Chapter 618: The Empress Leaves the Capital, the Emperor Enters the Sea
After being away for many days, her bedroom in the Zhao Mansion was still tidy and spotless, which meant that her aunt cleaned it frequently.
Zhao Duan rubbed his nose, lifted the quilt, stepped down, walked around the room a few times, and got used to the puppet's body again.
"Well... after the transformation of Gongshu Tianyuan, it is indeed not so dependent on the sun. It can still be used after so many days of standby."
Zhao Duan checked the puppet's condition and silently gave it a positive review.
Pushing open the door, the cool afternoon breeze from the courtyard blew towards him. After leaving the front line and returning home, Zhao Duan felt the long-lost tranquility.
Walking along the corridor, he bumped into the maids and servants in the house, all of whom bowed to him in surprise.
"master."
"Meet the Master."
Zhao Duan smiled, raised his index finger and put it on his lips, signaling them to be quiet.
Following the direction perceived by his spiritual sense, Zhao Duan passed through the moon gate and entered the garden on one side of the mansion.
The winter garden is wabi-sabi and monotonous, except for the plum blossoms that still bloom vibrantly.
There is a plum blossom field planted in the courtyard of Zhao's house. At this moment, the black branches in the cold wind are dotted with flowers of various colors. However, as it is the end of winter, the flowering period is about to end, and petals have fallen to the ground in spots.
Eugene Hua and Zhao Pan, enjoying the afternoon sunshine, were admiring the plum blossoms in the garden.
Two women, one big and one small, were wearing embroidered jackets, one with plump peony patterns and the other with pink roses.
“Woof…Woof woof…”
The Pekingese dog pricked up its ears first, turned its head and widened its eyes, barked a few times subconsciously, and wagged its tail wildly in a flattering manner.
The mother and daughter turned around and showed a look of surprise:
"Da Lang (Big Brother), you're back? Didn't you just go to the front line a few days ago?"
Zhao Duan walked over with a smile:
"I just won a battle on the front line and came back to tell Your Majesty that I'm safe and sound. I just returned from the palace."
An understatement.
There is no mention of the thrilling battle at Huting.
But how could the mother and daughter not understand that winning a battle is not easy?
Zhao Duan squatted down, rubbed the Pekingese's head, then sat on the stone bench under the plum blossoms and asked about trivial matters at home.
Only at home could he temporarily put aside the affairs of family and country and get a short and complete rest.
After chatting for a while, Eugene Hua found an excuse to send her daughter away. Then, this gentle and soft-tempered woman bit her lip, walked over, and squatted slightly beside Zhao Duan. She raised her head, looked at her stepson's face, and couldn't help but say:
"How long can you stay at home this time?"
"It's just today. I have to go back tomorrow."
"So...are we going to fight again?"
Eugene Hua seemed to sense the heavy weight between Zhao Duan's brows.
Although she didn't know, Zhao Duan had already made up his mind to go to Binhaidao to have a decisive battle with Prince Jing, ending the "Rebellion of the Eight Kings" in one fell swoop, so that the court could devote itself wholeheartedly to resisting the troops from the Western Regions.
But the weak woman keenly guessed that Zhao Duan was going to do something big again.
"Isn't war all about killing?"
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"Don't worry, it's just a piece of shit, not worth mentioning."
Eugene Hua wanted to say something, but Zhao Pan ran back at an inopportune time.
The cunning girl said, "Mom, is there a detail about what you just told me...eh?"
Eugene stood up quickly, straightened her skirt, and glared at her daughter:
"He's so old, he still has to ask for help when he wants to find something. Well, I'll do it myself. Go to the kitchen and ask them to prepare a delicious meal tonight to welcome Dalang."
"oh……"
…
…
That night, Zhao Duan satisfied his appetite with his puppet body. He did not sleep at night, but instead pondered his battle plan in the study.
Wait until the sky gradually brightens.
When Zhao Pan came with his puppy and knocked on the door to call him for dinner, he found that the room was empty.
…
"Meet Mr. Zhao."
The palace gate.
When Zhao Duan walked in the morning light, the guards at the gate saluted in surprise.
"Is there a morning court today?" he stopped and asked.
"Yes, the court should have just ended." said a guard.
Zhao Duan nodded, and under the respectful gaze of the imperial guards, he walked through the deep doorway without going to meet with the officials who were dismissing the court.
He went straight to the Yangxin Palace, but when he arrived at the imperial study, he did not see the empress.
The older female official replied, "Your Majesty must have returned to his bedroom."
Zhao Duan nodded and turned to go to the bedroom. He was familiar with the place, so the palace maid informed him first and then let him in.
"Squeak."
Pushing open the carved door of the empress's bedroom, the morning light passed by his body and sprinkled on the knitted carpet in the room.
