Chapter 305: Under the order of the imperial envoy, arrest the criminal immediately
Chapter 305: Under the order of the imperial envoy, arrest the criminal immediately
"What do you mean?"
Xu Junling was stunned for a moment, and a hint of seriousness gradually appeared on his sweet face.
Well, this is hard for me to explain to you. After all, it is a story from Earth... Zhao Duan looked relaxed with a smile on his lips.
It seemed as if he had turned a deaf ear to the noisy cries of the people outside the tall gray walls of the post station who were begging for mercy.
He said calmly, "It's just a fragment of a poem I just came across."
Could you be a little more fake...Xu Junling got angry for no reason.
She took two steps at a time and came to sit in front of him, with a serious expression:
"Master Zhao, what are you thinking about? Or do you think the commotion outside is nothing? This princess is kindly reminding you that the current situation is very wrong."
"Oh?"
Zhao Duan was wearing loose casual clothes and leaning back in a bamboo chair, looking like a leisurely young man on vacation.
He put down the Taicang Geography, folded his hands, and asked with a smile:
"What advice do you have, my lord?"
Xu Junling said with a stern face:
“When you arrested someone that day, I told you that suspension cannot last long.
Now the situation in the city is just as I expected. Not to mention the rumors going around, the public opinion about you is already not good.
How many people secretly hate you as an imperial envoy? Take these people outside who are asking for orders, for example. Do you think they came here on their own accord?"
She asked herself and answered:
"Since ancient times, people have been afraid of officials. How could this happen unless someone secretly instigated them? Local officials have already fought back!"
I know... Zhao Duan said "Oh" and said lightly:
"And then? Do you think that Gao, Liu, and Sun arranged this? Inciting a group of people to put pressure on me, do you think this will work?"
Seeing that he didn't care, Xu Junling sighed:
"Sir Zhao, I know you have made many contributions in the capital and are quite capable, but you must know that being an official in the capital and being an imperial envoy are two different things.
That’s right, there are only a hundred or so civilians, but you have an army under your command and you have your own cultivation, so they are safe.
But this is a dangerous signal. Once the team of petitioners expands and trouble arises, when you return to Beijing, the imperial sister's desk will be piled with impeachments like snowflakes!
Do you understand? Do you think that local officials have no way to fight back against the imperial envoy?
Throughout the dynasties, the thing that imperial envoys feared most when going on missions was not the safety of their lives, but messing up the mission.
If you allow public opinion in the city to spread unchecked, even if you can investigate the case and arrest the corrupt officials and bring them back to Beijing, the officials in the court can still accuse you of causing chaos in the local area!
If one of them breeds civil unrest, it will be enough to get you into trouble!
Or do you really think that you are not afraid of impeachment because you are favored by the emperor's sister?"
She spoke in one breath like a machine gun, her eyes full of disappointment.
Zhao Duan listened with a strange expression, raised his hand and handed her an apricot, and said with a smile:
"Princess, calm down. Come to think of it, are you so concerned about the safety of an imperial envoy like me? I thought the King of Huai'an would be looking forward to a fight on my side."
This sudden remark was quite hurtful.
Xu Junling was instantly alert and subconsciously refuted:
"This princess is devoted to her sister, how can Lord Zhao slander me so recklessly?"
No, you are just like a fence-sitter in the Huai'an Palace, with a wavering butt. Do you need me to slander you...
Zhao Duan complained in his heart and said slowly:
"So it's a deep sisterly love. I thought the princess was deliberately provoking me and wanted me to send troops to suppress the rioters.
Haha, the people are just asking for their lives reasonably, why should we resort to violence?
I do have the heart to do this, but I dare not say the word "suppression" carelessly, as it will easily give the rebels a handle."
"..."
Xu Junling hit a snag, snorted, turned sideways, and said coldly:
"This princess is just a kind reminder. Anyway, the local officials have already taken action. If you continue to delay, the consequences will be unpredictable.
Let me guess, the evidence left by Song Tiju is not enough, so you are buying time and trying to dig deeper...
Unfortunately, they don’t seem to be planning to give you enough time… Well, just think about it, two key people are missing, so how could the big tiger you want to catch leave any obvious clues?
Unless you can find Wang Chusheng, the magistrate of Taicang County...
Otherwise, since Gao Lian and his gang have already mobilized public opinion to counter you, I’m afraid their next move against you is imminent.”
After saying this, Xu Junling stood up angrily and turned to leave.
"It's all done in one battle."
Suddenly, Zhao Duan's voice came from behind:
"Princess, there will be a crab feast this afternoon, remember to come with us."
Yesterday, Zhao Duan said that the golden chrysanthemums in Taicang Prefecture are quite good. He heard that there is a tradition of holding a banquet to eat autumn crabs in the city in autumn.
As an imperial envoy, he also wanted to take the opportunity to meet with the gentry and celebrities in the city.
Therefore, he ordered a crab feast and invited celebrities and officials in the city to gather in order to ease the tense atmosphere in the city and dispel rumors.
The banquet was held at a gentleman's mansion in the city, which was named "Chrysanthemum Terrace" and had a large area of beautiful autumn chrysanthemums planted there.
"know."
Xu Junling left without looking back.
I thought to myself, I want to see what you are up to, it's not just about craving for a few crabs.
……
……
At noon.
The people were ordered to evacuate. As if the sky above the city sensed the coming storm, dark clouds gathered and the autumn wind became biting.
