Chapter 455 The Prince Arrives
Chapter 455 The Prince Arrives (5k)
The wind blew across the white paper lanterns hanging in the mourning hall.
At this moment, the light in the courtyard dimmed along with the word "gift".
A gift is naturally meant to celebrate and congratulate, but giving it to a family who is holding a funeral, isn't it saying, "Good death!"
"Zhao Duan! You are going too far!" A person in charge of the third branch of the Shen family suddenly yelled in anger in the crowd, pointing his finger at him, shaking with anger.
"How dare you, little boy..." An elderly man from the tribe had his beard trembling.
"You are not welcome here!" someone else echoed loudly.
As the head of a powerful family, the Shen family was a local tyrant, but they still had a fear and awe of the rising famous Zhao Shaobao.
But Zhao Duan pointed at their noses and scolded them, which immediately made these people with strong sense of clan honor and disgrace extremely angry.
The old lady with a stern and harsh face and gray eyes also looked gloomy. She pounded the ground with the dragon-headed cane in her hand, making a "da" sound, and the tribesmen who were cursing shut up at the same time.
Then the old man who was almost like an "Empress Dowager" said in a deep voice:
"Zhao Shaobao, has my Shen family ever offended you?"
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"Why do you ask when you already know the answer? Yesterday, I asked the Governor to send a letter to invite the Shen family to come and meet me. I waited all night but didn't see anyone. Today, I came to the door in person and sent a servant to stop me. Do you think this is an offense?"
The old lady's expression remained unchanged. She turned to her eldest son beside her and asked, "Is this true?"
The nominal clan leader also pretended to be confused, called the servants to ask in a low voice for a while, then walked back and said:
"Reporting to mother, the concierge did receive a letter yesterday, but because it was late, he did not present it. As for the butler's obstruction, it was just following the rules."
"Haha, what a good rule," the secretary Qian Kerou assisted again:
"What is the status of my master? To enter the palace to meet the saint, you only need to inform him. Your Shen family is more prestigious than the palace."
Hey, Xiaorou, you’re quite aggressive today, give us more credit... Zhao Duan nodded in appreciation.
When Old Lady Shen heard this, she also frowned and said coldly:
"Where is the butler?"
"Dead." Zhao Wuji, who was standing on the edge of the crowd holding a crescent-shaped sword, spoke.
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"My subordinates were a little rough in their work and accidentally caused a death. I don't think the old lady will mind."
"...I am ignorant of etiquette and have acted beyond the rules. I will not blame you for cleaning up the mess for me, Zhao Shaobao." The old lady showed no anger and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner:
"Where is the porter who received the letter but did not present it? Bring him here."
"Yes."
Soon, a servant was brought over, knelt on the ground with a thud, and begged for mercy loudly.
The old lady didn't even look at him and said, "You didn't do your job well. Break your legs and throw you out of the house as a punishment."
"Yes!"
A security guard at the house swung up a stick and hit him.
"Wait a moment……"
Zhao Duan raised his hand and wanted to stop him, but he heard a "crack" and the servant's legs were broken. He screamed and fainted.
He was carried away swiftly, as if the move had been rehearsed before.
Or similar things have happened countless times in the big family, and everyone is used to it.
The old lady suddenly smiled and said:
"I'm sure Shaobao Zhao won't mind if I punish my servant. Are you satisfied with this punishment?"
Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes and looked at the frail, old, silver-haired old lady with a much more serious look.
After a moment, he laughed heartily:
"Since the old lady has expressed her opinion, it would be my fault if I pursue this matter further."
The old lady looked calm and composed, and suddenly said:
"Now that this matter has been exposed, I still have something else to ask for your help."
"Oh? You want my help?" Zhao Duan showed a strange expression: "I'd like to hear more details."
The old lady had a sad look in her eyes, and pointed her dragon-headed cane at the dark coffin in the mourning hall:
"My grandson went to Beijing for a trip last year and has been ill ever since he returned home. A famous doctor diagnosed him and found that he was attacked by a martial arts master who poisoned him with a cold. Calculating the date, he was attacked in Beijing.
Unfortunately, my Shen family is based in Jianning Prefecture, and we don't know much about the capital, so I would like to ask Envoy Zhao to help find out what kind of vicious person is it that ruined my grandson's life?"
Zhao Duan was "shocked":
"Is this true? Oh my, as the chief of the Imperial Court, I should protect the people of the capital. I failed in my duty. Could it be the work of the rebels?"
