The First Lackey Under The Empress

The Princess left as quietly as she had come.

Taicang Prefecture was too busy handling the aftermath of the case to see her off.

That day, with the assistance of two hundred iron cavalry, Prefect Sun stabilized the situation. In the evening, he sought out Zhao Du'an for in-depth discussions about the follow-up.

The next day, the weather cleared up, and Zhao Du'an, amidst the complex gazes of the local officials, once again set off on his return journey.

When he came, there were four carriages; when he returned to the capital, it was still the same.

However, the Princess was no longer there. Instead, there were two prison carriages holding the former Provincial Administration Commissioner Gao Lian and the County Magistrate Wang Chusheng.

“Clatter, clatter…”

At the city gate, the officials, led by Sun Xiaozhun, watched the imperial envoy's team leave Taicang Prefecture under the escort of cavalry, heading north back to the capital, and simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

“With this departure, it is still unknown how the Emperor will judge.”

Surveillance Commissioner Liu, who had not yet been reinstated, wore a worried frown, fearing that the Empress would be furious and directly issue an order to punish him for dereliction of duty.

Sun Xiaozhun, who had benefited from the disaster and whose meritorious performance would at the very least offset his faults, snorted and said:

“Lord Liu is already old. If I were you, I would write a memorial early and resign from my official position to His Majesty, retreating to advance, so as to avoid ruining my reputation in my later years.”

Resign… Liu Ji stroked his beard, pondering silently.

Sun Xiaozhun was too lazy to pay attention to him. In the clear autumn morning, he wrapped his sleeves and watched the departing convoy, his eyes filled with worry:

Will Gao Lian truly be successfully convicted when he enters the capital?

“Return to the city.”

Prefect Sun shook his head, no longer thinking about it, turned around, and stepped into the towering gate.

… …

… …

South, on the official road.

The Princess and her party had already left the boundaries of Taicang Prefecture. Further ahead was the smooth road leading to the Huai River.

“Giddy-up.” Su Pao Lu Qingfeng personally acted as the coachman, the carriage swaying slightly.

The maid, Lu Shui, hugged her arms, her small head leaning against a corner of the carriage, dozing off.

Xu Junling, however, couldn't sleep no matter what. She thought:

“At this time, that Zhao fellow should have set off, right?”

She had been away from home for a long time. The many things she had seen and heard in the capital, and her stay in Taicang Prefecture, had yielded many gains, more than half of which were related to her imperial sister's rumored boyfriend.

“When I go back and tell Father and elder brothers, I'm afraid Father will waver again.”

Shaking her head, Xu Junling put aside her many complicated thoughts.

Opening the bundle containing books, wanting to read to relieve boredom, she picked up the 'Taicang Gazetteer' as if by some divine intervention.

“…Who would give this as a gift…”

Xu Junling couldn't help but complain a second time, but still subsequently opened it and was immediately stunned.

She saw that a page of paper was hidden in the crevice of the book page.

Xu Junling's slender fingertips picked up the white paper with ink writing, and then she froze. It turned out to be a poem.

Is this the poem that guy wrote? So, giving the book was a pretense, and giving the poem as a farewell was the real intention?

The Princess, who considered her poetic talent to be no less than that of contemporary literati, immediately sat up straight and lowered her eyes to read silently.

《Mountain Journey》

Up the cold mountain, a stone path slants,\nFar off, in the white clouds, a dwelling stands.

I stop my carriage, loving the maple woods late,\nThe frosted leaves redder than February flowers.

The carriage “rumbled” over the official road, outside the carriage window were layers of distant mountains, the autumn morning mist lingered on the high mountains, and the stone path on the mountain could be faintly seen, winding into the clouds.

The red maples all over the mountains and plains fell like a rainstorm as the autumn wind passed by, stop the carriage for love… eh?

Xu Junling's fingers holding the poem trembled, and a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes:

“This word is written wrong, right…”

Then she realized later and guessed the general meaning, and her cheeks suddenly turned crimson.

“Princess?” The maid, Lu Shui, rubbed her sleepy eyes, her expression puzzled.

