Chapter 226 Arrival at Tianshi Mansion

The next day, early in the morning.

In the room, Zhao Duan stood in front of a full-length mirror, tidying up his appearance. After his collar and clothes were properly adjusted, he nodded with satisfaction.

"Okay."

He left home and rode his horse to the palace instead of taking a carriage.

After arriving at the Imperial City, I asked someone to report it. Soon the guard came back and said:

"Your Majesty will be out shortly, please wait."

So Zhao Duan stood at the gate of the imperial city and waited for more than half an hour before he saw a huge convoy of carriages coming out of the palace in the distance.

"I knew it would take at least an hour for a woman to leave the house..."

Zhao Duan sighed and enjoyed it.

Today’s visit to the Tianshi Mansion is not a grand event.

Therefore, the emperor's carriage was of average size, with only about fifty or sixty people accompanying him.

The carriage drove out of the gate and stopped. A palace maid came with a message, asking "Lord Zhao" to get in the carriage for an audience.

Riding with the empress is a great honor for any minister.

But Zhao Duan has had three experiences in just a few months.

……

"My lord, see your majesty!"

Zhao Duan got into the extra-large carriage and performed the etiquette obediently - a favored minister hated to act arrogantly, and the more favored he was, the less he could act unbridled in front of his leader.

"Please sit down. You and I are the king and subject. No need to be polite."

The sound of jade beads rolling down a silver plate struck my heart.

After Zhao Duan expressed his gratitude, he looked up cautiously, and his eyes lit up.

Today, the empress changed her attire. It was not the emperor's dragon robe, nor the ordinary clothes in the palace, but the attire of a Taoist monk.

The inside is white, and the outside is covered with a green robe, similar in style to a Taoist robe.

Her collar was open, with half of her three thousand black hair hanging down her waist, and the other half tied up in a bun on top of her head, casually fixed with a jade hairpin.

She wears no makeup, and her face is plain, but her complexion is fair and translucent, making any beautiful woman in the world feel ashamed of herself. The empress, who mocks herself for being mediocre,

There was a red cinnabar dotted between her eyebrows, making her look like a jade statue.

The fairy with clear eyes glanced at him, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, which made Zhao Duan slightly distracted.

"Is there anything on my face?" Xu Zhenguan said with a half-smile.

Zhao Duan realized that he was being rude and immediately said sincerely:
"Your Majesty is ashamed of all flowers."

"...Heh," Xu Zhenguan felt that he should put on a stern face, but he really wasn't angry at all. Thinking of the meritorious service this guy had done yesterday, he just snorted:
"Grumpy."

Just a smooth talker? Zhao Duan blinked and saw that the empress was indeed in a good mood today.

No one even scolded him.

Still a little uncomfortable...

Sitting on an embroidered cushion on the side of the carriage, Zhao Duan's mind was racing, wondering whether he should be bolder. It was always a good idea for a man to take the initiative.

Then the empress spoke calmly:
"I heard from Eunuch Hai about yesterday's incident. You played a very important role."

Zhao Duan quickly came back to his senses and said seriously:

"Your Excellency is too kind. I was only doing my duty, but Your Majesty secretly sent Eunuch Hai to protect my safety. I am deeply grateful and have no way to repay you. I can only sacrifice my life for Your Majesty and devote myself to him, fearing that I will never be able to repay Your Majesty's kindness."

Even though Xu Zhenguan was used to seeing ministers fawning on him, he still found it a little overwhelmed at this moment.

She tilted her head slightly, changed her posture, and said reservedly:

"That's not necessary... I'm just curious about how you knew the location of the thief."

coming!

As expected, I was asked this question and thought I could get away with it...How should I answer?

It's not right to tell the truth. As the saying goes, a loyal minister should not serve two masters. Although my relationship with Lao Wang is purely a business one, women love to imagine...

What if they think I'm playing both sides, hooking up with the Tianshi Mansion and the royal family at the same time? That would be terrible... Zhao Duan's thoughts turned over and over. He almost didn't hesitate and immediately replied:
"I asked Priest Jin Jian for help."

