The First Lackey Under The Empress

The night was cool as water, and moonlight spilled down from behind the clouds, illuminating the desolate streets.

At the entrance of the Golden Fortune Inn, the Prefect and the others listened in stunned silence to the Pear Blossom Hall Embroidered Uniform Guard's account, their expressions varied.

The scholar and Hongye silently breathed a sigh of relief, the corners of their mouths lifting into smiles: this was more in line with their impression of Zhao Shaobao.

His methods were bizarre, his mind meticulous, his power needing no explanation.

Prefect Luan Cheng's expression was blank, his mind a daze:

Purple Cloud Palace was destroyed?!

In just two or three hours? Lu Zhengchun was captured? This Daoist temple, with a considerable reputation in the Green Forest world of the Bin Hai Road, was erased by that man just like that?!

"Please wait, I..."

Prefect Luan raised his hand to grab, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard ignored him completely, turned his horse around, and left again.

"Lord Prefect, you can ask Zhao Shaobao yourself when he returns," the scholar said with a smile.

Luan Cheng nodded silently but didn't move, standing at the entrance to wait. After a moment, the torches in the distance gradually approached.

A large group of cavalry could be seen walking in front, pulling on ropes, the ends of which were tied to the hands of Daoists, their clothes tattered and their shoes almost worn through.

Like walking dogs.

Behind them were carts carrying corpses and large boxes—Purple Cloud Palace had accumulated wealth for many years, and the temple's riches were considerable.

Zhao Du'an only took a portion of the most valuable items back to the city, leaving a small team of soldiers to guard the temple.

Further back were carriages, the curtains rustling, revealing a group of female Daoists, weeping like pear blossoms in the rain, trembling with fear.

Zhao Du'an and his core group were at the rear of the procession.

"Prefect Luan, it's good you're here," Zhao Du'an said, riding his horse to the entrance of the inn in the torchlight. He dismounted and said:

"These Daoists all participated in the attack on the government army. It's up to you, as the Prefect, to decide how to deal with them.

As for the boxes on the carts behind, some contain the wealth seized from the rebels, and others contain the account books of Purple Cloud Palace, which must be sealed.

Once this matter is settled, the stolen goods must be sent to the capital for storage. As for the women behind...

According to this official's investigation, they are devout women who were coerced and lured into the palace by Lu Zhengchun over the years to be played with and enjoyed. Hand them over to you for investigation as well. If they are not related to the rebellious party, send them back to their hometowns or let them choose to stay at Purple Cloud Palace themselves.

Well, that Daoist temple was bestowed by the late Emperor. Removing Lu Zhengchun doesn't mean we have to abolish the temple. With a few changes, I think it would be good to turn it into an official Daoist center run by the court."

Luan Cheng listened blankly, nodding subconsciously, his eyes searching among the large group of soldiers:

"Then Lu Zhengchun..."

"Bang!"

Lu Zhengchun, with a sealing talisman stuck on his forehead, sleeping soundly, was thrown to the ground by Gongshu Tianyuan.

Luan Cheng gasped, finally confirming that he wasn't dreaming. He quickly asked for details, and after understanding what had happened, his expression became extremely complicated.

"Zhao Shaobao... what a method."

This exclamation was sincere.

Regardless of how crude and reckless this method looks, can you say the result isn't good…

"This official will go and make arrangements," Luan Cheng said, his expression revealing excitement after his initial shock. As a local Prefect, he undoubtedly disliked the Purple Cloud Palace, and he was naturally delighted to see it removed.

"Wait," Zhao Du'an suddenly stopped him, smiling at the latter's bewildered gaze, "I would like to trouble Prefect Luan to post an official notice in the city, listing the crimes of Purple Cloud Palace, such as accumulating wealth, luring women, and colluding with rebels, and to publicly behead Lu Zhengchun and his disciples in seven days.

Remember, be sure to spread this news as widely as possible, so that everyone knows."

Prefect Luan was stunned for a moment. He subconsciously wanted to say:

Officials are not qualified to execute beheadings without reporting to the imperial court.

Zhao Du'an seemed to see through his thoughts, however, and slipped the imperial gold medal that the Empress had given him when he left the capital into the Prefect's hand, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile:

"Just follow orders."

On the way, he had tried to pry open Lu Zhengchun's mouth to get information about Zhuang Xiaocheng, but he had failed.

Even Gongshu Tianyuan's "Fox Spirit" couldn't deal with a high-ranking Purple-Robed Daoist in this world.

"Lu Zhengchun, ah Lu Zhengchun, you think that just because you don't open your mouth, this official can't use you to lure out that old dog Zhuang Xiaocheng?"

Zhao Du'an stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the stars in the night sky:

"Zhuang Xiaocheng, it is impolite not to reciprocate. You sent me a gift, how could this official be stingy and not return the favor?"

...

...

Purple Forbidden Mountain Manor.

Inside the pavilion built on the cliff, Zhuang Xiaocheng, with the demeanor of a national scholar, sat cross-legged on the ground, wrapped in a thick blanket, brewing wine.

