Chapter 594 My sword is not bad either!
Chapter 594 My sword is not bad either! (Please give me a guaranteed monthly ticket in May)
Just when Zhao Duan and the Prince of Hejian were confronting each other outside the Duke's Mansion.
In Xiping Road, thousands of miles west of the capital, Duke Zhenguo Tang Daren sat in his study and opened the first of a pile of military reports on the table.
A year later, this hunchbacked Duke had more white hair on his temples.
The cold wind blowing in from the window gap was wrapped in the winter chill, causing the Duke of Zhenguo to subconsciously tighten the "scarf" around his neck and start coughing.
Obviously, defending the Western Regions and dealing with the King of Hejian for more than half a year had also made him physically and mentally exhausted.
Fortunately, it is winter, and as usual the intensity of the war will drop significantly. In particular, the peace talks between Prince Hejian and the imperial court have completely put the front line into a "truce period."
"From my father..."
At the top was the military book sent by his daughter Tang Zhao.
In order to curb the King of Hejian, Duke Tang personally led a part of the border troops to suppress the King of Hejian's power, while Tang Zhao stayed at the border and continued to guard the important roads in the Western Regions.
In this military letter, Tang Zhao mentioned that the countries in the Western Regions have been increasingly restless recently, and news from outside the Great Wall stated that some changes seemed to have taken place in the Buddhist ancestral temple not long ago, causing unrest in the entire Western Regions.
Unfortunately, the specific information is strictly blocked and is not known for the time being.
In addition, the Golden Horde led by Princess Wenzhu tried to restore stability in the Western Regions, but was unsuccessful.
There are reports that Princess Wenzhu may have been sidelined.
"Humph. I knew these people from outside the Great Wall would not stay still..."
Duke Tang was not surprised.
With the civil strife in Yu, the Western Regions countries would certainly try to gain advantage, which is why he kept most of his troops at the border and did not mobilize them.
Otherwise, if the border troops gave up guarding the border and launched a large-scale attack, the King of Hejian would have been defeated long ago.
However, now that the peace talks have begun, there may be a turning point. Perhaps it won't be long before he can lead his troops back to defend the country, thus completely extinguishing the restless thoughts of the people in the Western Regions.
With this in mind, Duke Tang put the military book aside and prepared to copy it and send it to the capital.
He immediately dealt with the rest of the military documents, most of which concerned the issue of the army's accommodation during the winter.
I don't know how much time has passed, but suddenly there are hurried footsteps outside, accompanied by a knock on the door:
"Duke, urgent news from the front!"
Duke Tang put down his pen, raised his head and said "Come in".
He then stared at the general who pushed the door open, only to hear the latter's serious expression:
"Report to the Duke, the soldiers under the King of Hejian are moving unusually, and they seem to be trying to suppress us."
Duke Tang was stunned.
……
To the north of the capital, we defended the northern city.
As usual today, Luo Ke Di walked out of the military camp and began his daily routine of patrolling the city walls.
He started this behavior after the Rebellion of the Eight Kings and never stopped for a single day.
As a new general who had been lurking beside Cao Mao for many years and who once surfaced to replace Duke Cao to take charge of Jubei City, he needed to ensure the confidence of the officers and soldiers in the city in this way.
This approach was undoubtedly successful.
With relatively few troops, he was able to contain the Prince of Yanshan outside the Jubei City. He had not even crossed the pass for more than half a year. This is a clear example of his ability.
Even though the news of the peace talks had been announced a few days earlier and Xu Xuelian was sent out of the city by him personally, Luo Ke Di did not relax.
"General!"
On the top of the city wall, the soldiers guarding the city straightened their backs when they saw Luo Kedi with thick black eyebrows as straight as a knife.
Luo Kedi said "yes" and asked, "Is there anything unusual?"
"none!"
A deputy general following behind Luo Kedi said, "General, now that the King of Yanshan is in peace talks with the court, there will be no changes. You can rest for a while."
Luo Kedi shook his head. The overly young commander leaned his hands on the cold top of the city wall, looking at the white snow outside the city, and suddenly said:
"When I returned to Beijing last year to report on my work, I met Governor Zhao and had a brief interaction with him. He said something that I still remember clearly. The general meaning was that the victory or defeat of a war is never at the negotiation table, but outside the table."
The deputy general was startled: "You mean..."
Just as Luo Ke Di was about to speak, he suddenly heard a low horn sound coming from the distance in the north. It was a signal sent by the guards at the outpost.
Everyone was startled, then opened their eyes wide and saw at the end of the horizon, on the white snow, a dense array of dark soldiers approaching.
……
……
information?
Zhao Duan's eyes moved slightly under the mask, and he asked curiously:
"What did the prince say?"
After Xu Wenyan uttered this, he suddenly realized that he had lost his composure, and quickly returned to his silly and angry look, as if the calmness and clarity just now was an illusion.
