The First Lackey Under The Empress

Inside the study.

Zhao Du'an took two strides, reaching the desk, picked up the inkstick and swirled it twice in the inkstone, then hastily picked up his brush and wrote three lines on the paper:

First, the heart of a martial artist is to be enterprising, not afraid of failure.

Remember the first website domain 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞

Second, challenge all parties and integrate the strengths of all schools.

Third, do not dodge or evade, but have the courage of a reckless man.

“Phew!” Finishing writing, Zhao Du'an put down his brush, exhaled a long breath, and stared at the black characters on the white paper in a daze.

This was the teaching he had extracted today, following beside Eunuch Hai.

“Eunuch Hai seems to have no method, but in fact, these days, he has been guiding me step by step to truly understand these things.”

“Therefore, the key to breaking through the state of mind and entering the Divine Chapter lies in these words.”

Zhao Du'an looked at the first point, and after thinking for a moment, he crossed it out and changed it to the word “goal”.

“The key to this point is not the heart of a martial artist, but ambition, that is, determining the goal.

The Great Yu Taizu, who founded the dynasty, was definitely not a crude man who purely pursued martial arts. He must have had the ambition to establish the world, and learning martial arts was just a means to achieve his goal.”

“What is my goal? It is to survive.”

Zhao Du'an's eyes were firm.

To be granted a title and become a minister? To become a famous general of a generation? Or the head of powerful officials? Or to reach the realm of 'Human Immortal'?

Is this his goal? Never!

Is it 'deceiving the emperor'? Marrying the female emperor?

Also not.

“My goal has always been to survive better, not to live from hand to mouth, with life and death in the hands of others.

In my previous life, I worked hard to death for this, and in this life, I am also trying to get rid of a crisis-ridden situation… But in the past few months, as my status has risen, my sense of urgency has been decreasing… My pursuit of goals is also declining…

If the steps towards the goal are not firm, it is destined to be impossible to achieve!”

Zhao Du'an suddenly woke up.

He looked at the second point, thought for a moment, and crossed it out:

“Learning the strengths of all schools is what the old Xu of that year, and today's bottom-level martial artists should do. But I have already obtained the inheritance of the Martial God, so there is no need to waste effort.”

Finally, he lowered his eyes and stared at the third point.

In his ears, the words of the old man holding a bamboo pole in the martial arts hall, scolding the apprentices, echoed.

“Yes, I rely too much on my mind and others.

Whether it was Xu Junling sending people to challenge, or Chai Keqiao making trouble, my first reaction was to use external forces to suppress people… Because this is the least dangerous, I am instinctively avoiding risks, thinking that it is too stupid to use my own power.”

“But… this has damaged the core of martial arts…”

Before Zhao Du'an's eyes, it suddenly appeared.

In the painting, at the foot of the green mountain, the Great Yu Taizu, covered in blood, lying in the afterglow of the setting sun, said:

“If you can't beat them, you have to fight them even more.”

His heart sea was uncontrollably turbulent, and he was absent-minded.

“That's right! Zhen Bao said a long time ago that if I want to go further on the path of cultivation, I can't always shrink back in the safe capital. I must face the wind and rain outside…

It's not to say that I need to do everything myself. Power can still be used, connections, backers, bodyguards, and guards can all be used…

But there is a prerequisite, that is, I can't rely on these too much!”

“Once I become addicted to relying on them, I will gradually become timid, develop a fear, and lead to no possibility of progress!”

Zhao Du'an suddenly woke up.

Realizing that he had been subconsciously trying to hide his 'talent for cultivating the Martial God Diagram' and even the 'Dragon Soul' hidden within him.

Wanting to 'be a coward' a little.

Afraid of being discovered by the female emperor.

Isn't this also a kind of timidity?

This is a reflection of his character. Whether in his previous life or this life, mingling in the officialdom, he is accustomed to caution, observing words and expressions, and acting carefully… This has helped him gain a foothold in Great Yu.