Lanterns hung from the four corners of the pavilion, and the entire manor in the distance was adorned with lights.

A scene of peace and harmony.

"Glug, glug."

Zhuang Xiaocheng held a pair of iron tongs, stirring the scarlet charcoal in the bronze basin, watching the boiling yellow wine, and said:

"Zhao Du'an has entered the city, and Prefect Luan Cheng has also foolishly bumped into him. Our people in Fengcheng sent news that he mobilized troops into the city during the day and then left the city again. The direction he went seems to be Purple Cloud Palace."

Sitting opposite the Grand Tutor in the pavilion was a figure draped in a large black robe, the hood covering his face.

A fair hand, with well-proportioned joints, emerged from the black robe, picked up a wine vessel, poured a bowl of wine, took a sip, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Lu Zhengchun has been exposed?"

Zhuang Xiaocheng shook his head and said:

"If he had been exposed, how could Zhao Du'an have waited until after entering the city to take action? He probably went to trick him. However, with Lu Zhengchun's character, he would inevitably fight with him. With the foundation of Purple Cloud Palace, it should be enough to test how many trump cards Zhao Du'an brought…

It's just that Zhao, the bandit, dares to come here, he must have confidence. I'm afraid Lu Zhengchun will be defeated… Is this too much of a pity? This old Daoist has profound cultivation, and when he fully uses his flying sword, I'm afraid no one in the society is his opponent…"

The person in the black robe felt the night breeze, and said calmly:

"A dog that wavers, is greedy and insatiable, no matter how sharp its fangs are, it is not worth reusing. Now it is good to use Zhao Du'an's hand to remove him, it is a good thing."

Zhuang Xiaocheng, with white hair and wrinkles all over his face, nodded silently and sighed, saying:

"It's just a pity that this time, whether we succeed or fail in killing that Zhao bandit, the society will suffer a great loss of strength."

The person in the black robe drank the bowl of wine in one gulp and said:

"In order to win, what is there that cannot be lost? Someone is coming."

After saying that, the person's body slowly disappeared like ripples spreading out, even the wine bowl in his hand was gone.

Soon after.

Two figures came running, one was Qi Yuchun with a blue-black stubble and carrying a large spear on his back.

The other was Ren Kun, a Earthly Divine Arts practitioner with broad shoulders, earth-yellow skin, wearing a robe of the same color, with a square face and a flat nose.

The two looked ugly and said hurriedly:

"We received news that Purple Cloud Palace was flattened by that Zhao brat, and Lu Zhengchun was captured alive!"

Zhuang Xiaocheng was "greatly shocked", stood up abruptly, and stared at them: "Tell me in detail!"

After learning the specific process, the former Grand Tutor frowned tightly and said, filled with disappointment:

"If Lu Zhengchun had escaped in time, how could the people from the imperial court have been able to keep him?"

Qi Yuchun said anxiously:

"Lu Zhengchun was not completely on the same side as us. I don't care whether he lives or dies, but if he is caught, I'm afraid our position in the main altar will be exposed!"

Zhuang Xiaocheng shook his head and said calmly: "He won't talk. Because Lu Zhengchun knows that if he reveals the location of the main altar, he will surely die. If he doesn't, there's still a chance of being rescued."

Ren Kun watched coldly and said, "Even if it's as you say, now that we've lost his combat power, what do we do next?"

"Wait." Zhuang Xiaocheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking calmly at the two, his eyes as deep as the sea:

"Trampling Zixiao Palace is Zhao's gift in return to me. I have a premonition that, with this thief's methods, there will definitely be more tricks to come at the latest by tomorrow. We'll adapt to whatever comes our way."

......

......

Jin Fu Inn.

The night was already deep. Deputy General Yuan Ji led a group of cavalry to the garrison arranged by the Fengcheng County Government to rest.

The inn also returned to silence. After the gate was closed, the kitchen brought out the dinner that had been reheated several times. Everyone sat around in the lobby, devouring their food.

The candlelight burned quietly.

Once they were full, Gongshu Tianyuan stroked his round belly, leaned back in his chair, and threw toothpicks to everyone as if by magic.

He pinched one, picked his teeth, and bragged to Hongye and the scholar about his heroic performance in the battle:

"...So, how wise is this divine official? I had already created a fake stand-in to avoid that flying sword... It was precisely because I held back Lu Zhengchun head-on that Junior Sister Jin was able to sneak around and kill him."

Jin Jian was full, squinting her eyes comfortably like a kitten, too lazy to compete for credit.

Ah, yes, yes, yes... You are a disciple of the Celestial Master, whatever you say is right... Zhang Han and Haitang silently complained.

However, the two also admitted that in this battle, the two Celestial Master's sorcerers had indeed made great contributions.

Jin Jian's final killing blow was stunning, but without Gongshu Tianyuan, Lang Shiba, and Ji Yue's frontal containment, it would have been really difficult to defeat Lu Zhengchun.

As a result, the two Zhao Ya constables, who had not been able to exert their strength at all, felt frustrated and realized the true gap between them and cultivation geniuses.

