The First Lackey Under The Empress

Unbeknownst to anyone, a subtle shift had occurred in the atmosphere of this family banquet.

Zhao Du'an calmly observed. With his ability to read people, he understood the You family's intentions, if not perfectly, then close enough.

In his view, the You Zhan'de family had been subtly probing and adjusting their attitude towards the Zhao family ever since they entered.

Evidently, You Zhan'de's sudden visit was due to learning of Zhao Du'an's rise in status. As the saying goes, 'Poor in the bustling city, no one asks; rich in the deep mountains, distant relatives appear.'

The You family believed that the Zhao family had value worth befriending and attaching themselves to.

However, they couldn't quite gauge exactly how much "value" that was.

Although You Zhan'de was not from the You clan's main lineage in Xiping Road, he was still the head of a family in his own right, not some bumpkin or poor relative.

When interacting with the Zhao family, it was crucial to grasp the "degree" of respect and hierarchy.

After entering the city, inquiring about Zhao Du'an's recent situation was a form of probing.

Visiting in person, observing expressions, looking at the size of the house, the scale of the servants… all were methods of judging the Zhao family's strength.

Of course, what was more important was looking at the "people."

Therefore, the You family seemed to be commenting on the cook, the tableware, their niece's clothes and jewelry… but in reality, they were also observing the Zhao family's reactions.

If You Jinhua acted bossy, Zhao Pan looked arrogant, and Zhao Du'an was stern and uncompromising… it would naturally be a manifestation of having "confidence."

However, the Zhao family's current attitude caused them to have some misunderstandings.

In the three of their eyes, the niece was all smiles, soft and easily bullied, and very respectful to them.

Zhao Pan remained silent, appearing like a modest young lady from a respectable family, without any of the arrogance of a young mistress.

As for the rumored Zhao family's eldest son, who was said to be arrogant, domineering, and tyrannical, he also looked good-tempered and always smiling.

Coupled with the fact that the Zhao family's house was not as good as their own, they had to hire people to cook, the utensils were imitations of antiques, and they couldn't wait to wear all their good clothes at once…

All of this was far from the image of a "wealthy family."

Imperceptibly, the You family, who had been somewhat humble when they first entered, gradually straightened their backs at this moment, and their awe of the Zhao family continued to diminish.

Zhao Du'an watched this scene with great interest, but no one knew what he was thinking.

The small talk and reminiscing continued.

However, the topic had quietly shifted to the middle-aged woman's instruction and criticism of the You Jinhua family.

… …

… …

"…So, Jinhua, don't think that having children and managing the household means you're the mistress. It's okay for small families, but in true large clans, it's very difficult to be a good mistress,"

You Shi's expression was arrogant, with a slight curve at the corner of her mouth, as if she was used to educating younger generations:

"Like your aunt, I have to manage the entire back宅 household affairs at home, and dozens of servants have to be managed clearly and orderly. If you don't understand anything, your aunt will teach you.

Just like the old servant who led the way when we entered, he really didn't know what he was doing, and he didn't even know how to use honorifics. That kind of servant should be taught a good lesson."

So old Versailles.

You Jinhua looked embarrassed and glanced apologetically at her stepson.

Zhao Du'an's expression was normal, and he gave her a look of "it's okay" to reassure her.

You Shi became more and more addicted to speaking and said:

"And Zhao family's eldest son… After we entered the city, we heard…"

Beside her, You Zhan'de, who looked like a wealthy middle-aged man, frowned and interrupted:

"Say less."

Then, he turned his head and smiled at Zhao Du'an:

"Eldest son, don't take offense at what your aunt said."

Heh… why didn't you stop her before? Now you know it's inappropriate… Zhao Du'an smiled, pretending not to see through the double act of the couple, and feigned embarrassment, saying:

"It's okay, it's just that you've seen something embarrassing. My reputation, hehe, is indeed not very good."

Zhao Pan looked at him strangely, wondering why this guy had changed his temperament today?

