to please him, he would not target Xue Shence, but he could still step on other players.
"Who said General Shi is a rough man? I'm the first to deny it, but when I meet Privy Councilor Xue in the future, I will convey your words to him." Zhao Duan joked with a smile.
Shi Meng pretended to smile foolishly.
On the side, Tang Ping quite enjoyed the gazes of the people on both sides, but still said with some disappointment:
"Sir, why didn't we inform the court ahead of time about our great victory? That way they could prepare. Coming back so suddenly like this is a little disappointing."
The young master was a little envious of the army's triumphant return, with the people of the whole city lining the streets to welcome them, with gongs and drums beating and firecrackers blasting.
He is still young and not steady enough... Zhao Duan saw through his thoughts and sighed:
"You think you're so impressive? But don't you think about how many of our colleagues we've unknowingly slapped in the face this time? This is my first time leading an army, and I've already achieved such a victory. Will those military officials at court really be happy? I'm afraid they're just dissatisfied and jealous.
Putting aside other things, we destroyed a rebel army so easily. What should we do next for those military officers?
No matter how well they do, it will be difficult for them to catch up with us. If they do worse, they will be compared with us... If, as you said, they want to put on a grand show, won't that make them even more embarrassed?
Officials in the court should always leave a way out. You being too outstanding may not be a good thing... If the current situation is not dire and the court is in urgent need of a big victory to deter the rebels, I would rather take you to fight after the battle, then slack off on the front lines, and travel around for a month before returning."
Zhao Duan spoke calmly, with a sigh in his tone.
All these experiences were gained from his previous life when he entered the officialdom, stepping on one pitfall after another.
Tang Ping listened in a daze, as if thinking about something.
Chief Technical Officer Chen Gui remained silent.
Shi Meng patted the young master's shoulder earnestly and said:
"Learn more and watch more. The adults are teaching you real skills. If you want to become a general, military achievements alone are not enough."
Tang Ping nodded and said seriously, "I remember it."
The corners of Zhao Duan's mouth curled up slightly. Although this battle was short, everyone gained growth.
…
As they were talking, the team walked along Suzaku Avenue and arrived at the main gate of the imperial city.
From a distance, I saw a large group of people standing and waiting at the city gate. Leading them was a man in white clothes and black hair, with an extraordinary appearance.
Zhao Duan was stunned and subconsciously urged his horse to go faster. When the team stopped at a distance from the empress, he dismounted and led a group of generals to walk forward quickly.
The king and his minister looked at each other.
Zhao Duan clasped his fists and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, the Divine Machine Battalion has lived up to your trust. We have defeated the rebels and captured the traitor alive, returning with a resounding victory. I have come to report!"
Behind them, Shi Meng and others said in unison: "Your servants, report back!"
Later, the soldiers shouted in unison: "Shenji Battalion, report back!"
The sound is like thunder!
Xu Zhenguan stood in the wind, his eyes fixed on Zhao Duan's face, looking at him quietly, with the corners of his mouth raised, as if the world was brightened, and he said loudly:
"I am deeply pleased that all the soldiers have returned victoriously. Lord Zhao, this is a great victory. Please spread the news throughout Dayu and congratulate our country!"
Congratulations to the State of Yu!
At this moment, everyone outside the palace gate was shocked, and the military officials such as the Minister of War, Deputy Privy Councilor, etc. who followed him out were stunned again.
They confirmed that there were almost no people from the Fifth Army Camp in the team, and Zhao Duan's words undoubtedly confirmed that the battle was fought by the Shenji Camp to defeat the bandits.
It is impossible to openly deceive the emperor on such a major matter.
so……
Is this true?
How could Zhao Duan, this "outsider," have returned victorious after just one visit? How had he done it? Countless mysteries flooded their minds, leaving them anxious and eager to get to the bottom of things.
When they felt the empress's gaze, their old faces began to feel burning and painful again.
Thinking about their repeated advice over the past few days and the request just now, he wished he could dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it.
Fortunately, Xu Zhenguan had no intention of making things difficult for them. He just glanced at them and turned back to Zhao Duan:
"Today is a double celebration. Zhao Qing, look who's back?"
Zhao Duan also noticed a group of familiar faces in the team beside the empress.
Mo Chou looked at him with resentment.
The old supervisor Sun Lianying had a kind smile.
Ning Zechen looked at him with admiration and secretly gave him a thumbs up.
Eunuch Hai stood behind the crowd with a smile on his face, keeping a low profile.
Ma Yan glanced at the group of people in Lihua Hall behind him and gave them an encouraging look.
The elite members of the Pear Blossom Hall, led by Hou Renmeng, and Lang Shiba and Ji Yue, who were hiding behind, stepped forward and said respectfully:
"Congratulations, sir, on your triumphant return!"
They’re back… They’re all back… Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, and a sincere smile appeared on his face:
"Good, good, everyone return safely. We will gather in the capital again. Good times will come after bad times, good times will come after bad times!"
