The First Lackey Under The Empress

Inside the Buddha hall, the sandalwood incense smoke in the burner transformed from chaotic to straight once more.

Zhao Du'an pressed his palms together, facing the Buddha statue, as devout as a believer.

However, the golden crow flying knife that suddenly flew back, circled him twice, and disappeared into his sleeve, revealed that those who worship the Buddha are not necessarily believers, but could also be killers.

"Peng, peng…" Madam Lin felt her heart pounding, as if she could hear the muffled sounds coming from her chest.

She slowly retracted her hand, her body stiffly turning back, her elegant and beautiful oval face filled with unbelievable horror.

"You…"

She finally confirmed that the man who was facing away from her, devoutly worshipping the Buddha, had definitely been plotting for a long time.

And he had malicious intentions towards her.

Why?

She didn't understand, was it because of her beauty? But the capital was full of beauties, and she believed that although her appearance was not bad, she and Li Yinglong's other five concubines each had their own merits…

Not to mention, compared to the rumored Empress, she was like a firefly compared to the bright moon.

"Sixth Madam, don't be anxious, this official is not a bad person either."

Zhao Du'an turned around unhurriedly, still with a smile on his face, as if he wasn't the one who had just threatened her with a knife.

But at this moment, this smile was particularly terrifying in Madam Lin's eyes, and she took two steps back again, and said vigilantly: "What exactly do you want to do? Behind me is Li Yinglong!"

In the face of crisis, she chose to temporarily invoke Li Yinglong's name for protection.

"Heh," Zhao Du'an chuckled lightly, seemingly not taking the Little Senior Pavilion seriously at all. He leisurely stepped forward, slowly walked behind her, and a well-proportioned and slender hand gently pressed on her shoulder, and whispered:

"Using Li Yinglong to scare me? I'm so scared…"

Madam Lin didn't dare to move, her whole body stiff.

She only felt the hand on her shoulder slowly rising.

Several fingers, as if examining merchandise, slowly slid across her cheek.

She only felt as if she was being licked by a cold and venomous tongue, as if falling into an ice cave, and Zhao Du'an's voice echoed in her ears:

"Tsk, indeed, her skin is delicate and tender.

However, this official is still a little curious, besides this face, what charm do you have that can make Li Shilang use such crude and inelegant means to get you into his residence? Madam, could you please enlighten me?"

Madam Lin painfully closed her eyes, and tears slowly overflowed.

Her body trembled slightly, and she had already imagined the upcoming scene.

She didn't expect that the capital's playboys were all the same, and this Zhao Du'an was even more lascivious to this extent.

He even dared to flirt with her in the Shenlong Temple, in front of the gods and Buddhas.

She trembled her voice:

"This is the Buddha hall, aren't you afraid of divine punishment…"

Zhao Du'an raised his eyebrows, realizing that the other party probably misunderstood, thinking that he was going to defile her…

Okay, it does seem easy to misunderstand, but…

"Gods?"

Zhao Du'an sneered:

"If praying to gods was useful, would you be in this situation?"

He now has a "half-god" lying in his Qi Sea… naturally, he has no reverence.

Madam Lin trembled, thinking of her fate, tears falling silently.

Master Zhao was kind-hearted and couldn't stand women crying, so his actions just now were just a test and psychological pressure.

Seeing that the goal was achieved, he snorted, disdainfully withdrew his hand, and walked slowly towards the offering table, saying:

"It's simple to leave, as long as you answer the question I just asked, I will let you go, how about it? I can give you another chance, answer me, why does Li Shilang want to get you, don't say it's because of your talent and appearance."

Madam Lin was stunned for a moment before realizing that she seemed to have misunderstood the other party's purpose.

However, the other party painstakingly found her, just to ask such a strange question?

Madam Lin looked hesitant and shook her head:

"I don't know."

… Zhao Du'an stopped, standing beside the offering table in front of the Buddha, seemingly very dissatisfied with this answer, and sighed softly:

"It seems that Sixth Madam is unwilling to cooperate with this official."

After a pause, he said with some regret:

"It's a pity, I originally wanted to use your husband's life in exchange, but now it seems that you have already submitted to Li Shilang, and you don't want your implicated husband to come out alive."

Buzz!

Madam Lin, who was originally looking for an opportunity to escape, felt her mind buzzing, as if she had been knocked unconscious by a hammer.

The whole person was first stunned, and then suddenly widened her eyes.

Not caring to wipe away the tears, she took a few steps forward incredulously:

"What did you say? My husband, he…"

At first, she was aware that Li Yinglong was targeting her, but she didn't realize who the other party was, nor did she underestimate the seriousness of the matter.

It wasn't until suddenly one night, government officials broke into the inn and forcibly took the husband and wife away, imprisoning them separately.

From that time on, she never saw her husband again.

In the end, she only waited for Li Yinglong, who had obtained her contract of indenture as a geisha through unknown means, to take her away.

Zhao Du'an didn't look at her, but took an apple from the offering table and took a bite.

Then he took out a document from his arms and threw it on the ground, saying:

"The one on this is, is him, right?"

