The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 69: The world is dangerous, please start over
"What is your face?"

Beside the Jinjiang River embankment, in the drizzle, Zhao Duan's voice was cold and brutal.

He designed three response postures for this meeting.

A kind of humility. The original owner was a bully and flatterer of the powerful, so it was not surprising.

One that is neither humble nor arrogant, and focuses on stability.

The third, most radical, is to show the original unruly and unruly personality.

After the other party showed his power, he decided on this strategy. A villain who has gained power should not swallow his anger.

This is the most suitable way of playing for the character.

As for whether Pei Kaizhi will be angered and cause the negotiations to collapse?

He believed that given the other party's cunning, their defenses would not be breached.

……

"You know what you're talking about?"

Raindrops hit the bamboo hat, and Pei Kaizhi's face suddenly became gloomy. He narrowed his eyes, and the aura of having been in a superior position for a long time filled the air.

Zhao Duan did not retreat or evade, and responded tit for tat:
"You're old and can't hear clearly? Do you want me to say it again?"

Pei Kaizhi said indifferently:

"It's been years since anyone dared to talk to me like this."

Zhao Duan said quietly:

"You need to understand three things. First, I am in the White Horse Prison and I only obey the orders of the Saint. You can show off in front of the people below, but you can't do that in front of me. I dare to offend Li Yanfu, let alone you?"

"Secondly, I am here to talk to you today, not to beg you. Put away your attitude of giving alms. You must know that within ten steps, a warrior's fist can kill faster than a sword. If you provoke me, I will send you to sink into the river."

"Third, I just talked nonsense with you because of your beautiful daughter. Now, I will also tell you my demands. Lu Liang's life and the benefits you promised are choices made by children. I want them all!"

Hua Hua——

The rain was getting heavier, bubbles were appearing on the surface of the river, and schools of fish were throbbing.

The fishing line on the fishing rod was shaking slightly, but Pei Kaizhi had no time to care about anything else.

This important figure in the "Li Party", a powerful minister with the support of the Huaishui Pei family, was stunned by the threat that was so close.

I realized that I had misjudged something.

Perhaps he has been in the government for too long and too far away from the grassroots, and has forgotten that not everyone is a politician who is well versed in the exchange of interests.

Just like Lu Liang, wasn’t he also proud back then?
The empress's lackey in front of him has not suffered any major setbacks since he came to power.

There is greed, but the blood is still there and the backbone is still strong.

The "carrot and stick" approach is not a panacea. It is very likely that the stick will be hit back and the carrot will be taken away.

Pei Kaizhi was silent for a long time, then said, "Do you think I will agree to your request?"

Zhao Duan smiled.

The other party's words have already shown that this old thief has lost the courage to overturn the table and act on impulse.

"You will agree," Zhao Duan said with a smile:
"I heard that the Minister dotes on his children the most, especially the younger ones, and dotes on them, just like the Fourth Lady back then and Pei Wulang now."

Pei Kaizhi's heart skipped a beat and he realized something was wrong.

He had five children in his life. Pei Wulang was born in his old age and was the most favored.

Zhao Duan sighed softly:
"What a pity! He is not good at educating his children, especially Wulang, who is almost his grandson's age. The minister has no energy to discipline him, and the others are even less brave, so they have developed a domineering and dissolute character."

Pei Kaizhi frowned: "What do you want to say?"

Zhao Duan smiled, stood up, bent down, and took the fishing rod from the old minister.

With one arm and raising his wrist, the expensive fishing rod bent like a bow and the fishing line stretched straight.

The fish struggling at the bottom of the water, creating waves, must be a big one.

"There is a private gambling house in the north of the city. I met Wulang there not long ago. We are like-minded. He was unlucky and lost a lot of money, so he wrote me an IOU..."

Zhao Duan narrated the events slowly and leisurely.

Pei Kaizhi's heart also sank to the bottom of the water little by little.

"So, you are here today to collect a debt," Pei Kaizhi said, his gray beard trembling under his bamboo hat, "Where is the IOU?"

"Oh, you think I would carry it with me?"

Zhao Duan sneered:
"If you want to verify it, you can go back and interrogate Wu Lang, and you will know whether what I said is true or not."

Pei Kaizhi had no expression on his face:
"Do you think you can threaten me with this little mistake?"

"I dare not," Zhao Duan slowly manipulated the fishing rod, sometimes tightening it, sometimes loosening it, so that the fish would be exhausted without falling off the hook:

"How can such a small matter threaten you? At most, they will criticize you for not being a good parent." After a pause, he smiled and said:
“But… it’s not so easy for Wu Lang to get away with it. Gambling is strictly prohibited in this dynasty, especially for officials and their children, who are punished more severely.

