Chapter 157: Candied Haws and House Raid
Chapter 157: Candied Haws and House Raid
"Yes." Xu Zhenguan nodded first, then his eyes fell on the morning dew on the female official's body, and his expression softened:
"You have worked hard, go and take a rest."
"Yes." The waiters all breathed a sigh of relief and dispersed to rest.
Zhao Duan followed the empress, his eyes moving between Mo Zhaorong and Xu Zhenguan, as if thinking about something.
……
"Wow!"
In a corner room of the empress's bedroom, Zhao Duan stood up from the bathtub sprinkled with flower petals.
The water rolled down along the masculine lines of his body.
It’s strange, although I’m not very diligent in practicing, my figure is getting better and better.
"Could it be that the training performed in visualization will also be reflected in reality?" Zhao Duan speculated without reason.
He raised his hand and smoothed his hair back from his forehead. The water-soaked black hair stuck to his scalp, as if he had done a slicked-back hair.
He stepped out of the bathtub, waited for Xiao Zhao to lower his head, and then dried his body one by one.
Turning his head to look at the bathtub, he suddenly took a breath, and then slowly hit the bathtub with his palm.
Inside the body, the originally turbulent white energy suddenly turned into light blue.
The wind from the palm hit the bathtub, and a thin layer of ice slowly covered the water surface.
"Human-shaped refrigerator..." Zhao Duan marveled.
The "Swallowing Clouds and Exhaling Breathing Technique" taught by Taizu is not a simple group attack AOE skill that involves blowing air, but it can cover the frost damage with Qi that has no "attributes".
"It won't be hot this summer. Isn't this more refreshing than putting ice cubes in the room?"
With a sigh, Zhao Duan pushed the door open and went out.
He wanted to meet the empress again, but found out that she was not in the palace.
Zhao Duan had no choice but to leave the palace first:
"Strange, where could His Majesty have gone?"
……
The Ouchi Arsenal.
"This old servant greets His Majesty."
In the quiet and deep courtyard, the sea worshiper, dressed in a dragon robe and with a slightly hunched figure, bowed to welcome the empress who was approaching like a fairy.
I was surprised and asked, "It's not even the day for the regular training yet, why did Your Majesty come here suddenly?"
Xu Zhenguan, in fluttering white clothes, said calmly:
"Last night... I gained something, so I came to look at the Taizu Stone Wall again."
Eunuch Hai could not hide his surprise.
You must know that when one reaches the level of the empress, it is extremely difficult to gain any insights. How come she suddenly had them?
The old priest led the empress into the depths of the armory, the old building where the murals of Taizu were displayed.
While asking curiously.
In the past, Eunuch Hai often discussed his insights into spiritual practice with the empress.
After all, he is an immortal who has lived for two hundred years. Although his talent and realm are not as good as the empress, he is much more experienced.
Xu Zhenguan also respected him very much and did not hide anything from him regarding his spiritual practice:
"Last night, I was at the Yuanzu Temple. After helping Zhao Duan digest the effects of the medicine, it was late at night so I just sat cross-legged to practice. I don't know why, but my visualization went very smoothly, and the ancestors in my dream became much more vivid."
"Is this true?" Eunuch Hai was surprised at first, then he thought for a while and said:
"If it's not a coincidence, then the difference is simply between Yuanzu Temple and Zhao Duan."
Xu Zhenguan frowned and said:
"I have practiced in the Yuanzu Temple in the past and there was nothing special about it. So, could it be related to that little imperial guard?"
She found it incredible.
He is just a mortal. Besides, she has already seen Zhao Duan's body inside and out. Apart from that restless thing, there is nothing special about it.
Eunuch Hai suddenly said:
“I remember that in the Emperor Taizu’s Diary, there was a passage about spiritual practice.
Emperor Taizu was discussing Buddhism with people from the Buddhist sect in the Western Regions, and they talked about "Joyful Zen", which is a taboo even in the Western Regions.
It was once said that, although the so-called "Great Ode to the Interaction of Yin and Yang Between Heaven and Earth" was despised by people, it was not completely useless.
Heaven and earth are yin and yang. If practitioners want to reach the ultimate state of perfection, the complementary nature of yin and yang is a clear way forward.
But among the millions of people in the world, it is extremely difficult to find someone who can match you in the path of cultivation."
Xu Zhenguan was stunned by what he heard, and it took him a while to understand what the old eunuch in the dragon robe was trying to express.