If it were his usual temper, wouldn't he have been angry by now?

He even looked like a humble and ashamed junior… was it to save his mother's face?

The girl bit her lip, feeling a little touched.

Seeing his humble appearance, You Zhan'de's respect in his heart faded even more.

He also put on a bit of an elder's airs and earnestly taught him:

"Eldest son, now that you are fortunate enough to be appreciated by the sage, it is not surprising that you are slandered by some villains. As the saying goes, 'A tree that stands tall catches the wind, a man who is envied is talented'… However, you should also pay attention to your reputation, otherwise, if bad words reach the sage's ears, it will inevitably affect your career."

He always remembered that he had learned that Zhao Du'an was thrown into prison and that the Three Divisions were jointly tried.

The version You Zhan'de heard was that during the joint trial by the Three Divisions, the important figure from the Great Prison Temple was accidentally involved in an old case, and Zhao Du'an was released.

After that, the rampant and unscrupulous Zhao Yama suddenly died down and became low-key.

As for the details, he was not yet able to access them at his level.

Therefore, combined with Zhao Du'an's humble and low-key appearance in front of him, You Zhan'de had a clue in his mind:

Zhao Du'an must have fallen out of favor, which is why he changed his behavior.

This made him quite disappointed—he didn't know how much energy a disgraced gigolo could still exert.

"Hehe, that's also…"

Zhao Du'an was about to speak when suddenly, there was a scream next to him.

Zhao Pan stood up with a jolt, staring with wide eyes at the fat teenager at the same table, covering her disheveled hair with a look of disgust:

"What are you doing?!"

Everyone hurriedly looked over, but saw that You Lu'er, who had been eating in silence, had gotten up at some point, rubbed up against the girl, and held a golden hairpin in his fat hand.

It turned out that he had taken advantage of no one paying attention just now and reached out to pull it off Zhao Pan's head.

At this moment, he didn't care and said:

"I just took it to look at it to see if it's gold-plated, what are you shouting about."

Zhao Pan's hair, which she had carefully braided all morning, was disheveled. Her autumn-like eyes were incredulous, her pretty face was ice-cold, and she was so angry that her face turned pale. She snatched back the hairpin and shouted:

"Who allowed you to snatch my hairpin?! Do you have any upbringing?!"

As soon as these words came out, You Shi was the first to disagree. The middle-aged woman's face sank, and she said unhappily:

"What's the matter with making such a fuss? It's Pan'er, right? It's true that Lu'er was wrong to pull your hairpin, but he's your elder. According to seniority, you should call him your cousin. How can you talk to your cousin like that?

Getting angry at elders is going to get you a beating in our clan."

Seeing his mother supporting him, the fat teenager was originally full of confidence.

It was just that he inexplicably met Zhao Pan's almost murderous gaze, and he couldn't help but feel a little scared and retreated backward.

"This… this…"

You Jinhua was in a dilemma and was about to smooth things over when she saw her daughter turn her head and drop a sentence:

"I'm going to fix my hair!"

Then she walked straight out of the hall.

"Pan'er…"

You Jinhua looked flustered and was about to chase after her.

However, she was stopped by her stepson raising his hand. Zhao Du'an looked calm and said:

"Auntie, please stay here and accompany the guests. I'll go see my sister and come back later."

You Jinhua's eyes were full of guilt. She didn't know why a good family banquet had turned into this. She could only instinctively rely on her stepson.

Zhao Du'an chased out of the hall, but when he was out of sight of everyone in the house, he stopped.

He didn't chase after the sister who ran back to her room, but just waved his hand, summoned a maid, and ordered her to keep an eye on Zhao Pan.

As for himself, he came to a pillar outside the hall on his own, crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and waited.

With the activation of the hearing of a mortal high-grade martial artist, no conversation in the house could escape his ears.

… …

… …

Inside the room.

With the two people leaving one after another, only the You family was left at the dining table.

