The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 539: Secret Investigation, Meeting with Zhao Shixiong (6k)

An "attack" that was supposed to be aimed at Zhao Duan was unexpectedly interrupted by a fight between local gangs.

However, only Zhao Duan himself knew that this was not a coincidence.

After getting down from the wall, Zhao Duan passed through the fence gate between the two courtyards and sat down at the Du family's dining table for a "monthly" price of five taels of silver.

The dinner table.

The down-and-out scholar Du Ruhui, his fierce wife Du, Du Shishi, Du Xiaobao and his family of four, plus Zhao Duan, formed a circle.

Perhaps because of the money given, the lively wife Du was all smiles and kept picking up food for Zhao Duan. Her cooking skills were indeed good, and she also asked with concern how he was adapting.

Du Ruhui, a man of ordinary appearance and with a look of depression between his brows, was a man of few words.

Zhao Duan greeted them with a smile and used the incident of the gang fight to inquire about the situation in the city.

"The city is indeed unstable. Some gangs are so bold, which may be related to their connection with the Yunfu Army."

Du Ruhui, who had a beard and looked down and out, explained.

Are the gangs looking for rebels as a protective umbrella behind the scenes? Zhao Duan is well aware of the survival rules of the grassroots gangs.

Just like the Red Flower Society in the capital, they also sought the protection of the noble Marquis Xia Jiang.

"I heard that General Zhao Shixiong is very strict in military discipline. He just lets his subordinates help gangs and make money, so he just leaves it alone?" Zhao Duan wondered.

Du Ruhui seemed to smile:

"So all these dirty deeds of the people below are kept secret from the higher-ups, and General Zhao will not know about them. Besides, who says that the people who support the gangs are from the border troops?"

If they are not border troops...then they are officers from Prince Mu’s Palace?

Or even...some military supervisors?
Zhao Duan's heart moved and he realized that this was useful information.

He continued to ask Du Ruhui for more details in an inquiring manner.

Considering the persona he had created for himself, that of an outsider seeking survival in the city, his desire for this information was reasonable and would not arouse suspicion.

Perhaps Du Ruhui had been cooped up at home for too long, so he opened up and told us a lot of what he knew.

It was not until Du's wife and two children finished eating and left the table that Du Ruhui heard his wife's dissatisfied cough and ended the topic.

It was pitch dark, and candles were lit in the main room.

Du Ruhui was sitting at the table washing his feet when he heard his wife, who was sitting cross-legged on the couch, complaining:
"You told that tenant so much, so that you can show that you know more? He has to pay money to get information from outside. Are you so kind-hearted that you told him for nothing?"

Du Ruhui wiped his feet and suddenly said:

"This man is not a simple person, he is definitely not an ordinary rich kid. His speech, behavior, demeanor and bearing are not revealing, but every time he asks a question, it is to the point.

Be polite to others, but don't get too close...

Alas, it's a pity that it has already been rented. If I had known earlier, I would not have rented it to him, maybe it would have saved me a lot of trouble."

At this moment, the demeanor between the brows of this inconspicuous and down-and-out scholar was extremely unusual.

Du's wife curled her lips, sat on the bed with her hands on her hips and cursed:

"If you don't rent him, why don't you go and earn money to support the family?

Do you think a woman like me is willing to calculate those few coins?

When Zhao Shixiong came, didn't the other officials in the government continue to work well? They received more salaries. Only you, who have no ability at all, were kicked out..."

Du Ruhui remained silent. He did not explain that he was not driven out, but he resigned from his position in the government office before the rebels entered the city just to avoid disaster.

"Yunfu's Prince Mu may seem magnanimous, but he is actually very narrow-minded. He cannot be an emperor. He is serving the rebels today, and he will be punished in the future."

Du Ruhui wiped his feet and whispered:
"I am a husband who wants to be a prime minister. Right now I am just lying in wait for the right opportunity."

No one responded.

When Lao Du turned around, he found that his wife had fallen asleep with her arms around the pillow.

Du Ruhui: ...

……

The courtyard next door.

Zhao Duan pushed open the bedroom door and the room was pitch black.

