The Empress's First Running Dog

Chapter 98: One by one
The distance from Zhaoya to Baima Prison is not long.

His colleagues in the prison were already accustomed to his frequent back-and-forth and two-timing behavior, but the number of people who came up to say hello to him dropped sharply.

There was more awe in the look he gave Zhao Duan.

Zhao Duan himself did not realize that after becoming a law enforcement officer and commanding a gang with dozens of men, his temperament had changed slightly in just a few days.

Even a casual glance is tinged with a hint of majesty.

Common name: Guanwei

"Environment changes people. For example, the classmates I knew in my previous life were all happy and cheerful in school, but after they came ashore and put on police uniforms, they became like a different person..."

"Well, after he got off his horse and put on his prisoner uniform, he seemed like a different person..."

Zhao Duan was filled with emotion and reflected silently:

Not pleased, not to have compassion.

After returning to the hall, he immediately took up his brush and drafted an "application letter".

To be on the safe side, he did not fully trust anyone in the imperial court.

Therefore, after he tricked Ma Yan into making the open "Ghost-Slaying Sword", he also needed to find a hidden sword to restrain Ma Yan.

But there are not many people who are capable of providing help and are trustworthy.

The old supervisor is one.

As the pen was moving, Zhao Duan put down the pen, picked up the paper, blew on it, folded it and walked out.

Outside the duty room, Zhu Kui happened to come over and was surprised when he saw this:

"My Lord, what letter do you want to send? Please give it to me. I won't bother you to condescend to me."

As he was about to take it, Zhao Duan stepped aside and waved his hand, saying:
"No need, you are busy with your business."

After saying that, he walked straight towards the back yamen.

Old Zhu, with a flattering smile on his face, stood there in a daze, his hands suspended in the air, silent for a long time.

……

"You want a bodyguard again?"

In the back court, an old eunuch with gray hair and wearing a loose official robe withdrew his eyes from the "application letter".

He frowned and said unhappily:
"What are you doing? You've only been at the imperial court for a few days, but you've already caused all the civil and military officials to get into trouble. Your Majesty should save yourself some worry."

Old Sun said he was tired.

I even felt a little regretful. Why did I push this kid from one extreme of idleness to the other extreme of making trouble all day long...

Zhao Duan did not smile, but said seriously:
"This time it's a serious matter, I need an expert."

Seeing his serious tone, the old supervisor also sat up straighter:
"How high of an expert do you need to be?"

Zhao Duan said without hesitation:

"At least we have to be able to subdue Ma Dugong."

The old supervisor's wrinkled face trembled, and he said in a deep voice:
"Do you want to subdue the warriors in the 'world', or to subdue Ma Yan?"

This sentence sounded strange at first, but Zhao Duan understood it. He was a little surprised:
"Is Ma Dugong a warrior in the secular realm?"

Mortal, divine, worldly, the world, and human immortal... the five major realms of martial arts. The wild sorcerer who rescued Zhuang Xiaocheng from thousands of miles away was in the "worldly".

Seeing that the old supervisor was too lazy to answer, Zhao Duan said:
"I want a master who can overpower Ma Yan."

silence!

The old supervisor was slightly moved. He interpreted the dense information from this answer:

"you……"

Zhao Duan explained with a smile:

"You don't have to think too much, my lord. Just be prepared in case of an emergency."

The old supervisor heaved a sigh of relief and said:

"When do you want to use it?"

"Tomorrow. Well... If possible, it would be best if you arrive at my house before dawn, hide in the dark and don't show up, just follow me... You need to be good at hiding your presence and not be discovered."

At this point, he suddenly remembered Jin Jian, who liked to hide and peek at people taking a bath, and said:
"Priest Jin Jian..."

The old supervisor shook his head:
"It's not safe enough. You can go ahead. Our family will make proper arrangements for you."

After a pause, he added: "And the news won't leak out."

The nonchalant tone of voice sounded as if a powerful person in the world would come at any time.

……

Two things happened in the imperial court that day.

First, the governor issued an inexplicable order, placing all eight halls under house arrest tomorrow and requiring the chief officer of the police department to stay at home and not step out of the house without permission.

Secondly, according to gossip, all the staff of Lihuatang are ready and sharpening their knives, as if they have a mission to go out tomorrow, which is suspected to be related to the rebels.

The combination of the two messages makes people think a lot.

But Zhao Duan, who was at the center of the vortex, disappeared again.

night.

In the dining room of Zhao’s house.

The family of three ate quietly. Eugene Hua took small sips of her chopsticks and glanced at her stepson from time to time.

"Aunt, please tell me what you want to say."

Zhao Duan held the spoon and scooped up a piece of tofu covered in soup.

The main dish on the table tonight is "Carp Stewed with Tofu", which was cooked by Eugene Hua herself and is one of her specialties.

Since Eugene Hua annoyed him by talking too much during meals a few days ago, his stepmother has been much quieter during meals these past two days.

Eugene Hua was as if she had been pardoned, and could not help but say:
"I just want to ask if Dalang has been doing well in the new government office recently... I also heard some gossip at home. It is said that Dalang has arrested many officials and offended Princess Yunyang."

Eugene Hua is a timid and weak person who only cares about the safety of her family.

"It's okay, they're all small matters."

Zhao Duan took a bite of the tofu cooked by his stepmother. It was soft, tender and juicy.

"Mom, I told you, don't worry about him," Zhao Pan said with a straight face, as if he had seen through this guy.
"He's lucky that he doesn't provoke others." "Haha, not bad, my sister still understands me." Zhao Duan stood up, put down his chopsticks, and threw the remaining half bowl of fish soup and rice to her:
"For your reward."

