Chapter 392: Your Majesty's Perfect Match
Chapter 392: Your Majesty's Perfect Match (5k)
"Oh? What advice do you have, Master Lin?"
Princess Wenzhu was stunned when she suddenly heard Zhao Duan's criticism, and asked back with a smile.
Those who have been in high positions for a long time rarely listen to criticism, but Princess Wenzhu is an exception. When she was in the Western Regions, she was close to the common people. What's more, the other party did not know her identity, so they would not mind a little offense.
Zhao Duan said seriously:
"The more complicated and long-lived a place is, the more rules it has. Just like this donation to save the people, the starting point is good, but how to get coal or rice from a high place to the hands of the poor who are thirsty is a difficult problem."
"Poor people are weak by nature, and when they suddenly get something good, it's easy for people around them to covet it. Even if these gangsters don't take action, the neighbors around them will be greedy, jealous, and even hateful because of injustice...
As the saying goes, what is worrying is not the lack of wealth but the inequality of wealth. How can a group of poor and weak people protect themselves? "
"So, this word 'equal', or preventing the neighbors from acting out of greed, is a difficult problem..."
Because this encounter happened suddenly and deviated from the "script" Zhao Duan had envisioned, he had to improvise a bit at this moment.
In my heart, whether it is the scene that brings back emotions or the desire to be a teacher...
I couldn't help but recall the various things I did in my previous life when I was doing related work...
Even in the previous life, when the grassroots had strong control, there were still various difficulties when it came to "donations" and "relief".
What's more, the Dayu Dynasty needs "gang" forces to fill in and supplement the grassroots level?
Zhao Duan said from the bottom of his heart:
"The imperial court's annual relief, including donations from the rich in Beijing and donations from temples, has a set of rules and regulations that must go through the hands of relevant government offices and even the hands of many low-level clerks...
In this process, there will naturally be some people who are corrupt. Ten percent of the silver will be deducted layer by layer, and in the end, only two or three percent will be left, which is considered good.
But think about it another way. It is precisely because they are willing to feed the people from top to bottom that they are willing to work hard and give the remaining money to the poor people safely, so that they will not be robbed...
And if it refuses to go through the hands of these people, it may seem that there is one less middleman, but it also loses the "protection" of this group of people. So this scene in the alley is no surprise.
In this case, Madam, if you bypass the intermediate government offices and distribute them directly, it will harm people instead."
These words are eloquent and incisive.
It is not new, it is nothing more than the "internal friction cost" within human society.
However, to the ears of big shots like Princess Wenzhu, it was like a sharp axe that split the fog before their eyes.
Princess Wenzhu suddenly came to her senses and realized her negligence.
When she was in the Western Regions, she often helped her people in this way, but she ignored the differences between the Western Regions and Dayu.
Once this was revealed, the gentle face was first stunned, then revealed a look of regret and awakening:
"My Lord, what you said is absolutely true..."
She laughed at herself, "I am… a little older than you, but I am not as insightful as Master Lin."
As she spoke, the look she gave Zhao Duan changed again.
If Zhao Duan's move just now was just a "chivalrous spirit" that she admired, then this simple comment now revealed the "wisdom" of seeing through the world.
She subconsciously thought about and recalled which famous "Lin" families there were in the capital, but she had lived in the Western Regions for a long time, so how could she think of any at the moment?
All I know is that among the top powerful families in Beijing, there is no one with the surname Lin.
So, he is not from a big family, but he has such performance... The capital city is indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
The eldest princess, who had been married far away for many years, felt extra surprise and curiosity about Zhao Duan.
"As Master Lin said, what should we do?" Princess Wenzhu asked humbly.
Zhao Duan's expression is natural:
"For those that have already been issued, this is the only way. If you need more relief, it would be best to donate directly to the charity halls of all sizes in East City... At least, it will be much less deductible than if the Ministry of Revenue allocated funds."
Princess Wenzhu's eyes wandered:
"Mr. Lin is so familiar with this, he must know how to donate. Could you tell me which charity halls are better? We would be very grateful."
"That's it..."
Zhao Duan pretended to be embarrassed, hesitated for a moment, and said:
"I came to East City today to make a small donation. If you trust me, Madam, you can go with me. I'm nearby."
Princess Wenzhu nodded happily: "Thank you for your help, young master."
Unexpectedly simple... Zhao Duan felt that the several plans he had prepared to approach the other party before coming here seemed redundant.
He turned around and said to the three men who were still cleaning up the mess in the alley:
"Shen Er, you stay here to handle the aftermath and teach these hooligans a lesson. Xiao Rou, Hou Da, we are leaving."
The three people who were given nicknames took immediate action.
Qian Kerou placed the scattered steamed buns on the dustpan filled with coal, smiled softly, and squatted down in front of the little girl:
"Take it."