He first closed the door and lit the oil lamp on the table. The darkness creeped away, and Song Jinxi standing in the corner was like a dark reef exposed on the shore when the tide receded.

He sneaked in without anyone noticing, and waited quietly.

"What's the situation?" Zhao Duan sat calmly at the table, picked up the scissors and picked out the wick, without even looking around.

Song Jinxi, who was wearing a nightgown, said respectfully:

"I have taken control of Yexiangmen and am lurking inside, awaiting your next order."

Zhao Duan said "yes" and said calmly:
"Yexiangmen is a good entry point. It is very convenient to obtain intelligence, but it is not enough. I need you to expand the territory and power of Yexiangmen as soon as possible in the next few days, so as to control the underground forces in the city as quickly as possible."

Song Jinxi was stunned for a moment and said hesitantly:

"But if this happens, we will inevitably have to engage in frequent fighting. Will this attract the attention of the rebel leaders?"

Zhao Duan said calmly:

"Just do it. Remember, what we lack is time. We don't have the time to slowly build an intelligence network and infiltrate. Everything has to be done quickly."

What prompted him to make this decision was the information provided by Du Ruhui.

The rebels in the city can be roughly divided into two factions:
"Border Army System" and "Royal Palace System".

Even within the border army, there are many internal groups of varying sizes.

In order to avoid being held accountable for amassing wealth, news of gang fights at the lower levels will be suppressed, and Zhao Shixiong will not be able to learn about it in the short term.

Just as the emperor can only control the area within ten steps around him, once he is blindfolded and has his ears covered by the ministers in the court, he will lose perception of the outside world.

"Yes." Song Jinxi nodded without hesitation:
"In ten days at most, no, seven days, I am confident that I can control the underground gang."

Zhao Duan nodded and continued:
"While expanding the gang, I want you to use these people's eyes and ears to investigate some people."

"Please tell me, sir, what are they specifically?"

"The activities of the military supervisors headed by Wang Qi, as well as the guards around Wang Qi, are too sensitive. It's best for you to do it yourself." Zhao Duan thought for a moment and said:
"There is also a person named Feng Xiaolian who has been appearing in Yunshao Courtyard recently. He is one of the chief treasurers of Huaiwang Mansion."

Song Jinxi secretly noted: "Anything else?"

"Landlord," Zhao Duan pointed his finger at his forehead.
"Check the landlord I live with, especially Du Ruhui and that Du Shishi. Find out what their background is."

He originally thought that the girl was the most special one in the Du family, but after a conversation at the dinner table tonight, Zhao Duan was surprised to find out.

Du Ruhui, an inconspicuous, almost cowardly, idle man at home, has many ideas in his mind. Although he has not talked about them in detail, what a keen eye Zhao Duan has!
Just from a simple conversation, I realized that this scholar was extraordinary and his talents were by no means comparable to those of a small clerk.

"I understand." Song Jinxi was a little surprised. He didn't expect that such a small family could catch the attention of his master.

"Is there anything else?" Zhao Duan asked suspiciously when he saw that he did not leave.

Song Jinxi reported:

"Nie Yurong sent me a piece of intelligence that your Excellency might need. It happens to be related to the military supervisor Wang Qi."

"Oh?" Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows.

Song Jinxi explained:

"She said that Wang Qi had an ancient charm given by Xu Jingtang for self-defense. She didn't know the specific information, but she only knew that if you want to deal with Wang Qi, don't get within ten feet of him."

Can't get too close?

Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but think of the Qingzhou Heng King he had dealt with. The Red Flame Holy Armor wielded by the other party almost caused him to fail.

Phew… The eight kings and other royal families with deep heritage all have a lot of good stuff hidden in their closets. Now that the war has begun, it is reasonable to take them out and give them to important ministers to protect themselves…

Zhao Duan was alert in his heart. He was not arrogant enough to think that he could do whatever he wanted after entering the middle level of the world.

Especially when it comes to sorcerers...all kinds of strange magic are far more threatening to people than warriors' swords.

Fortunately, there are very few sorcerers in the world, far less than the number of warriors, and most of them are suppressed by the Tianshi Mansion and are unwilling to participate in the war.

