The First Lackey Under The Empress

Zhao Du'an followed Zhu'er and left for the back residence.

It wasn't until he was far away that the solidified air in the room began to circulate again.

"Whoa—" The remaining patrons stood up one after another, their cups and plates clattering, utterly surprised.

"To think it would be like this…"

"Hiss… What kind of poetry did that Young Master Zhao actually write? He actually defeated the talented Scholar Li…"

"Deeply hidden, could it be that before, he was drinking in a low-key manner, his talent not revealed, simply because he couldn't be bothered to compete with us? And then at the last moment, he delivered the final blow?"

This book is first published on the entire network by 𝕥 𝕨 𝕜 𝕒 𝕟 . 𝕔 𝕠 𝕞

The regular customers racked their brains, trying to find a reasonable explanation for Xiaoya's choice.

Some newcomers angrily said:

"A fix, there must be a fix! I didn't expect the owner here to judge people by appearance!"

Upon hearing this, the regular customers nearby turned their guns around and defended Xiaoya, mostly saying:

Miss Xiaoya is definitely not a superficial person; Young Master Zhao must possess great talent, and so on.

At this time, the benefits of building a persona were evident. Xiaoya had already established a reputation for "only valuing talent."

Therefore, when such things occasionally happened, fans would come to her defense.

"This brother, you were close to that man. Come and tell us, what kind of earth-shattering poetry was it?" The newcomer who had been refuted was furious and came to Scholar Dong to ask.

For a time, everyone else looked over.

Including that Young Master Li, whose face was unsightly, he forced a smile and cupped his hands, asking:

"Brother, could you please tell me a thing or two, so that I may understand why I lost."

Scholar Dong was silent for a moment, then slowly stood up, dusted off his robe, looked around at the crowd, and said:

"Young Master Zhao's poetry is thought-provoking. There's no need for you all to ask in detail. I am far inferior!"

After saying that, he turned around and left, without any hesitation.

Leaving behind a group of guests looking at each other in dismay.

At this moment, Scholar Dong had a complete change of heart, and his infatuation with Xiaoya vanished like smoke.

What so-called "only valuing talent" was ultimately just a persona, Scholar Dong mocked to himself.

That's right, if she were truly a talented woman with a belly full of brocade and outstanding, how could she lower her dignity and take the initiative to please these "patrons"?

"Brother Zhao's words awakened me from my dream. He is truly my teacher."

Scholar Dong walked in the night, feeling that the principles he had learned from years of hard study were not as thorough as Zhao Du'an's one sentence.

He walked out of the alley and walked two streets, only to see a luxurious carriage parked there, with two capable servants standing with their heads bowed:

"Young Master!"

Scholar Dong gave an "En" sound, and the original restraint and ordinariness were replaced by the nobility of a son of a high-ranking family.

He entered the carriage, changed back into a well-made robe, with just a jade pendant worth a lot, and said:

"Return to the mansion."

A trusted servant noticed that his mood was not right and tentatively said:

"Young Master, if you want a mere 'talented woman,' you can just order someone to summon her. How dare she disobey? Why go to such lengths…"

Scholar Dong waved his hand and suddenly said:

"Do you know which wealthy families in the capital are surnamed Zhao…"

Halfway through his words, he closed his mouth again, shook his head, and smiled:

"Alright, it's nothing."

A gentleman's friendship is as light as water. Why must we know each other when we meet?

Since Brother Zhao is also a powerful figure in the capital circle, the two of them will have a chance to meet again sooner or later.

The two servants looked at each other, feeling that the young master, who was scolded by the Old Master all day long as "a bookworm," was somewhat different.

… …

… …

Back residence.

As soon as Zhao Du'an stepped in, he saw Xiaoya waiting under the porch.

Seeing him coming, she hurriedly bowed and saluted:

"Xiaoya did not know of Your Excellency's grand arrival and has been truly impolite. I hope Your Excellency will forgive me."

Obviously, given Zhao Du'an's notorious reputation in the capital, she knew who he was.

As for whether he was an imposter, Xiaoya did not suspect it. Firstly, she felt that no one would dare to be so audacious as to impersonate Zhao Du'an.

Secondly, the man in front of her matched the rumors in terms of appearance, making it difficult to impersonate.

At this moment, the bowing was particularly exaggerated, and the veil on her chest had been removed at some point, the pale white skin dazzling.

Zhao Du'an looked calm and ignored her, walking straight into the house.

