Chapter 215: The Face God
Chapter 215: Thousand-Faced God
How powerful is Zhao Duan in the capital?
The You family, who were driven out like lost dogs, had no idea.
But I naturally thought that if this road was blocked, I could just take another one.
You Zhande was a man of great action. After returning to the inn, he ordered his servants to buy two prescriptions for his wife and children to heal their injuries. Then he turned around and went to look for a way according to the list in his hand.
The first stop was Feng Ju, the head of the Ministry of Personnel.
According to the middleman who introduced the matter, although this person in charge is only of the fifth rank and has a low reputation, he is actually "unfathomable".
Promotions only happened in these few months. After the court issued the new policy, the burden of implementing the performance evaluation system fell on the shoulders of just a few people in the Ministry of Personnel, one of whom was Feng Ju.
You Zhande felt that this "Lord Feng" must be more powerful than Zhao Duan.
Considering that Zhao Duan had a bad reputation and was implicitly the enemy of all officials, You Zhande decided not to mention his relationship with Zhao Duan when he decided to visit him.
Money can make anything possible, and he didn't believe that Feng Ju was not greedy.
Everything went smoothly at first. Although I was unable to meet the head of the Feng family, the Feng family's manager agreed to deliver the message.
You Zhande was full of anticipation and returned to the inn to wait all night.
However, he didn't know that just after he left the Feng family, an official from the Lihua Hall who was hiding in the dark stepped into the Feng family's doorstep.
……
The next day, when You Zhan De went to the door excitedly again, he was turned away.
Feng Ju only ordered the steward to reply with one word:
"roll."
You Zhande didn't understand why the other party had such a bad attitude.
But as the head of a family, he could bend and stretch. He left with a smile and turned to visit the second, third, and fourth families on the list...
In the next few days, You Zhan De went to visit everyone one by one with money in his pocket.
But it was like seeing a ghost, similar "face changes" happened again and again.
Either refuse outright or change your attitude drastically at first.
Even on the two most extreme occasions, he met with the officials on the list and the two sides almost reached a consensus.
As a result, as soon as he left, the other party's servant caught up with him and coldly tore up the agreement.
In the past life, the path of money that always paved the way for success has suddenly stopped working.
In the huge capital city, countless officials all closed the door to him in unison.
You Zhande was walking in the bustling capital city when he inexplicably sensed a chill in early autumn.
"Could it be because of the surname Zhao?"
In the inn, Mrs. You, who was adorned with jewels, analyzed shrewdly:
"Those officials who wanted to accept our gifts must have investigated our backgrounds. As a result, they found out that we were related to Zhao Duan, so they turned against us?"
You Zhande shook his head:
"This is the most likely possibility, but these incompetent officials are investigating too quickly."
Yu sneered:
"Of course it is. I said that the Zhao family has a bad reputation. When they heard that we are related to the Zhao family, how could they be willing to help us make money? The Zhao family themselves are hated by everyone. It's hateful that your niece didn't get any benefit from it, but got into trouble instead."
You Zhande frowned:
"I still feel like something is not right. Let's go visit him tomorrow to meet his uncle and get some information."
The cousin he mentioned was an official in Beijing from the main branch of the Xiping You family.
I didn't want to deal with him, fearing that the main vein would intervene, but now that things have come to this, I have no choice but to go and meet him.
……
Another day.
The couple left their son at the inn and went to the door together. This time, they were not turned away.
However, when You Zhande told his experience to his uncle who was an official in the Ministry of Works, the other party was not surprised at all.
He just looked at them with pity, and the goat-bearded You family official said in a complicated tone:
"I figured it's time for you to come and ask. Oh, do you know who you have offended?"
The You family couple was stunned. They didn't expect that their uncle already knew about it. They felt embarrassed and confused.
"Offending people? My husband and I have only been in Beijing for ten days. When we met with the officials, we were extremely nervous. How could we dare to offend anyone... If I have to say something, it would only be..."
The uncle chuckled and said, "You remember?"
