The First Lackey Under The Empress

"Returning already?"

Zhao Du'an opened his mouth, but didn't voice the question.

He realized that he wouldn't be meeting Celestial Master Zhang today.

However, considering he had successfully dealt with the Celestial Master's two disciples, he didn't feel any regret.

He immediately strode forward, mingling with the palace attendants, and followed the Empress.

...

Deep within the courtyard.

A large banyan tree swayed in the wind, creating a mysterious and distant rustling sound, as if each leaf held the weight of time.

Zhang Yanyi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing towards the outside of the courtyard, as if admiring the scenery.

Jin Jian rested her cheek on her hand, sitting on her small stool, her long hair falling behind her head, her eyes unfocused, muttering:

"Master, I still don't understand what Zhao Du'an was saying. What did Fifth Senior Brother understand?"

The old Celestial Master, tall and imposing, draped in a soft, floor-length black divine official's robe, said calmly:

"He understood what he needed to understand, and said what he needed to say."

Jin Jian raised her head, glanced at the old man, and suddenly hit him where it hurt:

"Master, didn't you also not understand, and that's why you're saying these profound words to fool me?"

"..."

Zhang Yan sighed, shook his head, and said in a deep voice:

"Ah, you should learn from that Zhao Du'an how to speak to elders."

The girl, criticized for her low emotional intelligence, hugged herself aggrievedly, drawing circles on the ground with one foot:

"Disciple can't learn it."

The old Celestial Master looked helpless, thinking back to his disciples.

The older ones were still alright, but the younger ones were more troublesome than the last.

Looking at the listless appearance of the dreamy girl, he couldn't bear to scold her, and could only sigh and say:

"Forget it, go out and find your Fifth Senior Brother."

Jin Jian raised her head, bewildered, and said, "Bring him here?"

"No," Zhang Yanyi said faintly:

"He gathered people to make a ruckus, and is ordered to copy the Heavenly Book a hundred times. His monthly stipend is also gone."

Hmph, hearing your words is better than countless words from Master… Great, wonderful.

"Oh."

Jin Jian nimbly got up, transformed into a ghost and floated away, better to sacrifice a friend than lose her own stipend, afraid that she would also be penalized.

...

...

Inside the carriage returning to the palace.

Zhao Du'an once again had the privilege of riding with the Empress.

He just didn't know why, but this time, the Empress's gaze towards him made his hair stand on end.

"Your Majesty?"

Zhao Du'an was uneasy, and couldn't help but call out softly:

"Did you summon your subject in because you have something to instruct?"

Today, she was dressed as a Daoist nun, with a vermilion dot between her eyebrows, wearing a blue outer robe, her face fair and crystalline, her temperament aloof and refined. The Empress pursed her lips, her mind still replaying the scene from before.

She was quite unfamiliar with the "knowledge" that Zhao Du'an had explained, and didn't understand it very well.

But Gongshu Tianyuan was so fanatical, so it must have something commendable about it.

Originally, his ability to come up with strategies for governing the country had already amazed her.

But now, she didn't expect that he could also talk about many insights into the way of the craftsman god.

Xu Zhenguan really wanted to ask how he did it.

But after thinking about it, she also knew that the answer must be something like habitually pondering randomly, so it was also uninteresting, and she could only attribute it to genius.

This kind of person was not uncommon in the long history.

Like herself, she was one.

It's just that a "polymath" like Zhao Du'an was different.

Now, thinking back to the two of them before, also in the carriage, mentioning Gongshu Tianyuan.

She also said that that person was difficult to approach, thinking that this little Imperial Guard wanted to curry favor and was daydreaming.

As a result, she was slapped in the face… She only came back to her senses when she was called.

"Well… I do have something I want to entrust to you."

Xu Zhenguan was in a daze for a moment, as if she had made some decision.

"Please speak, Your Majesty, your subject will die a thousand deaths for you," Zhao Du'an said quickly, expressing his loyalty.