Since the battle of Fengshan, everyone has fled. Now most of the people we know are still alive and well. This is the best possible outcome.
"Don't just stand there. Follow me into the palace. I have sent someone to invite the Grand Tutor and others. Zhao Qing, you must tell me about this battle." Xu Zhenguan was in a good mood and spoke with a smile.
Ordered everyone to enter the palace.
He seemed to want Zhao Duan to show off, to give himself face, and to respond to the doubts raised by the court officials in recent times.
Humph, I told you not to believe it, so now I have nothing to say, right?
…
…
Soon, in the side hall.
Everyone gathered together, even Grand Tutor Dong, Yuan Li, and the ministers of various departments hurried into the palace.
The empress ordered her servants to move chairs for everyone. Dozens of people including the emperor and his ministers formed a circle and listened intently to Zhao Duan's explanation of the mystery.
Wow, before it was just individual reports between the emperor and his ministers, but this time it's been turned into a public meeting... Zhenbao, why didn't you tell me earlier? Give me some time to write a speech...
Zhao Duan complained in his heart that in his previous life he wrote speeches for others, but in this life, it was his turn to give a report on stage.
Without the expected nervousness, Zhao Duan sorted out his thoughts and spoke freely:
"This great victory in just one day is due to the new firearms of the Shenjiying Camp..."
He was neither hurried nor slow, and told how he had improved firearms last year. For the past year, the Shenjiying had kept the news secret and had been making guns behind closed doors.
How he led his troops to arrive this time, and happened to encounter Xu Zudi for peace talks, how he detained people and started a war, and how he bombarded the ground with artillery.
How can he lead his troops to capture the fleeing King Heng...
I told the whole experience in detail, picking out the key points.
During the process, no one interrupted, including the empress, who listened attentively.
"This is basically how the battle went. I thought that since the court had won a great victory, I should report back promptly to stabilize the people's hearts, so I will escort Prince Heng and others back first." Zhao Duan concluded calmly:
"Therefore, it should be considered a surprise victory. After this battle, the news cannot be concealed. The next time the Shenji Battalion is deployed, the rebels will be prepared and it will be difficult to replicate it."
Is this really the case... After the new firearms are put into use, they are so powerful?
The Deputy Privy Councilor, the Minister of War and others suddenly realized what was going on, and felt better after hearing what Zhao Duan said.
A surprise victory is difficult to replicate... Dong Taishi and other civil officials nodded, not too disappointed - if it could really be replicated, using firearms to defeat all rebels, it would be too good to be true and unrealistic.
Next time, the enemy will be prepared, and even if firearms are still effective, their effectiveness will be greatly reduced.
Especially, under the premise that the combat effectiveness of rebels such as Prince Jing and Prince Mu is far higher than that of Prince Heng.
"Maintaining troops for a thousand days and deploying them for a single moment may be surprising, but the victory was no accident. Ultimately, it was due to Your Majesty's foresight, his willingness to sacrifice gold and silver to recuperate, Zhao Shaobao's improved firearms, and the concerted efforts of the entire Divine Machine Battalion that resulted in this unprecedented victory against the enemy on this day."
The octogenarian Grand Tutor Dong, wearing the robes of a Grand Secretary, summarized loudly, and the other ministers echoed him:
"This battle is a triumph for us. News of it should spread throughout the world immediately. When the rebels learn of it, they will all be in danger and their morale will be dampened."
"That's right, Zhao Shaobao, a quick decision is crucial in this situation. Once this news gets out, everyone in the world will know the strength of our imperial army."
"Zhao Shaobao has made great contributions and should be commended. The Shenjiying has made great contributions and should be rewarded."
There was endless praise.
Xu Zhenguan smiled and nodded:
"You are all right. Pass the order down. Prince Heng and the other rebels will be apprehended first. The officers and men of the Shenji Camp have worked hard and will be released to rest. The Ministry of War will reward them, and the Ministry of Rites will draft commendations. At the same time, the good news of this great victory will be disseminated to all regions."
Everyone stood up: "Your Majesty is wise!"
The meeting ended and the ministers left one after another.
"Mr. Zhao, follow me." The empress threw a word to Zhao Duan, took lotus steps, and walked towards the imperial study.
The public meeting was over, and the next was a closed-door meeting... Zhao Duan nodded happily. The previous report only mentioned the main experiences. There were still many details that needed to be discussed with Zhenbao alone.
Mo Chou was about to take a step forward to catch up, but was stopped by Sun Lianying: "What are you doing here?"
"Your Majesty and I are inseparable." Mo Chou said stubbornly.
Sun Lianying said calmly, "Unless you want to be a bed-warming maid."
Mo Chou's expression froze.
Sun Lianying covered his mouth and suddenly coughed - traveling all the way was too tiring for him.
…
…
Imperial study.
Zhao Duan stepped over the threshold and closed the door behind him, leaving only the king and his minister in the room.
And the green smoke from the incense burner curling in the air.
