Chapter 365: The Prince Blocks the Road, the Dragon Flag of the Warship

Chapter 365: The Prince Blocks the Road, the Dragon Flag of the Warship

Chapter 365: The Prince Blocks the Road, the Dragon Flag of the Warship

Silent all night.

The next morning, when the roosters crowed at the dawn, the sound of washing could be heard from the courtyard where Zhao Duan lived.

Then, Xu Zhenguan, neatly dressed, stepped out and declined Eugene Hua's invitation to have breakfast at his house. With the Zhao family's respectful farewell, he rode in a carriage and returned to the palace in the dawn in the east.

"Brother." At the gate of Zhao's house, the girl in a coat raised her face with dark circles under her eyes, with a complicated expression: "Did you and His Majesty have any..."

Eugene Hua pursed her lips and raised her ears high.

"..." Zhao Duan scalped her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and scolded her with a smile:
"What are you thinking about at such a young age? Go back to the house."

He yawned and prepared to go back for another nap.

——After returning from Houhu last night, Xu Zhenguan stayed in the guest room next door, and Zhao Duan stayed alone in the empty room. Due to nervous excitement, she did not fall asleep until the late night.

The mother and daughter went back in disappointment.

……

On this day, a great uproar broke out in the capital city, and the details of yesterday's meeting in Plum Garden finally spread.

The news that Mr. Zhengyang surrendered to "King Zhao" was truly shocking, and as expected, it triggered a series of conspiracy theories.

A group of people firmly believed that it was the court's lackeys who secretly intimidated and forced Zhengyang to surrender.

Another group of people who paid attention to "Xinxue" speculated that "Xinxue" might have been written by a Confucian scholar and expressed through the mouth of Zhao Duan.

But there is no evidence.

Zhao Duan had no intention of plagiarizing Yangming's knowledge, so we should just ignore the outside world's speculations.

Instead, plainclothes officers were sent out to patrol the streets and record those who slandered Lord Zhao in a list. It is conceivable that a secret arrest would be inevitable later.

Amid the turmoil caused by this battle, word spread in the court that "Your Majesty stayed overnight at Zhao's Mansion", which attracted the attention of all officials and caused them to discuss the matter secretly.

It's a different scene again.

The disturbance lasted for about a week before it gradually subsided as Mr. Zhengyang led his disciples to leave the capital and return by the same route.

Xu Zudi, the prince of Heng, also left the capital with Madam Xiao at about the same time.

This disappointed many people who were looking forward to another conflict between Xu Zudi and Zhao Duan.

The capital city once again enjoyed a rare peace, but as winter approached, the topic of the opening of the lake pavilion market gradually heated up and became the focus of attention inside and outside the government.

On the day when Dayu officially welcomed the "Beginning of Winter" and entered winter, an official ship set sail and headed towards the lake pavilion in the biting north wind.

……

……

Hua Hua——

The official ship cut through the waves, and its sails were flapping with vigor.

In a cabin decorated like an ordinary room, Zhao Duan sat cross-legged on a wool mat that was a tribute from the Western Regions, with his hands clasped in the air and his eyes closed.

There was an animal-shaped incense burner on the floor in front of him, emitting wisps of green smoke.

"call!"

Suddenly, the blue smoke in the windless cabin was gently disturbed. Zhao Duan took a deep breath and returned to reality from his meditation.

When he opened his eyelids, a dazzling golden light flashed faintly through his dark pupils.

"Finally advanced to the middle level of the Divine Chapter!"

Zhao Duan could not hide the joy on his face. After a period of "digestion", with the help of the soul power brought by the self-detonation of Guhuo Zhenren, he finally stepped smoothly into the middle level of the Divine Chapter.

The battle between Buddhism and Taoism began in early autumn, and at that time, they entered the divine realm. Now, only three months have passed, and they have reached another small realm.

"At this rate, won't I be able to reach high level before the end of the year and enter the 'worldly' realm next year? Reach the minimum threshold for dual cultivation with Zhen Bao? Well... the premise is that there is another Guhuo Zhenren to give me experience."