Immediately, she added the scattered big coins to the copper coins in her pocket and carefully stuffed them into the pocket of the dirty, skinny little girl:
"Go slowly on your way back. Don't worry, these people won't bother you again."
The little girl, who was not good at speaking and trembling in front of a group of important people, trembled, lowered her eyes, and did not dare to answer it.
Qian Kerou pursed her lips, straightened her collar, and said seriously:
"Don't worry, my young master gave it to me. Anyone who dares to snatch it is looking down on my young master."
There was a hint of evil in these calm words.
"Thank you...thank you..." The little girl stammered out two words, finally turned back after a few steps, and ran away timidly holding the dustpan.
Hou Ren glanced at the group of people on the ground and spat, "Why does the young master want you to clean up the mess?"
Shen Juan chuckled and mouthed:
"If you were asked to clean up the mess, I'm afraid these people would be killed by you."
Hou Ren snorted loudly, but did not refute. He walked out of the alley with Qian Kerou, chasing after Zhao Duan and Princess Wenzhu.
……
Wait for someone to leave.
Shen Juancai sneered and walked to the side of the "unconscious" ruffian leader:
"If you don't get up, I will make sure you never get up again."
The ruffians jumped up in shock, and the leader, "Master Wen", was so frightened that he jumped up and kowtowed:
"Master, please spare me... please spare me..."
How could he not know that he had offended the guards of a big shot?
Shen Juan was too lazy to waste words. If his master had not implied that he should stay to clean up the mess and make sure the poor people who received relief would not be retaliated against, he would have wanted to kill those bastards with a knife. He believed that the government would not dare to investigate Lihuatang.
"Red Flower Society... Hehe, where is your boss? Take me there."
Master Wen was stunned for a moment, looking up at this old man with a very different temperament from the servant in disbelief, his eyes rolling:
"There is a hall nearby."
Russian qing.
Shen Juan drove this group of ruffians through the alleys and finally brought them to a small courtyard of a branch of the Red Flower Society in the area.
Without further ado, Shen Juan kicked open the gate, causing several fierce-looking men to rush out. The leader, who was bald in the middle of winter, held a knife and cursed:
"Which idiot..."
Halfway through his words, the bald man's voice trembled, the knife in his hand dropped with a clang, his knees weakened, and he almost fell to his knees:
"Cha...Cha Ye?"
Shen Juan raised his eyelids unexpectedly: "Do you know me?"
The bald man forced a smile and said flatteringly:
"Last time, when Lord Zhao arrested Lord Meng, I saw you in the crowd."
At the beginning, Zhao Duan fought with Princess Yunyang's lover Xia Jianghou, and Xia Jianghou sent people from the Red Flower Society to capture Feng Ju's daughter.
At that time, the leader of the Red Flower Society, "Meng Ye", was imprisoned and almost lost half his life.
Since then, the entire underground gang in the capital has respected Zhao Yanwang as if he were ghosts and gods.
Shen Juan smiled and said, "That's perfect. Your men offended my master..."
After he finished speaking these few words, beads of sweat appeared on the bald man's forehead, and he was so frightened that he almost turned pale.
"I'm leaving this group of people to you. Remember, if anyone who receives relief today gets into trouble or is retaliated against... you know the consequences." Shen Juan patted his butt and left:
"By the way, if any of the whereabouts of my master appearing here today are leaked, your whole family will not have to live."
When they walked out, Wen Ye and a group of other hooligans had collapsed to the ground, their faces were pale, and several of them had wet their pants.
Only then did they realize what kind of big shot they had offended.
The bald man respectfully saw Shen Juan off, then slowly stood up, his face ashen, staring fiercely at the group of ruffians on the ground.
Soon, the sound of broken legs snapping and muffled sobs and screams were heard from the hall.
……
……
Two carriages, one in front and one behind, were driving on the snow in East City.
In the carriage following behind, Princess Wenzhu opened the curtains and felt the cool air coming in from outside.
The fur of the fox fur scarf wrapped around her neck trembled slightly.
"Princess, there's something wrong with this Link."
In the same carriage, the tall female warrior who was the personal guard said quickly in the dialect of the Western Regions: "From the way this man moves, I can tell that he is a martial artist. I can't tell who he is. His servants, including the maids, are not simple servants."
Princess Wenzhu said softly:
"Not surprising. Someone who can talk like this must be from a family of high status. His descendants practice martial arts, or even practice cultivation. He also has several powerful guards around him. This is common in the Great Yu Dynasty."
The alert and cautious female warrior who never leaves her scimitar frowned and said:
"But Princess... don't you think it's too much of a coincidence? I don't deny that there are many powerful people in Yu Country, but it's such a coincidence that we met such a person..."
