The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 104 This Child is in Trouble
The ghost has been found...

When Zhao Duan told the news in a calm tone, the two women in the room fell into a brief daze at the same time.

Xu Zhenguan looked at him in disbelief, his laziness disappeared, replaced by his body sitting up slightly.

And the countless waves that suddenly arise in the sea of ​​​​heart.

"Speak clearly, speak carefully!" Empress Dayu's voice was a little hurried.

"Yes."

When Zhao Duan arrived, he had already prepared a draft in mind and was already familiar with reporting.

Without haste or delay, he recounted how he had thought yesterday, how he had made his plan, and how he had set up an "empty target" to lure all the "suspects" including Ma Yan into it.

This morning, he "caught them all in one swoop", played psychological warfare on them and exposed the mole, and he recounted the story in a leisurely manner.

During the whole process, Xu Zhenguan never interrupted but just listened quietly, and so did the female official next to him.

"…This is probably what happened."

Zhao Duan made a final conclusion and was quite satisfied with his performance this time.

The structure is clear, the expression is complete, the language is fluent...it is truly a first-class report.

The Queen of Dayu did not say anything immediately, but just stared at him absentmindedly.

The heart is far less calm than the appearance.

Counting on my fingers, how long has it been?

It seemed that the other party had only been in office for seven days at most.

Last time, she gave Zhao Duan the task of catching ghosts on the Tianzi Tower, but she didn't have high expectations at the time.

He was promoted to the imperial court, and people felt that he deserved the reward.

And with Zhao Duan's talent, he really needs a bigger stage.

As to whether the traitor can be found, or even... whether there is a traitor in the imperial court, it is still unknown.

But after that, Zhao Duan's continuous actions caused discussions in the court, and she raised her expectations.

I began to think that this little guard might really be able to do it.

But even so, when she made a bet with Yuan Li yesterday, she also mentioned a period of one month.

This is still an overestimate, after all, Yuan Li reasonably estimated at least two months.

As a result, the bet between the two ended just one day after it was established.

It didn't take two months, nor one month, but only seven days.

Incredible.

But after listening to his entire routine in detail, Xu Zhenguan felt that it was natural for the traitor to be exposed.

Strictly speaking, the whole routine is not sophisticated at all, and is even very crude.

Including the loopholes pointed out by Haitang, there are too many imperfections.

But Zhao Duan used his own "personality" to cover up these loopholes.

"Let me ask you, all the fuss you've been making these days is also for..." Xu Zhenguan opened his mouth slightly with a hint of uncertainty.

Zhao Duan understood what she meant, and before she finished speaking, he nodded and said:

“Your Majesty, please understand that I have offended Princess Yunyang and all the officials in the court in the past few days, which is indeed out of line.

But only extraordinary actions can solidify the impression that I am ambitious, fond of ostentation, and rely on power, so that today's arrest and confinement will not arouse suspicion."

really……

Xu Zhenguan nodded slightly, then suddenly turned his head and looked at the personal female official with a half-smile:
"Mochou, did you hear that?"

Mo Chou was silent, speechless, and only felt her face burning.

Especially when he thought about how he had said those words loudly beside the empress not long ago, he was convinced that Zhao Duan would never be able to capture any powerful person...

The reversal came too fast, like a tornado, and blew her away.

"Oh? Did Zhaorong also mention me?"

Zhao Duan pretended to be innocent, but in fact he was secretly provoking.

"Slave...slave..."

Big Bingtuozi stammered and was speechless.

For the first time, she lowered her head in front of the bastard she hated.

The empress smiled, but she had no intention of teasing her maid.

She looked at Zhao Duan again, her beautiful eyes full of admiration and praise, as if she had a lot to say.

But in the end, I just sighed:
"I am increasingly doubting my own judgment."

Zhao Duan was surprised: "Why does your Majesty say that?"

The Empress sighed:

"Otherwise, how could the pearl be covered in dust for more than a year?"

No, it’s really not your fault. The one before was indeed a real “pig”… Zhao Duan thought for a moment and said:

"Your Majesty's eyes are on the world, all living beings, and all the people. If you look far ahead, you will naturally tend to ignore the people around you."

