Chapter 403: Second time in the same room

Chapter 403: Second time in the same room

Chapter 403: Second time in the same room (6k)

We meet again...We meet again...

In the room, as Zhao Duan said this with a smile, Princess Wenzhu's head buzzed, and countless shocked emotions suddenly exploded in her heart.

She opened her mouth slightly, widened her eyes, and stammered, "You... Link... it's you..."

Zhao Duan nodded, appearing exceptionally calm.

Well, although it was beyond his expectation that his identity would be revealed at this critical moment, he didn't think that this vest could be hidden for long...

Tsk, but why at this time? Could it be that Zhenbao had already investigated it and made deliberate arrangements?

Princess Wenzhu had no idea that he was making random guesses in his mind, and the face of this "Saint Mother" from the Western Regions showed great confusion.

The Master Lin whom he admired so much and even wanted to recommend to his niece as a concubine was actually the Zhao Duan in front of him... How could it be possible? The two people were clearly completely different.

At this moment, she even suspected that the empress had attributed Mr. Lin's identity to Zhao Duan, but she knew it was unreliable after thinking about it carefully.

"It's a disguise." Zhao Duan calmly explained before the other party asked, "I'm sorry, I used a disguise charm to meet Her Royal Highness the Princess under a false identity."

Princess Wenzhu looked at him blankly, then suddenly turned her head and stared at the empress:

"Did your majesty arrange this?"

Xu Zhenguan pursed his lips and shook his head calmly:

"Aunt, do you think it is necessary for me to play this kind of trick?"

Then, she gave Zhao Duan a meaningful look, which roughly meant:

We need an explanation.

"..." Zhao Duan took a deep breath and suddenly felt a chill on his back. He hurriedly explained:

"This was a complete accident. I did go to the East City Charity Hall to deliver winter clothes that day, and I did happen to meet Her Royal Highness the Princess. I just thought that my identity was a bit sensitive, so I never revealed my real name."

Charity hall... yes... Princess Wenzhu suddenly remembered the day when Zhao Duan met those orphans in the orphanage. It was a scene that could not be faked.

So... this treacherous minister had indeed been disguising himself as "Link" for a long time and going to East City to make donations... It was purely a coincidence that I ran into him.

Zhao Duan said helplessly:

"Although it is indeed a coincidence, it is indeed true. Moreover, if we talk about coincidence... isn't it also a great coincidence that the princess took me to Huangting Lane?"

Princess Wenzhu was convinced.

only……

Still hard to believe!

Seeing her fall into silence, Zhao Duan seemed to have misunderstood her meaning and said with a smile:

"After the chess game that day, I disappeared and never showed up again because I didn't want the Western Buddhist sect to misunderstand that you, Princess, had brought me there on purpose. Well, I also think that the fact that I am Link should be limited to a few people. There is no need to make it known to everyone."

The words were a little obscure, but Princess Wenzhu understood them.

Then she suddenly woke up from her trance and realized the trouble with the matter.

If the news that Zhao Duan was the chess player who defeated Dan Che was made public, then her action of taking Zhao Duan to Huangting Lane that day would almost certainly be considered intentional by the Western Buddhist sect.

First move is chess, then move on to debate... like a TV series...

Who would believe it if it was just a coincidence? She didn't believe it either...

Once the Buddhist sect in the Western Regions becomes suspicious and hostile to Wenzhu, her own status and that of the Royal Court Tribe in the Western Regions will decline - the Western Region Dharma King is absolutely capable of depriving her of her current power.

Zhao Duan took the initiative to speak at this time, saying that he would hide his identity. It seemed that he was trying to show goodwill, indicating that he did not want to implicate Wenzhu and take the blame.

But isn’t it also a threat?
If Wenzhu is disloyal and has no sincerity in the trade with Yu State next year, Zhao Duan only needs to reveal his identity and the King of France will suppress Wenzhu.

Zhao Duan had not thought of this before, but when he realized this, he immediately realized that he could use this "accident" to put pressure on Wenzhu.

- Solve the trade problem next year that the Empress was worried about not long ago.

As long as Princess Wenzhu is willing to do her best and mediate, even if the Red Sect Master is very angry, the impact of the failure of the debate on next year's trade can be minimized...

All these thoughts happened in an instant, which even surprised Zhao Duan himself.

