The First Lackey Under The Empress

Chapter 432: Reporting, Your Majesty! Lord Zhao has died in Fengcheng! (Large Chapter)

Inside the courtroom.

As Zhao Du'an finalized the details, everyone in the hall stood up. Gongshu Tianyuan re-drew the red veil, smiling and saying:

"Let's go. We need to do the whole act. The three of us still need to come in openly from the outside."

Jin Jian rolled his eyes, while Lang Shiba walked over silently, a typical example of someone who is ruthless and doesn't talk much.

According to Zhao Du'an's arrangement, the three of them needed to return from the outside and report the situation of the Forbidden Mountain Manor to Prefect Luan.

Prefect Luan looked at the three people disappearing and got up to walk outside:

"Lord Zhao, please rest in the room. This official will go out to handle the aftermath."

The brocade-clad guards from Pear Blossom Hall also followed him out.

In the room, only Zhao Du'an, Zhuang Xiaocheng, Yunxi, Jiyue, and Haitang and Zhang Han, who were "dead at the bottom of the cliff," remained.

Adding the two siblings from the Celestial Master Mansion, who would later leave "disheartened," the entire "secret maneuver" team reached an astonishing size of eight people.

"There are a few too many people. I should have brought fewer people up the mountain," Zhao Du'an sighed softly.

Haitang, who was about to "fake her death," sneered:

"We have to accompany you to fake our deaths, and you're still not satisfied? Or you can treat Zhang Han and me as corpses, throw us in coffins, and transport us back to the capital with the main force. Lying down on the way back to the capital is better than roughing it with you. I'd prefer that."

Zhao Du'an said with a wry smile, "I misspoke, okay?"

He turned to look at Yunxi again and said:

"By the way, I also need you to list a name list, that is, which members of the Kuangfu Society captured today do you think can be won over and are worth saving."

Yunxi was stunned for a moment, finding it hard to believe:

"You are willing to pardon a portion of the rebels?"

She felt that she understood this treacherous official less and less.

Zhao Du'an smiled slightly:

"This official is not a demon. However, I have a condition. Those you think were deceived by Zhuang, the old dog, and are worth saving must publicly accuse Zhuang Xiaocheng as witnesses to determine his crime."

He said with emotion, "How can a grand trial lack witnesses?"

…

On this day, too many things happened in Fengcheng.

First, the "Immortal Master" Lu Zhengchun was beheaded. The execution ground was "robbed" twice, but in the end, his head fell to the ground, and it was said that his death was miserable.

He was stabbed through the buttocks with a sharp blade… The onlookers were amazed.

Next, the government troops searched the city for rebels. Fengcheng only allowed entry and no exit, and the arrest continued until night.

However, the most sensational thing was that Gongshu Tianyuan and the other two rushed back to the city, looking sad, and reported to Prefect Luan Cheng:

Lord Zhao led a group of elite soldiers to raid the rebel's lair and died together with the "bandit leader" Zhuang Xiaocheng.

As soon as the news came out, the whole city was in an uproar.

Deputy General Yuan Ji's face turned pale, and cold sweat immediately soaked through his armor. Luan Cheng immediately assigned the county magistrate to take charge and personally led a large number of government troops straight to the Forbidden Mountain Manor.

He detoured into the valley at the bottom of the cliff and found that the entire mountain had collapsed. Although it had almost piled up into a small mountain, the government troops were stationed here and searched overnight.

Countless torches were burned overnight.

In the end, only a dozen or so blurred bodies that had been smashed were dug out of the rubble.

It is said that, according to the clothes and scattered accessories of the corpses, it was determined that Zhao Du'an and his party had died with Zhuang Xiaocheng.

After that, Prefect Luan Cheng returned to the city almost like a demon, personally ordered the rebels arrested in the city to be loaded into an entire convoy, and personally led the prisoner convoy, escorted by Yuan Ji and other government troops, to go north to the capital to plead guilty.

Two disciples from the Celestial Master Mansion left in the name of traveling. It is said that they left with a lack of interest and shed tears on the spot.

The surviving Lang Shiba followed the team and personally escorted Zhao Du'an's "ceremonial tomb" back to the capital.

On that day, dark clouds covered the sky, and sporadic snowflakes fell. The escort team was all dressed in mourning.

Before this, in order to play the whole act, the news about Zhao Du'an's death was also transmitted to the capital via the military's falcons.

