The First Lackey Under The Empress

On the long street, the brief pause in the light rain ended, and it began to fall again.

Zhao Du'an's triumphant laughter echoed freely in the air, clearly reaching the ears of every onlooker.

At that moment, on both sides of the street, whether it was the guests inside the teahouse or the common people huddled under the eaves, a deep sense of awe seeped onto their faces.

They didn't know who had made the move, but based on some reasonable speculation, they assumed it was Zhao Du'an's guard.

After all... which high-ranking official or纨绔公子 (wánkù gōngzǐ - playboy son of high official) doesn't have beautiful maids and guards by their side?

It was a stereotypical prejudice.

"No wonder... Zhao Yama is so fearless, this is what a big shot is like."

Many people had similar thoughts, filled with envy.

Lü Qingfeng choked on his words, his slightly pale face changing expression, but he swallowed the name that was about to come out, and instead said respectfully:

"Thank you, senior... and thank you, Lord Zhao, for showing mercy."

Zhao Du'an's smile faded, and he sneered:

"Who said this official showed mercy? Do you really think that fighting with soldiers in the capital is the end of it? Men, lock up this person and these few lawless individuals and take them to the imperial prison."

Lü Qingfeng's face changed suddenly, not expecting that Zhao Yama would still insist on arresting people after the fight.

Immediately, a group of imperial guards, eager to prove themselves, came over with iron chains, appearing very much like dogs relying on their master's power.

"Hold on!"

At this moment, a clear and cold female voice finally couldn't bear it any longer and had to speak out to stop them.

So she finally came out... The corners of Zhao Du'an's mouth slowly curved up as he looked towards the teahouse across the street that had been half destroyed.

There, beside the half-open window, a young woman with the temperament of a noble lady slowly emerged.

Her face was smooth, her skin delicate, with the delicate beauty of a Jiangnan woman. Just standing gracefully by the window, she possessed an air of elegance and scholarly refinement.

"Ah—what a beautiful woman..."

"Who is this?"

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't comment on dignitaries."

The crowd first erupted in discussion, then someone became alert and quickly shut up, fearing that their words might offend someone they shouldn't.

Zhao Du'an's eyes lit up, and across the ruined street, he looked at her and said with a playful smile:

"Today is truly strange, one after another, what, does this girl also want to take a seat in the imperial prison?"

"How dare you! You..."

By the window, the maid, Lǜ Shuǐ, was furious.

However, Xú Jūnlíng silenced her with a look. This Wangfu's (royal mansion) Qianjin (unmarried daughter), known for her talent, was poised and graceful. Facing this scene, she simply smiled faintly, raised her voice slightly, and said:

"I wonder if Lord Zhao would do me the honor of discussing this in detail?"

Zhao Du'an didn't say anything, just raised his hand and made a "waiting for you" gesture.

He wants me to go over in person... Xú Jūnlíng's eyelashes trembled, but she really turned around and went downstairs.

Before long, she led her maid, just the two of them, out of the teahouse, and under the gaze of the people, the maid held up an oiled paper umbrella to shield them from the rain.

This pair of women, both with remarkable appearances and temperaments, crossed the wet and cold street and walked towards the opposite side.

"...Miss."

As she brushed past Lǚ Qīngfēng, the Wangfu guard who had made bold claims earlier looked ashamed.

Xú Jūnlíng simply shook her head, indicating that it was fine.

Lǚ Qīngfēng's lips moved, and he whispered a strand of sound into her ear:

"That old man in the building is probably the legendary number one expert of the imperial court, Eunuch Hǎi."

Xú Jūnlíng paused slightly, her eyes narrowed slightly.

Then, without changing her expression, she stepped into the teahouse opposite, and under the gaze of the waiters and tea guests on the first floor, she climbed the wooden stairs.

...

On the second floor, after Zhao Du'an revealed his identity, the other tea guests had already fled in droves, fearing being implicated.

At this moment, only Zhao Du'an and Eunuch Hǎi were at the table, scrutinizing the two women as they ascended the stairs and approached.

"Xú Jūnlíng, daughter of the Prince of Huái'ān, greets Eunuch Hǎi and Envoy Zhao."

The refined and elegant Junzhu (princess) bowed gracefully and spoke first.

