NOVPUB"That bunch of monks are no good, it would be best if they bit each other like dogs and made a big joke out of it!"
Zhao Pan spoke seriously while eating a meat bun.
Zhao Douan teased,
"You haven't even had much contact with them, how do you know they're no good?"
Zhao Pan replied matter-of-factly,
"Who else could want to harm my elder brother but bad people?"
The details of Zhao Douan's assassination attempt were unclear to the family, but they knew it was the Da Jing Master who was behind it.
The attitudes of mother and daughter were very clear, and You Jinhua had burned all Buddhist items in the house that very day.
Still not satisfied, and with great boldness, she went to the Divine Dragon Temple and demanded back the money she had previously donated for incense with the ladies of the Capital...
Zhao Douan was dumbfounded upon learning of this.
However, his attitude as the person concerned was much better.
Especially after the return of Long Shu Bodhisattva and the significant punishment meted out by Abbot Xuan Yin, which he reported to the Empress, he did not express anger but just quietly noted "Da Jing Master" in his little notebook.
...
...
After breakfast, Zhao Douan, wearing only a simple cotton robe, walked to the nearby teahouse.
He listened to a storyteller for a while before hearing the thud of footsteps on the staircase.
Several people ascended.
Three of the four 'Golden Flowers' of Lihua Hall had come all at once today, with only Zheng Laojiu remaining behind.
Hou Renmeng, Shen Juan, and Qian Kerou, three of his capable subordinates, were not in their Jinyi uniforms and carried no weapons but were dressed as servants.
Old Hou and Old Shen were disguised as house protectors and servants, while the secretary Qian Kerou was dressed as a maid.
Their appearances were slightly altered, an easy disguise, and unless one looked closely, even someone familiar might not recognize them.
"My lord—"
After climbing the stairs, their eyes brightened, and they bowed together.
Zhao Douan, sitting at the table cracking sunflower seeds, spat out a seed shell and glanced at them,
"What should you call me today?"
Qian Kerou, her round face flushed, sweetly said, "Young Master."
Zhao Douan smiled with satisfaction, gestured to the empty chairs to invite them to sit, and then asked,
"What about the investigation I asked for?"
The secretary Qian Kerou quickly took out a document and handed it over,
"Young Master, this is information about Princess Wen Zhu's recent movements and activities in the city. According to the information we've gathered, she is going to East City to donate to the common people today."
Zhao Douan brushed off some seed shells from his hands, picked up the document, and began reading.
Princess Wen Zhu!
Another "aunt" of Zhenbao, of the same generation as Princess Yunyang, the late Old Emperor, and Prince Jing.
To be precise, she could also be referred to as the 'Great Elder Princess,' but both official and common folk customarily refer to her as Princess Wen Zhu.
This princess bore some legendary hues, reportedly because her birth mother had offended the then Emperor and was sent to live in seclusion, causing Princess Wen Zhu's status in the palace to plummet, deeply out of favor.
Later, when the ruler of the Western Regions sought her hand in marriage, perhaps the Emperor felt 'out of sight, out of mind,' and simply waved a big hand, sending this inconspicuous, neglected princess away as part of a marriage alliance.
It was said that when Princess Wen Zhu left for her marriage, apart from the customary objects suited for the rites, her only personal possessions were a box of various books on agriculture, craftsmanship, divination, and medicine.
Yet before she even reached the Western Regions, a small country there erupted in an armed coup, and the prince she was to marry was stabbed with a curved blade, severely injured and left disabled.
The moment Princess Wen Zhu set foot on the land of the Western Regions, her status became quite awkward; she could neither return to Great Yu nor establish herself as originally planned.
At this moment, Princess Wen Zhu demonstrated remarkable resilience. 𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑝𝘶𝘣.𝑐𝘰𝘮
She assisted her severely injured 'husband' to stabilize the situation and, later, with her identity as a descendant of the Royal Family, she secured the support of the Dharma King of the Western Regions Ancestral Court and the official army of Great Yu guarding the borders.
She helped her nominal husband secure a foothold and continuously enhanced the tribe's power through the many books she had brought with her.
Over several years, she gradually regained the territories lost during the coup and, by repeatedly helping the people, fostered a 'people-loving' image that increasingly strengthened her reputation in the Western Regions.
Later, even after her sickly husband had passed away, Princess Wen Zhu forcefully maintained her established position.
