The First Lackey Under The Empress

Inside the Imperial Study.

"Creak."

Having finished her midday meal, Xu Zhenguan stepped back into the place where she handled state affairs, stood by the window, and used her slender, white hands to push open a window.

Whoosh—

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

The cold wind rushed against the Empress's face, slightly ruffling her hair.

Xu Zhenguan's eyelashes trembled, and she narrowed her eyes.

Her pupils, as clear as a baby's, reflected the heavy snow outside the window, falling like willow catkins.

She was somewhat lost in thought.

She still remembered that on the day of the Xuanmen coup, it was also a snowy winter day.

At that time, the sounds of fighting filled every corner of the imperial city.

The flash of swords and shadows was accompanied by splashes of scarlet blood on the wide square of the Meridian Gate.

As a layer of blood was sprinkled, a layer of pure white snow from the sky covered it up.

Repeated several times, the blood and snow merged together, almost dyeing the sky red.

Now, almost three years have passed.

The visible glint of swords is gone, but the invisible glint has never ceased.

"Huff…"

A gust of cold wind swirled up a snowflake, carrying it into the window, where it was caught by the Empress's raised right palm, melting into a drop of water in her breath.

Xu Zhenguan pursed her lips, and a little sleepiness dissipated.

She did not close the window, but turned around and walked to the desk, sitting down properly.

With a pen in one hand, she picked up the top one from a stack of memorials on the desk, sent from the Xiuwen Hall, that needed her personal attention.

Unfolding it, the Empress raised her eyebrows.

This was a memorial sent by the Grand Coordinator of Southern Water Transport, requesting the imperial court to appoint new local officials as soon as possible to fill the vacancies.

Along with the implementation of the "New Policies," the action to rectify the originally redundant officialdom has also been vigorously carried out in recent months.

The method of assessing official performance, initially drafted by Zhao Dou'an, has been implemented in Jiancheng Prefecture.

Unsurprisingly, a batch of officials was dismissed.

As one batch fell, new personnel were urgently needed to fill the vacancies.

This was originally the responsibility of Li Yanfu, the Minister of Personnel, but now, through the "New Cabinet," it has been taken back into the Empress's hands.

"A new generation replaces the old."

The Empress was lost in thought, her mind already drifting outside the palace, worried about the Duke of Cao's final decision.

She went to great lengths to set up such a situation, ultimately to regain military power in Jubei City at the smallest cost.

If Cao Mao stubbornly refused to cooperate and fought her head-on, even if she could eventually regain military power, it would inevitably come at a considerable price.

She had been lost in thought for who knows how long.

"Your Majesty," a female official's voice came from outside the door, "Lord Zhao requests an audience."

As if awakened from a dream, Xu Zhenguan suddenly stood up and said eagerly:

"Please, come in!"

"Yes," the female official responded and left.

Xu Zhenguan, however, could no longer sit still, and quickly walked outside, her black hair dancing behind her.

She leaned against the door, her gaze looking into the distance through the flying snow.

After a moment, a tall figure, holding an oil-paper umbrella and wearing a red cloak, walked over.

Snow covered the umbrella's surface, falling in spots on the cloak, with a few flakes sticking to Zhao Dou'an's black hair tied in a crown.

He walked through the courtyard, leaving a string of footprints behind him.

The nearby female officials and eunuchs wisely retreated.

"Lord Zhao… how is it?"

Xu Zhenguan stared at him with a solemn expression, a hint of unresolved anxiety in her bright eyes.

Zhao Dou'an stepped into the corridor, folded the oil-paper umbrella with both hands, the tip of the umbrella facing down.

As he rotated the umbrella handle, the accumulated snow rustled down.

Then, he looked at the Empress, the corners of his expressionless face slowly rising into a smile, and presented the memorial from his sleeve with both hands:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, your ministers have not failed in their mission.

Duke Anguo, Cao Mao, has submitted a letter requesting resignation, willing to hand over military power.

The Northern Frontier Army is now in Your Majesty's grasp."

The dust has settled!

It's done!

With Zhao Dou'an uttering these words, the great stone hanging in Xu Zhenguan's heart finally fell to the ground.

She was dazed for a moment, and then, the corners of her mouth rose, seeming to want to laugh, but restrained herself due to Zhao Dou'an's presence.