Xu Zhenguan smiled faintly, playing with a brocade box in her hand, which contained a high-quality blue pill refined by the Celestial Master's Mansion.

However, this pill was for her to take at her level, and Zhao Du'an couldn't use it yet.

At this time, her snow-white, soft hand brushed over the brocade box, and she said casually:

"Speaking of which, you have repeatedly made meritorious contributions these days. Although I have also given you some rewards, they are all external things. It's time to move your official position and rank."

Zhao Du'an was stunned, caught off guard by the sudden attack, and said in surprise:

"Your Majesty, are you going to promote your subject?"

"You don't want to?" Xu Zhenguan said teasingly:

"I heard that many people in the capital are talking about your mere sixth-rank official title. In my opinion, promoting you to a fourth-rank Deputy Commander is quite appropriate."

Fourth rank!

What concept was that?

You should know that the prefects of local prefectures were also fourth rank, and the Chancellor of the Imperial College was also fourth rank.

Zhao Du'an was stunned. In the Great Yu Dynasty, there were a total of eighteen ranks, in addition to the principal ranks, there were also subordinate ranks.

Zhao Yasi was a sixth-rank military officer, and now he was promoted to the fourth rank, which was crossing three levels, a promotion of three ranks?

No, to be precise, it was a promotion of four ranks!

What kind of promotion speed was this?

You should know that unless there was a war, military officers were promoted very slowly, one step at a time.

How long had it been since Zhao Du'an became an officer in Zhao Yasi, only three months?

If it were someone else, their buttocks wouldn't even be warm yet, but he was being promoted again.

"Thank you for your Majesty's grace!"

Zhao Du'an took a deep breath. Unfortunately, it was inconvenient in the carriage, so he had to cup his fists in salute.

Well… although he wouldn't mind kneeling on one knee or something…

Xu Zhenguan's lips curled slightly, and her snow-white fingers slid over the brocade box, as if cradling a cat, but she blocked the flattery that came with it:

"Don't act so ingratiating. I'm promoting you, but not for nothing."

Zhao Du'an was stunned, and then he remembered that the official position that the Empress had promoted him to was "Deputy Commander."

It was also a military officer's rank, and was the deputy of a third-rank Commander.

A Commander had a regular force of five thousand soldiers under his command…

"Where does Your Majesty want to transfer your subject to? Your subject thinks it's quite good in Zhao Yasi…"

Zhao Du'an tentatively asked.

He thought, she wouldn't promote him in place to become Ma Yan's deputy, would she.

That feeling didn't seem to have any real change.

Xu Zhenguan glanced at this guy who was full of scheming eyes, and said amusedly:

"Don't worry, Pear Blossom Hall is still yours, and the position in Baima Prison is still there. This Deputy Commander doesn't mean that you really have to be a military officer… It's just to make it convenient for you to do something."

The Great Yu Dynasty was not short of an ordinary military officer. Xu Zhenguan would certainly not waste talent and throw such a useful lackey to manage military affairs.

Phew… you scared me. I finally built my empire in Zhao Yasi… Zhao Du'an asked in confusion:

"What does Your Majesty want your subject to do?"

Xu Zhenguan's expression was serious, and she put the box aside:

"Do you still remember the case of the firearms craftsmen?"

She sighed softly:

"At that time, clues were drawn out that there were officials in the Privy Council who were suspected of colluding with Prince Jing's mansion. I ordered Xue Shence to investigate himself, and I was very dissatisfied with the result."

Zhao Du'an's spirit was lifted:

"Does Your Majesty want your subject to go to the Privy Council and ferret out the ungrateful wretches who are colluding with Prince Jing's mansion?"

Xu Zhenguan shook her head and said:

"The Privy Council has already been alerted, and it's not very meaningful for you to go. But the case of the firearms craftsmen cannot be done by only two or three people. I suspect that there is a nest of snakes and rats inside.