Then, without waiting for the Shen family to react, he suddenly slapped his head, as if remembering something, and turned to look at the worshiper Song Jinxi behind him:
"Come to think of it, what is this cold poison?"
Song Jinxi understood and explained with a smile:
“Your Excellency doesn’t know that this cold poison cannot be controlled by ordinary warriors, and one must practice a special type of Yin-Cold Palm Technique.
However, the bridge that cut off a person's life did not kill him on the spot, but he crossed several states alive and fell ill when he returned home. To be able to grasp the timing of the disease so precisely, without a single mistake, he must be an expert in assassination, and only someone above the God level can do it."
Zhao Duan asked curiously, "Who in the capital can do this?"
Song Jinxi said seriously:
"Although there are many hidden talents in the capital, I can think of only one person who is capable of doing this."
"Who?"
"It's me." The young eunuch pointed at himself and smiled.
Zhao Duan uttered "Ah" and looked at the old lady helplessly:
"Unfortunately, I can't do anything to help. It seems that this killer is indeed hiding quite deeply."
No one present is stupid.
The two of them sang in unison, performing almost a double act, and almost slapped the answer "The person who killed your grandson is right in front of you" in the Shen family's faces.
The hand of Old Lady Shen holding the dragon-head cane turned white due to the force, and the blood rushed up, and her body swayed slightly. She hurriedly asked Miss Hong, the big maid beside her, to support her:
"Old lady... calm down."
All the members of the Shen family blushed and stared at Zhao Duan and Song Jinxi with murderous eyes.
insult!
ridicule!
provocative!
The Shen family has been standing in Jianning for nearly three hundred years, how noble is it? It is a bit exaggerated to say that they have lived as long as the country, but they are also a very respectable and respected existence.
How many years has it been since anyone dared to be so cruel and put their face in front of others?
If Zhao Duan wasn't surrounded by many experts and his identity was not too sensitive, they would have taken action long ago.
"I'm fine...it's fine..."
The old lady was so angry that her eyes went dark. She took two breaths and finally stood firm again. She glanced at Song Jinxi with cold eyes, and then looked at Zhao who was concerned:
"Since it is difficult to find, then... I will not bother you with the trouble. Today... I am not feeling well, and I am not able to entertain you well. You have seen me, and I have given you gifts, so it is time..."
She is still holding the situation together.
Zhao Duan said seriously, "Is that so? I am sorry for disturbing you. I will leave after I finish my business."
Business? What else do you have to do?
Zhao Duan sighed and said with great sorrow:
"Yesterday, when I entered the city, I ran into He Xiaolou from the Cao Gang..."
He briefly mentioned the kidnapping of the Governor's family, and then changed the subject:
"Then He Xiaolou confessed that the person behind the kidnapping was the head of the Shen family!"
He raised his hand and pointed at the middle-aged man in mourning clothes with a look of surprise on his face.
He said in a deep voice: "Therefore, I came here today to ask Master Shen and I to go back to the yamen to investigate thoroughly!
Alas, I was concerned about the reputation of the Shen family and didn't want to come to your house to arrest someone, but I gave you a chance last night, but the head of the Shen family didn't seize it...
Kidnapping and threatening a second-rank official of the imperial court, this is a serious crime punishable by confiscation of property and beheading. As an envoy appointed by the emperor, how can I condone it? Come on, take the head of the Shen family with you!"
The people in Lihua Hall and Wugong Hall were ready to capture the person.
This turn of events caught the Shen family off guard and gave them a strong sense of absurdity.
"and many more!"
The old lady stepped forward excitedly, standing in front of her eldest son, and said in disbelief:
"Zhao Shaobao! Don't go too far! What does Governor Ning's family have to do with my Shen family? Who is my Shen family? Why would we associate with a bunch of Cao Gang hooligans?"
At this moment, she even suspected that Zhao Duan was the one who directed and acted out the incident himself and found an excuse to frame her.
But something feels wrong...
Zhao Duan said coldly: "Whether it is related or not, we will know after the trial. Does the old lady want to openly resist the law?"
After a pause, he stepped forward, walked in front of the old man, smiled, bowed his head, and placed the end of the dragon-headed cane against his forehead with two fingers.
At a close distance, he looked into the old lady's gray and turbid eyes with a smile and chuckled:
"Or, could you try to use the cane bestowed by the late emperor to beat me, a treacherous minister? Maybe you can stop me."
