Chapter 4 The pillow will come to your door
This is cause for celebration.
This is a blessing, but the intention of gloating is obvious when placed here.
Zhao Duan looked indifferent as he looked at the young man who had taken over the hall. His information about him emerged in his mind:
Zhang Changshuo, also an envoy of the White Horse Prison, was his mortal enemy.
Born into a scholarly family, he was a well-known talent in the capital with a great reputation, but in the original owner's memory, he was a sanctimonious hypocrite.
The reason why the two became enemies was that Zhang Changshuo had long coveted the empress, and when the latter ascended the throne, he wrote poems and essays in praise of her.
Because of her beauty and talent, and her poetry and articles had been praised by the empress, many people believed that she was very likely to become the empress's "lover". However, she was unexpectedly snatched away by Zhao Du'an, a soldier from the imperial guards.
Zhang Changshuo did not give up and remained hostile to the original owner, delusionally wanting to replace him.
Two words can vividly summarize the relationship between the two:
Love rival!
"Sir, Envoy Zhang just came over and said he wanted to wait for you to come back. I have no choice but to..."
Inside the hall, Zhu Kui, with his dark complexion and ferocious face, hurriedly explained.
Zhang Changshuo looked regretful:
"I heard that Brother Zhao accidentally let a big fish go while hunting for rebels and was injured. I hurried over to see him and was relieved to see that he was alright."
Are you here to laugh at me... Zhao Duan sat down at the main seat and said calmly:
"When serving a saint, minor injuries are nothing to worry about."
Zhang Changshuo said "Oh" and said:
"But now that you've gotten into trouble, I'm afraid those knife-wielding devils in the imperial court won't let you go easily."
Zhao Duan took the teacup from his subordinate, his expression calm:
"Indeed, when I came out of the palace, I caught a glimpse of that group from afar. I think they were going to file a complaint with the emperor."
Then, he said sarcastically:
"However, the Saint is exhausted and may not be willing to see them."
Zhang Changshuo's face turned proud:
"You went to see the emperor? What did His Majesty say?"
Zhao Duan drank a sip of tea and then said meaningfully:
"Your Majesty only felt tired after seeing me."
The most clever lie is one in which each sentence is true, but when put together they reveal a false fact.
Damn it, what did you do to her?!
Zhang Changshuo's breathing tightened, his eyes turned green, and the joy of gloating was replaced by anger.
But soon, his expression softened and he sneered:
"I'll show off my eloquence, but it depends on how you end it."
After saying that, he stood up and left in a hurry.
He suspected that Zhao Duan was deceiving him, but had no evidence and prepared to send someone to investigate immediately.
…
Watching his rival leave, Zhu Kui, dressed in his official uniform, forced a flattering smile and praised him highly:
"I've known this for a long time. Given the relationship between you and His Majesty, nothing will happen. It's ridiculous that this little bastard Zhang is asking for trouble."
Oh, you're showing your loyalty now? If I fall, you'll probably be a fence-sitter... Zhao Duan complained in his heart, not thinking that with the original owner's despicable personality, there would be any loyal subordinates.
He smiled and sighed deliberately:
"Your Majesty is merciful, but those in the court who want to kill me are not easy to deal with. They must be punished."
Zhu Kui was startled, pondered for a moment, and then said suddenly:
"Looking for a scapegoat?"
Then his face showed a sinister look:
"Don't worry, sir. Leave this matter to me and I will do it perfectly."
...Zhao Duan couldn't stand this kind of villain behavior, and said in a deep voice:
"Foolish! Do you think the people in the imperial court are blind? Or are all the civil and military officials in the court against intelligence? His Majesty has his own arrangements."
He is using the tiger's skin to make a big banner.
If you want to survive, you have to rely on these subordinates.
Therefore, he had to first stabilize people's hearts and make Zhu Kui and others feel that he would not fall, so that they would be loyal to him and work for him.
But it won’t be long before the empress’s ambiguous attitude spreads.
So what Zhao Duan said was a precautionary measure.
In this way, even if an accident occurs, Zhu Kui and others will only think that this is the "Empress's plan" and will not think too much about it.
"How is that female rebel named 'Yun Niang' doing now?" Zhao Duan asked.
When the old tutor Zhuang Xiaocheng fled, he failed to take his unconscious female apprentice with him. Before Zhao Duan entered the palace, he ordered Zhu Kui to imprison her.
Zhu Kui said:
"I have taken this person to the government jail, but her spirit has been impacted by magic and she hasn't woken up yet. Your Excellency wishes to see her?"
