The First Lackey Under The Empress

The Imperial Edict Office.

After parting ways with Mo Chou, Zhao Du'an walked for a while and arrived at the yamen.

He didn't go to the Pear Blossom Hall, but went straight into the Governor-General's Hall.

Stepping over the threshold, the layout of the Governor-General's Hall was in a "品" shape. The innermost part, located in the "main position," was Little Ma's office.

The other two "口" shapes on the left and right were the "duty rooms" for the hall's officials.

In the middle was a courtyard, with a square "flower bed" filled with white stones.

"Investigator Zhao? Why are you here?"

At that moment, a group of Jinyi Guards in the duty room looked at him in surprise. In the "office," there were not only them but also the two Investigators who were on duty at night.

Ma Yan was also in the room, hastily draped in a coat—he lived in the yamen.

"Imperial Censor Chen went to my house to inform me about Wang Chusheng. I couldn't rest easy, so I came to take a look," Zhao Du'an said as he walked into the room, briefly explaining, "Do you know who killed him?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Indicating that they had also gathered here after receiving the news.

The case fell under the jurisdiction of the Three Law Divisions and had nothing to do with the Imperial Edict Office, but Ma Yan was worried that the Empress would issue a temporary order tonight, mobilizing the Jinyi Guards of the Imperial Edict Office to do something.

That's why he patiently waited here, but it was obvious that the group was just sitting around idly.

Okay, the news is several versions behind me… Zhao Du'an complained and said seriously:

"I have learned of a new development."

Ma Yan immediately raised his head, and everyone's eyes gathered: "What development?"

No one was unconcerned about the direction of this case and the outcome of the court's game.

Zhao Du'an said with a straight face: "On my way here, I accidentally ran into Consort Mo. She told me a piece of news: Gao Lian is dead."

Then, he briefly described the encounter.

As expected, upon hearing this explosive news, everyone's expression changed, and they felt as if the clear night sky outside had suddenly become stormy.

"Dead… dead…" Ma Yan's long, thin, and stern face showed a moment of astonishment, then he stared at him: "You said Consort Mo discovered it? She took people to the Ministry of Justice's prison?"

Zhao Du'an spread his hands helplessly: "That's what she told me."

This kind of thing couldn't be concealed. As expected, the eyes of the Jinyi Guards changed, guessing the possibility that the Empress was angry and sent someone to directly kill him.

They were all waiting here bitterly for instructions, but the Emperor directly sent someone from the palace to do it…

"Something is going to happen," an Investigator swallowed hard, foreseeing the coming storm.

Not necessarily… After talking with Mo Chou and learning about this big game, Zhao Du'an was particularly calm.

He believed that the worst-case scenario would not happen.

"Sir… there's been a change…" At this moment, two Jinyi Guards rushed in from outside.

One said with a solemn expression: "Gao Lian is dead!"

Then, he was surprised to find that the group in the room was calm, as if they had already known.

Ma Yan's eyes skipped over him and looked directly at the second Jinyi Guard: "What about you?"

That person said: "The Prime Minister has left his residence. Judging from the carriage, it seems he's heading towards the palace!"

Thump!

Everyone's heart sank again. Ma Yan got up and paced back and forth in the room, finally choosing to stand still and said to everyone: "Go back and rest. It seems it won't be our turn to do anything tonight."

Li Yanfu had already entered the palace, which meant that even if something happened, the palace's Imperial Guards would handle it.

"I'll tell you the specific news after I return from the court tomorrow morning," Ma Yan said cautiously.

Zhao Du'an didn't say anything. Because Mo Chou had provided a cover, no one thought that he was the one who killed Gao Lian by chance.

He had no interest in jumping out proactively, just yawned, pondered the undercurrents that might be happening in the palace, and suddenly turned his head, looking at the dark night again.

Thinking:

"The Shen family should have received the news too."

……

……

After the Shen family's Second Master entered the capital, he lived in a residence that the family had purchased in the city.

Tonight, after returning from the Prime Minister's residence, he went straight back to the residence. Instead of sleeping, he spread out Xuan paper to write and calm his mind.

Don't think that he was neither humble nor arrogant in the Prime Minister's residence, even faintly showing his claws in the face of Li Yanfu. How could he be truly calm when facing a powerful minister who had been through the ups and downs of officialdom?

Only he himself knew that when he left the Prime Minister's residence, his back was soaked with sweat.

"Fortunately, everything is progressing according to the planned plan." Shen Er Ye's pen moved like a dragon and snake, but his mind was far away, thinking about the aftermath of this extermination.

According to his estimation, even if Li Yanfu was angry, he was firmly tied to the "Southern Aristocratic Families" chariot and could only fight back.

"Hehe, that Empress is, after all, a woman, and her mind is easily dominated by anger. She will definitely vent her anger on Li Yanfu. At the latest, the morning court tomorrow, or even now, she may have already taken action…

Li Yanfu takes the blame and can only try his best to rescue Gao Lian, seizing the remaining support of the aristocratic families…

Brother-in-law, if you can really get out, that's the best. If you can't get out, don't blame me for being ruthless. It's all for the long-term prosperity of the family. What's wrong with you and me sacrificing one or two?"

Shen Er Ye sighed in his heart, and when he thought that he could restrain and force Li Yanfu, and even control the current Empress, he couldn't help but feel proud and couldn't hide his heroism.

