Chapter 594: My sword is not bad either! (Please support me by voting for the guaranteed monthly ticket in May)
Just when Zhao Duan and the Prince of Hejian were confronting each other outside the Duke's Mansion.
In Xiping Road, thousands of miles west of the capital, Duke Tang Daren sat in his study and opened the first of a pile of military reports on the table.
A year later, the somewhat hunchbacked Duke had a few more white hairs on his temples.
The cold wind blowing in from the gap in the window was wrapped in the winter chill, which made the Duke of Zhenguo subconsciously tighten the "scarf" around his neck and started coughing.
Obviously, defending the Western Regions and dealing with the King of Hejian for more than half a year have made him physically and mentally exhausted.
Fortunately, winter has arrived. According to convention, the intensity of the war will drop significantly. In particular, the peace talks between Prince Hejian and the court have completely brought the front line into a "truce period."
"From my father..."
At the top was the military book sent by his daughter Tang Zhao.
In order to curb the King of Hejian, Duke Tang personally led a part of the border troops to suppress the King of Hejian's power, while Tang Zhao stayed at the border and continued to guard the important roads in the Western Regions.
In this military letter, Tang Zhao mentioned that the countries in the Western Regions have been increasingly restless recently, and news from outside the Great Wall stated that some changes seemed to have taken place in the Buddhist ancestral temple not long ago, causing unrest in the entire Western Regions.
Unfortunately, the specific information is strictly blocked and is not known to the public for the time being.
In addition, the Golden Horde led by Princess Wenzhu tried to restore stability in the Western Regions, but was unsuccessful.
There are reports that Princess Wenzhu may have been sidelined.
"Hmph. I knew these people from outside the Great Wall wouldn't stay still..."
Duke Tang was not surprised.
With civil unrest in Yu, the countries in the Western Regions would certainly try to gain advantage, which is why he kept most of his troops at the border and did not mobilize them.
Otherwise, if the border troops gave up guarding the border and launched a large-scale attack, the King of Hejian would have been defeated long ago.
However, now that the peace talks have begun, there may be a turning point. Perhaps it won't be long before he can lead his troops back to defend the country, and completely put an end to the restlessness of the people in the Western Regions.
With this in mind, Duke Tang put the military letter aside and prepared to copy it and send it to the capital.
He immediately dealt with the rest of the military documents, most of which concerned the issue of the army's accommodation during the winter.
I don't know how much time passed, but suddenly there were hurried footsteps outside, accompanied by a knock on the door:
"Duke, urgent news from the front!"
Duke Tang put down his pen, raised his head and said "Come in".
He then stared at the general who pushed the door open and heard the latter's serious expression:
"Reporting to the Duke, the soldiers under the Prince of Hejian are making unusual movements, and they seem to be trying to suppress us."
Duke Tang was stunned.
…
To the north of the capital, they defended the northern city.
As usual today, Luo Ke Di walked out of the military camp and began his daily routine of patrolling the city walls.
He has been doing this since the Rebellion of the Eight Princes, without interruption for even a single day.
As a new general who had been lurking beside Cao Mao for many years and who emerged one day to replace Duke Cao in charge of Jubei City, he needed to ensure the confidence of the officers and soldiers in the city in this way.
This approach was undoubtedly successful.
With a relatively small number of troops, he was able to contain the King of Yanshan outside the Jubei City. The fact that he had not even crossed this pass for more than half a year is a testament to his ability.
Even though the news of peace talks had been released a few days earlier and Xu Xuelian was personally sent out of the city by him, Luo Ke Di did not relax.
"General!"
On the top of the city wall, the soldiers defending the city straightened their backs when they saw Luo Kedi with thick black eyebrows as straight as knives.
Luo Kedi said "yes" and asked, "Is there anything unusual?"
"none!"
A deputy general following behind Luo Kedi said, "General, the King of Yanshan is currently in peace talks with the imperial court, so there will be no further movement. You can rest for a while."
Luo Kedi shook his head. This overly young commander leaned his hands against the cold city wall, looking at the white snow outside, and suddenly said:
"Last year, when I returned to Beijing to report on my work, I met that Governor Zhao. We had a brief interaction. He said something that I still remember vividly. The general idea was that wars are never won or lost at the negotiating table, but outside it."
The deputy general was startled: "You mean..."
Luo Kedi was about to speak when he suddenly heard a low horn sound coming from the distance in the north. It was the signal sent by the guards at the outpost.
Everyone was startled, and then they opened their eyes wide to see a dense array of dark soldiers approaching on the white snow at the end of the horizon.
…
…
information?
Zhao Duan's eyes moved slightly under the mask, and he asked curiously:
"What did the prince say?"
After Xu Wenyan said this, he suddenly realized that he had lost his composure and quickly returned to his silly and angry look, as if the calmness and clarity just now was an illusion.