…

Several miles west of Fengcheng, in a teahouse in a small town.

"Woo woo—"

The cold wind blew the thatched roof of the house. Qi Yuchun was expressionless, feeling the snowflakes mixed in the cold wind hitting his face. On his tired and numb face were dark circles under his eyes from several days and nights of sleeplessness.

"Close the window. If you're not cold, I'm cold."

Inside the house, next to a burning red stove, Ren Kun, wearing an earthy yellow robe, sat in a chair about to fall apart, rubbing his hands to warm himself.

His face was flushed red by the stove fire.

Qi Yuchun didn't turn his head and said in a hoarse voice, "The convoy escorting the prisoners has left the city."

Ren Kun said unhappily, "So what? What? Do you still want to rob the prison van? If you want to go, go yourself. I'm not interested."

With their strength, killing people was no problem, but saving people was another matter.

The entire escort team had hundreds of prisoners, all of whom had either had their cultivation crippled or were injured, losing their ability to move in a short time.

The two of them couldn't leave with so many burdens. Saving them would be in vain.

Moreover, these people were carefully selected by Zhuang Xiaocheng, ready to take the opportunity to kick them out of the Kuangfu Society and sacrifice them as pawns.

Ren Kun had no motivation to risk his life to save them.

Qi Yuchun said dejectedly, "It would be good if we could retrieve the Grand Tutor's body."

Ren Kun glanced at him coldly and said sarcastically:

"People are dead, and you're starting to sell your loyalty. Do you think those government troops can really dig out any corpses from the bottom of the cliff? It's just unrecognizable limbs and broken arms."

Qi Yuchun was persuaded. He sighed bitterly, turned around, and looked at Ren Kun:

"I'm not loyal… but I don't know what to do next. My current idea is to slowly gather the remaining members who fled that day and are still hiding in Fengcheng, and then go find the Princess and the young son.

Although the Battle of Fengcheng suffered heavy losses, the widow of His Highness Prince Jianwen is still there, and the banner of the Kuangfu Society is still there. We still have some branch personnel scattered all over the place…

It's just that, without Grand Tutor Zhuang, who among the remaining people in the society can convince the public? Who has the qualifications to take up the banner again? Is it you? Or me?"

He shook his head dejectedly:

"You and I are only good at fighting, and we can't gather people's hearts at all, and no one else in the society has the qualifications.

In that case, aren't we left with only the path of fleeing in all directions? Perhaps, we should take the Princess and the son away from Yu Country and hide in a more remote place."

This Commander-in-Chief was obviously discouraged and had the idea of disbanding.

Ren Kun was silent for a moment and said:

"Actually… there's something I haven't told you. Before Grand Tutor died, just before ordering the assassination of the Zhao traitor, he secretly gave me a brocade pouch, telling me that if there was an accident, I could only open it after three days.

But I didn't expect at the time that the 'accident' he mentioned would be blowing up the mountain and dying together."

"Brocade pouch?" Qi Yuchun was stunned, his breathing tightened, and he walked forward a few steps: "Where is it?"

"Today is the third day after the assassination. I've already secretly opened it."

Ren Kun took out a brocade pouch from his arms and threw it to him: "There's an address inside."

Qi Yuchun hurriedly took out a piece of paper from it. There were no other words on it, only a line of address, located west of Fengcheng, in a place bordering Linfeng.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Qi Yuchun seemed to have a backbone all of a sudden, his eyes lit up:

"That's right! I was being stupid. With Grand Tutor's wisdom, since he already had the idea of dying together, how could he not think of arranging things after his death? He must have calculated it. It's reasonable to have arrangements! Let's go quickly."

Only now did he finally understand why Ren Kun looked so calm and not confused.

"What's the rush? Let's have lunch first…"

"I'll give you a spear, do you want to eat it or not?"

"…"

The Jianghu sorcerer Ren Kun was helpless and was pulled out of the teahouse by the impatient Qi Yuchun. The two of them wrapped in cotton clothes and rode their horses westward.

They traveled for another day on the road before arriving at noon the next day on a roadside official road bordering Linfeng and Binhai, an inn for people coming and going.

"It's here! Let's go in and take a look."

Qi Yuchun raised his head and looked at the inn's signboard, dismounted, and entered the inn's courtyard with Ren Kun. A waiter greeted him with enthusiasm: "Are you two staying at the inn?"