Zhao Duan waved his hand:
"No rush. But remember, don't let anyone else take it away."
Zhu Kui said confidently:
"Don't worry, sir. The government jail is under the direct jurisdiction of the government. The people from the imperial court won't be able to overstep their authority and snatch people from us."
He originally worked in the government office and was an experienced official with many years of experience. He was well aware of the responsibilities and powers of each office.
Zhao Duan said "hmm", and a sword-wielding girl with a righteous look on her face, vowing to die together with him, the evil villain, appeared in front of him in the ruined temple in the bamboo forest.
This is the clue for him to track down the rebels, and he must hold it firmly in his hands.
But judging from his performance, it must be a tough nut to crack. It is unlikely to yield any substantial results in a short period of time, not to mention that he is dizzy.
He needs a more reliable opportunity to make a contribution.
"Oh right," Zhu Kui suddenly remembered something and took out a letter from his pocket:
"I almost forgot. After I returned to the yamen, I received a letter from a servant at the Ning'an County Magistrate's Mansion. It was for you."
Ning'an County?
In Zhao Duan's mind, the remaining memories of the original owner emerged:
It was rumored that the original owner was the empress's favorite male lover. After his status rose, all the government offices in the capital had to give him some face, for fear of offending the empress's partner.
People with ulterior motives began to come one after another, offering bribes and asking the original owner to help them with things.
The original owner was cautious at first, but the other party gave him too much... He gradually began to sell the power in his hands and make a lot of money.
The magistrate of Ning'an County was a hereditary "viscount" of the State of Yu. He worked as a "broker" in the capital, introducing "business" to others and taking a commission from it.
Not long ago, the Ning'an County Master came to find the original owner.
It was said that someone was willing to pay money and ask the original owner to help rescue a local official who had committed a crime and was now imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. The local official, who came from a Jiangnan noble family, was pardoned.
The arrogant original owner readily agreed, but because he was focused on catching the rebels, he delayed the execution. Now that several days have passed, I guess...
"Swish." Zhao Duan tore off the sealing wax casually, shook out the letter paper, and glanced at it.
As expected, it was Ning'an County Magistrate who was getting impatient and asked him to attend a banquet tonight and urged him offline.
Another Jiangnan gentry... Someone brings you a pillow when you're sleepy... Zhao Duan's lips curled up.
It seems that the mess left by the original owner was not entirely a trap. Now, the opportunity to make a contribution has come to me.
It is extremely difficult for the righteous to achieve merit, but it is easy for the villains to achieve merit by selling out their teammates.
"Prepare the car, I'm going out later."
Zhao Duan looked at the lush flowers and trees outside the hall, which were dyed with the blood-red sunset.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Find two reliable men, and at night..."
…
…
Later.
In another duty room of the yamen, Zhang Changshuo sat on a large sandalwood chair, holding a folding fan, listening to the clerk's report.
"So, the Prime Minister is discussing state affairs with the Sage? Has the Zhao family been waiting for a long time? Has they only just been able to meet the Sage for a moment? Are those imperial censors in the Censorate already rubbing their hands in preparation, writing memorials to launch a mass attack on Zhao Gou?"
Zhang Changshuo was overjoyed, flicked his folding fan, and sneered:
"It's just a bluff!"
Although the empress did not immediately send people to arrest Zhao Duan, she obviously did not show any intention to protect him.
"It must be that Zhao the dog is begging for mercy, which is why Your Majesty has been unable to make a decision for a while. But after this incident, the emperor's favor will surely decrease significantly, and coupled with the impeachment from the court..."
Zhang Changshuo paced excitedly with his eyes flashing, realizing that this was a godsend opportunity to get rid of Zhao Duan.
"What's going on in Ning'an County?" he asked.
The clerk below reported: "Zhao Duan has ordered the carriage to be prepared. He must be going to the banquet."
"Good!" Zhang Changshuo was overjoyed.
In order to defeat Zhao Duan, he has been keen on collecting negative information about him. Unfortunately, although Zhao Duan is notorious for his debauchery, the things he has done are not serious enough.
Not enough to deliver a fatal blow.
Not long ago, he learned that Ning'an County Master was suspected of having contact with Zhao Du'an, so he sent people to keep an eye on him.
It's a pity that no evidence of the transaction between the two was obtained. Today, the two sides meet again. If we can get solid evidence of Zhao Duan's corruption and send it to the Censorate, it will be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.
Zhang Changshuo: "Pass my order, find two reliable men, tonight..."
(End of this chapter)
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