The First Lackey Under The Empress

“Okay, I'll go…”

Accompanying a flurry of panicked commotion, a palace maid immediately sprinted towards the imperial study, while others went to find the imperial physician.

The remaining female officials crouched on the ground, helping the blood-soaked and nearly unconscious Zhao Du'an up, and waited for the palace guards to arrive and escort Zhao Du'an to the nearest room.

Shortly after.

When the Great Yu Empress received the report and rushed to the door, following the directions, the gathered palace maids greeted in unison: “Your Majesty!”

Xu Zhenguan's pale face held no smile; though she tried her best to maintain composure, the obvious tension in her expression could not be concealed.

“Is Lord Zhao in the room?”

“Yes, your Majesty. This humble servant has already requested the imperial physician to attend to him inside…”

Without waiting for the servant to finish speaking, Xu Zhenguan, wrapped in the winter's chill, directly pushed open the door.

“Wuu… wuu…”

The cold wind swept in from behind her, instantly flooding the antique bedroom.

Inside the room, an elderly imperial physician stood beside the bed, surrounded by several eunuchs and palace maids. Some held blood-stained, tattered clothes, while others carried copper basins full of bloody water.

“Your Majesty!” They were all startled by the Empress's intrusion.

Ignoring the crowd, Xu Zhenguan lifted her skirt and rushed to the bedside, finally seeing Zhao Du'an lying flat on the bed after bypassing the obstructing figures.

His clothes had been removed, revealing skin that had been wiped clean of blood. The rest of his body was fine, but his chest was a bloody mess.

Silver needles were inserted into various meridians and acupoints on his body.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” The old imperial physician turned and bowed.

Xu Zhenguan's face was frosty as she stared intently at the unconscious Zhao Du'an: “What is the situation?”

The old imperial physician said with a look of relief:

“Your Majesty, please rest assured, Lord Zhao's life is not in danger, nor has he suffered any fundamental injury. It is only external wounds. However, it was a close call. If Lord Zhao hadn't been wearing treasure armor, which absorbed most of the impact, otherwise…”

Nearby, an eunuch held the “Six Talisman Treasure Armor,” which the Martial Emperor City regarded as a treasure. At this moment, the entire armor was dented inward, faintly revealing a palm print.

Xu Zhenguan silently exhaled, her chaotic mind calmed upon receiving the news.

She silently walked forward, disregarding the propriety between men and women, and raised her fair wrist to press her slender hand on Zhao Du'an's brow.

Then, she carefully scanned his entire body with her divine sense, confirming that the injuries were within the scope of healing, and her tense heartstrings were truly relieved.

“Someone, fetch wound medicine from the imperial palace's medicine storehouse, both internal and external.”

“All of you, leave. I will personally regulate Lord Zhao's meridians and Qi.”

“Issue an order to seal off the news. Anyone who knows about this is to be confined.”

Xu Zhenguan issued several orders, and everyone complied, withdrawing from the room.

After the door was closed, Xu Zhenguan pulled up a round stool, sat by the window, held Zhao Du'an's hand, and closed her eyes to channel her Qi into him.

Using her own cultivation to help him repair the chaotic Qi that had been shaken.

As strands of Qi were channeled in, the silver needles on Zhao Du'an's body emitted a glow. After about a quarter of an hour, a servant delivered the medicine and then withdrew.

Daring not to disturb Her Majesty's treatment of Lord Zhao.

After another quarter of an hour, Zhao Du'an finally slowly opened his eyelids, seeing himself lying on the bed.

The curtains hanging above his head and the throbbing pain all over his body made him subconsciously grimace and gasp, but he felt a soft touch in his palm.

When the corner of his eye caught sight of the ethereal fairy sitting by the window in a meditative posture, he swallowed the gasp he was about to take.

Precious Zhen?

It's not a dream; it's the real, warm Precious Zhen… Zhao Du'an blinked his big eyes silently.

He hadn't truly lost consciousness. Although his mind had been muddled earlier, he vaguely knew that he had been carried into the room by a group of eunuchs and palace maids, and he seemed to have heard the Empress's voice, but he couldn't distinguish whether it was real or not.

Now, seeing that face, unparalleled by any other woman in the world, so pure and exquisite, he finally confirmed:

“Did I successfully teleport back to the capital? Hiss… Thank goodness, thank goodness I was cautious enough to put the teleportation jade in the Six Talisman Treasure Armor, which saved my life at a critical moment… Well, also thank goodness the assassin who ambushed me didn't blow my head off in one hit…”

“Wait… assassin…”

His chaotic thoughts gradually cleared, and the scene of his assassination at the pier came back to Zhao Du'an's mind.