If the previous emperor was in power, he might have turned a blind eye and not criticized them harshly, but now it is the empress... The minister also knows that nowadays the imperial court is in a state of panic and everyone is afraid of exposing their weaknesses...

At this time, I handed the slip with my fingerprints on it, and the location, time, and gambling terms written on it to Ma Dugong.

Or simply hand it over to the Censorate... the censors affiliated with the Qingliu Party... guess what will happen?"

Guess? No need to guess!
Those evil wolves and lackeys who racked their brains to show their loyalty to the empress will bite Wulang to death.

Using the laws established by Taizu, they tried every possible way to punish him severely, to make him unhappy, and even imposed the punishment of "cutting off his hands".

And it is impossible for Li Yanfu to mobilize the entire "Li Party" to fight against the Pei family just for a playboy.

Pei Kaizhi's face trembled, and the big fish under the water struggled even harder:
"If you make it public, your gambling will also be made public."

"what!"

Zhao Duan laughed exaggeratedly, not really caring:

"Isn't it normal for a bad person like me? I managed to survive even when Zhuang Xiaocheng ran away, let alone such a small matter?

What's more, I just received a reward from His Majesty a few days ago. How could the Qingliu Party target me?
Even if they impeach me, at worst I will be thrown into Daoxiaolou and put in jail for ten days or half a month, and I will come out a hero again, but Wulang will not be so lucky."

After a pause, he smiled and said:

"Mr. Minister, you don't want your most beloved youngest son to end up with broken arms and legs, stripped of his official position and forced to do hard labor, right?"

Wow!
A burst of white waves exploded, Zhao Duan lifted the fishing rod, and a fat black carp with a red tail was pulled out of the water. It was powerless to shake its tail, but it could not escape.

Pei Kaizhi, who was leaning against a bamboo chair, seemed to have been drained of all his strength. He slumped down, his previous arrogance no longer there.

Zhao Duan's words were like steel nails, piercing his softest spots.

Everyone has weaknesses, and Pei Kaizhi's weakness is his youngest son, who is different from his first three children who were quite talented and whom he personally taught in his early years.

Starting from Si Niang, they were all spoiled, and Wu Lang was even worse.

But the old minister could not accept the option of giving up his youngest son, so he could only give up his son-in-law.

Close your eyes and open them again.

Pei Kaizhi said:
"First, Lu Liang cannot die, at least not in the capital. He can be demoted to a lower position, and Si Niang will divorce him. After that, I will not care whether he lives or dies in the lower position."

"Secondly, I will let the Ministry of Justice handle the matter of Lu Liang. His official robe will be stripped off, but the Pei family will not be implicated."

"Third, forget about the teahouse and the elixirs. Young people have big appetites. Be careful not to eat too much. This is my bottom line."

It turns out to be a fake relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law. The truth will be revealed in times of adversity... Zhao Duan's mouth curled up.

I scooped up the fat old carp and found that its lips were covered with scars. It seemed that it had bitten the hook many times, but each time it broke free.

The old fish has become more sophisticated, but unfortunately, I have a novice protection period.

Zhao Duan laughed and said:

"I also have two requests. First, the person can be arrested by the Ministry of Justice, but I want to participate to prevent you from doing anything wrong."

Pei Kaizhi closed his eyes: "Yes."

"Second, I don't like the two servants who were waiting in the teahouse and the pharmacy. Go back and teach them a lesson for me. Make sure they learn to respect others."

What a vindictive villain... Pei Kaizhi sighed:
"allow."

Zhao Duan dropped his fishing rod, in a good mood: "In that case, I will go back and wait for good news."

"No delivery!"

Zhao Duan turned around and took two steps, then suddenly stopped, smacked his lips, and said:
"And one more thing."

Pei Kaizhi's eyes were cold: "Don't push your luck."

Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"Don't be nervous. I just want to say that fishing this way is too slow."

The words fell.

He suddenly threw a punch through the air at the gray Hunhe River, with a faint glow of light flashing.

"boom!!"

The river exploded into huge waves, and water drops fell from the sky, making Pei Kaizhi's hat rustle.

In mid-air, countless fish that were stunned by the force of the punch fell to the shore, and in the blink of an eye, their bellies turned over.

Zhao Duan tore his raincoat into pieces, opened his umbrella and left. The moment he turned around, his eyes were clear and sharp.

At this point, he had already handed out half of the "knife" he had prepared to kill his opponent, and victory was in sight.

The world is dangerous, please start over, Minister.

Thanks: Yiqijuecheng for his 3000-coin reward! Li Shipu for his 20220618105405889-coin reward, What's the use of having good looks for his -coin reward, for his -coin reward!
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(End of this chapter)