The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 4 The Pillow Will Deliver Itself to Your Door

congratulations.

This is a blessing, but the intention of gloating here is obvious.

Zhao Duan looked indifferent as he looked at the young man who had taken over the hall. His information appeared in his mind:
Zhang Changshuo, also an envoy of the Baima Prison, was his mortal enemy.

Born into a scholarly family, he was a famous talent in the capital with a great reputation, but in the original owner's memory, he was a sanctimonious hypocrite.

The reason why the two became enemies was that Zhang Changshuo had long coveted the empress, and when the latter ascended the throne, he wrote poems and sang praises to her.

Because of his good looks and talent, and because his poems and essays had been praised by the empress, many people believed that he was very likely to become the empress's "lovebirds". However, he was unexpectedly snatched away by Zhao Du'an, a lowly soldier from the imperial guards.

Zhang Changshuo did not give up and remained hostile to the original owner, delusionally wanting to replace him.

Two words can vividly summarize their relationship:
Love rival!

"Sir, Envoy Zhang just came over and said he wanted to wait for you to come back, so I had no choice but to..."

Inside the hall, Zhu Kui, who had a dark complexion and a face full of flesh, hurriedly explained.

Zhang Changshuo looked regretful:
"I heard that Brother Zhao accidentally let a big fish go while hunting down the rebels, and was injured. I hurried over to visit him, and was relieved to see that he was fine."

Are you here to laugh at me... Zhao Duan sat down at the main seat leisurely and said calmly:

"When working for a saint, a few injuries are nothing to worry about."

Zhang Changshuo said "Oh" and said:
"But now that you have gotten into trouble, I'm afraid those knife-wielding devils in the imperial court won't let you go easily."

Zhao Duan took the teacup from his subordinate and said calmly:
"Indeed, when I came out of the palace, I caught a glimpse of that group of people from afar. I think they are going to file a complaint with the emperor."

Then, he said sarcastically:

"However, the Saint is exhausted and may not be willing to see them."

Zhang Changshuo's face was filled with pride:
"You went to see the emperor? What did His Majesty say?"

Zhao Duan drank a sip of tea and then said meaningfully:

"Your Majesty felt exhausted only after seeing me."

The most clever lie is one in which each sentence is true, but when put together they reveal a false fact.

Damn it, what did you do to her?!

Zhang Changshuo's breathing tightened, his eyes turned green, and the joy of gloating was replaced by anger.

But soon, his expression softened and he sneered:
"You can show off your power of words, but it depends on how you end it."

After saying that, he stood up and left in a hurry.

He suspected that Zhao Duan was deceiving him, but had no evidence, so he prepared to send someone to investigate immediately.

……

Watching his rival leave, Zhu Kui, dressed in his official uniform, forced out a flattering smile and praised:
"I have known for a long time that, given the relationship between you and His Majesty, nothing will happen. It's ridiculous that this little guy named Zhang is asking for trouble."

Oh, you're showing your loyalty now? If I fall, you'll probably be a fence-sitter... Zhao Duan complained in his heart, he didn't think that with the original owner's despicable personality, there would be any loyal subordinates.

He smiled and sighed deliberately:

"Your Majesty is merciful, but those people in the court who want to kill me are not good people either. They must be punished."

Zhu Kui was startled, pondered for a moment, and suddenly said:

"Looking for a scapegoat?"

Then his face showed viciousness:
"Don't worry, sir. Leave this matter to me and I will do it perfectly."

...Zhao Duan couldn't stand this kind of villain style, and said in a deep voice:
"Stupid! Do you think the people in the imperial court are blind? Or are all the civil and military officials in the court anti-intellectual? His Majesty has his own arrangements."

He is using the tiger's skin to make a big banner.

If you want to survive, you have to rely on these subordinates.

Therefore, he had to first stabilize people's hearts and make Zhu Kui and others feel that he would not fall, and then they would be loyal to him and work for him.

But it won’t be long before the empress’s ambiguous attitude spreads.

So what Zhao Duan said was a preventive measure.

In this way, even if an accident occurs, Zhu Kui and others will only think that this is the "Empress's plan" and will not think too much about it.

"How is that female rebel named 'Yun Niang' doing now?" Zhao Duan asked.

When the old tutor Zhuang Xiaocheng fled, he was unable to take his unconscious female apprentice with him. Before Zhao Duan entered the palace, he ordered Zhu Kui to imprison her.

Zhu Kui said:

"I have taken this person to the government jail, but her spirit has been impacted by magic and she has not woken up for a while. Your Excellency wants to see her?"