The Shadow Guard's intelligence… the black awning boat… the bald head emerging from the crowd…

“Great Purity Master… Why would the Great Purity Master of the Divine Dragon Temple ambush and assassinate me? Isn't one Longshu enough?”

Zhao Du'an couldn't understand the other party's logic, which was strange from the inside out.

However…

It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that he has escaped danger and returned to the safest place, the Great Yu Imperial Palace, with the Empress by his side.

He has a strong backer to shield him from the wind and rain.

As his thoughts churned, he didn't dare to move, fearing to wake the Empress, but he slightly turned his head, quietly gazing at the Empress's beautiful face.

Just like when he was tired in his previous life, he would lie in bed and look at the cat he raised, and he would be very happy.

“Have you looked enough?” Xu Zhenguan, who had been closing her eyes, suddenly said.

“No… Ah, no, it's not… Your Majesty, you're awake?”

Zhao Du'an was startled, meeting Xu Zhenguan's eyes, which seemed to be both reproachful and pleased.

He was a little embarrassed and somewhat inexplicably proud, and even smiled a little awkwardly, which was rare for him.

Xu Zhenguan glared at him helplessly, but she wasn't really angry at all, just exasperated that this guy was covered in injuries and still had the mind to banter with her.

Could it be that all men are like this?

In her heart, joy ultimately outweighed everything else. Only now did Xu Zhenguan have the mind to recall the emotional changes she had experienced in the short hour.

The originally dignified and aloof emperor, for some reason, had her emotions swayed by a mere subject, and her mind went blank when she heard from the palace maid that “Lord Zhao is dying.”

When she arrived in the room and saw his unconscious, blood-soaked body, her fingertips trembled, and a sense of anger and regret welled up in her heart… Regret for sending him out, for letting him go out to train. Was it a wrong decision…

And, just now, when this guy woke up and became restless, she felt a sense of relief… These many complex emotions had clearly exceeded the boundaries of ruler and subject.

It was like these days, she had been ostensibly concerned about the opening of the market, but she herself couldn't say for sure how much she cared about the opening of the market and how much she cared about Zhao Du'an, from whom she hadn't received news for a long time.

However, the strong-willed female emperor only paused slightly in these vague and inexplicable emotions, then forcibly cut off those thoughts and restored her image as a pure and dignified emperor.

She said with a mocking smile: “Oh? You're not happy that I'm awake?”

Zhao Du'an protested:

“What are you saying? I just… I just… I'm injured and it's inconvenient to get up and salute…”

Xu Zhenguan smiled dangerously:

“Oh? Is that so? Then why don't you let go?”

“…” Only then did Zhao Du'an sheepishly withdraw his big hand that was holding the Empress's small hand: “I was just…”

“Alright, the Six Talisman Treasure Armor saved your life. Although you haven't suffered any fundamental injuries, you don't have the energy to talk too much. Stop talking nonsense. Who exactly injured you?! Didn't Hai Gongfeng stop them?”

Xu Zhenguan rudely interrupted his nonsense, got straight to the point, and stared at him seriously.

Zhao Du'an was silent for a moment, restraining his playful thoughts. He wanted to get up, but after trying, he found that he really didn't have the strength, so he had to lie on the bed and said seriously:

“I was just about to report the progress of Lake Pavilion to Your Majesty. We didn't fail our mission, and the opening of the market was a complete success.”

Complete success!

Hearing this news, which should have made her extremely happy, Xu Zhenguan found that she didn't feel the joy she had expected.

She calmly said: “I'm asking who exactly injured you.”

Zhao Du'an said helplessly:

“This matter is a bit complicated. I'm thinking that I have to tell you the whole story before I can make the right judgment.”

“Then hurry up.” Xu Zhenguan was annoyed by his appearance. She clearly wanted to support him immediately, but this guy didn't seem to be in a hurry.

The subject isn't anxious, but the emperor is. What kind of logic is that?

Zhao Du'an organized his words for a moment before slowly saying:

“On our way south, everything was uneventful, except that when we were about to land, we were intercepted by Xu Jinglong, who brought Duan Shui Liu from Martial Emperor City, and they attacked me…”

He first recounted the encounter on the river, and then his experiences after landing, including meeting Prince Jing and Prince Huai.

The Empress listened quietly without interrupting. After hearing about Prince Huai, she was slightly surprised:

“So, Prince Huai wanted to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight? See who wins and then support them?”