The fat prince gritted his teeth and angrily accused:
"If this is the court's method of negotiation, why not arrest this prince as a thief and throw him in jail? Otherwise, if you dare to take Mr. Feng by force, this prince will immediately go to the palace to question His Majesty and seek justice!"
Although he was an enemy, he sought justice from the Empress.
It was a stupid thing to say, but it fit his character at the moment.
Zhao Duan pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and waved his hand, saying:
"Your Highness, your words are too serious. I am merely worried that the Crown Prince has been deceived by the traitor. The court has its own rules for peace talks. Since the Crown Prince has said so, the matter of apprehending the suspect will be... forgotten."
Hou Renmeng, Chen Juan and other subordinates retreated in unison and obeyed the orders.
The soldiers of the Hejian Palace also breathed a sigh of relief.
Mr. Feng, having just recovered from his shock, stepped forward and whispered a few words to the prince, roughly saying:
With this group of hawks and dogs following us, it’s better to go back first.
Xu Wenyan nodded in agreement, glared at Zhao Duan fiercely, turned around angrily, got into the car and left.
Ended the morning visit early——
Since the people from the imperial court were standing here, there was no way the Duke's Mansion would open the door and let them in.
Watching the Hejian Prince and his entourage leave the building area where many nobles gathered, Zhao Duan lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
He probably had a pretty good idea of the Prince of Hejian's abilities. He was one level higher than the Princess of Yanshan, who had strange sexual habits, but in the eyes of an old official like Zhao Duan, he was no different from a stream of water.
Talent does exist, but it is limited.
But what really concerned him was what the Prince of Hejian had deliberately said before.
"Sir? Do you want us to follow?"
Hou Renmeng sheathed his sword reluctantly and couldn't help asking.
Zhao Duan thought for a moment and nodded:
"You guys can go with them, and one of you can drive. The morning is almost over, and even if they haven't given up on visiting the nobles, they probably won't continue today."
Everyone left without asking Zhao Duan why he stayed.
After his men had left, Zhao Duan turned around, picked up his boots, and walked straight to the closed door of Duke Chen's Mansion.
Now that he was there, he wanted to indirectly inquire about the attitude of this old nobleman, whose family status had declined but whose reputation was still extraordinary.
However, before he could knock on the door, the heavy door of the Duke's Mansion opened by itself.
A servant in the mansion bowed to him and said, "Please come in."
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows, thinking that this was the scene of the two sides confronting each other at the door just now, which had been noticed by the people in the mansion. They might have been watching through the crack in the door just now.
"Okay." With a slight smile, Zhao Duan stepped across the high threshold and followed the servants into the depths of the yard.
…
The Duke of Chen's Mansion is no longer what it used to be, and it doesn't have many servants. However, this house is still the wonderful residence that was awarded to him. However, because there are few people living there, there is snow piled up in many unused courtyards and no one clears them, making the whole house seem particularly quiet.
After Zhao Duan stepped into the inner courtyard, he was surprised to see three figures coming down the stairs in the clean courtyard.
One of them was an old man who was leaning on a dragon-headed cane, with hair as white as snow. Although he was thin, he was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had an extraordinary demeanor. He was naturally the owner of the mansion, Duke Chen.
Next to the old man was a woman supporting him.
The two men were walking a step behind and had just come out of the hall, apparently seeing off a guest. However, the figure in front of them, who was personally escorted out by the Duke, made Zhao Duan slightly startled.
"Governor?" he asked in surprise.
The guest at the Duke's Mansion was none other than Ma Yan, the supervisor of the imperial yamen.
Ma Yan was also not wearing the robes of a third-rank official, but a dark-colored garment. His thin and long face was very long, with a familiar solemnity and coldness that was intimidating.
Ma Yan was not surprised to see him. He just nodded slightly and turned to Duke Chen and said:
"You don't have to see me off, Duke. It's snowy in the middle of winter, so I can leave the house on my own."
Duke Chen nodded and said with a gentle smile, "Okay."
Then he turned his head and looked at Zhao Duan again, and suddenly smiled:
"I heard there's a new little Yama in the capital, not bad."
Hearing this remark, which sounded neither admiration nor sarcasm, Zhao Duan inexplicably felt as if his mask had become transparent and his identity had been seen through by the other party.
Zhao Duan's heart trembled, and he said calmly, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Duke."
Duke Chen smiled and said nothing.
"Let's go." Ma Yan's tall figure walked over and said to him calmly.
Zhao Duan had no choice but to follow. The two were escorted out of the house by the servants of the Duke's Mansion. Zhao Duan wanted to ask Ma Yan to get in the carriage outside, but unexpectedly, the eunuch shook his head and said:
"This place is not far from the government office. How about we walk back?"
Xiao Ma, what’s wrong with you… Zhao Duan complained in his heart, but agreed happily on the surface.
After sending his subordinates back by car, the two most feared kings of hell in the capital walked along the empty winter streets.
After walking for a while, Ma Yan suddenly said:
"You shouldn't be in the capital right now, but by the Huai River. General Zhao."
