Chapter 493: Zhang Family, Firearms, and the Emperor and His Ministers Viewing Paintings by Lampligh

Chapter 493: Zhang Family, Firearms, and the Emperor and His Ministers Viewing Paintings by Lampligh

Chapter 493: Going Home, Firearms, and the Emperor and His Ministers Viewing Paintings by Lamplight (6k)

You haven’t been there…have you?

The old Taoist priest held the bottom of the green porcelain cup with two fingers. His dark pupils in his narrow eyes suddenly glanced at Zhao Duan, as if trying to spy on his true reaction from the subtle expressions on his face.

However, he was disappointed. When Zhao Duan was asked the question unexpectedly, his face showed the clarity and stupidity of a college student.

It seemed to have two big characters written on it:

Confused!
"What? Me?" Zhao Duan raised his right hand suspiciously, twisted his wrist, and pointed his middle finger at himself: "Old Zhang, are you sure you are not kidding me?"

He said unhappily:

"I know you're jealous of my amazing talent, but there's no need to add some non-existent experience to my resume. Speaking of which, why can't you get in? Is it dangerous there?"

Zhang Yan looked at him for a moment, then slowly withdrew his gaze and blew on the porcelain bowl in disappointment:
"It's just a joke. As for why we can't go, it's indeed a bit dangerous... Well, that area is a bit special. The deeper you go, the more the cultivators' cultivation will be suppressed.

Oh, don't look at me like that. The world is so big that there are all kinds of strange things. Not to mention the north, even south of the Yu State, from the Yunfu Road into the territory of the Liao people, through the thick miasma, there is also an isolated and unknown land.

As for the sea and desert in the east and west, even with the cultivation of a celestial being, it is still difficult to explore...

Oh, the power of monks mostly comes from gods, and the more isolated and inaccessible the place is, the less likely the gods can radiate. Naturally, monks will degenerate into mortals like fish out of water.

Only the warriors are stronger, but they can hardly walk very far physically. "

Is that so? No wonder I have never found a "world map" in this world. The maps that exist only cover the Thousand Islands in the East China Sea and the Great Snow Mountains in the Western Regions...

I said it before, if there were no restrictions, there would definitely be strong people in this world who would go out and explore the world...

Zhao Duan secretly wrote down these key information. He had no idea of ​​making a great voyage or hiking through the desert to explore the boundaries of the world.

But the unknown area between the Mubei Forest and south of Yunfu, where the alien "Liao people" lived, aroused his strong interest.

“Heh, but the extraordinary talents you have shown are indeed no worse than those legendary figures who have been to Mubei.

When His Majesty chose you, he must have seen that you are special. So what's so strange about me wanting to take you as my disciple?
Including Xuan Yin... Haha, that bald donkey must have been eyeing you for a long time, but you have to be careful, he probably wants you dead more. "Zhang Yan glanced at him and said in a teasing tone:
"Back then, you actually caused the Buddha to appear in the debate meeting, which was undoubtedly a threat to Xuan Yin who was plotting to replace the Buddha. In contrast, your defeat of Tian Hai did not attract Xuan Yin's attention at all."

Zhao Duan's heart skipped a beat and he looked up at the old Taoist priest.

He met the latter's smiling eyes.

I was "clicked"!
With his intelligence, he could easily hear that Zhang Yan was reminding him to be careful against Xuan Yin.

Yes!

At this moment, Zhao Duan suddenly recalled that in Jianning Mansion, the "God of Law" was hunting him. If Zhenbao had not arrived in time, he would have died.

Combined with the battle in Baihua Village and the pursuit by the Buddhist sect... Zhao Duan was suddenly startled.

He had always thought that Xuan Yin's target was Zhen Bao, and he was implicated only because he worked for Zhen Bao.

But Zhang Yanyi revealed today the story of "Tianshu's destruction of Buddhism" six hundred years ago, and the story of Maya Xingzhi a thousand years ago, and also mentioned the secrets of Mubei Forest...

All of this is "telling" him:

"The one Xuan Yin really wants to kill might be me!? Is that possible? Yes... As a capable minister of the court, I may not be in Xuan Yin's eyes, but I am favored by the Buddha and promoted the event of splitting the Shenlong Temple... and..."

Zhao Duan suddenly remembered that he had met a Red Sect master from the Western Regions in the West and that he was the so-called "incarnation of the Buddha in the human world."

He just felt it was outrageous and strange at the time.

