The First Lackey Under The Empress

Swoosh—

In the night sky of the capital, a cluster of almost transparent starlight pierced the cold air.

From the direction of the Zhao residence, like a comet dragging its tail, it crossed over ancient buildings and finally fell on a tall building far from the Ministry of Justice prison.

[I hope readers remember our domain name here: Taiwan Novel Network → 𝖙 𝖜 𝖐 𝖆 𝖓 . 𝖈 𝖔 𝖒]

Zhao Du'an's feet lightly touched the roof tiles as he lowered his head, surprised to see a layer of "film" covering his body, connected to the golden slip in his left hand, and a faint moonlight overflowing from his pupils.

"I'm becoming more and more envious of you sorcerers," Zhao Du'an sincerely sighed.

"Envious of what?" Jin Jian blankly tilted his head, pushing up the semi-transparent crystal glasses on his nose in confusion.

"Being able to fly... Forget it, you flying animals can't understand the pain of life that relies on walking with feet."

Zhao Du'an shook his head, quickly ending the boring topic, and looked towards the brightly lit Ministry of Justice prison.

At this moment, perhaps because of Wang Chu's death, the Ministry of Justice was particularly "lively" compared to usual.

"I hope Gao Lian isn't being interrogated at this time," Zhao Du'an muttered to himself, then asked Jin Jian:

"Can you take me in?"

Jin Jian, who had failed in the battle between Buddhism and Taoism but had also made great progress, proudly puffed out his chest:

"Of course!"

After a slight pause, he added with a guilty conscience: "However, if you cause a commotion, I won't be able to cover it up.

Speaking of which, are you going to do something bad again?"

What do you mean 'again'... Little Jin Jian, how can you slander someone's innocence out of thin air...

"No comment, just help me bypass the surrounding guards," Zhao Du'an reached into his chest, and a palm-sized silver scroll appeared in his hand.

The words "Taixu Painting Scroll" were clearly engraved on the jade axis of this scroll, which he had always used as a "storage bag".

"It's been so long since I used you, I almost forgot your true purpose," Zhao Du'an stroked the scroll and murmured softly.

Back then, Han Shuangjian of the Kuangfu Society used this object to construct a false long street, causing him to enter it unconsciously.

After Zhao Du'an obtained it, he gradually learned its ability, which was to replicate a small area in reality into the scenery on the painting and then "cover" it in the real world.

Today, it has a long-lost use.

…

Ministry of Justice Prison, "Jia" area.

Gao Lian was alone, imprisoned in a sturdy cell with no ventilation holes in three walls, only iron bars in front sealing the cage.

This former Linfeng Governor, a figure who could be called half a provincial governor, was not lying on the bed at this moment, but sitting cross-legged on the straw-covered floor of the cell.

With his eyes closed, he gently recited a calming scripture widely circulated among the people of Dayu.

Suddenly, the flames in the fixed brazier in the corridor flickered, as if blown by the wind.

Accompanying it were faint sounds of doors opening and footsteps gradually approaching.

Gao Lian stopped reciting the scriptures, opened his eyes, and quietly looked out of the bars. Gradually, a figure emerged from the darkness.

"Zhao Du'an?" Gao Lian was stunned.

Standing in the corridor across the prison door was Zhao, with an arrogant and indifferent expression, dressed in luxurious clothes.

"Are you surprised?" Zhao Du'an scrutinized the governor in the cell.

After not seeing him for many days, Gao Lian's complexion was slightly worse than when he was escorted to the capital.

He had changed into prison clothes, and his feet and hands were shackled even in prison.

His usually meticulously combed sideburns were scattered and disheveled, but his face did not have the fear and despair of ordinary prisoners, but was calm and serene like an old monk.

"I just didn't expect you to visit, and alone," Gao Lian said with a smile after a brief surprise.

Zhao Du'an clicked his tongue in wonder and said:

"Although I personally brought you back and can't wait for you to die, I have to say that your calm appearance in prison is indeed admirable.

Tsk, but I don't know when you believed in Buddhism? You even started reciting scriptures."

Gao Lian shook his head with a calm expression: "Lord Zhao is here, surely not just to tease Gao, right?"

Zhao Du'an stood silently outside the bars, met his gaze, and said:

"Wang Chu is dead."

A real surprise appeared on Gao Lian's haggard face, seeming extremely astonished, and then enlightenment appeared in his eyes:

"No wonder I vaguely heard quite a commotion at the other end of the prison just now, and the warden ran over to check on me, and then left."

Zhao Du'an stared at him: "Do you know how he died?"

Gao Lian shook his head, pretending to be lost and said:

"When a person dies, what is certain? Sooner or later, everyone will die, but Lord Zhao came to ask me specifically, surely you don't suspect that I killed him to silence him."

He smiled, shook his shackled hands, and made a clanging sound:

"That would be thinking too highly of me."

Zhao Du'an said softly:

"How could I suspect you? But Lord Gao should also know that these days, many people outside are running around for you.

Do you think they have the motive to kill someone?"

Gao Lian said like an old monk in meditation: "My Gao family has been loyal for generations, how could they commit such a rebellious act, you are thinking too much."

When he said the words "loyal for generations", he was so frank that he seemed to have a clear conscience.

Zhao Du'an stared deeply at him.

The cell was extremely quiet, the lights flickered, one standing outside and the other sitting cross-legged inside like a monk, separated by bars.

This scene actually had a heavy weight.

