The First Lackey Under The Empress

Squeak… Squeak…

The sound of wheels crushing snow was particularly pleasant in the wind.

“Giddy up!” Hou Ren fiercely swung the whip in his hand, driving the carriage in a winding path. Under the cover of Shen Juan and Qian Kerou, they circled around a few times and appeared on a relatively quiet street.

“Master, we’ve shaken off the tail.”

Shen Juan and Qian Kerou emerged from an alley as the carriage passed by, rolled into the carriage, dusted the snow off their bodies, and said to Zhao Dou’an, who was resting with his eyes closed inside the carriage.

“Mm.” Zhao Dou’an slowly opened his eyes, looked at the two disguised subordinates, and smiled:

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The events in Huangting Alley had, after all, attracted some attention.

Zhao Dou’an wasn’t sure who these busybodies were, but fortunately, because the incident happened suddenly, they hadn’t been targeted by any powerful figures yet.

After the group left the chess stall, with their rich “anti-tracking” experience, they easily shook off the people trying to follow them.

Only then did the three subordinates finally find time to relax. The little secretary, Qian Kerou, was filled with admiration:

“Master, you have such abilities, amazing!”

Genuine feelings from a female subordinate.

Shen Juan also clicked his tongue in wonder:

“I thought that little monk would have a lot of confidence to dare challenge a national master, but I didn’t expect Master to be even more skilled, easily resolving a trouble.

Hehe, when the news spreads, those people from the Western Regions might even think that Princess Wenzhu deliberately brought you there to defeat the little monk… Wouldn't this create a rift between the two sides? Hiss, Master, could it be that this chess game was also part of your plan?”

A clumsy imitation from a male subordinate.

Zhao Dou’an rolled his eyes and smiled, shaking his head:

“How could I be so amazing? It was just a coincidence.”

Although this coincidence, in the eyes of some people, was indeed too coincidental…

And, as Shen Juan said, after the Red Sect master learned the details, he might indeed suspect that Princess Wenzhu had deliberately done it… Zhao Dou’an could only say sorry about this. He really didn't do it on purpose.

Who told Danche to run into his gun?

Although it must be admitted that, compared to real chess skills, the little monk Danche’s strength was definitely above his.

But…

He couldn't just watch Danche sweep the chess world and let those bald thieves from the Western Regions, who seemed to be in league with the “Great Pure Master,” succeed, could he?

“Don't underestimate this princess. She should be able to resolve some misunderstandings. I didn't expect that a probing contact would unexpectedly turn into this.”

Zhao Dou’an spread his hands, looking innocent.

Tch—

The three subordinates didn't say anything, but they were a little disbelieving. As for their master's unpredictable chess skills, they could only say that they were used to it to the point of being numb.

“In short, let’s go back first. All of you, keep your mouths shut about this matter.”

Zhao Dou’an solemnly instructed.

With the matter having become so big, he suspected that his disguise would be exposed sooner or later… He could only try his best to conceal it, and it would be best to be exposed later.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be good for people to know that “King Yama Zhao” was mixed up with Princess Wenzhu.

Shen Juan and Qian Kerou responded, but Hou Renmeng, who was driving the carriage outside the curtain, didn't say anything.

On the contrary, the carriage suddenly stopped!

Outside the curtain, there was the sound of horses neighing, and Hou Renmeng's unusually alert voice:

“Master, it seems we haven’t shaken off the tail completely.”

Zhao Dou’an’s heart tightened. He quickly lifted a corner of the curtain. As the cold air poured in, the three pairs of eyes in the carriage clearly saw a “strange man” standing in the center of the street ahead.

He was wearing a dark cloak, covering his body from head to toe, with his feet shoulder-width apart, his hands clasped in front of him, and leaning on an exceptionally large scarlet giant sword!

The giant sword was nailed into the snow-covered ground, the hilt was pressed firmly by the man's large hands, and the sword was engraved with golden ancient seal characters.

“…You leave on your own, don’t worry about me,”

Zhao Dou’an sized up the strange man blocking the way for a moment, and suddenly said with a strange expression, “Don’t worry about me.”