Zhao Duan couldn't help but daydream.

The breakthrough to a small realm did not bring about any particularly big changes, except for the filling of his Qi sea. The more obvious ability was that he possessed the rudiments of "divine consciousness".

"Now, even if I close my eyes, I can still use my perception to vaguely 'see' the outside world. Although it is still blurry and the distance is limited, it is also magical."

"Also, my reaction speed, memory, and even energy have all improved. No wonder Zhenbao can review memorials non-stop and not show signs of fatigue despite such high-intensity work. The sublimation of life level brought about by practice is indeed remarkable."

As Zhao Duan was sighing, his ears suddenly moved and he heard footsteps approaching outside the door.

He looked through the door, and suddenly a vague image of what was happening behind the door appeared in his mind.

It was as if my eyes had the ability to see through things, and I could "see" a pair of long legs in leather boots approaching from behind the door, accompanied by a shaking black ponytail.

"Maritime Enforcement Bureau, please come in." Zhao Duan raised the corner of his mouth.

The next second, the cabin door was pushed open, revealing a heroic face with teardrop moles at the corners of the eyes.

Haitang was dressed in a brocade official robe, with a bulging cloth bag full of flying knives on her waist. She looked at him with doubtful eyes: "How did you know it was me?"

Zhao Duan smiled but said nothing.

Haitang's eyes widened, she said in disbelief: "You got a medium grade?"

Seeing that the latter did not refute, the Narcissus Hall Master held his breath, his expression was extremely complicated, but ripples were rippling in his heart:
She remembered that when Zhao Duan entered the imperial court, he was the weakest among the nine halls. Now, in just a few months, he has already ranked among the top.

"Is there anything?" Zhao Duan asked with a smile, silently enjoying the admiration of his female colleague.

Haitang collected her thoughts and said with a straight face, "We'll be at the lake pavilion soon. Master Hai is calling you."

"Are we finally here?" Zhao Duan was cheered up and followed the former out of the cabin and onto the deck.

This time, he was ordered by the Empress to come to Huting to supervise the opening of the court market. The task was arduous and the journey was long. After floating on the Grand Canal for many days, he finally arrived.

……

Zhao Duan went up on the deck and faced the wind blowing from the river, and his vision suddenly became clear.

On the vast river, large and small ships were sailing in the distance. There were both official ships and merchant ships, each keeping a distance from the other.

The winter wind was not warm, even though everyone was heading south.

The sail on the ship's mast has been lowered by half, reducing the wind speed. The outline of the mountain can be seen in the distance, and the city's dock is vaguely discernible.

"grown ups!"

As soon as he showed up, the officials from the Pear Blossom Hall accompanying him on the deck greeted him one after another. Two of the "Four Pear Blossoms" were dispatched this time, Qian Kerou and Zheng Laojiu, who stayed behind in the capital.

Hou Renmeng and Shen Juan, two rough men, led a team of men in brocade clothes, and there was also a team of imperial guards on the ship to guard it.

Haitang was seconded as Zhao Duan's deputy.

"Out?"

On the deck, the eunuch standing by the railing turned around with a smile.

This chief worshipper, whose real name is "Hai Chunlin", escorted Zhao Duan south.

The eunuch, who was over a hundred years old, was not wearing the ostentatious bright red dragon robe. He was only wearing a cotton robe. Although he was old, his wrinkled face was rosy, and no one knew whether it was because of the strong blood or the cold wind.

"Huh? You... have entered the middle level?"

Eunuch Hai narrowed his eyes and looked carefully at Zhao Duan, who was dressed in gorgeous clothes and also not wearing an official robe, and was slightly surprised.

"Haha, I can't hide it from my father-in-law." Zhao Duan said with a smile.

The old priest smacked his lips, suddenly glanced at Haitang, and sighed:
"It's a pity that Your Majesty made the first move, otherwise I would have really thought of accepting a disciple." Haitang had a blank expression on her face, and glared at him angrily: "Your Majesty, just say what he said, and see what I will do."

