The First Lackey Under The Empress

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

Outside the Martial Arts Hall, the Empress's imperial carriage was quietly parked, its steed snorting as its tail swished.

After handling the affairs of the Imperial Kitchen, Mochou arrived with a lantern-bearing palace maid, frowning slightly: "Hasn't Her Majesty come out yet?"

A female official respectfully nodded:

"Reporting to Zhaorong, Her Majesty went inside to discuss matters with Lord Zhao, instructing us to wait here."

It's been so long… Mochou thought for a moment, stepping over the threshold of the Martial Arts Hall, but was politely stopped by two enshrined guards just as she was about to enter the backyard.

"Zhaorong, please stop. Her Majesty has ordered that no one is to disturb her," one of the guards said.

Mochou bit her lip and nodded, saying, "I'll wait here for a bit."

… …

Backyard.

"Let's end it here. Now that you've grasped the method of circulating Qi through the meridians, that's enough," Xu Zhenguan said softly after another round of teaching.

"… …This subject is dull-witted, could you teach me one more time?"

"… …What do you think?"

Zhao Du'an chuckled sheepishly, withdrawing, a peach blossom branch in his hand, and said:

"Her Majesty is burdened with countless affairs of state, this subject understands the general idea."

As the two distanced themselves, the slightly feverish temperature on Xu Zhenguan's face rapidly subsided. She took a light breath, tossed away the peach blossom branch in her hand, and primly gave an "En" sound, saying:

"Mastering this method isn't easy. You should follow this swordsmanship and try to cut the peach blossoms on the tree from a distance."

Isn't that simple? Zhao Du'an flicked his wrist, and with a low whooshing sound, a shower of peach blossoms fell from overhead.

Xu Zhenguan smiled knowingly:

"Only when you've practiced to the point where your sword is silent, and the peach blossoms, though severed, remain connected to the branches and unwilling to fall lightly, will you have entered the doorway."

Cut off but can't fall? What a harsh requirement… Zhao Du'an's lips twitched, but he still nodded, saying:

"This subject understands."

With that, he actually sat cross-legged on the ground, quietly comprehending the essence of the swordsmanship taught by Zhenbao, occasionally picking up the peach blossom branch to wave it around a couple of times, then putting it down again and sinking into contemplation once more.

"I will also be staying here tonight. If you have any questions, you may come and ask," Xu Zhenguan suddenly said, then moved her lotus steps lightly and entered the inner hall not far away, sitting upright in meditation.

It was completely the attitude of a master.

It was just that she had thought that, with this little imperial guard's glib nature, he would definitely find all sorts of swordsmanship problems every so often, asking her for guidance and taking advantage of the opportunity to flirt.

But she miscalculated. For the next hour, Zhao Du'an didn't leave the backyard, actually diligently cultivating.

Was it to show off in front of her? Wanting to improve as quickly as possible, to give her a surprise? To shock her? Xu Zhenguan recalled the bridges in the few romance novels she had read when she was young, and speculated about his thoughts.

Her lips curled slightly, shaking her head and chuckling, she simply sat cross-legged and began to meditate and cultivate.

"Although the Peach Blossom Swordplay isn't complicated, it was created by the Great Ancestor Emperor. How much progress can be made in one night?"

The night grew darker, the darkness like a thick quilt, covering the imperial palace.

Unknowingly, dawn broke. When the sky began to brighten with a fish-belly white, the Empress's eyelashes trembled, and she opened her eyes, only to realize that a night had passed.

"This guy, he really practiced all night?"

Xu Zhenguan muttered in her heart, slowly standing up and pushing open the door of the backyard. She saw that under the faint morning light, in the light mist,

Zhao Du'an was still in the same sitting posture as last night, sitting cross-legged under the giant peach tree, the peach wood “sword” lying across his knees, his eyes closed, his head slightly lowered, seemingly asleep.

This guy… he just fell asleep like this… The Empress's lips twitched, sighing helplessly in her heart, feeling a slight disappointment, then she stepped forward, trying to wake him up and send him back to the house to sleep.

However, at that very moment, a gentle breeze slowly blew into the backyard, and above the lush canopy, countless peach blossoms rustled down like snowflakes.

In the blink of an eye, they covered the ground, leaving only a few remnants on the bare trunk.

Xu Zhenguan's beautiful eyes widened slightly, staring in astonishment at this scene.