A warm fragrance wafted over, the floor was covered with silk carpets, and the room was elegantly decorated, with a screen separating the bed and the small hall.

"Should I change my shoes?" He asked out of habit from his previous life.

"Ah? No, naturally there's no need," Xiaoya said, startled.

Then she dismissed the maidservants and personally served tea and water.

Zhao Du'an gladly sat down at the low table in the hall, watching Xiaoya, who had just been putting on airs and acting like an unattainable peony, busy herself, and couldn't help but smile and ask:

"There's no need to be so nervous. You can sit down too. Is my reputation that frightening?"

You tell me… Xiaoya muttered in her heart, not daring to show it on her face, and sat down opposite him as she was told, appearing both resentful and charming:

"Your Excellency, please don't frighten this humble girl."

"Haha," Zhao Du'an was first-class at playing along, skillfully entering his villainous state:

"I've long heard that Qinglian Abode has a beautiful woman. Seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary."

"Your Excellency is joking. Where does this humble girl have any fame?"

The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and the atmosphere eased somewhat.

Seeing that the person in front of her was not angry, Xiaoya's anxious heart also relaxed.

Observing him up close, she couldn't help but admire him, thinking, no wonder, no wonder he could be favored by the current Empress. Based on his appearance alone, he is indeed handsome.

Thinking that she might actually have a day to become "sisters" with the Empress, she was secretly looking forward to it.

Seeing that her expression had eased, Zhao Du'an slowly got to the point:

"You don't seem surprised that I appeared here today?"

The "surprised" here refers not to his arrival, but to the fact that he, as the "Empress's male favorite," would actually appear in a private club.

Xiaoya's beautiful eyes sparkled, and she pursed her thin but full lips, smiling:

"This humble one has also waited on some guests before. Those who have a tigress at home particularly like to seek pleasure outside."

After saying that, she gave him an "I understand" look.

Good heavens… You understand everything… Zhao Du'an complained in his heart. So those who are henpecked at home like to come outside to find women to show off their power, right? Xiaoya has real skills to be able to make Qinglian Abode famous with her own strength.

"Heh, if you slander the Holy One like this, if it gets out, it's a crime punishable by death," Zhao Du'an smiled.

Xiaoya pretended to be horrified, whimpering and begging for mercy, her manner as a young woman perfectly grasped, only taking him to be playing around.

Zhao Du'an was indeed not angry, and smiled it off.

After eating a piece of fruit served by her, he changed the subject:

"Speaking of which, I cut in like this. I'm afraid that talented Scholar Li from the Imperial College outside is going to be angry. Aren't you afraid of him? I heard that the people he associates with are Zhang Changshuo, Han Zhou, and others…"

Xiaoya's desire to survive was strong:

"What talented Scholar Li? How can he compare to Your Excellency's face?"

After a pause, she said aggrievedly:

"As for him resenting this humble one because of this, wouldn't that be dissatisfaction with Your Excellency? I think he wouldn't dare."

Good heavens… Your flattery is killing me. You've got men's psychology down pat… Zhao Du'an gave a thumbs up, just about to use this topic to lead to the Zhang family brothers.

He heard Xiaoya continue:

"Moreover, this humble one doesn't fear him. This humble one also knows Zhang Changshuo, Lord Zhang, whom he clings to."

??

Two question marks floated above Zhao Du'an's head, realizing the key point, he casually said:

"How did Zhang Changshuo come to know you?"

The information only mentioned that Zhang Changji was a regular here.

Xiaoya said: "Lord Zhang is just like Your Excellency. He often comes to this little girl's place to sit for a while. Speaking of which, it was Commandant Zhang, his brother, who introduced him."

Wait a minute…

Zhao Du'an felt a little confused.

So, the military man Zhang Changji came to Qinglian Abode first, and then, as a "senior member," he recommended his own brother to become a "new member."

Is the atmosphere in Great Yu so extravagant?

That's what I thought… That hypocrite Zhang Changshuo has been separated from his wife for two years and has not remarried. Moreover, in order to please the Empress, he never goes to brothels, not even staying overnight when attending formal literary gatherings…

Being so self-disciplined really doesn't match his petty nature…

It makes sense now. Zhang Changshuo doesn't get close to women on the surface, but he's been busy behind the scenes.

"Oh, speaking of which, didn't Lord Zhang recommend Your Excellency?" Xiaoya asked curiously, belatedly realizing.

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