But it has also become his cage.

“I understand! This is the bottleneck that prevents my state of mind from breaking through!”

At this moment, Zhao Du'an suddenly realized, feeling enlightened.

Having found the problem, how to correct it next?

Zhao Du'an suddenly remembered the conversation he had with Eunuch Hai not long ago.

At that time, Eunuch Hai mentioned that the 《Martial God Diagram》 and the practitioners in reality influence each other.

“In other words… the solution lies in the Martial God Diagram! That's right, since this is a complete royal family technique, how can it not include a method to break through the state of mind?”

Zhao Du'an's eyes suddenly lit up, and he was blessed with inspiration.

He threw the brush in his hand and strode to open the study door, shouting:

“Uncle Zhao!”

Soon!

The Zhao family's “old steward” who had personally raised him rushed over:

“Young Master, what are your orders?”

Zhao Du'an excitedly grabbed the old steward's sleeve and said quickly:

“Uncle Zhao, take people to bookstores, to bookshops… In short, I need all the books on the market that record the Taizu Emperor's travels around the world in the past, as well as biographies! All of them! Buy them all back!”

The old steward nodded blankly, agreed quickly, and immediately hurriedly greeted the servants to go out and purchase.

In his later years, Emperor Taizu personally recorded his life experiences, and biographies circulated.

In addition, he had met many people when he traveled around.

Similarly, he was remembered by too many people in the Jianghu.

Many of the seniors who had fought against the Great Yu Taizu also left behind a few words, scattered in many character biographies.

“The most effective way to become stronger is to imitate the strong. The essence of the Martial God Diagram lies in allowing me to imitate the old Xu at close range.

Not learning his appearance, but learning his thinking, his attitude and thoughts on cultivation…

And collecting as much information as possible can supplement the missing parts in the Martial God Diagram and help me speed up this process.”

Zhao Du'an stood with his hands behind his back in front of the study door, with no more confusion in his eyes.

This was the experience he had summarized from studying ashore in his previous life.

It is still feasible in this world.

…

Soon, volumes of character biographies were sent into the study by the Zhao family servants.

The old steward was extremely meticulous in his work, strictly following Zhao Du'an's orders. The books he bought back were piled up like a small mountain.

In most of these books, the paragraphs recording Emperor Taizu might only be a few sentences.

Zhao Du'an didn't mind at all, and immediately flipped through and chewed on them.

In a trance, he seemed to have returned to his previous life, frantically preparing for exams at home.

In the following days, Zhao Du'an hardly left his house, and declined all external work.

He didn't look for Eunuch Hai anymore, and he didn't care about the affairs in the yamen.

He spent all day reading, thinking, eating, and sleeping in the study.

He seemed to be mad.

On the third day, Zhao Du'an called the old steward again and asked him to prepare a large amount of pen and ink.

Unexpectedly, he began to paint without warning.

Zhao Du'an had not specifically studied painting, nor did he intend to learn it. He just locked himself in the room, spread the painting paper, and splashed ink and outlined it to his heart's content.

Soon, the painted papers piled up on the ground, leaving no room to stand, and he threw them out in one go.

“Mother, what's wrong with elder brother? He suddenly locked himself up, reading and painting, and occasionally staring blankly in the room with disheveled hair, staring at the air without moving.

I sent him food before, and he didn't seem to recognize me anymore… Could it be that he's practicing and has become possessed?”

In the courtyard, under the gazebo.

The young girl Zhao Pan was worried and came to her mother's side.

From here, you can see the study not far away, with the doors closed tightly.

A week had passed since Zhao Du'an closed himself.

The atmosphere of the entire Zhao family had also become somewhat heavy and depressing.

You Jinhua sat on the gazebo bench, with many sent out paintings spread on the stone table in front of her.

The paintings depicted scenes of martial artists fighting, using extremely rough and clumsy techniques.