"That's quite impressive."
After learning about her experiences, Zhao Douan's first reaction was to consider her a strong, authoritative figure similar to Zhenbao.
They all kept a low profile in the early stages, unloved, and then exhibited exceptional talents at critical moments.
Princess Wen Zhu and Zhenbao had experiences that were wonderfully similar and, in fact, although the aunt and niece hadn't spent much time together, they indeed shared a special bond.
However, upon closer examination, Zhao Douan overturned this view.
The persona of Princess Wen Zhu was actually closer to that of a "religious" figure, like a Holy Daughter or Holy Mother.
Though she was not lacking in talent, her character lacked the firm, decisive nature of Zhenbao; instead, she possessed more compassion and empathy.
Her demeanor was also gentler.
Her reputation was significant in the Western Regions mainly due to her "people-friendly" image and some political compromise between the Buddhist community and Great Yu.
Moreover, the so-called "Western Regions" strictly speaking were a collection of tribes, with Princess Wen Zhu's tribe being just the mightiest among many.
The political situation there was far less complex than in Great Yu, cruder and more primitive.
...
"Sir," Qian Kerou, with a round and rosy face, said in the teahouse,
"This princess last returned during the reign of the late emperor. This time her visit to the Capital is officially to discuss next year's trade with the Western Regions. However, I'm afraid courting favor with Your Majesty might be her main aim.
These days, she has also been inquiring about you frequently. Had you not been recuperating at home, you would have already refused all visitors, and I'm afraid these people would still be keen to meet with you."
Zhao Douan flicked his fingers lightly against the papers and threw the documents onto the table, laughing,
"Those who come have ill intentions."
Unlike the intelligence gathered by Lihua Hall, Zhao Douan had mostly stayed indoors these days, refusing visitors and announcing he was nursing a serious injury.
But in fact, he also understood the situation in the palace through White Horse Hall.
The Old Director Sun Lianying told him that Princess Wen Zhu seemed to hold a very negative view of him, believing the Empress had been led astray by his corrupt influence.
It was as if a married aunt returned to her parents' home with the intention of eliminating her niece's undesirable boyfriend...
"Hehe, if the princess has been in the Western Regions for a long time and misunderstands Yu Country's situation, that's still acceptable, but I'm afraid her intentions aren't pure..."
Zhao Douan stroked his chin and said,
"Rather than sitting passively and waiting for her to come to us, we should take the initiative to probe her true intentions."
Hou Renmeng scratched his head vigorously, his expression fierce,
"Sir, do you mean for us to secretly kidnap her? And then..."
Shen Juan shot him a look and said exasperatedly,
"Crude. Can't you think of something other than fighting and killing? Princess Wen Zhu isn't Princess Yunyang; she represents the Western Regions."
Zhao Douan smiled and took out a disguise mask, placed it on his face, and slowly transformed into a new appearance:
"Shen is right, the Jianghu isn't just about fighting and killing. Today we're just going to gather information. If she has misunderstood me, it would be best if we could clear up the misunderstandings in a gentle manner."
What he didn't say was,
If a gentle approach didn't work, then Mr. Zhao would have no choice but to reluctantly use physical means, to make this "aunt" trying to eliminate him come to her senses.
Although...
As the dominant local figure in the Capital, Mr. Zhao had nothing to fear from a princess who had married out.
But as the saying goes, it's not the theft we fear, but the thief lingering on.
"It's no good always being on the defensive."
However, before that, to avoid revealing himself too quickly due to his striking appearance, he decided to assume a different identity during the encounter.
Shortly afterward,
Zhao Douan, disguised, led three confidants dressed as maids and house servants, drove a coach, and the wheels rolled, carving two trails into the snowy ground.
Heading towards the East City.
...
In East City,
Near the orphanage that Zhao Douan had often donated to, a long line had formed today at an intersection.
Hearing the news, impoverished people had gathered in front of the coal shed for winter warmth, trembling in the cold wind as they called out, scooping coal with dustpans.
Not far away, a carriage slowly approached, then, wrapped in a thick cotton gown and devoid of gemstone ornaments, Princess Wen Zhu, flanked by a tall female warrior, stepped down.
——
Making it to 4k chapters, regular updates today. Also, I can't believe my taking a day off triggered so many readers to use their monthly ticket... Indeed, women just can't compare to the brotherhood!