Zhao Duan stepped in, lifted the windproof curtain, and saw a familiar figure in white clothes in the "living room". He was sitting with his back to him in front of a huge blue and white porcelain vase, seemingly pruning plum branches in the flower bed.
"Your Majesty, I am here." Zhao Duan bowed politely.
But the empress, who had her back to him, did not react.
"Your Majesty?" Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, raised his head, and noticed something strange.
Suddenly, a sweet laugh came from the bedroom next door, where a light gauze was hung.
Zhao Duan turned his head in surprise, and his eyes lit up.
I saw a "fairy" walking out of the bedroom. She was wearing a plain white long dress and cloth boots. The waist of the white dress was tied with a bright red silk ribbon, outlining her slender waist.
Her long black hair was tied up and hung down to her waistline at the back of her head, making her look much more capable.
A crystal clear, ethereal face became clearer and clearer.
Xu Zhenguan held a black scabbard in his hand and looked at him with a smile:
"How is it? Will I be recognized if I go out like this?"
Zhao Duan was distracted for a moment, and suddenly realized that the "empress" in the room must be a puppet.
He thought about it seriously and shook his head: "Not appropriate."
The empress raised her eyebrows and looked at herself distressedly:
"Was it revealed somewhere?"
Zhao Duan said seriously:
"Your Majesty is a beauty of heaven. Just this face alone is enough to captivate the world."
Slippery talk... Xu Zhenguan pretended to be angry and said lightly:
"I will change my appearance after I go out."
She pointed at the motionless puppet substitute in the hall and said:
"Gongshu Tianyuan delivered the puppet last night. Zhang Tianshi also allowed him to serve the court. Therefore, he will calculate the date and rush from the capital to Binhai with the Tianyuan cannon to join us later."
If Wu Xiankui were to take action, the empress would have no choice but to stop him.
Zhao Duan still needs to eliminate Prince Jing's followers and Qingshan's masters. In this way, the Tianyuan Cannon may turn the situation around at the critical moment.
The Empress continued:
"At court this morning, I informed the ministers of your recapture of the lake pavilion. How are your preparations going?"
Zhao Duan smiled calmly and said, "I will lead the Shenji Battalion to attack Binhai."
The emperor and his ministers smiled at each other, and the empress said, "Wait for me at Binhai."
Zhao Duan nodded, turned around and left the bedroom, heading towards the Martial Arts Hall - time waits for no one, after one day, Hu Ting should be stable.
Watched Zhao Duan leave.
Xu Zhenguan's figure flashed, and when he reappeared, he was already in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
She raised her head and looked at the six-hundred-year-old ancestral tablet on the high platform. She walked over step by step, and her right hand gently stroked the sword case on the table.
“Click.”
The sword box opened automatically, revealing the true form of the Taia Sword.
Xu Zhenguan pursed his lips, picked up the Taia sword, and put it into the ordinary black scabbard in his hand.
Then he turned around and walked out.
Just one step and the person disappeared.
Walked a few more steps.
The empress had appeared outside the capital. She turned her head and looked back at the capital, her lips moving:
"Thank you, Master."
Inside the Tianshi Mansion, under the big banyan tree, Zhang Yan grunted, and a scroll of heavenly book in his hand shot out a faint glow that shot straight into the sky.
Conceal the secret!
…
…
Lake Pavilion.
Provisional Governor's Office.
Zhao Duan opened his eyes, got out of bed, stretched his body, then pushed the door and walked out of the room.
The door to the next room opened, and the three "guardians" Yuxiu, Jinjian, and Jiyue came out upon hearing the voice and looked at him together:
"Are you back?"
"Yeah." Zhao Duan smiled: "How is the situation in the city?"
Before the three women could speak, a voice came from outside the yard: "Everything has been settled."
Mo Chou came over. The female official's face was full of fatigue, as if she hadn't slept all night, but her eyes were bright:
"Hu Ting is now completely under our control. Some of the enemy troops have escaped, and some have been captured. Governor Ning and his men are currently cleaning up the mess. Do you want to go and take a look?"
"No need." Zhao Duan was not surprised. Without the leader and the experts, it was natural to retake Huting. He said:
"Call the commanders-in-chief of the three armies to hold a meeting."
A moment later.
In the conference hall.
Zhao Duan sat in the main seat, listening to the excited reports of the generals. They had just won a great victory, and everyone's face was beaming.
"Commander-in-Chief, your reputation within the army is truly at its peak. The slight concerns within the three camps about you replacing Privy Councilor Xue have vanished completely. Morale is high. Once the ice and snow thaw within a few days, we can march south in full force to fight the Jiancheng rebels to the death!"
Shi Meng's mouth was stretched almost to his ears, and he spoke passionately.
His generals also echoed and expressed similar views.