"Your Majesty?" Zhao Du'an woke up from his nap, rubbed his dark circles, then looked at the peach blossoms scattered on his body and shoulders, raised his face, and smiled brightly:

"I did it."

A moment later.

Mochou, who had been waiting in the front yard all night, sitting on the steps with her arms wrapped around her knees, was awakened. In a daze, she saw the Yu Kingdom Empress walking out gracefully.

"Your Majesty? You're awake?" Mochou asked with endless resentment.

Xu Zhenguan didn't notice her, muttering to herself:

"Strange things, strange things…"

… …

… …

The arrival of the Azure Mountain disciples ultimately attracted the attention of many people, especially the officialdom in the capital.

Especially the cultivators in the city, who were particularly concerned about this contest between the two major martial arts inheritances.

In a refined teahouse private room, Xue Shence and Yuan Li also talked about this matter during a social gathering.

"Lord Xue, as a military expert, who do you think will win the martial arts competition in the palace?"

Yuan Li, as the head of the Qingliu faction, pinched his chopsticks, picked up a piece of cod, and asked curiously.

Xue Shence came from a military background. Even at a private banquet, his sitting posture was equally straight and solemn. Hearing this, he glanced at Yuan Qingyi and said lightly:

"Does Lord Yuan have no confidence in the palace guards?"

Yuan Li smiled and said with emotion:

"This official doesn't understand martial arts, and is far less knowledgeable than Lord Xue about the differences between them, but this official can judge people. This time, I heard that the Azure Mountain disciples are coming fiercely, presumably full of confidence. Fortunately, a few days ago, Shao Bao Zhao used some means to knock them down a peg or two, and they have calmed down. Although the two sides have been continuously sparring these past few days, there have been no more tense situations."

Xue Shence sighed:

"I've heard that Azure Mountain has produced outstanding talents in this generation. Not to mention the Martial Immortal Kui who is striving to break through the void and trying to reach the Human Immortal realm, there are many strong individuals below Ziduan Shui. On the other hand, the royal family… only Shao Bao Zhao has a bigger reputation. It's a pity that the martial arts competition came too early. Even if he barely stepped into the high ranks of the Divine Chapter, it would be difficult to reverse the situation… This kind of martial arts competition cannot use the Tai'a Sword."

The implication: the royal family will lose.

Yuan Li nodded lightly, without expressing his opinion, and the private room fell silent for a moment.

Xue Shence took the initiative to bring up a new topic: "Lord Yuan has been particularly busy these days."

Yuan Li smiled bitterly: "Last year, the new policy was issued, and a batch of local officials were removed. The court has to draw up a list of newly appointed officials. From the beginning of the year until now, it has finally been roughly finalized."

Xue Shence asked curiously: "Could it be that the Prime Minister is obstructing it from the middle?"

Li Yanfu is in charge of the Ministry of Personnel. Even though the "New Cabinet" has taken away the power now, matters involving the assessment, promotion, and appointment and removal of officials ultimately cannot bypass the Li faction.

Yuan Li nodded and shook his head again:

"It's not entirely that. The newly appointed officials must all shoulder the great responsibility of promoting the new policy. The other places are fine, but especially the areas involving the Huai River and Jiancheng Southern Regions must be particularly serious. The Jiancheng Road Grand Canal Governor has been urging for several months. How could His Majesty not know that there is a shortage of people there? But the more important it is, the more it must be screened, and the burden of screening these new local officials falls on my Censorate."

Sympathy appeared in Xue Shence's eyes, and he raised his glass to offer a toast:

"Lord Yuan has worked hard for the country, please drink this cup to the fullest."

Yuan Li smiled, raised his glass in return:

"I hope there won't be any problems."

… …

Jizhao Nunnery.

After spring, the lotus lake in the courtyard thawed, the grass gradually turned green, and the weather warmed up day by day.

The Prajna Bodhisattva, draped only in a light gauze monk's robe, sat quietly by the pond, listening to the nun's report.

Her bare feet were immersed in the water, golden carp surrounding and kissing between her toes. Her monk's robe was open, revealing her white skin, and she held a wooden comb in her hand, gently combing her long hair.

"… …Bodhisattva, the people below have requested for the fifth time, hoping that you will go south."

The nun said softly.

The Prajna Bodhisattva didn't speak, and after a long time, she sighed softly, squinting her eyes and enjoying the warm spring light:

"I really don't want to move."

Following the Buddhist debate, the Prajna Bodhisattva's status in the Shenlong Temple rose steadily.

