Chapter 536 Renting a House (Seeking Guaranteed Monthly Tickets)
The early autumn of the third year of Tianfeng came earlier than in previous years.
This was the answer Eugene Hua came to after noticing that the flowers and plants she raised were withering.
early morning.
In the inner courtyard of the Zhao family, Zhao Pan'er and her beloved dog just stepped into the dining room when she saw You Jinhua holding a letter and looking down at it.
"Mother?" Zhao Pan called out in confusion. The beautiful woman raised her delicate head and said happily, "This is a letter from your eldest brother who sent home from the front. It just arrived this morning."
"Big brother's letter from home?!"
Zhao Pan, who was becoming more and more beautiful, had her eyes lit up. She trotted over with her feet clacking in cotton slippers and grabbed the letter from home. The girl's buttocks rose and fell, and she landed on the round stool. Her eyes were sunken between the lines, unable to be pulled out.
The content of the letter was simple, just asking about the recent situation at home, especially mentioning Zhao Pan's academic progress.
As for the great victory on the front line and the thrilling war, they were only mentioned briefly.
Eugene's eyes were slightly red, and she smiled:
"Da Lang won a great victory on the front lines. A letter home, accompanied by military intelligence, was delivered to the palace by fast horses without stopping. By now, I'm sure all the officials in the court have heard about it. Later, the news will spread throughout the capital as well."
Zhao Pan raised his head. The girl's green fingers were still tightly grasping the letter paper. She said admiringly:
"Big Brother can always do things that ordinary people can't do."
Then his eyes dimmed again:
"But the letter said that my eldest brother is staying in Taicang and can't come back. I won't be able to eat the persimmon cakes made at home."
Eugene, who was known for her gentle nature, rarely displayed the grace of a lady and said seriously:
"Your elder brother is going to do great things. You just need to study hard. I'll have the persimmon cakes ready and send them to the front."
After the empress ascended the throne, a separate girls' school was opened in the Imperial College. For the time being, only the daughters of wealthy families in Beijing were allowed to attend.
After Zhao Pan gave up learning martial arts, he went to school and achieved excellent results.
Zhao Pan said "yes" and sighed, "What a pity, I don't know when we will meet again."
Suddenly, the Pekingese dog named "Mantou" under the dining table stood on all fours, bared its teeth at the air, looked ferocious, and started barking.
Eugene Hua frowned and said unhappily, "What's wrong with this dog?"
Zhao Pan bent down and picked up his beloved dog, but was surprised to find that under the Pekingese's fur, its small body was trembling and its teeth were chattering. It looked ferocious, but in fact it was trembling.
The mother and daughter could not see that Zhao Duan, who was in the "invisible man" state, stood up at the place where the Pekingese was staring at, smiled at it, and floated out of the house.
After testing, he could still move freely in Zhao Mansion, but the farther he was from the mural, the shorter his existence would be.
…
In the Imperial Palace, in the Martial Arts Hall, ancient trees towered into the sky and it was quiet and deserted.
Eunuch Hai was sitting alone on a chair in the courtyard. He opened his eyes, facing the morning sun, and saw Zhao Duan floating back.
"Don't you want to stay home for a while?" the old eunuch in the bright red dragon robe asked with a smile.
Zhao Duan sighed softly, his expression helpless in the sunshine:
"If they could see me, I might consider it."
Eunuch Hai thought for a moment:
"Perhaps through some means, I can give you a fake body, but whether it can be done is still uncertain. I can only figure it out slowly. Warlocks are more adept at this kind of thing."
Zhao Duan shook his head and said:
"No rush. It's best to keep my ability secret for now. It's enough for Your Majesty and you to see it. But I have to take action soon, so I won't be returning frequently."
Eunuch Hai asked curiously, "Have you entered Yongjia Prefecture?"
More than ten days had passed since the great victory on the Western Front, and news about the battle had already spread.