"Second Master, something bad has happened!"

Suddenly, the family's attendant outside hurriedly pushed open the door without knocking. Without waiting for him to ask, he took the initiative to say:

"Gao Lian is dead! He was probably killed by someone from the palace!"

Then, he told the news he had received.

Shen Er Ye's face changed several times, took a deep breath, stabilized his mind, and although he guessed that the Empress would take action, he didn't expect it to be so decisive and ruthless.

"This is not leaving any room for maneuver," Shen Er Ye's eyes flickered, he threw away his pen, and said in a deep voice: "Call everyone up, prepare the carriage to leave the city!"

Gao Lian was killed, which meant that the intensity of the game in the city had exceeded his expectations.

"Yes!"

Not long after, the back door of the residence opened, Shen Er Ye took his belongings, got into the carriage, and a group of people took advantage of the night to rush towards the city gate.

The capital is different from other places. The guarding soldiers at the gate are very strict at night. Unless you have a special status, it is difficult to leave the city.

Shen Er Ye couldn't leave the city at night, so his plan was to wait near the city gate first.

It was already late at night. In at most two hours, dawn would break and the city gate would open.

"Rumbling…"

The wheels turned on the street, the hooves were especially crisp in the silent atmosphere, everyone lowered their voices, and the horses were locked in their mouths, for fear of alarming the night patrol soldiers and causing extra trouble.

In the slight bumps, Shen Er Ye moved forward uneasily and anxiously, silently calculating the speed of the car.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped, the coachman tightened the reins, and said nervously:

"Second Master! Someone is blocking the way!"

Shen Er Ye's heart sank, he forced himself to calm down, and got off the carriage.

The accompanying family guards also held the weapons wrapped in cloth or hidden in bags.

Under the moonlight, the long street was covered with a layer of light gauze. There were no patrolling Imperial Guards holding torches and riding horses as expected.

In front of the street, in the center, there was only one person standing, wearing ordinary clothes, whose appearance could not be seen clearly.

Immobile, blocking the direction of the carriage.

"Who's standing there?!" Shen Er Ye had also seen big storms, and his appearance was calm as he reprimanded with arrogance.

The man didn't answer, just walked over step by step. Under the moonlight, a plain face without memorable features was revealed.

Ordinary like a waiter in a restaurant, or a porter carrying sacks at the pier.

The other party was not holding any weapons, walked over in cloth shoes, and stared at him calmly: "Shen Er Ye, the Second Master of the Jiancheng Shen family? My master asked me to bring you a message."

Shen Er Ye frowned: "Who is your master? Stand still and don't move."

However, in the next second, the man's figure shook, and in the terrified eyes of several guards, he instantly appeared in front of his Second Master.

Almost close together.

This martial artist, like a servant, gently patted Shen Er Ye on the shoulder and said:

"My master said that the Shen family's century-old foundation is not easy, but it is more difficult to maintain a business than to start one. Future generations should not follow the wrong person, lest they end up with their homes confiscated and their families exterminated."

Shen Er Ye was stiff, unable to move, and his scalp under his melon-skin hat was full of sweat.

Just when he thought that this mysterious martial artist would attack him, the other party moved his feet, unexpectedly distanced himself again, and turned and disappeared into the darkness.

It was as if blocking the car on the street was really just to pass on a message.

"Second Master, Second Master, are you okay?"

At this time, the servants next to him came back to their senses. Two guards who were considered to have extraordinary martial skills in the martial arts world were ashamed and terrified. The capital was really full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with masters everywhere.

"It's okay, it's okay," Shen Er Ye said tremblingly.

However, he didn't know that the two pats on his shoulder had already silently shattered the life bridge in his body.

There was no problem at the moment, but within a month, he would be infected with a disease, and within three months, he would be terminally ill. Even if he was kept alive with precious elixir, he would only have a maximum of half a year to live.

In the darkness, watching Shen Er Ye and his party take the car and continue to escape towards the city gate.

The man with a plain appearance, one of the Great Inner Envoys trained by Eunuch Hai, jumped up, and people were like a hawk, jumping between the ridges of buildings in the capital, each time jumping a very long distance.

When he returned to the palace, he bowed and knelt outside the side hall, facing the Empress's figure reflected on the window paper and said:

"Your Majesty, the matter has been taken care of."

"Go," Xu Zhenguan said casually.

In the room, after the envoys outside left, Xu Zhenguan smiled and looked at Li Yanfu, who was sitting opposite her: "Prime Minister, are you sure you want to remove Li Yinglong from these positions?"

Li Yanfu silently glanced at the window paper, retracted his gaze, and cupped his hands:

"The Taicang Silver Mine is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works, and my son is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, so he should bear the responsibility."

Xu Zhenguan's smile deepened: "Prime Minister is serious. Well, later in the morning court, it would be good if the Prime Minister said it again."

Li Yanfu breathed a long sigh of relief, understanding that he had escaped a disaster: "This old minister obeys the order."

However, under the seemingly harmonious scene between the monarch and his ministers, the crack that already existed was, after all, a little bigger again.

……

The same night.

Just when the Empress and Li Yanfu were playing games, and Zhao Du'an was waiting for news.

Thousands of miles away, in Jiancheng Dao, Jing Wang's Mansion.

"Your Highness, Zhuang Xiaocheng has sent another letter."

……

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