You Zhande looked unhappy:
"Is it really because of Zhao Duan? But we have a bad relationship with the Zhao family. Even if the officials are angry, it won't be to the extent of...wait..."
He suddenly realized something was wrong: "Uncle, you mean..."
The old official in green robe with a goatee sighed and shook his head:
"You guys are so stupid. Why don't you find out clearly before going to Beijing, who can be offended and who can't be offended?
Do you think that you are not welcomed because of your relationship with the Zhao family? You are totally wrong!
In fact, the reason why those people refused to have anything to do with you was precisely because you had offended King Zhao.
As far as I know, in the past few days, all officials below the fifth rank in the capital have received instructions from the Lihua Hall. Anyone who dares to have any involvement with your You family will be an enemy of King Zhao...
Oh, let alone the few people you have met, even if I run my legs off, I dare say that in this capital city, no one dares to give you a good face.
Even if you have the ability to find a third-rank, second-rank, or even first-rank leader, it will still be useless!"
You Zhande and his wife were stunned, feeling that their preconceived impressions had collapsed.
"Uncle...Uncle, I heard that Zhao Duan was just a man who had fallen out of favor. He was even put in jail last time. The house he lives in doesn't look very impressive..."
The old official sneered:
"Didn't your father teach you not to judge a person by his appearance? Where did you get this information from? It's so wrong. If King Zhao has fallen out of favor, then there are no more favored ministers in this world!
Do you know how much favor His Majesty has on him?
He had a close relationship with the current Grand Tutor and even the Imperial Censor Yuan Gong, and they were equals... Even the old cabinet ministers and the current prime ministers suffered from his misfortunes...
How dare you provoke him?
As for the imperial merchant you requested, King Zhao didn't even need to show up. He could have done it with just a simple order. But you chose to go far away...
Oh, forget it, hurry back home, don’t make any more trouble, it will affect the main branch of the You family and make King Zhao unhappy…”
As he said this, the old man picked up the teacup, meaning he was seeing the guest off.
The couple was distracted and walked out of the mansion.
Standing on the empty street, they suddenly realized that they had been wrong from the beginning.
The broken cups were indeed real antiques.
"Snapped!"
You Zhande suddenly slapped his wife in the face, and was so angry that his teeth itched:
"You, it's all because of your mouth."
Yu Shi looked aggrieved, but she did not dare to retort. She said weakly:
"Or, let's go and ask your niece for help."
You Zhande shook his head and smiled bitterly:
"It's no use. The only solution now is to ask Master Lu for help."
He was still unwilling to give up, so he left in disgrace, still wanting to make a final struggle. …
……
In the capital city, in an inn, in room number Jiazi.
A young man named Lu Baifeng sat at the table, quietly flipping through documents.
He was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, handsome, and had a typical northwestern appearance.
He has an extraordinary bearing, possessing both the nobility of a son of a wealthy family and the chivalrous spirit of a young man. He wears a brocade robe with a belt inlaid with purple jade around his waist.
Beside him stood a pretty maid.
The maid's hands were not soft at all, and her palms were covered with calluses from years of holding weapons.
Next to the maid, there was a heavy umbrella standing in the corner, weighing several kilograms.
"Sir, are you really not going to contact your 'companions' in the capital?"
The maid couldn't help but say.
The pseudonym is Lu Baifeng, and the real identity is the "Thousand-Faced God" who ranks 28th among the 36 Tiangang of Kuangfu Society. He raised his head, smiled, and shook his head:
"Bluebird, do you know why Frost Sword died after entering the capital?"
The maid named Bluebird said:
"Because you didn't investigate it thoroughly? Did you underestimate Zhao Duan's trump card?"
Lu Baifeng shook his head and said:
"No, it's because he relies too much on those idiots in the Capital City Kuangfu Society."
This martial arts master, who was well-known in the martial arts world for his meticulousness and ever-changing tactics, sneered:
“There are many people in the society who are good at using force, but not many who are willing to use their brains.
When Master Zhuang was in charge of the capital, he was in charge of the branch office in the capital, and it was easy for him to control it. But after Master Zhuang left, it became a mess.