The empress was startled, then smiled and joked:

"rhetoric."

Zhao Duan said shamelessly:
"The words 'hua' and 'qiao' are both good words. Your Majesty, I am ashamed to accept your praise for my words."

Bah... shameless... Mo Chou spat in her heart as she lowered her head and drew circles.

I thought:

It’s not your Majesty’s fault for believing in slander; it’s just that the traitor spoke too nicely.

Xu Zhenguan put away his joking thoughts and returned to the topic, his face also became serious:

"The Imperial Court, a position like this actually betrayed the imperial court, and there are two of them at once. The stubbornness, strength, and brutality of the remaining rebel forces are probably beyond our expectations."

"Mochou, you must immediately go to the Censorate, the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Three Judicial Departments to convey my oral instructions, ordering them to try this case and conduct a thorough investigation to uncover more accomplices."

The people involved in the case came from the imperial court.

In order to avoid suspicion, the follow-up of this case must be transferred to the three judicial departments.

Mo Chou responded.

The empress thought for a moment and added:

"You can stop by the imperial court and order Ma Yan to handle the aftermath before entering the palace to see me."

Although Zhao Duan reported this important matter once, Ma Yan would definitely report it a second time.

"Yes." Mo Chou nodded, then turned around and left in a hurry, not wanting to stay in this embarrassing situation for even a second.

"Zhao Duan." The empress said again.

"I'm here." Zhao Duan looked forward to it.

The empress narrowed her eyes and examined him for a moment, then said:
"Please wait in the palace. I will verify your report later and reward you."

What reward... Zhao Duan could still remember that the Empress had promised it to him last time they were in the Emperor's Tower.

If the traitor is found, in addition to his job as a "Ji Si" and the merits in his resume assessment, the empress will also give him an extra reward.

The empress didn't say anything, but just scanned his body carefully from top to bottom with her eyes.

It seemed that he had made some kind of decision, and then said in an incomprehensible way:
"Have you heard of Yijing marrow cleansing?" Seeing that Zhao Duan didn't say anything, she said leisurely:

"Tonight, I will give you a chance to be reborn."

……

……

Just as Zhao Duan and others were in the palace, looking forward to the special rewards in the evening.

The subsequent ripples of this incident also spread outside the palace.

Metropolitan Procuratorate.

In the afternoon, Yuan Li took a nap. When he woke up leisurely, he pushed the door and walked out of the room in the yamen where he rested.

Walking through the patio and courtyard, you can see pavilions and rockery, and a gentle breeze is blowing.

The handsome and elegant Imperial Censor, with a look of vicissitudes in his eyes, walked leisurely in the small garden behind the yamen to clear his mind.

This was his habit, and everyone in the yamen knew it.

Therefore, during this period of time, few people come to disturb unless it is an important matter.

But today is different.

Yuan Li had only taken a few steps when an imperial censor came running out of the small garden:
"Sir, Mo Zhaorong has come from the palace with your Majesty's message. It seems something important has happened."

"Oh?" Yuan Li was slightly surprised.

After Pei Kaizhi's downfall, the dispute between the two parties in the court has become stable. Apart from the minor incident caused by the kid surnamed Zhao in the past two days, there has been no other disturbance.

Why did Mochou come here in person?
A few moments.

Yuan Li saw Mo Chou in the inner hall and said with a smile:

"Zhao Rong doesn't look well today. What happened? She came here to find me."

Mo Chou smiled bitterly: "Mr. Yuan still doesn't know?"

The Censorate was not an intelligence agency, and Yuan Li stayed in the yamen all day long and had no idea what was going on outside.

Mo Chou sighed and said in a complicated tone:

"It was the imperial court... Zhao Duan planned today to trick two traitors out..."

She narrated the events briefly and to the point.

The lady in blue was relaxed at first, then gradually became serious, and then dazed.

Finally, after she finished speaking, Yuan Li stared at her suspiciously:
"You mean, Zhao Duan captured the hidden rebels in the imperial court in just seven days?"