But it is obvious that there are indeed too many "extraordinary" things in me.

In other words, his greatest extraordinary thing is that he traveled through time and space to this world.

As he grew up over the past year, he became a popular figure around the empress, and his many "extraordinary" qualities gradually attracted attention.

Zhang Yanyi's suspicion that he was related to Mubei Forest was evidence.

Thinking deeper...

My own way of practicing "Martial God" has been different from others from the very beginning.

Whether it is the lifelike portrayal of Old Xu, the founder of the Yu State, in the "Picture of the God of War", or the "dragon soul" entering the body under his guidance and recognizing him as the master.

Or in the "Six Chapters Sutra", I was the only one who unlocked the hidden level character "Pei Niannu"...

All of this is filled with mystery, and combined with the "foresight" of the Red Sect wizard... unknowingly, he has grown to the level where he is being watched and speculated by the powerful celestial beings.

"Even if Xuan Yin doesn't necessarily want to kill me, he definitely wants to capture me and study me... just like Lao Zhang's special 'care' for me and his repeated tests... but due to the existence of Zhen Bao and Lao Zhang, Xuan Yin doesn't dare to target me openly..."

Zhao Duan suddenly felt a strong sense of urgency in his heart.

The joy of being promoted to the "world" not long ago is gone.

At the beginning of his time travel, all he wanted was to rely on the court's resources, so that when his cultivation level grew high enough to protect himself, he could leave.

But now, since he is bound to Zhenbao, he no longer thinks of escaping, and regards the "Rebellion of the Eight Kings" as his own business.

And because of his own peculiarities, he was very likely to be on Xuan Yin's "hunting list"...

Zhao Duan was silent. It seemed that there was only one way before him, which was to step into the "Heavenly Man" and have the confidence to fight against Xuan Yin's hunting.

Well, before that, he still needs to cling to his wife Zhenbao's thigh... and resolve the Rebellion of the Eight Kings, otherwise the court will fall and he will lose his backing.

"Haha, after going around in circles, everything has returned to the starting point."

Zhao Duan laughed at himself in his heart, but soon cheered up and became more and more curious about the various "special" things about himself.

"Thank you for the reminder, Master. I will be careful and will not disturb you anymore." Zhao Duan put the "Wordless Golden Sutra" in his arms and thanked Zhang Yan solemnly.

Well, although Lao Zhang also coveted his body, his methods were fair and aboveboard, and he showed favors to Zhao Duan many times. Zhao Duan believed that he had a clear distinction between gratitude and resentment.

Zhang Yanyi was not used to his serious attitude and waved his hand to drive him away:
"Go away, go away. You are pretending to be a decent person."

Zhao Duan said goodbye and left with a grin.

After the people left, Zhang Yanyi suddenly asked, "How was it?"

A blurry face protruded from the lush green crown of the big banyan tree in the courtyard:

"He has none of the smell of the northern forests."

It has nothing to do with Mubei Forest... Zhang Yan frowned, then relaxed, and picked up the heavenly book:

"Let nature take its course...or maybe the time has not come yet. We'll see."

……

……

Walking out of the gate of Tianshi Mansion, Zhao Duan looked back at the building and buried his doubts deep in his heart.

Shaking his head, he cheered himself up and rode home. His conversation with Zhang Yanyi revealed a corner of the fog of the world, but those things were still too far away from him.

Zhao Mansion.

As soon as Zhao Duan entered the alley, the servant guarding the door's eyes lit up, and he turned around and shouted excitedly towards the courtyard:
"The master is back!"

Immediately, the entire Zhao Mansion became noisy and bustling.

The gate of the mansion was wide open, and the servants inside rushed to greet him. They were so joyous that they were almost beating drums and gongs and setting off firecrackers.

"Da Lang (Big Brother)!"

As Zhao Du'an stepped into the mansion, he saw his stepmother and sister, surrounded by servants, almost jogging towards him.

It was midsummer, the weather was hot, and Eugene Hua was wearing a thin dark green dress that dragged on the ground. She looked dignified and gentle. She bit her lips, staring at her stepson who had returned safely, and she almost cried with joy.

He trotted over, holding Zhao Duan's hand with one hand, and raised the other hand to touch his face, his eyes full of concern:

"I got tanned and lost weight."

Next to her, Zhao Pan was wearing a yellow skirt, and looked like a "lady from a noble family", but the eagerness in her eyes showed that she was still the strong-willed girl from a warrior family. She smiled and said:

"Brother is full of energy and vitality. Stay at home for a while and you will be fat and healthy again."