Then, he stepped out of the carriage.

Qian Kerou and the other two exchanged glances, curious, but still silently obeyed and left.

“Zha zha zha—”

The carriage quickly left, leaving only the two of them on the quiet street.

Zhao Dou’an’s sword, Han Feng, lifted a corner of the man’s cloak, revealing the black priest’s robe underneath. He clasped his fists and cupped his hands:

“Could you be from the Celestial Master’s Mansion, Little Celestial Master? Senior Brother Zhong Pan?”

Zhong Pan smiled in surprise: “You are Zhao Dou’an.”

… …

… …

The person who defeated Danche is related to the aunt?

At the entrance of the Imperial Study Room, Xu Zhenguan’s snow-white face showed a slight look of surprise, and said:

“Please go to the side hall.”

Shortly.

In a side hall of Qianqing Palace, Princess Wenzhu, wrapped in a long skirt soaked with dirty snow mud, stepped over the threshold and saw the Empress's smiling face beside the brazier in the room:

“Aunt, do you feel cold outside? Come sit down and have a cup of hot milk.”

The face of the Western Regions noblewoman, which had been settled by a few years, also showed a gentle smile, and with the service of the palace maid, she took off her coat.

In the somewhat stiff soft hands, there was also a warm soup lady.

First, a few meaningless greetings, and then the topic turned to the chess game in Huangting Alley.

“Aunt is saying that the chess player who defeated the little monk Danche was a talented young man in Beijing who was unexpectedly met in Dongcheng?” Xu Zhenguan sat on a chair by the brazier.

Surprised to look at the woman sitting opposite.

Princess Wenzhu nodded, her face still carrying amazement and complexity:

“That talented young man, who called himself Lin Ke, initially only thought that he had a chivalrous spirit and a kind heart, but he never thought that he would have such means.”

You seem to be teasing me… When did such a talented young man surnamed Lin appear in Beijing? I don’t know anything about it? The Empress was a little suspicious.

But no matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t see any traces of her aunt deceiving herself, and besides, this matter was inherently strange.

From a standpoint, although Wenzhu’s maiden family is in Yu Country, there is no reason to deliberately destroy the affairs of the Western Regions mission—and with such crude means.

When things cannot be deduced logically, one can only tend to luck.

And then, Princess Wenzhu extended this topic and began to frequently praise the young master Lin. The more Xu Zhenguan listened, the more wrong it became. She frowned cautiously:

“What does Aunt want to say?”

Princess Wenzhu smiled like an aunt: “I have no other intentions, I just feel that such talent should not be buried.”

Xu Zhenguan nodded and said:

“I will naturally look for this person. The imperial court is in urgent need of talents. If it is really as Aunt said, it should be reused.”

Princess Wenzhu smiled ambiguously:

“Aunt means that since you can use that Zhao Dou'an, this Lin Ke…”

Xu Zhenguan's jade face was frosty, and she almost suddenly cooled down. She said lightly:

“Aunt, you don’t have to say any more.”

With her intelligence, how could she not hear the hidden meaning? She was displeased by her aunt's euphemistic intention to connect her and send a new male pet.

She became inexplicably disgusted with the so-called “Young Master Lin”.

“Zhao Qing’s talent cannot be compared to any Tom, Dick, or Harry.” Noticing that her attitude was too cold, the Empress slightly made up for it.

Princess Wenzhu’s smile froze, and she smiled awkwardly, but sighed in her heart, thinking, what kind of ecstasy soup did that treacherous minister surnamed Zhao give her niece?

My niece is too deeply poisoned and cannot be saved.

Seeing that the atmosphere became awkward, Xu Zhenguan pursed her lips and took the initiative to change the subject:

“It’s good that Aunt is here. How about staying in the palace tonight? I have already ordered people to clean up Aunt’s former residence in the palace city, and the furnishings are exactly the same as they used to be.”

Speaking of this, the emperor's aura on her body softened a lot, and she even took the initiative to hold her aunt's hands, which were much rougher than her own, and showed a smile:

“Tonight, you and I will put aside everything else and only talk about aunt and niece.”