You Jinhua sat on the stool, her brows slightly furrowed, and she could only barely force a smile as she looked at the two elders:

"Second Uncle… Pan'er, although she is usually a bit willful, her heart is good. Today, it was also because…"

You Zhan'de raised his hand and smoothed things over, saying:

"There's no need to say that. Young people, you can understand."

Beside her.

Seeing that Zhao Du'an had finally left, You Shi perked up and became more courageous. She said lightly:

"Niece, there are some things that your aunt might say that you don't like to hear, but you are a bit unlike a mistress in this family. It is the father's fault for not raising his children properly. Now that the child's father is gone, you, as the mother, should also take responsibility. How can you allow them to be like this? They should all be strictly disciplined."

You Jinhua's smile was stiff, and she wanted to explain: "Actually…"

You Shi interrupted her, speaking in a condescending tone:

"Elders speak, juniors listen quietly. This is the You family's rule. Have you forgotten because you've been away from home for too long?"

You Jinhua was speechless and had to lower her head and remain silent.

You Shi's tone softened slightly:

"Of course, it's not your fault. You are the You family's young lady. It was already a loss when you married a soldier. This Zhao family is also a family of soldiers. It's normal that they don't follow rules and are rude.

Don't blame your aunt for saying harsh words, it's all for your own good. Pan'er is okay, after all, she's a girl and will get married sooner or later, but your stepson, I don't think he's afraid of you at all. How can this be allowed?

The mistress has to put on airs, otherwise, he will turn the world upside down in the future. The set of rules that a woman should follow her son after her husband's death is all to fool small families. By right, it is his Zhao family who has climbed up to us…"

"Enough!"

Beside her, You Zhan'de frowned, feeling that his wife was overdoing it.

He immediately started playing the good cop, scolding his wife, and then said softly to his niece:

"Your aunt is just like this, don't pay attention to her. Now that you've joined the Zhao family, you're a Zhao family member. Although I'm your second uncle, I'm also an outsider…"

You Jinhua was a little touched:

"Second Uncle, what are you saying? After all, blood is thicker than water…"

You Zhan'de smiled hypocritically:

"It's good that my niece still recognizes me as her uncle. I'm just worried that this will make things difficult for you."

Seeing that he wanted to say something but hesitated, You Jinhua said:

"Second Uncle, if you have something to say, just say it."

You Zhande slapped his thigh and sighed, "It's nothing much, just that our trip to the capital was originally to see you and, by the way, find some opportunities for the family business. The business in the Western Regions is getting harder and harder to do.

In the past two days, I've heard that the imperial court is vigorously promoting new policies, seemingly planning to designate local markets and allow some merchants to join... My second uncle's idea is to ask you to ask Da Lang if there's a way to help the family."

"This..." You Jinhua instantly calmed down, the slight feeling of emotion that had welled up in her heart abruptly stopped.

She wasn't stupid and knew that her family's visit had an ulterior motive.

But the performance of her second uncle's family after entering the door today, up until now, with her second uncle so directly making the request.

And it was a request involving such huge interests as the "New Policy Market Opening." Even if she considered family affection, she knew it was a bit too much.

"Second Uncle is joking, the new policy is such a major matter, how can it be casually interfered with?" You Jinhua婉拒 said.

Although she vaguely knew that with Da Lang's current status, if he was willing to help, it wouldn't be difficult.

After all, the new policy was proposed by Da Lang...

But You Jinhua couldn't possibly make her stepson embarrassed for the sake of her own family. She couldn't do such a shameless thing.

"Is that so? With Da Lang's relationship with the Sage, this little thing shouldn't be difficult, right?" You Zhande asked suspiciously.

You Jinhua shook her head, looked at the table full of good dishes, and said:

"Let's eat, it'll be cold if we don't eat."

Seeing this, the smile that Madam You had put on her face gradually faded, with a sense of disappointment that her efforts had been in vain.

She glanced at her niece, who was much better-looking than herself and had a weak appearance. Her voice also cooled down, and she slammed her chopsticks down:

"So, we traveled thousands of miles from Xiping just to freeload off this meal of yours?"

