Chapter 225: Message from the Palace
Chapter 225: Message from the Palace
That night, the number of guests at the Beijing Music Bureau increased dramatically. The officials, who had been nervous and unable to sleep for several days due to the "assassination declaration", were overjoyed and held a revenge party.
After this incident, Zhao Duan's reputation has improved to some extent.
Amid the noisy crowd, Wu Ling, a rising star at Bafang Theater and a member of the Kuangfu Society in Beijing, quietly stood up and left.
He walked through the bustling streets under the night sky, and instead of returning to the theater, he arrived at another tavern and sat down.
I ordered a pot of wine and a plate of boiled peanuts with salt.
Eat and drink slowly.
Finally, a guest sat down at another table behind him. The two sat back to back, as if they didn't know each other at all.
But they used the method of sound transmission and talked in a low voice.
"Has the new helmsman really been caught?" Wu Ling asked in a low voice with a grim look on his face.
The middle-aged man from the Kuangfu Society behind him said "yes" and said in a deep voice:
"According to the information we know, Zhao Duan and his men ambushed us. The imperial court has sent out all its henchmen. The new helmsman has been deposed and thrown into the imperial prison."
It’s Zhao Duan again... Wu Ling clenched his fists.
He thought of the painful experience when he went to assassinate the Zhao thief, but was killed by the "Empress" in return.
After calming down, he asked, "What should I do next?"
The middle-aged rebel said:
“After the Thousand-Faced God entered the city, he didn’t have much contact with us. This is the only good thing. His arrest has relatively little impact on us.
But we still have to be on guard. Many of us have moved our residences, changed our identities, and are lying low, waiting for further instructions from the headquarters."
The headquarters... Wu Ling was bitter:
"Two new helmsmen have been in office for less than half a month, and..."
The middle-aged man was silent for a moment and said:
"The more we get to this point, the more we must not panic. I have activated the emergency communication channel and reported the situation back to the headquarters. The Grand Master will make arrangements."
After a pause, he hummed again:
"Besides, after the new policy is promulgated, we are not the ones who should be anxious. Our enemy is just the fake emperor. If the new policy can benefit Dayu, it will be good for us to support the prince to ascend the throne."
Wu Ling's heart moved:
"You mean, the ones who are really anxious are those princes who are ready to make a move..."
The middle-aged man used the action of drinking to cover up:
"We have lost two Tiangang-level masters in a row. It is time for the secret agents in the palace to help."
Wu Ling made up his mind, said a few more words, stood up, paid the bill and left.
When he walked out of the tavern, he looked up and saw dark clouds covering the moon. He shuddered and thought:
However, the secret spy from Prince Jing's Mansion had also fallen into the hands of Zhao Duan.
……
……
Thousands of miles south of the capital.
Zhuang Xiaocheng looked up, gazing at the dark clouds covering the moon above his head, his brows furrowed.
He was dressed in a Confucian robe, was about sixty years old, had a head full of silver hair, and on his deeply wrinkled face, he had the demeanor of a patriot who would not change color even if a mountain collapsed before his eyes.
As the former "Emperor's Teacher", Taifu, one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, he was also a highly trusted strategist of the Second Prince, and the second most powerful rebel leader in the Kuangfu Society.
After leaving the capital several months ago, he returned to the current headquarters of the Kuangfu Society.
That is, this place under your feet, built on a quiet mountain, called "Forbidden City Villa".
It also remotely controls the operation of the various branches of the Kuangfu Society in the nine provinces and eighteen prefectures of Dayu.
Among them, the most important one is naturally the capital.
However, what Zhuang Xiaocheng could not have expected was...
Since he left, the rebel network in the capital suffered several severe blows in a short period of time.
The "Frost Sword" who was sent to replace him died within a few days after entering the city.
After that, the intelligence that came from the capital city made the sixty-year-old imperial teacher moved and stared at him again and again.
In the court, several ministers fell one after another, and the empress's control over the court continued to strengthen.