Princess Wenzhu was stunned, and in response to Xu Zhenguan's bright eyes, with a little earnest look, a warm current surged in her heart.

Yes, the niece in front of me has only been the female emperor for less than three years.

And in this vast palace, looking around, besides myself, where else is there half a Xu family member?

Thinking about it this way, Zhenguan in this capital city is probably as lonely as I was in the Golden Tent of the Western Regions.

The flames in the red-hot charcoal basin under the feet of the two women jumped.

Outside the side hall, dark clouds covered the sun, and a few snowflakes fell faintly.

The thin ice crystals fell on the deep red palace walls, like a sigh.

The aunt and niece were talking softly, talking about their childhoods, talking about those rare warm times of the royal family buried in the past.

Although there is a generation gap, perhaps the experiences of the two women have too many similarities.

Both were neglected by their fathers, both liked to read, and both had shown the wrist wisdom of women in times of crisis and achieved extraordinary achievements.

Although the two women did not have much emotional intersection in the past, at this moment, talking, there is a special taste of royal family affection spreading.

“Zhenguan, there are some things I shouldn’t have said,”

Princess Wenzhu saw that the time was right and tentatively opened her mouth:

“I have heard about your unpleasantness with those uncles. I know you are suffering, and it is not easy to maintain this situation, but the royal bloodline is fighting each other, which is a disgrace to the ancestors…”

Xu Zhenguan seemed to smile, and the taste of family affection in her eyes slowly faded:

“Aunt is here to persuade me?”

“I just don’t want to make things too ugly.” Princess Wenzhu smiled bitterly:

“If you agree, I am thinking that the end of the year is approaching, so I will come forward and talk to your uncles. After all, they are all a family. If we can reconcile, why…”

Xu Zhenguan smiled and shook her head. She slowly withdrew her hand and looked at the deep palace outside the door with complicated eyes, and said softly:

“Aunt, I once admired you very much.”

Princess Wenzhu was stunned.

Xu Zhenguan sat sideways slightly, looking at the deep palace outside the door, and said softly:

“What you did after you married to the Western Regions, alone as a woman, surrounded by wolves, but able to gain a foothold, and even have such a reputation today, once made me very admire.”

After a pause, she suddenly smiled meaningfully and said:

“So, after the Xuanmen coup, when I was pushed by the situation and became the emperor in a muddle, I went to ask people and inquire about what you did in the Western Regions. I originally wanted to learn from you, but after reading it, I realized that we are different, even very different.”

Princess Wenzhu opened her mouth: “You…”

Xu Zhenguan waved his hand to interrupt her and said softly:

“Although outsiders often compare me with you, I know that you and I are different. Aunt, do you know how I view you?

Vassal. That's right, it's a vassal. In fact, you have always been a vassal of power.

Before you were married, you obeyed your father, so even though the Emperor Grandfather treated you coldly, you still followed his will to marry and go to the Western Regions. But I am different. If my father wants me to marry, I will not listen.”

“After you went to the Western Regions, you became a vassal of your husband whom you married at the time. Although he was seriously injured, he was still there after all. As long as he was there, he was a banner to gather the forces under his command.

You cleverly used this banner to forcibly prolong his life for a few years. During this period, you successively became a vassal of the Yuguo border army in the Western Regions and the Dharma King of the Buddhist sect.”

“Aunt, from beginning to end, you have always placed yourself in a position where you are useful and valuable to stronger people who are in power.

So, you seem to be wandering between various forces, but you are still trying to please people. This time is the same. You returned to Dayu and placed yourself in the position of a relative, wanting to please me.”

Princess Wenzhu's throat was dry.

She wanted to say something, but Xu Zhenguan interrupted her with a smile again.

“It doesn't matter, no need to explain. I'm not saying that this is bad. If I didn't have talent in cultivation, got the approval of the Tai'a Sword, and had a fairly strong cultivation, I might not be as good as you. Aunt, you have played the princess card very well, very well…”

“Back then, when you were in the Western Regions, you used your identity as a princess to become the link between Yuguo, the ancestral court of Buddhism, and the several major tribes in the Western Regions, thereby maintaining your position.

