The First Lackey Under The Empress

That night, the capital's brothels saw a surge in customers. Officials, made jittery by the "assassination declaration" and unable to sleep soundly for days, were overjoyed and indulged in retaliatory gatherings.

Zhao Du'an's reputation, after this incident, also experienced a certain degree of recovery.

In the noisy crowd, Wu Ling, a rising star of the Eight Directions Opera House and a member of the Kuangfu Society in the capital, silently got up and left.

Passing through the bustling, brightly lit streets under the night sky, he didn't return to the opera house but instead arrived at another tavern and sat down.

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He ordered a pot of wine and a plate of peanuts boiled in salt.

He ate and drank slowly.

Finally, a guest sat down at another table behind him. The two sat back-to-back, as if they didn't know each other at all.

But they were communicating in low voices using the art of sound transmission.

"Has the new helmsman really been captured?" Wu Ling asked softly, his face looking grim.

The middle-aged Kuangfu Society member behind him grunted an affirmative sound, and said in a deep voice:

"According to the intelligence, Zhao Du'an led people into an ambush. The imperial hounds came out in force, and the new helmsman has been crippled and thrown into the imperial prison."

It's Zhao Du'an again… Wu Ling clenched his fist.

He remembered the painful experience of trying to assassinate the Zhao traitor but being casually countered by the "Empress."

Steadying his mind, he asked, "What do we do next?"

The middle-aged rebel said:

"Since Qianmian Shenjun (Thousand-Faced Divine Lord) entered the city, he hasn't contacted us much. This is the only good thing. His capture has relatively little impact on us.

"But we still need to be vigilant. Many of us have moved our residences, changed our identities, and gone into hiding, waiting for further instructions from the main altar."

The main altar… Wu Ling said bitterly:

"Two new helmsmen in a row, lasting no more than half a month each, and then…"

The middle-aged man was also silent for a moment before saying:

"The more it is like this, the more we must not panic. I have activated the emergency communication channel to transmit the situation back to the main altar. The Grand Tutor will make arrangements."

After a pause, he snorted:

"Moreover, after the New Policies are promulgated, it is not us who should be anxious. Our only enemy is the False Emperor. If the New Policies can benefit Great Yu, it would be good for us to support the Heir Apparent to ascend the throne."

Wu Ling's heart stirred:

"Are you saying that those who are really anxious are those few restless princes…"

The middle-aged man used the action of drinking wine to conceal his expression, saying:

"We have continuously lost two Tiangang-level masters. It's time for those royal mansion spies to contribute."

Wu Ling felt more at ease. He said a couple more words, then got up, paid the bill, and left.

As he walked out of the tavern, he looked up and saw dark clouds obscuring the moon. He couldn't help but shiver, thinking:

But, the Jing Prince's spies have also fallen into Zhao Du'an's hands before.

… …

… …

South of the capital, thousands of miles away.

Zhuang Xiaocheng looked up, gazing at the dark clouds obscuring the moon, his brows tightly furrowed.

He was wearing a Confucian robe, around sixty years old, with a full head of silver hair. On his deeply wrinkled face, there was an air of a national scholar who wouldn't change countenance even if a mountain collapsed before him.

As a former "Imperial Tutor," one of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, a highly relied-upon strategist under the Second Prince, and the second-in-command rebel leader of the Kuangfu Society.

Since leaving the capital several months ago, he had returned to the Kuangfu Society's current main altar.

That is, the place called "Forbidden Purple Mountain Villa" built on a pristine mountain peak at his feet.

He also remotely controlled the operations of the Kuangfu Society's branch altars in the eighteen prefectures across the nine provinces of Great Yu.

Among them, a particularly important one was naturally the capital.

However, what Zhuang Xiaocheng didn't expect was that after he left, the rebel network in the capital was severely damaged several times in a short period of time.

The "Frost Sword" he sent to replace him died a few days after entering the city.

After that, the information that came from the capital one after another made this sexagenarian Imperial Tutor moved and surprised again and again.

In the court, several ministers fell one after another, and the Empress's control over the court continued to increase.

