The First Lackey Under The Empress

“A cauldron…”

Xu Zhenguan was visibly stunned when Zhao Du’an’s resolute voice landed.

A rosy flush mixed with anger spread across her ice-like skin, and she instinctively wanted to scold, "Impudent!"

But when she met Zhao Du’an’s sincere and frank gaze, the scolding caught in her throat, unable to go up or down.

He… was he serious?

This thought jumped out uncontrollably.

In Xu Zhenguan’s eyes, the so-called “Your Majesty’s Cauldron” was just another jest from this foul-mouthed fellow.

Strangely enough, if anyone else dared to make such jokes repeatedly, she would be utterly disgusted.

But Zhao Du’an had done so many times, yet she never truly became angry.

Xu Zhenguan didn't know that this was also a kind of "broken window effect."

From the moment Zhao Du’an first confessed boldly and she didn't punish him, Zhao had obtained the privilege to be slightly "glib-tongued" in front of the monarch.

Xu Zhenguan thought this was just another one of those times.

But Zhao Du’an’s firm tone and particularly earnest gaze made the irritation in her heart suddenly dissipate.

“You… are you really willing?”

Xu Zhenguan confirmed with a strange expression:

“You must understand that with the Dragon Soul’s favor, you might have a chance to ascend to ‘Celestial Being’ in the future. But once you become a cauldron, you will ruin your great prospects.”

Zhao Du’an smiled self-deprecatingly and said:

“This Dragon Soul belongs to the royal family, not to me. Without Your Majesty’s cultivation these past months, even if I had some talent, lacking resources and inheritance, I would probably only be a Divine Chapter cultivator my whole life, let alone enjoy the current wealth and glory.

I am Your Majesty’s subject, and Your Majesty is my benefactor. As the saying goes, a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring…

Your Majesty has nourished my humble self with heavenly rain, and I should offer my unwavering loyalty and give my all to repay Your Majesty’s sacred grace.”

He cupped his hands: “I implore Your Majesty to allow me to repay your kindness!”

“……”

Xu Zhenguan was momentarily silenced by these words, feeling both touched and gratified, and a bit of indescribable shame…

Creak—

Even the Tai’a Sword standing beside them slightly bent its body.

Xu Zhenguan took a deep breath and waved her sleeve helplessly:

“Get up, who wants your repayment?”

She said as if annoyed:

“Just praised you a few words, and you really think you’re a great tonic? A mere Divine Chapter Realm cultivator, what cultivation level am I at? How could I covet your little bit of enhancement? Don’t mention this matter again.”

Zhao Du’an raised his head, hesitating:

“But Your Majesty, this Dragon Soul is hidden within my body. If we don’t cultivate together, how can it be returned… If it’s lost…”

Xu Zhenguan turned her head, took two steps away, and faced him with her back, saying casually:

“Although the Dragon Soul is not a god, it is close to one. Even with my cultivation, I cannot forcefully seize it, nor can anyone else. Just temporarily store it in your body. As long as you don’t deliberately release it, outsiders won’t be able to detect it…

Well, I’ll give you a seal later to conceal your Qi Sea, and that will do. Hmph, a mere Divine Chapter cultivator, what you should be thinking about is entering the Mortal Realm as soon as possible, not these crooked paths!”

What Xu Zhenguan didn’t say was that even if she really went to extract energy, it wouldn’t be of much use.

Because Zhao Du’an was too weak.

He had only barely supported the Dragon Soul’s awakening for ten breaths… The time was too short to be of much help to her.

The Dragon Soul was like an engine, and Zhao Du’an’s cultivation was the fuel.

The method of extracting energy would instead make it difficult for Zhao Du’an to make progress, causing the Dragon Soul to fall into a deeper slumber and be unable to take effect.

Therefore, in terms of both emotion and reason, extracting energy was a losing proposition.

Zhao Du’an was so clever that he suddenly understood:

“Your Majesty means that only when both parties have similar cultivation levels can we complement each other.

