Chapter 557: King meets King: Zhao Shixiong goes to the meeting alone

Chapter 557: King meets King: Zhao Shixiong goes to the meeting alone

Chapter 557: King meets King: Zhao Shixiong goes to the meeting alone
It rained in Taicang City last night, and when the next morning came, the drizzle had not stopped.

"Every autumn rain brings a chill. How many rains has this year already? Counting on my fingers, it's almost Mid-Autumn Festival again."

Zhao Duan took a carriage and left the government office. While touring the city, he couldn't help but sigh at the cold wind blowing in from the window.

In the past ten days or so, people in the city often saw Governor Zhao going out on patrol.

Zhao Duan has also spent more time in Linfeng these days.

As for the capital, I only went there a few times.

After the last war, the Lu family in the city had completely surrendered, and their thoughts of being indecisive were put to an end.

Zhao Duan took advantage of the war to suppress with his left hand and support with his right hand, thus replacing a wave of blood of the big families on the western front of Linfeng.

Instead, it united the soldiers and civilians in the city, and gave them a sense of morale.

"It's almost Mid-Autumn Festival... yawn..."

Inside the carriage, Jin Jian, who was wearing a priest's robe, sat in a corner, rubbing his sleepy eyes with his fists and yawning.

The young priestess had a listless look on her delicate face. She put her glasses on her nose seriously and said with a bit of disappointment:
"In previous years, we spent the Mid-Autumn Festival at Tianshi Mansion with everyone. The moon on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival is very round, and the power of the Moon God is the strongest in the whole year."

This was the first time she had spent Mid-Autumn Festival outside since she could remember.

Zhao Duan asked curiously, "Is the Moon Goddess pretty?"

Jin Jian was very angry, wrinkled her nose, snorted, turned around and crossed her arms, ignoring him:

"I don't talk to blasphemers!"

Zhao Duan curled his lips and said, "Look what you can do."

Although the two have known each other for a long time, they rarely chat alone after being away for so long.

This is mainly due to the fact that Jin Jian is active at night and is dormant during the day, so his biological clock is opposite to that of ordinary people.

The reason why I didn't sleep today was because Zhao Duan had been out on patrol every day recently. In order to avoid accidents, he always brought at least one companion from the secular realm with him every time he went out.

Today it's Jin Jian's turn.

As for the reason for wandering outside, to a large extent, it was to be seen by countless pairs of eyes in the city, some open and some hidden, in order to stabilize the morale of the troops.

"Speaking of which, did Prefect Sun pay you for your help last time?"

Zhao Duan suddenly asked.

"Here it is. It's in my bag." When talking about money, Jin Jian smiled and patted the bulging purse hanging around his waist like a treasure.

The biggest attraction of traveling for her is that it provides more opportunities to make money.

But within three seconds of showing off, Jin Jian noticed Zhao Duan's malicious gaze and immediately shrank back vigilantly, protecting her purse with her tender little hands:
"What are you looking at? This is my money!"

Zhao Duan patiently persuaded:
"Look, the money is useless to you for the time being. The court is at war right now and is very short of money. I have a business here. If you lend me the money, I will allow you to pay 30% higher interest than other banks in the market. How about that?"

Jin Jian was not fooled at all, and shook his head like a rattle, very cleverly:
"Don't try to deceive me! I'll lend it to you, but if you lose the battle, you won't have to return it to me!"

The young priestess, who lacked common sense in financial management, instinctively realized that venture capital was highly risky!

It's not easy for her to make money.

Zhao Duan said unhappily:

"When have I ever lost a battle? Have you seen Zhao Shixiong at Huaishui?
It won't take a few days for me to deal with him. By then, it will be easy to conquer half of the Huai River. There are a lot of nobles in the Huai River, and they are very rich. I will rob them. Do they still owe me the interest from you?
What's more, when I started the saltpeter ice-making business, I wanted to get you involved, but you were too short-sighted and refused to buy the formula at a flat price. As a result, you were left helpless when you got such a huge share of the profits.

Now there is such a good investment opportunity in front of you, do you still want to miss it? "

Jin Jian was fooled and suddenly became hesitant.

I am worried about losing my private money and missing out on such a good financial product.

The young priestess was extremely conflicted.