Hai Chunlin smiled and was not annoyed at all.

In the entire court, how many people dared to speak to the old priest like this? But the people around him were no longer surprised.

"No need to be so serious." Zhao Duan said with a smile, "If I had known earlier that you, Haitang, were a relative of Hai Gongfeng, our two halls should have become closer a long time ago."

When Eunuch Hai entered the palace, there were still people at home.

At that time, only small families were willing to send their children into the palace to become eunuchs.

After Hai Chunlin became a priest, the "Hai family" outside was also taken care of. Although they were not rich, they were able to ensure a smooth life for a hundred years.

In terms of seniority, Haitang's great-grandfather is Hai Chunlin's brother, a real relative.

She is also the second person in the Hai family in the past hundred years who has a good talent for cultivation, except for Hai Chunlin. In addition, she is meticulous and capable of doing things well, which enabled her to work in the imperial yamen.

Eunuch Hai was also very fond of his great-granddaughter, but Haitang was a person who did not want to rely on her background, so only very few people knew about the relationship between the two.

"Alas, you have such a great background, but you insist on working hard on your own. Are all the children of wealthy families so mentally ill?"

After Zhao Duan learned about the relationship between the grandfather and grandson, he complained wildly in his heart. He used to think that such things only happened in TV dramas, but he didn't expect that there was one around him.

"Mr. Zhao, when you are working, you are referring to your position."

Haitang rolled her eyes to show her refusal, and said in a slightly sarcastic tone:

"If Lord Zhao cares about his subordinates, he can go and take care of the two over there."

Zhao Duan was helpless. He followed her gaze and looked towards the corner of the official ship's deck.

There were the other two expert guards arranged for him by Zhenbao.

Lang Shiba and Ji Yue.

At this moment, the swordsman named Lang Eighteen was sitting cross-legged in a corner of the deck, his long hair covering one eye.

He was wearing a thin coarse blue shirt, with a knife across his knees. Next to him was an exceptionally large green-skinned gourd with its mouth open, exuding the aroma of strong liquor.

Lang Shiba held a broken pottery bowl in his hand, his eyes staring blankly, occasionally taking a sip of the liquor in the bowl.

If he drank it all, he would scoop another bowl from the big wine gourd.

He is an alcoholic...

Five steps away was the sorcerer named Ji Yue, who was dressed in red and had most of her eyes white, like a female ghost.

Her body was always damp, and the chains that originally bound her wrists and ankles were gone, replaced by scars left by the wear and tear of long-term confinement.

Ji Yue lowered his head, avoiding everyone's sight and rarely spoke.

Based on Zhao Duan's observations along the way, he determined that she was a person with severe social anxiety...

"Eunuch, I have always wanted to ask, where did these two people arranged by His Majesty come from?"

Zhao Duan sighed and asked for advice softly, "I always feel that it doesn't seem very reliable."

The old priest put his hands behind his back, smiled kindly like a village elder, and said:

"Didn't I tell you? One is from the north, and the other is from the east."

I don't want to hear nonsense... Zhao Duan sighed softly and said:
"I've observed over the past few days that Lang Shiba may seem drunk and like an unruly wanderer, but he still has a military air that he can't get rid of, but it's not strong. I'm afraid he was once a strong man in the army? In the north? To the north of the capital is Tieguan Road, the territory of King Yanshan...

But he is in the capital, so I think he has nothing to do with King Yanshan. Such a master should not be unknown. He is a person from Jubei City who is stationed in Tieguan Road by the imperial court? Am I right?"

"As for Jiyue, he is very socially anxious... Well, socially anxious means he is afraid of contact with people. His accent is a bit strange, not like Qingzhou or Binhaidao... He doesn't look tanned like the people in Lingnan. He occasionally speaks some gibberish in the dialect. Could he be from the Thousand Islands in the East China Sea? Not from the Dayu Dynasty?"

Eunuch Hai smiled and said, "Didn't you guess a lot?"