Zhao Duan waved his hand: "No hurry. But remember, don't let others take it away."

Zhu Kui said confidently:

"Don't worry, sir. The government jail is under the direct jurisdiction of the government. The people from the imperial court won't think of overstepping their authority and snatching people from us."

He originally worked in the government office. He was an experienced official with many years of experience and was familiar with the responsibilities and powers of each office.

Zhao Duan said "hmm", and a sword-wielding girl with a righteous look on her face, vowing to die together with him, the evil villain, appeared in front of him in a ruined temple in a bamboo forest.

This is the clue for him to track down the rebels, and he must hold it firmly in his hands.

But judging from his performance, it must be a tough nut to crack. It is unlikely to yield any substantial results in a short period of time, not to mention that he is dizzy.

He needs a more secure opportunity to make meritorious service.

"Oh, right," Zhu Kui suddenly remembered something and took out a letter from his pocket:

"I almost forgot. After I returned to the government office, I received a letter from a servant in Ning'an County. It was for you."

Ning'an County?

In Zhao Duan's mind, the remaining memories of the original owner emerged:

It was rumored that the original owner was the empress's favorite. After his status rose rapidly, all the government offices in the capital had to give him some face, for fear of offending the empress's lover.

People with ulterior motives began to come one after another, offering bribes and asking the original owner to help them with things.

The original owner was cautious at first, but the other party gave him too much... He gradually began to sell the power in his hands and make a lot of money.

Ning'an County Master was the hereditary "Viscount" of the State of Yu. He worked as a "broker" in the capital, introducing "business" to others and taking a commission from it.

Not long ago, the Ning'an County Master came to find the original owner.

It was said that someone was willing to pay money and asked the original owner to help rescue a local official who had committed a crime and was now being held in the Ministry of Justice. He was from a Jiangnan noble family and was exempted from punishment.

The arrogant original owner readily agreed, but because he was focused on catching the rebels, he delayed doing it. Now that several days have passed, I guess...

"Swish." Zhao Duan tore off the sealing wax casually, shook out the letter paper, and glanced at it.

As expected, it was Ning'an County Magistrate who was getting impatient and asked him to attend a banquet tonight and urged him offline.

Another Jiangnan noble family... Someone gave me a pillow when I was sleepy... Zhao Duan curled the corners of his mouth.

It seems that the mess left by the original owner was not all a trap. Now, the opportunity to make a contribution has come to me.

It is extremely difficult for the righteous to achieve merit, but for the villains, it is easy to sell out a teammate and sacrifice him.

"Prepare the car. I need to go out later."

Zhao Duan looked at the green flowers and trees outside the hall, which were dyed with blood-red sunset twilight.

After thinking for a while, he added: "Find two reliable men, and at night..."

……

……

later.

In another duty room of the yamen, Zhang Changshuo sat on a large sandalwood chair, holding a folding fan, listening to the report from the clerk.

"So, the Prime Minister discussed state affairs with the Saint? Did the man surnamed Zhao wait for a long time? Did he only get to see the Saint for a short while? Are those imperial censors in the Censorate already rubbing their hands in preparation, writing memorials to attack Zhao Gou?"

Zhang Changshuo was overjoyed, swung his folding fan, and sneered:
"It's just bluffing!"

Although the empress did not immediately send people to arrest Zhao Duan, she obviously did not show any intention of protecting him.

"It must be that Zhao the dog is begging for mercy, so Your Majesty has not made a decision for a while. But after this incident, the emperor's favor will definitely decrease greatly, and coupled with the impeachment of the court..."

Zhang Changshuo paced excitedly with his eyes flickering, realizing that this was a godsend opportunity to get rid of Zhao Duan.

"What's the situation in Ning'an County?" he asked.

The clerk below reported: "Zhao Duan has ordered the carriage to be prepared. He must be going to the banquet."

"Good!" Zhang Changshuo was overjoyed.

In order to defeat Zhao Duan, he has been keen on collecting negative information about him. Unfortunately, although Zhao Duan is notorious for his debauchery, the things he has done are not serious enough.

Not enough to deliver a fatal blow.

Not long ago, he learned that Ning'an County Master was suspected of having contact with Zhao Du'an, so he sent people to keep an eye on him.

It is a pity that no evidence of the transaction between the two was obtained. The two parties meet again today. If they can obtain solid evidence of Zhao Duan's corruption and break the law and send it to the Censorate, it will be like the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

Zhang Changshuo: "Pass my order, find two reliable men, at night..."

(End of this chapter)