The Xiuwenguan, which was the prototype of a "cabinet", was established, further concentrating power in the hands of the empress.
Of course, if it were just these, it wouldn't really make him nervous.
The most fatal thing is the so-called "New Deal".
With Zhuang Xiaocheng's wisdom, after a cursory reading of the "Three Golden Strategies", he was greatly shocked and immediately judged:
"If these three strategies are implemented, the throne of the empress will be as solid as a rock!"
What surprised him even more was that the name appeared in almost every piece of intelligence.
"Zhao Duan!"
Zhuang Xiaocheng murmured, and in his mind emerged the scene of the dandy lackey who destroyed the temple with a knife in the drizzle in the bamboo forest in the southern suburbs that day.
His eyes were full of confusion.
Zhuang Xiaocheng couldn't understand why that concubine who seemed special before would rise so strongly and show such skills and talent after he left Beijing.
This made Zhuang Xiaocheng regret countless times.
Why didn't our warlock attack more forcefully that day and kill him completely?
"It has become a serious problem..."
Zhuang Xiaocheng sighed, lowered his eyes, and looked at the letter in his hand that was sent by Yingshuan.
The capital city is too far away from the Forbidden City Villa. Even in this world with sorcerers, it is difficult to send messages over long distances.
Therefore, the Kuangfu Society arranged a secret communication method similar to a beacon tower.
Special talismans can be used to convey some simple information with pre-agreed "codes".
Just now, the latest information came from the eagle at the foot of the mountain:
The Thousand-Faced God was arrested.
"In just a few months, I lost two of my generals..." Zhuang Xiaocheng clenched his palms tightly, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged.
It showed that his heart was not as calm as his appearance.
How did it get damaged?
Logically speaking, given Qianmian's cunning and caution, he also brought the "personal" treasure that he had prepared for her.
This shouldn't be the case.
Unfortunately, complex information cannot be conveyed on letter paper, so we can only wait for a few more days for the detailed information to be sent back.
"Could it be this Zhao Duan again?"
Zhuang Xiaocheng had an inexplicable premonition and laughed at himself:
"I will never make the same mistake again..."
Suddenly, behind me, I heard the sound of light footsteps on the stairs.
"Master, the wind is strong on the roof, but what happened down the mountain?" A woman's voice sounded worried.
Zhuang Xiaocheng put the paper into his sleeve, turned around with a smile on his face, and looked at the woman who had come up to the tower with the help of the lanterns hanging in the White Crane Tower in the villa:
"Why is the princess here? Why didn't she take care of His Royal Highness?"
The second prince's name was Xu Jianwen. When he was ten years old, he was named "King Wen" by the previous emperor according to the royal rules. He had been living in the capital, and the woman in front of him was the second prince's wife, Princess Wen.
Princess Wen, who had a gentle temperament and attractive appearance, said softly:
"The prince has servants to take care of him. I'll come up and take a look."
The prince these two people were talking about was still just a young boy, the flesh and blood of the second prince Xu Jianwen, and also the banner of the Kuangfu Society.
The slogan that Kuangfu Society has raised to the outside world has always been to overthrow the false emperor and support the young prince to ascend the throne.
Zhuang Xiaocheng smiled and shook his head:
"Don't worry, Princess. These are just minor matters. I will handle them with the generals in the society."
Princess Wen, who had a gentle temperament, said "Yes", as if she was relieved. After being comforted by Zhuang Xiaocheng, she went downstairs.
After watching the woman leave, Zhuang Xiaocheng, who looked like a great scholar, stood with his hands behind his back and suddenly said:
"Inform Prince Jing's Mansion and the other idle princes of this news. Humph, let them think for themselves whether the fake emperor will target their uncles when he becomes powerful."
In the darkness, the lights flickered gently, and a figure slowly emerged, clasping his fists and saying:
"Yes!"
Then, it disappeared.
……
……
When Zhao Duan rode his horse back home, it was completely dark.