The establishment of the "Inner Cabinet" in the form of the Literary Cultivation Hall further concentrated power in the Empress's hands.

Of course, if it was just these things, they wouldn't really make him nervous.

The most deadly thing was the so-called "New Policies."

With Zhuang Xiaocheng's wisdom, after roughly reading the "Golden Three Strategies," he was greatly alarmed and immediately judged:

"If these three strategies are implemented, the Empress's throne will be as solid as a rock!"

Even more shocking to him was the name that ran through almost every piece of information.

"Zhao Du'an!"

Zhuang Xiaocheng murmured, and in his mind, the image of the纨绔 (wan ku = good-for-nothing son of rich family) dogleg holding a knife in the dilapidated temple in the bamboo forest in the southern suburbs on that day emerged.

His eyes were full of confusion.

Zhuang Xiaocheng couldn't understand why that pretty boy, who didn't seem special at all before, would rise strongly and display such skills and talents after he left the capital.

This made Zhuang Xiaocheng regret it countless times.

Why didn't his own sorcerers strike harder that day and kill him completely?

"He has become a great threat…" Zhuang Xiaocheng sighed, his gaze falling, looking at the letter sent by the falcon in his hand.

The capital is too far from the Forbidden Purple Mountain Villa. Even in this world with sorcerers, it is difficult to transmit messages over long distances.

Therefore, the Kuangfu Society has set up a secret messaging method similar to beacon towers.

Special objects can be used to perform rituals to transmit some simple information using pre-agreed "codes."

Just now, the latest information came from the falcon at the foot of the mountain:

Qianmian Shenjun (Thousand-Faced Divine Lord) has been captured.

"In just a few months, I have lost two great generals…" Zhuang Xiaocheng clenched his palm forcefully, the blue veins on the back of his hand bulging.

Showing that his heart was far less calm than his face.

How were they lost?

Logically speaking, with Qianmian's cunning and caution, and with the "personal" treasures he prepared for him.

It shouldn't be like this.

Unfortunately, the letter paper cannot transmit complex information, so we can only wait a few more days for detailed information to be sent back.

"Could it be Zhao Du'an again?"

Zhuang Xiaocheng inexplicably had a premonition, and then smiled self-deprecatingly:

"It won't repeat the same mistake…"

Behind him, the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs suddenly echoed, very light.

“Grand Tutor, the wind is strong on the roof. Has something changed down the mountain?” A woman's voice conveyed concern.

Zhuang Xiaocheng tucked the paper into his sleeve, turned around with a smile, and used the light of the lanterns hanging in White Crane Tower of the mountain manor to look at the woman ascending the stairs:

“Princess, why have you come? Are you not taking care of His Royal Highness, the Heir Apparent?”

The Second Prince's name was Xu Jianwen. At the age of ten, he was granted the title of “Prince Wen” by the late Emperor, according to imperial rules.

He had always resided in the capital. The woman before him was the Second Prince's primary wife, Princess Wen.

Princess Wen, with a gentle demeanor and captivating appearance, said softly:

“The Heir Apparent has servants to take care of him. I came up to take a look.”

The Heir Apparent mentioned by the two was still just a child, the flesh and blood of the Second Prince Xu Jianwen, and also the banner of the匡扶社 (Kuangfu Society).

The Kuangfu Society's external banner has always been to overthrow the false emperor and support the young Heir Apparent to ascend the throne.

Zhuang Xiaocheng shook his head with a smile:

“Princess, there is no need to worry. This old man will handle these minor matters properly with the generals of the Society.”

The gentle Princess Wen gave an “En,” as if relieved, and went downstairs after Zhuang Xiaocheng reassured her.

Watching the woman leave, Zhuang Xiaocheng, looking like a great scholar, stood with his hands behind his back and suddenly said:

“Inform Jing Manor of this news, as well as those other idle princes. Hmph, let them weigh it themselves, and see if the false emperor, once he gains power, will turn on his uncles.”

In the darkness, the lantern light swayed gently, and a figure slowly emerged, cupping his fist and saying:

“Yes!”

Then, he disappeared.