Seeing the paper falling like snowflakes, Madam Li hurriedly softened her legs, knelt on the ground, and quickly took the paper in her hands and flipped through it.

On it, was the trial result and related records of her husband, the merchant Hu Xuezhai, being involved in the case.

Zhao Du'an said:

"Hu Xuezhai, heh, the matter he was implicated in is not small, which is normal. Merchants, as long as they deal with the government, more or less, they will leave some handles. If it were ordinary officials, it would be fine, but if Li Yinglong takes action, it would be easy to sentence him.

Presumably, you should also know more or less that the mastermind who broke you up is Li Shilang… well, I have to admit that although the methods are a bit crude, the process is clear, reasonable and legal, even this official can't find any fault…

According to the date, your husband should be escorted back to his place of origin. According to the sentence, it is far from a death sentence, but being sent to a place like a quarry to perform hard labor is inevitable.

And in that kind of place, it is normal for some people to die of illness or accident every year.

If I were Li Shilang, in order to cut off your thoughts, I could completely hint to the officials below to send your cheap husband to the underworld in a legal way…

Tsk tsk, it's really a pitiful person, clearly his business is booming.

What he did was not a big mistake, but he lost his life for a geisha like you, it's really…"

Before he finished speaking, Madam Lin, dressed in plain clothes, was already hugging the papers on the floor of the Buddha hall, sobbing uncontrollably.

Tears dripped onto the paper.

There was both the joy of finally obtaining information about her husband, and she was tormented by strong guilt and self-blame.

However, she unexpectedly forcibly controlled her sobs.

She even deliberately lowered her voice, trying to stabilize her emotions.

Raising her head, she looked up at the youth in fancy clothes and silk, with anticipation in her eyes:

"Master Zhao, you…"

Zhao Du'an coldly looked down at the woman who was almost kneeling in front of him, and said:

"I can help you get Hu Xuezhai out and save his life. Even, I can also take action to save you too, and reunite you as husband and wife."

Madam Lin stared blankly at him, her oval face full of disbelief.

Zhao Du'an raised his eyebrows:

"Don't believe I have this ability?"

Madam Lin hurriedly shook her head.

Although she didn't know Zhao Du'an's specific power, just based on what she heard, she had no doubt that the man in front of her had the confidence to say this.

But…

"Master, aren't you afraid of Li Yinglong, he…" Madam Lin tentatively asked.

That was the Li family, the son of the current Prime Minister Li Yanfu, she couldn't believe that the other party was willing to oppose Li Yinglong for her.

Zhao Du'an said quietly:

"Otherwise, why do you think this official came to find you?"

Madam Lin was stunned.

Zhao Du'an said:

"This official and Li Yinglong have long been at odds with each other, in other words, the enemy of my enemy is my friend…"

Seeing the latter's blank expression, Zhao Du'an was too lazy to explain the complex entanglements of the various factions in the court, and simply said:

"In short, you just need to know that I have a grudge against Li Yinglong. This official found you because I need you to cooperate with me and do some things."

Madam Lin was silent for a moment, then suddenly seemed to make a decision:

"Do you want me to poison him? Kill him?"

"…"

Even with Zhao Du'an's cultivation skills, he was stunned for a moment, and his eyes changed when he looked at this woman.

What is the most poisonous thing in a woman's heart… it's not that bad, really not that bad…

Zhao Du'an didn't want to risk his own life to retaliate against Li Yinglong… assassinating a Shilang, I really don't know how to write the word death…

"… This official has a safer method that won't put you in danger."

Zhao Du'an's voice softened slightly, seeing that the goal was achieved, he stopped provoking her.

This woman is a bit extreme…

"What do you want me to do? To be willing to help me?"

Madam Lin knelt on the ground, clutching the papers tightly with her ten fingers, and the desperate eyes regained their light.

"First, it's the previous question, answer me," Zhao Du'an said calmly.

Madam Lin was silent again, at this moment, she was no longer timid, but became surprisingly calm:

"Is the master not trying to deceive a common woman?"

Zhao Du'an sneered:

"You can not believe it, not answer, or deceive this official, or even report me to Li Yinglong… or, do as I say, and gamble on this official's kindness.

In short, whether to obey him or take a gamble, you choose yourself. People's lives are not in the hands of gods and Buddhas, they are chosen by themselves."

Madam Lin was silent for a moment, then raised her head, already having made a decision in her heart.

She said:

"Li Yinglong forcibly took me as a concubine, it should be because I look very similar to one of his former lovers. He told me."

This answer was slightly beyond his expectations.

Zhao Du'an was stunned, his expression strange:

"Who did he say you look like?"

Madam Lin uttered a name: "Yuan Ru."

Yuan Ru… Zhao Du'an's face changed suddenly, he knew this name…

If he remembered correctly, Yuan Ru was the name of a Consort of the late Emperor, who was in the imperial harem of the imperial city, and that Consort was named "Yuan Fei".

Li Yinglong's former lover was the "Yuan Fei" ennobled by the late Emperor?

Does it have to be so bloody…

"What a big… gossip!"