“Yes,” Zhao Du'an nodded and said seriously, “After understanding this, I waited for Prince Jing to make his move, until I went to Smoke-Locked Lake…”

This was the highlight, and Zhao Du'an described it in more detail, including his intention to take the initiative to fish, and to bring the princess along, etc., all of which he revealed.

When she heard about Duan Shui Liu, Qi Yuchun, and the assassins who were suspected to have been arranged by Prince Jing's mansion, Xu Zhenguan's eyes were as sharp as knives.

When she heard that Zhao Du'an had killed the divine archer but was taken away by the Princess, Xu Zhenguan's expression changed again:

“Princess Lu is a Worldly Realm Artificer? So, you were injured by her and teleported back? No… No, that's not right, the timing is wrong…”

She couldn't figure out how Zhao Du'an had broken the situation.

It wasn't until Zhao Du'an said that Lu Yan'er was actually a descendant of Pei Niannu's lineage that the Empress showed surprise and realization.

She knew that Zhao Du'an had visualized Pei Niannu in the Six Chapters Sutra.

But as for Zhao Du'an actually performing a “Divine Descent” with a middle-grade Divine Chapter cultivation base, and using the inheritance system to suppress, defeat, and co-opt the Princess, the Empress couldn't help but be stunned.

All of this was too unimaginable. But on closer thought, it all made sense.

“So, not only were you not injured, but you also arranged for the Princess to become a spy for the imperial court?” Xu Zhenguan's expression was extremely strange.

Zhao Du'an was also very proud of his operation:

“Yes. As for what happened after that, it was much smoother. After I returned, I took those assassins to severely disgrace Prince Jing, and Prince Huai took action as promised, so the opening of the market was completed smoothly.”

The Empress quietly digested this for a while. She had imagined that Zhao Du'an could complete this mission, but she didn't expect him to complete it so excellently.

However, compared to the results of the market opening, her confusion was even greater:

“If that's the case, how did you get injured?”

Logically speaking, the market had already closed, and there was a spy beside Prince Jing. Was a second assassination attempt really organized just for revenge? It seemed a bit unreasonable…

Zhao Du'an took a breath and finally recounted his encounter with the Grand Pure Master's ambush on his way back.

Even after making many guesses, the Empress was still stunned upon hearing the result.

The Dragon Tree Bodhisattva seemed to have joined the battle but was stopped by the Little Celestial Master.

The Grand Pure Master ambushed him, and Eunuch Hai was unable to provide assistance in time.

"Shenlong Temple… Shenlong Temple indeed!"?

Xu Zhenguan's jade face frosted over, her beautiful eyes filled with murderous intent as she suddenly stood up. "These bald donkeys dare to assassinate court officials. It seems my warning last time wasn't enough."

As she spoke, she suddenly glanced at Zhao Du'an and said:

"You should recuperate in the palace. I'll be out for a while."

With that, she turned to leave.

"Your Majesty, please wait!"

Zhao Du'an became anxious, roused his battered body, and grabbed the Empress's small hand. He said in a serious tone:

"Your Majesty, please don't act impulsively. I feel that there is something strange about this matter."

As the victim of the ambush, Zhao Du'an was naturally furious with Shenlong Temple.

But he knew even more that anger wouldn't solve the problem. The reason he had babbled on about the cause and effect was to make the Empress realize that something was amiss.

However, Xu Zhenguan merely looked down at him calmly and said:

"I understand your concern. Perhaps, as you think, there is indeed something strange about this matter, or even that some people are deliberately using a knife to kill, but that is not important."

Zhao Du'an was stunned.

Xu Zhenguan glanced at him, shook off his hand, and said:

"Rest and recuperate. I will avenge you."

"Your Majesty…"

… …

… …

The instant Xu Zhenguan stepped out of the room, the biting winter wind blew on her face.

She also regained her majesty and grace, with a hint of undisguised anger.

"Your Majesty!"

The group of people waiting outside the door bowed at the same time. Mo Chou had also rushed over and was among them.

It was about noon, but the sky above the capital was covered in gray clouds, the sky was pale, and everything was desolate and bleak.

Xu Zhenguan said coldly:

"Issue my decree that the five guards of the Imperial City's Forbidden Army are to be dispatched to seal off Shenlong Temple and Jizhao Nunnery."

"Issue my decree that the Ministry of Rites is to draft regulations to ban all Buddhist worship in the city from today onwards. Notify all residences to follow the same example as the capital. Within two months, Buddhism will be banned throughout the land."