Unexpectedly, what was initially just an unintentional act of pretending to test the waters would, due to a series of coincidences, become a sharp weapon hanging over Wenzhu's head.

When Princess Wenzhu realized this logic, she was both angry and shocked.

Shocked by...

She seemed to have made a wrong judgment from the very beginning.

According to the rumor, the notorious Zhao Duan was not the gilded male favorite as he had guessed, but a truly evil person.

At the very least, she had witnessed the chess game that was worthy of being recorded in history with her own eyes. Thus, the baptism by the gods after the debate had a reasonable explanation. The achievements of this person recorded in the materials were also likely to be true.

Is there such a strange man in the world?
Yes, given the pride of my niece, if it wasn't for this kind of man, how could she be attracted to him just because of his handsome appearance? And be so intimate with him?
Wenzhu smiled bitterly.

It turned out that it was all just her aunt's wishful thinking.

"So...that's how it is." She sighed softly and put down the letter in her hand.

As her heart knot was untied, she suddenly felt bored. She slowly stood up, looked at the fairy couple opposite her with some envy, and smiled:
"I'm full, so I'll take my leave now."

Xu Zhenguan stood up and said, "Aunt, take care."

Princess Wenzhu turned around, dragging her long skirt, and walked a few steps outside. When she was about to step out of the door, she suddenly turned back and blinked:

"By the way, your Majesty seemed to have just said that you wanted to give Master Lin to me and take him back to the Western Regions?"

"..." Xu Zhenguan was stunned. His first thought was to deny it, but then he thought of the emperor's words, and he felt a little embarrassed.

"Pfft." Seeing her like this, Princess Wenzhu suddenly smiled brightly, and her whole person returned to the appearance of an elder, and joked:
"It's just a joke. Can an aunt compete with a niece for a man?"

No... Even if you are old, the Western Region has a liberal culture and you can't say anything careless, old lady... Zhao Duan complained in his heart.

After Princess Wenzhu said this, she walked out of the yard and went straight out of the bedroom.

"Princess!"

The tall female warrior was guarding outside the palace. When she saw the long-awaited princess coming back, she couldn't help but step forward.

Princess Wenzhu said calmly, "Go back."

Then, this unfortunate woman who married far away to the Western Regions after she became an adult, looked back at the red walls and black tiles, with a bit of envy and a bit of self-pity in her eyes.

Maybe Zhenguan was right, I am very different from her.

……

Inside the palace wall, in the dining hall.

After watching "Aunt" leave, the servants also retreated tacitly. The sunlight passed by the threshold and illuminated the corners of the two people's clothes.

"Zhao Qing." The empress suddenly looked at the courtyard and said softly.

"The minister is here."

"You are very powerful. Your chess playing is so shocking. Tell me, what kind of monster are you?" Xu Zhenguan tilted his head and stared at him dimly.

Zhao Duan kept his head down and acted honestly:

"It was just my luck."

It was just a moment of luck... Xu Zhenguan snorted and didn't bother with him on Go. But he was still a little surprised.

Although she had suspected whether "Mr. Lin" was Zhao Duan as early as the day the chess game was leaked, her suspicion was groundless and she was not sure at all, otherwise she would not have blurted out the angry words of sending Link to her aunt...

But if the guess comes true... is the person chosen by the ancestor dragon soul so evil?
"Tell me, why did you disguise yourself to get close to Wenzhu? Don't use coincidence as a pretext to fool me."

Xu Zhenguan narrowed his eyes into a line and spoke in a dangerous tone.

She felt that this man was not honest. He was either favored by Prajna or was close to Wenzhu. He seemed to have a stepmother at home... Wait, so this guy would not like older people...

Zhao Duan felt very wronged and hurriedly explained with an oath that he just noticed that Wenzhu was investigating him, so he went to find out the enemy's situation. He tried his best to persuade Zhenbao to stop pursuing the matter.

"Your Majesty, let's continue eating, the food will get cold soon." Zhao Duan walked back to the stool and sat down attentively.

Xu Zhenguan glared at him and said, "Sit aside! Are you addicted to acting?"

Zhao Duan recalled the brief touch when his right hand moved down from the waistline. He wanted to nod and say "yes", but his instinct for survival made him silently move the chair away.

Xu Zhenguan sat down angrily, and the two continued to eat. After they had enough food and wine, she wiped her mouth and said lightly:
"To avoid trouble from those monks, you should go home tomorrow."