Princess Wenzhu turned her head and looked at the female warrior who was loyal to her:
"You mean, suspicion is approaching me deliberately?"
The female warrior lowered her head and said respectfully:
"I am just guessing. Princess, your visit to the capital is bound to attract a lot of attention."
Although Princess Wenzhu is a gentle and even overly compassionate "saint", she is not a naive person. At this moment, she said calmly:
"What you said makes sense. Let's take a look later. But from what I've observed, when Mr. Lin talked about donating to relief, his words were firm and he didn't sound like a temporary disguise."
The female warrior sighed:
"Princess, you are just too kind and too easy to think the best of others. The people of Yu are very cunning and good at intrigue. They are not as direct as we are in the Western Regions."
You are so direct... Am I not the person from Yu country that you mentioned... Wenzhu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
At this time, the carriage slowly stopped.
Wenzhu got out of the car, her boots stepped on the snow, and she saw an "orphanage" in front of her.
Zhao Duan also got off the car, and together with two of his subordinates, took out rice and bundles of winter clothes from the carriage.
He held a large bundle of clothes in each hand and shouted at the door:
"Old Wu! Open the door!"
Then, the door of the charity hall creaked open, and an old doorman with a dark face, missing one leg, thin body but quite energetic, opened the door with the help of a wooden artificial leg.
The moment he saw Zhao Duan, he smiled brilliantly: "Mr. Lin! You are here!"
This orphanage was actually the one that Zhao Duan had helped in the past. He was already familiar with the old doorman, who was also the director of the entire charity.
At first, he met them with his real appearance, but later he felt that his "bad reputation" and identity would easily implicate these poor people.
Therefore, after Zhao Duan obtained the disguise mask, every time he came to donate when he had spare time, he would use the identity of "Master Lin".
He also claimed that he was a good friend of "Master Zhao" and that Master Zhao received a share of every donation of money and grain.
"I'm here. It's been snowing for the past few days. It finally cleared up. I'm going to bring you something." Zhao Duan said with a smile.
Dean Wu, an old soldier who had retired from the Southwestern Frontier Army, was all smiles. He had difficulty walking, so he shouted at the top of his voice towards the house.
At the same time, he looked curiously at the group of people from the Western Regions who followed him: "This is..."
Zhao Duan introduced with a smile: "A friend who just stopped by."
He turned back and looked at Princess Wenzhu who was showing curiosity:
"This is Old Wu, the director of this charity, and a veteran soldier who retired from the war."
Old Wu saw at a glance that this lady was of extraordinary status, and he immediately greeted her politely:
"Mr. Lin's friend must be a kind person. Come in."
Princess Wenzhu followed behind Zhao Duan with curious eyes, observing quietly and being willing to be a supporting role.
When a group of people walked into the backyard of the charity hall, a group of orphans rushed out, both boys and girls, the older ones were in their teens and the younger ones were four or five years old. When they saw Zhao Duan, their eyes lit up and they called him "brother" and smiled.
It's rare that he's not afraid of strangers.
When he saw Princess Wenzhu and others, he showed a reserved look, lowered his voice a little, and subconsciously moved closer to Zhao Duan who was carrying something.
Seek protection.
Zhao Duan smiled and began to distribute clothes and food to a group of orphans on the spot. While distributing, he talked to a few familiar children, asking about their recent situation.
Old Wu would occasionally join in the conversation with a smile.
In winter, in the dilapidated charity hall, under the blue bricks and gray tiles.
"King Zhao," who was of extremely noble status and made officials in the capital shudder at the mention of him, was so harmonious and chatted and laughed with a group of poor orphans without any airs.
The scene was extremely harmonious.
Even Qian Kerou and Hou Renmeng were stunned for a while, but fortunately they had been told beforehand, and as they were servants and maids, they did not show anything unusual.
As for the group of people headed by Princess Wenzhu, they were greatly shocked.
The female warrior who had just suspected that Zhao Duan was approaching her deliberately was a little confused.
She couldn't understand why, even in the Western Regions, the nobles always treated the common people with condescension, let alone the Great Yu Dynasty where the hierarchy was even stricter.
The reason why she was loyal to Princess Wenzhu and respected her from the bottom of her heart was because Wenzhu was the only noble person she had ever seen in her life who was not arrogant towards the common people.
But now, she saw the second one.
Princess Wenzhu, who had a gentle temperament and dignity, had a pair of bright eyes, and the slight doubt in her heart disappeared.
If you say...
It is possible that this Link in front of me is really trying to contact me deliberately and collude with Dean Wu to please me.
However, it is impossible for this large group of orphans to have such superb acting skills.
It can't be done!