Now, you are doing the same thing as you did back then, wanting to become the link between me, the female emperor, and the eight princes…

This is called… Ha, according to that guy Zhao Du'an, it's ‘path dependence’. He always comes up with some strange but appropriate words.”

Xu Zhenguan's smile deepened a bit, and she said:

“But Yuguo and the Western Regions are different after all. Aunt, you have been outside for too long, maybe you have forgotten the cruelty here. How could I want to start a war with my uncles?

It's just that the situation pushes people to do this. It's like Chen Jiuyan in Huangting Alley. From the moment he sat on the chess stall, it was almost impossible to get down.”

Princess Wenzhu was silent.

At this moment, she suddenly remembered what Young Master Lin had told her in the Dongcheng alley not long ago.

Yuguo and the Western Regions are different.

Therefore, it was wrong for her to win over the people according to the methods in the Western Regions.

Therefore, it was also wrong for her to try to be a “middleman” and ease the conflict between the female emperor and the eight kings by using the method of alliance and cooperation back then.

She made the same mistake twice in one day.

She was pointed out by Young Master Lin and her niece respectively. From this perspective, the two people are really a good match.

And myself… it seems that I really thought of the bloody storm of the royal family too naively.

“Okay, Aunt,” Xu Zhenguan suddenly smiled again, took her hand and stood up:

“I've already said that I won't talk about those things tonight. I'll take you to see the palace I've prepared for you.”

Princess Wenzhu also smiled bitterly: “Actually…”

Xu Zhenguan took her out, the white-clothed female emperor seemed like a fairy flying into the white snow:

“By the way, the date for the Buddhist debate has been set, it will be in two days, and the location will be outside Shenlong Temple. At that time, would you like to go and see the excitement with me?

Ha, if it weren't for giving face to the Dharma King of the Western Regions, I wouldn't have allowed it. But this time, they shouldn't expect many people to watch the debate.”

Princess Wenzhu sighed and said with a smile:

“I want to change into a dress first. I got a lot of mud on me when I went out.”

Xu Zhenguan smiled and let go of her hand, and beckoned a female official to come over:

“Take Princess Wenzhu to change clothes, just wear mine first.”

After the person left, Xu Zhenguan's smile slowly faded, and she asked a familiar eunuch waiting at the door:

“Mo Chou is not here?”

The eunuch said respectfully: “Zhaorong Mo has gone to find the chess player.”

Xu Zhenguan nodded and ordered:

“Send a message to the Zhaoya to investigate that Lin Ke. Do it quietly and don't make too much noise. By the way, spread the news that the chess game defeated the people of the Western Regions. Humph, if those bald donkeys want fame, give them fame.”

“Yes.”

“Wait,” Xu Zhenguan suddenly opened her mouth again, hesitated slightly, and said:

“Has Zhao Du'an done anything in the past few days?”

“This servant has never heard of it. Lord Zhao has been recuperating at home these days and has not shown his face.”

“How is his chess skill?”

“This… how would this servant know?”

“Well…” Xu Zhenguan thought for a while and said:

“When you go to the Zhaoya, inquire whether Qing Zhao is at home today. If he is not there, where did he go? Has Lihuatang sent anyone out today… You don't need to make a big show, just let Ma Yan quietly investigate.”

The eunuch was shocked: “Your Majesty, do you suspect that the chess player who defeated the people of the Western Regions is…”

Xu Zhenguan said unhappily: “I told you to do it, don't be so verbose.”

“This servant knows his mistake and will do it now.” The eunuch shrank his neck and ran away.

The white-clothed female emperor stood in the corridor, her expression full of uncertainty, and she murmured softly:

“You wouldn't be so amazing even at playing chess, would you? No way…”

Reason told her that it was unlikely, but thinking of the guy's past operations, she was a little unsure again.

…

…

The backyard of Zhao Mansion.

A figure jumped in “whoosh” behind the wall, and then looked around vigilantly, with all senses fully open.