Zhao Duan was stunned: "Where will I sleep at night?"

Xu Zhenguan hesitated and said calmly:

"My aunt lives in the palace and has not left yet. The play is played out in full. You sleep in the warm hall tonight."

After saying this, she got up and left.

Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment before he suddenly came to his senses - so, just like last time, she allowed him to sleep in the same room with her?

……

……

That afternoon, the story that happened at the debate went viral in the capital, causing a huge uproar.

Zhao Duan stayed in the palace, wandering around in the garden for several hours with nothing to do. He wanted to take a nap, but he was so energetic that he couldn't fall asleep.

He simply ran to the Martial Arts Hall to chat with Eunuch Hai, and boasted about his wonderful operations in the morning, especially the baptism of the Buddha. Eunuch Hai was stunned and amazed.

The empress finally made it to the night. After finishing her official duties for the day, she returned to her bedroom and saw Zhao Duan already waiting at the gate of the courtyard.

When I entered the empress's room again, it was already dark outside.

Tonight the moon is high in the sky, the starry sky is clear, and the little snow remaining in the courtyard reflects the bright light under the moonlight. A few thin clouds pass by the sky. The ancient night sky is so beautiful that it seems that the cold wind in winter has become gentle.

The lights in the warm hall had already been lit, and the candles were emitting bright light.

"boom."

The empress took off her thicker outer clothes and wore only a thin long skirt. Her long hair was lazily scattered and she was barefoot. She held a new quilt and walked through the curtain that separated the warm hall and the bedroom, throwing the bedding on the floor of the "living room".

"You sleep here tonight and behave yourself. If you act recklessly like last time, I will throw you outside in the snow to sleep."

Xu Zhenguan said with a look of disgust.

What she was referring to was the last time Zhao Duan allowed the soul of a bewitched immortal to lose his mind and be dominated by desire.

No... I was the one who got beaten up last time... You're still disgusted with me... Besides, can you blame me for that? After all, there's an old saying: "Big-headed son, small-headed father." It's only natural for a son to listen to his father...

Zhao Duan curled his lips secretly and agreed readily.

The empress turned around gracefully and walked into the bedroom next door with her waist twisted.

He let out a light breath, carefully took off his outer robe, and placed it neatly on the Arhat bed.

When only her inner clothes were left, she secretly glanced at the blurry figure lying on the bed on the other side of the curtain, then she opened the quilt and got into bed.

Because of the floor heating, even if I sleep on the floor of the living room, I don’t feel cold in the bedding, but instead it gradually becomes warmer.

The night was long. One slept on the bed in the inner room, and the other slept on the floor in the outer room.

Zhao Duan stared wide-eyed, tossing and turning, sighing softly, thinking about the boring nightlife in ancient times, where there were no cell phones, and it was really fucking hard to not be able to sleep...

"Why are you sighing? Don't you want to sleep?" Xu Zhenguan's voice came from the other side of the curtain.

Zhao Duan looked at the ceiling innocently and said aggrievedly:
"It's not that I don't want to sleep, but I'm full of energy and don't feel sleepy at all."

Xu Zhenguan lay in the light gauze curtain, frowning, thinking that this guy was not serious again, then he thought of something, his brows relaxed, and said comfortingly:

"It must be because of the Buddha's baptism. There is no need to panic."

Zhao Duan asked curiously, "Your Majesty, what is the baptism all about?"

The whole day was a mess, and I only thought about this when it was late at night and everyone was asleep.

Xu Zhenguan patiently explained:
"It's a good thing. I remember that a blue lotus appeared between your eyebrows when you were baptized. Now there should be a blue lotus planted in your sea of ​​consciousness. The Buddha holds wisdom, and this blue lotus will nourish your soul, giving you an endless supply of energy... You can't sleep right now because you can't adapt. It will be fine after a few days.

With this blue lotus, even if you get hurt in the future, you will heal faster than others... Not only that, if you are really intelligent, you may be able to learn Buddhist techniques from the blue lotus mark...

However, its true benefits will probably only be realized after you step into the secular realm. I don’t know the specifics, I just saw a vague description in the book.”

Buddhist magic?