If Hai, the供奉 (gòng fèng, a title for someone offering service to the court), were here, he would recognize them at a glance:

Each picture was a true depiction of the fights he had led Zhao Du'an to observe and witness in recent days.

These accumulated experiences finally surged forth at this moment, propelling Zhao Du'an closer to that profound realm.

“Don't talk nonsense, how could D郎 (Dàláng, a respectful way to call young man) be possessed?”

The plump and shapely stepmother scolded, but the expression on her face was even more worried than her daughter's:

“Didn't that old gentleman from the palace come to our house before? He said everything was fine, so don't disturb D郎.”

She was referring to Eunuch Hai.

The old eunuch in蟒袍 (mǎng páo, python robe) had come to the house once during this period.

Upon learning that Zhao Du'an was obsessively cultivating behind closed doors, a gratified smile appeared on his face. He didn't bother him and left with light steps.

Zhao Pan's autumn-water-like eyes flickered:

“But that old gentleman only took a look from afar and didn't even enter the house.”

You Jinhua bit her lip, also unsure what to do. After thinking for a while, she urged her daughter:

“Why don't you go to the诏衙 (zhào yá, imperial court) and tell that Supervisor Ma, see what he says.”

As a woman, You Jinhua was not clear about Eunuch Hai's identity, only knowing that he was from the “palace,” so she didn't quite believe him.

But she had great faith in the chief leader of her stepson's workplace.

Zhao Pan nodded and hurriedly went.

The news she brought back was that Supervisor Ma listened to her account attentively, smiled, and said:

“No need to disturb him, it's a good thing.”

So, the uneasy mother and daughter had no choice but to suppress their worries and hope that D郎 would recover soon.

……

Time passed by slowly.

During Zhao Du'an's seclusion to refine his heart, the atmosphere in the capital could be described as “adding fuel to the fire.”

The date of the Buddhist-Taoist competition was approaching.

The city was also very lively, and the capital's inns were almost completely full, filled with out-of-towners who came to see this major event.

The Imperial Guards, led by the诏衙 (zhào yá, imperial court), were extremely busy, working around the clock, constantly dealing with conflicts that could break out in the city at any time.

As the heat rose, details about the Buddhist and Taoist families' competition gradually leaked out.

People's attention naturally focused on the candidates for the competition.

Because the rules stipulated that only young disciples in the Divine Chapter realm could compete, there were two thresholds: realm and age, so the candidates were not difficult to guess.

On the Heavenly Master Mansion's side, the biggest favorite was the Golden Tablet Divine Official.

Gongshu Tianyuan, as the senior brother, was not incompetent, but the “Craftsman God” path he mainly cultivated was not good at fighting rules.

The other disciples of the Old Heavenly Master Zhang Yanyi did not meet the age and realm requirements, so they did not come back to join in the fun.

On the Divine Dragon Temple's side, the most watched was a young monk with the Dharma name “Tianhai.”

……

Heavenly Master Mansion, in the deepest part.

In a secluded courtyard.

Gongshu Tianyuan, wearing a dirty Divine Official robe, pried open the courtyard door.

Before him was a huge and mysterious banyan tree.

After autumn, the huge and lush canopy of the banyan tree turned golden yellow overnight, shining like fire.

Yet not a single fallen leaf withered.

Under the tree, the tall Old Heavenly Master with narrow eyes was still leaning back in his rocking chair, holding the Heavenly Book Jade Scroll in his hand, reading it for the unknown time.

“Master,” Gongshu Tianyuan stood respectfully and saluted, “I can't find Junior Sister.”

Zhang Yanyi looked indifferent, seemingly unconcerned about the competition related to the Heavenly Master Mansion's honor, and smiled:

“What are you looking for her for?”

Gongshu Tianyuan was worried:

“This disciple thought of another way to inquire about the situation on the Divine Dragon Temple's side. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.

I, as the senior brother, should contribute, but unfortunately, I am really not good at fighting. There are limits to the number of magical artifacts that participants can carry in each competition.