… …

… …

When Zhao D’an rode his horse back home, clip-clop, it was completely dark.

Mosquitoes danced around the lanterns hanging beside the antique gatehouse.

Combined with the dark blue sky in the distance, Zhao D’an vaguely felt like he was walking into a painting.

After entering the house, a newly added servant eagerly stepped forward to take the reins, calling out, “Master” is back!

He was the only male master in the house. At a young age, Zhao D’an had become “Master Zhao.”

Dining hall.

You Jinhua and Zhao Pan anxiously greeted him. The stepmother's eyes were filled with apprehension:

“How did it go? Your aunt is at home, and she heard from the neighbors that you went to catch a thief? Were you injured?”

Zhao D’an smiled, laughed heartily, opened his arms, and embraced the two women back to the dining hall.

He briefly said that the thief had been brought to justice, and that they didn't need to be nervous afterward.

As for the ambush he suffered in the southern part of the city at noon, he did not mention it.

He just casually said that he had met with the You Zhan De family, and that the previous matter was over, and the two families would no longer have contact.

You Jinhua breathed a sigh of relief, and then smiled happily, a heavy weight lifted from her heart.

Zhao Pan vaguely felt that something might have happened, but she had no evidence.

… …

After dinner.

The well-fed Zhao D’an returned to his courtyard.

Because the weather was still a bit stuffy, he didn't go into the house, but squatted under the eaves, taking out the “Nine Transformations” mask to play with.

“This thing, can it change you when it's put on your face?”

Zhao D’an seemed to have gotten a new toy and couldn't wait to try it.

He slowly covered his face with the soft mask, only feeling that the mask adhered by itself, slowly integrating into his own skin.

“Who should I turn into?”

In his heart, the faces of acquaintances flashed by one by one.

In the end, he was silent for a moment, thinking of himself in his previous life.

That hardworking and willing ox, who never enjoyed a day of power until his sudden death.

On his face, it was like ripples spreading.

“Brother, Mom bought green grapes, iced in well water…”

In the corridor, a girl in a light little skirt walked over, holding a copper basin full of green grapes, her voice clear.

Seeing him squatting on the ground, she asked strangely:

“Brother, what are you doing squatting here… Ah!!”

The next second, the girl saw a strange man looking over.

“Clang!”

The copper basin in her hand fell to the ground. In Zhao Pan's mind, she instantly thought of the rebel assassins rumored in the capital.

She thought, didn't Big Brother say that the other party had already been caught?

Or is it that the person in front of her is not that rebel?

But who else would silently break into the house?

“What's wrong?”

You Jinhua, wearing a thin woman's undershirt and long skirt, heard the noise from the hanging flower gate and ran over.

She happened to bump into her daughter, and after seeing the strange man clearly, she also paled:

“You… who are you? How dare you break into someone else's home? D'Lang?”

Zhao D’an raised his hand, combed his hair back, showed his handsome face, and said lightly:

“Don't panic, Aunt, it's me.”

Eh… He found that his voice also seemed to have changed, becoming similar to his previous life in his memory.

“You… you are D'Lang?”

You Jinhua was stunned, only feeling that the man in front of her, his figure, clothes, and demeanor were the same as her stepson's.

But his appearance was really too ordinary.

“It's me, I've learned a new skill of disguise.”

Zhao D’an looked calm and casually said a few details of life that only his family knew to prove his identity.

Only then did the mother and daughter believe it, staring at him cautiously and curiously.

Zhao Pan disliked it:

“Why did Big Brother change to such an ordinary face? It's indeed not easy to attract attention. I'm afraid you can't even be seen in a crowd.”

You Jinhua spoke up for her stepson:

“D'Lang's disguise must be more ordinary in order to act.”

Zhao Pan nodded and accepted this explanation.

She felt that her big brother was really smart, and could actually create such a face without any memorable features.

“…” Zhao D’an was silent.

At this moment, the maid Mian Tao ran over in a hurry, her voice arriving before she did:

“Master, someone from the palace has come to deliver a message, saying that you are to go to the palace tomorrow morning to accompany His Majesty to the Heavenly Master's Mansion!”