Xu Junling crumpled the paper into a ball, gnashing her teeth:

“Wait until I tell the Imperial Sister later…”

… …

… …

People who often travel know.

The perception of time is very different when going and returning on the same journey.

When leaving the capital, looking at the mountains and rivers all the way, it feels slow.

When returning to the capital, however, it is much faster.

Without the Princess chatting and joking, Zhao Du'an felt dull. He stayed in his carriage most of the time, focusing on breathing and visualization.

“…Going on a business trip really delays cultivation. After returning to report, I have to make up for the homework I missed…”

“Strange, it's been a while since I advanced to Divine Chapter, why can't I still see what's in the second 'Nine Chapters Diagram'… Sure enough, the higher the realm, the harder the cultivation…”

“Hoo, calm down. For important things in life, you can't rush for success, but you have to use 'three years', 'five years', 'ten years' as a cycle… This is the correct mentality and method for doing things. As the saying goes, if you want to harvest a tree in ten years, you must plant it now…”

“Eh, another day of missing dual cultivation… Zhenbao, I don't want to work hard anymore…”

Inside the carriage.

Zhao Du'an let out a long breath, ending today's meditation, rubbed his face, and clearly hadn't been away from the capital for long, but he already wanted to go back.

It really is…

“Sir, something's not right!” Suddenly, Qian Kerou's voice sounded slightly anxious outside the carriage curtain.

At the same time, the carriage began to slow down, and there was a commotion outside.

Zhao Du'an withdrew his thoughts, used his sword scabbard to lift the carriage curtain, and poked half of his body out:

“What's wrong…”

He was stunned halfway through his words.

In the wilderness, between heaven and earth, a thick fog suddenly rose!

It was unknown where the fog came from. At first, it was just emerging, but in a few breaths, it became visibly thicker.

The convoy was originally traveling on a long official road, but in this short while, it was swallowed by thick fog in all directions.

The range of vision shrank sharply.

“Whinny…”

Around the team, the escorting warhorses uneasily stomped their hooves, making low whinnies, as if restless.

“Be alert! Form a circle!”

Yuan Xingjun, the deputy general carrying the flag, shouted loudly. On horseback, he had already drawn his sword and pointed it at the sky, shouting orders.

A group of battle-hardened soldiers quickly surrounded the carriages in the convoy, dismounted, drew their sabers, and formed a defensive perimeter, warily watching the swirling white mist.

Inside the prison carriage, Gao Lian was also awakened.

He looked around with suspicion, the clanking of his shackles echoing. He seemed quite surprised.

"Lord Zhao, something's not right. How could there be such a thick fog at this hour?"

Censor Chen Hong wore a solemn expression as he leaned closer.

Hou Ren gripped his saber hilt tightly, the troublemaker acting as if facing a formidable enemy:

"Sorcery! This is no normal weather phenomenon; only sorcery can achieve this!"

Zhao Du'an jumped down from his carriage, his heart sinking upon hearing this:

"Are you saying there's a sorcerer hiding nearby? Can you tell their origin?"

Shen Juan also drew his saber with a "clang," turning his back to them, vigilantly watching the surroundings, and quickly said:

"The world of sorcery is complex and varied, making it impossible to be certain. However, such swiftness in creating thick fog in the countryside… the yamen does have similar records. In that case file, it was just like this!"

"The caster is a Divine Chapter Sorcerer from the 'Law God Sect,' known in the Jianghu as the 'Mist Wraith.' They wield an artifact capable of creating a fog of war, and are said to worship the deity 'Lord of Mist'…"

Qian Kerou's expression changed slightly:

"I've also read that file. It says that the mist spread by the Law God Sect's Mist Wraith is like a maze. Once trapped within, one can only hold their ground. It's crucial not to split up to search for a way out, or you'll fall into 'cognitive impairment' and lose your way."

"However, it's said that the Mist Wraith isn't skilled in direct combat, only in trapping enemies. Therefore, they always act in concert with another Law God Sect sorcerer who can control vine armor warriors, which are extremely troublesome!"