In the afternoon, Zhao Duan ordered 200 cavalrymen to stay behind, and he, along with the princess and her entourage, as well as the imperial envoy team including Censor Chen Hong, arrived at the "Chrysanthemum Terrace".
All the celebrities and gentry of status in Taicang Prefecture have arrived.
There were carriages parked outside, blocking the entire street.
Gao, Liu and Sun, who were suspended from work and under house arrest, also arrived early.
There were many tables set up in the large house filled with gorgeous autumn chrysanthemums, rockery, flowing water, pavilions and towers.
On top were plates of tied crabs and jars of rice wine.
There were many people coming, all dressed in silk and satin.
However, the atmosphere of the banquet, which should have been a lively and festive one of eating crabs and appreciating chrysanthemums, was a little depressing and solemn. "The imperial envoy has arrived!"
Following the clerk's shout, all the guests in the Chrysanthemum Terrace stood up one after another.
Today, Mr. Song, who calls himself "a disciple of Mr. Zhengyang", also came. When he saw Zhao Duan and his party coming, he hurriedly bowed respectfully.
Zhao Duan smiled and nodded, signaling him to be patient.
Passing through the guests on both sides, we arrived at the main banquet hall.
At the door, a group of officials were waiting in line.
"Lord Zhao, Princess, Censor Chen... the banquet is ready, waiting for you all."
Gao Lian was in the middle and laughed heartily.
This elegant governor was still wearing his official robe, but he did not wear the black gauze hat. His hair, a mixture of black and white, was clearly styled and fixed with a men's ebony hairpin.
Beside him.
After not seeing each other for a few days, the censor Liu, who looked obviously tired and much older, and the prefect Sun, who was dark and thin as iron, stood on his left and right with their hands hanging down.
After Gao Lian spoke, all the officials followed suit and saluted.
They are neat and uniform, which seems to be a sign of strict discipline among civil servants.
"Haha, you gentlemen, I've been waiting for a long time. Come and sit down and talk."
Zhao Duan seemed to be in a good mood and walked into the vacant main seat with a smile.
But as the group walked by, they could clearly sense the barely concealed hostility in the eyes of the officials on both sides.
This sight made Xu Junling, who was dressed in gorgeous and elegant clothes, as noble as a royal branch and jade leaf, feel uncomfortable all over.
It was as if this banquet hall was a den of wolves and dragons, and these officials were going to eat them alive.
This group of people are going to cause trouble... The princess intuitively judged this.
She turned her head and looked at Zhao Duan, only to see that his handsome face looked relaxed and natural.
Strolling in the garden is nothing more than this.
……
Posthouse.
The imperial envoy and his entourage attended the banquet, leaving behind only a group of elite troops on secondment to Linfeng Guard, led by Yuan Xingjun.
The war horses were fed in a special yard. Except for the soldiers on duty, the rest were ordered to rest in the two yards without taking off their armor.
You can set off at any time.
"General!"
The soldiers who were resting in the courtyard of the post house suddenly saw Yuan Xingjun coming in. They stood up and instinctively lined up:
"Does the General have any instructions?"
Wearing black fish-scale armor and a straight sword on his waist, Deputy General Lin Feng only carries out orders and rarely asks questions. He has a cold look in his eyes.
He scanned the faces of his men and said:
"According to the order of the imperial envoy... split up... set out immediately... to capture the criminal!"
Not long after.
The clerks in the post station were astonished to see that nearly 200 cavalrymen had split into teams of five and poured out of the post station like a torrent, running towards different directions of the city.
"Da da da……"
The iron cavalry roared like thunder, shaking the dark clouds above the city walls, as if they were about to bring about a storm.
"Sorry..."
Yuan Xingjun rode on the most majestic warhorse with extraordinary pedigree, holding the reins with his left hand and holding the tall flagpole with his right arm, heading towards the city gate to greet them with a majestic momentum.
Amid the horrified gazes of countless people, only the "Linfeng" flag fluttered in the autumn wind.
In the dark where no one noticed.
In the streets and alleys, the imperial shadow guards, who looked no different from ordinary peddlers, quietly stood up in every corner of the city.
They dispersed and joined separate cavalry teams to lead the way.
"It's all done in one battle."
Yuan Xingjun carried the flag and rode his horse, looking at the approaching city gate, chewing on what Lord Zhao said, his eyes shining slightly.
……
……
Chrysanthemum Terrace.
The crab feast has officially begun.
The crabs are steamed to perfection, served with a unique local dipping sauce and paired with locally brewed rice wine with a fruity aroma. The taste is indeed different from that in Beijing.
Zhao Duan chatted and laughed happily with the officials, gentry and wealthy people in the city, and the atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.
During this period, due to the demonization of public opinion, Zhao Yanwang has become an extremely terrifying figure in the eyes of many gentry and middle and low-level officials.
However, when we actually met, we realized that it was very different from the rumors.
This "King of Hell Zhao" is surprisingly "people-friendly", not at all as arrogant and domineering as rumored.
As the saying goes, seeing is believing. With just one appearance, Zhao Duan greatly alleviated the gentry in the city's instinctive fear of him.
Seeing this, several bigwigs in Linfeng's officialdom became restless.
"Lord Zhao,"
The governor Gao Lian picked up the silk cloth, wiped his hands, and cast a sharp and bright gaze at the person sitting in the main seat, saying seriously:
"I would like to ask how your investigation has progressed in the past few days."
Zhao Duan raised his eyes.
The banquet hall suddenly became quiet.
"Taiwanese Prime Minister Gao, what advice do you have?"
(End of this chapter)