No... I lost weight because my vitality was drained away... Zhao Duan complained in his heart, then smiled and gave the mother and daughter a hug:
"I'm back. My aunt and sister are missing you at home."

Ah, this... The mother and daughter, who were not used to the etiquette of later generations, blushed suddenly. The servants around them lowered their heads tacitly and pretended not to see them - they were accustomed to their master's strange behavior from time to time.

"Da Lang, there are guests in the mansion." Eugene Hua reminded in a low voice with a panicked look in his eyes.

"guest?"

"Yes, it's Chen Gui from the Firearms Bureau of Shenjiying. He came to visit not long ago and said that he learned that you were back and came to visit."

Chen Gui? The technical talent nicknamed "Chen Huoshen" in the army? Zhao Duan's eyes lit up:
"Where is the man?"

……

After a while, Zhao Duan saw Chen Gui in the living room of his home.

The chief craftsman in charge of firearms manufacturing was still thin, with a goatee, and his brows had a hint of arrogance and aloofness that was unique to a "technical talent".

Last year, Zhao Duan was promoted to the position of assistant commander of the Shenji Camp. He set up a plan to connect Chen Huoshen and Gongshu Tianyuan and provided ideas for the design of new firearms.

He developed a new generation of firearms for the State of Yu, and then he ignored it. Now, more than half a year has passed, and Zhao Duan, the deputy commander, has not paid much attention to it.

"Mr. Zhao! I heard that you and His Majesty returned to quell the rebellion, so I took the liberty to come to your residence to pay my respects. Now that I see that you are even more generous, I know that the rumors are true. This is truly a cause for celebration and a blessing for our country of Yu!"

Chen Gui stood up respectfully, all the arrogance of a technician on his face gone, and he made no effort to hide his joy.

For such technical people, even emperors and generals can only show respect at most.

There is only one kind of person who can truly convince them, and that is the "technical god".

When Zhao Duan was at the Tianshi Mansion, he gave lectures to Chen Huoshen and Gongshu Tianyuan. His theories were so profound that they directly impressed Chen Huoshen.

It can be said that in the entire Shenji Camp, the people who respect and recognize Zhao Duan the most are the technical personnel in the Firearms Bureau.

"Haha, it's been a while since we last met. Old Chen, you've finally learned how to flatter me."

Zhao Duan joked with a smile, motioning him to sit down: "Why, Shi Meng didn't come?"

Chen Gui sat down respectfully and said:

"Commander Shi is in charge of the Shenji Camp. He dares not enter the city without orders at this critical moment, so I am here to see you."

Yes, Li Yanfu in the city rebelled, and the two imperial guards in the imperial city rebelled... The generals of the Shenjiying camp really didn't dare to move rashly, otherwise they would be suspected of "rebellion" and they would be finished...

Zhao Duan expressed his understanding:
"I heard that the Qingzhou army is approaching, and the five military camps are deployed to block it. The Shenji Camp has not been mobilized. You came at the right time. Now that the chaos in the city has been settled, Your Majesty has returned in full strength. Next, we should deal with these vassal rebels... How about making firearms?"

Chen Huoshen immediately smiled, his eyebrows dancing with joy, as if he was showing off a treasure:
"Your Excellency, I am here to report this matter. Thanks to the design ideas you gave me, and the help of the priest Gongshu, the Firearms Bureau has overcome difficulties in the past six months and has successfully produced a large number of new firearms.

Now we have enough ammunition, but the only thing missing is that the soldiers are still not used to the new firearms in actual combat..."

Zhao Duan listened to the latter's report quietly, and felt a little surprised.

Previously, a group of ministers in the palace discussed how to quickly pacify the Qingzhou soldiers in one fell swoop to prevent them from retreating back to Qingzhou and causing trouble.

Although the capital is not afraid of foreign enemies now, if the Qingzhou rebels are not dealt with first, King Heng can just stir up trouble from time to time, harass and attack the people outside the capital... destroy farmland, cut off trade routes...

In a city with a population of one million, if people's livelihood is in trouble, no matter how strong Zhenbao's fighting power is, it will not be able to feed a million mouths...

Therefore, the big problem is how to quickly eliminate this group of weaker rebels before King Heng has a chance to escape.