I heard that Your Majesty has not yet stepped into the true Celestial Being Realm, but relies on the Dragon Qi of the throne to be comparable to a Celestial Being.

So Your Majesty is still at the Great Perfection of the Mortal Realm? If I step into the Mortal Realm, I will be in the same realm as Your Majesty, and then we can cultivate together?”

Theoretically, that’s how it is… Xu Zhenguan was about to nod, but then she woke up and was extremely speechless.

Who wants to discuss when to cultivate together with you?

I almost got led into a trap.

Zhao Du’an suddenly noticed a bug:

If he and the Empress cultivated together, and the Empress broke through and entered the Celestial Being Realm, wouldn’t that mean they would be in different realms again? So, the result of cultivating together is that they can’t cultivate together?

No… Since cultivating together is beneficial to both parties, his own cultivation should also improve.

Moreover, it’s just the Celestial Being Realm, so what if he enters the Celestial Being Realm and then continues to cultivate together… Then, it would be a perpetual motion machine…

“Put away your unrealistic thoughts.”

Xu Zhenguan coldly interrupted his thoughts and said:

“Since you are a royal offering and favored by Emperor Taizu, I can temporarily record your transgression today and not punish you.

Let the Dragon Soul be nurtured in your body for now. If there is any negligence, I will not spare you. As for today’s events, I will spread the word that I bestowed upon you a method to temporarily wield the Tai’a Sword, so that others won’t associate it with the Dragon Soul.

Keep your mouth shut, and it won’t be leaked. If you talk nonsense and people find out, even if you are tied up, dissected, and your soul seized, I won’t be able to protect you at all times.”

This stiff topic change… Zhao Du’an complained, but his face was respectful:

“Your subject obeys!”

He breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, knowing that he had safely passed this hurdle today.

……

Seeing that he was no longer talking nonsense, Xu Zhenguan nodded in satisfaction and pointed to the stone wall in the room:

“Alright, now that the reasons have been explained, go in and observe the second picture.”

Let’s chat for another five yuan… Zhao Du’an didn’t dare to disobey, so he stepped over the threshold obediently.

This time, with experience, he didn’t need guidance and sat cross-legged on the futon.

He tried to stare at the mural on the second floor—the irregular carvings on the stone tablet—and visualize it in his mind.

His heart was also full of anticipation… The first “Martial God Picture” had many mysteries.

He wondered what kind of mystery this second scroll, which taught the cultivation of the “Divine Chapter” realm, held.

The wind blew through the old building.

The sunlight gradually slanted.

Xu Zhenguan didn’t leave, but stood outside the door and waited for about two quarters of an hour. Then, she saw Zhao Du’an rise from meditation in the room and walk out with a dazed look.

“Is it over?”

“Uh… Your Majesty, I’m not too sure.”

Zhao Du’an was a little confused.

Because after he visualized it just now, he was muddled and indeed sank into a “dream.”

But inside, it was pitch black, and there was nothing.

No matter how he tried to probe and shout, there was no response.

It took a long time before he felt the familiar mental fatigue and detached himself from the “visualization.”

Xu Zhenguan was not surprised and said calmly:

“This second picture is called ‘Six Chapter Scripture,’ and it is different from the one on the first floor.

You have only recently entered the Divine Chapter Realm and have not yet stabilized it. Therefore, you can’t see anything in the visualization, only darkness. When you have completely stabilized, there will naturally be changes.”

Ah, this… can it be like this?

Xu Zhenguan casually pulled out the Tai’a Sword from the ground, threw it into the air, and the long sword turned into a long rainbow, heading straight for the Tai Temple and returning to its original position.

The Empress then fluttered her skirt and led Zhao Du’an out of the Martial Repository—

Leading him here had two purposes: one was to interrogate him, and the other was to bestow upon him the “Six Chapter Scripture.”

Now that both had been achieved, she naturally wanted to leave.

When walking out of the front courtyard of the Martial Repository.

