Chapter 592 Zhao Duan: Lord Earl, won’t you explain?
Chapter 592 Zhao Duan: Lord Earl, won’t you explain?
Zhao Duan's expression under the mask became strange.
Was there something wrong with the voice of this domineering princess just now?
Misheard?
"Snapped!"
The second slap came.
Xu Xuelian, who was lying on the ground in a mess, felt a burning pain. Her face from the neck turned red as if blood was dripping from it.
He felt his blood boiling, his whole body burning, and he felt weak. It seemed as if most of his martial arts skills had disappeared in an instant, and an incomprehensible sound came from his nose.
Good boy...you heard it right.
Zhao Duan was amazed and said with a teasing smile:
"No wonder you are so close to Yunyang, it turns out you are not a serious person either. It's also strange, is your royal family so chaotic?"
One has a lot of male lovers, and he is so arrogant that he doesn't treat the common people as human beings, but only as livestock and slaves. In his heart, he is a person who deserves to be beaten.
Xu Xuelian was humiliated and forgot how she was defeated. She gritted her teeth, turned her head fiercely, and cursed with fire in her eyes:
"How dare you, lowly servant, be rude to this princess? Someone, come here..."
Zhao Duan's face turned cold.
He stepped forward, opened his big hand with five fingers, and pressed Xu Xuelian's head down again with a "bang". Then, to prevent her from struggling, he simply sat on her, opened his big hands left and right, and gave her "fifty lashes".
Beating and laughing:
"Hmph, I'll let you, a mayfly, see the blue sky! I'll let you see who is the sky."
Xu Xuelian:?
At this moment, Sun Lianying in the palace sneezed for no reason.
It's strange to say, but without the suppression of the Dragon Girl, Xu Xuelian's martial arts skills could not be exerted to even 30% of their full potential for some reason.
At first she was roaring like a tigress, but as the board fell again and again, she became weaker and her struggles became less and less intense.
Finally, he just lay there on the ground without moving, just gasping for breath, with tears welling up in his eyes.
"Haha, are you convinced?" Zhao Duan sneered:
"Do you think this is the Iron Pass? How can an adult like you not be able to behave yourself when entering enemy territory? Today, I will enforce the family rules on behalf of King Yanshan."
Xu Xuelian was imprisoned on the ground, unable to move, but she was still sharp-tongued:
"You little dog slave...you want to die, you want to die...I want..."
Zhao Duan sarcastically said:
"You want to report this to His Majesty? Like at noon? Oh, do you think His Majesty will believe it? Or...even if His Majesty knows, will he punish me for it?
Wake up, your father has already rebelled, do you really think you are a royal descendant? I really don't know why they sent a fool like you to negotiate peace.
Or do you want to make the fact that I spanked you in the meditation room known to the public? Make it a big fuss? Or do you just like to make your personal fetish known to the world?"
"..." Xu Xuelian choked and didn't know how to refute.
Such humiliating things must never be made public.
As for her hobbies, she would never admit them even if she was beaten to death.
Xu Xuelian didn't know why, but she had a sadistic nature awakened when she was very young. At first, she secretly ordered her maid to beat her. Later, when she found out that the maid had leaked the news, she executed her.
However, she unexpectedly discovered that she could get a similar experience by abusing others, so she gradually became more and more aggressive, becoming a domineering princess who liked to whip her servants.
However, beating the servants was only a substitute for food after all. Although he didn't want to admit it, he was extremely angry after being beaten by this hateful military officer, but he also felt a strange excitement that he had never experienced before.
"What do you want?!" Xu Xuelian gritted her teeth.
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"I heard that you were in the Golden Palace and asked for severe punishment for my subordinates? It's very simple. I am a very kind person. As long as the princess gives up this idea and just treats the riots on the street in broad daylight as non-existent, that will be enough."
"Don't even think about it!" How could Xu Xuelian surrender?
Zhao Duan snorted and raised his palm, hanging in the air:
"Princess, you don't want your secret to be known to the world, right?"
"..." Xu Xuelian gritted her teeth, almost breaking them.
There was a strong anger and unwillingness in his eyes, but he was defeated in the end and said coldly:
"There is no more chance."
Zhao Duan laughed, stood up from her back, looked down at this outwardly strong but inwardly weak heir to the Prince of Yanshan, and said coldly:
"Get up and follow me out."
He came here for two purposes, one was to resolve the issue of the princess holding Lihuatang accountable, and the other was to test this person from close range.
Now the former has been basically resolved, as for the latter... Zhao Duan also has some ideas in his mind.
Xu Xuelian silently got up and began to tidy up her clothes. Then, with a gloomy face, she followed Zhao Duan out of the meditation room.
……
Outside.
A group of nuns were still hiding in the distance, with their backs turned and their ears covered, not wanting to get involved.
Princess Yunyang sat in a daze on the snow-covered steps.