There was a hint of shame on her fair face, and she said unhappily:
"Master Hai, you are overthinking. How can I be...suitable for him? Besides, the so-called reconciliation method is not the right way. Few powerful people in ancient and modern times rely on this."
Eunuch Hai smiled and cupped his hands:
"I guess I am overthinking this."
But in my heart I said:
The strong men of ancient and modern times have certainly not reached the pinnacle by relying on such an unorthodox method as dual cultivation.
But there is no shortage of opposite sex around her, after all, she has managed to get along well.
The empress is obviously very unbalanced... But let me stop here for now.
Xu Zhenguan changed the subject and said:
"In my opinion, it might be caused by the emergence of the dragon spirit's aura."
Dragon Soul...
When this topic was mentioned, Hai Gong, who was always frivolous and liked to make jokes, became serious for a rare time and sighed:
"Your Majesty, are you still unwilling to give up on Long Po?
In the past, Emperor Taizu walked across the land on foot, walked out of the road of the God of War, and on the way he inhaled and exhaled a breath of "Xuanhuang Zhenqi", which made him domineering and unparalleled.
Strangely enough, countless talented warriors in later generations also followed Taizu's route, but none of them realized the "Xuanhuang Qi".
It can only be attributed to Taizu's extraordinary talent.
Later, because he was proclaimed emperor, he was entrusted with the dragon vein of a country. The mysterious yellow energy evolved into dragon energy, which was called "Dragon Soul" and was a first-class treasure in the world.
Unfortunately, the spirit follows the person. After Emperor Taizu passed away, the dragon spirit also disappeared without a trace...
However, the emperors of all dynasties never gave up and often sensed the dragon energy escaping from the palace, with the heaviest in the Yuanzu Temple. They speculated that the dragon spirit had not completely dissipated, but was hidden deep in the palace...
But whether it is the emperors of all dynasties or your Majesty, haven't you explored it countless times and found nothing? The dragon energy is probably the aftereffect of the turbulence of the dragon vein..."
Xu Zhenguan remained silent. How could she not know all this?
I just always hold on to a glimmer of hope.
After Taizu's death, although Dayu's dynasty lasted for 600 years, no emperor could reach Taizu's height.
Now, relying on the luck of an emperor, she has barely entered the "pseudo-heavenly realm", but she feels a sense of urgency in her heart.
If one could find that "dragon soul" and swallow it into his body, his cultivation would definitely enter a new realm.
Even if he cannot catch up with Emperor Taizu, he is still able to look down on the world.
There is no need to be on guard against the other "three celestial beings" all day long.
Not to mention some powerful people who are "undiscovered" outside the territory of Dayu.
"Forget it," Xu Zhenguan sighed and said, "I have been busy with government affairs recently, and I have less time to practice. In a few days, the Xiuwen Academy will open, and there will be many scholars to share the burden for me, so I can have some free time."
Hai Gongfeng asked: "Your Majesty, are you going to retreat for a while?"
"Yes, but we have to wait a while. At least we have to deal with the recent turmoil in the court."
Xu Zhenguan narrowed his eyes:
"After defeating Pei Kaizhi and Zhou Cheng in succession... the implementation of the new policy will be much smoother.
But... alas, the kingdom left by my father is really leaky on all sides.
I have been in the palace for a long time and am not good at resting and recuperating, managing the people and doing business. If this Xiuwen Academy can produce an "empire tailor", it will be a blessing for the people of Dayu."
The people of the capital only know that over the past six months, the court has been in constant turmoil and officials have fallen one after another.
Little did they know that behind all this was the Empress's "big chess game".
……
……
Over the next two days, the aftermath of Zhou Cheng's downfall continued to spread.
Zhao Du'an stayed at home and did not participate. Instead, he voluntarily gave up the remaining opportunities to make meritorious service to the Imperial Court, the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate.
When he ate meat, he always left enough broth for others. This was his usual method.
As expected.
After Xue Lin's case was overturned, many officials who were involved in the crime were implicated. The empress was furious and beheaded several people one after another.
At the same time, those who died unjustly that year were vindicated.
Those who have descendants will be compensated.
Some demoted officials were also reinstated. As one can imagine, these people naturally became loyal "royal party members".
It is worth mentioning that:
Lu Zhi was officially promoted to Dali Temple Secretary, while Zhou's position remained vacant.