The old eunuch in the python robe smiled and nodded at him with an expression that said, “I told you everything would be fine.”

Zhao Du’an was too lazy to pay attention to him.

After walking away, Zhao Du’an said uneasily:

“Your Majesty, then will your subject be staying in the palace tonight…”

“You may return home on your own.” Xu Zhenguan had a cold demeanor that showed the difference between monarch and subject.

“Oh…” Zhao Du’an lowered his head dejectedly, looking very disappointed.

Xu Zhenguan caught sight of his attitude from the corner of her eye and inexplicably had a headache. She thought for a while and said:

“By the way, today you represented the court and won a great victory. I have already ordered that a celebration banquet be held at Zhangtai Garden tonight. I won’t be attending, but the officials will be there. Remember to go.

Heh, at that time, there will probably be literary talents taking the opportunity to write poems and flatter you. Just accept it calmly. Although those mediocre scholars don’t have the ability to govern the country, their ability to spread fame through poetry and essays is not weak and can help you make a name for yourself.”

“Your Majesty knows that what your subject wants is not empty fame…” Zhao Du’an said.

Xu Zhenguan ignored him and continued:

“By the way, during this time you were recuperating in the palace, I sent Mo Chou to lead troops to Shenlong Temple. The head of the Discipline Hall has been stripped of his position and sent to a lower temple outside the capital. The monks who participated in the questioning were all demoted, and Shenlong Temple was deprived of 10% of its monastic land by the court.

The money taken back was just enough to be sent to the east of the city to repair the almshouse.

Autumn has arrived, and the severe winter is not far away. In the third year of my reign, I don’t want children to freeze to death under my eyes. Those are my people, and I don’t need a small military officer like you to help them.”

Zhao Du’an was stunned and couldn’t help but stop.

Watching Xu Zhenguan’s footsteps not stop, her white dress gradually walking away, he pursed his lips, and his heart suddenly warmed.

On the other side, Xu Zhenguan returned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. As soon as she arrived, she saw Mo Chou waiting outside the Imperial Study.

She seemed anxious. When she saw her, her eyes lit up, and she quickly said:

“Your Majesty, Lord Yuan requests an audience!”

……

Not long after, at the entrance of the Imperial City.

Zhao Du’an led his horse out, declined the proposal of the palace servants to send him in a carriage, and only borrowed a horse, trotting back home.

After walking for a while, he remembered that he had been in the limelight this time, and his appearance was known to many people.

He simply took out the space scroll from his arms and fished out the mask seized from the “Thousand-Faced Divine Lord.”

He pressed it on his face and changed his appearance.

Now, as he walked along the street, no one surrounded him.

However, after advancing to the Divine Chapter, he was sharp-eared and clear-sighted, and he could clearly hear many discussions on both sides of the street about the duel during the day.

Among them, the name “Zhao Yama” appeared frequently.

“Where to go next? Go home first? Well… I’m afraid there’s no peace at home either. At this time, it must be bustling with people, and people from all the government offices are coming to visit…”

“It’s getting late, why not wait until the evening and go directly to attend the celebration party at ‘Zhangtai Garden’…”

“That’s right, the Celestial Master’s Mansion…”

Zhao Du’an suddenly remembered this matter. Old Wang had agreed to meet with him on the stage at that time.

Should he turn his horse around and take a stroll to the Celestial Master’s Mansion?

With a thought in his heart, Zhao Du’an was about to act, but suddenly his eyes narrowed.

He dismounted, led his horse to a familiar soup cake shop by the roadside in front, and casually tied the horse to the doorpost.

He sat down at a table, straddling a long bench.

Looking at the tall old man who had been waiting there, breaking a cake and drinking soup, he grinned and cupped his hands, saying in a low voice:

“Junior greets Old… Sir.”

Zhang Yan smiled and raised his head, handing him a bowl of mutton soup that he had prepared:

“Little friend Zhao, please drink a bowl of soup. We will meet again someday.”