Zhao Duan said with a smile:
"This is the only chance anyway, so take advantage of my good mood. If you don't lend it to me now, I won't want it later."

He wasn't really greedy for the 1,800 taels of gold from Jin Jian. He was just bored and wanted to tease her to relieve his boredom.

……

After a tour around the city and returning to the government office, Jin Jian still couldn't make up his mind.

Sun Xiaozhun has already come forward:
"Captain, please take a look at this."

Zhao Duan walked into the main room, put the oil-paper umbrella at the door, took the account book handed to him by Sun Xiaozhun, flipped through it, and raised his eyebrows:

"The account book for the autumn harvest?"

Sun Xiaozhun, whose hair had turned mostly white, nodded and said bitterly:
"These days, people have started the autumn harvest, but this year's autumn grain is less than two-thirds of last year's."

so little!
Zhao Duan frowned.

The Rebellion of the Eight Kings took place in the summer, when six vassal kings rose up in rebellion and the whole country was in chaos. Although Linfeng was less affected, Taicang Prefecture was inevitably affected because it was involved in the war.

Fortunately, Zhao Duan organized Su Dan's "burning city" tactics, otherwise the autumn harvest would have been even worse.

The harvest was less, but military spending was growing wildly.

The court's biggest concerns before began to gradually become a reality.

"Even with the stored grain, it will be difficult to sustain a protracted war. If we continue fighting like this, I'm afraid people will starve to death this winter." Sun Xiaozheng took off his official hat, revealing his gray hair.

Conquering the Huai River is imminent.

Yuan Feng, the commander of the Fifth Army Camp, was also in the room. Hearing this, he said:
"Envoy Xue has already won a battle on the eastern front, which means everything is moving in the right direction."

Sun Xiaozhun sighed:
"Is it too late? Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and winter will come in a blink of an eye. How much territory can Privy Councilor Xue conquer before winter comes?

Seizing a few more counties? Not much point!

This is the case when the Yunfu troops do not come to help. Once winter comes, it will be difficult to continue the battle, and then... the whole situation will be reversed."

Yuan Feng was speechless!

The other officials and generals in the room were also silent!
Everyone knows that now all the princes in the world are waiting for winter to come.

Even though the imperial court has been in high spirits recently and has won three battles in a row, its current advantages will be gone when winter comes.

"If it really doesn't work, our Fifth Army Battalion will fight to the death with Zhao Shixiong. If we can win, we can advance on the east and west fronts in parallel, and maybe there will be a glimmer of hope." Square-faced Yuan Feng gritted his teeth and said.

But everyone could see that he had no confidence in what he said.

The person in front is not someone else, but the Southwest Commander who is as famous as Xue Shence!
Considering Zhao Shixiong's strength and the Yongjia River as a natural barrier, it would be a fantasy to conquer the city with just five military camps.

Once the attack is launched, not only will it fail to win, but it will also lead to the collapse of the Western Front, destroying the hard-earned good situation of the court.

Zhao Shixiong.

This name, like a huge mountain, weighs on everyone's heart.

The entire western front was blocked.

All everyone can do is hope for progress on the Eastern Front.

However, just when everyone was frowning, suddenly, an official came running in from outside the hall and shouted:
"Governor, there is a man outside...who calls himself Zhao Shixiong, asking to see you!"

Long——

Suddenly, a muffled thunder rolled across the drizzling sky.

A group of people in the hall stood up in astonishment.

There was a look of surprise on everyone's face.

Zhao Shixiong? Which Zhao Shixiong? How did he appear outside the government office?

Everyone's first thought was that it was absurd.

Because they did not receive any signal from the enemy attacking the city, and the enemy did not break into the city, could it be that Zhao Shixiong sneaked into the city alone?

"How many people are here?" someone asked.

"Only one person." The clerk replied, "From my observation, his appearance is exactly the same as the Zhao Shixiong in the rumors."

"Nonsense! I'm afraid a madman has tricked you into coming to the government office!" Yuan Feng shouted angrily.

Sun Xiaozhun also said:
"It must be fake. The government office is an important place with several masters in charge. Even if Zhao Shixiong is very powerful, if he wants to break into the government office alone, he will die!"

As he said this, he ordered people to drive them away.