That Wu Ling rashly went to assassinate, thinking he was brave, but ended up alerting the enemy, allowing the Zhao thieves to prepare...
Han Shuangjian is a pure swordsman with a straightforward mind. Not only did he fail to kill the person, but he also lost a treasure like the Taixu Painting Scroll..."
The bluebird listened to his comments quietly without saying a word.
She had a hidden fear of the Thousand-Faced God.
Even though he has been with him for several years, he has never seen the true appearance of the Thousand-Faced God.
The man in front of me seemed to be wearing a disguised identity at all times.
Every time you switch identities, even your personality will change.
"Forget it, let's not talk about this."
Lu Baifeng lost interest, threw down all the information in his hand, including Zhao Duan, stood up and said with his hands behind his back:
"Besides, who knows if there is a traitor among the members of Jingcheng Kuangfu Club?"
Bluebird said, "My lord, are you worried that the reason why the Frost Sword was broken is because the whereabouts were leaked by a traitor in the society?"
Lu Baifeng said:
"Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, there is no need to take risks. Let the government keep an eye on the Kuangfu Society. That way, we can act.
Speaking of which, this Zhao Duan is really weird. What he has done in the past two months has even shocked Master Zhuang. He only regrets that he did not use all his strength to crush him to death that day. Now he has become a big problem."
After a pause, a smile appeared on his lips:
"However, this Godly Lord likes to kill geniuses the most. If it is a mediocre person, I am too lazy to take action."
At this moment, Bluebird suddenly looked outside the door and raised his hand to collect the documents on the table.
After a while, there was a knock on the door.
When You Zhande and his wife walked in with a smile on their faces, they saw the third young master of the Lu family, the son of a local aristocratic family, drinking tea elegantly, and the beautiful maid beside him.
"Master You, I haven't seen you for a few days. Are you two doing well in the capital?" The Thousand-Faced God was very elegant.
You Zhande smiled bitterly, and after the greetings, he tactfully explained the situation he was facing.
The Thousand-Faced God laughed and said nonchalantly:
"I think it's something. I'll think of a way to deal with it. How about I give you news in two days? Haha, but if you need anything, I'll have to trouble the head of the family to help you with something."
You Zhande was overjoyed and agreed immediately.
He also promised that if the matter was accomplished, the You family's trade route from Xiping Road to the Western Regions could be shared with Master Lu...
On the way to Beijing, Lu Baifeng mentioned this matter many times.
This is also the reason why You Zhande dared to ask for help from the other party -
Showing courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing.
The Lu family is a big family in the northwest. If a nobleman wants to take power in the family, he needs to win over other forces.
You Zhande believed that the other party became friends with You family because he was attracted by their business acumen.
After a long conversation, the Thousand-Faced God Lord watched the You couple leave. He smiled coldly and narrowed his eyes, as if he was planning something:
"In this case, the plan should be changed."
Turning his head, he instructed Bluebird:
"I will be going out tonight."
……
……
Another day.
In the morning, Zhao Duan arrived at the imperial yamen by car and checked in at Lihua Hall as usual.
These two days, he has been busy moving.
The dividends from Jin Jian were just enough to help him buy a magnificent three-story mansion in the inner city.
My stepmother and sister showed great enthusiasm for the move.
Zhao Duan simply spread his hands, left all the trivial matters to them to handle, and acted as a hands-off manager.
After moving to a new house, his biggest physical sensation was that his commuting time was greatly shortened.
"Sure enough, happiness is not having to get up early to go to work, and the company is just downstairs." Zhao Duan stepped into Lihua Hall in a good mood.
The corners of the mouth turn up.
It will be much more convenient to enter the palace to see Zhenbao in the future.
However, the upturned corners of his mouth did not last long as they were suppressed by an unexpected incident.
"Sir, you are here. The governor wants to see you. He said that a murder occurred in the city last night and it is related to the rebels." Qian Kerou said seriously.
Murder? Rebellion?
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows. For no reason, he smelled a chill in the early morning in the late summer in Beijing.
(End of this chapter)