As expected, Prince Jing began to attack the eastern front. Xue Shence went to lead the attack, and Mo Chou accompanied him as the military supervisor.
In name, Zhao Duan will stay in Taicang Prefecture and guard the western front with Sun Xiaozhun, Yuan Feng and others to contain Zhao Shixiong.
However, only a few people know that the real Zhao Duan had already secretly sneaked into the Huai River and the Yongjia Prefecture, hiding in Zhao Shixiong's territory.
Zhao Duan nodded: "Well, the aftermath of the battle has calmed down, and it's time for me to act. Time waits for no one."
In order to keep the operation top secret, Zhao Duan did not bring anyone with him, and masters such as Lang Shiba and Ji Yue also stayed in Linfeng.
However, there is an elite shadow guard team that has also sneaked into the Yongjia Prefecture City, which can be dispatched by Zhao Duan when necessary.
"Okay, be careful. You're in the enemy camp. If you get into trouble, it might be too late to rush to your aid." Eunuch Hai took out a document and spread it out in front of him. The pages of paper floated in the air.
"This is what you need: information about Zhao Shixiong and important people in Yongjia City."
Zhao Duan's eyes fell on the paper and he memorized it quickly.
Eunuch Hai said:
"Zhao Shixiong entered the Secular Realm twenty years ago. He's probably already reached Great Perfection in the Secular Realm and possesses profound martial arts skills. He's accompanied by a woman named Gongsun, the new concubine appointed after Zhao Shixiong's wife's death. She's from the renowned Gongsun Villa and is an expert in swordsmanship."
"In addition, he is often accompanied by a battalion of personal guards, all of whom are his trusted confidants and are extremely skilled in combat."
"Yongjia Prefecture is not entirely under Zhao Shixiong's command. The main force in the city is composed of former members of the Southwestern Border Army. However, there is another force: the private army of Xu Jingtang, the Prince of Mu. They are small in number, but they hold a high position. They serve as 'military supervisors' and are scattered throughout the border army camps. They do not interfere in combat, but Zhao Shixiong must also take their opinions seriously."
Zhao Duan stared at the portraits on the paper, then retracted his gaze and said jokingly:
"It seems Xu Jingtang's fear and distrust of Zhao Shixiong is even greater than imagined. He actually let so many 'military supervisors' in. Xu Jingtang knows everything Zhao Shixiong does."
In comparison, the empress only sent two military supervisors to the front line: Zhao Duan and Mo Chou, which shows her trust in Xue Shence.
"Okay, I've got it all down. But information is just information after all. I'll have to see it with my own eyes to know the details."
Zhao Duan took a step forward, his figure passed through Eunuch Hai, passed through the palace walls, and disappeared into the deepest old building.
…
…
The Yongjia Prefecture City is located at the southern end of the Huai River, across the river from Taicang Prefecture in Linfeng.
As one of the two most prosperous and commercially developed prefectures on the Huai River in the Dayu Dynasty, Yongjia has an excellent geographical location.
The water system is well-connected, and the entire city is cut and connected by water flows like the meridians of the human body. The Yongjia River flows eastward, crossing the Grand Canal and reaching the East China Sea.
The architecture here is also very different from that of Linfeng. There are more small buildings in the city, and they are densely packed together. Even the air is more humid.
The most typical architectural feature of Yongjia City is the large number of bridges, both stone and wooden, large and small, that run through the streets of the city.
Due to the high and low terrain, the area is generally divided into "Upper City" and "Lower City".
It is similar to the "inner" and "outer" cities of Beijing, but the boundaries are more blurred, and there are mixed residential areas that are jagged and intertwined.
Zhao Duan woke up in a room in an inn. Feeling exhausted, he first fed himself a pill.
Then I got up and washed.
While washing his face, he looked at the unfamiliar face in the bronze mirror that had been modified with the mask of "Thousand Illusions God" and slowly put on a smile.