Xu Zhenguan walked briskly, personally pulled a chair over, and raised the corner of his mouth: "Meritorious official, please sit down."
Zhao Duan was flattered and sat down with a smile:
"Throughout history, there have been many instances of rulers granting their subjects seats, but there have been very few instances of rulers offering their subjects a stool."
I told you you were fat, and you were panting... Xu Zhenguan rolled his eyes, but he was in a good mood and didn't bother to argue with him.
Turning around, Yingying sat down behind Huang Chou's desk. She once again looked him over carefully from head to toe and said, "Are you safe?"
"No." Zhao Duan said nonchalantly, "Who is your husband? How could he..."
The Empress sneered, "So strong? Why don't you exchange a few moves with me and see how much your cultivation has improved?"
Zhao Duan's expression froze, he smiled awkwardly, and quickly restrained his proud and arrogant attitude, put his legs together, straightened his back, and played a [well-behaved]
What a joke. Fighting with a celestial being, unless it happens in bed, wouldn't that be courting death?
Oh, considering that dual cultivation will automatically drain him, it seems that sex is also a death wish...
Being a man is so difficult.
The empress looked at him, now well-behaved, and snorted, her brows relaxed. "Prince Heng is not easy to capture, is he? After you left, I received news that he has a talisman in his possession, called the Red Flame Sacred Armor..."
You know? You still want to show off... Zhao Du'an felt bored. He reached into his arms, took out the scroll of Taixu Illusion, and shook it gently.
An old half-body armor with a red color and a black human face pattern on the chest fell to the ground.
"I was just about to present it to Your Majesty. This thing is quite powerful. King Heng has mediocre cultivation, but he can drive this thing and suppress the worldly realm. It is simply unreasonable. I don't know why it is so powerful. I tried to use it, but I was far inferior to him." Zhao Duan said.
Although he had heard the name of this thing, he didn't know the specific details.
On the way back, he also tried to explore it, but as a warrior, he knew nothing about this kind of magical weapon.
As for asking Pei Niannu... the sorceress ignored him. Although Zhao Duan could forcibly summon her to fight, he could not force her to speak.
"Not surprising, you'll understand after you read this." Xu Zhenguan took out a book from his sleeve and handed it to him.
What is this... Zhao Duan took it with both hands and found that the cover of the book was written with "Zoroastrianism Records". When he opened it, the front part was about the overview of the underworld organization "Zoroastrianism" six hundred years ago.
Xu Zhenguan explained:
"The special thing about this charm is that it can melt other magical instruments of no higher rank than it, including weapons, rare treasures, iron and stone... The more you throw into it, the more powerful the magic power accumulated within it becomes.
The reason King Heng's battle with you was so powerful was because he consumed a huge amount of mana accumulated in the past. Now that he has used it up this time, there is not much mana left in this armor. You will naturally be inferior to him if you use it."
So the battery is exhausted, which is quite consistent with the law of conservation of energy... Zhao Duan deeply felt that the practice in this world was quite "scientific".
Then Xu Zhenguan laughed and said:
"If you master the Black Turtle Seal and take this with you, combining water and fire, and activating the two gods of water and fire at the same time, it might have miraculous effects. I'll give it to you."
It's useless to give it to me. It's already very strenuous for me to support Pei Niannu... Zhao Duan was about to complain when he met Xu Zhenguan's eyes and suddenly understood something:
"Your Majesty, are you saying that I can also feed it? That way, during battle, the armor can consume its own mana to maintain itself, without me having to supply it?"
Zhao Duan was shocked by this idea.
If the idea comes true, when encountering a strong enemy in the future, Zhao Duan himself will be a martial artist in the world, and he will use Pei Niannu's hand to control the Black Turtle Seal and control the Water God.
If he borrowed the Scarlet Flame Holy Armor and controlled the God of Fire without any consumption, wouldn't that be equivalent to the three worlds joining forces?
Moreover, Zhao Duan also has the resources to feed this armor - when he was in Baihua Village, he collected a bunch of magic weapons from the cave of Guhuo Zhenren. After a battle, the empress killed a large group of pursuers and seized a large number of magic weapons.
He has no place to use it in his hand, so wouldn't it be perfect if he used it to feed the Red Flame Holy Armor?
"Ton..." Zhao Duan swallowed his saliva, his eyes burning as he looked at the armor. He reached out to put it away, grinning playfully:
"Then I would be disrespectful to refuse."
Xu Zhenguan smiled and said:
"The back of the book in your hand contains the specific method for feeding and smelting. Go back and study it yourself."
After this topic was brought up, Zhao Duan remembered something and took the initiative to say, "By the way, I have something else to present to Your Majesty."
"Oh? What is it?"
"The head of the Xiao family in Donghu, Xiao Dong'er."
Is it her? The Empress raised her eyebrows, and her eyes changed.
…
ps: I will resume the update of 5,000 words first and then gradually speed up. In addition, I want to laugh when I think of the jealous plot of the empress that I will write next.
(End of this chapter)
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