The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 22: Confession to the Empress, and the Strongest Path of Cultivation in the World

“Is it… really like this?”

Xu Zhenguan was stunned and was full of surprise at this explanation.

But if you think about it carefully, it is the most reasonable answer.

Therefore, it was not that Zhao Duan became complacent after his rapid rise to fame, but that he took the initiative to curry favor with others after figuring out his thoughts.

In this way, the bad image in the rumors and the misalignment of her perception both have reasonable explanations.

She even thought about it more:
Why did the White Horse Supervisor favor Zhao Duan? Perhaps it was because of his outstanding talent.

Xu Zhenguan did not question this statement.

This is both logical and because Zhao Duan’s guess is correct.

The reason why she allowed the "scandal" to spread was indeed to use it as bait.

However, this was not done intentionally. There were rumors among the people first. After she got to know about it, she simply went with the flow and made this unnecessary move.

Anyway, with her broad mind, she wouldn't care about those rumors and slander.

Compared with the slander of "killing brother and father", keeping a concubine is nothing.

It was precisely because it was just a casual move and he did not pay too much attention to it that he had a vague impression of Zhao Duan.

But I didn't expect...

……

"You are thoughtful," Xu Zhenguan was silent for a while, the majesty in his eyes diminished, and his gaze softened:
"This will put you in danger."

Zhao Duan is a traitor who appears loyal:
"I will never regret being able to share your majesty's worries."

Xu Zhenguan hesitated for a moment and asked doubtfully:
"If it's as you said, then why did you arrest Zhuang Xiaocheng for the robbery of the imperial yamen? With your wisdom, you shouldn't do such a stupid thing."

Zhao Duan was acting like a drama queen, and said excitedly:

"Because I can't wait any longer! I have been corrupting myself for more than a year, but have not achieved anything. I am very anxious! So I thought, since the villain doesn't take the initiative to find me, then I might as well take the initiative.

So, I bribed the informant in the imperial court to keep an eye on the whereabouts of the rebels, and in the process, I made a huge mistake because I was greedy for merit! "

Here, he deliberately showed strong emotions and took the initiative to expose his shortcomings of "greed for credit" and "recklessness".

The previous operations successfully created a character who is meticulous and has strong action ability.

But based on his past life experience, he knew that leaders don’t actually hate subordinates with shortcomings.

Even if a subordinate is too "perfect" and too meticulous, the leader will be wary and cautious.

At the same time, the defect of "greed for credit" can also cover up logical problems.

After all, the original owner's decision to arrest people was really stupid, and Zhao Duan couldn't explain it.

Then just admit your guilt: I am just eager to make a contribution and want to take the credit, so what?
With the previous year of self-degradation as a prelude, it is not abrupt to make some advances.

Xu Zhenguan did not suspect anything, but just sighed in his heart, feeling a little disappointed.

Standing in her position, at a glance, she could see that there were so many officials pursuing fame, wealth and power and vying for credit.

This young guard is indeed a vulgar person who is greedy for power.

"From a small fry to your current status, are you still not satisfied?" Xu Zhenguan shook his head and said.

Zhao Duan shook his head and said, "I am already satisfied and don't care how much power I have."

Xu Zhenguan asked curiously, "If not for power, then what for?"

Zhao Duan suddenly raised his head slightly rashly, stared at her with a fiery gaze, and said:
"For Your Majesty!"

Haha... flattery... Xu Zhenguan was already immune to ministers showing their loyalty, but Zhao Duan's next words caught her off guard.

I only heard Zhao Duan say loudly:

"Three years ago, on the day of the Xuanmen coup, I was in the midst of the chaos and had the honor of witnessing Your Majesty in a bright red robe, holding a precious sword, like a banished immortal descending to the world. At that moment, Your Majesty's grace was deeply engraved in my heart, and I have been unable to forget it for countless days and nights...

From that time on, my heart belonged to Your Majesty... but due to the huge difference in status, I could only hide my love for you in my heart... until later, Your Majesty did not deny the rumors...

Although I have guessed a little, I can't help but have unrealistic fantasies in my heart... I fantasize that if I can make great contributions and eliminate the traitors for Your Majesty, I may be favored by Your Majesty..."

Xu Zhenguan: ???

At this moment, with Zhao Duan's sudden confession, even the shrewd Queen of Dayu couldn't help but be stunned.

His eyes were evasive and his head was buzzing.

What do you mean?
Didn’t you agree to express your loyalty? Why did you suddenly confess your feelings?

Of course, she would never have thought that this was the last killer weapon Zhao Duan had been thinking hard about last night and preparing for today's defense.

A killer weapon that can perfectly fill all loopholes.

Zhao Duan knew very well that even though he was eloquent, some details and loopholes were still difficult to explain.

For example, Zhao Duan's greed for merit and reckless advance seem somewhat abrupt.

Having defiled himself for the emperor for a year and facing countless slanders, he remained true to his original intention... This is also a bit awkward.

I couldn't help but think about it carefully.

But if we add the word "admiration", it will be different.

First of all, the original owner had indeed been coveting the empress's body from the very beginning, and the reason he tried to grab the credit was that he was indeed anxious and wanted to show himself and win the empress's favor.

These are all facts! Not afraid of investigation!

Secondly, behavior based on "loyalty" seems somewhat unreliable, but if it is based on the logic of bootlicking, it is much more credible.

Imagine:

The original owner was a bootlicker, who was flattered by the empress and immersed in self-admiration. That’s why he took a huge risk, used himself as bait, and bore the infamy... Isn’t that more reasonable?

