Legend of Zhan Zhao

Chapter 56: Arrangement of Official Attire

"Master! Master!"

In the meditation room of Guanyin Temple at Daxiangguo Temple, Jiewen, who was eating vegetarian rice dumplings, smiled and shook his head as he heard his disciple Dinghai calling from afar: "Still can't hold back!"

Cultivating one's mind is not only a Buddhist or Taoist practice, but also an essential step for any martial artist.

Younger martial artists, due to their lack of knowledge and experience, often find it more difficult to calm their minds, let alone engage in true spiritual cultivation.

Of all the people Jiewen has seen so far, only his junior brother Zhan Zhao is so mature that he doesn't seem like a fifteen-year-old boy at all, yet he is not old-fashioned and still has the passion of a young man.

That's truly remarkable.

However, such talents are rare and hard to come by. He didn't expect his disciple Dinghai to be like Zhan Zhao; he just hoped he would grow up well.

So Jiewen picked up the corn cake, flicked his finger, and with a whoosh, Dinghai, who had just entered the room, caught it accurately in his mouth, making muffled noises and waving his arms and legs excitedly.

Jiewen said calmly, "To remain undisturbed amidst a myriad of thoughts, and to maintain awareness amidst the chaos of the world, disciple, your understanding is still shallow!"

Dinghai gulped down the cake, straightened his neck, and exclaimed joyfully, "Junior Uncle has become a divine constable of the Six Doors!"

Jie Wen's hand trembled, and the rice dumpling almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, he was highly skilled in martial arts and stopped himself in an instant. However, he subconsciously stood up and said, "What did you say? The Six Doors dare to snatch people from our Great Xiangguo Temple?"

Furious.

Absolute rage.

"No! It's not kidnapping!"

Dinghai explained, "Before Su Wuqing disappeared, he left a secret order, which instructed Junior Uncle to temporarily take over the position of Divine Constable. Junior Uncle was initially unwilling, but the Six Doors pleaded with him repeatedly, and out of consideration for the code of chivalry, he finally agreed."

"I see."

After hearing his disciple's explanation, Jiewen's expression softened: "Temporarily?"

He pondered for a moment, and a smile slowly reappeared on his round face: "The Six Doors even planted spies in my Great Xiangguo Temple! Who would have thought that they would end up inviting my monks to be divine constables, hahaha!"

She simply couldn't suppress her smile.

The poisoning incident during the morning class was carried out by Ding Jue, a hidden agent of the Six Doors. Regardless of the motive, random poisoning is truly terrifying. Everyone's life was in danger, yet we couldn't turn against the Six Doors. Thinking back on it always leaves me feeling resentful!

Now, the Six Doors have actually invited Zhan Zhao over.

That's truly the most triumphant way to retaliate!
With such talent, why worry about the prosperity of the Great Xiangguo Temple?
"My master has such excellent judgment!"

"It was definitely the right thing to do to listen to Master!"

Seeing that Jiewen lacked the ability to remain calm amidst a myriad of thoughts, Dinghai hesitated, but ultimately didn't dare to speak up. He only stammered, "Master, Junior Uncle asked me to go and help, but I've never been to the Six Doors before..."

Jie Wen immediately asked, "Junior Brother, how many men are you sending to the Six Doors?"

Dinghai said, "It was me, my senior brother Dingyi, and Chen Xiuhan from the monks' quarters."

"Only three people?"

Jie Wen was surprised again: "Could it be that Junior Brother has already developed a certain method of controlling the Six Doors?"

How can a leader who is parachuted in like this carry out his work without a group of trusted confidants?
While Daxiangguo Temple may appear to be a Buddhist temple, it is actually well-versed in secular affairs and can easily send dozens of people with it if it really needs to.

Of course, that would certainly provoke resistance from the Six Doors and make it difficult to reorganize their subordinates.

After a moment's thought, Jiewen immediately made a decision: "The three of you will go to the Six Doors and follow your junior uncle's instructions carefully. Also, pass on the message to him that if reinforcements are needed, the monks of our temple will be ready to respond at any time!"

……

at the same time.

The inner palace.

Guo Huaiji hurried along and arrived at the back garden.

From afar, one could see the Empress Dowager feeding the fish by the pond, while the fish food box was silently opened and closed in the palm of her godfather, Guo Huai.

The Empress Dowager lightly flicked a few scarlet bait pellets with her fingertips, and suddenly heard a splash on the water's surface—

Dozens of colorful fish surged and fought for food, churning together in the dark, icy water to form a stunningly beautiful peony.

“In this kind of winter, even koi have to put in the effort to find food!” Guo Huai’s eyes crinkled with a smile.

