The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 67: Three Angers of Zhao Duan

The falling rain moistened the entire capital city, making it look brand new.

Zhao Duan changed into a robe, tucked an oil-paper umbrella under his arm, hurriedly ate a few hot meat buns, and went out alone.

There was not much time left before the meeting time scheduled by the other party, so he couldn't delay.

Since the location written on the letter was not far away and it was a rainy day, he did not choose to ride a horse.

A martial artist in training has strong legs, and even if he walks, he can still arrive at the scheduled time.

"You invited me so suddenly to prevent me from making any other preparations? You even emphasized that we must meet alone... You are such a coward."

Zhao Duan was a little unhappy.

But for the sake of greater achievement, he decided to be magnanimous and not bother with that old man.

In his mind, he reviewed the personal file of Minister Pei:
Pei Kaizhi came from the Pei family, a prominent family in the south of the Yangtze River. His official career could be described in one word: "smooth".

He showed outstanding talents since childhood, and was known as one of the "Four Talents" along with several other local talents.

After he entered officialdom, he was supported and taken care of by his clansmen all the way. He passed through official circles without any danger and was promoted to the position of assistant minister.

If you write a novel with Pei Kaizhi as the protagonist on Qidian, the title of the book will probably be:
《When you are in the officialdom, start speeding up! 》

If he was only a minister, it would be impossible for the empress and Yuan Li to join hands to set up the conspiracy.

The really difficult thing about Pei Kaizhi is the entire Pei family that he relies on.

Dayu had been established for six hundred years, and the local clans had become a major threat.

It is easy to execute a minister, but it is difficult to minimize the consequences.

"As expected, children from upper-class families have speedrunning mode turned on since their mothers were born... I can't compare... But the energy of an old man in educating his children is obviously limited. Today, I will let you have a taste of the feeling of 'bad parenting'."

Zhao Duan walked quickly in the rain, holding an oil-paper umbrella, thinking about the different plans he had made for Pei Kaizhi's character during their upcoming meeting.

Soon, he arrived at the address on the letter, a rather elegant teahouse.

Pei Kaizhi is having breakfast here today and invites him to join us.

However, as soon as Zhao Duan arrived, before he could even go upstairs, he was stopped by a brown-robed servant:
"Envoy Zhao is late."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Duan felt uneasy.

The entrance of the teahouse.

The servant, who was obviously from a prominent family, said politely:
"My master had already had his morning tea. Seeing that the envoy had not arrived yet, he left first and left me here to wait."

Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows. Although there were no watches in this era, ordinary warriors had perception far beyond that of ordinary people.

It can be transported by blood gas pumping and the time can be estimated.

He was sure that he was not late.

But Zhao Duan did not argue with the other party, but asked calmly:
"so?"

The Pei family servant raised his hand politely and pointed to the west side of the long street:
"The master just went to Yaozhitang in the west city to get tonic medicine, and asked me to tell him to meet there instead. Please hurry up and don't waste any more time."

Zhao Duan looked at him deeply, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and nodded:
"it is good."

Having said that, he turned and walked towards the west side of the long street.

The servant watched him disappear into the distance, his eyes filled with contempt.

……

Yaozhitang is a famous large medicine store in Beijing.

Pei Kaizhi is old and has been taking tonic food all year round. He probably wants the old tree to bloom again.

People from Jiangnan clans have a certain obsession with having children, which is probably why they love their children so much.

It's good to care about your family. The most terrifying thing in this world is a person who has no worries and no desires.

Zhao Duan knew exactly how much Pei Kaizhi cared about family affection, so he chose to start with his family.

However, today's meeting is destined to be full of twists and turns.

When Zhao Duan arrived outside Yaozhitang in Xicheng with the help of a warrior, as expected, he saw the brown-clad servants waiting under the eaves.

"Your Excellency is a little late. My master has already taken the medicine. Seeing that you have not arrived, he left early."

Still polite.

These servants of a wealthy family with a rich background have all been carefully trained. Even if they are arrogant in nature and look down on the empress's pretty boys, their appearance is always impeccable.

Scored twice.

Zhao Duan's expression remained the same: "So?"

The servant shook his sleeves and pointed to the south side of the long street:

"The master is taking a day off today. Seeing that it is raining, he went to the Jinjiang River to fish. You can hurry to meet him."

From the teahouse, to the pharmacy, and then to the river bank.