After saying that, he turned around and yawned and walked away. He wanted to conserve his energy.

Only Zhao Pan's palm-sized face was left red with anger, and his hand holding the chopsticks was so tight that the knuckles turned white.

This guy really thinks he is just a leftover!

……

Silent all night.

It was early in the morning and the air was slightly chilly. After Zhao Duan walked out of his house, he looked around with the perception of a warrior.

He did not notice the presence of the "bodyguard" and called out twice, but no one answered.

"Have the people arranged by Lao Sun arrived yet... Do all masters like to pretend to be profound?"

Zhao Duan had no choice but to believe him for once.

Alone, walking towards the Jinjiang embankment.

It is cloudy today, the sky is gloomy and there is no Pei Kaizhi on the Jinjiang River embankment.

When the fishermen from the capital arrived together, they were shocked to find that among the weeping willows shaded by the long embankment, there were fully armed and murderous officials in brocade clothes standing.

"grown ups!"

When Zhao Duan arrived, the four subordinates who had been waiting for a long time bowed and saluted.

Today, the four of them were all wearing soft armor, carrying powerful crossbows, covered with heart protection mirrors, and wearing long swords, which made people intimidated.

"Haha, don't be nervous. We may not need you today, but you have to perform well." Zhao Duan smiled to ease the tension of his subordinates.

Then he asked, "Where is the governor?"

Qian Kerou pointed to the carriage that was prepared in the distance.

Zhao Duan went there happily, and when he lifted the curtain of the carriage, he saw the eunuch with a cold and thin face, sitting with his eyes closed, who was stern and unsmiling.

"You're here." Ma Yan opened his eyelids and said calmly.

"I'm here." Zhao Duan's tone was deep, as if two long-established rivals in the martial arts world met by the river after decades.

"Then why are you wasting time? Where are we going to catch him? Why don't you get in the car?" Ma Yan said unhappily.

You've ruined the good atmosphere, what a letdown... Zhao Duan complained in his heart, got into the car, and waited for the curtain to be lowered.

The carriage immediately drove away, and the men in brocade clothes from Lihua Hall surrounded it on both sides.

inside the carriage.

Ma Yan looked gloomy and asked suspiciously, "What on earth are you doing?"

He had sensed something was amiss. If he was making a normal arrest, he should have done so quickly, riding a fast horse.

Zhao Duan smiled and took out a small bamboo table and a plate of fresh fruits from the secret compartment of the carriage:
"Brother, don't be impatient. Eat some fruits to calm your temper."

Ma Yan stared at him expressionlessly.

Zhao Duan sighed helplessly and said:
“Things have not been settled yet, so some things cannot be revealed. If you believe me, please sit still in the carriage.

No matter what you hear or see later, don't be surprised or make any noise. Just remember one thing: you can only show up when I call you out."

Ma Yan remained silent and closed his eyes, which meant he agreed.

……

……

Zhang Han woke up very early today.

It's not special. As a martial artist in the Shenzhang realm who is proficient in swordsmanship, he has the habit of practicing sword every morning.

The training of a warrior is much more difficult than that of a sorcerer. One must not slack off. If one slacks off for one day, it will take three days to make up for it.

As the chief of the Mudantang Police Department, he was well-known as the "King of Papers" in the imperial court and the number one person under the governor.

He had a strict schedule. No matter how late he slept the night before, he would wake up at dawn, breathe in and out to nourish his energy, and practice swordplay in the courtyard.

Wait until the morning light, take a bath, have a meal, and then arrive at the yamen to report for duty.

Rain or shine.

But today, after finishing his meal, Zhang Han sat in the hall and began to daydream.

The governor's house arrest order issued yesterday caused an uproar among the eight detectives. Combined with the unusual movements at Lihua Hall, Zhang Han already had some guesses.

I also had a vague feeling that something big was going to happen today.

"Master, Master!" Suddenly, the Zhang family's doorman rushed in and shouted:
"There's a group of officials from the imperial court outside."

Zhang Han, who was sitting in the hall with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes.

His ears moved slightly, and he could clearly distinguish the number of people from the sound of horse hooves outside the yard.

He even imagined in his mind that the team of police officers were divided into several teams, surrounding and blocking the path to his house.

"Master, soldiers have come in from the back door, and they look ferocious!" The cook also ran over in panic.

These servants could not tell which gang the officials belonged to.

But as a human being, we can easily tell that the other party is not a good person.

Beside Zhang Han, a heavy "seven-foot sword" lying horizontally on the mahogany table was suddenly unsheathed!
As the Qi flowed, the hilt of the sword was passed into the hands of the master.

The Peony Hall Master, who was about thirty or forty years old, with an imposing appearance, fair complexion, and a somewhat expressionless face, stood up and walked out of the hall step by step.

He could clearly see archers leaping up from the walls surrounding the courtyard, aiming their cold arrows at his body.

"boom!"

The gate was split open, and the devils of Lihua Hall filed in one after another. Leading them was his former subordinate, Hou Renmeng.

"Sir! The man named Zhang didn't run away!"

Hou Renmeng grinned, his muscles tense and extremely alert. Facing his former superior, he was well aware of the gap between them.

Zhang Han glanced at him, then looked past him to the man in the black Jisi robe behind the crowd that was parting like waves.

Zhao Duan walked over leisurely, stopped a few feet away, and said with a smile:
"Master Zhang, we meet again."

(End of this chapter)