The only possibility is that this "Mr. Lin" really came to provide relief all the time and did not have the arrogance of a child from a big family towards the poor. Only then could he use time to dispel the orphans' awe and fear of the nobles and even develop a certain closeness to them.
Moreover, Princess Wenzhu was very sure that the expression of Mr. Lin when he distributed clothes at this moment was absolutely genuine!
A seasoned politician may have superb acting skills, but that is only limited to the court.
It is impossible to completely go against one's own heart and look at the weeds at the bottom with equal eyes.
Even Wenzhu herself, when interacting with the poor, showed the compassion of a person in a high position.
But this Mr. Lin had none of that!
Incredible.
"Take out some silver." Princess Wenzhu suddenly said.
A guard nearby immediately took out silver bills, silver ingots and other valuables that Dayu could use.
Wenzhu hesitated for a moment, remembering what Zhao Duan had said before. She did not take the silver note which might cause trouble, but only took out twenty taels of silver and handed it to Dean Wu, expressing her intention to donate.
The old soldier with a broken leg thanked him immediately and took out the donation booklet as usual. Wenzhu smiled and waved her hand, saying:
"No need."
Old Wu smiled and said, "Mr. Lin's friends are indeed those who do good deeds and do not want to leave their names."
Wenzhu asked curiously, "Did he... bring other friends with him?"
Old Wu did not hide anything and said:
"Mr. Lin was also introduced by another young master. They are both good people who are unwilling to leave their names."
"Ahem, Old Wu, take the children to try on the clothes." Zhao Duan came over in time and interrupted the retired soldier.
The latter nodded and led the orphans to the house.
……
The yard finally became quiet. Zhao Duan made a "please" gesture and sat down with Princess Wenzhu at the table and chairs in the yard.
Princess Wenzhu's face turned slightly red due to the cold wind, and her eyes showed admiration:
"Mr. Lin's good deeds are truly admirable. I have been in the capital for a few days and have met some outstanding people, but none of them are as good as Mr. Lin. I would like to ask, is Mr. Lin currently holding an official position? Who is the famous official in his family?"
She even began to doubt the authenticity of the name Link.
Zhao Duan smiled and said, "Madam, you are trying to get to the bottom of this."
At the side, the tall female warrior suddenly spoke in the official language of the Yu State:
"It's a good thing for you to ask. Do you know my... wife's identity..."
As a confidant, she had seen that the princess wanted to make friends with this young man and help him.
Zhao Duan smiled faintly, with a calm demeanor, and said leisurely:
"Princess Wenzhu's name is naturally well known to me."
The female warrior was stunned and subconsciously pressed the hilt of the knife under her clothes at her waist.
Princess Wenzhu asked curiously, "Do you know my identity?"
Zhao Duan smiled cheerfully, pointed at the fierce Western warriors behind him, and said:
"Although I am not a descendant of a big family, I also know that Princess Wenzhu came to the city recently. A noble lady with such outstanding demeanor and willing to condescend to come to East City for help, and surrounded by Western Region warriors, it would be strange if we still can't guess the princess's identity."
Princess Wenzhu was startled, then smiled:
"Yes, it is not difficult to guess. But I can't think of any Lin family in Beijing that has such a talent."
I'm from the Hyrule Continent, you'd be wrong to guess... Zhao Duan complained silently, his expression indifferent:
"Why should your highness care about the name? After all, it is just a small family."
A small family... Is it a military general who rose to prominence due to his merits? A scholarly family that rose from humble origins? Or a small local family... Princess Wenzhu pondered in her heart, and smiled with relief:
"Mr. Lin is right. Given my status, if I get too close to you, it might not be a good thing."
No...just don't go to Zhenbao and say bad things about me. There's no need for a close friendship...Zhao Duan thought to himself.
I originally wanted to simply test the waters of this princess from the Western Regions, but by some strange coincidence, we actually became close friends regardless of age difference.
What should I do next? I should think of a way to bring the topic back to the real business, so that I can use this identity to indirectly find out the other party's intention of coming to the capital...
Zhao Duan is thinking about his next plan.
Princess Wenzhu sighed softly and said with deep emotion:
"After several years, I returned to the capital again. I heard and saw many cunning and powerful people in the court, as well as sly and arrogant people... Especially that Zhao Duan, who is from a small family like you, no, even more humble than you, but is a traitor who bullies the superiors and flatters the inferiors, and is vicious and despicable. He has risen to the top and enjoys a high position in the court...
"And a man like you, Master Lin, who is kind-hearted, courageous and resourceful, is not well-known. I am really sad to see this. If it were not for my special status, I would really like to introduce you to His Majesty. If His Majesty really wants a good match, wouldn't you be a million times better than Zhao Duan?"
Zhao Duan:? ?
No, auntie...are you serious? You can't say anything careless.
(End of this chapter)