Yes... Old Xu's "Way to the God of War" is to practice both martial arts and martial arts, but it doesn't say that I can only learn the techniques from the stone tablet left by Old Xu... The spiritual flame that I learned from Pei Niannu is considered external... right?

Then there seems to be nothing wrong with secretly learning some Buddhist knowledge...

Well, so I have learned things from the royal family, Buddhism, and even the Qingshan inheritance... I also learned some martial arts from Chai Keqiao... but I didn’t learn anything from the Tianshi Mansion.

Bah, Lao Zhang is so stingy, Lao Baichao is so weird, he doesn't teach me anything...

Zhao Duan silently despised Lao Zhang, but said:

"Then I will strive to reach the world realm next year."

Xu Zhenguan, who was lying on the bed, was stunned by his sudden firm tone. He wanted to say that there was no time to rush, but suddenly came to his senses... This guy, he didn't think that after entering the worldly realm, he had met the minimum requirements for dual cultivation with him...

In the dark winter night, Xu Zhenguan's cheeks inexplicably turned red, accompanied by anger.

But Zhao Duan didn't say it clearly, so she could only guess and it was even more difficult for her to speak up.

But something occurred to him, and he said softly:

"Next year, I will also try to sprint to the true heavenly realm."

Zhao Duan was stunned and suddenly became anxious, thinking that it wouldn’t be that bad. If you break through, doesn’t it mean that even if I become a mortal, there is still a great realm between us, and if you force dual cultivation, you will still squeeze me into dregs?
It's not like that, it's like a carrot in front of a donkey that can never be eaten, right?

He sat up and looked across the curtain, but heard the empress continue to say:

“When the imperial treasury recovers and the new policy gradually takes shape, my uncles and the rebels of the Kuangfu Society will not sit idly by and wait for death. They will definitely take action in advance.

I have a feeling that if I cannot advance to the true Heavenly Man Realm as soon as possible, there will be a great crisis... Let alone other things, the Mysterious Seal of the Shenlong Temple makes me very uneasy. "

Old Monk Xuanyin?
Yes... this guy is weird. If we say that Taoist Priest Lao Zhang can still communicate, then this apparently strongest person in Buddhism seems to have really become a human Buddha.

He has been hiding in the temple for many years, and has let Bian Ji walk outside instead. It is clear that he has the ambition to unify Buddhism by merging the East and the West, but he has almost let the various forces in Shenlong Temple compete and entangle...

I feel it's so confusing.

"Your Majesty, are you worried that the old bald man will cause trouble?" Zhao Duan asked softly.

Xu Zhenguan said:
"It's hard to say. I can't see through Xuan Yin. But even if he doesn't do anything, I must enter the heavenly realm as soon as possible. Next year, three years after I ascend the throne, the dragon energy will be stable. Then I can leave the capital and try to perform Fengshan. If it succeeds, it will be a permanent solution. If it fails..."

Fengshan? Does this thing exist in this world?

No, isn't this just a reputation thing? Could it be related to the advancement of cultivation? Zhao Duan was puzzled.

But it was obvious that Zhenbao didn't want to say more, so he changed the subject after a few words:
"The New Year is approaching. Have you thought about how to deal with Zhuang Xiaocheng next year? Oh, you postponed this matter due to illness this time, but if you don't take any action after the New Year, even if I don't say anything, some people in the court will come out to make a fuss."

These "certain people" naturally refer to the faction of Prime Minister Li Yanfu.

The feud between Zhao Duan and Li Yanfu has only come to a temporary end, but it is far from over. Once Li Yanfu has dealt with the problems within the Li Party, there will be a battle between him and Zhao Duan sooner or later.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. Since I let Zhuang Xiaocheng go, I will definitely catch him back."

Zhao Duan said firmly, then lay down again and said with a wry smile:
"But what I'm concerned about right now is the Duke who will be returning to the capital for the New Year. I heard that not only will the Duke of Zhenguo come back for the New Year, but the other Dukes guarding the border and the generals will also return to the capital to report on their duties?"

It was a tradition of the State of Yu for the border army generals to return to the capital at the end of the year.

There are factors of returning home to reunite with family and celebrate the holidays, as well as the need to report to the emperor on the border troops' affairs over the past year.

As for why it is the end of the year in deep winter, it is easy to understand:

During the cold winter, the border is the most stable and it is impossible for any large-scale war to break out. At this time, the generals guarding the border can be called back and there is no need to worry too much about problems at the border.