The people from Lihua Hall had already tied up the hands of a group of unconscious guards, but due to a lack of ropes, their legs had not yet been tied up.
"Sir." Shen Juan looked at Zhao Duan who walked out of the meditation room, and then after seeing the princess with a sullen face who followed obediently behind him, a group of men in brocade clothes couldn't help but look subtle.
They vaguely heard the sound of slapping in the house, and when they saw this scene, they couldn't help but be shocked:
Is my master so fierce?
Not only did he slap the eldest princess, but he also managed to subdue the domineering and arrogant Princess Yanshan in such a short time?
"That's enough. You will escort the princess back to the post station later."
Zhao Duan ordered calmly.
At the same time, the palace attendants who were sleeping on the ground woke up one after another, and were shocked to find that their hands were tied.
Xu Xuelian looked as if she had eaten a dead rat, and looked at the guards indifferently:
"A bunch of rubbish, please follow me back!"
The followers were unaware of the situation, but they did not dare to say anything back. Fortunately, although his hands were tied, he was still able to get up and walk.
Ordering his subordinates to drive the princess and others out, Zhao Duan was the last to leave. He turned his head to look at Yunyang, who was sitting on the steps with a bulging belly.
He said calmly, "When the baby is born, tell everyone that it's the prince consort's."
Princess Yunyang looked at him silently and said:
"Who are you anyway?"
Zhao Duan didn't answer and just walked away.
At the entrance of the nunnery.
Zhao Duan walked out of the steps and looked at the princess and her entourage who were being "escorted" away. He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Whispering to oneself:
"I thought they were really domineering, but now it seems that they are mostly acting. They are not easy to deal with."
At this time, another rider came galloping from a distance.
A cavalryman in brocade clothes dismounted, walked up to him, and bowed:
"Sir, Hou Jishi sent his subordinates to report."
Hou Renmeng was in charge of keeping an eye on Xu Wenyan, the prince of Hejian. Sending someone over meant that Xu Wenyan was also making moves.
"Speak." Zhao Duan ordered.
"Your Excellency, after returning to the post station from the palace, Prince Hejian did not leave, but sent servants to deliver visiting cards to the nobles in the city. In addition, we learned from the post station that the Prince of Hejian's motorcade carried many precious gifts."
Nobles? Gifts?
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows, exhaled, and said softly:
“I see.”…
Station.
In a tea room on the second floor, a charcoal brazier kept the room warm.
The fat and foolish prince Xu Wenyan and the important guest Mr. Feng sat opposite each other across a small tea table, on which were placed files of people in the capital.
Cotton curtains are hung from the four corners of the tea table, wrapping the square table. When people sit down, they tuck their feet under the table and their whole body will be warm.
"Dong dong."
There was a knock on the tea room door. Xu Wenyan said "Come in", and a confidant walked in:
"Your Highness, I just received news that Princess Yanshan met with Lihuatang Jisi at Jizhao Temple and it seems that she suffered a loss..."
After hearing the details, Xu Wenyan and Mr. Feng were both stunned, showing surprise.
"Probe again and report again."
Mr. Feng spoke, sent his confidant away, and then looked at His Royal Highness the Crown Prince:
"What do you think, my Lord?"
Xu Wenyan thought for a moment and said with a smile:
"I guess he went to find out Xu Xuelian's background. It's not surprising that he suffered a loss. After all, this is someone else's territory.
But that Lihuatang Jisi, who I heard holds a sacrificial badge and has a mysterious identity, is Zhao Duan's agent in the capital? This prince would like to meet him. I have no chance to meet Zhao Duan, but I can probably get a glimpse of him from his subordinates."
Mr. Feng worriedly said:
"Xu Xuelian was pushed out by us to be the first to do this, and now she has suffered a loss. I wonder if she will cause any trouble and implicate us."
Xu Wenyan shook his head, his eyes not showing any silliness at all, but rather shrewdness:
"My sister Xuelian is not a fool. Haha, it is true that she has a domineering and arrogant personality, but in my opinion, she is definitely not a fool."
Mr. Feng smiled and said:
"As the daughter of a rebel king, you came here to negotiate peace, but you are so high-profile in the capital. Isn't that stupid?"
Xu Wenyan sighed softly, his eyes full of helplessness:
"What else can we do? Negotiating peace is a life-threatening matter. If we can make it, that would be the best. But if there is any mistake, she and I will be the first victims. Naturally, we have to find a way to protect ourselves."
"This prince is pretending to be stupid. Isn't Xu Xuelian's arrogance and stupidity also a disguise?
The peace talks were a matter of life and death. How could the details of the future of the State of Yu be disturbed by her slight arrogance? Would the talks fail because of her arrogance?
Oh, that's really underestimating the civil and military officials in the court, and underestimating the empress."