As for grabbing the credit, haha, isn't it unreasonable for a bootlicker to get carried away and do something stupid on impulse?

Most importantly, Zhao Duan has a profound insight into human nature:
No one would really hate a good-looking person of the opposite sex who is so infatuated with you that he or she would rather give up his or her life for you!
Therefore, he felt that as long as he used this powerful weapon, no matter what the empress did, she would not kill him.

At this moment, when he loudly expressed his admiration, the dignified and elegant Empress Dayu in front of him lost her composure for the first time.

She first turned her head to make sure the door was closed and no one outside could hear it, then she breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately, he looked over with a strange look in his eyes, with a complicated expression: bewildered, stunned, surprised, embarrassed, and in a dilemma...

As one of the rare female emperors in history and a martial arts expert, Xu Zhenguan certainly would not behave like an ordinary woman.

All in all, I can still hold on.

But how to put it... This was the first time in her life that she expressed herself so bluntly.

"Ah, Your Majesty, please forgive me. I lost my temper." Zhao Duan knew when to stop and bowed his head to apologize.

……

long silence.

Xu Zhenguan finally let out a deep breath and said:
"It won't happen again."

At this point, all her doubts were cleared up, and she accepted the fact that her "rumored boyfriend" was a loyal person.

Zhao Duan suppressed the urge to raise the corners of his mouth. He suddenly remembered something and felt it necessary to consolidate the results of the battle.

He said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. By the way, I have something else to report."

"...Just tell me," Xu Zhenguan added, "don't talk nonsense."

Zhao Duan looked serious:
"It's about this rebellious incident. I interrogated the maidservant next to Zhuang Xiaocheng and made an unexpected discovery."

He immediately told the whole story of how he discovered the loophole from Yunxi's mouth, how he connected cause and effect, and his guesses.

Xu Zhenguan didn't care at first, but halfway through, her face became serious. When he finished speaking, she frowned:

"So, you suspect that this is a murder trap set by the Kuangfu Society against Ma Yan?"

Zhao Duan nodded:
"It's just speculation, there is no evidence. Moreover, if the sorcerer is really powerful, it is really a fluke that I can survive."

His words seemed plain, but in fact he was actively giving the Empress the opportunity to fill in the gap that he was not dead.

As expected, Xu Zhenguan shook his head and said:
"You are not worthy of the other party's full force. Just like when you crush an ant to death, you only use the strength you think is enough to crush the ant. Fortunately, you wore a heart guard to prevent the disaster."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Zhao Duan flattered him.

Xu Zhenguan pondered for a moment and said:

"I will think about this matter myself. Let me first tell you about your punishment."

Huh? I've contributed so much and performed so hard, but I still have to be punished? ... Zhao Duan opened his mouth.

Xu Zhenguan seemed to see what he was thinking and said calmly:
"You did a good job on Feng Ju's matter, but you should also know that if I need a knife, I will have it without you delivering it."

"The clue you mentioned about the Kuangfu Society can also be obtained by sending Ma Yan to investigate."

"As for your self-contamination...it has nothing to do with this case."

Zhao Duan restrained his expression, knowing that the empress's words were correct.

These so-called merits can actually be achieved by anyone else, it is not necessary for him to be the only one.

Therefore, his goal from beginning to end was to show that he was "useful".

Xu Zhenguan continued:

"I can protect you this time, but the ministers are complaining. As the Son of Heaven, I must give an explanation to the ministers. Otherwise, I will be accused of being a tyrant and will be known as a despotic ruler."

After a pause, her voice turned majestic:
"So, since you are the one who caused this, you must make up for it. If you can arrest Zhuang Xiaocheng by the end of the year, you will not only be exempted from punishment, but also be rewarded. But if you can't do it... you will be punished according to the Dayu Law!"

So, the death penalty was changed to suspended death penalty?
No, that’s not how “suspended death sentence” is explained…

There is still more than half a year left... Zhao Duan's heart sank, knowing that this was the best result he could achieve at the moment:
"I will bring the thief to justice!"

Thinking in my mind:

Let's get through the current crisis first, at least we can get half a year to catch our breath. After half a year, maybe the situation will change.

Xu Zhenguan said "yes", and seeing that his face was heavy, he suddenly smiled and said:
"I have clear rewards and punishments. Mistakes must be punished, but merits must also be rewarded."

"Tell me, what reward do you want? I can give it to you."

Zhao Duan raised his head, his eyes burning:
"Anything is okay?"

The beautiful lady Xu Zhenguan glanced at him, as if to say, don't be ungrateful.

Zhao Duan did not hesitate and said loudly:
"After this incident, I deeply feel that my strength is low. I beg Your Majesty to grant me the method of cultivation and advancement."

Xu Zhenguan smiled and asked, "Which path of cultivation do you want to take?"

Zhao Duan hesitated and asked, "Tianshi Mansion?"

He was quite interested in sorcerers. Tianshi Mansion and Shenlong Temple were the two major holy places for spiritual practice in Dayu. Most of the high-quality sorcerers came from there, but he didn't want to be a monk.

Xu Zhenguan chuckled and shook his head.

Is that not possible... Have I raised my requirements?
Yes, it’s not that easy to enter the holy land of cultivation (Peking University and Tsinghua University)... What’s more, I am a warrior... Zhao Duan was disappointed.

"The inheritance of the Tianshi Mansion is too poor, so it's better not to practice it."

Xu Zhenguan used the calmest voice to say the most overbearing words:

"Since you are my man, I will allow you to follow the most powerful path of cultivation in this world."

Thanks to book friend Angel 1998 for the -coin support~
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(End of this chapter)