Unfortunately, I can't bring up all my treasures… so I can only give Junior Sister more advice.”

He rambled for a while before mysteriously saying:

“This disciple heard that the little monk Tianhai can already enter the Worldly Realm, but he is deliberately suppressing it, which is very vicious. He is obviously waiting for us.”

Zhang Yanyi said in exasperation:

“How many times have I taught you, the Great Dao never has the concept of competition. Only martial artists like to fight. We Taoist priests who seek the Dao want to go far, so don't focus your mind on others. Taking care of yourself is the most powerful 'competition'.”

He raised his hand and drew two lines on the ground, one long and one short, and not intersecting, but parallel, and said:

“The Buddhist and Taoist families are like these two lines. If you want to be long, you can surpass others by focusing on cultivation.”

Gongshu Tianyuan didn't say anything, secretly stretched out his boots, shortened the longer section by a bit, and muttered:

“This disciple thinks this is more effective.”

“…Get out.”

Zhang Yanyi said angrily.

“Oh.” Gongshu Tianyuan ran away happily.

After he left, the golden yellow canopy of the huge banyan tree swayed, revealing a blurry human face.

A phantom voice echoed:

“Don't get angry with the younger generation. When he gets older, he will naturally understand this principle.”

“夫唯不争，故天下莫能与之争 (fū wéi bù zhēng, gù tiān xià mò néng yǔ zhī zhēng, Only by not contending can one not be contended with),”

Zhang Yanyi suddenly recited a sentence he had remembered while chatting with Zhao Du'an.

He said with emotion:

“Young Zhao is even younger, but he can already say these words. It's a pity that he has been practicing for too short a time, and he has gone down the path of martial arts, which has delayed his talent.”

The golden yellow banyan tree rustled and laughed:

“Martial artists must not dodge or avoid when moving forward, and must compete with others.

This is contrary to the Taoist emphasis on tranquility and non-contention. Do you think he is a competitive or non-competitive person?

Since Zhao Du'an is walking with Gongshu Tianyuan, the two must have something in common.”

Zhang Yanyi was silent for a moment and sighed:

“I understand, he may not be suitable for the path of a Taoist priest, but… never mind.”

The Old Heavenly Master closed his eyes.

The Buddhist-Taoist competition is in these two days, and he has no time to think about other things.

……

Imperial Palace, in the Empress's bedroom.

Xu Junling entered the palace again today to play with her imperial sister.

Xu Zhenguan took the time to play Go with her in the room to relieve boredom.

“Imperial Sister, what about the little monk Tianhai of the Divine Dragon Temple? Although I have heard of him, I don't know much about him. I just feel that his reputation is not great.”

Xu Junling asked curiously:

“According to rumors, he was born with a vertical eye between his eyebrows. Because he frightened his parents, he was abandoned outside and picked up and raised by monks in a temple. Later, a Divine Dragon Temple Dharma master who passed by noticed that he had extremely strong wisdom roots and brought him back to the Divine Dragon Temple.

Abbot Xuanyin also attached great importance to this young man, calling the vertical eye between his eyebrows a 'compassionate eye', saying that the young man was born to be able to distinguish between good and evil in people's hearts.

It is said that this young man's personality is also different from other monks. He is quite perverse, does not like to meditate, and walks outside all day long, punishing evil and promoting good. He often uses force to subdue evil people… He has stained his hands with many lives, and his relationship with others in Buddhism is not very good.”

Opposite her.

Xu Zhenguan, wearing ordinary clothes, sat casually, but had her own aura of an emperor, in stark contrast to the little郡主 (jùn zhǔ, a title for imperial daughter).

The Empress, with three thousand black hairs draped over her shoulders and picturesque eyebrows, smiled.

Holding a chess piece in her hand, her eyes drifted towards the Divine Dragon Temple:

“How would I know?”

——

Laying the groundwork, the next chapter will be the breakthrough