"Wait a minute," Zhao Duan, who had been sitting in the main seat in the hall and had not spoken a word from beginning to end, suddenly spoke up. He casually threw the account book in his hand on the coffee table, his lips slightly raised, his eyes indifferent:
"Invite him in."

It was as if... he had anticipated all of this.

"Governor... this..." Prefect Sun and others were puzzled and didn't understand what was going on, but the clerk had already turned around to invite them, and the first ones to arrive were Yuxiu, Lang Shiba and Jiyue.

The three world-realm masters seemed to sense something and rushed over from the back court as if they were facing a great enemy. Together with Jin Jian, who suddenly no longer felt sleepy, they looked towards the courtyard seriously.

Infected by the atmosphere, the officials subconsciously turned their eyes to the spacious courtyard outside the eaves.

Russian qing.

In the drizzle of autumn rain, a slightly short middle-aged man wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat was approaching from afar with a calm and composed look.

This man doesn't look surprising when viewed from a distance.

But as they got closer step by step, an indescribable sense of crisis quietly filled every brick gap and every corner of the government office.

It was drizzling.

The autumn trees in the courtyard are swaying, and the bluestone road is wet and smooth like a mirror.

In silence, the middle-aged man's boots stepped on the puddles on the ground. The rain splashed around in a fan shape, but as if violating the laws of physics, it turned into water mist!

Under the bamboo hat, there was a bearded, weathered face like a lion, which was reflected in everyone's eyes through the rain.

"Zhao... Zhao Shixiong!?"

I don’t know who cried out first, but then many officials broke out in cold sweat!
Yuan Feng subconsciously tried to draw his sword, but found nothing. He didn't have a sword at his waist!

Sun Xiaozhun's pupils narrowed, and his fists were clenched tightly under his sleeves, with more disbelief than anything else.

Is it really Zhao Shixiong? ? This power that moved the whole room with every move was definitely not something that others could fake.

But why did Zhao Shixiong sneak into Taicang Mansion alone and come to them?

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Suddenly, crisp applause rang in everyone's ears, breaking the tense atmosphere.

In the entire hall, only Zhao Duan sat in a high-back chair from beginning to end. Now he had a smile on his face, clapped his hands gently, and said with a smile:
"General, you have come to the government office. I am sorry for not welcoming you in person. I, Zhao, have been waiting for you for a long time."

what? !

At this moment, Sun Xiaozhun, Yuan Feng, Yuxiu, Lang Shiba and others all looked at Zhao Duan in surprise.

Zhao Shixiong, wearing a straw raincoat, also stopped and stood in the middle of the courtyard, a relatively safe distance away.

This general, who had commanded the border troops for many years and whose combat power was close to that of a half-step celestial being, also stared at Zhao Duan with sharp eyes.

No.

It should be said that since he stepped into the government office, there was only Zhao Duan in his eyes.

"Since Governor Zhao has invited me, how dare I not come?" Zhao Shixiong said meaningfully and with a hint of sarcasm.

invite……

Zhao Shixiong was invited by his master? When?
and many more!

Why would the other party be willing to come alone? What happened?
Everyone was confused and found it difficult to comprehend what was happening before their eyes.

Fortunately, Zhao Duan did not let them stay in disarray for too long, but said to Sun Xiaozhun:
"Governor Sun, this governor has important matters to discuss with General Zhao. You should withdraw first."

"...Ah...yes." Sun Xiaozhun nodded subconsciously, dragged Yuan Feng and others out of the yard.

Only Yuxiu, Jinjian, Lang Shiba and Jiyue did not evacuate.

Zhao Shixiong looked at the few people with disdain and sneered, "Is this how Governor Zhao treats guests?"

Zhao Duan sighed softly, smiled and spread his hands:

"I am a well-known treacherous villain. I am not as heroic as the general, so I have to cherish my life more. I almost lost my life when I sparred with the general last time, so I have to be more cautious."

His frank admission actually made the contempt in Zhao Shixiong's eyes disappear, and a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes.

Immediately, Zhao Shixiong raised his right arm and grabbed with his five fingers!
The air rippled, and a large, heavy, black Guandao was slowly pulled out from the air by him.

At the same time, flying swords were circling around Yu Xiu, and Lang Shiba's scimitar was unsheathed, ready to attack at any time.