This is obviously some kind of deliberate difficulty.
This is where things get interesting…wanna piss me off?
Zhao Duan narrowed his eyes, but did not get angry. He just nodded:

"understood."

It is ridiculous to pour out your anger on a servant. If you want to beat a dog, you must first beat the owner.

He just memorized the face of the person in front of him and turned away.

After he left, the brown-robed servant shook his head with a look of disdain, thinking that the rumors about the domineering empress's lover were exaggerated.

When faced with real powerful families and nobles, aren't you just going to swallow your anger?
……

Jinjiang Dike is located in the middle section of Hunhe River which runs across the capital city.

Because the land protrudes toward Henei, the terrain is similar to that of Tongliao, with shallow water and abundant fish.

Therefore, it is an undisputed holy place in the fishing circle in Beijing.

However, at first light this morning, servants of the Pei family came aggressively, blocked the best fishing spot, and set the bait in advance.

It made countless fishermen retreat.

When Zhao Duan arrived here, he saw willow trees swaying on the river bank, and the river surface was misty and covered with countless ripples due to the raindrops.

A group of servants wearing straw raincoats stood on the shore like javelins, forming a semicircle.

Relying on his martial arts eyesight, Zhao Duan was sure that there were several martial arts masters among them, and they were undoubtedly guards.

As soon as he appeared, he was locked into several sharp gazes.

What a grand ceremony! Even Yuan Li doesn’t have your kind of presence. She is always surrounded by people when she goes out... Zhao Duan compared Pei Kaizhi and Yuan Li, and the difference was obvious.

"You are here, envoy? My master is waiting for you."

A servant with a sharp gaze stepped forward, his temperament very different from the previous two.

Zhao Duan glanced at him and was about to step forward, but was blocked by him when he raised his hand.

"What do you mean?" Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows.

The warrior servant said calmly, "We still need to search your body."

Body search... I saw that Xu Zhenguan didn't even need a body search. He just washed the natural weapon he brought with him from his mother's womb until it smelled fragrant. You, a mere minister, still need a body search...

Zhao Duan finally smiled.

Well, at this moment, he finally decided on the most radical one from the many alternative plans he had prepared.

He didn't say anything, but just kept walking forward.

A powerful energy within the Qi Hai flows throughout the body, and as the waist and hips move, the body suddenly becomes as heavy as a mountain.

The warrior servant's expression changed slightly, and he also became angry.

The raincoat was blown away by an internal force, and countless crystal raindrops flew out like a scene in a movie that was slowed down countless times.

Under the straw raincoat, the brown clothes "snapped" against the muscular body, and a martial art was stimulated.

Using the warrior's body as a hammer, he hit Zhao Duan head-on.

"Click——"

There was not the expected splendor of the collision of metal and iron.

By the willow trees on the long embankment, the only sound heard in the rain was the sound of bones cracking, accompanied by the dense and silent sound of flesh becoming soft, rotting and sagging.

Where the two men stood, there was a trickle of bright red blood from under the servant's straw raincoat.

Quiet.

Zhao Duan glanced at the guard whose eyes were wide open, full of astonishment and pale, and walked past him without stopping.

"Out of control."

poof...

The warrior guard's knees went weak and he knelt on the ground, covering his chest and abdomen, enduring the pain of broken ribs without making a sound.

The rest of the servants retreated in fear, allowing Zhao Duan to pass through the defense line.

From beginning to end, the oil-paper umbrella held in Zhao Duan's hand only shook slightly.

……

On the river bank.

The lush green grass was stepped on by a pair of valuable boots, causing large amounts of water to accumulate.

Zhao Duan stopped and looked at the old man in front of him, who was wearing a straw raincoat, sitting in a low rattan chair, holding a fishing rod, with his back to him.

The wind blew from the river, causing the thin fishing line to tremble.

Pei Kaizhi snorted coldly: "Back off. If you startle the nest, I will show you how I will deal with you."

These words seemed to be spoken to the servants, but also seemed to be a veiled criticism of someone else.

Behind him, the guard who had been enduring the pain and remained silent staggered to his feet and stumbled away.

Pei Kaizhi then fixed the fishing rod, patted the empty chair beside him, and said with a smile:

"I am an ignorant servant. I am sorry to have made you, Lord Zhao, laugh at me."

Thanks to Yiqijuecheng for the 1500 coins reward support!
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(End of this chapter)