"As expected, this kind of game where you use your brain to fight others is more suitable for me. Jianghu and the world are just a larger temple. Under the emperor, Prince Mu and Prince Jing are treacherous ministers. To bring down Xu Jingtang, I have to start with you, Zhao Shixiong."
After changing into a low-key long gown and jacket and paying the inn's accommodation fee, Zhao Duan left the inn with a bag on his back and a gentleman's sword hanging from his waist. He had become a young man with a scholarly air.
Walking on the streets of Yongjia City, looking at the shops lined up on both sides, the pedestrians coming and going, and the vendors.
Zhao Duan seemed a little dazed. Even though they were in a war zone, for ordinary people, life went on as usual.
He walked into a dental clinic on the street and said to the dentist, who was about fifty years old, behind the counter:
"We made an appointment yesterday and went to see the house today."
The old man who was in the house buying, selling and leasing business, similar to the real estate agents of later generations, showed a professional smile, took the deed and led Zhao Duan towards the market on the edge of the upper city.
Because it was wartime, the inn was often inspected and inconvenient, so Zhao Duan planned to rent a small courtyard in the city to have a place to stay.
I selected a house with the real estate agent yesterday and went there today to sign the contract and move in.
On the way, the old man smiled and said:
"Don't worry, sir. The house I chose for you is definitely the right one. In these chaotic times, you should live closer to the center, where you'll have peace and quiet, right?"
Zhao Duan casually asked, "Isn't there peace in the city?"
The old man smiled:
"It's nothing, it's just that there are too many gang members in the downtown area. You have to raise the price a little bit and move in a little bit, then it will be really quiet."
Zhao Duan smiled but said nothing.
Since he had to move around in the city, he couldn't possibly live too close to the tightly controlled city center. The reason he didn't choose the lower city area was because he was deliberately hiding it, which made it conspicuous.
The two of them arrived at an alley called "Red Mud Lane" and stopped at the door of the third courtyard. The broker raised his hand and knocked on the door, shouting:
"Mr. Du, I've brought a tenant!"
Zhao Duan stood in the alley. He had extraordinary hearing ability. Through the gate, he heard a woman's angry voice coming from the courtyard:
"Run! You run again! I told you to study hard, but instead of studying, you've become a bad person, hanging out with those shady guys outside the school! Du Ruhui! You don't care about your son, but you're so good at stopping me!"
Then, a middle-aged man's bitter voice sounded:
"Madam, someone is coming. Don't shout, or you'll make a fool of yourself among the neighbors."
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows. Is it possible that this landlord’s family is dominated by his wife?
Although the empress had been on the throne for three years, it was not enough to change the local customs of the Yu State. However, because the Huai River was prosperous, many women had their natal families to rely on, so they were particularly confident. Therefore, the proportion of "violent women" was indeed higher.
At this moment, the voices in the courtyard stopped, and footsteps approached. After a while, the courtyard door opened, and a man in his forties or fifties, wearing a scholar's gown, forced a smile:
"Please come in. This gentleman is the tenant, right?"
As he spoke, he led Zhao Duan and the old man into the two-story house. Soon, the scenery in the backyard came into view.
In the rather plain and elegant courtyard, outside the door of the east wing, there was a large wooden basin on the steps with clothes soaked in it.
A woman about forty years old was wearing an apron, with her sleeves rolled up and holding a wooden mallet for beating clothes.
He looked over with his anger still lingering.
It can be seen that the woman is quite pretty, but due to her old age and the trivial matters at home, she has a bad temper. Her high jaw and thin lips seem to imply that she is not easy to talk to.
Next to the woman, at the bottom of the steps on the other side of the wooden tray, behind a wooden pillar, a boy about ten years old was panicking. He didn't dare to look at his mother, as if he was trying to escape being chased. He shrank his neck and looked over here curiously.
At the door of the west wing, a quiet girl watched everything quietly.
She was about 18 years old, quite a pretty girl from a small family, wearing a fitted silk dress, and looked very much like her mother. She had a cold look in her eyes and an attitude of indifference.