The old lady held the cane in both hands and said in a trembling voice:
"Do you really think that I dare not hit you?"
Zhao Duan's smile grew wider: "I'll take it, come on."
The old lady was shaking with anger, but the cane in her hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
Just at this moment, a voice suddenly came from the direction of the gate: "His Royal Highness Prince Jing has arrived!" The shout broke the tense atmosphere.
Xu Jinglong is here?
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, turned around and looked back, and saw a young man wearing gorgeous clothes, with a falcon on his shoulder, followed by a large number of servants. He looked about 60% similar to Prince Jing, walking towards him arrogantly.
Old acquaintance.
The "loser" who disregards ethics and covets Zhenbao's body, Prince Jing!
"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
The Shen family members were the first to react and spoke up.
Xu Jinglong strode over, full of confidence and with a smile on his face:
"No need to be polite. This prince has come here today to pay tribute to Brother Shen and to visit the old lady on behalf of my father... It seems that I have come at an unfortunate time. Oh, isn't this Lord Xiao Zhao? When did you come to Jianning Mansion? This prince didn't even know."
Bah... You don't know, I ate the coffin in the mourning hall... Zhao Duan complained in his heart and said sarcastically:
"Since we parted at the lake pavilion, I have missed you dearly. But why are you here to pay your respects empty-handed? I have even bought a gift."
Xu Jinglong's smile froze.
Of course, he did not come here by chance, but had been keeping an eye on Zhao Duan since yesterday.
As a result, early in the morning, when he learned that Zhao Duan had left the city, he hurriedly took people to chase him. How could he have time to buy things?
However, Xu Jinglong reacted quickly and said unhappily:
"This prince and Brother Shen were good friends when they were alive. We had a deep friendship. Wouldn't it be a violation of this friendship if we gave gifts? Wait, what's the gift you sent?"
He's kind of down.
"Yes, what else?" Zhao Duan said confidently.
Xu Jinglong: "No..."
"It's just in time that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived," the old lady coughed a few times and interrupted the two of them. The old woman had a sad face and immediately told them about Zhao Duan's arrest.
Xu Jinglong was "horrified" and said unhappily:
"Lord Zhao, what you did is wrong, right? How many nobles have come from the Shen family throughout the generations? What a prestigious family! How can you slander them with just a few words from a Cao Gang scoundrel? Even if you want to investigate, you should have solid evidence before arresting them. How can you arrest people based on testimony alone?"
Zhao Duan looked at the loser for a moment, then suddenly walked a little closer:
"What does the prince mean?"
Xu Jinglong was not afraid: "Please go back, Lord Zhao. I am here and will not let you take anyone away."
A strange smile appeared on Zhao Duan's lips:
"What if I insist on taking it? Can you stop me? With your defeated general? Or is Broken Water Flow hiding somewhere around here?"
Xu Jinglong's expression changed slightly: "This is Jiancheng Road, not the capital."
"Last time, you said something similar. Don't you remember it, Prince?" Zhao Duan moved closer.
Xu Jinglong subconsciously took a step back, and then realized that he was showing his weakness. He was annoyed and simply stepped in front of the Shen family, sneering:
"Lord Zhao is so powerful. Well, if you want to arrest someone, it would be best if you take this prince along with you."
Zhao Duan's eyes flickered, and he was about to speak when suddenly another voice came from outside the door:
"The Governor of the Grand Canal has arrived!"
On the outskirts of the crowd, Ning Zechen, who had hurriedly put on his official robe and arrived on horseback with several personal followers, walked in breathlessly.
Seeing the three parties confronting each other in the mourning hall, my scalp couldn't help but tingle.
"Governor Ning? How come you have time to come here?" Zhao Duan smiled.
Don’t you have any idea why I came here... Ning Zechen didn’t want to talk.
He was alone in Jianning Prefecture like a nail, and the reason he could stand firm and continue to promote the new policies was all thanks to his courage and flexible response.
As a "pragmatic and capable minister", Governor Ning does not have the so-called integrity of the great scholars in the court, but he does not mind "going with the flow" and making appropriate concessions in order to achieve his goals when appropriate.
Only those useless and empty talkers would naively believe that local problems can be solved as long as the military force is strong enough or there is a righteous cause.
Only those who are practical understand the correct way to deal with complex situations.
"Governor Ning has arrived just in time," Xu Jinglong said with a smile on his face.
"Lord Zhao said that your wife and daughter were kidnapped by He Xiaolou of the Cao Gang, and he also said that the Shen family was the mastermind. Is this true?"