"Okay, two rooms," Qi Yu casually said, seemingly unconcerned. He slowly booked the rooms and then, as if an afterthought, asked the shopkeeper:

"Is Room One available?"

The shopkeeper replied, "I'm sorry, Room One has been booked by a guest for seven consecutive days."

They exchanged a glance, paid, settled their luggage, and then, when no one was watching, knocked on the door of Room One.

"Enter."

A man's voice came from inside the room.

The two were skilled and bold, so they immediately pushed open the door. The inn was simply furnished. Inside, a stove was burning, and the doors and windows were tightly closed.

A figure wearing a black cloak stood by the window, back to them, gazing at the pale winter day outside.

Qi Yu closed the door behind them and, along with Ren Kun, warily stared at the mysterious figure, saying:

"Is Your Excellency waiting for someone?"

The cloaked figure said, "I have been waiting for you for a long time. Is Zhuang Xiaocheng dead?"

The two felt a jolt in their hearts. "He's dead, along with Zhao Dou'an."

Ren Kun hesitated and said, "The Grand Tutor instructed me to come here three days after his death. I assume it was to meet Your Excellency. I wonder what arrangements the Grand Tutor has made? Please enlighten us."

Qi Yu secretly remained on guard, "Could Your Excellency turn around and speak face to face?"

The man by the window ignored him, simply chewing on the words "dead," and after a long while, let out a long sigh.

Then, he slowly turned around, facing the two of them, and from the cloak emerged two well-proportioned hands that clearly belonged to a wealthy family.

Slowly, he lowered the hood, revealing a noble face that should no longer exist in the world.

Ren Kun was stunned.

Qi Yu's eyes widened, as if struck by lightning. He opened his mouth, incredulously saying:

"Second… Second Prince?!"

Xu Jianwen, the Second Prince of Yu, the mastermind behind the Xuanmen coup who had massacred the palace and died outside the Meridian Gate three years ago, calmly gazed at the two:

"We meet again."

… …

… …

The Imperial City.

Outside the Meridian Gate of the Imperial Palace, the officials gathered once again, preparing for their daily court session.

Zhao Dou'an's round trip had been long and arduous. In the blink of an eye, more than two months had passed since the New Year.

As winter drew to a close, the capital was no longer so cold, and it seemed that spring was not far away.

The old ministers seemed much more relaxed as they attended court, no longer having to brave the wind and snow.

Moreover, since the New Year, a series of reforms led by the New Policies had begun to take effect.

After the national treasury recovered, the six-hundred-year-old giant of the Great Yu Dynasty regained its warmth. The faces of the civil and military officials were increasingly filled with joy, and the Empress Xu Zhenguan's frosty face also gained some of the vitality of the spring goddess.

As the bell rang, the officials entered the hall.

Xu Zhenguan, wearing a dragon robe and a beaded crown, sat upright on the dragon throne, and the officials presented their reports in turn.

The process was uneventful, consisting of routine matters.

— Most of the time, the court was filled with trivial matters, with few major events occurring.

Just as Zhao Dou'an knew in his previous life:

Only small matters, and matters that had been discussed and finalized by all parties, were often the mainstream of the morning court, merely going through the motions in the Golden Luan Hall.

And major events were decided in private meetings by a small group of people.

And earth-shattering events often only existed in the hearts and secret meetings of a very few people.

As the morning court was about to come to an end, Li Yanfu suddenly stepped forward and said:

"Your Majesty, Shao Bao Zhao has been away from the capital for a long time. I wonder when he will return?"

As soon as these words came out, the expressions of the officials changed slightly. Old rival Yuan Li even glanced at the old codger sideways.

Behind the beaded curtain on the dragon throne, a pair of bright eyes also revealed a cold gleam.

Li Yanfu, with his white hair, wrinkled face, and stubble connecting his sideburns, seemed oblivious to the many gazes. Seeing that the Empress did not answer, he continued:

"During the New Year's banquet, Shao Bao Zhao publicly made a military pledge to capture Zhuang Xiaocheng within three months. Now, more than two months have passed…"

"This old minister is not deliberately making things difficult for Shao Bao Zhao, but the matter of the rebel leader is of great concern and cannot be taken lightly. This old minister is also worried that Shao Bao Zhao's departure has been delayed, and no letters have been sent back. I wonder if something has happened…"

"Grand Chancellor, be careful with your words!"