Her various subtle expressions were extremely wonderful.

Zhao Dou'an blinked, and said seriously:

"Holding it in is harmful to the body, how about I smile for Your Majesty first?"

"Pfft!"

Caught off guard by his teasing, Xu Zhenguan finally broke her composure, unable to maintain the dignified demeanor of an emperor, and revealed an undisguised, happy smile.

No one knew how much pressure she had accumulated in her heart these past few days.

Involving a regional frontier army was different from court struggles.

At this moment, knowing that the great matter was accomplished, the Empress felt a sense of relief, giving rise to an unspeakable joy.

Zhao Dou'an found it amusing, blinked, and teased:

"Is Your Majesty just going to stand here at the door and talk to me?"

The Empress then woke up from her joy, glared at him charmingly, snatched the memorial of resignation, and turned to walk into the study.

Happily flipping through it—looking just like a young girl receiving a New Year's gift.

… …

After Zhao Dou'an also entered the room, took off his cloak, and the monarch and minister were seated, the Empress naturally inquired about the details.

Zhao Dou'an then recounted the entire process, not forgetting to give credit to the others:

"This time, being able to lay the foundation for victory in one fell swoop, apart from Your Majesty's wise leadership, is also due to Duke Yuan's control of the overall situation, and the Duke of Tang's significant contribution."

Xu Zhenguan asked curiously:

"Previously, Duke Yuan revealed to me that he pulled you in to participate in this matter, but he didn't say it in detail.

Now, can you tell me, how exactly did you get the Duke of Tang to help you?"

The Empress was very surprised because the appearance of the Duke of Tang was not in her plan.

Originally, in her conceived plan, the noble group in the capital was likely to help Cao Mao, repeatedly entangled in the "Eighteen Waves" case, and there would be many games.

But after Zhao Dou'an joined, this joint that had given her a headache was easily solved.

"To be precise, it was not that I asked the Duke of Tang to help, but that the Duke of Tang implied from the beginning that I could look for him," Zhao Dou'an said seriously.

Speaking of the process of seizing military power this time, looking back, he also felt surprisingly smooth.

That day, he was intercepted by Yuan Li on his way home, and in the carriage, he saw a "top-secret document" that the latter gave him.

The core content was the information of the batch of spies that the former Crown Prince had planted in Jubei City back then.

Only after Zhao Dou'an read it did he suddenly realize that Zhenbao had long been sharpening his knife.

The Empress's previous actions of going with the flow and allowing Cao Mao to throw Lang Shibu into prison had already begun to plan to seize power through this case.

And after learning of the existence of the great spy "Luo Kedi," Zhao Dou'an instantly thought of many things.

For example, the Duke of Tang's actions in the Ministry of Justice prison.

At that time, he thought it was the other party repaying his favor because of Tang Zhao's matter, but after thinking carefully, he felt that something was wrong.

There were many ways to repay a favor, but helping him directly slap Cao Mao in the face was undoubtedly a bit too much.

Even if the two had conflicts, it was still a bit abrupt.

After realizing this, Zhao Dou'an carefully recalled that this year, many generals returned to the capital.

The Duke of Tang was the only one who had no reservations, not only keeping his only son in the Shenji Camp and not transferring him away, but also bringing his daughter back with him on his trip back to the capital.

Even if he didn't give him face at first, it was only aimed at him, not the imperial court.

"Only then did I suddenly realize that from the Duke of Tang's perspective, his support for me in the Ministry of Justice seemed to be repaying my favor, but in fact, it was expressing his position."

Zhao Dou'an said with emotion:

"Zhao Shixiong's failure to return must have made the Duke of Tang feel that it was necessary to further show his loyalty to the imperial court.

Especially since I knew that the two dukes had old grudges, I simply went with the flow and expressed to the Duke of Tang my idea of impeaching Cao Mao."

The Duke of Tang agreed extremely readily, almost taking on the task of persuading the nobles on his own…

And an influential duke from the era of the late emperor personally coming forward was bound to be more appropriate than me, or even Your Majesty, to speak…

Duke Chen's agreement to come forward was also because he realized the current situation in Yu Country and did not want to see further disputes."

Zhao Dou'an also felt emotional after saying this.

It could be said that seizing power from Cao Mao was the smoothest of all his past attempts to overthrow powerful officials, but thinking about it carefully, it was not surprising.

