The First Lackey Under The Empress

Inside the room.

Ever since entering the Humble Administrator's Garden, Consort Jing, Lu Yan'er, who had been content to act as a silent vase, paused slightly, revealing a hint of surprise.

Facing Zhao Du'an's inquiry, her delicate and gentle eyebrows relaxed, and she said faintly, "I haven't."

Very indifferent.

The Daoist school is a broad concept. Apart from the "Celestial Master Mansion" lineage with great power, most of the Great Yu Dynasty is still made up of mortal Daoist temples.

"Jiancheng Dao is not like the capital. There are no large temples. I suppose even if I told you, the envoy wouldn't know," Consort Lu replied calmly.

So that's how it is…

Zhao Du'an nodded, his eyes scanning her up and down, and smiled:

"In the capital, I have some connections with the priests in the Celestial Master Mansion. It is said that all Daoist schools under heaven are one family. I was thinking that perhaps the Daoist registration and lineage of the Princess Consort might be considered relatives with the capital."

Wearing a long tassel dress and with her hair in a married woman's bun, Lu Wangfei, who had already returned to secular life, forced a smile:

"The mundane Daoist traditions cannot compare to the disciples of the Celestial Master."

Zhao Du'an smiled and enthusiastically struck up a conversation:

"Haha, if the Princess Consort is interested, this official can help you introduce yourself to the Celestial Master Mansion. Not to mention transcending into sainthood, just the breathing exercises and health preservation, and the skill to maintain youthful looks, I believe the Princess Consort would also be fond of.

Hmm, may I ask how old the Princess Consort is? Would it be convenient to tell me? I have also learned a few tricks of divination and calculation…"

Lu Yan'er's expression was strange.

At first, she was indifferent, but she couldn't resist Zhao Du'an's constant attempts to open up the topic. Moreover, she was indeed curious about the situation inside the Celestial Master Mansion.

The two of them, with one sentence from you and one from me, extended the topic from "cultivation" and chatted more and more enthusiastically.

Completely leaving the Prince Jing and his son beside them in the cold.

Originally refined and noble, and somewhat similar to the late Emperor, the smile on Prince Jing's face gradually faded, and the large hand placed on his knee quietly clenched his kneecap.

Xu Jinglong, who was standing beside him, had an even more unsightly expression.

During this time, Prince Jing tried to bring the topic back, but Zhao Du'an only perfunctorily responded and quickly turned back to chat with Princess Lu.

This attitude finally caused the expression between Prince Jing's eyebrows to completely cool down, and he felt annoyed in his heart.

However, a smile gradually appeared on his face, but this time the smile had a bit more of a cold meaning.

"Yan'er," Prince Jing suddenly spoke, calling out to the Princess Consort, and then said lightly:

"Envoy Zhao is still busy receiving guests. This Prince has disturbed you for a long time, so I will take my leave now."

Zhao Du'an looked regretful and reluctantly got up to see them off, apologetically saying:

"I was so engrossed in chatting that I neglected the Prince, please forgive me. When this official goes to Jiancheng Dao in the future, I will personally pay a visit."

As he spoke, he cupped his hands, but his feet did not move.

He didn't seem to intend to send them out the door.

"Haha…"

A flash of anger flashed in Prince Jing's eyes, and he smiled, not saying anything more. The family of three stepped out.

Zhao Du'an turned around, stood by the tea table, and opened the gift box that Xu Jinglong had sent. Inside the carved rosewood box, there was silk brocade.

Inside, there was a string of agate prayer beads, each bead carved into the shape of a Buddha's head. Just looking at the carving, one could tell it was the work of a famous artist.

Zhao Du'an picked up the prayer beads. Suddenly, it seemed that he used a little too much force and tore the already fragile cotton thread.

"Crackle…"

The valuable agate prayer beads scattered on the ground like rain, making a loud noise in the quiet main hall.