"There has been no war in the capital for many years, so the soldiers naturally lack opportunities for actual combat exercises," Zhao Duan raised the corner of his mouth dangerously:
"But isn't there a good opportunity for actual combat right now?"

"You mean..." Chen Gui was not stupid and pointed to the east.

Zhao Duan smiled and patted his shoulder:

"Go back and tell Shi Meng that the Shenji Battalion is ready to march. But remember, the details of the camp's firearms are strictly prohibited from being leaked, even if the Privy Council asks. If anyone wants to inquire, tell them that I don't allow it."

Can he finally show his power?
Chen Gui's eyes were shining with excitement. As a firearms fanatic, he had been holding back for the past half year and was eager to bring out his new firearm to shock the whole world.

"Yes, I'll do it right away!"

Chen Gui stood up and said goodbye, without staying for even a quarter of an hour.

After seeing off Chen Huoshen, Zhao Duan sat in the hall, silently thinking about his next plan:

"After entering the worldly realm, I should also go to the palace to visualize the third mural of the "God of War". Speaking of which, Zhenbao hesitated about the murals, and it seemed that the subsequent murals were very mysterious.

“In the Shenlong Temple, I severely injured the head of the Arhat Hall with one blow. It may seem glorious, but it was actually a short-term explosion.

“The cultivation level that I’ve gained through “Dual Cultivation” is still too watery. If I want to go one step further and step into the realm of Heaven and Man to counter the Mysterious Seal, I must calm down, lay a solid foundation, and let it settle for a while to squeeze out the water.

"As for the rebellion of the Li Party, I don't need to worry about it. There are people in the court who can do the confiscation of property..."

As Zhao Duan was thinking, he heard the barking of a Pekingese outside the door, and Zhao Pan's call:
"Brother, it's time to eat."

……

After several months, Zhao Duan had a reunion dinner at home and got a short rest.

The dinner was very sumptuous. After Eugene Hua learned of his return at noon, she had ordered the cook to prepare the dishes.

Zhao Duan ate with relish. After the promotion, his appetite increased again. He devoured the entire table of food in no time.

Eugene Hua and Zhao Pan, on the other hand, didn't eat much. They each held a jade bowl and watched him eat with a smile on their faces, their eyes curved into two pairs of crescents.

"After eating and drinking, I have to go to the palace. Don't wait for me."

When Zhao Duan put down his bowl and chopsticks, it was already dusk. He said this, changed his clothes, and went straight to the palace.

After the summer sunset disappears, the sky will remain "bright" for a while. The smoke from cooking fires in the entire capital city gradually becomes intermittent, and the quaint buildings seem to be covered by a huge green tent.

"Da da da……"

Amid the sound of horse hooves, Zhao Duan entered the palace again. Naturally, there was no obstruction along the way. When he entered the door, he found that the garrison at the South Gate had been replaced.

In the Meridian Gate Square, the bodies had been moved and cleaned up, the ground was sprinkled with water, and some palace servants were holding mops and cleaning the bloodstains on the ground again and again in the light of the surrounding torches.

There was still a faint smell of blood in the air.

The entire palace was filled with solemnity.

"Zhao Shaobao."

"Meet Shao Bao."

Along the way, female officials and eunuchs stopped their work and saluted him.

Only important officials like Li Yanfu could enjoy such treatment.

Zhao Duan still remembered that on the first day he traveled through time and space and entered the palace for the first time, he was just like the other palace maids, standing by the road with his head bowed, and watched Prime Minister Li Yanfu leave the palace.

At that time, Li Yanfu didn't even turn his eyes to him.

Now, just over a year later, Li Yanfu was thrown into prison, the entire "Li Party" disappeared, and his hands were covered in blood along the way.

When we arrived at the imperial study, the room was brightly lit.

After ordering someone to pass the message, Zhao Duan soon stepped into the room.

In the brightly lit study, he saw the Queen of Yu State, who was rubbing her wrist slowly. She was wearing a white dress, with long black hair like a waterfall and a fairy-like face.

Xu Zhenguan rubbed his snow-white wrist, put his brush aside, and the table was full of letters he had reviewed. He smiled brightly at him:

"You came."

"Yeah." Zhao Duan walked over, went around the empress's back, put his hands on her shoulders, and kneaded them gently.