Because in this power struggle, Cao Mao was almost completely at a disadvantage.

If he hadn't returned to the capital, it might have been exceptionally difficult, but from the moment he returned to the capital, he was like a fly stepping into a spider web.

Empress, Duke of Tang, Duke of Chen, Yuan Li, Luo Kedi… sealing off and strangling from all directions.

Zhao Dou'an's greatest role in it, apart from inciting public opinion, was to connect the various forces and launch a thunderous blow.

With such a lineup, such a disparity in strength, it would have been strange if Cao Mao hadn't lost quickly.

From another perspective, a year ago, Zhao Dou'an was still a small figure who could only pretend to be powerful and barely mobilize people to overthrow a strong enemy with difficulty.

But today, he already holds great power in his hands, forming alliances and connecting horizontally and vertically.

How could this time have been so smooth if it wasn't because his status was already different from the past?

"The Duke of Tang is thoughtful," Xu Zhenguan said after listening, also quite touched, and said self-deprecatingly:

"If those generals were all like the Duke of Tang, why would I worry about the country not being secure?"

Zhao Dou'an hesitated for a moment and tentatively said:

"Then Zhao Shixiong… how does Your Majesty plan to deal with him?"

Upon hearing this name, Xu Zhenguan's beautiful eyes contained a murderous intent, but in the end, she took a deep breath and slowly said:

"It's better to appease him for now."

Zhao Dou'an nodded, not surprised.

This was the best way.

If Zhao Shixiong didn't come back, it would be difficult to restrain him, especially after the news of Cao Mao's resignation spread, Zhao Shixiong would be even more afraid to come back.

"Prince Mu has repeatedly tried to win over Zhao Shixiong, and now I'm afraid it's beginning to show results."

Xu Zhenguan sighed:

"Yu Country has been seriously ill for a long time, and it is not advisable to operate too hastily.

Fortunately, the risk in Jubei City has now been resolved, and the Yan Mountain King in the north will be difficult to become a hidden danger."

Zhao Dou'an thought for a moment and said:

"The Duke of Tang revealed to me that the reason he heard the rumors about me and the young duke was because the Prince of Hejian in Xiping Prefecture revealed it.

Cao Mao learned of Lang Shibu's identity, although he has not yet interrogated him, but I think it must also be related to Prince Jing or the Yan Mountain King.

These people are really masters of sowing discord."

Xu Zhenguan said contemptuously:

"Sowing discord is ultimately a trick that cannot be brought to the table."

Zhao Dou'an nodded and smiled:

"However, it is also thanks to their sowing discord that prompted the Duke of Tang to lean further towards the imperial court and Cao Mao to rebel in advance."

With this matter settled, the River Prince of Xiping Road is restrained by Duke Tang, and the Yanshan Prince of Tieguan Road is balanced by Luo Kedi. Thus, among the eight princes, two are eliminated.

Adding the already wavering Prince of Huaian, and the Prince of Qiong, who is in Lingnan, the weakest, and unlikely to be a threat... only four remain.

Xu Zhenguan glanced at him with amusement:

"You're good at comforting people; even the eunuchs by my side aren't as eloquent as you."

Zhao Du'an was shocked and waved his hands, sternly refusing:

"This subject still needs to remain useful and work hard for Your Majesty, I dare not compare myself to the eunuchs."

Xu Zhenguan spat: "Shameless."

Zhao Du'an was surprised:

Zhenbao actually understood? My Emperor is amazing...

After the monarch and subject joked for a while, Zhao Du'an got up to bid farewell:

"If there's nothing else, this subject will take his leave." This time, it was Xu Zhenguan's turn to be stunned. She stared at him in disbelief, thinking, shouldn't you be shamelessly staying in the palace overnight, using the heavy snow as an excuse?

At the very least, you should freeload a meal. Why are you leaving so decisively this time?

Did he change his personality?

Zhao Du'an seemed to see through her thoughts and said with a serious expression:

"Does Your Majesty think that this subject is truly a frivolous person?"

Seeing the Empress stunned and speechless, Zhao Du'an cupped his hands, draped his cloak elegantly, picked up the oiled paper umbrella placed by the door, stepped back into the wind and snow, and left directly.