One by one, the Buddha heads rolled across the wooden floor like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

Just about to step over the threshold, Prince Jing, wearing a python robe with rolling blue edges, paused, his body still, his head slowly twisting, and under his thick black eyebrows, two gray-brown eyes stared intently.

An eagle's gaze with a wolf's turn of the head.

Zhao Du'an was still holding the broken cotton thread in his hand, his eyes meeting Prince Jing's. There was an eerie silence in the hall.

"Does the Prince have anything else?" Zhao Du'an asked curiously.

The corners of Prince Jing's mouth slowly curved up: "Nothing."

Then he raised his arms, tugged at his wide sleeves, and gently patted the heir on his left and the Princess Consort on his right:

"Let's go."

The family of three left the Humble Administrator's Garden under everyone's gaze.

Zhao Du'an ignored the Buddha head agate scattered on the ground and stood at the door in a daze.

The old servant, Haitang, and others who were guarding outside the door came in.

"Just now, when this Prince left, he had murderous intent towards you," Eunuch Hai said with a smile.

Zhao Du'an dropped the thin thread in his hand and said lightly:

"He's more patient than I thought."

Haitang glanced at him and looked at the prayer beads on the ground with some heartache, saying:

"Otherwise, how could Prince Jing's mansion have such power?"

Zhao Du'an turned his head and looked at the old servant as if asking for advice:

"That Princess Lu, is she really a mortal?"

Eunuch Hai glared at him and said indifferently:

"I've said it several times, this old one practices martial arts, not sorcery. At least that Princess Consort doesn't have any traces of martial arts."

"You suspect she has cultivation on her?" Haitang looked surprised, "There's no such information in the yamen's reports."

Zhao Du'an shook his head lightly, not explaining.

He was too lazy to say that he always felt that this Princess Lu exuded a familiar feeling that he couldn't explain.

Just now, he deliberately chatted in the room, partly to deliberately anger the father and son, and partly to find the source of the familiar feeling.

But he found nothing.

"Forget it, let's take another look," Zhao Du'an said softly, then suddenly smiled and asked: "Is the Princess still outside? Please invite her in."

… …

… …

Outside the Humble Administrator's Garden.

Two carriages stopped one after the other, surrounded by the Prince's guards.

The servants lifted the curtains. Prince Jing and the Princess Consort rode in one carriage, and Xu Jinglong rode in another behind.

After the thick curtains that blocked the autumn chill were lowered, inside the spacious and comfortable carriage with a small table and incense in the center, Prince Jing leaned against the side panel, closed his eyes, and rubbed his forehead.

Only then did he say in a cold voice: "You chatted with that kid very enthusiastically."

Sitting opposite him, the beautiful woman with a gentle temperament showed no fear on her face. Instead, she stared with her rather spirited eyes and sneered in retaliation:

"What, are you ashamed?"

Prince Jing opened his tiger eyes, somewhat annoyed, and said:

"Why are you unwilling to give this Prince face in front of outsiders?"

Lu Yan'er smiled, not even answering, but instead leaning her body slightly forward, bringing a face that, although there were wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, was still delicate and smooth, to her nominal husband.

"You can slap me and vent your anger," Princess Lu breathed softly.

Prince Jing's breathing was heavy, and the hand holding his knee forcefully creased the silk python robe, but in the end, he sighed:

"Yan'er, you know this Prince doesn't mean that, why do you have to be like this?"

Lu Yan'er withdrew her face and sneered:

"Prince Xu, you have to be clear. When you married me from the Daoist temple into the Prince's mansion, the agreement didn't include giving you face.

Besides, wasn't that Zhao Du'an deliberately trying to chat with me, still aiming for you?

You don't get angry at him, but you vent your anger on me. Is this the demeanor of the Xu family men? Your son is like this, and you are too…"

"Enough!" Prince Jing was expressionless.

The Jianghu sorceress Lu Yan'er smiled and said nothing.

Letting the carriage travel, swaying back and forth, the group returned to the Prince's mansion's temporary residence in Huting City.