The dignified and majestic Empress interrupted him from the dragon throne, coldly saying:

"The capture of the rebels is a top secret. How can we leak information through letters? Since it is not yet three months, the Grand Chancellor should put aside his thoughts and do his job properly. Do not ask what you should not ask."

These words were quite impolite.

Li Yanfu immediately bowed deeply, "This old minister… understands."

Xu Zhenguan was in a bad mood, got up, and waved her sleeve, saying, "If there is nothing else, then retreat…"

The word "retreat" was just about to be uttered.

Suddenly, a long cry of "Urgent Report" came from outside the Golden Luan Hall.

Even with the palace doors closed, it could still be heard.

The officials were stunned, and Xu Zhenguan also frowned.

If it were not an urgent matter, the palace attendants would never report it during the court session.

"Go and see," the Empress instructed the "Female Prime Minister" standing beside her.

Mo Chou said "En" and immediately walked down the steps, quickly leaving through the side door to the outside of the hall. After a while, Mo Chou returned and said:

"Your Majesty, it is an urgent military report from Bin Hai Dao!"

Bin Hai Dao? Urgent military report?

Xu Zhenguan's expression changed slightly. She hurriedly said, "Summon him!"

The palace doors slowly opened, and a forbidden army guard entered the hall in armor, kneeling on one knee, not daring to raise his head:

"Reporting to Your Majesty! Yuan Ji, the Deputy General of the Bin Hai Dao Military Prefecture, and Luan Cheng, the Prefect, have jointly sent an urgent report back to the capital, concerning Shao Bao Zhao's capture of the rebel leader!"

Xu Zhenguan's eyes lit up, and she subconsciously took a few steps forward, her eyes revealing joy. She glanced vaguely at Li Yanfu below, only to see that the old Grand Chancellor was obviously stunned, as if he had not expected such a coincidence.

He had just asked, and there were already results.

And since an urgent report had been sent back from a thousand miles away, there must have been gains.

The officials were slightly disturbed and cast curious glances.

A smile had already appeared on the corners of Xu Zhenguan's mouth. Logically, she should personally review it first, but thinking of Li Yanfu's accusations just now, she had a mischievous thought and said:

"What is the content of the urgent report? Read it aloud to all the ministers."

"Yes!"

The forbidden army soldier responded, tore open the sealed envelope of the secret report, took out the contents, and quickly scanned it. He was obviously stunned for a moment, but he did not dare to raise his head and had to bite the bullet and say:

"Luan Cheng, the Prefect of Bin Hai Dao, and Yuan Ji, the Deputy General of the Military Prefecture, report to Your Majesty."

"Shao Bao Zhao entered Fengcheng, investigated and verified that the Purple Robe Taoist Lu Zhengchun… was beheaded… used him as bait to launch a surprise attack on the rebel headquarters…"

"…The Zijin Mountain Villa collapsed, and the rebel leader Zhuang Xiaocheng is suspected to have fallen off the cliff with Shao Bao Zhao and his subordinates… Their bones are gone…"

"…Later, fragments of limbs and objects were excavated… together with the capture of more than one hundred rebels, who are being escorted to the capital and will arrive soon…"

Silence.

In the Golden Luan Hall, a deathly silence suddenly fell.

At the beginning of the report, there was nothing wrong, but when they heard that Zhao Dou'an and Zhuang Xiaocheng had fallen off the cliff and were buried in the collapsed mountain rocks, and only fragments of limbs and arms were found.

The civil and military officials were as if they had been cast with a petrification spell, and everyone was stunned on the spot.

Yuan Li's lips were slightly open, as if he had not heard clearly.

Grand Tutor Dong seemed to be distracted, his eyes losing focus.

The corners of Li Yanfu's eyes widened bit by bit, and his pupils narrowed. He was also shocked by the news.

"Zhao Dou'an… is dead? He perished together with Zhuang Xiaocheng? Buried in the cliff?"

At the entrance of the hall, Mo Chou, standing near the forbidden army, was also frozen in place. She only felt a buzzing in her head, and a strong sense of unreality and absurd emotion arose in her heart.

That annoying guy… is dead? Just like that?

Mo Chou suddenly felt a sense of foreboding, and suddenly raised her head, her gaze looking towards the end of the officials, in front of the dragon throne on the high platform.

That figure of the Empress wearing a dragon robe.

Visibly, Xu Zhenguan's whole body was stiff, and the smiling face behind the beaded curtain instantly turned pale, as if her essence had been drained.