Avoiding the attention of the servants and the several guard dogs in the mansion, he quietly swept across the roof, pushed open the door, and rolled into the room.

“Phew, I'm finally home.”

Zhao Du'an closed the door and looked at the extinguished brazier in the room and the low temperature, muttering:

“It seems that no one has come in.”

This morning, he had ordered the servants in the mansion that he would be in seclusion for cultivation and should not be disturbed during this period.

Now, he came back by climbing over the wall in order to conceal his whereabouts today as much as possible.

“Unfortunately, things have gotten a bit big. Zhenbao must have heard about it. Next, many people in the city will be looking for the nonexistent Lin Ke… At most, I can hide it for a day or two, and I'm afraid I'll be exposed…”

Zhao Du'an took off his coat, sat at the table, and muttered helplessly:

“It's not my fault. If I hadn't been messing around, no one would have investigated me in such a big way…”

Shaking his head and throwing this episode aside, Zhao Du'an took out a storage scroll from his arms and shook his wrist gently.

“Crash—”

Suddenly, dozens of thick scriptures fell on the round table, forming a small mountain.

He grabbed one at random. The book was cold to the touch, and the cover was written with the words “Galan Sutra”.

Zhao Du'an twitched the corner of his mouth, almost gritting his teeth: “Lao Zhang is really ‘considerate’.”

Zhong Pan's interception was not an accident.

After encountering Little Heavenly Master before, the two went to a nearby small shop to sit down. Zhao Du'an was not surprised that Jin Jian's “senior brother” could see through his disguise at a glance.

As for him being able to recognize the other party, it was thanks to the portrait of Zhong Pan that he obtained from Jin Jian when he visited the Heavenly Master's Mansion that day.

That day, he failed to see Lao Wang… bah, Lao Zhang… bah, Zhang Yiyi, the old Heavenly Master.

He also failed to see Zhong Pan, but he did not expect to meet him by chance today.

Considering that this fierce senior brother had helped him in the battle of Yansuo Lake in the intelligence, Zhao Du'an eagerly expressed his gratitude.

He originally wanted to "arrange" a meal for the other party, and then go to Rouge Hutong to listen to a tune or something, but Zhong Pan just smiled and said that he was here on Zhang Yiyi's order.

He gave him a batch of scriptures and informed him of the exact time of the Buddhist debate two days later.

“Although I don't know what the master wants me to send these scriptures to you for, the master said that you might need them.” Zhong Pan's smiling words were still in his ears.

…

In the room.

Zhao Du'an looked at the scriptures piled up like a mountain and sighed softly:

“You're good at predicting, aren't you.”

Obviously, Zhang Yiyi, who is good at deduction and divination, has already predicted that Zhao Du'an may be restless in this debate.

So, as the leader of the Heavenly Master's Mansion who is very happy to see Buddhism make a fool of itself, Zhang Yiyi actively sent a helping hand.

Zhao Du'an opened another “scripture” called “Debate Intelligence” and twitched his mouth.

Okay, this one is simply handwritten, and it even details the theme of the upcoming debate, as well as the possible ideas that both sides may extend, and even reference materials such as the “Holy Monk” Red Sect Dharma Master's past works.

“Lao Zhang, you really think highly of me…”

Zhao Du'an murmured softly, but the corner of his mouth slowly raised.

Should I do something at this debate? Zhao Yanwang, who is vindictive, said that he had already intended to do so.

“Dragon Tree Bodhisattva wants to find fault with me, right? Great Purification Master, you dare to assassinate me, right? Red Sect Masters, your Western Regions ancestral court accepted the certificate of surrender from Great Purification, right? And that old nun Prajna… wants to sleep with me, right?”

“A gentleman takes revenge, from morning to night. Do you really think that just because the assassination failed, this matter is over? I hadn't thought about how to do it, but since you have provoked me, don't blame this official for being ruthless.”

Thank you for supporting A Leaf Light Boat Crossing Ten Thousand Mountains, 2023… 1392, Yu Qianye Er ACE, Sorrow of the Heart!