Zhao Duan smiled faintly, not surprised. What method could quickly stabilize the army's morale? Victory, only victory.
However, he shook his head at the general's proposal and said something shocking:
"Next, the Three Thousand Battalion and the Huaishui Military Headquarters will go on the defensive, using Huting as their line. I don't ask you to achieve any merit or recapture any land. As long as you hold the line and prevent the Jiancheng rebels from breaking through and invading from the west and north, that will be your greatest achievement."
After a pause, in the bewildered eyes of the crowd, he looked at Shi Meng again and said calmly:
"The entire Shenji Battalion will march out. Follow this commander-in-chief and board the warships immediately. Head east. Charge into Binhai Road and head straight for Prince Chen!"
Charge into Binhai? Target Prince Chen directly?!
Everyone was stunned and didn't understand the rationale behind this decision.
Zhao Duan did not give them a chance to question, but said stiffly:
"Prince Jing went to Binhai to form an alliance with Prince Chen. If the alliance is successful, the imperial court will be attacked from two sides and will be at a disadvantage.
Instead of doing this, it is better to take the initiative. Before Prince Chen takes action, I will lead my troops to attack and put an end to Prince Jing's thoughts.
This is the decision. No objections will be accepted. You just need to execute it. Do you understand?"
Facing his sharp gaze, everyone shut their mouths.
He stood up and saluted: "As you command!"
“Clatter—”
Then, a general quickly left his seat and began to work on Zhao Duan's order.
Especially the Shenji Camp, they must set off quickly.
Mo Chou stayed and stared at him intently:
"What do you want to do? While what you say makes sense, your goal isn't to eliminate Prince Chen beforehand, right? You told me that Prince Chen is indecisive and only excels at naval warfare. He's not a serious threat at all. Are you going to kill Xu Wen?"
Zhao Duan looked at her with a smile without explaining.
Mo Chou understood, and her expression changed. She walked over step by step, staring at him closely, and took a deep breath:
"You're a lunatic."
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"I've issued a military order. If I can't kill him within the deadline, it will be my turn to die as a token of my gratitude to the world. Therefore, I must take a risky tactic."
Mo Chou's cheeks trembled slightly:
"Then shouldn't you have gone in a low profile? Why such a large force? You should know that the Divine Machine Battalion wouldn't be of much use in the matter of intercepting Prince Jing. When masters clash, ordinary soldiers, even with firearms, can't make much of a difference."
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"Don't underestimate Prince Jing, do you think he wouldn't notice me secretly leading people to Binhai?
Rather than sneaking over and being discovered by him, thus becoming alert, it would be better to go openly and with a grand force. If we can lure out Prince Chen as well, we can get rid of these two princes in one go and solve the problem once and for all.
Besides, have you forgotten? Mo Zhaorong, you once told me that the imperial envoy's trip was aboveboard.
Zhao Duan stood with his hands behind his back, turned his head and looked at the gray clouds outside the hall gradually splitting apart, revealing the indigo sky, and said calmly:
"This time, I will let the whole world, the whole martial arts world, know the consequences of provoking me."
…
That day, Zhao Duan's order spread throughout the army.
The Grand Commander's strategy of abandoning the attack and instead raiding Binhai Road sparked heated discussion.
Some officers agreed and thought it was a wise move to deal with King Chen before the decisive battle with the Jiancheng rebels.
Others believe that such rash actions are likely to backfire and cause the situation to collapse.
However, all these doubts were forcibly suppressed by Zhao Duan's rising reputation.
Hu Ting’s victory is enough to shut these people up.
However, the Shenjiying still needs some preparation time before it can set off.
Before this, Zhao Duan left Mochou, Ning Zechen and others to take charge of the overall situation, while he took Jiyue, Yuxiu, Jinjian, and a group of offerings headed by Song Jinxi, and boarded a ship in the gradually warming spring breeze and headed east.
…
…
“Clatter.”
As the ship passed through the Grand Canal and entered the chassis of the Corniche, the temperature quickly warmed up.
The river water also began to thaw in the spring breeze, leaving only shallow floating ice.
Due to geographical reasons, Binhaidao itself is relatively warm. After Zhao Duan spent some days in the cabin, he could see with the naked eye that the mountains on both sides of the river had turned dark green, as if spring had come from winter in an instant.
This day, on the deck.
Zhao Duan stood with his hands behind his back, the river breeze blowing his robe and hair. Zhao Duan looked down at the rolling river water below the side of the boat.
His eyeballs remained motionless, but his mind was moving. He pointed his finger lightly, and a stream of energy shot out. A fish in the river twitched and died instantly as if it had been shot, and blood spread under the water.
He murmured softly, "Is he approaching the peak state of perfection in the world?"
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Typos and typos will be corrected first and then revised.
(End of this chapter)
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