Then…

This Heaven-Human Realm expert suddenly… staggered…

She couldn't stand firm!

Xu Zhenguan took a few steps back, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Her whole body was weak, and she subconsciously grabbed the armrest of the dragon throne. In her eyes, a tear almost instinctively and unconsciously fell.

Then, the Empress of the Great Yu Dynasty used her last bit of reason to try her best to suppress her chaotic emotions and spat out two words:

"Retreat… Dismiss court."

… …

… …

The officials left the court.

As the officials of the court hurried out of the palace, their expressions varying from worry to anger, emptiness to concealed joy, the news of Zhao Du'an and Zhuang Xiaocheng's mutual demise spread like wildfire through the bureaucracy.

The Imperial Secret Agency.

Inside the Grand Supervisor's hall, Ma Yan, who did not attend the morning court session today, was sitting in the hall reviewing reports from various departments, as was his daily routine.

Suddenly, a figure rushed in from outside the hall, none other than Zhou Cang, a centurion who had previously dealt with Zhao Du'an.

Zhou Cang was panting, his expression grave. He rushed in, taking three steps at a time, nearly tripping over the threshold in the process.

"Lord Supervisor! Lord Supervisor! Something terrible has happened!"

Ma Yan heard the shout from behind the door. He put down his pen and paper and looked up in surprise as Zhou Cang barged in without knocking.

"What's going on? Why are you so flustered?" Ma Yan rose and asked, frowning.

Zhou Cang took a couple of breaths before saying, "This morning's court…"

"Morning court? Nothing major happened in court today. What could have made you lose your composure like this?" Ma Yan asked, puzzled.

Zhou Cang shook his head and waved his hand as he spoke:

"No, not the morning court… Well, yes, the morning court… That's not important! An urgent report came from Bin Hai Dao. Zhao Du'an, the Junior Guardian, and Zhuang Xiaocheng perished together! They're dead!"

Dead… Dead… Zhao Du'an is dead…

Ma Yan's mind went blank for a moment, and he stared blankly into space: "What… what did you say?!"

… …

… …

The Zhao Residence.

Early this morning, the matriarch, You Jinhua, dragged her daughter out of bed and directed the servants to clean the mansion thoroughly.

Well, mainly to air all the bedding and towels in the courtyard, according to custom.

"Mother, why are we airing quilts in the dead of winter?"

Zhao Pan complained, pouting under the eaves, holding her Pekingese dog.

In front of her, the entire courtyard was filled with long bamboo poles, and the servants were walking among them, hanging the bedding on top.

You Jinhua was directing them. She walked over and poked her daughter's forehead with a finger:

"It's rare to have such good weather. If we don't air the quilts, they'll get infested. Besides, when your elder brother comes back, he needs a warm quilt to sleep under."

"…Then why not just buy a new one…" Zhao Pan retorted weakly.

You Jinhua was furious: "You don't know how to be thrifty when things are going well? Is your elder brother's money easy to earn? Doesn't he have to travel so far on business? Risking his life?"

"That's not what I meant…" Zhao Pan sighed and was about to turn away.

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching cry came from outside the courtyard:

"Madam! Miss! Bad news! Young Master is gone! Young Master is gone!"

Everyone in the courtyard froze and looked over at the same time. They saw the old steward of the Zhao family staggering in, his face covered in tears, collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Through the fluttering colorful sheets and quilt covers, he cried out the news he had heard.

Zhao Pan stood still, the little dog in her arms slipped and fell to the ground. The Pekingese yelped in pain, but as if sensing the wrong atmosphere, it tucked its tail and dared not bark.

Elder brother is gone… Gone… The young woman's mind buzzed, and she felt as if the bedsheets in front of her had instantly lost their color and turned black and white.

She turned her head and subconsciously looked at her mother, only to see You Jinhua's face as pale as paper, collapsing straight to the ground.

"Mother!"

"Quick, call a doctor!"

The Zhao family was in chaos.

… …

… …

The Celestial Master's Mansion.

In a secluded courtyard deep within, the banyan tree was still lush and green in this winter season, bringing fragrance to the entire courtyard, as if it were not in the same season as the outside world.

The tall, slender-eyed Old Celestial Master Zhang Yan was sitting in a rattan chair, flipping through the jade scroll Heavenly Book in his hand.

Suddenly, his heart stirred, and he looked towards the courtyard gate.