She deliberately sighed again:

"In the end, she's a woman who's married out, water that's been spilled. Once she's achieved success, she doesn't care about the relationship anymore."

You Zhande said unhappily, "What are you talking about?"

Madam You sneered, "Isn't it? You've always been thinking about this niece, and you even came to visit, but she's not willing to help at all."

You Zhande said in a deep voice, "It's also that the matter is too big, and Da Lang is in a difficult position."

Madam You said, "When I was at home, I heard people sending letters back from the capital, saying how amazing Zhao's Da Lang was. Now it seems that it's all just big talk."

The two of them were singing a duet, and You Jinhua remained silent, her heart growing colder and colder.

She only felt that the family reunion she had imagined was, in her family's eyes, only about "interests."

"Bang!"

At this moment, a sudden loud noise attracted the attention of the three people.

They saw the fat young man next to them, feeling bored, playing with the wine cups on the table. He accidentally dropped one on the ground, and it shattered into pieces.

You Jinhua's face finally changed, and she stood up abruptly:

"Why did you drop something?!"

Her heart ached so much that she could hardly breathe. This was an antique, and she usually cherished it so much that she couldn't bear to look at it.

Madam You then got up, first hugged her son, and carefully checked him over:

"Did you cut your hand? Why are you so careless?"

Only then did she turn her head back, frowning:

"It's just a broken wine cup, how much is it worth? Is there any need to make such a fuss?"

You Jinhua's lips trembled, and her chest was also trembling. She only felt her hands and feet were ice-cold:

"This wine cup..."

You Zhande also said somewhat unhappily:

"It's just a replica, a few dozen taels of silver should be enough, right? We'll compensate your Zhao family."

He also felt that this niece was making a mountain out of a molehill.

You Jinhua only felt that her words were pale and powerless, and a sense of indescribable depression and discomfort filled the hall.

And just at this moment, footsteps finally came from outside the door.

And a voice that had been waiting for a long time, feeling that the time was almost right:

"A few dozen taels? Heh, the head of the family is probably underestimating it by a few zeros."

Zhao Du'an walked in expressionlessly, staring at the You family, and said coldly:

"Breaking an antique from the previous dynasty, I'll let it go for three thousand taels of silver, for the sake of Auntie."

Three thousand taels?

Hearing this amount, Madam You almost jumped up, her face filled with shock and anger. She turned her head to look at her niece:

"Jinhua, is this how you teach your children?"

However, this time, You Jinhua only silently walked to Zhao Du'an's side, drawing a clear line with them, and said calmly:

"Second Uncle, Auntie. This set of utensils was sent by Grand Tutor Dong from the current dynasty's mansion. Its value will only be more than three thousand taels, not less. I originally didn't want to bring it out for entertaining guests, but Da Lang said that we should respect our elders, so I did."

After a pause, as if guessing what the other party was about to say, You Jinhua looked up at her tall stepson, her expression calm:

"Second Uncle, don't try to pressure me with seniority anymore. You said something very right just now. Since I've already married into the Zhao family, I'm a member of the Zhao family."

At this moment, the filter that had been placed on the family for the past ten years shattered with a bang.

Zhao Du'an smiled and shielded her behind him.

The gentle, courteous, and modest demeanor he had pretended to have on his face was completely torn away. The corners of his mouth were raised, and his eyes were disdainful.

Where was the well-behaved and gentle junior?

He looked more like a playboy with a face full of evil.

"Jinhua... you... alas, forget it."

Seeing this, You Zhande's expression also changed several times. The scene before him was not the result he had expected.

He finally realized belatedly...

It seemed that...

He had gone too far.

"Today, Second Uncle was wrong for not disciplining Lu'er properly. Forget it, it's no wonder you're sad. In that case, we'll take our leave now," You Zhande said.

He didn't take the so-called "Grand Tutor Dong's gift" to heart at all.