Midway, after a long silence, Prince Jing said:

"That kid is probably not just trying to anger this Prince, making a show for the merchants of the entire Huting, wanting to represent the imperial court and suppress this Prince, saying so much to you, I'm afraid he also suspects whether you really have cultivation skills on you."

He sighed softly and said:

"These years, this Prince has always taken you with me whenever I go out. Showing your face so much will inevitably arouse suspicion."

Princess Lu Yan'er didn't care and said calmly: "What if they suspect, what if they don't suspect?"

A look of hesitation surged in Prince Jing Xu Wen's eyes:

"Jinglong took Duan Shuiliu to the river to stop him, and also tested the details of this person. Although this person didn't take action, according to the information, he only entered the Divine Chapter realm not long ago. There's no Tai'a Sword for him to use here, so the mere Divine Chapter realm is not worth worrying about. The key is the three guards beside him.

Hai Chunlin hasn't left the palace for many years? This Prince's niece is willing to throw him out. Hmph, although this old eunuch is on the decline, he is not someone that ordinary people can match.

And those other two, a swordsman who came out of the Northern Army, and a sorcerer who is good at controlling water veins, the two of them together can also contend with Duan Shuiliu for a while."

Lu Yan'er glanced at him in surprise and said:

"Do you really want to kill him? In Huting?"

Prince Jing didn't respond, obviously also hesitating.

Lu Yan'er glanced at him and said plainly:

"Let's make it clear first, I don't have the confidence to defeat that old eunuch."

Prince Jing's brows relaxed, and he looked at the street outside through the gap in the fluttering curtains, and said softly:

"Let's take another look."

… …

Inside the Humble Administrator's Garden.

After Prince Jing left, Zhao Du'an received a few more imperial merchants, then declined other visits on the grounds that he was tired from the journey and needed to rest.

A group of merchants hurriedly bid farewell and left, also spreading what happened here to the entire Huting.

"Today's attitude should allow the neutral faction that is wavering to see the imperial court's confidence, right?"

Zhao Du'an returned to the bedroom arranged for him, took a simple bath to relieve his fatigue.

Then he sat at the table, spread out his pen and ink, and began to write a letter to Zhenbao, who was far away in the capital, reporting on today's itinerary.

Well, although it will take a long time for the letter to be sent back to the capital, it is always faster than him going back.

When a person is working outside, reporting to the leader at any time is the basic professional ethics of a subordinate.

Last time in Taicang, mainly everything happened too fast, it didn't take a few days in total, and the situation was far less complicated than here, so he didn't write.

"To His Majesty, the Immeasurable Longevity Human King Emperor:

Your subject has successfully arrived in Huting. Now I report to Your Majesty on many things I have seen and heard, in order to review whether the way your subject handled them was appropriate…

When landing on the shore, the heir Xu Jinglong led a warship… Under the guise of Wu Di City's Duan Shuiliu, he was actually rebellious, wanting to demand the treasure armor bestowed by Your Majesty, and transfer it to Qingshan, which is tantamount to treason. Your subject, in indignation, generously scolded him, denounced the traitor, in order to defend the majesty of our Great Yu Celestial Dynasty…"

Zhao Du'an wrote down the encounter with Xu Jinglong and the meeting with Prince Jing in one breath.

In the end, he always felt that the ending of this letter lacked a bit of charm. After pondering for a long time, he changed his writing style and wrote:

"…In addition, your subject admired the scenery of Jiangnan in the Humble Administrator's Garden, which is different from the capital. In a trance, thoughts drifted, thinking of Your Majesty also admiring the scenery in the Imperial Garden at that moment.

It is as if I saw ten thousand taels of gold in an empty mountain and poor valley, and outside the white egrets and reeds, there is a beautiful person.

Your subject asked himself whether he was moved?

I said to myself: Moved, moved, moved, moved, moved, moved, moved…"

— —

ps: Thank you to Insider Doctor for the 23000 point coin reward~

Next chapter will be updated at midnight

Thanks to: Remote Light for the 300 point coin reward support