Chapter 97 The Non-Existent "Rebel Party"
It was the sixth day since Zhao Duan took up his post at the imperial court.
In the early morning, the red sun of the East China Sea emerged from the clouds.
In the Imperial Garden, glistening water droplets rolled down the branches and leaves of the rare plants and trees that had been brought from all over Dayu at great pains, expending manpower and material resources over the past six hundred years.
In the pond, schools of golden koi fish scramble for food.
The empress in white stood by the lake beside the pavilion, holding a blue and white fish food jar in her bare hands. Light blue veins were faintly visible under her fair skin.
Scattered casually, the beauty is like a painting.
"Your Majesty, Lord Yuan has arrived." A female official came forward from behind to report.
Xu Zhenguan didn't even turn his head, and focused on teasing the fish:
"please."
After a while, a man in a blue robe with an open collar, led by a palace maid, walked along the winding blue brick path, through the mountains, rocks and streams surrounded by many waiters with their heads bowed.
He came to the pavilion that Zhao Duan had seen that day.
The elegant and handsome Imperial Censor, with deep eyes, smiled and said:
"Your Majesty seems to be in a good mood today, but what interesting thing happened?"
Xu Zhenguan poured half a bowl of fish food into the pond and turned back. The graceful and noble female emperor smiled and joked:
"Why did Mr. Yuan ask even though he knew it?"
The king and his ministers smiled at each other.
It was clear to each other what they were referring to, which was the storm stirred up by Zhao Duan in the past two days.
Just now, the dust settled on this farce at the morning court.
Last night, when the Eighth Hall Police Department was forced to surrender under the tyranny of Zhao, Zhao Duan finally gave in and mercifully released the remaining 57 people.
At the morning court today, Governor Ma Yan personally submitted a memorial stating that the "misunderstanding" between the two sides has been resolved.
As for the officials, because of the huge bribes, they had no intention of investigating the matter further and the dispute continued endlessly.
Both parties tacitly agreed to give up, and the instigator, Zhao Duan, was only fined three months' salary. If he commits the same offense again, he will be punished with no leniency.
Almost nothing.
Win numb.
From the beginning to the end, the empress and Yuan Li, who were sitting on a high place watching the mountain scenery and overlooking the situation, could not hide their pleasure when they saw the officials headed by the Li Party being humiliated.
They are two fun people.
The two of them walked into the pavilion and sat opposite each other at the table.
Yuan Li smiled and said:
"Zhao Duan has only been in the Imperial Court for five or six days, but he's already established a firm foothold. Initially, his subordinates were intimidated by him, but not convinced. However, after this incident, I'm sure things have improved significantly."
Sometimes, the person watching the game has the clearest view of the situation.
Before the people involved in the situation understood what was going on, Yuan Li had already roughly guessed Zhao Duan's true intention.
But even so, when everything developed as he expected, this first-rank official still stroked his beard and admired.
"It's easy to get a thousand soldiers, but it's hard to find a good general. Your Majesty is lucky to have Zhao Du'an who is so capable of commanding his men."
Yuan Li offered a light flattery.
Xu Zhenguan felt relaxed and happy.
Sometimes, when people say they don’t like flattery, they don’t really mean that they don’t like it, or that they think the methods used to flatter are not sophisticated enough.
It’s because the person taking the photo is of too low a status.
No one could resist the compliments coming from Yuan Li, a man with a reputation that was unrivaled in Dayu and admired by scholars all over the world.
Xu Zhenguan was as beautiful as a jade sculpture, and a faint smile appeared on his flawless face:
"Mr. Yuan, you're joking. He's just a police inspector, using some underhanded tactics. If that little imperial guard heard about it, he'd probably be all cocky."
Openly criticize and secretly praise.
Although he said that it was just a small imperial guard, not in the spotlight, and the means were insignificant, he was actually extremely satisfied.
In five or six days, the Lihuatang that has been a headache for Ma Yan for a long time will be conquered.
Although it cannot be compared horizontally.