"Aren't you happy?" Zhao Du'an said, "Laugh if you want to, the corners of your mouth can hardly be suppressed."

The smile on the corner of Gao Lian's mouth spread:

“What's wrong with me being happy that the villain who framed loyal officials is dead?”

Zhao Du'an sighed and said:

“People outside always say that the Linfeng Provincial Administration Commissioner 'remains calm in the face of great events.' I didn't believe it at first, but I believed it a little at the Taicang Prefecture crab banquet. When you were escorted back to the capital, you didn't say a word along the way, and I believed it five more points. But now I understand that you are not calm, but confident.”

He suddenly leaned closer, almost贴贴贴 on the iron fence. His face was squeezed into the gap between the two iron bars, looking down at the other person, and he lowered his voice:

“You know that the Southern aristocratic families will try their best to get you out, and you know that Li Yanfu will take action, whether he wants to or not… just like Wang Chusheng has your criminal evidence in his hands.

You should also have the dirt on Li Yanfu and others in your hands, right? That's why you are so fearless?

Do you think that with Wang Chusheng dead and the loss of this witness, the operating space for the joint trial by the Three Offices will be greater, and you can avoid beheading?”

Gao Lian, stared at by him, restrained the smile on his face, solemnly put his hands together, and said:

“Lord Zhao, you have many misunderstandings about me.”

Clang clang… The shackles on his wrists collided, and he pointed to the quiet surroundings and said:

“Or is it that Lord Zhao wants me to say something? To admit to the so-called crimes you mentioned?”

A hint of undisguised contempt appeared in his eyes, as if to say:

Do you think I'm stupid?

Since being accused at the crab banquet, Gao Lian had remained silent.

Even when he was escorted to the capital, he didn't say a few words. Even after entering the prison, he rarely communicated with others except during public trials.

It was to avoid leaving any evidence.

In his opinion, Zhao Du'an's intention to come here alone at this moment to extract information and testimony was obvious. After all, the other party was not using recording scrolls for the first time.

“You seem to misunderstand some things.”

Zhao Du'an quietly looked at him for a few seconds, and actually slowly squatted down, just outside the prison cell separated by a bar.

Staring into his eyes, he smiled and said:

“Do you think I'm here to trick you? Because Wang Chusheng is dead, that's why I'm resorting to this strategy? Well, let me think, you may still be guessing in your heart, whose orders I'm following? Did His Majesty send me, or Yuan Li, or someone else…”

Zhao Du'an shook his head. He suddenly spat, his eyes suddenly fierce:

“No, you're wrong.”

The spittle landed on Gao Lian's cheek in the dim light. He raised his hand to wipe it away and said:

“What am I wrong about?”

Zhao Du'an's mouth curved upwards. He clapped his hands and said:

“You're wrong in that you committed those wrongdoings but didn't have the awareness to die. You're wrong in that you were clever your whole life but couldn't understand the situation. You're wrong in that you're about to die but still think you see through everything… You're wrong because…”

He suddenly pointed to himself with his thumb, and said, word by word:

“Wrong in that your appearance makes me very unhappy.”

He suddenly thought of the famous saying of the fifty-year-old woman in his previous life:

Damn it, I hate people who pretend to be cool the most.

Gao Lian's eyebrows twitched wildly, and a bad premonition suddenly arose. The calm and composed look on his face finally showed a hint of unease:

“What do you want to do? This is the Ministry of Justice prison… Ah!!”

The next second, without any warning, Gao Lian let out a heart-wrenching scream.

He was as if struck in the abdomen by an invisible fist, his body suddenly fell down, his hands covering his abdomen, and then his heart.

Originally, because of his birth in a large family, his fair and wealthy complexion instantly turned as red as a cooked shrimp, accompanied by large beads of sweat.

Pain!

Excruciating pain!

Indescribable pain!

It was as if someone had opened his chest and stuffed a ball of fire into his internal organs.

“Ah!!”

“You… you dare… This is…”

“Stop…”

Gao Lian rolled around on the cold ground in pain, no longer having any composure, his expression twisted and distorted by the pain.

His voice was sharp and hoarse, as if he were on a branding torture.

However, no matter how miserably he screamed, the entire prison was still terrifyingly quiet, without any sound.

Not only did no guards come, but even… even the other prisoners in the prison didn't make any noise.

It was as if…

The entire prison was empty, with only the two of them.

Yes, at this moment, the pain instead made Gao Lian's mind exceptionally clear.

He suddenly realized that from the moment Zhao Du'an appeared inexplicably in the corridor, the Ministry of Justice prison had been terrifyingly silent.

“What do I want to do?”

Outside the fence, Zhao Du'an was still squatting. In his palm, between his fingers, clusters of almost illusory white flames were rising at some point.

Zhao Du'an stood up and waved his hand. The refined iron-cast bars also burned, wrapped in white flames, like softened candles.

Collapsed, broken.

Zhao Du'an stepped into the prison cell, which had actually been replaced by a painting and was in the "painting", with elegant steps. His boots stepped on Gao Lian's temple, stepping him under his feet, and softly exhaled a long sigh:

“Those who kill will be killed. Don't you think that only you will kill people?”

“Ah—”

In pain, Gao Lian's eyes oozed with intense fear, “Lord Zhao, I… I…”

Whoosh… White flames spurted out from his mouth, nose, ear holes, and eye sockets, quickly engulfing his pleas.

“In the next life, be a good official.”

Thanks to Crow Feather wd for the 100 coin reward!