The fat prince gritted his teeth and angrily accused:
"If this is the way the court wants to negotiate, why not arrest this prince as a thief and put him in jail! Otherwise, if you dare to take Mr. Feng by force, this prince will immediately go to the palace to question His Majesty and seek justice!"
Although he was an enemy, he sought justice from the Empress.
This is a stupid thing to say, but it fits his character at the moment.
Zhao Duan pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and waved his hand:
"Your Highness, you are too kind. I am just worried that His Highness has been deceived by the traitor. The court has its own rules for peace talks. Since His Highness has said so, let's just... forget about arresting the suspect."
Hou Renmeng, Shen Juan and other subordinates retreated in unison and obeyed the orders.
The soldiers of the Hejian Palace also breathed a sigh of relief.
Mr. Feng, having just recovered from his shock, stepped forward and whispered something to the prince, roughly saying:
With this group of hawks following us, it’s better to go back first.
Xu Wenyan nodded hesitantly, glared at Zhao Duan fiercely, turned around angrily, got into the car and left.
Ended the morning visit early——
With the people from the imperial court standing here, there is no way the Duke's Mansion would open the door and let them in.
Watching the Prince of Hejian and his entourage leaving the building area where many nobles gathered, Zhao Duan lowered his head and fell into deep thought.
He probably has a pretty good idea of the depth of the Prince of Hejian. He is one level higher than the Lord of Yanshan County who has strange sexual habits, but in the eyes of an old official like Zhao Duan, he is no different from a pool of stream water.
Talent does exist, but it is limited.
But what really concerned him was what the Prince of Hejian had deliberately said before.
"Sir? Do you want us to follow?"
Hou Renmeng sheathed his sword reluctantly and couldn't help asking.
Zhao Duan thought for a moment and nodded:
"You guys can go with them, and one of you can drive. The morning is almost over, and even if they still want to visit the nobles, they probably won't continue today."
Everyone left in response without asking Zhao Duan why he stayed.
After his men had left, Zhao Duan turned around, picked up his boots, and walked straight to the closed door of Duke Chen's Mansion.
Now that he was here, he also wanted to indirectly inquire about the attitude of this old nobleman whose family status had declined but whose reputation was still extraordinary.
However, before he could knock on the door, the heavy door of the Duke's Mansion opened by itself.
A servant in the mansion bowed to him and said, "Please come in."
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows, thinking that this was the scene of the two sides confronting each other at the door just now, and it had been noticed by the people in the mansion. I'm afraid they were watching through the crack in the door just now.
"Okay." With a slight smile, Zhao Duan stepped across the high threshold and followed the servants into the depths of the yard.
...The mansion of Duke Chen is no longer what it used to be, and it doesn't have many servants. But this house is still the great mansion that was awarded to him in the beginning. It's just that there are few people and there is snow in many unused yards and no one cleans them, making the whole house seem particularly quiet.
After Zhao Duan stepped into the inner courtyard, he was surprised to see three figures coming down the stairs in the clean yard.
One of them was an old man who was leaning on a dragon-headed cane and had hair as white as snow. Although he was thin, he was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had an extraordinary demeanor. He was naturally the owner of the mansion, Duke Chen.
Next to the old man was a woman supporting him.
The two men were walking a step behind and had just come out of the hall, apparently seeing off a guest. However, the figure in front of them, who was personally escorted out by the Duke, startled Zhao Duan slightly.
"Governor?" he asked in surprise.
The guest at the Duke's Mansion was none other than Ma Yan, the supervisor of the imperial yamen.
Ma Yan also did not wear the robes of a third-rank official, but a dark-colored garment. His thin and long face was very long, with a familiar solemnity and coldness that was intimidating.
Ma Yan was not surprised to see him. He just nodded slightly and turned to Duke Chen and said:
"You don't have to see me off, Duke. It's snowing in the middle of winter, so I can leave the house on my own."
Duke Chen nodded and smiled gently, "Okay."
Then he turned his head and looked at Zhao Duan again, and suddenly smiled:
"I heard that there is a new little Yama in the capital, not bad."
Hearing this remark that he couldn't tell whether it was appreciation or sarcasm, Zhao Duan inexplicably felt as if his mask had become transparent and his identity had been seen through by the other party.
Zhao Duan felt a chill in his heart, and said in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Duke."
Duke Chen smiled and said nothing.
"Let's go." Ma Yan's tall figure walked over and said to him calmly.
Zhao Duan had no choice but to follow. The two were escorted out of the house by the servants of the Duke's Mansion. Zhao Duan wanted to ask Ma Yan to get in the carriage outside, but unexpectedly the eunuch shook his head and said:
"This place is not far from the government office. How about we walk back?"
What’s wrong with you, Xiao Ma… Zhao Duan complained in his heart, but agreed happily on the surface.
After sending his subordinates back by car, the two most feared kings of hell in the capital started walking along the empty winter streets.
After walking for a while, Ma Yan suddenly said:
"Logically, you shouldn't be in the capital at this moment, but by the Huai River. General Zhao."