Ning Zechen was silent for a moment, then said:
"It has not been investigated yet, there may be doubts about the Shen family."
The old lady narrowed her eyes and said:
"So, the Governor is here to arrest my son and interrogate him in prison as well?"
Ning Zechen shook his head and said, "We haven't investigated it yet, so we should be cautious and not arrest people randomly."
After saying this, he turned around and bowed to Zhao Duan, apologetically saying:
"When the envoy first arrived at Jianning Mansion yesterday, he learned that my wife and daughter were suffering. He was indignant and wanted to inquire with the head of the Shen family out of impartiality. It was out of impartiality, but there may be misunderstandings... This is the second young master's funeral hall after all, so I hope the envoy will give Ning some face..."
Qian Kerou was unhappy: "You are an ungrateful person. My master..."
"Xiaorou."
Zhao Duan interrupted her, smiled, looked around at the Shen family and the people in Prince Jing's Mansion, and said:
"Since the Governor has pleaded for mercy, we will let it go for now. However... since this is an important case, Governor Ning may not want to investigate further because he knows the general situation and is concerned about the overall situation. But I will continue to investigate. During this period, I hope that Master Shen will not leave Jianning Mansion and be available for summons at any time."
After a pause, he suddenly walked in front of Xu Jinglong. The two of them were very close. He seemed to be brushing the dust off his shoulders. He put his lips close to the prince's ear and whispered:
"I know that it was Prince Jing's Mansion who gave He Xiaolou the instructions, right?"
Xu Jinglong's eyelids twitched, but he remained calm:
"Lord Zhao's imagination is as amazing as always."
Zhao Duan laughed, turned around and waved: "Let's go!"
Soon after, he led a group of his men away in a mighty manner.
The old lady closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said calmly:
"You guys should go and clean up the house too."
"Yes."
The Shen family left in response, and no one stayed behind.
Seeing this, Xu Jinglong sent his men away and said, "You also go and see Zhao Duan off."
When the old lady and Xu Jinglong and his party were the only ones left outside the mourning hall,
The silver-haired old woman stared at the prince with her gray eyes and said:
"It was Prince Jing's Mansion that did it, right?"
Xu Jinglong was surprised and asked, "Why did the old lady say that?"
The old woman snorted coldly and said faintly:
"In the entire Jianning Prefecture, the only one who can assign He Xiaolou to do this kind of thing is my Shen family and Prince Jing."
Xu Jinglong smiled:
"No matter what the old lady thinks, this matter has nothing to do with the palace. But... in fact, it doesn't matter who did it, right?
Even if this incident had not happened, Zhao Duan would have found another excuse to make a fuss. You should have seen that this person came here with no intention of getting along with us. Either he dies or we die."
The old lady said, "What does the prince want to say?"
Xu Jinglong said seriously:
"My father means that if the Shen family is unable to deal with the thieves Lang Zhao, my Jingwang Mansion can lend a helping hand."
The old lady pondered for a moment, then turned and walked into the mourning hall: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for me. My Shen family can handle this matter on our own."
How can we get the help from Prince Jing's Mansion for free?
Xu Jinglong was not in a hurry and said with a smile:
"That's fine, but the door of the palace is always open to the Shen family. If you need help, just send a message."
After a pause, he added: "That Zhao Duan is not someone who is easy to deal with."
The old lady closed her eyes, facing the coffin and the incense, clasped her hands together, and said calmly, "Don't worry about it, my son."
Humph... the old man won't cry until he sees the coffin... Xu Jinglong shook his head and turned away.
Only the white lanterns fluttering in the mourning hall were left.
……
……
Zhao Duan and his party left the Shen family's house and returned to the city.
The Bodhisattva was squeezed out of the carriage. Governor Ning sat in the carriage, looking at Zhao Duan who was absent-minded with his chin in his hand, and hesitated to speak: "Envoy..."
"Governor Ning, there is no need to say more. I understand that you are also well-intentioned." Zhao Duan waved his hand and didn't care.
"…What are you thinking about, sir?" Ning Zechen asked.
Zhao Duan said faintly:
"I'm wondering when the Shen family will send someone to kill me and how they will kill me."
Ning Zechen was stunned for a moment: "No way, the envoy is a favorite of His Majesty, how dare they..."
Zhao Duan shook his head and looked at the governor with a smile:
"Would you like to make a bet?"
……
Correct typos first and then correct them
(End of this chapter)