Xu Zhenguan did not refuse, happily enjoying the massage from his future husband, and took the initiative to say:

"The chaos caused by the Li Party has been basically settled. The Imperial Prison, the Imperial Prison, the Ministry of Justice Prison, and the Dali Temple Prison are overcrowded... If it were a normal time, such a big earthquake would cause the entire court to be in turmoil. I didn't expect that now that the real fight has started, it is much easier than expected."

Zhao Duan "moved his hands up and down" and said with a smile:
"The situation is different now. Today is different from the past. Now we are facing foreign enemies. As the saying goes, in troubled times, severe punishments are needed. At this critical juncture, no one will make trouble."

Xu Zhenguan hummed comfortably and squinted his eyes like a cat:

"We can take this opportunity to fill the positions vacated by the Li Party with a group of new officials. Now it seems that Li Yanfu's disturbance has helped us. Otherwise, if he had not rebelled, I would not have been able to take action against them for no reason after returning to the capital. Keeping this group of people is a big hidden danger."

Zhao Duan chuckled and said, "Li Yanfu is in prison. If he knew that Your Majesty thanked him, I'm afraid he would vomit blood."

Xu Zhenguan smiled sweetly and changed the subject: "Over at the Shenlong Temple..."

Zhao Duan withdrew his hand and took out the Wordless Golden Sutra from his arms again. He recounted his experience and added some of Zhang Tianshi's analysis.

However, he chose to conceal the fact that Zhang Yanyi had tested his Mubei Forest.

"It is just as Zhang Tianshi said. This wordless golden sutra was left by Maya Xingpin. Since you have been blessed by the Buddha and the monk gave it to you, just take it. Perhaps it will be useful in the future." Xu Zhenguan thought for a moment and gave his advice.

Zhao Duan said "hmm" and put it away. He then tried to find out about the situation in areas outside the Yu State, such as Mubei and the Liao people.

Unfortunately, Xu Zhenguan's reign was very short and sudden, so she was unaware of many secrets that an emperor should know.

"I remember there are some scattered records in the royal library, and the astronomical officials of the past dynasties in the Imperial Observatory also know something... When you have time, you can go and check it out." Xu Zhenguan frowned and said:
“There are too few records of those hidden places, including many records of Tianshu’s destruction of Buddhism as you said. This is a bit abnormal. Logically, there must be many records of such a major event, but it seems to have been erased by the group of people back then.

When I was a child, I read some books and was curious about the history of that time, but I found that even in the royal library, there were only a few records, which were quite vague and lacked details. "

Erased? Why?
Zhao Duan frowned, becoming more and more confused.

Xu Zhenguan comforted him:

"If you care, you can investigate slowly later. There will always be clues left. In comparison, what you care more about now should be the next step of cultivation."

As she spoke, she waved her hand, and a group of female officials outside the imperial study were waiting respectfully, holding small red lanterns.

Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, and looked at the smiling Xu Zhenguan:
"Your Majesty, are you ready? Actually, there is no rush..."

Xu Zhenguan stood up with a smile, raised his hand and pulled him out:

"So many things happened today. I don't think you and I can sleep tonight. Why don't we look at the paintings by candlelight?"

Do you want to see the murals behind the worldly realm?

Zhao Duan's heart started beating uncontrollably.

……

Not long after.

The emperor and his minister each held a red lantern and, served by a large group of palace servants, arrived at the back of the Wugong Hall, deep inside a building called the "Arsenal".

Here, a five-story old building stands in the quiet courtyard.

On each floor, there is a stone tablet, recording the entire inheritance of the "God of War" left by Emperor Taizu of the Yu Kingdom.

The five floors and five paintings correspond to the five major realms of spiritual practice.

When Zhao Duan arrived for the first time, he was a mortal and visualized the "Diagram of the God of War" on the first floor.

When he arrived for the second time, with his divine cultivation, he studied the "Six Chapter Sutra" on the second floor.

Tonight, he will step onto the third floor in the worldly realm and see the third mural.

"Squeak." Zhao Duan followed Xu Zhenguan, holding a lantern, walked up the stairs, and asked softly:

"What is the name of the third mural?"

"The Great Dream Scroll," Xu Zhenguan said as he walked over, "However, tonight you can see two murals at once, the third and fourth layers, which correspond to the world and the heavenly realm respectively."

Can I watch two pictures at once? So good? Is this considered special treatment? Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment and asked curiously:
"What is the name of the fourth painting corresponding to the Heavenly Realm?"

Xu Zhenguan stopped, stood on the third floor, and opened his red lips:

"The World."

(End of this chapter)