Eunuch Hǎi, with his white hair and beard, smiled and waved his hand:

"Junzhu is too kind."

Generally speaking, the status of royal women is not high, only their titles are more noble, but firstly, Xú Jūnlíng is different from other Junzhu, she already represents half of the Prince of Huái'ān.

Secondly, since she is not yet married, she is still considered a member of the Xú family's imperial bloodline. No matter how high Eunuch Hǎi's status is, he is still nominally a servant of the imperial family.

So his tone was still polite.

"Ah, this official didn't know that Junzhu had graced us with her presence, I didn't recognize you, I was rude just now, I hope Junzhu doesn't blame me."

Zhao Du'an was "greatly shocked" and stood up, as if only at this moment did he know the other party's identity.

"..." Xú Jūnlíng's smile stiffened, thinking, could you act any more fake?

But her smile was sweet: "Lord Zhao, you don't need to be so polite."

Eunuch Hǎi glanced at the two of them, then suddenly smiled, stood up, and said:

"This old man will go out for a stroll to digest, you talk."

As he said that, without waiting for anyone to react, his figure leaped lightly, and he flew out of the building like a wisp of green smoke, disappearing without a trace.

No... Lao Hǎi, you... Zhao Du'an's eyelids twitched.

Xú Jūnlíng's expression remained unchanged, and she stepped directly to Eunuch Hǎi's seat and sat opposite Zhao Du'an.

The maid holding the oiled paper umbrella did not go far, nor did she approach, standing with her hands down at the stairwell.

"It's really unexpected that Lord Zhao and Eunuch Hǎi are here," Xú Jūnlíng said calmly.

"Hehe, this official also didn't expect that Junzhu would come to such a place to watch the fun," Zhao Du'an said with a smile, pretending to be puzzled:

"The fellow downstairs surnamed Lǚ..."

"Is a guard from the mansion," Xú Jūnlíng sat upright and gracefully:

"With the Buddhist and Taoist festival approaching, I came to join in the fun on a whim. Just now, the guard witnessed the conflict below and was worried that if a big fight broke out, the soldiers would suffer.

Especially if it spreads, it will inevitably be bad for the reputation of the imperial court, so he rashly took action, intending to quell the incident, with no malice, I'm afraid Lord Zhao is laughing at me."

Without concealing it, she fabricated a story generously, um... it seems like she's talking about a small misunderstanding.

Zhao Du'an's eyes flickered, and he laughed heartily:

"So that's how it is, I was wondering when another great expert had appeared in the capital. If I had known it was Junzhu's subordinate, this misunderstanding would not have happened."

Speaking of which, those two rebellious traitors below are truly detestable. Not only do they disregard the laws of the imperial court, but they also implicated this official and the Princess, almost causing a conflict. It's truly hateful…

They probably calculated it, knowing the Princess was here, deliberately provoking, their hearts are punishable…

Xu Junling could only force a smile, carefully saying:

“Jianghu people are crude, they may not necessarily have complex thoughts. At this moment, it's better to have fewer disputes in the city.”

Zhao Du'an let out a long “Oh,” his eyes carrying a smile:

“Is that what the Princess thinks?”

After a pause, before Xu Junling could purse her lips and speak again, he waved his hand and laughed:

“Then I must have overthought it. Since it's just the actions of brutes, and the Princess has spoken, let's just drop the matter.”

Raising it high, and then gently putting it down…

In one sentence, he forcefully extracted a favor from the other party.

His aggressive questioning and repeated attempts to arrest people earlier were nothing more than to force the mastermind behind the scenes to come out.

Now that the Princess has personally come to the building, it's giving him face, and Zhao Du'an also needs to return the favor.

During the conversation, he was also observing this Princess who had gained great fame.

Pondering the purpose of her visit.

As far as he knew, Prince Huai'an was one of the more wavering among the “Eight Princes.”

Unlike Prince Jing, who was suspected of possessing troops in private, Prince Huai'an was located in the wealthy and commercially developed “Huai River Waterway,” where prominent clans were abundant.

The Prince's Mansion had a large number of industries and shops. Many of the ships traveling on the Grand Canal were backed by Prince Huai'an.

Those ships were constantly earning copper coins for Prince Huai'an's money bag.

Therefore, this Prince inevitably acquired the attributes of a businessman, accustomed to “hedging his bets.”

