Chapter 600: The Nobleman in the Caravan (Double Monthly Ticket Request)
Had so many things happened? The Mysterious Seal entered the Western Regions, the nations invaded the border, and Governor Zhao ascended the throne with his sword...
The crowd, led by Xu Junling, couldn't help but be lost in thought. Following Zhao Duan's narration, their thoughts seemed to drift northward, as if they had witnessed the gleaming swords and shadows in the capital.
Immediately, layers of confusion came to mind: How could Governor Zhao travel back and forth between the capital and Jingchuan Town without them noticing?
Is it due to some kind of magic trick? Why have I never heard of it...
As she pondered, the elegant and sweet princess looked at Zhao Duan with an increasingly different gaze. She felt that the future husband of her imperial sister was shrouded in mystery and was difficult to see through.
Yuan Feng and Prince Huai were more concerned about the situation in the spring of next year. They also understood what Zhao Duan meant:
In order to prevent people from the Western Regions from taking advantage of the situation, the five military camps need to rush to support the Duke of Zhenguo.
As for whether the departure of the Five Military Camps would allow Prince Jing's Jiancheng Army to take advantage of the situation... As long as the court puts enough pressure on them, the Jiancheng Army will not be crazy enough to divide its troops.
In fact, in Zhao Duan's opinion, from the perspective of stability, it would be more appropriate to wait for Zhao Shixiong to conquer Yunfu and then transfer the southwestern border troops to Xiping.
But first of all, time does not allow it.
Secondly, although the Liao people have been peaceful for many years, there is no guarantee that they will cause some trouble... It would be more convenient to leave Zhao Shixiong to deal with it.
"Yes, Governor, I will make arrangements in the next few days and leave after the New Year."
Yuan Feng said, and then asked:
"So you're coming too?"
Zhao Duan shook his head:
"I won't be accompanying them on this trip north. I will secretly take Jiyue and the others to Huting to replace Xue Shence. Afterwards, Xue Shence will also go to Xipingdao to provide support."
"This..." The generals were surprised.
Without waiting for them to speak, Zhao Duan thought for a moment and suddenly said:
"By the way, help me build a coffin. I want to take it to the Eastern Front as well."
Coffin? Xu Junling's eyes moved, as if he guessed something, and he opened his mouth slightly:
"Ah...you mean..."
Zhao Duan smiled and looked around at everyone, then nodded and said:
"Carrying the coffin to fight, ready to die."
…
Soon, Yuan Feng and others left in a hurry, and King Huai'an also went to make arrangements.
Under Zhao Duan's command, the entire Jingchuan Town began to operate at a rapid pace. He sat in the palace, met with some officials, and handled some matters that only he had the authority to decide.
"Commander-in-Chief, someone claiming to be Yunxi wants to see you outside the palace."
When it was almost dark, a servant from the palace came to report.
Zhao Duan sat in the "temporary office" converted from the study and was stunned for a moment:
"Please come in!"
Not long.
The door was knocked open, and a girl wearing a simple cotton coat, a cloak, and a hat walked in.
Yunxi had covered her face with a black cloth, but she reached out and pulled it open, revealing her red face from the cold. She then took off her huge hat and placed it beside her.
"Come sit down and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up." Zhao Duan smiled warmly and greeted him kindly.
The two of them have a very deep bond. From being enemies at first, they have become superiors and subordinates now. It can only be said that fate is mysterious.
Since the last time, Yunxi was ordered to "kidnap" Zhao Shixiong's only daughter and go north to Taicang Prefecture. When Zhao Duan went south to Jingchuan Town, Yunxi took Wu Ling, Qingniao and other backbone members of the "New Kuangfu Society" and sneaked into the world again to eliminate the remnants of the Kuangfu Society.
This time she came suddenly, and Zhao Duan took it very seriously. He knew that if it wasn't something important, Yunxi would never be willing to come to him with her character.
"Tell me, what happened?"
Yun Xi sat down silently on the mahogany chair with a stern face, picked up the hot tea mixed with brown sugar and drank it all in one gulp, then wiped the corner of her mouth and said:
"Our people are tracking down the location of the Kuangfu Society's headquarters and have recently received two leads."
"First, Second Prince Jianwen's concubine and child are suspected to have sneaked into Yunfu two months ago and are nowhere to be found."
Went to Yunfu? Zhao Duan was stunned, but not too surprised.
After Zhuang Xiaocheng's death, it is not difficult to understand why the Kuangfu Society fell apart, kept moving away from the court's territory, and hid in Yunfu.
But...why Yunfu?
Instead of Jiancheng Road, Binhai Road? Or even the more remote Lingnan Road?
Yunxi continued:
"Secondly, Qi Yuchun and Ren Kun did not appear to have entered Yunfu with Princess Wen. They appear to have headed east. Furthermore, according to investigations, a new leader appears to have emerged within the Kuangfu Society, but their identity remains a mystery."
Zhao Duan was really stunned this time.
He frowned, stood up solemnly and paced around the study.
New person at the helm?