Xu Zhenguan smiled and said in a joking tone:

"Jin Jian is willing to help you? This is against the rules."

Oops, this question has a trap... If I give a wrong answer, I will lose everything... Zhao Duan's brain was working rapidly, and he said calmly:
"Your Majesty, do you know that I recently bought a new house?"

"Have heard a little bit."

"Your Majesty, do you know how I got such a large sum of money?"

Xu Zhenguan narrowed his beautiful eyes and said lightly, "I don't like guessing riddles."

"..."

Zhao Duan asked and answered himself frankly:
"I usually like to tinker with small things. I accidentally discovered a way to make ice, so I sold it to the priest Jin Jian. In this way, I made a lot of money and was able to buy a house to be closer to Your Majesty.

It is precisely because of our business dealings that Priest Jin Jian has been so helpful to me..."

Xu Zhenguan listened quietly. She had actually known about the business between Zhao Duan and Tianshi Mansion for a long time.

But at this moment, hearing his honest answer, I was still very satisfied.

The empress knew that Jin Jian was a money-grubber by nature. Zhao Duan helped her make a fortune, so it was reasonable for the girl to repay him.

She nodded slightly, smiling:

"Last time you made that floral perfume, and this time you know how to make ice. You are really versatile."

Phew… The topic of death is finally resolved… Zhao Duan exhaled silently and said:

"This is just a minor skill, a peculiar trick, not worth mentioning."

With a thought in mind, he took the initiative to change the subject:
"As for the success of the business, it was mainly due to the efforts of Gongshu Tianyuan."

"Oh? The fifth disciple of Master Zhang?"

Xu Zhenguan was indeed diverted from the topic, and he suddenly realized, "It's him, no wonder."

Zhao Duan raised his head and asked curiously:
"Your Majesty knows him?"

The empress said "yeah", and seeing that her little guards didn't quite understand, she explained casually:
"Gongshu Tianyuan, who cultivates the 'craftsman god' series, can make magical weapons and magical treasures, and has a very high talent.

He just stays in his workshop all year round and rarely goes out...

Well, the scroll that you used before, which recorded the sound and images, was made by this person...but he was not the first to invent it."

Shit…he was the one who made the Peeping Scroll?

Zhao Duan was surprised.

The Empress sighed and said:

“However, it is difficult to achieve great success in this area. To advance in cultivation, one must forge breakthrough tools before being promoted. That is why this person is most concerned about your so-called unique skills and tricks.

However, although it is difficult to advance, if one day, one really reaches a higher realm, it can be called a national treasure. Ha, a master craftsman who can create top-grade magic tools and magic weapons, even the royal family must be on good terms with him. "

As he said this, he glanced at him meaningfully, the meaning was obvious:
If you can make friends with them, it will be beneficial to you and not harmful.

Is that so? That little fat guy still has potential... Zhao Duan was excited and said seriously:
"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty."

Xu Zhenguan raised the corner of his mouth and wanted to say:
Although Gongshu Tianyuan is a genius, he is quite arrogant. Even if you try to make friends with him, he will look down on you.

After all, this kind of "technical talent" only cares about technology, never cares about power, and looks down on it.

Just relying on the ability to make ice is not enough to make the Heavenly Master's disciple look at Zhao Duan differently.

but……

Never mind. There is no need to dampen the enthusiasm of subordinates.

However, the empress didn't know that Zhao Du'an had already used a simple blueprint of the principle of light transmission of glasses to make the arrogant descendant of the god of craftsman suffer for three days and three nights without sleep and exhausted.

"We are almost at the Tianshi Mansion. Follow me in and don't talk nonsense. If you are lucky enough, you may be able to see Tianshi Zhang in person today."

Xu Zhenguan raised his eyes, looked outside the carriage, and saw the gate of Tianshi Mansion which had already appeared, and said lightly.

The legendary Zhang Tianshi? The living god from Dayu?

Zhao Duan looked expectant.

(End of this chapter)

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