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly and slowly sprinkled the bait.

Her skirt reflected on the water's surface, its shadows overlapping with the algae and duckweed at the bottom of the pond, creating varying depths of reflection, much like the complex and unpredictable events that had unfolded in the court during the years she had ruled from behind the curtain.

Guo Huaiji dared not look any longer and stood silently.

He knew very well that his godfather, with his keen senses, must have already noticed his arrival.

Sure enough, familiar footsteps soon approached, and Guo Huai came up to him: "What is it?"

Guo Huaiji reported: "Su Wuqing has gone missing. Zhan Zhao will temporarily assume the position of the Six Doors' Divine Constable."

"what?"

When Guo Huai saw his capable adopted son rushing over, he knew something unusual was going on, but upon hearing this, he couldn't help but be taken aback: "What's going on? Tell me in detail!"

After hearing the whole story, Guo Huai narrowed his eyes: "As one of the Four Great Constables, Su Wuqing is not comparable to the other three. Who exactly is 'Zhong Kui' that he was able to kidnap him?"

He paused, then, unusually, raised the corners of his mouth: "This young friend Zhan is truly unexpected! He's temporarily taking over the position of Divine Constable. Even if Su Wuqing trusts him, he still has to keep those constables from the Six Doors in check. He's really remarkable!"

Guo Huaiji said cautiously, "Godfather, about this matter..."

"Su Wuqing made this arrangement because he must know that we entrusted our young friend Zhan with the investigation. Even if this acting detective is against the laws of the court, we will still make it happen, because it is a good thing for the Imperial City Guard!"

Guo Huai said calmly, "I'll go and inform the Empress right away. You wait here."

When he returned to the bridge, he succinctly reported what had happened. Sure enough, the Empress Dowager stopped her leisurely fish-feeding routine and exclaimed in surprise, "This Zhan Zhao, at such a young age, actually has such abilities?"

Guo Huai lowered his eyes and smiled faintly: "With the Empress Dowager's wisdom and enlightenment, the nation naturally produces many outstanding talents."

"Did you come from the Daxiangguo Temple?"

The Empress Dowager smiled and twirled her prayer beads: "Summon him to the palace tomorrow so I can meet him."

Daxiangguo Temple was a place where the Empress Dowager often went to burn incense and pray for blessings. Although this number one temple in the world did not completely side with the Empress Dowager, it was still close to her.

In comparison, the relationship between the Six Doors and the Eighth Prince is very close. The Eighth Prince's adopted son is one of the Four Great Constables, and Zheng Guowei, the "Divine Marquis" above the Four Great Constables, is also a close friend of the Eighth Prince. Both of them have gifts bestowed by the late emperor.

Of course, this does not mean that the Empress Dowager and the Eighth Prince were enemies in the court.

Rather, it is because the current emperor is the biological son of the Eighth Prince.

in this way.

The Eighth Prince, who was entrusted with the care of the young emperor by the late emperor, could not become the retired emperor overnight, but he had a very special status in the court and occupied the title of filial piety.

It should be noted that the reason why the Empress Dowager was able to rule from behind the curtain and wield power was precisely because of her filial piety.

Now that she has someone on par with her, or even someone with a more convenient identity, even if they are not outwardly hostile, it is enough to make her wary.

"Guo Huai, you always put my mind at ease when it comes to handling affairs and choosing people!"

Facing the Empress Dowager, Guo Huaiji dared not look at her, and Guo Huai did not need to look at her with his eyes, thus concealing the tenderness beneath his extreme loyalty: "This servant will certainly make sure that everything goes smoothly for the Empress Dowager!"

"Hmm! Let's go back to the Chuigong Hall. There are still memorials from all directions to review!"

Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager returned to the palace, and Guo Huai came to Guo Huaiji again, instructing him: "Go to the Six Doors and prepare an official robe for Zhan Zhao, so that he can be legitimate. We must seize this opportunity to make the Six Doors, which are as solid as a rock, move!"

"Yes."

Guo Huaiji accepted the order, but then asked, "Which rank's official robes should we use?"

There have been instances in the past where martial arts figures temporarily served as divine constables, but those individuals were not recognized by the imperial court. Later, they returned to the martial arts world and established a considerable force.

Now that Zhan Zhao's treatment is different, Guo Huaiji had to make a special request.

"Go and choose a scarlet official robe with narrow sleeves and a cinched waist, and a right-angled turban as your headwear, to distinguish yourself from other civil and military officials."

Guo Huai replied without hesitation: "We must not only leave others speechless, but also highlight our status. This is how the Empress Dowager shows her appreciation and makes an exception to bestow these clothes upon us!"

(End of this chapter)