Instead of Qi Yuchun or Ren Kun taking over?
To the east? To Prince Jing's territory, or Prince Chen of Binhai's territory?
It seems that the latter is more likely, after all, the headquarters of the Kuangfu Society was originally located on Binhai Road.
Suddenly, a clue flashed through Zhao Duan’s mind.
He suddenly remembered that Prince Huai'an had told him not long ago that a mysterious high-ranking official had emerged under Prince Jing's command, and his surname was suspected to be Xu...
a long time.
Zhao Duan closed his eyes, then opened them again, exhaled deeply, and looked at the girl seriously:
"Your information is very valuable."
"That's good." Yun Xi stood up, pulled up her face scarf, put on her hat and walked out.
It seemed like he was just here to tell him this.
"Hey, don't you want to sit down for a while? Stay for dinner?" Zhao Duan tried to persuade her to stay.
Without even turning back, Yun Xi pushed the door open and disappeared into the winter night.
"No need. You and I both have things to do."
Zhao Duan looked deeply at the girl's slender back, thinking that in these two short years, the girl who was full of passion, big-breasted and brainless had grown up.
It has more leadership aura, but has also lost its innocence.
"well."
In the brightly lit study, a sigh was heard for a long time.
…
Huting County.
It was the end of the year, but the entire lake pavilion did not have a festive atmosphere, and the wind was cold and chilly.
At night, the once bustling Yansuo Lake was now dark, with only tiny lights shining through the buildings in the city.
The window of a certain building was suddenly pushed open from the inside out by a pair of well-proportioned and well-maintained hands.
“Woo…”
The cold wind blew into the room, the candlelight hidden in the lampshade on the table flickered, and the human figure reflected on the pink wall was distorted like a demon.
Xu Jianwen took a deep breath of the cold wind and said softly:
"The canal is still too small. If it were on the East China Sea, the winter wind wouldn't be this cold."
Behind him, three people were sitting neatly around a round table in the room.
They are the former commander-in-chief of the imperial guards, Qi Yuchun.
Ren Kun, the earth magician.
And... the former national teacher, Guhuo Zhenren, who was wearing a black and white plaid Taoist robe, with his hair fixed with a wooden hairpin, and his eyes were as deep as a pool.
"Your Highness, please don't tell me that Prince Jing wants to go to Binhaidao just to enjoy the sea breeze in winter." Ren Kun grinned.
Since the day they met Prince Jing, they had no idea what their Highness had said to Prince Jing behind closed doors.
In short, since then, His Highness has appeared as a "counselor". In a short period of time, he has gained a position in the Jiancheng rebel group, and now he has almost taken over all the power in Hu Ting.
However, Prince Jing and his son had secretly left Huting not long ago. Xu Jinglong was not far away, and he stationed troops in the county town behind Huting, strangling the throat of the front line.
Prince Jing, however, intends to go to Binhaidao.
"Nonsense. Prince Jing is going there at this time, it must be for Prince Chen, or to Qingshan, or both." Qi Yuchun calmly analyzed:
"According to the news from the north, the peace talks in the capital have collapsed. Zhao Duan would rather risk being attacked from all sides after the spring than not stop the peace talks.
He even publicly issued a military order to destroy the Jiancheng Army... How could Prince Jing not make preparations and gather allies at this juncture? "
Guhuo Zhenren laughed and said:
"I heard that Prince Chen of Binhai Road is henpecked, lacking ambition, and always obeys his wife. Since he started his army, he has only defended Binhai. Do you think he can be a carefree prince? It's not easy to invite such a person. As for Wu Xiankui of Qingshan...
Hehe, in my opinion, he is just a twisted and timid guy, and I don't know how he became a god. If he wants to fight the royal family, he can just do it with all his might. But he cares about his reputation. Does he have to maintain his demeanor as the number one master in the martial arts world?
Back in Luoshan, we had to use the excuse of a martial arts competition... I'm afraid it would be difficult to invite such a person."
Xu Jianwen stood by the window, listening to the faint sound of firecrackers coming from somewhere in the quiet lake pavilion. He did not continue the topic, but said:
"Zhao Duan should be here soon. I can't wait to meet him. Oh, I didn't expect that my sister is not only good at hiding her shortcomings, but also has good taste in choosing men."
Zhao Duan...
Hearing this name, the other three also focused their attention.
Qi Yuchun and Ren Kun both recalled their failed attempts to kill Zhao Duan.
As for the bewitching demon, he sneered and said lightly:
"Don't worry, Your Highness. When he comes, I can kill him with just a little effort, and I will also devour all his memories.
Heh... I was just wondering how I died when I first entered the capital. With this identity, I'm sure you know the inside story...
Damn it! I guess the theft of my treasure house is related to this. No one in this world can take away my treasures without any problem!
Guhuo Zhenren is extremely confident in his ability to devour dreams.
…
…
After another heavy snowfall, the fourth year of Tianfeng officially arrived.
This year, there were no grand banquets in the capital, everything was kept simple, and the New Year atmosphere in various places was also very dull.