The "talismans" that may be used by mortals are not restricted...

"I understand." Zhao Duan thought for a moment and said lightly.

Song Jinxi's figure slowly merged into the darkness, and the window seemed to be blown open by the wind, and then closed again.

The Ouchi killer has disappeared.

……

After watching Song Jinxi leave, Zhao Duan still sat at the round table, staring at the flickering flame of the oil lamp in deep thought.

He was thinking about the information sent by Nie Yurong.

"Don't get close to him? This will almost eliminate the possibility of assassination by a warrior."

"Use sorcerer's methods? The Red Flame Sacred Armor has lost its magic power now. Although I can still try to activate it, its lethality is not enough. Although the Black Turtle Seal can be cast from a long distance, the Water God's magic is not very good at attacking and killing. What's more, I am not good at using these magic tools..."

"Pei Niannu? Ask her to control my body and cast a spell? It seems feasible, but the distance is still not enough... Wang Qi has a group of warriors guarding him..."

Although those on the Martial God path can use the visualized gods to perform some magic, they are not true sorcerers after all.

Zhao Duan is essentially still a warrior, well, the martial arts he masters just have some magical effects attached to them.

Even for a true sorcerer, most of them cannot move too far away when fighting with others. Just like Yu Xiu, although she can control the flying sword, the farther the person is from the flying sword, the weaker the lethality.

"Considering that Wang Qi might be fishing, the danger of assassinating him is definitely not small. I can't take the risk easily... Perhaps, I can ask for advice from the cheap beautiful master..."

Zhao Duan did not forget that it was from Pei Niannu that he learned the method of summoning the water god last time.

He immediately tried to visualize, and after a while, the flames on the table flickered, and an illusory figure wearing a bright red wedding dress and a dark golden mask on the face emerged.

Pei Niannu sat across from the round table, staring at him impatiently with cold eyes:
"What's going on..."

She seemed annoyed with me. Yes, since I came into this world, I started to take advantage of her for free and never told her any stories again... Zhao Duan expressed his needs seriously.

Pei Niannu said coldly: "It has nothing to do with... me."

After saying this, she faded away little by little and disappeared.

Zhao Duan was stunned, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. After spending so much time together, he easily understood what the sorceress meant:
As a "portable grandmother", Pei Niannu will respond to the call and protect Zhao Duan when he is in danger.

She would also make an exception and give some answers at rare moments, such as the last time when she saved the people and prevented the disaster of burning the city. But other than that, she would not provide any additional help.

Assassinating someone...is clearly not in the realm of helping.

But Zhao Duan couldn't force her. The "senior" he imagined had a certain self-awareness. Just as Zhao Duan had tried to ask Pei Niannu about her relationship with Dayu Taizu and some secrets of the past.

But Pei Niannu always refused to answer.

"...Senior, if it really doesn't work, I am willing to read you three chapters of the vernacular novel as a reward. How about that?... Five chapters? Ten chapters?..."

Zhao Duan did not give up and tried to lure her with benefits, but Pei Niannu seemed to have frozen and ignored him.

Is he really angry? Or is the story I told not interesting enough? Zhao Duan was shocked and felt anxious.

The bribery that had always worked in the past was no longer effective!
"But it doesn't matter. If you don't answer now, your younger self might not answer!"

Zhao Duan muttered, stood up and returned to the bed, threw himself on the bed, breathed in and out, and entered "The Great Dream Scroll".

……

In a trance, Zhao Duan appeared in a temple in the mountains.

It is also night in the Great Dream Scroll, and the sky is dotted with stars. This is the sky at the end of the Qi Dynasty six hundred years ago in the scroll.

"Crackling."

Zhao Duan sat cross-legged in front of a bonfire and opened his eyes. He now looked like a young man, wearing a plain Taoist robe and a Taoist bun.

The flames spread from in front of his eyes, illuminating the dilapidated temples around him, and then quickly disappeared into the darkness outside.

This place was six hundred years ago, in a forest roughly corresponding to the present-day Xiping Road.

In the past two months, Zhao Duan has been traveling around the world in his dreams as a small town boy, following the young Pei Niannu.