After all, Ma Yan's identity is there, and in order to balance and take care of other halls, he is subject to many restrictions, while Zhao Duan is a pure outsider and has no worries.
But it is also fast enough.
This was something the empress had never thought of before.
However, if Zhao Duan were here, he would definitely correct it righteously:
He wouldn't lift his tail high, even if he did, it wouldn't be a tail...
"If I were to say there are any shortcomings, it would be that his style and methods are ultimately too harsh and not gentle enough."
Xu Zhenguan pointed out the flaws calmly and objectively.
Yuan Li smiled and said:
"But since Your Majesty agreed to throw him over, he had already anticipated this."
Xu Zhenguan said helplessly:
"I did think that he would cause trouble after taking my 'Imperial Sword', but I didn't expect him to do so much."
Yuan Li smiled, gently stroked his beard, and sighed:
"This brat knows it all. He has the support of His Majesty, so he dares to drive away even the Prince Consort."
When mentioning Princess Yunyang, his "aunt", Xu Zhenguan sighed and felt a headache.
She has always been concerned about family ties. Although her relationship with this aunt is not very good, they are still blood relatives after all.
I can't help but stop him without giving him any face. He sighed:
"Later, I will personally send an oral order to the imperial court to send Li Lang back. He has been detained for so many days, and my aunt has been nagging me non-stop. I am so annoyed."
At this point in time, her order would not undermine Zhao Duan's dignity.
However, by doing this, Zhao Duan completely angered his aunt. He hoped that there would be no conflicts later.
Seeing that the Empress's expression remained unchanged, Yuan Li changed the subject and said:
"As far as I know, Zhao Duan has already asked the Eighth Hall for clues about the rebels. I'm afraid he's trying to uncover the traitor."
Obviously, as a staunch supporter of the empress, he also knew about Zhao Duan's "hidden mission" in entering the imperial court.
When talking about serious matters, Xu Zhenguan's expression became a little serious, and his slender eyebrows frowned:
"Does Yuan Gong think he can do it?"
Yuan Li asked back:
"How much confidence does Your Majesty have in him?"
Xu Zhenguan hesitated for a moment, his eyes darkening.
"If I was only 10% or 20% confident before, now I am 50% sure."
Yuan Li smiled:
"I would rather be optimistic about him, now I feel 60% confident.
However... the imperial court is treacherous. Ma Yan has already probed it many times before, and the traitor must have been alerted long ago. It would be too difficult for Zhao Duan to investigate now. I'm afraid it will take a lot of time."
Xu Zhenguan asked curiously:
"How long does Yuan Gong think it will take for him to make a discovery?"
Yuan Li thought for a moment, then cautiously extended two fingers:
"At least two months."
It is not an underestimation, but a speculation based on objective facts.
Xu Zhenguan shook his head and said:
"I am not as confident as Mr. Yuan, but if he can really do it, I think it will be done within two months, or even one month."
One month... Yuan Liqi asked, "Why do you make such a guess, Your Majesty?"
Xu Zhenguan snorted and said:
"Because I ordered him to capture Zhuang Xiaocheng before the end of the year. So, he doesn't have enough patience to waste time. Besides, hasn't Lord Yuan noticed that he always works very quickly?"
Yuan Li was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter:
"Well, then I will venture a bet with Your Majesty. Will it take Zhao Duan one month or two months to accomplish this?"
Xu Zhenguan raised the corner of his mouth slightly: "Yes."
Then he looked outside the palace, towards the imperial court, and thought to himself, "Little Imperial Guard, please don't let me down."
…
…
"A-choo!"
Zhao Duan sneezed, rubbed his nose, and muttered:
"Who scolded me again?"
Forget it, there are many people in the world who curse him, and I'm afraid there will be even more in the next few days.
"Speaking of which, if the people's faith and willpower can coalesce into a god, then if there are enough people who hate me, will a 'God Zhao' be formed..."
As Zhao Duan was having strange thoughts, his ears moved slightly and he heard footsteps coming from far away outside the yard.