Mo Chou nodded with difficulty:

"Although it has not been verified yet, since it has been reported to the palace, it must be true."

silence.

Inside the hall, the Imperial Censor, who had just woken up from a nap, was a little distracted and suspected that he had not woken up yet.

I clearly judged it would take two months, but Zhao Duan only took seven days.

Like a dream.

……

……

"What? Both rebels have been captured?"

In Baima Prison, Sun Lianying, with gray hair and sunken eye sockets, looked a little surprised and looked at the Jinyi of Lihua Hall who was ordered to come and report.

Qian Kerou said "yes", but seemed reserved because she was unfamiliar with him.

"My master, oh, that is, Zhao Jisi, specially ordered me to report to you."

Sun Lianying sat in a bamboo chair in the backyard, digesting the news. After a long while, he slowly nodded and said:
"How's Ma Yan?"

The new girl Jinyi was at a loss and said weakly:
"The governor is currently in the imperial prison suppressing the criminals to prevent any accidents."

"Okay, got it." Sun Lianying exhaled and said:

"What else did that kid surnamed Zhao say?"

Qian Kerou said straightforwardly:
"My master said that one of his subordinates, Zhu Kui, was suspected to have been killed by the rebels. He has now been taken to the imperial court. Please follow the regulations of the White Horse Prison to properly comfort his family."

Sun Lianying had a slight impression of the ugly old official and nodded when he heard this:

"Go back and tell our family that we know."

After Qian Kerou left, the old eunuch sat alone under the tree. Suddenly, he saw a leaf falling from the tree canopy above his head and landing on his knees.

"People die like leaves falling."

……

……

Tianshi Mansion.

Jin Jian, a girl with a mysterious temperament and wrapped in starlight, who exists in the world as a transparent person, walks with brisk steps.

It turned into a stream of light and arrived at the door of the quiet house in the deepest part.

Two small hands pushed open the brown wooden door, and I saw that under the big banyan tree, the old Taoist priest was resting without closing his eyes, which was a rare occurrence.

Instead, he moved a low table and sat on the floor.

Holding a carving knife in his hand, he was concentrating on carving words on a jade scroll spread out on the table.

"Hey, Master, you are practicing the Heavenly Book."

The girl with fair skin, delicate features and lifeless eyes gradually regained focus and said in surprise.

The successive heads of the Tianshi Temple all had a tradition of compiling books.

It is to record the sect's supreme mindset, understanding of the way of heaven, and practice in written form.

Over thousands of years, the Heavenly Book has been modified by generations, and the number of words that can be added or deleted has become fewer and fewer.

Even though Zhang Yanyi is known as the head of Tianshi Temple throughout the ages, he can still be ranked among the top three.

But the number of times he wrote about the Heavenly Book was very few.

What insights are there that are unprecedented and worthy of Master writing a book?
"Yes," Zhang Yan smiled, put down the carving knife, picked up the jade slip and blew on it, and said:

"Jin Jian'er, take a look. Is this sentence good?"

Jin Jian took a leisurely step, approached and took a look, and whispered:
"Dao Shengyi... Hey, Master, you are so shameless. How come you wrote your name into the heavenly book?"

Jin Jian wrinkled her nose and pointed out shrewdly:
"Sheng Yi... means to derive, so it's Yan Yi."

Zhang Yan was stunned for a moment, then he laughed heartily and shook his head:
"No, I just learned this sentence from a friend of mine."

"Do I recognize him?" Jin Jian wondered:

"How could I not know when Master made friends with you, disciple?"

Zhang Yan smiled without saying anything. The three words "Zhao Duan" came to his mind, but he was not prepared to say them out loud.

However, it was in the sea of ​​​​heart that this name suddenly emerged, and a vague premonition of the mysterious way of heaven arose.

Zhang Yan frowned slightly, and with a little deduction with his fingers, he was surprised to find that the three words "Zhao Duan" were covered with a faint red murderous intent.

"This child... is in trouble?"

(End of this chapter)