Zhao Duan suddenly stopped and turned to look at Xiao Ma in surprise.
After a moment of silence, he stretched out his hand and lifted up a layer of the white mask, pushing it down to the top of his head, revealing his real face, and said helplessly:
"When did you recognize me, brother?"
"It's you..." Ma Yan let out a breath, with surprise in his eyes, but not too much unexpected emotion.
He said in a complicated tone:
"I've had suspicions since you parachuted into Lihua Hall. Outsiders may not know, but how could I not understand how difficult it is for those troublemakers in Lihua Hall? How could a deputy police officer make them obey me?
Including the methods and styles used later to deal with the Qingliu Party, they feel familiar.
But what really makes me suspicious is the last time you reported to His Majesty at Dadongshan that Zhao Shixiong had returned to the court. Ha, His Majesty doesn't treat you like a simple tribute."
Zhao Duan sighed and was convinced:
"That being said, there are indeed many loopholes."
Ma Yan shook his head and said:
"No. I can recognize you because I am close to you and I am familiar with you. Most people in the court cannot see through it. Apart from other things, the fact that you can't travel between Huai River and the capital in such a short time is enough to dispel almost all doubts."
Zhao Duan smiled and briefly explained the situation of his puppet body.
When Ma Yan learned that it was related to the way of practicing martial arts, he was surprised at first, but then he understood.
As a court priest who also practiced the path of martial god, Ma Yan was the first person to know that he was special in this path of practice.
Therefore, even though it sounded like a fantasy, he quickly accepted it and said with emotion:
"I see. Haha, if the court officials and the countless eyes in the capital knew your identity, I wonder how many people would be frightened. I am looking forward to the day when you take off your mask in public."
No... Xiao Ma, when did you have such a bad taste... Zhao Duan sighed, put the mask back on and said:
“I’m afraid that day is not far away.”
As more and more of his deeds were exposed, Zhao Duan began to doubt whether this vest could survive this winter.
The two continued walking along the street.
"Let's talk business. Senior brother, why are you in the Duke's Mansion?" Zhao Duan asked.
Ma Yan glanced at him and laughed:
"Don't think you're the only one worrying about the peace talks. I also knew about Xu Wenyan sending visiting cards to various nobles yesterday. As for visiting Duke Chen, it's naturally to express the court's attitude."
Zhao Duan asked curiously, "What does Duke Chen think?"
Ma Yan was silent for a moment and sighed:
"Duke Chen said that he is old and can no longer manage too much, nor does he want to manage it."
Zhao Duan frowned: "He wants to remain neutral? Not get involved?"
Ma Yan nodded: "It's a good thing. Duke Chen's position can influence many nobles."
Zhao Duan exhaled, "But if you don't take a clear stand, it means tacit approval for many nobles."
Ma Yan turned his head and stared at him, hesitated, and said earnestly:
"After all, Duke Chen has a great reputation, and he also played a role in Cao Mao's matter. You..."
Zhao Duan didn't know whether to laugh or cry:
"Brother, do you think I want to take action against Duke Chen? Do you think I am the kind of person who will grow again if you don't root out the problem?"
Ma Yan said nothing and just looked at him quietly.
Zhao Duan couldn't be bullied anymore.
Fine, fine... I am a villain, okay? I have been traveling for more than a year, but I still haven't changed my negative image. It has even become more solid... Zhao Duan sighed tiredly and changed the subject:
"When I was testing Xu Wenyan just now, he said something. I suspect that the Prince of Hejian and the Prince of Yanshan are putting some chips on the table for this peace talk."
"for example?"
Zhao Duan raised his head, looked at the scattered snowflakes falling from the gray sky, and muttered:
"The outcome of a negotiation is never decided on the table, but on the sword. Forget it, let's wait and see. Has the agenda for the peace talks been finalized?"
Ma Yan replied:
"It's settled. Tomorrow the two sides will hold negotiations at the Honglu Temple. The court will be represented by two ministers. However, according to historical experience, such a major event as peace talks will take a long time to go back and forth. It can't be settled in a short time. I'm afraid it will take one or two months to completely settle. Do you want to go and listen?"
Zhao Duan shook his head and said self-deprecatingly:
"I'm not good at verbal battles. I just hope that the civil officials of the court can be more motivated, so that I don't fight to the death in the front and gain the advantage, but then give it away to them at the negotiation table. If that really happens..."
"So what?" Ma Yan asked.
Zhao Duan remained silent for a long time without answering.
After a while, when the two of them walked back to the gate of the imperial court, Zhao Duan finally said in an imperceptible voice:
"My sword is not bad either."
……
The next day, peace talks began.
A few days later, two military letters were sent back from Xiping and Tieguan:
The troops of King Hejian and King Yanshan were approaching the border and confronting the two armies on the front line. War was about to break out.
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ps: The layout will be updated first and then modified
(End of this chapter)