What a joke.

What kind of person was Grand Tutor Dong? He was a true giant in the imperial court.

It was said that he was also the Empress's mentor.

How could a gigolo be able to get him to give gifts to curry favor?

It would be the other way around.

You Zhande really didn't understand the capital, but he wasn't stupid. If he thought about it with his brain, he would know that even the Empress's gigolo couldn't get the dignified Grand Tutor to send gifts to please him.

He only thought that his niece was saying something out of anger to scare people.

"Wait a minute,"

Seeing the three of them about to leave, Zhao Du'an narrowed his eyes, his expression a half-smile:

"Didn't you hear what I said just now? I said that if you pay three thousand taels, this matter will be over."

You Zhande frowned. He was also a martial artist, and a surge of anger rose in his heart at this moment.

Behind him, Madam You said loudly:

"Are you crazy? Ah, I now realize that today this isn't a family banquet, it's a trap to swindle people. You deliberately set us up to ask for money, right?"

Zhao Du'an raised his eyebrows, thinking to himself, so you've finally realized it. You're not that stupid after all.

At this time, the sound in the room also attracted the curious gathering of Zhao family servants outside.

Zhao Pan, who had hurriedly tied up her hair simply, also heard the noise and ran over with a maid.

You Zhande put on a stern face and said:

"Zhao Da Lang, you're going too far. Even if you don't care about family ties, you should be reasonable."

Zhao Du'an sneered, "Am I being unreasonable?"

You Zhande suppressed his anger and said:

"You may have status and position in the capital, and our family wouldn't dare to provoke you, but I'm still here to visit relatives today. How can there be a reason to be extorted?"

Zhao Du'an sighed softly, his eyes icy cold:

"It seems you still don't understand, ah. Heh, visiting relatives? What a nice way to put it. It's nothing more than trying to attach yourselves to the powerful and influential. We haven't seen you for the past ten years, but now that I've risen to power, you've come to cling to me.

It's also human nature. If you had spoken nicely and lowered your posture today, I really wouldn't have planned to make things difficult for you. I would have helped with some small favors if I was in a good mood, but you didn't know how to cherish the opportunity...

Forget it, how can people like you be changed?"

At this time, the fat young man in the room, perhaps realizing that he had caused trouble, looked flustered.

Suddenly, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him, he took a step and ran outside.

Zhao Du'an glanced at him, his right leg like a whip, and in a flash of lightning, he kicked You Lu'er hard in the abdomen.

"Bang!"

As if a sandbag had been broken, the fat young man, weighing more than two hundred pounds, seemed as light as a feather under this kick.

He let out a scream, turned into a black shadow, and flew out of the room for several feet, falling headfirst to the ground, vomiting blood and filth, and blacking out.

"Lu'er!!"

Madam You's face changed drastically, and she screamed, rushing towards Zhao Du'an.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Du'an kicked her out of the door as well.

The two kicks were so fast that even You Zhande, who was also a martial artist, didn't react.

Or rather, he never expected that Zhao Du'an would actually make a move.

"You dare!"

You Zhande was furious, his whole body roaring with energy. He took a step forward, and a martial arts fist technique was already delivered.

As a martial artist of the High Mortal Rank, even if he had been the head of the family for too long and his cultivation was somewhat lacking, the momentum of his fist was not something that ordinary martial artists could resist.

However, facing this majestic punch from the middle-aged martial artist, Zhao Du'an only took an unpredictable step, gently avoiding it and flashing to his side.

His right hand formed a palm and gently pressed it against his ribs.

Boom—

You Zhande only felt a sharp pain coming from his side. His feet uncontrollably left the ground, and the energy in his internal organs was紊乱, like a wild chicken seeing a fierce tiger, or a vicious dog looking at a divine dragon.

In front of everyone, he was sent flying.

"How can people like you be changed?"

Zhao Du'an muttered to himself, giving the answer:

"They can't be changed."

...

ps: I'll update the wrong words first and then correct them.