Along the way, I got to know the local customs and people, and also saw many martial arts sects that had long disappeared in history.

For example, Zoroastrianism is one of them.

However, at the current point in time, Master Zhao Duan and his apprentice have already left the Zoroastrianism's territory and continue to travel the world to gain experience.

At this point in time, Pei Niannu also had the strength of the secular realm. Although he was not in the first echelon in the martial arts world, his status was not low.

As her disciple, Zhao Duan also learned some of Pei Niannu's past.

such as:

When she was young, she had fought against the evil sorcerers together with a group of like-minded friends. Well, the evil sorcerers of this era were very powerful, much more powerful than six hundred years later.

Later, everyone was injured and disbanded to return home, but Pei Niannu continued to grow.

Now, having become a great person in the world, she visits the residences of her former companions one by one. However, those who had traveled with her in the past have either retired from the world or simply died.

kindness……

This journey is somewhat like "The Burial of Flillian"...

At this moment, footsteps were heard outside the ruined temple, and the figure of a female warrior wearing a silver mask and a cloak emerged from the darkness.

Hmm... Fulinu is back... Zhao Duan was shocked and stood up to greet her:

"Master."

"Well," the young Pei Niannu threw a small animal he had hunted on the ground and said lightly:
"I'm hungry. Let me roast it and eat it."

Then he sat aside and waited for the meal to be served.

Zhao Duan sighed softly, handled the ingredients skillfully, and said:

"Master, is there a way for a warrior to kill a sorcerer from a far enough distance?"

Then, he told the enemy about the many powers he possessed in reality and the general situation of the enemy.

This kind of question is very abrupt, but Zhao Duan has already discovered that although Pei Niannu in "The Great Dream Scroll" seems to be wise, in fact, he is not a "living person", and is not much different from Lao Xu in "The Picture of the God of War".

It's just an NPC... Therefore, even if there is such a strange conversation, the other party will not "become suspicious".

The only one who truly looks like a living person is Pei Niannu hidden in the "Six Chapter Sutra", there is no other.

Sure enough, after hearing his question, Pei Niannu [Silver Armor Version] thought for a moment, suddenly stood up, and walked out of the temple again.

But this time she didn't go far, but came back quickly with some bamboos.

Bamboo? Zhao Duan thought thoughtfully.

……

On the same night, the lights in Yunshao Court were on. The military supervisor Wang Qi was exhausted and returned to the barracks in a carriage.

Arriving at his residence in the military camp, Wang Qi, who was originally drunk, pot-bellied, and known for his lust, suddenly looked clear.

As if he was not drunk at all, he sat down at the desk and began to look through the memorials sent by dozens of other "military supervisors" in the army.

This is his daily job, and everything went smoothly today.

"Tell your men to be more alert recently. The imperial court seems to be taking no action now, but since Xue Shence has returned to the east, Zhao Duan will definitely not sit idly by and may try to contain us."

Wang Qi said calmly.

A military supervisor who came to report in the room was worried:
"Sir, are you worried that the other party will come to assassinate you?"

Wang Qi said in a deep voice:
"Zhao Duan is quite treacherous, and he has several worldly realm masters under his command. We must be on guard. However, I hope he sends someone to assassinate me. If he dares to do it, I will make sure he never returns."

While he was speaking, an old blue and white porcelain bowl the size of a palm appeared in the hand of the portly military supervisor.

There were red talisman characters on the bottom of the porcelain bowl, and there was a pool of clear water in the bowl.

But no matter how the porcelain bowl was shaken, or even turned upside down, the water in the bowl never spilled.

……

……

In the next few days, some subtle changes took place in Yongjia City.

The changes occurred in the Lower City District. At first, the Hongluo Gang had several fights with the Yexiang Sect in a bid to seize territory. However, the result was surprising: the Yexiang Sect gained the upper hand and in turn swallowed up a lot of Hongluo Gang's territory and members.

And this is just the beginning.

Next, the Yexiang Sect, which had gained great power, once again fought with the gang "Yinwajiangxing".