Even if he is a half-step celestial being, if five (six) mortals attack him at the same time, they can at least defeat him, even if they cannot kill him.

however……

After Zhao Shixiong pulled out the [Soul-Breaking Sword], he just threw it casually!
"Qiang!"

The Soul-Breaking Sword spun and flew out fiercely, suddenly piercing into the bluestone floor tiles, standing diagonally in the rain, as easy as cutting tofu!
He raised his chin and walked into the hall.

Zhao Duan's eyes moved and he waved his fingers secretly. Yuxiu and the other four also left the hall, but did not go far. Instead, they waited in the courtyard.

Lang Shiba simply stepped forward and grasped the Soul-Breaking Sword in his hand.

Although Zhao Shixiong is personally strong in martial arts, Zhao Duan is confident that he can hold out for a while if he fights hard, but the Soul-Breaking Sword is too disgusting.

Losing this weapon means that the biggest threat to Zhao Duan has disappeared.

……

The drizzle is rustling.

Zhao Duan smiled brightly, stood up himself, picked up the utensils and made tea, showing his hospitality as a good host.

Zhao Shixiong stood at the door, took off his straw raincoat and hat, and hung them at the door, revealing his warrior attire underneath.

If others saw him in such ordinary attire, they would never imagine that he was the powerful commander of the frontier army.

"The general's demeanor left a deep impression on me since our last separation. I didn't want to meet him again, but here and now," Zhao Duan said with emotion.

It was as if the person sitting opposite him was not a military god of war, but a scholar among the gathering.

Zhao Shixiong looked at the hot tea handed to him, but he didn't drink it or take it. He said with a stern face:
"My daughter arrived in Yongjia yesterday."

There was no greeting, no nonsense, Zhao Shixiong, who was a military man, started with this sentence.

Zhao Duan placed the cup on the tea table without any embarrassment, took his hand back, and said with a smile:

"Really? Is your daughter completely fine?"

Zhao Shixiong said: "Although it was a long journey, we managed to get everything back safely."

"That's good." Mr. Zhao nodded.

Zhao Shixiong stared at him: "You were the one who arranged for someone to bring my daughter here."

"Yes."

"My daughter told me that Xu Jingtang thought I betrayed Yunfu and colluded with you..." Zhao Shixiong recounted the experience narrated by Zhao Ke'er in a serious tone.

Although Zhao Duan also listened to Yunxi's report in the letter, he was not as good as the person involved in the story, so he listened very seriously this time.

After the other party finished speaking, he couldn't help but sigh and said angrily:
"Xu Jingtang is a hypocritical person who pretends to be eager to recruit talents, but in fact he is full of thieves and prostitutes. He even doubted the general's character and attacked Miss Ke'er. He is really a beast."

Zhao Shixiong stared at him steadily, and said in a gloomy tone:

"Isn't it because of you that the prince suspected me?"

"General, how can you slander someone's innocence out of thin air?" Zhao Duan said confidently, with a white lotus attitude:

"I sneaked into Yongjia and tried my best to kill the enemy and rescue the loyal ministers. Is that wrong? Xu Jingtang was suspicious, so how could it be my fault?"

"..." Zhao Shixiong gritted his teeth and said, "You said you didn't write that blank letter?!"

Zhao Duan seemed to have just remembered something and said:

"Oh! General, you mentioned this. Sigh, I am also very angry. I originally thought that although you and I are enemies, we are also relatives. I was lucky enough to succeed that night in Yongjia, but I couldn't lose my manners, so I sent a letter to express my condolences. But I didn't expect that my subordinates were careless and put the letter of condolence in the wrong place. A blank piece of paper was filled in. It was also my fault."

Zhao Shixiong stared at him in a daze as he spoke nonsense in a serious manner and almost laughed out of anger.

Simply said:

"Well, as the saying goes, all is fair in war. Let's not talk about the letter. I just want to ask you, how much of what I said is true and how much is false? Does Prince Mu really want to attack me, or are you making it up? Are you deceiving me?!"

The last few words were spoken in a very deep and heavy voice!

On the stove inside the house, the flames licked the bottom of the pot, and the green plums rose and fell in it.

Zhao Duan was silent and slow. He first changed the position of the pot, then raised his eyes and looked at the general on the battlefield in front of him with a smile.

"General, do you think that given Xu Jingtang's character, he would spare your life even if he wanted to seize the country?"

(End of this chapter)