Law God Sect?

The largest sorcerer organization in the Jianghu?

Zhao Du'an frowned deeply, his hand already on the hilt of his Frostwind Sword. His mind raced, analyzing whether they were after him or Gao Lian.

The Kuangfu Society? The Eighth Prince? Or perhaps some powerful aristocratic family?

"Rustle, rustle…"

Before he could think further, everyone suddenly heard rustling sounds, accompanied by exclamations:

"Vines! Vines are coming through the mist!"

Zhao Du'an focused his gaze and saw countless vines spreading like a tide from all directions in the mist, centered on the convoy.

Then, shadowy human figures gradually emerged from the mist, one after another.

More than a dozen of them, approaching from different directions.

As their true forms became visible, a collective gasp arose. They were "strange men" covered in vine armor from head to toe.

Wielding swords and sabers, their figures were larger than ordinary people.

"Vine Armor Warriors! The Law God Sect has come to intercept us!" Shen Juan exclaimed.

I knew it… a trip out of the capital wouldn't be peaceful… Why did these people wait until my return journey to appear?

Did they barely catch up, or was it because I had guards from the Prince's mansion with me before?

Zhao Du'an took a deep breath, a faint layer of frost covering his wrist. He was about to order an attack when,

Suddenly, at the moment of imminent clash,

All the Vine Armor Warriors simultaneously stopped, halting in their tracks.

Then, they emitted sharp, angry, and terrified sounds.

Immediately afterward, to everyone's astonishment, the Vine Armor Warriors, who were about to attack, simultaneously turned around and fled into the mist.

The vines that had been spreading like a tide on the ground also "rustled" as they retracted, quickly retreating.

"What's going on?"

Censor Chen Hong timidly hid in the carriage, now poking his head out: "Does the case file mention this kind of attack method?"

Shen Juan's expression froze, and he shook his head, indicating that there was no such record.

Qian Kerou analyzed:

"Could it be a lure to draw us in? Trying to trick us into pursuing and investigating, thereby dividing us. Don't forget that getting lost in this mist will make us lose our way back!"

Oh, my silly little secretary is quite quick-witted at crucial moments… As a Divine Chapter Realm cultivator, Zhao Du'an was keenly aware that the hostility was rapidly disappearing…

"Don't pursue, wait a moment."

He said in a deep voice, choosing caution over adventure.

…

…

At the same time,

In the mist, about a mile away from the convoy, in a mountain hollow.

A withered old man, wrapped in a wild Taoist robe, sat cross-legged, his hands suspended in front of him, thin lines of condensed green smoke hanging from between his fingers.

Each line was connected to a palm-sized Vine Armor Warrior on the ground.

At this moment, the old Taoist's eyes were filled with fear as he sensed the faint killing intent permeating the surroundings, frantically controlling the Vine Armor Warriors to retreat and rush back towards him from afar.

"Crack."

However, the next second, a clear sound of stepping on vines rang out behind the old Taoist.

Immediately afterward, before he could react, a hand gently pressed down on the Law God Sect assassin's head.

The old Taoist's skull instantly shattered, splattering red and white matter, and he fell straight down into the mountain hollow. The lush green vines covering the ground, centered on him, instantly withered.

Many of the Vine Armor Warriors who were rushing back to defend also suddenly froze, lost their lives, and turned into dust.

"Hmph, a bunch of rabble, daring to be presumptuous."

The owner of the hand chuckled and slowly retracted it.

It was a mysterious person draped in a cloak, with a slightly hunched figure, their head covered by a black hood to conceal their features.

At this moment, the mysterious person slowly adjusted the hood, revealing a face full of wrinkles, but with eyes as clear as a child's.

Eunuch Hai glanced in the direction of Zhao Du'an through the thick fog and muttered:

"His Majesty really predicted it accurately."

Immediately afterward, the old eunuch in蟒袍 turned around, narrowed his eyes, judged the direction based on his martial artist's senses, and slowly took a step:

"Heh heh, none of you will escape."