Zhao Duan smiled bitterly and said, "I want to know more details, otherwise I won't feel safe when using it."

Eunuch Hai laughed and said:
"Your Majesty gave it to you, so why should you worry? Just be at ease. Before you die, I will make sure these two die before you."

The swordsman and the drunkard seemed not to hear the discussions here and continued to drink by himself.

The white-eyed female ghost glanced over here quickly, and after meeting Zhao Duan's gaze, she turned back quickly and silently looked at the wet toes of the embroidered shoes on her feet.

"Okay..." Zhao Duan sighed. The old man was very mean and refused to reveal anything, but there was nothing he could do.

He held onto the railing, looked at the port and the city ahead, and said:

“Hu Ting… I heard in Beijing that there is such a place at the junction of Linfeng and Huaishui. It was originally a dock built during the construction of the Grand Canal in the previous dynasty, and it gradually developed.

Until now, it is only a "town" in the books of the Six Ministries, but its scale has long been much larger than that of a county. It is just a lonely piece of land, a port for merchant ships to handle and exchange goods on the canal, and it cannot become a county because it does not have enough villages and towns under its jurisdiction.

But the buildings on the shore and the sight of thousands of boats racing against each other are not surprising in a prefecture city like Taicang."

After a pause, Zhao Duan continued:
"It is said that the word 'hu' in the name of Huting comes from the 'smoke-locked lake' that was formed by the flood discharge here. There is also a huge statue of a god carved on the cliff beside the lake. It is also a famous scenic spot and historical site. Many scholars in Jiangnan wrote poems about it and made it famous.

Princess Xu Junling seems to have written several poems about this place. Well, after all, this is the territory of the Huai River. How much of the entire lake pavilion and the shops and merchant ships of the Huai'an Palace are occupied?"

Hai Chunlin also stood on the deck and looked into the distance like him, smiling:
"I don't understand the disputes in the court and the public. I am only looking after your life. But I can hear what you want to say. The market in Huting is about to open. Prince Huai'an and Prince Jing are close to here. The shadow guards' intelligence said that they arrived many days earlier than us.

The other princes have also sent their trusted aides here, and now they have all settled down in this city... I dare say that countless eyes in the city are staring at you now."

Zhao Duan sighed: "You want to kill me, right?"

Suddenly, a large ship appeared in front of the view, approaching rapidly from afar, attracting the attention of everyone on the deck.

"Sir, the ship ahead seems to be heading towards us!"

Hou Ren frowned and gripped the knife handle.

Haitang, who was more meticulous and good at solving cases, raised her eyebrows and her expression changed slightly:

"This is not an ordinary ship, it's a warship! There is no war going on, who is driving a warship on the river?"

The appearance of warships on the river attracted everyone's attention.

I saw a huge boat approaching on the river through the waves.

It has three floors, 60 feet high, painted in red lacquer, covered with iron armor, and equipped with horse stables. The parapet is covered with arrow holes, which is shocking to look at.

Zhao Duan held the handrail on the side of the boat with both hands, narrowed his eyes, and stared coldly at the huge ship that was two or three times larger than the one under his feet.

Clench your palms slightly.

Although it was still far away, I could vaguely hear the sound of stringed instruments and orchestras, and there seemed to be many men and women playing games on the warship.

At the top, the flag is not that of the Huaishui Navy, but a black and yellow flag fluttering in the wind, with a four-clawed golden dragon faintly painted on it.

"The flag of Prince Jing's Mansion!" Haitang's expression changed slightly.

Eunuch Hai looked at a figure on the deck of the warship, then suddenly looked at Zhao Duan and said meaningfully:
"Your love rival is here."

Love rival?

Zhao Duan was startled, then remembered a rumor and blurted out:

"Prince Jing? Xu Jinglong?"

far away.

On the third floor of the gigantic "ironclad ship", Xu Jinglong stood with his hands behind his back, overlooking the low official ship in front of him, with no expression on his face.

……

Today's update, typos will be corrected later
(End of this chapter)