"What are you thinking about?"

Haitang looked at Zhao Douan, who was silent and quietly picking his teeth beside her, and suddenly asked.

Zhao Douan came back to his senses, smiled, and suddenly asked Gongshu Tianyuan curiously:

"Speaking of which, is your stand-in also a trấn vật?"

"Yes," Gongshu Tianyuan thought that Brother Zhao knew how to appreciate me, and hurriedly took out a ball of white mud from his sleeve like he had found a confidant, and said with great interest:

"This is called Spring Mud. It can be kneaded into anything I want, almost like the real thing, but it's just a toy that I need to control within a certain range."

Zhao Douan rubbed his chin, listened to his explanation, and stared at the lump of Spring Mud thoughtfully.

Haitang was perceptive and asked:

"Now that we're full, shouldn't you talk about the next plan? Lu Zhengchun is stubbornly refusing to open his mouth. You want to stage a show of beheading and public display, and deliberately left seven days for Prefect Luan to post notices all over the city, is it for Zhuang Xiaocheng to see?"

The female constable, who self-proclaimed herself as a Zhao Ya detective, analyzed:

"Just like before, you first widely publicized the exchange of prisoners, forcing Zhuang Xiaocheng to accept the exchange... Do you have a similar idea this time?

Since Lu Zhengchun is a member of the Kuang Fu Society, as long as you create a wide range of momentum, letting the Kuang Fu Society members in Fengcheng, and even the entire prefecture, know that nearly a hundred of their comrades are about to be beheaded, they will inevitably become restless.

Zhuang Xiaocheng must face public opinion pressure. Even to appease his subordinates and maintain the cohesion of the Kuang Fu Society, he cannot sit idly by...

So, you want to use this trick to force Zhuang Xiaocheng to send someone to rob the execution ground? And then capture him?"

This was the answer she deduced.

Zhao Douan smiled and nodded:

"Smart!"

Haitang immediately raised the corners of her mouth, very proud, but she didn't notice the hint of amusement in Zhao Douan's eyes.

Zhao Douan looked around the table and said lightly:

"Constable Hai is right. Once the news of the execution spreads, Zhuang Xiaocheng must take action.

Moreover, Lu Zhengchun is clinging tightly, and should also be using the information he has to force Zhuang Xiaocheng to rescue him... Zhuang Xiaocheng will take action even for this."

Everyone looked enlightened and turned their heads, thinking that you are still insidious...

Zhao Douan ignored what these people were thinking and continued:

"But just fishing is not enough. Zhuang Xiaocheng will not be stupid enough to rush in headfirst. Even if he wants to rob the execution ground, he will make certain tactical arrangements. We seem to have the advantage of the home field, but the Kuang Fu Society has been lurking in Fengcheng for several years. This should be their home field."

After a pause, he said: "So, it's time for the spies we planted in the Kuang Fu Society to move."

The gold-medal shadow guards, the scholar and Hongye, straightened their backs:

"What does Master want us to do?"

Zhao Douan said calmly:

"I need you to contact each spy individually through channels and give them a plan of action. I will go back to my room later and write out the content for you."

"Yes." The two shadow guards agreed readily.

"Then that's it. Everyone is tired, so go back and rest first."

Zhao Douan patted his butt and stood up, stepped on the wooden stairs, and returned to his room.

......

After closing the door, he sat at the table in the inn, but didn't rush to write the task. Instead, he turned his wrist and took out the bronze mirror "Feng Yue Bao Jian".

Fell into thought.

According to intelligence, Zhuang Xiaocheng, this old dog, for safety, still detains the captives rescued, such as Yunxi, in a grape estate in Fengcheng.

This is also the reason why Zhao Douan didn't try to use Feng Yue Bao Jian to explore the spies to determine the location of the Kuang Fu Society's main altar before—they were not in the same place at all.

"Zhuang Xiaocheng ah Zhuang Xiaocheng... You must know that I have planted spies among the captives. If I were you, not only would I not rashly remove those spies, but I would also try to turn them around and re-recruit them, playing a hand of spy within a spy..."

"Just imagine, if I completely trust this group of spies, and among this group of spies, there are people who are pretending to defect to the court, but are actually still loyal to you, wouldn't that ruin things?"

Zhao Douan muttered in his heart, put the small mirror aside, picked up a pen and spread out paper, and began to write out the tasks to be issued to a group of spies, including Yunxi, Qingniao, and Wu Ling.

Most of these tasks were fake, to prevent the existence of "spy within a spy".

Even if someone really betrayed him and played the Infernal Affairs game, leaking this fake task to Zhuang Xiaocheng would not matter. Instead, these fake tasks could be used to mislead Zhuang Xiaocheng.

Moreover, he will use Feng Yue Bao Jian to observe those spies from time to time for the next seven days.

Of course, there are also a few tasks that are more special.

"Swish swish swish..." Zhao Douan quickly wrote a few lines of text on a piece of paper, then folded the paper, and solemnly wrote the recipient's name on the blank space on the back:

Yunxi.

—

Wrong words will be changed after the update

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