"Issue my decree that the Ministry of Justice is to issue a wanted notice to all garrisons and guard posts, ordering the arrest of the criminal monk, Grand Pure Master, of Shenlong Temple."

"Issue my decree…"

In the cold wind, one imperial edict after another was issued. The female officials outside the door were shocked and horrified. Mo Chou stared blankly at the Empress, who was suppressing her anger, wanting to say something but too frightened to speak.

"This servant obeys the decree…"

Finally, Mo Chou took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in her heart, accepted the decree, and hurried off to handle the matter. She almost ran, knowing in her heart:

Something major has happened.

After issuing the decrees, Xu Zhenguan dismissed the others and walked alone towards the Meridian Gate Square.

In the silent palace, the Empress, dressed in white, was like a snowflake, the only embellishment in winter.

She suddenly raised her hand and beckoned.

In the direction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, inside the main hall where the ancestral tablets were enshrined, a sword box on the offering table, where incense candles burned all year round, suddenly opened.

The sword once worn by the Emperor Taizu, the Tai'a Sword that Zhao Du'an had summoned during the Buddhist-Taoist competition.

Suddenly, it hummed and trembled.

Then, the Tai'a Sword suddenly leaped out of the sword box, flew out of the hall, transformed into a streak of golden light, flew out of the Ancestral Temple, and presented itself into Xu Zhenguan's slender hand.

With the sword in hand, Xu Zhenguan's invisible aura rose, and strands of almost invisible dragon energy coiled around her.

The Empress suddenly took a step.

In an instant.

She left the palace and appeared above Shenlong Temple in the capital.

Xu Zhenguan looked down at the Buddhist temple complex below, faintly hearing the chanting in the halls and the curling smoke from incense candles.

A look of indifference appeared in her eyes. With the sword in hand, she pointed the sword at the main hall of the temple, where the Heavenly Human Realm Xuan Yin Abbot was in seclusion. Her voice became even colder:

"Xuan Yin! Come out and see me!"

Her voice was like thunder, shaking the clouds in the sky, and in an instant, it spread to every corner of this majestic city with a million people.

… …

Zhao Residence.

You Jinhua was warming herself with her daughter in the room when she was startled by the voice.

The mother and daughter walked out of the room and gathered with a group of servants in the courtyard, looking at the dragon energy faintly swirling above Shenlong Temple, their expressions blank.

… …

Jizhao Nunnery.

By the pond where the lotus flowers had withered, the Prajna Bodhisattva, sitting on a swing, suddenly raised her head.

A pair of wise eyes looked in astonishment at the white-clad Empress standing proudly in the sky above the temple opposite, feeling the magnificent heavenly might of a Heavenly Human Realm Emperor. Tears flowed from her eyes.

The nunnery was in chaos. Princess Yunyang walked out of the meditation room, saw the scene in the sky, and fell into a daze.

… …

Celestial Master's Mansion.

"Ding ding dang dang."

In the workshop of the little fatty Gongshu Tianyuan, the sound of hammering stopped. The Artisan God's believer, wearing a wrinkled Daoist robe, walked out and looked in surprise at the distant sky.

"Your Majesty?" A petite figure flew over, and Jin Jian slowly landed, pushing up the crystal lens glasses on the bridge of his nose, greatly surprised, "What's wrong with Your Majesty?"

The other priests also came out and gathered in the square, looking at the distance with suspicion.

In the backyard, Zhang Yan Yi, who was dozing under the banyan tree, was also awakened.

A moment of blankness appeared on his rosy face, as if this scene was not in his deduction of the Heavenly Dao, and he frowned tightly.

… …

"Xuan Yin! Come out and see me!"

In the majestic roar, the entire Shenlong Temple bore the brunt, and countless monks in the temple felt the magnificent heavenly might descending in terror.

Those with high cultivation were better, but the little monks with low cultivation trembled all over, giving rise to an instinctive fear and submission.

One monk after another walked out of the various Buddhist halls and meditation rooms and gathered in the largest central courtyard.

The highly renowned Defender Disciple, also dressed in white and with a delicate and handsome appearance, walked out and immediately became the backbone of the monks:

"Master!"

"Master is here!"

"What's going on? Why is Your Majesty like this? Ordering the abbot?"

The monks were at a loss, their faces filled with fear.

Seeing the chaos, the Defender Disciple put his hands together and said in a loud voice:

"Amitabha!"

As his Buddhist chant spread, the monks' fearful emotions were soothed, and they all calmed down.