There are mosquitoes flying around the antique gate tower and the hanging lanterns.
Combined with the blue sky in the distance, Zhao Duan felt as if he had walked into a painting.
After entering the house, a new servant came forward to lead the horse and shouted, "Master is back!"
As the only male owner of the family, Zhao Duan became "Master Zhao" at a young age.
Canteen.
Eugene Hua and Zhao Pan came out to greet them anxiously, and the stepmother's eyes were filled with trepidation:
"What happened? My aunt is at home. I heard from the neighbors that you went to catch a thief. Are you hurt?"
Zhao Duan smiled, laughed, opened his arms, and embraced the two girls back to the cafeteria.
He briefly said that the thief had been brought to justice and that there was no need to be nervous.
As for the ambush in South City at noon, he did not mention it.
He just casually said that he had met You Zhande's family, and that the previous matters were over and the two families would no longer have any contact.
Eugene Hua breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled happily, feeling relieved.
Zhao Pan had a vague feeling that something might be wrong, but he had no evidence.
……
After meal.
After having a good meal and a good drink, Zhao Duan returned to his yard.
As the weather was still a bit hot and humid, he did not go into the house. Instead, he squatted under the eaves and took out the "Jiuyi" mask and fiddled with it.
"This thing, can it change just by covering your face?"
Zhao Duan seemed to have got a new toy and couldn't wait to try it out.
He slowly placed the soft mask on his face, only to feel the mask absorb itself and slowly blend into his own skin.
"Who should I become?"
Familiar faces flashed through my mind one after another.
Finally, he fell silent and thought about himself in his previous life.
The one who worked hard and never complained, but never enjoyed power for a single day until he died suddenly like an ox or a horse.
The face was like water waves spreading.
"Brother, the green grapes that mom bought were chilled in well water..."
In the corridor, a girl in a light skirt came over with a copper basin full of green grapes, making a crisp sound.
Seeing him squatting on the ground, he asked curiously:
"Brother, what are you doing squatting here...Ah!!"
The next second, the girl saw a strange man and turned her head to look at him.
"Dangdang!"
The copper basin in his hand fell to the ground, and Zhao Pan's mind immediately thought of the traitor killer who was widely rumored in the capital.
I thought, didn’t my brother say that the other party had been arrested?
Or is it that the person in front of him is not the traitor?
But who else would break into a house without making any noise?
"what happened?"
In the Chuihua Gate, Eugene Hua, who was wearing a thin women's sweatshirt and long skirt, heard the noise and ran over.
She bumped into her daughter and was horrified when she saw the strange man.
"Who are you? How dare you break into someone's house? Dalang?"
Zhao Duan raised his hand, smoothed his hair back, showing his handsome face, and said calmly:
"Don't panic, auntie, it's me."
Huh... He found that his voice seemed to have changed, becoming similar to the memory of his previous life.
"You...you are Dalang?"
Eugene Hua was stunned. She felt that the man in front of her had the same figure, clothes, and demeanor as her stepson.
But her appearance is really too mediocre.
"It's me. I've just learned a new skill of disguise."
Zhao Duan was calm and composed, and casually mentioned a few details of his life that only his family knew to prove his identity.
The mother and daughter finally believed him and stared at him cautiously and curiously.
Zhao Pan said disdainfully:
"Brother, how come you changed into such an ordinary face? It's really hard to be noticed. I'm afraid you won't be able to see it if you throw it into a crowd of people."
Eugene spoke for her stepson:
"Da Lang's disguise must be more ordinary so that he can act better."
Zhao Pan nodded and accepted the explanation.
I think my brother is really smart. He can create such a face without any memorable features.
“……” Zhao Duan was silent.
At this time, the maid Miantao came running over in a hurry. Before she arrived, her voice came first:
"Master, someone from the palace has sent a message saying that you are required to go to the palace tomorrow morning and accompany His Majesty to the Heavenly Master's Mansion!"
(End of this chapter)