When the Empress first ascended the throne, Prince Huai'an was also the first to send a congratulatory memorial.

“Among the Eight Princes, Prince Huai'an has the weakest desire for the throne, and is also the most worthy of being won over.”

This was the judgment Zhao Du'an reached after reviewing the information.

Due to his businessman attributes, Prince Huai'an was in the middle of the situation. To protect his interests, he didn't want to betray the “Eight Princes” alliance led by Prince Jing.

Nor did he want to offend the Empress to death, fearing being purged.

He even maintained a neutral attitude towards the Kuangfu Society.

Hedging his bets, not completely loyal to any party. However, because he had a large amount of money in his hands, to a certain extent, he would also determine the weight of the balance in the power struggle between the various forces.

“Heh, shortly after the New Deal was promulgated, the news of the court opening the market spread. Before the other Princes had made any explicit reactions, Prince Huai'an couldn't wait to send his daughter over…”

“After arriving in the capital, she was busy managing relationships with various parties, probably still doing the work of collecting intelligence…”

“This talented Princess is like Prince Huai'an's eyes and ears, coming to see the changes in the court with her own eyes, judging the situation, in order to assess the chances of the Empress firmly establishing her rule…”

“Well… if that's the case, then it's not surprising that she found me. She's aiming to see me with her own eyes, to understand my background…”

Zhao Du'an laughed loudly.

At the same time, many thoughts flashed through his mind.

… …

So easy to talk to?

Xu Junling glanced at him with a slightly surprised look, meeting his seemingly smiling gaze, she couldn't help but lower her eyes and said:

“Lord Envoy has such a generous capacity for people, no wonder he is a capable minister valued by the Imperial Sister.”

The first half of the sentence was thanks, and the second half was both praise, and at the same time, it seemed to contain a hint of sarcasm.

Just as Zhao Du'an guessed, Xu Junling's purpose in coming here today was to weigh how much substance this popular favorite of the capital actually had.

What kind of personality and style of doing things he possessed.

As the saying goes, know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated. On the chessboard of the world, if you want to accurately make a move, you must open your eyes wide.

But how to meet, contact, and test was a big problem.

Only because through these days of understanding, Xu Junling determined that Zhao Du'an and the “Li Party” were thorough political enemies.

And coincidentally, the “Huai River Waterway” was the base camp of “Li Party” officials.

Li Yanfu's subordinates, a series of officials, were mostly Jiangnan scholars, backed by many Jiangnan clans.

Prince Huai'an had always maintained a good relationship with those clans.

This led to Xu Junling, standing from the family's perspective, being naturally close to the “Li Party.”

Her every move and attitude in contacting Zhao Du'an would be seen by the “Li Party” officials, the Empress, and even the other seven Princes, including Prince Jing.

Any signal released could trigger unpredictable chain reactions.

Therefore, after thinking it over, Xu Junling directed this scene today.

According to the plan, Lu Qingfeng would take action at a critical moment, intervening in a challenge to guide the two parties to meet.

This would not only allow her to test Zhao Du'an's personality, cultivation, and style of doing things in one fell swoop… but also avoid displeasing the “Li Party,” and prevent misunderstandings from the seven Princes.

And it wouldn't truly offend the Empress…

As a result, she didn't expect a slight mishap to occur.

Hai Gonggong's unexpected move completely disrupted her plan.

At this moment, the two exchanged greetings for a while, saying only compliments and meaningless small talk.

After a while, Zhao Du'an lifted an overturned cup, personally poured tea, handed it over, and said with emotion:

“Since the Princess came early, why didn't you meet with this official?”

Xu Junling smiled sweetly, took it with her slender jade fingers, and said with a smile:

“Lord Zhao has a close relationship with the Imperial Sister, as her younger sister, I must avoid suspicion.”

This was another test.

She sipped the tea with her red lips, staring at Zhao Du'an's expression, wanting to judge his relationship with the Empress.

Zhao Du'an did not respond directly, but casually said:

“Does the Princess find this tea to your liking?”

Changing the subject… Xu Junling smiled faintly: “Quite sweet.”

Zhao Du'an gazed at her sweet face with interest, and suddenly smiled flirtatiously:

“But I wonder, which is sweeter, the Princess's saliva, or this coarse tea.”

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