In contrast, the news that the peace talks had collapsed and Zhao Duan had issued a military order spread like wildfire throughout the entire Yu State and even abroad.
For a time, public opinion was in an uproar.
On the one hand, the people were worried about the escalation of the war, but on the other hand, they had blind trust in Zhao Duan because of his consecutive victories.
The human heart is a wonderful thing.
When Zhao Duan was just a concubine, everyone looked down on him and spit on him in secret.
Even though he had made many contributions, many people speculated that he was just "gilding the lily".
It wasn't until a decisive victory with real swords and guns that the public's reputation was reversed.
After the New Year, Zhao Duan often heard people mention his name when walking in the streets and alleys of the capital.
Most of the reviews are positive.
However, in contrast, in the circle dominated by upper-class people, there are many concerns about Zhao Duan.
"Heh, they're here to persuade me to withdraw my military order again. These people really are..."
The third day of the Lunar New Year, at the gate of Zhao Mansion.
Zhao Duan sent away another wave of officials who came to pay him a visit and couldn't help shaking his head.
Eugene Hua and Zhao Pan came over and consoled him, "I think he meant well..."
"Good intentions? Not necessarily," Zhao Duan sneered, "I wonder how many people are secretly waiting to see me laugh at my expense."
The greater the fame, the more enemies one makes. He understood this truth eight hundred times in his previous life.
There are generally three types of public opinion regarding the military order:
First, they believed that he would not be able to complete it and expressed concern about this.
The second is that they think he is just talking big and has no intention of fulfilling his promise.
Third, some people think that he is too arrogant and is talking nonsense.
"Forget it, let's ignore these people. I've met almost everyone I need to meet. Now I'm going to go into seclusion and won't meet anyone." Zhao Duan turned around and returned to his bedroom.
Zhao Pan couldn't help but ask, "Brother, when are you leaving?"
When will we set off? Zhao Duan smiled but said nothing.
After a while.
A soul flew towards the imperial palace and disappeared into the old building.
…
…
To go from Jingchuan Town to Huting, you need to head northeast.
After the New Year, the five military camps led by Yuan Feng moved north.
Zhao Duan only took Ji Yue, Jin Jian and Yu Xiu with him, changed his appearance, and left Jingchuan Town without anyone noticing.
Huangmen Escort Agency is a medium-sized escort agency in the Huai River area, usually escorting for some large merchants.
Even in times of war, people still have to live their lives, and caravans still have to travel between places in the wind and snow.
The Huangmen Escort Agency recently received an order from a big merchant to escort a caravan carrying goods to Huting.
Originally, the Huangmen Escort Agency was unwilling to accept such an escort to the front line, but the identity of this big merchant was rather special. He was secretly working for the Huai'an Palace, and the Huangmen Escort Agency was also a local force under the jurisdiction of the Huai'an Palace.
Huang Xiaorou is a rare female escort in the escort agency. She has always accompanied her father and brothers on escort missions.
This time, her father and brother didn't want her to come, but she insisted on coming.
But along the way, the experienced Huang Xiaorou felt more and more that something was wrong.
This abnormality probably comes from several aspects.
One is that although they were nominally escorting goods, among the merchants in the caravan, except for one who looked very much like a businessman, the other three women and one man did not look like businessmen at all. If they were said to be the "young masters" of some family, their temperament did not quite resemble them.
Not to mention that man. Although he has an ordinary appearance, his every move always gives off the aura of a superior. When Huang Xiaorou stands in front of him, her breathing becomes tense and timid. She dares not speak loudly. Sometimes, a look from him makes her feel a little scared.
This is something that rarely happened in the past... Huang Xiaorou would never do this even when meeting some officials.
Including the prefect, she had the good fortune to meet him once... Yes, even the prefect's oppression on her was not as great as that unremarkable young man...
In addition, the women around the man were weirder than each other.
One of them was wearing red clothes and always covered her face with her black hair, as if she didn't want to see people. She hid in the carriage and rarely appeared on the road. Huang Xiaorou hadn't seen what she looked like for so many days.
The other girl was very pretty, but her eyesight didn't seem very good. She was also very sleepy, especially during the day, and was always sleeping.
As for the night... Huang Xiaorou was on guard one night when she vaguely saw a shadow flying into the sky. The figure looked very similar to the girl, but when she looked closely, it disappeared. She thought she was dazzled.
How could a little girl possibly fly?
That was something that only the extremely powerful sorcerers in the legend could do. However, the most powerful sorcerer in the Divine Realm that she had ever seen could only perform a poor levitation technique and could not fly at all.
As for the only normal woman left, her ethereal temperament wasn't worth mentioning. The key point was that Huang Xiaorou once vaguely saw that she was wearing a Taoist robe under her skirt...
"Are the sons of wealthy families all this extravagant? They even don't let go of Taoist nuns?"
When the convoy stopped to rest again, Huang Xiaorou looked at the young man walking out of the carriage and couldn't help but complain in her heart.
However, the next second, the young man suddenly looked at him and waved with a smile:
"You, come here."
…
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(End of this chapter)
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