A moment later, the courtyard gate creaked open on its own, and a divine official trotted in and respectfully bowed:

"Reporting to the Celestial Master, news has just arrived that Zhao Du'an and Zhuang Xiaocheng fell off a cliff in Fengcheng, Bin Hai Dao… Their bodies were completely destroyed…"

Zhang Yan frowned, his face showing doubt.

His right hand slowly covered the jade scroll in front of him, and his eyes closed.

Immediately, the golden characters on the jade scroll broke free from the shackles of the Heavenly Book, stood upright, and ran on the "earth" paved by the jade scroll like a group of little people, cheering and arguing, changing positions with each other.

The chaos lasted for a while before the little people-like characters finally found their "new home" and integrated into the jade scroll.

The Heavenly Book actually transformed into a new article through the rearrangement and combination of the characters, which was the result of divination about this matter.

Zhang Yan opened his eyes, scanned the words on the Heavenly Book, raised his eyebrows slightly, seemed to smile, and muttered:

"Sly."

Immediately, he waved his hand dismissively: "Understood."

The divine official, not daring to ask any further questions, was about to retreat when he was suddenly stopped by the Old Celestial Master.

Zhang Yan thought for a moment and said, "If His Majesty comes later, tell him that I am sleeping and not seeing outsiders."

The divine official was stunned for a moment and nodded: "As you command."

… …

… …

The Imperial Palace, outside the Empress's bedroom.

Mo Chou, holding her skirt with both hands, ran quickly along the long corridor. The female officials along the way saluted one after another, but she did not stop at all.

She didn't stop until she reached the door of the bedroom, where she carefully knocked gently.

"Enter."

Hearing the voice from inside the room, Mo Chou breathed a sigh of relief, pushed open the door, and stepped in.

After closing the door, she took two more steps forward and lifted the curtain blocking the cold wind.

In the warm small hall, antique shelves, calligraphy and paintings, potted plants, and green plants decorated everywhere.

The Empress had changed out of her dragon robe and returned to her white dress and black hair. She was sitting quietly in front of the tea table, staring in a daze at the well-trimmed green plants in the large vase opposite her.

Her fair and beautiful face, like a fairy from heaven, had no expression, and was unusually calm.

Only the slightly red eyes revealed that the Empress's heart was far from as calm as her appearance.

"Your Majesty?" Mo Chou asked cautiously:

"Is Your Majesty's health…"

"I'm fine." Xu Zhenguan's voice was also very flat, as if she had really recovered from her grief.

But Mo Chou did not dare to take it lightly. She had clearly witnessed how distraught the Empress was in the Golden Luan Hall, and she remembered that the last time she lost her composure was after the Xuanmen coup three years ago.

"This servant has already sent people to warn the major departments not to spread or discuss… the Fengcheng affair. The military report was too brief, and its truth is still unknown. If it spreads, I'm afraid it will cause unrest among those with ulterior motives…"

Mo Chou said cautiously: "This servant has taken the liberty of making this arrangement. If Your Majesty finds it inappropriate…"

"You have a good heart."

Xu Zhenguan withdrew her gaze, turned her head, nodded to her, and showed a faint smile.

Mo Chou was stunned for a moment. She walked carefully to the Empress's side and tentatively asked:

"Your Majesty, you…"

Xu Zhenguan saw what she was thinking and said softly:

"Do you think Zhao Du'an is someone who would die so easily?"

"Uh…" Mo Chou hesitated for a moment and said, "Lord Zhao is blessed by the heavens. Perhaps the military report is wrong…"

Xu Zhenguan shook her head. Her eyes flickered, as if looking at the south:

"Before he left the capital, I gave him a teleportation treasure to protect himself. If he encounters danger, he can teleport thousands of miles away by crushing it.

I was wondering, as Luan Cheng's letter said, did he have a chance to crush the treasure at the Forbidden Mountain Villa?

He should have, after all… the last time he left the capital, when he was attacked by the Great Purity Monk, he knew to keep the teleportation device close to his body… Would such a cowardly person be unprepared?"

Mo Chou was stunned. She finally realized that the Empress was not overwhelmed with grief:

"Does Your Majesty mean… that Lord Zhao is… feigning death?"

— —

ps: Seven thousand word chapter, tomorrow continue to try big chapter.

Thanks to Blue's Most Beautiful Ball for the 500 reward, and Sword Heart Kyoto Fire for the 500 reward ~