Xu Zhenguan said "hmm" softly.

Zhao Duan heard the hidden worry in Zhenbao's tone, and he suddenly said:

"General Zhao Shixiong will also come back, right?"

Last time, Xue Shence told him that Zhao Shixiong, who was guarding the border in the southwest, was flirting with King Mu.

Xu Zhenguan was silent for a little longer this time, and then said, "You should come back."

Zhao Duan also fell silent.

"It's late at night, go to sleep." The empress suddenly said, "You can try to contemplate the Six Chapters Sutra more to consume the excess energy, and then you can fall asleep."

"it is good."

Zhao Duan blew out the candle in the warm hall, and the room suddenly fell into darkness, with only moonlight pouring in through the window paper.

A man and a woman ended their conversation and tried to fall asleep.

However, this time, it was Xu Zhenguan's turn to be unable to sleep...

I was in a daze and didn't know how much time had passed, maybe an hour, or two.

The empress on the bed suddenly felt a bloating in her bladder and woke up with the urge to urinate...

Well, cultivators in the secular realm are not gods. They still need to eat, drink, defecate and urinate every day. Fairies also need to get up at night.

There was even a chamber pot under her bed in the bedroom, and she would just use it when she got up at night.

But today is a bit inconvenient.

Xu Zhenguan turned over, and his hand that was subconsciously reaching for the chamber pot suddenly stopped, his eyes staring straight at someone lying in the warm room across the curtain.

The slight sleepiness disappeared immediately.

In the darkness, her little eyebrows slowly frowned.

"……trouble……"

Force herself to hold it in? It didn't seem easy... But even if there was a curtain between them, she couldn't take off her panties and pee. Just thinking about it was impossible.

"Hello...are you asleep?" Xu Zhenguan hesitated and called softly.

She wanted Zhao Duan to go out for a while and come back in after she was done with the matter.

There was no response. Only the man's even and steady breathing could be heard in the warm hall.

"Are you really asleep?"

Xu Zhenguan's face wrinkled, and he suddenly felt a little regretful for telling this guy how to fall asleep.

It's like tying yourself up in a cocoon.

Of course, as the emperor, she could wake him up rudely, but she hesitated and ultimately did not do so.

I finally fell asleep... Let's not wake him up...

Take the opportunity to pee? No!
Even if we ignore the hissing noise issue and even if we set up a soundproof barrier, this is still unacceptable.

So, it seems that I can only go out by myself... Going out in the middle of winter at night is not a good experience, even if the empress is not afraid of the cold with her cultivation.

"Oh." With a soft sigh, Xu Zhenguan reluctantly pulled his legs out of the quilt, exposing his crystal white feet to the air.

He stood up, quietly opened the curtain and entered the warm hall.

A pair of bright black phoenix eyes looked down at Zhao Duan, who was sleeping soundly on the ground with his head tilted back and eyes closed. She looked at him for a long time, and after making sure that this guy was indeed asleep, she stepped lightly on the carpet, walked past him and went to the door.

He casually put on a pair of shoes, pushed the door open, walked out of the room, and went to the toilet not far away.

Zhao Duan was the only one left in the room.

However, what the empress did not know was that Zhao, who seemed to be asleep at the moment, had experienced several visualizations and after Pei Niannu once again opened his skull and threw the "Six Chapter Sutra" at him, his consciousness became vague and wandered in the sea of ​​​​consciousness, and a green lotus appeared in front of him.

"Blue Lotus? Is this the one bestowed by the Buddha? How come I can see it..."

Zhao Duan was in a daze and his thoughts were not clear.

His soul floated in a daze above his own sea of ​​consciousness, and subconsciously approached the green lotus that was gently swaying in his sea of ​​consciousness, which was completely green and emitting a bright green light.

And then the next second.

With a loud "boom", Zhao Duan felt his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly expand. In an instant, his soul power, which had already exceeded the normal range of the "Shen Zhang Realm", spread wildly.

With the center between the eyebrows, it quickly spreads to the surrounding areas of reality.

He did not wake up, but he clearly "saw" every furnishing and every detail in the empress's bedroom, and saw the "empty" bed on the bed next to him.

Then, the soul power continued to spread out of the room and spread towards the night.

……

Update first, then typesetting

(End of this chapter)