After the Grand Purity Master defected, the monks' forces in the temple that originally belonged to the Grand Purity lost their support. After several weighings, they all defected to Prajna's command.

While greatly increasing her power, it also brought many troubles.

Shenlong Temple is the Buddhist headquarters of the Yu Kingdom, but there are also scattered temples in various local areas.

A considerable portion of these were originally controlled by Grand Master Dajing, but now they have become his “political legacy”.

Under the grand backdrop of the Empress's “Buddhist Prohibition,” Shenlong Temple can still withstand the pressure with its solid foundation, but the local temples are living in constant fear.

Therefore, Bodhisattva Prajna, as the new leader of the “Zen Sect,” has to go south to meet and appease the monks of various temples.

To prevent the newly formed “Zen Sect” from collapsing… Bodhisattva Prajna is lazy by nature and dislikes fighting, and has refused several times; this is the fifth time.

“Enough, if I don’t agree, they will keep bothering me. Pass on my words that I will go south in a few days,” Bodhisattva Prajna said helplessly.

The young nun breathed a sigh of relief, as if relieved of a heavy burden, and smiled, “The Bodhisattva is merciful.”

Bodhisattva Prajna smiled and casually asked about other matters:

“Has Princess Yunyang been making trouble these past few days?”

The nun said, “She hasn’t been making much trouble. It seems her temperament has become much calmer. Speaking of which, it might be thanks to Dharma Master Bianji giving her a lecture last time.”

Bianji giving a lecture… Bodhisattva Prajna smiled and said:

“Indeed, Yunyang was thrown into the Jizhao Nunnery by His Majesty in the palace precisely to keep her away from men. If she’s bored, she’ll make trouble. Seeing a handsome monk like Bianji must be pleasing to the eye.”

The little nun's face turned red upon hearing the Bodhisattva’s crude words.

Prajna smiled and looked down at her: “What, are you also interested in Bianji?”

“No… How could I… Bodhisattva, I…”

Prajna laughed heartily. Strangely enough, a woman’s loud laughter would normally be considered ungraceful, but on her, it was particularly harmonious and beautiful:

“My Zen practice doesn’t emphasize prohibiting those decadent precepts. What are you afraid of?”

The little nun stammered, then suddenly mustered her courage to ask:

“What does the Bodhisattva think of Dharma Master Bianji?”

“Him, ah…” Bodhisattva Prajna, who was born with a pair of insightful Buddhist eyes, sneered:

“A great villain who appears to be loyal.”

After a pause, she said wistfully: “Not as good as Zhao Du’an.”

…

…

Inside the palace, the sparring between the enshrined warriors and the Green Mountain disciples continued day by day, but other than the first day, there were no more major upsets in the following days.

Zhao Du’an comprehended the Peach Blossom Divine Sword overnight, which, while astonishing Xu Zhenguan, made him once again lament that he was indeed the person chosen by the “Dragon Soul”.

His speed in learning the Xu clan’s martial arts was unbelievable, but after thinking about the Dragon Soul’s secret assistance, it could barely be explained.

Zhao Du’an knew that he had fallen behind too much in his studies, so he secluded himself for half a month, practicing diligently day and night. To his surprise, he discovered that the Peach Blossom Sword Technique and the “Opening the Heavens” sword move that Old Xu taught him at the end of the 《Martial God Diagram》 were connected in spirit.

There was a faint sense of beginning and end connecting, with a circulating aura, which made him suspect that perhaps the Opening the Heavens sword move was one of the moves within the Peach Blossom Sword Technique.

The more he practiced and comprehended, the deeper his understanding became, and he faintly felt a state of “flow” in which he was immersed in the world of martial arts.

On the seventh day, his cultivation also smoothly entered the upper rank of the Divine Chapter realm, as Zhenbao had said.

In the following days, he repeatedly consolidated his foundation, and his strength once again experienced a substantial leap, but unfortunately, it was still far from the “Worldly” realm.

Thus, the time came to the fifteenth day, which was the agreed-upon day for the martial arts trial.

…

Early morning, inside the Martial Arts Hall.

Zhao Du’an leisurely ate until he was seventy percent full, walked out of the room, and saw the enshrined warriors, led by Tang Jinzhong, already standing in rows in the courtyard.

Their military appearance was neat and tidy.

Everyone's face was filled with solemnity and killing intent.

“Don’t be so serious, relax a bit. It’s just a martial arts sparring,”

Zhao Du’an smiled:

“Besides, you don’t even need most of you to fight. Everyone, smile a little. Don’t look like you’re surrendering before even starting.”