At this moment, he was in the backyard of the Governor's Hall in the Imperial Court, which was also the private residence of his cheap senior brother.
From the moment a eunuch entered the palace, he no longer had a "home".
Just as Sun Lianying lived in the rear court of Baima Prison.
Ma Yan also did not have his own courtyard - the empress had once offered him a courtyard, but it was rejected by the cold-blooded eunuch.
Therefore, he also regards the government office as his home.
Today, Zhao Duan relied on martial arts to avoid the sight of others, sneaked in, and waited for the other party.
The gate of the courtyard was pushed open with a creaky sound.
The eunuch Dugong, who was thin, with messy gray eyebrows like barbs, a long face and a serious expression, walked into the room.
The sharp gaze instantly locked onto Zhao Duan, who was sitting carefree on a stone bench in the center of the courtyard.
The powerful energy that was originally gathered in the chest and abdomen because of sensing that there was someone in the house was like the Hunhe River that had its floodgates opened and flowed towards the seven meridians and eight vessels.
The majestic momentum slowly slid down.
Ma Yan frowned: "Why are you here?"
Put your palms behind your back and push gently.
With a "bang", the double doors of the courtyard slammed shut.
Zhao Duan smiled and pointed at the two boxes of "Zuiyueju" cakes on the table and said:
"If you have nothing to do, why not come and visit me, Senior Brother? Speaking of which, I've been in the government office for a few days now, but I haven't met you once. Even if it's to avoid suspicion, it's a bit too much."
Ma Yan had a blank expression on his face, with his eyes twitching slightly.
I was annoyed by him calling me "senior brother" left and "junior brother" right.
I opened my mouth, trying to correct it, but seeing the smiling face of the person in front of me, I gave up and let it go.
"Since you wish to visit, you should not enter through the main gate. However, I have never heard of any method of trespassing into someone's residence."
Ma Yan walked to the stone table with the gait of a tiger and a dragon, and said coldly:
"How did Sun Lianying teach you?"
Zhao Duan said as a matter of course:
"When I was in the White Horse Prison, I often broke into the backyard of Supervisor Sun."
"..." Ma Yan's face darkened, he had underestimated the boy's shamelessness.
Ma Dugong and Lao Sijian have completely different personalities. Neither of them is the type to waste time on small talk or sentimentality.
But Zhao Duan knew that his cheap senior brother was not a bad person.
According to Sun Lianying, Ma Yan was saved by the prince, and more than 20 years passed after she entered the palace, during which time she had almost no contact with the prince.
But on the day of the coup, this little beggar, who had been almost forgotten by the prince and whom he had rescued more than 20 years ago, walked out silently without saying a word and blocked dozens of knives for the prince.
Almost died of exhaustion.
Just with this grateful heart, it is impossible for him to be a cold and heartless person.
This is probably why the empress dared to use him after she ascended the throne.
It was also the reason why Zhao Duan dared to be so frivolous and get close to this cold-blooded eunuch known as "King Yama" who was feared by all officials.
"... That's all."
Ma Yan took a deep breath, sat down in front of him, frowned and said:
"If you have anything to say, just say it."
You are so straightforward. If you hadn't proven your loyalty, you wouldn't be able to get by in the officialdom like this... Zhao Duan commented with the attitude of a senior in the workplace, smiling:
"I do have something to ask for help."
"Speak." Ma Yan said concisely.
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"It's actually quite simple. Yesterday, Junior Brother, I pried out a lot of information about the rebels from the other eight branches. I spent all night looking through it, and I spent a lot of time looking at it again today. Combining the information from each branch, I've actually made some discoveries."
Ma Yan's eyes lit up:
"Have you found any clues about the rebels?"
He couldn't hide his surprise, but after thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was indeed possible.
The nine gangs are in a competitive relationship and are investigating cases independently.
Some important clues will only be handed over to the Supervisor when there is a breakthrough.
Many clues that have not yet made any progress are in the hands of the chief officers of each hall, who are strictly guarding against them and do not communicate with each other.