After walking out of the palace, Zhao Du'an's lips curled up slightly:

"Zhenbao, ah, Zhenbao, watch me play some tricks on you..."

A simp who keeps simping will only be taken for granted; a suitable change in attitude will have miraculous effects.

...

Inside the palace.

Xu Zhenguan stood quietly at the door, looking in the direction Zhao Du'an left, lost in thought.

The nearby female officials peeked cautiously, exchanging glances:

What's wrong with Her Majesty? Wasn't she quite happy just now...?

Also, why did Lord Zhao leave so quickly this time? Isn't he staying overnight?

Suddenly, unable to restrain their gossipy hearts, the female officials felt a gaze upon them, shrank their necks, and bowed to Mo Zhaorong, who was walking from afar.

They dared not think any further.

"First Female Official" Mo Chou walked to the Empress's side and asked softly: "Your Majesty?"

Xu Zhenguan came back to her senses, glanced at her trusted maid, and suddenly asked a question as if possessed:

"Lord Zhao has repeatedly made contributions in the past few months. Have I forgotten to reward him?"

"Ah?" Mo Chou was stunned.

Xu Zhenguan muttered a few vague sentences to herself, and suddenly, as if she had made a decision, she said:

"In a few days, it will be the New Year. According to the rules, the Emperor should hold a 'Grand Banquet Ceremony'. I must invite all the officials to the palace to spend New Year's Eve together... Summon the officials of the Eastern Palace... Everything must be kept secret and not be leaked."

The Empress gave a few instructions in a low voice. Mo Chou was initially confused, but gradually turned pale with shock:

"Your Majesty, this... isn't it appropriate? Lord Zhao is only a Fourth-Rank Vice Commander, how can he..."

Xu Zhenguan pondered for two seconds: "Then, promote him first?"

She frowned again: "But it's a bit too late."

"...This servant will go to the Eastern Palace now!"

Mo Chou quickly interrupted the Empress's wild thoughts and strange ideas, accepted the order, and left in a hurry, almost running away.

Looking in the direction of the palace gate, her eyes were filled with resentment:

"You fellow, what kind of bewitching potion did you give Her Majesty, that she's preparing a 'surprise' just for you?"

...

...

On the other side, Zhao, who didn't know that the Empress had prepared a generous gift for him, left the palace in a happy mood.

He took back his horse from the guards and, looking at the fluttering snowflakes, rode towards the direction of the Ministry of Justice's prison.

Soon.

Zhao Du'an arrived outside the prison again. This time, Assistant Minister Huang was not there. The "Warden Officer" in charge of the prison walked out eagerly, his face full of smiles:

"My lord, are you here again to see that..."

"Yes, lead the way." Zhao Du'an said indifferently.

The warden didn't dare to ask more and immediately led the way silently. Soon, Zhao Du'an saw Lang Shiyi again in the prison.

At this moment, Lang Shiyi, unaware of the changes in the outside world, was standing at the small ventilation opening, looking up and feeling the wind.

The wind and snow poured in from the "品" shaped ventilation opening, and the icy snowflakes sprinkled on the face of this Northern Blood Saber, which was weathered and full of blue stubble.

"What a refined hobby. I thought you would give up on yourself and lie down waiting to die." Zhao Du'an's voice came.

Lang Shiyi opened his eyes, dragging his shackles, slowly turned around, and under his messy long hair, his weathered face, full of blue stubble, looked at Zhao Du'an unexpectedly and explained:

"I grew up in Tieguan Road since I was a child. In my memory, every year-end is a snow scene.

When I was seven years old, a Taoist priest came to my house to ask for water and told me my fortune, saying that I was born on a snowy day and would die the same way. Now it seems that the Taoist priest has magic powers."

Lang Shiyi smiled and looked at Zhao Du'an's empty hands, as if he already understood something, and said:

"Has my case been finalized? When will you escort me to the execution ground? Today or tomorrow?"

Zhao Du'an shook his head and said in the latter's puzzled gaze:

"Your case is about to be retried. The court will open in a few days, but because Cao Mao took the initiative to resign, this case will not involve too much and will only stop at his son who was killed by you. It's not perfect, but at least you won't die.

Well, I'm here to tell you, don't be stupid enough to seek death in advance. Stay here for a few more days, and after the case procedures are completed, His Majesty will give you a pardon... By then, you can get back your original identity."