The enshrined eunuchs tried their best to force a smile, but it was even more unsightly than crying.

After several days of sparring, everyone repeatedly assessed and clearly perceived the gap between the two sides.

“The other side has three people, we fight three rounds, winning one round will be passable,” Zhao Du’an comforted them.

The enshrined warriors wore bitter expressions. Fighting on their home ground, they should not only win all three rounds, but at least win two rounds, otherwise wouldn’t they make His Majesty lose face? But… could they do it? No one had confidence.

Originally, some people had placed their hopes on Zhao Shaobao, thinking that if he could unleash the armor-piercing saber technique from the first day, there might still be a turning point.

But when everyone caught sight of Zhao Du’an's empty hands, without even carrying a sword, they understood that Zhao Shaobao would not be making a move today.

…

The sparring location was chosen in the palace's Peach Garden.

As the name suggests, it was a garden filled with peach trees, enclosed by a fence, with a small mountain-like earthen slope leaning against the city wall as its main body.

It was said that six hundred years ago, after the death of the Empress, the then-Emperor Taizu often came to the Peach Garden to relax and practice martial arts.

When Zhao Du’an led a group of dejected and stressed enshrined warriors across the fence and entered the center of the Peach Garden, he discovered that the Green Mountain disciples had already arrived.

Chai Keqiao was still dressed as a woodcutter, standing calmly, his expression filled with powerful confidence.

Qi Ye's injuries had fully recovered, and the blindfolded swordsman stood beside him, the scabbard of the sword in his hand as black as inkstone. That sword was named “Ancient Inkstone”.

Xiao Ran, wearing a bamboo hat, was slender, and the cloth strip tied around her waist fluttered gently in the wind.

She stood holding her sword, her eyes sharply locking onto Zhao Du’an, and the corners of her mouth slowly rose, actually making a provocative “throat-slitting” gesture from afar.

“Grand Tutor Dong? Chief Administrator Xue? Long time no see,” Zhao Du’an said calmly, without any nervousness.

After scanning the trio, he looked in surprise at the familiar onlookers in the Peach Garden.

Today, Dong Xuan, in his twilight years, led Han Zhou, Wang You, Guo Jiexuan, and other scholars from the Xiuwen Pavilion to gather here, apparently because they were nearby, in the imperial city, so they came to join in the fun.

As for Xue Shence and several members of the Privy Council, as well as the military officers leading the imperial palace's forbidden army, they were clearly present as “military men” who wouldn’t miss this martial arts competition.

“Shaobao Zhao’s complexion is even better than before.”

“Haha, we are here today to watch the excitement, but we are looking forward to your Excellency’s skills.”

A group of military officers and cabinet scholars greeted each other with smiles, causing the Green Mountain trio to frown.

“A proper martial arts competition, yet it feels like attending court,” Qi Ye snorted.

Chai Keqiao suddenly looked outside the Peach Garden: “His Majesty is here.”

Sure enough, after Zhao Du’an exchanged greetings with a group of colleagues, he turned around and saw a group of people approaching in a mighty manner.

Palace attendants cleared the way around them, and the most eye-catching, of course, was the Yu Kingdom’s Empress, who possessed both the qualities of a celestial fairy and a human emperor.

Beside her, on her left and right, were the old acquaintance Mo Chou and Hai Chunlin, wearing a bright red python robe.

“Greetings, Your Majesty!”

Everyone saluted.

Xu Zhenguan nodded lightly and smiled:

“After a century of separation, today is another martial arts trial between our Yu Kingdom’s imperial family and the talented disciples of Green Mountain…”

The Empress was clearly prepared, and Zhao Du’an listened to her opening remarks with one ear and let them out the other.

Today’s competition was not as grand as the Buddhist and Taoist competition, attracting the entire capital’s population to watch.

It only took place in the imperial palace’s Peach Garden, with over a hundred spectators, but its significance to the Yu Kingdom’s imperial family might be even greater than the former.

“The martial arts trials between Green Mountain and the imperial family throughout the generations will not only be recorded in history books but also spread throughout the martial world, to be remembered by generations of martial artists for the next century…”

Zhao Du’an seemed to hear the words that Eunuch Hai had said to him yesterday echoing in his ears.

He couldn’t help but be infected by the solemn atmosphere and became slightly serious.

He looked around and suddenly understood something. Wasn’t this the battle that would be passed down through the ages?

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