This time, Zhao Duan forced the eight people to hand over.
Although Ma Yan was sure that the eight people were definitely hiding something, what they handed over was most likely the relatively unimportant part.
But when many clues that were originally isolated and unrelated to each other gathered in Zhao Duan's hands at the same time.
Cross-verify each other and build connections.
It's really possible to connect the dots and achieve a breakthrough.
"Yes. I did find the place where the rebels are suspected to be hiding, but please forgive me for not telling you right now." Zhao Duan said.
“…”
Ma Yan's chest rose and fell again. He took a deep breath and said indifferently:
"so?"
If the person in front of him was one of his subordinates, Ma Yan would have been furious, but considering that His Majesty was standing behind the other person, he chose to endure it.
Zhao Duan said sincerely:
"I am planning a surprise attack tomorrow and will lead the Lihua Hall to capture someone. However, I have only been practicing for a short time and am afraid that I may encounter a strong enemy and be unable to control it. Therefore, I would like to ask you to accompany me tomorrow."
That's it? Ma Yan readily agreed:
"Can."
His messy brows relaxed, and he thought that although this kid was smooth-talking and good at making connections, he was still sensible and knew what was important, so he didn't seek quick success or advance rashly.
Well, I guess the Zhuang Xiaocheng case taught him a lesson.
However, Zhao Duan did not stop and continued:
"Also, please issue an order to the Eight Halls today, requiring the eight officers to remain at home tomorrow and strictly prohibited from going out. All captains and runners are to be stationed at the entrances of the halls and are not allowed to move without permission."
A gleam of light suddenly flashed across Ma Yan's eyes:
"You're worried..."
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"Brother, please don't ask too much. We will know the answer tomorrow."
Ma Yan was silent.
He didn't know how Zhao Duan knew that there was a traitor in the government office, whether it was the emperor who told him or something else.
But requiring all the halls to stay under house arrest is undoubtedly to eliminate risks and ensure that the arrest operation in Lihua Hall goes smoothly.
"Can."
Ma Yan nodded solemnly and looked at him deeply:
"However, if Lihuatang is short of manpower and the rebels escape..."
Zhao Duan smiled with an ambiguous meaning:
"Don't worry, brother. The thief is in the capital. As long as he shows his head, he won't be able to escape."
After saying that, he turned and walked away.
Ma Yan shouted, "The gate is this way."
"I know, but there is a back door. Who goes through the front door these days?" Zhao Duan climbed over the wall with extremely familiar movements.
Only Ma Yan was left sitting in the yard.
After a long time, he lowered his eyes to look at the cakes on the table, then suddenly raised his calloused fingers, picked up a piece of mung bean cake, put it in his mouth, and chewed it gently.
Brat...it's pretty delicious.
…
…
at the same time.
After Zhao Duan left the "Governor's Hall", he went straight back to the "Pear Blossom Hall".
He summoned his four men, gave them some instructions, and gave each of them a lucky bag, asking them to open it after returning home tonight.
After hearing the content, the four subordinates looked at each other in confusion.
But now, they were quite convinced of Zhao Duan. Although they had doubts, they still responded and carried out the order.
Before he knew it, Zhao Duan already had his own team.
There is no need to do many small things personally, or all of them depend on Zhu Kui alone.
Then, he took off his official robes, changed into his casual clothes, and got on the carriage:
"Go to the White Horse Prison, quickly."
Inside the car.
Zhao Duan looked through the curtain at the ten halls of the imperial yamen outside, a complex of buildings connected together, and slowly narrowed his eyes.
Only he knew that he had not obtained any information about the rebel party from those scattered clues.
He was just taking a gamble, betting on whether the traitor would surface tomorrow.
However, the knife for "killing ghosts" is only in Ma Yan's hand and is not reliable. Before the dust settles, he remains suspicious of everyone.
Of course, this also includes Ma Yan.
Thanks to godess-moom for the 5,000-point reward!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