Therefore, I want to send you to the Divine Mechanism Camp to investigate the clues and see if you can find anything. It just so happens that you have made many meritorious contributions, and it is appropriate to be granted the title of Deputy Commander and work in the army for a period of time."

The Divine Mechanism Camp… the source of the missing firearms craftsmen case… also where Zhang Changji served… belonging to the "Capital Camp", responsible for guarding the capital… and Zhao Yasi, both belonging to the "Imperial Army"…

Well, the more troublesome point is.

After moving, the commute to work has become farther anyway… it's still closer to the Divine Mechanism Camp from the old house…

Zhao Du'an thought about the relevant information in his mind, exhaled silently, and smiled:

"If Your Majesty has an order, your subject is willing to do his best."

Well, anyway, it's just a matter of working there for a few days to gain experience…

"It's just… so much time has passed, I'm afraid the clues have already been cut off," Zhao Du'an frowned.

He didn't forget that Ma Yan led Zhao Yasi to investigate the firearms craftsmen case for a long time, and then Xue Shence investigated himself for two months.

No matter how stupid the insiders who colluded with Prince Jing's mansion were, they should have cleaned up the mess.

Two words:

Difficult!

Xu Zhenguan's slender eyebrows were also slightly furrowed, knowing that the task was difficult.

It was also because Zhao Du'an had been so effective in catching the insiders in Zhao Yasi that she had some hope.

At this moment, she said seriously:

"I know that this matter is difficult, much more difficult than sending you to Zhao Yasi in the first place. After all, the army is not like the yamen, and it is extremely xenophobic. Even if you are also from the Imperial Army, you will inevitably be targeted.

Therefore, this time I don't require you to do anything, just do your best.

In addition, I will also grant you the power of an inner court supervisor. If anyone obstructs you, you only need to report their name.

For those below the fourth rank, I will not ask you for any reason, as long as you report their name, I will dismiss them from their post!"

Just write the name, and they will be dismissed!

No questions asked!

Zhao Du'an's eyes lit up. This was the imperial sword. He confirmed:

"Dismissal doesn't need evidence?"

Xu Zhenguan looked at him with a smile, nodding in agreement:

"For those below the fourth rank, no evidence is needed. For those above the fourth rank, if there is evidence, I can also allow you to act conveniently. Even if Xue Shence sues me, it's the same words. How about it?"

For some reason, a few wisps of murderous aura lingered in the carriage.

Zhao Du'an suddenly understood that the Empress had finally freed her hands after rectifying the court and was preparing to wield the knife at the military group.

And he was undoubtedly the best vanguard.

Zhao Du'an felt a surge of blood for no reason, and the scene of Xue Shence making eye contact with him at the imperial party's small court meeting appeared in his mind.

"Your subject accepts the decree!"

Zhao Du'an said, exhaling, and then asked:

"Your Majesty, may I ask when the appointment will be issued?"

Xu Zhenguan smiled slightly, unparalleled in beauty, but did not answer.

...

...

The Privy Council.

As the highest military institution of the Great Yu Dynasty, this yamen had a completely different temperament from the civil official yamen.

Looking from afar, there was a sense of solemnity.

In the main hall, a huge horizontal banner in the center of the wall was a splash-ink painting of ten thousand horses galloping and thousands of troops retreating.

On both sides of the square table were wooden shelves for placing military books.

Pens, ink, paper and inkstones were all available on the table, but they were placed neatly and orderly.

There was no mess at all.

The scribes in the courtyard all knew that their Privy Councilor was strict in governing the army, especially in the details.

At this moment, Xue Shence, who was known as the "Great Yu Military God" and whose cultivation and official position were equally lofty.

Wearing a second-rank scarlet robe of a military officer, with a square "lion" pattern embroidered on his chest, with a fair complexion and a short beard on his chin.

Appearing to be in his forties or fifties, although he was no longer young, one could vaguely see the handsome Xue Shence of that year sitting upright on a large chair, reading official documents.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Outside the threshold, a pair of military boots stopped.