This gang was originally composed of a group of craftsmen who specialized in repairing houses. It was an old force. After the rebels entered the city, they forcibly recruited a large number of them to build fortifications, so it declined a lot.

As a result, it was soon swallowed up by Yexiangmen.

In less than a few days, the power of Yexiang Sect doubled, shocking everyone. More gangs also became nervous and began to form secret alliances to curb the unnecessary expansion of Yexiang Sect.

"We can't let this gang continue to expand, or we'll lose the rest of our territory." The leader of the Hongluo Gang slammed the table and ordered his men to ask for help from the rebel backers behind them.

The result was just a basin of cold water:
The rebels' backers were unwilling to send troops to suppress the rebellion, apparently fearing that mobilizing troops would attract Zhao Shixiong's attention.

After receiving the news, Song Jinxi became more and more bold. In less than seven days, he used the gang's manpower to spread spies throughout the city.

Obtained a lot of information.

In the rented room.

"Sir, there is no problem with Feng Xiaolian. Her identity has been confirmed. She is undoubtedly a member of the Huai Palace and has a high status in the Huai Palace. Her current public identity in the city is that she is the shopkeeper who manages the properties under the Huai Palace."

Song Jinxi reported:

"The Du family has also investigated and found nothing special. That Du must be a wild sorcerer in the martial arts world. It's nothing surprising.

Du Ruhui was not special either. The only thing worth noting was that he had found an excuse to resign from his position in the government office long before the rebels entered the Huai River, and also cut off many of his connections. Later, when the rebels entered the city and recruited many people to work, he avoided them all. "

Are you so cowardly? Being able to decisively abandon the iron rice bowl when the situation is not clear at all, this kind of courage and foresight is lacking in many officials of high rank... Zhao Duan nodded:

"anything else?"

Song Jinxi handed him a thick stack of manuscripts:
"This is all the intelligence we investigated about the military supervisors in the city. Wang Qi's is at the top. Sir, there is something wrong with this Wang Qi. He is too high-profile. I don't know if he is fearless or deliberately trying to attract our attention."

Zhao Duan looked through the information, only kept Wang Qi's, threw the rest back, and said calmly:

"Notify the shadow guards in the city to cooperate with me tonight. Select at least five military supervisors here and try to assassinate them."

Song Jinxi responded with a smile:

"Don't worry, sir. I am best at killing people. If Wang Qi is handed over to me, no matter how careful he is, I am confident that I can eliminate him."

"No need, just do your job well." Zhao Duan waved his hand and sent the person away. He read the information again several times and then burned all the papers.

……

Yunshao Courtyard.

"Master Dong Ping is here?"

When Zhao Duan entered the brothel lobby again, he was discovered by Feng Xiaolian among the women.

The big shopkeeper, dressed in green and dressed like a gangster, was drunk, surrounded by women, and had several "strawberry marks" on his face.

The women around him were all smiling, not compromising at all, as if being with him was a rare joy.

This is a man who will make women willing to accompany him, even for free.

Feng Xiaolian's eyes lit up, and she smiled and called Zhao Duan over. After exchanging a few words, she sent the other person away on the pretext of quiet time.

"Does the governor have anything to tell you?" Feng Xiaolian asked with a smile.

Zhao Duan glanced around, confirmed that no one was paying attention, and whispered:
"I want to talk to Zhao Shixiong and need an intermediary to introduce me."

Feng Xiaolian was startled, her eyes changed, and the smile on her face faded a little:
"The Governor is serious?"

Zhao Duan glanced at him and said, "With my status, would I be so bored as to make fun of you?"

Feng Xiaolian pondered for a moment and said, "Zhao Shixiong will not see you."

Zhao Duan picked up the wine glass and took a sip, then said calmly:
"I will not go to see him either. I will just hand him a letter."

Is it just sending letters and communicating through text? Feng Xiaolian breathed a sigh of relief, thought for a moment, and said:

"What the governor wants should be a private message. He certainly doesn't want too many people to know about it. Well... we can start with Zhao Shixiong's wife Gongsun.

I can find someone to deliver the letter to Gongsun, who will then pass it on to Zhao Shixiong, but this will take time to prepare, at least three days."

(End of this chapter)