The Defender Disciple stood in the crowd, looked up at the Empress in the sky, and said loudly:

"Why is Your Majesty visiting? The abbot has been in seclusion for many years and has not appeared in the world. If there is any misunderstanding, please let Your Majesty clarify, and this little monk will convey it…"

Facing the Empress, who was obviously coming with anger, the Defender Disciple was as humble as a little monk.

Xu Zhenguan was too lazy to talk nonsense with the Defender Disciple. She stood in the air, the tip of the sword in her hand pointed at the main hall of Shenlong Temple, where the Heavenly Human Realm Xuan Yin Abbot was in seclusion, and her voice became even colder:

"Xuan Yin! If you don't come out again, I will destroy your temple today."

The Defender Disciple was shocked. He knew that his Master Xuan Yin, although his physical body was in Shenlong Temple in seclusion, his soul often traveled outside.

At this moment, he was afraid that he had not yet returned to his body. Dragon Tree and Grand Pure were not in the temple, and Prajna was a bystander, so he gritted his teeth and jumped into the air, saying:

"Your Majesty, please calm down. If there is any misunderstanding, please come into the temple and sit down for a detailed discussion…"

Xu Zhenguan was expressionless. She casually slashed a magnificent sword light towards a side hall with the Tai'a Sword in her hand.

"Ah!"

The people in the temple were shocked.

The Defender Disciple's heart sank. He didn't have time to think, so he immediately stretched his hands above his head, chanting Buddhist scriptures in his mouth. With a "dong" sound.

A huge, illusory golden bell suddenly appeared, centered on him, blocking the path of the sword light.

"Crack!!"

The two collided, and the huge golden bell instantly cracked. The Defender Disciple was in mid-air, as if he had been hit hard, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He fell towards the courtyard like a kite with a broken string.

The remaining sword energy bombarded the side hall. In an instant, the glazed treasure dome shattered, and the entire Buddhist hall collapsed into ruins as if it had been hit by a heavenly weapon.

Smoke billowed.

"Master—"

The monks caught the falling Defender Disciple in horror. Although there were many experts in the temple, at this moment, they had no confidence to resist at all.

With the sword in hand, Xu Zhenguan said in a stern tone: "Xuan Yin, get out!"

This was the third sentence she had said since she arrived. Seeing that the Great Hero Hall was still quiet, Xu Zhenguan's eyebrows stood on end, and she really stopped waiting.

The white-clad Empress stood in the air, her three thousand blue hairs dancing in the cold wind.

She was like an immortal, her eyes as stern as a god, and she suddenly threw the Tai'a Sword in her hand towards the most majestic treasure hall in Shenlong Temple!

Sword energy was like a rainbow.

Divine soldiers descended.

At this moment, under the gaze of countless people in the capital, a thin flame suddenly lit up in the gray sky, like a doomsday meteorite.

And in the eyes of those practitioners in the city, the tip of the sword pierced through the sound barrier, supporting an arc-shaped air shield with a diameter of 100 meters, which was the air wave formed by wind resistance.

The divine weapon, carrying the aura of destruction, was red-hot like charcoal, scorching the space and distorting it.

The red flame, in the blink of an eye, grew so large that it was unimaginable, almost like a red waterfall, pouring down on the world.

"Ah—"

In the horrified and terrified screams of countless monks, at the moment when the golden body of the World Honored Buddha of Shenlong Temple, which had hundreds of years of history, was about to shatter.

A torrential Buddhist light suddenly rose from the Great Hero Hall.

The Buddhist light was like the morning sun tearing apart the dawn, and the great sun leaped out of the mortal world from the eastern horizon, illuminating the world.

In the Buddhist light, a huge, majestic, and compassionate "World Honored One" Dharma form slowly rose, accompanied by rolling Sanskrit sounds.

An old monk in a brown monk's robe quietly appeared on the roof of the hall, his thin and short body standing in the winter wind, tottering.

Abbot Xuan Yin put his hands together.

The grand "World Honored One" Dharma form also put his hands together, not counterattacking the Empress, but only supporting a huge golden bell that was enough to cover the entire Shenlong Temple.

Then, the sword light, like a fiery red waterfall and a meteorite from the sky, crashed on the huge golden bell.

… …

ps: Thank you to book friend Little Radish 9975 for the 10,000 coin reward support! Boss is generous

Thank you to book friend Candlelight Shining Thousands of Cities for the 233 coin reward… Why is it always a whole number with a remainder? Curious