Lang Shiyi's expression was sluggish for a moment, and his mind seemed to be filled with rusty gears, unable to turn for a while:

"What... do you mean?"

Zhao Du'an patiently explained the process again, and then said:

"That's about it. I'll leave first, and I'll give you a welcome drink when you come out."

After a pause, he added: "It seems that the Taoist priest was a liar."

Zhao Du'an turned and left.

Only Lang Shiyi was standing dazedly in the cell, his messy hair illuminated by the beam of light coming in from the hole.

He suddenly rushed to the prison door, grabbed the railing with both hands, looked at Zhao Du'an, who was walking out at the end of the corridor, and shouted loudly:

"My lord! Can I still serve you in the future?"

Zhao Du'an's back paused:

"As you wish."

Immediately, he walked out of the prison gate, raised his face, and let the cold snowflakes fall on his face.

Knowing in his heart: Only at this moment did he completely accept Lang Shiyi as a great general.

...

...

Duke Zhen's Mansion.

"Father! Father!"

Two figures quickly pushed open the door and entered the courtyard, walking along the heavy mansion courtyard while shouting excitedly.

After a while, Tang Zhao and Tang Ping, brother and sister, excitedly pushed open the door of the study and looked at Duke Tang, dressed as a wealthy man, holding a thick wolf hair brush and waving ink.

The latter raised his eyebrows and smiled: "It seems that you are here to report good news."

Rouge Horse Tang Zhao said with a beaming face:

"Cao Mao took the initiative to submit a resignation! That Cao Kedi actually defected to His Majesty long ago, and will return to Jubei City to take over Cao Mao's position!"

Young Duke Tang Ping was not as quick as his second sister, so he could only say:

"I heard that you invited Duke Chen to come out of the mountain? How did you do it?"

Although the two of them only participated in a small part of the military public opinion task in this operation, they got the opportunity to go to the Golden Luan Hall and present a petition.

They are very excited now, not only Tang Ping, but even Tang Zhao, also feels very exciting... more interesting than winning a war.

Duke Tang was stunned for a moment, seemingly suddenly realizing:

"Cao Kedi... Sure enough, it's him."

The brother and sister surrounded him, asking about the details:

"Father, what exactly is going on, tell us, and... what did Lord Zhao discuss with you that night? Is it conveying His Majesty's decree?"

Duke Tang smiled and shook his head:

"It's not that complicated. He opened his mouth, and Father was waiting for him to open his mouth, that's all."

The brother and sister looked at each other, exchanging glances.

Tang Ping: Second sister, did you understand?

Tang Zhao: What do you think?

Tang Ping:...

The brother and sister sighed to the sky, the court is so complicated.

...

...

Zhao Yamen, Pear Blossom Hall.

The Jinyi returned to the hall in a mighty manner, and they were still excitedly discussing what had just happened.

Qian Kerou pushed open the door of the duty room, sat down, and looked around:

"Eh, where is the one in red without eyeballs..."

Hou Ren Meng took off his saber and placed it horizontally on the table: "Ji Yue."

"Yes, where is that Ji Yue? Didn't the Lord let her stay in the hall first?" Qian Kerou asked.

The Jinyi's movements stopped abruptly, and they looked at each other, all showing confusion.

Then they became nervous. If they lost someone, wouldn't it be when the Lord came back...

"Ah! There's a ghost in the well!"

Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from outside the door.

Everyone was stunned and ran out, coming to the well in the next yard.

A white servant in charge of the kitchen in the yamen was sitting on the ground, frantically using his hands and feet to retreat in the direction away from the well, with a bucket lying on the ground beside him.

Seeing people coming, he said loudly: "I... I came to fetch water and saw a human head at the bottom of the well!"

Everyone was facing a formidable enemy.

The next second, the female warlock Ji Yue, drenched, disheveled, and with white eyes and no pupils, slowly climbed out of the well.

Everyone: "..."

Ji Yue weakly met countless gazes and explained in a low voice: "I..."

Shen Juan took a deep breath: "You don't need to explain, we all understand! Well, my Lord will be back later, let us give you a message."

"Ah?" Ji Yue was at a loss.

Qian Kerou continued: "My Lord said that Lang Shiyi should not die."

"Ah?" Ji Yue was stunned.

...

I will correct the typos later

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