Zhao Duan recommended the other party without any selfish motives this time.
He thought to himself that he had never been a good person in his life, but it was always a good thing if he could be promoted to a good official and reduce the number of unjust, false and wrongful cases in the world.
In the blink of an eye, it was the Qiqiao Festival.
On this day, the festive atmosphere among the people diluted the bloody storm in the court.
Zhao Duan changed into casual clothes and went out shopping with his stepmother and sister.
The weather was fine and the streets were bustling with men and women walking together.
Eugene Hua and Zhao Pan sat in the carriage, looking outside and chattering excitedly.
"Hey, Dalang, why are there still people selling candied haws at this time of year?"
Eugene Hua was sitting in the carriage, looking out in surprise.
Because it was hot outside, the beautiful stepmother wore a low-cut skirt.
Even so, she was still sweating profusely from the heat, her chest was slippery and she kept fanning herself with a small scented fan.
Zhao Duan could have used his Qi to transfer the cold air into the carriage.
But he was mean and only let the cold air cover his pores, caring only about himself and not others.
Zhao Pan keenly noticed that it was cooler next to him, so he leaned towards him.
But the relationship between the brother and sister had just eased, so they felt a little embarrassed.
Hearing this he said:
"Mother, I heard that there are a lot of cheap ice cubes for sale in Beijing recently, which are much lower than the market price. Some vendors use ice cubes to preserve sugar-coated haws, and cover them with cotton cloth so that they don't melt. They sell them at a high price, so they take advantage of the festival to make a fortune."
Eugene Ikebana:
"Could it be that the ice is also made from saltpeter? I have always felt that since Dalang could get the formula, others must also know it."
My stepmother still thinks that Zhao Duan heard the saltpeter formula from somewhere else.
Therefore, people did not suspect anything about the cheap ice cubes that appeared in large quantities on the market and simply thought that they were being sold by merchants.
Zhao Duan smiled, knowing that the sales channels of Tianshi Mansion had been laid out.
However, only half a month has passed and the products haven’t been on sale for long, so I’m sure not much money has been recovered.
He was not in a hurry. He would wait until the dog days were almost over before he could ask Jin Jian for his dividends and money.
"parking."
Zhao Duan shouted, went down to the street, bought three strings of big red hawthorn candied haws and took them back.
He, his stepmother, and his sister each have one.
Eugene felt bad about the money, but his stepson just said:
"Today is the Qiqiao Festival, so I'll give it to your female relatives as a gift."
The two beauties, one big and one small, gladly accepted it.
Zhao Duan couldn't help but sigh that the women in his family were too easy to fool. If it were in his previous life, he would have given them big red envelopes.
"Brother! You are here too, my dear brother!"
Suddenly, a short man wrapped in silk clothes, gauze, with a bruised face and nose jumped out from the distance.
Qin Qu rolled over flatteringly, and when he saw the two girls, he kept calling them "mother" and "sisters" in a sweet voice, which frightened the two girls.
Zhao Duan kicked it and said calmly:
"Stop coming out and scaring people. You've only been out of prison for a few days. Why are you wandering around the streets instead of taking good care of your injuries?"
He did not delve into Qin Qu's "betrayal" in the Zhou Cheng case.
Firstly, the other party had tried to speak for him in court that day, so it was right for him to take sides.
Secondly, in the final analysis, Qin Qu was beaten like this and suffered so much because of him.
Anyway, he is just a lackey. Lord Zhao Duan is magnanimous and does not intend to promote him, but he is also too lazy to target him.
Qin Qudui smiled and said:
"Today is the day to raid Zhou Cheng's house. It's right next door. Aren't you here to watch the raid?"
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment. He really didn't pay attention to the subsequent mess. He frowned and said:
"Isn't Zhou's house here?"
Qin Qu said:
"This is one of the private residences of Zhou the Thief. Hey, you may not know that this old thief named Zhou has a lot of private residences, hiding countless properties."
With the mentality of watching a show, Zhao Duan asked the servants to accompany the women to visit nearby shops.
Carrying a large string of candied haws, he followed Qin Qu and walked around a street.
Then he saw a magnificent mansion, which was surrounded by officials from the Peony Hall of the Imperial Court.
Horse-drawn carriages were carrying out the Zhou family's criminal property.
Suddenly, his eyebrows raised and he noticed two figures not far away.
……
These two chapters are about daily life, slowing down the pace.
(End of this chapter)