"I have an appointment to rent a house." Zhao Duan introduced himself, but his eyes passed over the man named Du Ruhui and looked at Du's wife who was the real decision maker.
When she heard it was a tenant, the sharpness in Du's wife's eyes softened a little, and her voice also softened a little:
"Please go sit inside."
Immediately, she dropped the wet mallet in her hand into the basin with a clang, splashing a puff of water. She looked at her daughter with a cold face:
"Take Xiaobao to the room."
The girl said nothing and took the boy into the room indifferently.
Zhao Duan's gaze lingered on the young girl for a moment, and he frowned slightly before stepping into the main room.
As expected, the person who really made the decision was neither Du Ruhui nor the old man.
The fierce wife wiped her hands, crossed the threshold with a fierce look, and looked Zhao Duan up and down with a bad look and tone:
"Outsiders?"
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"I'm from Huting. I went to Linfeng to stay with my relatives to avoid disaster. Now I can't get through, so I have to find a place to stay in the city."
The accent problem was easy to solve. He had taken some temporary training, and all the wealthy families in the State of Yu had descendants who spoke Mandarin. He had also been to Hu Ting and was familiar with the local customs and practices, so he was not afraid of being exposed.
Many people have gone north to avoid the war and the rebels. Now there are a large number of them in the city, and they are unable to leave the city and go north to Linfeng.
Zhao Shixiong has completely blocked the road to the north. Once anyone is found "smuggling", they will be detained at the very least, and treated as a "spy" at the worst.
"Where is the pass?" Du's wife asked in a bad tone.
She didn't want to rent the house to outsiders, but it was obvious that this family was not wealthy. Although they had two courtyards in the capital, they couldn't afford to keep servants...
This Du Ruhui seems to be a scholar, and also comes from a scholarly family, but now he is "unemployed at home"... The family's food, clothing and other expenses depend on rent...
Zhao Duan made a quick judgment, and the broker next to him smiled and said:
"We've already checked it out, and there's absolutely no problem. Besides, Madam Du, look at this young man's demeanor. He must have been well-educated. If he becomes a tenant, he won't cause any trouble."
Madam Du carefully examined Zhao Duan and saw that although he looked ordinary, he was calm in his every move. Her expression relaxed slightly and she nodded.
"It's best if we don't cause trouble. Right now, there's chaos and war. Soldiers patrol the city all the time, and prices are skyrocketing. The room rates at the inn change every day. Our Du family is a good and honest family. If you're not from a good family, we won't allow you to pay any higher rent."
He said he didn't care about money, but he kept talking about it... It seemed he really needed the rent to make ends meet, but he was also afraid of getting into trouble. This was a common mentality among ordinary people... Zhao Duan smiled and took out a small-denomination banknote from his pocket:
"I understand. This is half a year's rent."
Du's wife's expression improved visibly, her tone became softer, and she looked at him with much more favor.
Then, she modestly and repeatedly raised several requirements, including not allowing the family to bring inappropriate people home and not allowing the family to keep animals.
Only then was the "lease" contract signed under the witness of the broker.
In this way, Zhao Duan had his own residence in the city.
Afterwards, the broker left, and Du's wife personally took Zhao Du'an to the fourth courtyard in Hongni Lane, which was next to the Du family's house and was much smaller.
The courtyard was quite simple and clean, with bedding, brooms, dishes and chopsticks all available. Zhao Duan's residence was separated from the landlord's family by only a wall.
"If you need anything else, go to the shop on the street to the right of the alley. Oh, and if you want to eat, if you don't know how to cook, you can go to the food stall next door. It's cheaper than other places and cleaner."
Du's wife finally said this, then gave the key and walked away.
Zhao Duan watched the landlord leave, smiled, went into the house to put down his bag, walked out of the room to go out shopping, but saw the young girl from the Du family standing quietly at the gate of the yard.
"You're being targeted." Du Shishi looked at him calmly and said.
(End of this chapter)
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