Mr. Feng sighed:
"So, how His Royal Highness and the Princess behave will not affect the peace talks. Because the ones who are actually negotiating are me and the eunuch of the Prince of Yanshan's Palace. On the contrary, if His Royal Highness and the Princess show enough intelligence and skill, it will be dangerous and will easily make the Empress wary."
Xu Wenyan smiled helplessly:
"That's right. But Xuelian and I can't just go through the motions. If we do that, it will be hard to explain when we return. So, we still have to do it, but it's better for her and I to play the role of a brainless person.
Oh, the first thing she did after leaving the court was to visit Yunyang. Isn't that also a public show? For the royal family and nobles in the city to see?"
How to gain benefits in peace talks?
It's simple, just try to gain as many allies as possible.
The capital is not their territory, so if they go to negotiate alone, they will definitely suffer losses.
One of the plans is to win over a group of "allies" to help with lobbying.
The court had undergone several major purges, and all civil and military officials had surrendered to the empress and could no longer be relied upon.
Therefore, Xu Wenyan and Xu Xuelian both set their sights on a group of nobles in the city who were neglected but whose power should not be underestimated.
It just so happens that, in a sense, the noble group may not necessarily want the empress to be autocratic and the various princes to be overthrown.
"The gifts have already been prepared and the visiting cards have been sent out." Mr. Feng said:
"However, I'm sure not all nobles are willing to wade into this muddy water. Especially Duke Chen, I'm afraid he won't easily meet Your Highness."
Duke Chen is the old nobleman who has eighteen jades on the purple gold belt bestowed by the emperor around his waist.
Although he has a very high reputation, he rarely interferes in state affairs. The last time he appeared was when Zhao Duan wanted to remove the military power of Duke Anguo Cao Mao.
At that time, Duke Chen stepped forward and dealt a heavy blow to Cao Mao.
In that incident, Duke Chen stood on the side of the empress, but that does not mean he was a member of the imperial party.
Rather, it was Cao Mao's rebelliousness at that time that threatened the interests of the noble group and the stability of the State of Yu.
"No, then I will visit you more often."
Xu Wenyan said calmly:
"After all, we are all relatives and elders. This prince is visiting the Duke on behalf of the royal family. It is reasonable and even the empress cannot find fault with it."
Mr. Feng said worriedly: "I hope everything goes well."
……
……
On this day, the arrival of the delegation added a wave of turbulence to the capital, and countless people were secretly observing.
After Xu Xuelian returned to the inn, she stayed indoors and refused to leave. It was only said that the angry princess almost beat a servant to death with a whip that night.
The next day, it was dawn.
Zhao Duan walked out of his residence behind Lihua Hall early in the morning and waited for his subordinates to clock in for work.
He then said slowly:
"Xiaorou and Lao Zheng stay here today. Lao Hou and Lao Shen, you two take a few people and change into plain clothes and follow me out."
"Yes." The four nodded.
Russian qing.
Zhao Duan led a group of plainclothes imperial guards out of the door. In order to keep a low profile, they did not ride horses but drove a car.
Zhao Duan got into the carriage, hugged the warm stove, and the marquis drove the carriage, while the rest of the imperial guards followed the carriage disguised as servants.
The purpose of today's group is to track the Prince of Hejian.
Someone was sent ahead to keep an eye on Xu Wenyan's every move so that Zhao Duan could receive news at any time.
"Sir, Xu Wenyan has indeed brought a cart full of gifts and started to visit the nobles." Shen Juan reported.
Zhao Duan half-lying and half-leaning in the carriage, said calmly:
"Follow, but don't follow too closely."
"Yes."
The first stop for the group was Earl Yuanshan's residence.
When Zhao Duan's carriage arrived, Prince Xu Wenyan had already left.
"Sir, Xu Wenyan entered the Earl of Yuanshan's mansion and stayed there for about three quarters of an hour. He has now left." Shen Juan reported.
Zhao Duan opened his eyes, dropped the stove in his arms, stepped out of the car, squinted at the quiet Earl's mansion in front of him, and said:
"Let's go sit down too."
Then, he led a few people and walked straight to the door of the Earl's Mansion. After knocking on the door, Hou Renmeng simply showed his badge, then pushed the door open rudely and walked in with Zhao Duan.
Inside the mansion.
Earl Yuanshan was a middle-aged man. He was sitting in the inner hall at this moment. The tea he was drinking with Xu Wenyan on the table was still warm.
Hearing the noise outside, he hurried out and saw Zhao Duan wearing a white mask and casual clothes in the courtyard.
"Bai Jisi!" Earl Yuanshan was shocked and recognized Zhao Duan's "identity".
Fine beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Zhao Duan said "yes", then looked at the earl with a smile, and cast his eyes to the several gift boxes placed in the inner hall, and said with a smile:
"Will you not explain, Lord Earl?"
(End of this chapter)