Zhao Duan suddenly stopped and turned to look at Xiao Ma in surprise.
After a moment of silence, he reached out and lifted up a layer of the white mask, pushing it down to the top of his head, revealing his true face, and said helplessly:
"When did Senior Brother recognize me?"
"It's you..." Ma Yan let out a breath, with surprise in his eyes, but not too much unexpected emotion.
He said in a complicated tone:
"I've had suspicions ever since you parachuted into Lihua Hall. Outsiders may not know, but how could I not understand how difficult those troublemakers in Lihua Hall are? How could a mere acting police officer make them submit?
Including the methods and styles used later to deal with the Qingliu Party, they feel familiar.
But what really makes me suspicious is the last time you reported to His Majesty on Dadong Mountain about Zhao Shixiong's surrender to the court. Oh, His Majesty doesn't treat you as a simple tribute."
Zhao Duan sighed, convinced:
"That being said, there are indeed many loopholes."
Ma Yan shook his head and said:
"No. I could recognize you because I was close and familiar with you. Most people in the court couldn't see through it. Putting aside other things, the fact that you couldn't have traveled between the Huai River and the capital in such a short time is enough to dispel almost all suspicions."
Zhao Duan smiled and briefly explained the situation of his puppet body.
When Ma Yan learned that it was related to the way of practicing martial arts, he was surprised at first, but then he understood.
As a court official who also practiced the path of martial god, Ma Yan was the first person to know that he was special in this path of practice.
Therefore, even though it sounded like a fantasy, he quickly accepted it and said with emotion:
"I see. Haha, if the court officials and the countless eyes in the capital knew your identity, I wonder how many people would be frightened. I'm actually looking forward to the day when you take off your mask in public."
No... Xiao Ma, when did you have this kind of bad taste... Zhao Duan sighed, put the mask back on and said:
"I'm afraid that day is not far away."
As more and more of his actions were exposed, Zhao Duan began to doubt whether this vest could survive the winter.
The two continued walking along the street.
"Let's get down to business. Senior brother, why are you in the Duke's Mansion?" Zhao Duan asked.
Ma Yan glanced at him and laughed:
"Don't think you're the only one worrying about the peace talks. I was also aware of Xu Wenyan's invitations to various nobles yesterday. As for visiting Duke Chen, it's naturally to express the court's stance."
Zhao Duan asked curiously, "What does Duke Chen think?"
Ma Yan was silent for a moment and sighed:
"Duke Chen said he was old and couldn't manage too much anymore, nor did he want to."
Zhao Duan frowned: "He wants to remain neutral? Not get involved?"
Ma Yan nodded: "It's a good thing. Duke Chen's position can influence many nobles."
Zhao Duan exhaled, "But if you don't take a clear stand, it means tacit approval for many nobles."
Ma Yan turned his head and stared at him, hesitated for a moment, and said earnestly:
"After all, Duke Chen is quite famous, and he also played a role in Cao Mao's matter. You..."
Zhao Duan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry:
"Brother, do you think I'm going to attack Duke Chen? Do you think I'm the kind of person who, if you don't root it out, will just grow back again?"
Ma Yan said nothing and just looked at him quietly.
Zhao Duan couldn't be tricked anymore.
Fine, fine... I'm a villain, alright? I've been traveling through time for more than a year, and I still haven't changed my negative image. It's even become more solid... Zhao Duan sighed tiredly and changed the subject:
"When I was testing Xu Wenyan just now, he said something that made me suspect that the Prince of Hejian and the Prince of Yanshan were putting some chips on the table for this peace talk."
"for example?"
Zhao Duan raised his head, looked at the scattered snowflakes falling from the gray sky, and muttered:
"Negotiations are never won or lost at the table, but at the sword. Forget it, let's wait and see. Has the peace talks agenda been finalized?"
Ma Yan replied:
"It's settled. Tomorrow, the two sides will hold negotiations at the Honglu Temple. The court will be represented by two ministers. However, according to historical experience, such a major matter as peace talks will take a long time to go back and forth. It won't be settled in a short time. I'm afraid it will take a month or two to fully settle. Do you want to attend?"
Zhao Duan shook his head and said self-deprecatingly:
"I'm not good at verbal battles. I just hope the court officials can be more motivated and not let the advantages I've fought so hard on the front lines be lost to them at the negotiation table. If that were to happen..."
"So what?" Ma Yan asked.
Zhao Duan remained silent for a long time without answering.
After a while, when the two of them walked back to the gate of the imperial court, Zhao Duan finally said in a barely audible voice:
"My sword is not at all disadvantageous."
…
The next day, peace talks began.
A few days later, two military letters were sent back from Xiping and Tieguan respectively:
The troops of King Hejian and King Yanshan approached the border and confronted the two armies on the front line. War was about to break out.
——
ps: The layout will be updated first and then revised
(End of this chapter)
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